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    BATTLES
    OF THE
    CIVIL WAR

    BY
    T. E. VINEYARD

    [Illustration]

    SPENCER, W. VA.
    1914




    COPYRIGHT, 1914
    BY
    T. E. VINEYARD

    HAMMOND PRESS
    W. B. CONKEY COMPANY
    CHICAGO




CONTENTS


                                                        PAGE
  FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN                                 9
  BATTLE OF SHILOH                                        14
  BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS AND SEVEN PINES                     19
  THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES BEFORE RICHMOND                 25
  BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN                                36
  SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN                               40
  BATTLE OF ANTIETAM                                      46
  BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO                                  56
  BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG                                62
  BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE                              71
  SIEGE OF VICKSBURG                                      79
  BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG                                    86
  BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA                                  104
  BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AND MISSIONARY RIDGE        109
  BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS                               114
  BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE                    120
  BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR                                  125
  SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA                             129
  BATTLE OF CLOYD MOUNTAIN                               136
  THE SIEGE AND FALL OF PETERSBURG                       142
  THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX                            149




ILLUSTRATIONS


                                                        PAGE
  GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE                                   16
  GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT                                32
  JOHN BROWN ON HIS WAY TO THE GALLOWS                    48
  BATTLEFIELD OF FIRST BULL RUN                           64
  BATTLE OF ANTIETAM                                      96
  BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG                                   112
  DEDICATING THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG         128
  BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE                    144




AUTHOR'S PREFACE


In all history of this American Republic, or perhaps any other nation,
there was no conflict that was so terrible as our Civil war. Napoleon's
efforts to bring into reality his dream of universal empire would not
compare with it.

I have endeavored in this book to describe in detail the chief points
that were enacted on the most important battlefields of that War. As
those who participated in that War are now fast passing away, and the
time will soon be here when they will only be remembered by their
deeds of valor on these battlefields, I deem it only fit and proper
that those in all walks of life should know more of these battles in
detail and of those who participated in them. I think you will get this
information from this book, as it is written specially with this view.
It should specially appeal to teachers and students who can use it in
a supplementary way in connection with the study of history of this
period.

I now commend this book to you, and trust that it may be the means of
giving you more light on this the greatest civil war of all time, and
that it may help to lengthen in the minds of the American people their
remembrance of those who participated in it.




FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN


At the beginning of July, 1861, the Federals had 30,000 men encamped
along the Potomac near the heights of Arlington under the general
command of General Winfield Scott, who was a veteran of the war of
1812, as well as the Mexican war, but who was at this time aged and
infirm, and remained in Washington, and Brigadier-General Irvin
McDowell was in immediate command of the army. Another 20,000 men lay
at Martinsburg under General Patterson who like Scott was a veteran of
the war of 1812 and of the Mexican war.

At Manassas Junction, about thirty miles from Washington, lay the
Confederate army under Brigadier-General Beauregard. General Joseph E.
Johnston was in command of 9,000 men in the Shenandoah Valley. Johnston
and Beauregard, as well as McDowell, had with Scott and Patterson
battled at the gates of Mexico.

General Scott gave orders to McDowell to move against Beauregard and
on the 16th day of July the army, with waving banners and lively hopes
of victory, and with "On to Richmond" as their battle cry, moved on
Manassas. General McDowell brought his army to a halt at Centreville
within seven miles of Manassas. Beauregard was apprised of the coming
of the Federals. The stream of Bull Run, from which the first great
battle of the war derived its name, flowed between the two armies.
Patterson failed to detain Johnston in the valley, and General Johnston
reached Manassas with his army on the afternoon of the 20th. General
Longstreet was also there, who some months later played a distinctive
part in the struggle at Gettysburg and in the death grapple of Lee and
Grant in the wilderness.

McDowell, after resting his troops for two days at Centreville, thought
the time for an engagement was now at hand, so on Sunday, July 21st,
at half-past two in the morning, the men were roused for the coming
conflict. Their dream of easy victory had already received a rude
shock, for on their second day at Centreville a skirmish between two
minor divisions of the opposing armies resulted in the defeat of the
Union forces with some loss.

Ambrose E. Burnside and William T. Sherman were at this time
subordinate officers under General McDowell. Burnside, who figured
later in the far more disastrous battle of Fredericksburg, and Sherman,
distinguished for his march to the sea.

The Union plan was that General Tyler should lead his division
westward and cross Bull Run at the Stone Bridge about four miles from
Centreville, and the remainder of the army under Hunter and Heintzelman
was to make a circuit of several miles through a dense wood and cross
Bull Run at Sudley's Ford. The plan was to attack the Confederate left
wing. The march to Sudley's Ford was slower than expected and it was
almost noon before this division of the army reached the field near
Stone Bridge.

General Tyler early in the day opened fire at Stone Bridge on the
Confederates under General Evans, but merely kept up a desultory fire.
As the morning wore away the Confederates suddenly discovered clouds
of dust rising above the treetops along the Warrenton turnpike, which
told them that the main Federal army was on them. Evans quickly turned
about and made ready for battle and waited calmly for the approach of
the enemy. Presently there was a glimmer of sunlight reflected from
burnished steel among the trees and Colonel Burnside led the Federal
army from the woods and without delay the battle began and raged
furiously.

