all the supplies required for the Federal army. Gen. Halleck consequently took immediate steps to open a new line direct to Columbus, Ky., to which place the railroad was speedily repaired. These circumstances would impose a limit upon the military operations of Gen. Halleck's army for some months. Even if Corinth was evacuated and a part of the Confederate force withdrawn entirely, no serious blow could be struck by Gen. Halleck. These considerations must have presented themselves to the Confederate Government at the time when Richmond was closely pressed by Gen. McClellan, and really in danger of capture. Without doubt they exerted an influence in producing the determination to evacuate Corinth. And when it became evident that the position could not be held against the force that was advancing upon it, they pointed out the manner in which this evacuation could be turned to advantage.

At this time Gen. McClellan had crossed the Chickahominy, Gen. Banks was retreating before Gen. Jackson up the Virginia valley, Forts Pillow and Randolph and the city of Memphis had surrendered, and a Federal force was making an attack on Vicksburg.

The pursuit of the retreating forces of Gen. Beauregard was made as follows: On the morning after the evacuation, Gen. Pope's forces entered the town about twenty minutes before seven o'clock, just as the last of the Confederate cavalry were leaving. One company of cavalry, being Gen. Pope's escort, pushed after them, and had a brisk skirmish, in which several were killed and captured. The pursuit, however, was arrested by the burning of a bridge over a swampy creek, and the cavalry returned. A brigade of cavalry and a battery under Gen. Granger were then sent out by Gen. Pope on the Booneville road. It left Farmington at noon on the 30th, and the same day came up with the rear guard of the enemy posted on Tuscumbia Creek eight miles south of Corinth. The next day they were driven out, and on Sunday, June 1, the pursuit was recommenced. Gen. Granger passed Rienzi only two hours behind the retreating army, and found the bridges between that place and Booneville so recently fired that the timbers were nearly all saved. That afternoon the advance overtook the retreating Confederate rear four miles from Booneville, and pursued it within one mile of the town, and halted for the night. At five o'clock on the next morning the town was entered, and skirmishing was kept up all day with the Confederates on every road leading westward or southward as far as Twenty Mile Creek. On the next day a reconnoissance with force was made toward Baldwin, and the Confederate force driven across Twenty Mile Creek; and on the 4th another reconnoissance was made by Col. Elliot via Blocklands, with similar results. On the 10th Baldwin and Guntown were occupied by Federal troops, which was the termination of the pursuit. Boone

ville, above mentioned, is twenty-four miles by the railroad from Corinth. The Confederate force fell back to Tupello. The position of the forces at Corinth remained unchanged until the 10th of June, when Maj.-Gen. Buell, under instructions from Gen. Halleck, moved his army along the line of railroad toward Chattanooga. He was then between Huntsville and Stevenson, when it became necessary to move upon Louisville to counteract the designs of Gen. Bragg. Meantime the army under Gen. Grant occupied the line of west Tennessee and Mississippi extending from Memphis to Iuka, and protecting the railroads from Columbus south, which were then their only channels of supply. On the 23d of July Gen. Halleck left the department to take the position of general-inchief at Washington. Gen. Grant continued in the position above stated until a portion of his troops were withdrawn from Mississippi and sent to Kentucky and Cincinnati to give confidence to the new levies brought into the field upon the invasion of Kentucky by Gen. Bragg.

It will have been observed that the division of Gen. Buell's army, under the command of Gen. Mitchell, has not been spoken of as cooperating with the other divisions at Pittsburg Landing and Corinth. This division left Nashville on the same day with the others, but took the road to Murfreesboro. There it remained in occupation of the place and repairing the bridges until the 4th of April. Long before this time the Confederate troops, which occu pied Nashville and retreated to Murfreesboro, had withdrawn and united with those under Gen. Beauregard on the new southern line of defence.

