S

SAMUEL P. HEINTZELMAN.

AMUEL P. HEINTZELMAN was born at Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1806, of an old family. Although his name indicates German origin, his ancestors had been long in this country. In 1826, at the age of twenty, he graduated from the Military Academy at West-Point as brevet second lieutenant. Next he became second lieutenant, and was transferred to the Second infantry; then first lieutenant; captain in 1833; assistant commissary in 1836; assistant quartermaster and captain in 1838; and as captain served in the quartermaster's department in Florida during the Creek war. Twenty years after leaving West-Point-in 1846-he was still but a captain. Congress having passed a bill separating the quartermaster's department from the line of the army, he resigned his staff position, and was directly ordered to Mexico as captain in his old regiment, the Second infantry. Having acquitted himself with distinction at the battle of Huamontalo-long ago forgotten-he was brevetted as major. This was in 1847, and in the following year he was ordered to California and assigned to the command of the Southern District of that State, General Hitchcock being commander of the department. On reaching the Pacific coast, he found disaffection toward our Government existing among the Spanish population, and the Yumas, Maricopas, and other powerful tribes of Indians, were busy in depredations and murders committed upon emigrants on the plains. In order to put an end to these practices, he was ordered to establish a post at the junction of the Colorado and Gila Rivers, and, in the language of the order, "to take the necessary measures to protect American and Mexican citizens from Indian hostilities and depredations, and compel the Indians to respect American arms by making manifest to them, as much as possible, your power and justice." Toward the close of 1851, he established the post since known as Fort Yuma, but this garrison underwent such suffering that for a time he returned to San Diego. In December of the same year he organized an expedition which, by a rapid march into the hostile country, succeeded, after a brief struggle, in capturing a large body of Indians. Four of the most troublesome of the prisoners were tried by court-martial and shot on the very scene of their capture. Of this affair General Hitchcock thus addressed Major Heintzelman in official dispatches to the War Department: "I congratulate you on the successful termination of the long and tedious warfare with the Yumas,

the progress of which has been attentively watched from the first. My entire assurance that every measure would be taken by you calculated to secure the object of your presence in that country has been fully realized. No more important service has been rendered by the troops on the Pacific coast than that just accomplished under your direction. The General is persuaded that not only a vast expenditure both of blood and treasure has been spared the country, but that the peace of the southern part of the State of California has been effectually secured by it." In another place and connection General Hitchcock thus expresses himself: "To the energy, valor, and perseverance of Major Heintzelman, in command of the Southern Department of the State, is due the credit of suppressing what was likely to be a war of long duration."

From the close of 1851 to 1854, most or all of Heintzelman's time was passed at the most distant of all army posts, at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers, but in 1855 with his family in the Atlantic States. Shortly before the close of Mr. Fillmore's administration, he was nominated to the Senate as brevet lieutenant-colonel, "for meritorious conduct in command of an expedition against the Yuma Indians," but the adjournment of Congress prevented action upon this nomination at that time, and it was not till 1855 that he was advanced from the brevet majority, in which he had done so much for the country and his own reputation, to the position of major in the First infantry. Following upon this appointment came an interregnum of quiet at Newport Barracks, Kentucky, till in 1857 he was ordered to join his regiment, which was then serving in Texas under General Twiggs. The difficulty with Cortinas broke out, and that marauder was ravaging the country about the Rio Grande, threatening the most serious consequences. Major Heintzelman was ordered by Twiggs from Camp Verde to take command of the forces on the Rio Grande. It was not easy to find the enemy and conquer him with only infantry, but he was at last overtaken and compelled to fight. After a severe engagement, Cortinas fled to Mexico, leaving some two hundred dead on the field. It was an effectual and abiding lesson, and on the twentieth of June, 1860, General Scott transmitted the official report of the affair, adding the following comment: "This is a report of a brilliant affair in which Major Heintzelman distinguished himself, as he has often done many years before. I beg to ask a brevet for him."

In the winter of 1860-61, in the distant solitude of Camp Verde, both officers and men were anxiously looking at the threatening clouds in the Northern horizon, feeling (as one expressed it) "as if God were dead." The treachery of General Twiggs surrendered the army in Texas on February eighteenth, 1861, and the officers and men were paroled. Heintzelman escaped by having taken advantage of the retirement of his lieutenant-colonel to procure leave of absence, and being at Washington in the spring of 1861, he attended the inauguration of President Lin