Meanwhile Generals Beauregard and Johnston were at Manassas, about four
miles from the scene of battle, with part of the Confederate army, and
had been planning an attack on the Federal left, but on hearing the
roar of the cannon and the rattle of the musketry became convinced that
the Federals were making their main attack on the Confederate left,
and both galloped at full speed to the scene of battle, after leaving
orders to the remainder of the army to be brought up to reenforce the
small force of Confederates who were trying to hold back the Federals.
They arrived on the field at the moment when General Bee's brigade
was being driven back. General Bee, in trying to rally his men,
called their attention to the fact that Thos. J. Jackson's brigade was
standing like a stone wall, and it was here that Jackson won his name
of "Stonewall."

The battle raged furiously until 3 o'clock. The chief object was to
get possession of Henry's Hill. Beauregard, like McDowell on the other
side, led his men in the thickest of the battle. His horse was killed
by a bursting shell, but he mounted another and continued. At about
2 o'clock the Confederates were driven from the field and McDowell
thought he had won the victory, but General Kirby Smith had arrived
from Manassas with the remainder of the Confederate army and was now
on the field, after a double-quick march for four miles under a hot
July sun. Beauregard determined to make another effort and ordered
his troops forward with fresh courage. When the Union army saw the
Confederates again approaching, supported by fresh troops, their
courage failed and they began to retreat. McDowell tried in vain
to rally his men, the Confederates pressed on, the retreat of the
Federals became a panic. He again tried to rally his men and make a
stand at Centreville but to no avail, the troops refused to listen
to his commands. Some of the troops did not stop until they reached
Washington, and the first great battle of the Civil war was now over.

The Federal force engaged was about 19,000 men, of which the loss in
killed, wounded and missing was about 3,000.

The Confederates had about 18,000 men on the field, and their total
loss in killed, wounded and missing was about 2,000. McDowell and
Beauregard, the opposing commanders, were old-time friends, having been
in the same class at West Point.

It was in this battle that Captain Ricketts was severely wounded and
left on the field, and was carried a prisoner to Richmond by the
Confederates.

To commemorate the success of the Southern arms at Bull Run the
Confederate congress voted a day of Thanksgiving.




THE BATTLE OF SHILOH


Many battles had been fought in America, but they were all skirmishes
compared with Shiloh. Napoleon fought but few battles on the Continent
of Europe that were more destructive of human life.

In the beginning of April, 1862, General Albert Sidney Johnston was in
command of 40,000 Confederate soldiers at Corinth, Miss., about twenty
miles from Pittsburgh Landing, on the Tennessee River; the next in
command was General Beauregard, who had fought at Bull Run, and had
come to reenforce Johnston; General Bragg, of Buena Vista fame, was
there, to whom, at Buena Vista, General Taylor had given the famous
command, "A little more grape, Captain Bragg." General Leonidas Polk
was with Johnston also. He was called the "Fighting Bishop," for he had
been a bishop in the church after leaving West Point.

Meanwhile the Union army was gathering at Pittsburgh Landing, under the
command of General Grant, and by April 5th numbered 40,000 men. Grant's
plan was to attack the Confederates at Corinth, within a few days, and
at this time was little expecting an immediate battle, and had left his
army in command of his subordinate officers, and on the night of the
5th was some miles down the Tennessee from where his army was encamped.

In the meantime Johnston was moving on the Federals at Pittsburgh
Landing, and on the night of April 5th encamped within a mile of the
Federal lines.

At the break of day Sunday, April 6th, the Confederate battle-lines
moved from the woods on the surrounding hills, and the greatest battle
yet fought in the Western Hemisphere was at hand.

General Grant was at breakfast when he heard the roar of the cannon,
and made haste by boat to take charge of his army.

General Hardee led the first Confederate attack against the outlying
division of the Federals under General Benjamin Prentiss, of West
Virginia. Very soon a Confederate attack was made all along the Federal
line, led by Bragg, Polk and Breckinridge. A determined stand was made
by the Federal division under General W. T. Sherman, but was finally
pushed back after inflicting great slaughter to the Confederates. About
two and a half miles from the Landing, in a grove of trees, stood a log
church, known to the country people as Shiloh, at which they gathered
on Sunday to worship, but on this particular Sunday the demon of war
reigned supreme, and it goes without saying that the regular service on
this fateful Sunday was dispensed with. About this church the battle
raged furiously. Near the same was a dense undergrowth, which was
held by General Prentiss until late in the afternoon of the 6th, when
his entire division was surrounded and compelled to surrender, after
repulsing the Confederate attack time after time with great slaughter.
This spot has since been known as the "Hornet's Nest."

It was near this place that General Albert Sidney Johnston received his
death wound while leading his troops, and in his death the Confederates
suffered irreparable loss. He was struck in the leg by a minie ball,
and if surgical attention had been given him at once his life would
have been saved.

It is the belief of many that the death of Johnston changed the result
at Shiloh. Beauregard succeeded to the command and continued the
battle. The utter rout of Grant's army was saved only by the gunboats
in the river. Beauregard gave orders to suspend operations until
morning.

[Illustration: GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE]

The Confederates were left in charge of the field on the first day and
were in good hope of