On the 4th of April, Gen. Mitchell marched to Shelbyville, the county seat of Bedford county, Tenn., twenty-six miles dis tant. On the 7th he advanced to Fayetteville, twenty-seven miles farther, and the next forenoon, the 8th, fifteen miles beyond, he crossed the State line of Alabama. Continuing his march six miles farther, and being within ten miles of Huntsville, Ala., he halted for the artillery and infantry to come up. No tents were pitched. The men lay round camp fires. Just as the moon was going down, the shrill bugle call was sounded. All were up, and in a few minutes ready to move. A battery was put in advance, supported by two bri gades. Four miles from Huntsville, the shrill whistle of a locomotive was heard, and in a few minutes the train came in sight, and was stopped by the call of the brass guns of the battery. The train was captured together with 159 prisoners. On to the town was now the order. The citizens were quietly sleeping as the army entered. Says a spectator of the scene: "The clattering noise of the cavalry aroused them from their slumber ere the dawn of the morning, and they flocked to door and window, exclaiming with blanched cheek and faltering tongue, They come, they

CAROLINA

Augusta Milledgeville

come, the Yankees come!' Never in the history of any military movement was surprise so complete. Men rushed into the streets almost naked, the women fainted, the children screamed, the darkies laughed, and for a short time a scene of perfect terror reigned. This state of affairs soon subsided."

Col. Gazley, of the 37th Indiana regiment, was appointed provost marshal, and his regiment occupied the city as guard. Then commenced an examination of the results of this bloodless capture. At the railroad depot were found seventeen first-class locomotives and a great quantity of passenger and freight cars, and at the foundery two or three cannon, together with several small arms. Gen. Mitch ell soon made good use of the engines. Before the close of day, one hundred miles of the Memphis and Charleston railroad were in his possession, stretching in one direction as far as Stevenson, and in the other as far as Decatur. At the latter place, the entire camp equipage of a regiment was captured. From Decatur he pushed on at once to Tuscumbia.

The

Thus, without the loss of a single life, Gen. Mitchell placed his army midway between Corinth and Chattanooga, prevented the destruction of a fine bridge at Decatur, opened communication with Gen. Buell, and also the navigation of the Tennessee. occupation of Huntsville also cut off all communication between the east and west by the Memphis and Charleston railroad. The expedition east on the railroad, under Col. Sill, penetrated as far as Stevenson at the junction of the Chattanooga road, at which place five locomotives and an amount of rolling stock were captured. An expedition went as far south from Tuscumbia as Russelville. Lagrange and Florence were also visited, and Confederate property of the military kind was found.

This extension of Gen. Mitchell's lines to hold the railroad rendered his situation precarious. Soon the enemy began to gather in force and threaten him. His course however received the commendation of the War Department. He was raised to the rank of a major-general, and ordered to report directly to the department, and his force was constituted an independent corps. But he got

no reenforcements. He was left in such a condition that he at first hardly had anything to report but that he had been gradually driven from those positions, the gaining of which had made him a major-general. On his right, the enemy were now in force, and picket skirmishing was constant. On his left, at ChatBalei tanooga, a strong force threatened his rear and the safety of Nashville. In his front, cavalry came up and attacked his line at times. Gen. Halleck sent to him 100,000 rations under convoy of a gunboat. Of these 40,000 were burned to prevent their capture. On the 24th of April, the retreat from Tuscumbia commenced. On the 26th the bridge at Decatur was crossed, when it was fired and burned. It was the only crossing of the Tennessee east of Florence, above the head of navigation, and west of Bridgeport near Chattanooga. The bridge was destroyed in an hour and a half, but before its destruction was complete, the enemy's cavalry appeared on the opposite side. Having returned to Huntsville, the right wing of the force commenced operations toward Chattanooga.