coln. During all the portentous and despairing months that signalized the opening of the new administration, his acknowledged military ability and sterling loyalty made him the confidential adviser of officers at Washington. In April of that year, he was stationed for a short time at Governor's Island, New-York harbor, and early in May he was ordered to Washington as Acting Inspector-General. A day or two after the occupation of Arlington Heights, he received a commission as colonel of the Seventeenth United States infantry, the commission bearing date May fourteenth. This regiment was a part of the new addition to the regular army, and was then in process of organization. Heintzelman was assigned to the command of the forces at Alexandria, and at the disaster of Bull Run, on the twenty-first of July following, he commanded the extreme right wing of McDowell's army. Undisciplined troops as those were, it was necessary to show them an inspiring example; and accordingly Heintzelman exposed himself freely, taking part personally in every movement, and late in the day of that Sunday, while leading the Brooklyn Fourteenth in a desperate effort to recover the lost fortunes of the field, he was severely wounded by a ball near the elbow. If he dismounted, faintness might prevent his remounting, yet he could not consent to leave the field; so, meeting Surgeon King of the army, he had the bullet removed without stirring from the saddle, then placed his arm in a sling and went on, rallying his straggling troops into the best order he might, and slowly falling back on Alexandria. Toward noon of "blue Monday" he reached his own house in Washington, and fell to the floor as he crossed the threshold, having received his wound fifteen hours before, and having sat twenty-eight hours continuously in the saddle. Not long after this trial of his strength and courage, he was made a brigadier-general of volunteers, and in October he was assigned to the command of the left wing of the army of the Potomac, but nothing of moment occurred during the following winter. On the eighth of March, 1862, the army was reörganized and formed into five corps, and Heintzelman took the Third, which consisted of his old division, then commanded by General Hancock, who was relieved in front of Yorktown, and subsequently by Kearny; of Hooker's division; and of the division of Fitz-John Porter. The history of this corps is a history of fighting. About the middle of March, the army of the Potomac embarked for the Peninsula, and Heintzelman's corps was the first to land and the first to advance on Yorktown; being encamped near the heaviest rebel works, they also furnished most of the working parties of the season. Yorktown having been evacuated, Porter's division was detached from Heintzelman's corps, which was ordered in pursuit of the retreating rebels. On the fifth of May, 1862, Heintzelman fought the fiercelycontested battle of Williamsburgh, General Sumner, his ranking officer, being but slightly engaged.

The army advanced on Richmond, and after the Chickahominy was crossed,

Heintzelman's command was doubled, both the Third and the Fifth corps being now assigned to him. The bloody week of battles soon came. The retreat to the banks of the James River began with the repulse at Gaines's Mills, and ended with Malvern Hill. At Gaines's Mills the right of the army received a severe check, and was ordered to commence a flank movement on the James. The rebel opinion of Gaines's Mills may be gathered from the following extract from an account of the Peninsular campaign, written by a Prussian officer in the rebel service: Already had two generals of the four hostile brigades been left by their men, and it was believed that all was over with McClellan's entire army, when at this perilous crisis General Heintzelman appeared with his division, and again brought the battle to a stand. With great ability and gallantry he repulsed the onset of our troops, and at once ordered the organization of the beaten and fugitive brigades. But it was found impossible to restore order to those confused and intimidated masses. They bore their officers along with them, and rushed on in wild disorder and flight. General Heintzelman saw himself compelled to abandon his position, and, like an ox, with head down, ready to receive an attack at any moment, he drew slowly back to the Chickahominy."

Following this came the seven days' fighting. Heintzelman was at Savage Station; at Glendale, where he was wounded in the leg, but retained his command; at Malvern Hill and others; and wherever his troops were engaged they fought successfully and well.

Upon the arrival of the army at Harrison's Landing, its painful retreat being over, Heintzelman was promoted to a Major-Generalship, and when he arrived at Yorktown he was ordered with his corps to report to General Pope in the Department of Virginia. On the twentieth of August he embarked, and on the twentysixth his troops were already in position, protecting the railroad to the Rappahannock. But a little later, the right of Pope's army having been turned by the rebels and his line of communication having been cut off, Heintzelman was ordered to reöpen the line with Hooker's division. The rebels were formed in force at Kettle Run, and were falling back on the plains of Manassas, when they were overtaken by Heintzelman on the twenty-ninth of August, and he immediately engaged them, being then in command of the left wing, and toward the close of the day succeeded in driving them from their first strong position. The thirtieth arrived, and he still held his position, but the centre at length gave way, and he was ordered to fall back on Centreville, as he had fallen back on the same place more than a year previous. On this retreat, a part of General Hooker's command-General Philip Kearny's division-distinguished itself at Chantilly.

Thereupon Heintzelman's corps marched back to the capital, but when he arrived at Fort Lyon, his former winter headquarters, only about five thousand out of the original twenty thousand men of the old force on the Potomac answered