On the 30th of April, an expedition was sent to Bridgeport near Stevenson, the result of which placed under the control of Gen. Mitchell the bridge across the river. As there was no bridge below his position since the destruction of the one at Decatur, and as he had control of the one above near Chattanooga, and as his communication between the extremes of his line was by railroad, which was in his possession, and the Tennessee river lay in front of him, on the farther side of which was all the enemy he anticipated, he thus closed his report to the Secretary of War under date of May 1: "The campaign is ended, and I now occupy Huntsville in perfect security, while all of Alabama north of the Tennessee river floats no flag but that of the Union." It was stated that if Gen. Mitchell had been sustained with a sufficient force, he would have crossed the Tennessee river at its extreme southern point in Alabama, and reached Gunter's Landing-a march of forty miles thence would have placed in his possession Gadsden on the Coosa river, where he could have destroyed the steamboats on the river, or seized them and proceeded to Rome and destroyed large armories and founderies. From Gunter's Landing there is also a fine road to Rome, eighty miles distant. In two days his cavalry could have passed that distance, destroyed the founderies at Rome, and captured engines and cars enough at that place and Kingston to have enabled him to proceed up the road with an armed force to protect them in burning the bridges. This movement would have cut off Gen. E. Kirby Smith, then advancing upon Huntsville, from reënforcements or retreat. The Confederate forces in Knoxville, Greenville, and Cumberland Gap, in east Tennessee, and even in western Virginia, would all have been dangerously exposed by

little more extended operations along the railroads by Gen. Mitchell.

Subsequently he advanced upon Chattanooga, which compelled the Confederate forces in eastern Tennessee to make a backward movement. Only a single stem of railroad connects Chattanooga with Atlanta, and thence connects with other parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, and its loss would compel evacuation above, as in the case of Bowling Green. Several expeditions were sent out by Gen. Mitchell during the month of May against small bands of cavalry upon the same side of the river. One or two skirmishes of considerable spirit, and with respectable numbers, also took place. On the 6th of June, Gen. Negley, from the opposite side of the river, made an attack with his artillery upon Chattanooga. This was replied to from some earthworks. On the next day a considerable force under Gen. E. K. Smith opened fire upon Gen. Negley, but were compelled to retire. Chattanooga was finally abandoned by the Federal force in consequence of the difficulty of procuring supplies. On the advance of Gen. Buell, this division of his army under Gen. Mitchell was placed under the command of Gen. Rosseau, and Gen. Mitchell was ordered to the command at Port Royal, South Carolina.

The result of the military operations that have been thus far described, was at this time of the year such as to leave in the hands of the Confederate Government a large military force, which it could use without additional hazard wherever it pleased, while the Federal Government, struck with panic from other causes, was actually calling upon the governors of the loyal States to hurry forward to its protection even three months' volunteers. The acquisition of territory, however, was all on the side of the Federal Government, which had got its hands so full in proportion to its military preparations, that it must either relinquish some portion of it or submit to defeat somewhere, if its antagonist was active, skilful, and dexterous. This state of affairs culminated in the midst of the Virginia campaign, and it was decisive not only of that campaign, but it presented to the world magnificent displays of the skill and power of the respective antagonists.

It has been said that the Confederate Government had a large military force with which it was free to act, without additional hazard. This force consisted of part of the levies of the previous year, some of the levies raised by the governors of the States, under a call from President Davis in February of this year, and some of the troops beginning to come up under the conscription act passed by the Confederate Congress early in April. In Missouri the success of Gen. Curtis had been such as to drive out all the regular Confederate troops, and he had established himself just within the borders of Arkansas. But the requisition upon him to send ten regiments to the assistance of Gen. Halleck, so limited his ability for offensive operations,

that the troops of Arkansas were to a consider. able extent free to act wherever the Confederate Government needed. Kentucky and middle and western Tennessee had been evacuated by the Confederate forces, which held them at the beginning of the year. These forces congregated at Corinth, and upon its evacuation, the vast army was not in a condition, at that hot season of the year, to follow the fugitives any considerable distance, or to push forward its offensive operations, as has been before observed. A limited Confederate force was therefore kept in the field, to observe the operations of Gen. Halleck. The cessation of military op erations against Charleston and Savannah, and also in North Carolina, by the Federal Government, caused the Confederate Government to keep no more than a force of observation in the field, and left it at liberty to concentrate its other troops wherever their presence might be most needed. These troops were therefore sent to Virginia, to engage in the campaign going on in that State.

The position and number of the Federal troops in Virginia at the beginning of the year have already been stated (see page 24). The distinct bodies of men were those under Gen. Wool at Fortress Monroe and Newport News; those under Gen. Hooker south of Washington; those under Gen. McClellan southwest of Washington; those under Gens. Keyes and Casey in and around Washington; those under Gen. Stone at and near Poolesville, and those under Gen. Banks near Darnestown with detachments on the Potomac to Williamsport. Cumberland was the headquarters of Gen. Kelly, and Grafton in western Virginia, on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the headquarters of Gen. Rosecrans, while Gen. Cox was up the Kanawha valley.

On the 5th of January Gen. Lander arrived at Hancock, on his way to Cumberland to relieve Gen. Kelly, who was sick. He found the enemy under Gen. Jackson, on the other side of the Potomac, in considerable strength. It had been designed for two months that Gen. Jackson should move northwest toward Romney; but he was delayed by the impression of the Confederate Government that the Federal army would make a general advance, and risk a battle during the winter. On the 3d or 4th of January he left Winchester and moved northward toward Hancock, a distance of forty miles, and attacked four companies of Federal troops stationed at Bath, driving them to Hancock, where, having been reënforced by Gen. Lander, they made a stand. Here Gen. Jackson made a feint attack by throwing some shells across the Potomac, which did only slight damage. He then moved westward with the intention of coming into Romney, on the Union left, by way of Springfield, and thus cut off the supplies from Cumberland and the railroad. The relative positions of Winchester, Hancock, and Romney are at the points of an equilateral triangle: Hancock north of Winchester, and Romney northwest.

The day before Gen. Jackson retired from before Hancock, Gen. Kelly, who was in Cumberland, sent an order to Col. Dunning, the commandant at Romney, to make an attack on the enemy's force stationed at Blue's Gap, a strong position, sixteen miles from Romney, on the road to Winchester. On the night of the 6th an expedition, consisting of the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th Ohio, 14th Indiana, and 1st Virginia, with two companies of cavalry and a battery, was sent to Blue's Gap, and made an attack upon the enemy, who, being in small force, were completely driven out. At this time Gen. Loring, with a considerable Confederate force, was within six miles of the gap, expecting the Federal column to push on and attack him. Meantime, as soon as Gen. Jackson left Hancock, Gen. Lander, anticipating his intentions, proceeded to Cumberland to Gen. Kelly, and assumed the chief command, and thence to Romney, where he arrived on the night of the Tuesday on which the expedition returned from Blue's Gap. Everything was put in readiness for a struggle. On Friday following it was reported that Gen. Jackson, in command of his right wing of ten thousand men, was within twelve miles east of Springfield, resting his men, and waiting for his other forces to get into position. His centre under Gen. Loring, about eight thousand strong, was at Blue's Gap, and his left wing of three thousand had moved up from toward Moorefield, and taken position on the New Creek road, some six miles in the rear of Romney. Thus, excepting at one point, Romney was completely surrounded by Gen. Jackson. If Gen. Lander could march north eight miles, to the Springfield crossing of the South Branch of the Potomac, before Gen. Jackson could march west twelve to Springfield, then Gen. Lander could get beyond him, or fight him with ten thousand men, at a less disadvantage than in Romney, where Gen. Jackson would concentrate twenty thousand. The entire force of Gen. Lander was about four thousand five hundred men. On Friday night everything was ready for the march. The sick, the hospital, and commissary stores were sent forward under a strong guard, and at midnight the rear guard of Gen. Lander withdrew from the town. It had rained during the day, and the rate of advance over the bad roads was a mile and a quarter to the hour. At five o'clock the next morning Gen. Lander reached Springfield. The men were so tired and exhausted that, after making fires of the fences, they lay down in files on the cold, wet ground and slept. In two hours they were again on the march. But Gen. Jackson, instead of following, went to Rom-. ney, and thence retired to Winchester, leaving the former place occupied by Gen. Loring. He also evacuated it after a few days, partly in consequence of Gen. Lander having gathered his forces, and prepared for a march upon it. Subsequently Moorefield was captured, and Bloomery Gap, by Gen. Lander. On the 11th of February Gen. Lander telegraphed to Gen.

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McClellan, the commander-in-chief, as follows: "The railroad was opened to-day to Hancock; also the telegraph. Papers taken, and my own reconnoissance to the south, prove the country clear, and Jackson and Loring in Winchester. The enemy have been driven out of this department."

The failure of Gen. Lander's health compelled him soon after to resign his command.

The time was now approaching when some movement should begin among the vast forces encamped in northeastern Virginia. With the Confederate Government, which still adhered to the defensive policy, the question was, whether it should maintain its advanced position before Washington, or fall back on Richmond? Its position was so well fortified that it could resist any attack in front, but would be in danger if either of its flanks were turned. Winchester, in the Shenandoah Valley, was the extreme point on the northwest occupied by the Confederate army, and Aquia Creek and Matthias Point on the southeast. This extent of line was too great to be maintained before the vast Federal forces organized in front. The flanks might thus be turned by the way of Leesburg on the north, or the Potomac on the south, and serious disaster would ensue. At the same time, the farther Gen. McClellan was drawn from his position before being encountered, so much the easier would his army be overcome, and at a greater cost to the North. These and similar considerations determined the Confederate Government to evacuate the position held by its army at Manassas. This measure was, however, not executed until March.

On the 30th of January, Gen. Beauregard, having been ordered to command in Kentucky and Tennessee, issued the following address to the soldiers at Manassas:

HEADQUARTERS FIRST CORPS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Near CENTREVILLE, January 30, 1862. Soldiers of the First Corps Army of the Potomac: My duty calls me away, and to a temporary separation from you. I hope, however, to be with you again, to share your labors and your perils, and in defence of our homes and our rights, to lead you to new battles, to be crowned with signal victories.

You are now undergoing the severest trial of a soldier's life; the one by which his discipline and capacity for endurance are thoroughly tested. My faith in your patriotism, your devotion and determination, and in your high soldierly qualities, is so great that I shall rest assured you will pass through the ordeal resolutely, triumphantly. Still, I cannot quit you without deep emotion, without even deep anxiety, in the moment of our country's trials and dangers. Above all, I am anxious that my brave countrymen, here in arms, fronting the haughty array and muster of Northern mercenaries, should thoroughly appreciate the exigency, and hence comprehend that this is no time for the army of the Potomac-the men of Manassas to stack ards they have made glorious by their manhood. All their arms and quit, even for a brief period, the standmust understand this, and feel the magnitude of the conflict impending, the universal personal sacrifices this war has entailed, and our duty to meet them as promptly and unblenchingly as you have met the enemy in line of battle.

To the army of the Shenandoah I desire to return my thanks for their endurance in the memorable march to

Twelve months had now nearly passed since the first soldiers of the Confederate army took the field, and their term of enlistment was about to expire. This fact is not only referred to in the address of Gen. Beauregard, but it was made the occasion of the following address by Gen. Johnston, now in command of the same forces: HEADQUARTERS, Department of NORTHERN VIRGINIA, February 4, 1862. SOLDIERS: Your country again calls you to the defence of the noblest of human causes. To the indomitable courage already exhibited on the battle field, you have added the rarer virtues of high endurance, cheerful obedience, and self-sacrifice. Accustomed to the comforts and luxuries of home, you have met and borne the privations of camp life, the exactions of military discipline, and the rigors of a winter campaign. The rich results of your courage, patriotism, and unfaltering virtue are before you. Intrusted with the defence of this important frontier, you have driven back the immense army which the enemy had sent to invade our country, and to establish his dominion over our people by the wide-spread havoc of a war inaugurated without a shadow of constitutional right, and prosecuted in a spirit of ruthless vengeance. By your valor and firmness, you have kept him in check, until the nations of the earth have been forced to see us in our true character-not dismembered and rebellious communities, but an empire of confederate States, with a constitution safe in the affections of the people, institutions and laws in full and unobstructed operation, a population enjoying all the comforts of life, and a citizen soldiery who laugh to scorn the threat of subjugation.

Your country now summons you to a noble and a greater deed. The enemy has gathered up all his energies for a final conflict. His enormous masses threaten us on the west; his naval expeditions are assailing us upon our whole southern coast; and upon the Potomac, within a few hours' march, he has a gigantic army, inflamed by lust and maddened by fanaticism. But the plains of Manassas are not for gotten, and he shrinks from meeting the disciplined heroes who hurled across the Potomac his grand army, routed and disgraced. He does not propose to attack this army so long as it holds its present position with undiminished numbers and unimpaired discipline; but, protected by his fortifications, he awaits the expiration of your term of service. He recollects that his own ignoble soldiery, when their term of service expired, "marched away from the scene of conflict to the sound of the enemy's cannon," and he hopes that at that critical moment Southern men will consent to share with them this infamy. Expecting a large por tion of our army to be soon disbanded, he hopes that his immense numbers will easily overpower your gallant comrades who will be left here, and thus remove the chief obstacle to his cherished scheme of Southern subjugation.

The Commanding General calls upon the twelve months' men to stand by their brave comrades who have volunteered for the war, to re-volunteer at once, and thus show to the world that the patriots engaged in this struggle for independence will not swerve from the bloodiest path they may be called to tread. The enemies of your country, as well as her friends, are

watching your action with deep, intense, tremulous

interest. Such is your position that you can act no obscure part. Your decision, be it for honor or dis

honor, will be written down in history. You cannot, you will not, draw back at this solemn crisis of our struggle, when all that is heroic in the land is engaged, and all that is precious hangs trembling in the balance. JOS. E. JOHNSTON, Major-General C. S. A. It was not the purpose of Gen. McClellan while commander-in-chief to move on Centreville, but by the lower Chesapeake upon Richmond. His object was to capture and hold Chattanooga, Tenn., before the army of the Potomac advanced. In this, however, he was overruled by the President, who, on the 27th of January, issued an order, as above stated, for a general advance of all the armies on the 22d of February. This order was thus undoubtedly premature; and while it served to present the President before the country as anxious for a movement, it was really of no benefit to the cause, but, on the contrary, an actual injury. Previous to its issue a change had been made in the head of the War Department. Secretary Simon Cameron had resigned and was succeeded by Edwin M. Stanton; neither was a man of military education or experience.

The effects upon the Confederate States of the movements made in consequence of this order were thus described at Richmond: "Had not the impatience of the Northern people and the pressure of the European Cabinets forced the hand of McClellan, and had he been able to assemble and arrange his troops and stores in the position he desired, without a conflict to arouse the attention of the Southern people to what was going on, our condition in April and May would have been tenfold more dangerous than it now is. The disasters we have suffered are mortifying to us and exhilarate our enemies; but they have startled without crippling the Confederacy. Had it lain still two months more, with the army dwindling daily under the furlough system, disgusted with the inaction of stationary camps, while the Government was squabbling with the Generals and the people sinking into indifference, we would have been overrun between the 15th of April and the 1st of May."

Gen. Lander having cleared his department of the forces of the enemy, a movement was now commenced lower down the Potomac by a portion of Gen. Banks's command. On the 24th of February the 28th Pennsylvania regiment, Col. Geary, crossed the Potomac from Sandy Hook and took possession of Harper's Ferry. The object of this movement upon Harper's Ferry was to cover the reconstruction of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and at the same time to draw the attention of the Confederates to their left flank, which was threatened by the movement. The operations of crossing the Potomac and the occupation of Harper's Ferry and Charlestown were superintended by Gen. McClellan in person. The bridges were thrown over the Potomac by Capt. J. C. Duane, U. S. engineers, on the 26th of February, and on the same day Gen. Banks occupied Harper's Ferry permanently, and the advance took possession of Bolivar Heights. On the 27th reconnoissances were pushed forward to Charles