Huger fails again.--A wounded boy.--The killed and wounded.--Lee assumes
command.--Lee prepares to attack McClellan--Beauregard watches the
gold.--Our generals scattered.--Hasty letter from Gen. Lee.--Opening
of grand battle.--First day, 26th June.--Second, etc.--Lee's
consummate skill.--Every day for a week it rages.--Streets crowded
with Blue Jackets.--McClellan retires.
JUNE 1ST.--The ambulances are now bringing in the enemy's wounded as
well as our own. It is the prompting of humanity. They seem truly
grateful for this magnanimity, as they call it; a sentiment hitherto
unknown to them.
The battle was renewed to-day, but not seriously. The failure of Gen.
Huger to lead his division into action at the time appointed, is
alleged as the only reason why the left wing of the enemy was not
completely destroyed. But large masses of the enemy did cross the river,
on bridges constructed for the purpose, and they had 50,000 men engaged
against a much less number on our part; and their batteries played upon
us from the north bank of the Chickahominy. The flying foe kept under
shelter of this fire--and these guns could not be taken, as the pontoon
bridge was defended by heavy artillery.
All day the wounded were borne past our boarding-house in Third Street,
to the general hospital; and hundreds, with shattered arms and slight
flesh wounds, came in on foot. I saw a boy, not more than fifteen years
old (from South Carolina), with his hand in a sling. He showed me his
wound. A ball had entered between the fingers of his left hand and
lodged near the wrist, where the flesh was much swollen. He said,
smiling, "I'm going to the hospital just to have the ball cut out, and
will then return to the battle-field. I can fight with my right hand."
The detectives are jubilant to-day. They say one of their number, ----,
did heroic feats of arms on the field, killing a Yankee colonel, and a
private who came to the rescue. At all events, they brought in a
colonel's sword, pistols, and coat, as trophies. This story is to be in
the papers to-morrow!
JUNE 2D.--Great indignation is expressed by the generals in the field at
the tales told of the heroism of the amateur fighters. They say ----
stripped a dead colonel, and was never in reach of the enemy's guns.
Moreover, the civilians in arms kept at such a distance from danger that
their balls fell among our own men, and wounded some of them! An order
has been issued by one of the major-generals, that hereafter any
stragglers on the field of battle shall be shot. No civilians are to be
permitted to be there at all, unless they go into the ranks.
Gen. Johnston is wounded--badly wounded, but not mortally. It is his
misfortune to be wounded in almost every battle he fights. Nevertheless,
he has gained a glorious victory. Our loss in killed and wounded will
not exceed 5000; while the enemy's killed, wounded, and prisoners will
not fall short of 13,000. They lost, besides, many guns, tents, and
stores--all wrung from them at the point of the bayonet, and in spite of
their formidable abattis. Prisoners taken on the field say: "The
Southern soldiers would charge into hell if there was a battery before
them--and they would take it from a legion of devils!" The moral effect
of this victory must be great. The enemy have been taught that none of
the engines of destruction that can be wielded against us, will prevent
us from taking their batteries; and so, hereafter, when we charge upon
them, they might as well run away from their own guns.
JUNE 3D.--Gen. Lee henceforth assumes command of the army in person.
This may be hailed as the harbinger of bright fortune.
JUNE 4TH.--Col. Bledsoe sent word to me to-day by my son that he wished
to see me. When I met him he groaned as usual, and said the department
would have to open another passport office, as the major-generals in the
field refused to permit the relatives of the sick and wounded in the
camps to pass with orders from Brig.-Gen. Winder or his Provost Marshal.
JUNE 5TH.--I reopened my office in the department.
JUNE 6TH.--Gen. Winder getting wind of what was going on, had an
interview, first with Mr. Benjamin, who instructed him what to say; and
then bringing forward the Provost Marshal, they had a rather stormy
interview with Mr. Randolph, who, as usual, yielded to their
protestations against having _two_ passport offices, while martial law
existed.
And so Col. Bledsoe came in and told me to "shut up shop." The Secretary
had revoked his order.
JUNE 7TH.--But business is in a great measure suspended, and so I have
another holiday.
JUNE 8TH.--I learn that Col. Bledsoe has to grant passports to the army,
as the pickets have been instructed to let no one pass upon the order of
Gen. Winder or his Provost Marshal.
JUNE 9TH.--It is now apparent that matters were miserably managed on the
battle-field, until Gen. Lee assumed command in person. Most of the
trophies of the victory, and thousands of arms, stores, etc. were
pillaged by the promiscuous crowds of aliens and Jews who purchased
passports thither from the Provost Marshal's detectives.
JUNE 10TH.--Col. Bledsoe sent for me again. This time he wanted me to
take charge of the letter room, and superintend the young gentlemen who
briefed the letters. This I did very cheerfully; I opened all the
letters, and sent to the Secretary the important ones immediately.
These, for want of discrimination, had sometimes been suffered to remain
unnoticed two or three days, when they required instant action.
JUNE 11TH, 12TH.--Gen. Smith, the New York street commissioner, had been
urged as commander-in-chief.
JUNE 13TH.--Gen. Lee is satisfied with the present posture of
affairs--and McClellan has no idea of attacking us now. He don't say
what he means to do himself.
JUNE 14TH.--The wounded soldiers bless the ladies, who nurse them
unceasingly.
JUNE 15TH.--What a change! No one now dreams of the loss of the capital.
JUNE 17TH.--It is not yet ascertained what amount of ordnance stores we
gained from the battle.
JUNE 18TH.--Lee is quietly preparing to attack McClellan. The President,
who was on the battle-field, is very cheerful.
JUNE 19TH.--To-day so many applications were made to the Secretary
himself for passports to the armies, and beyond the lines of the
Confederate States, that, forgetting the revocation of his former order,
he sent a note into the Assistant Secretary, saying he thought a
passport agent had been appointed to attend to such cases; and he now
directed that it be done. Bledsoe came to me immediately, and said:
"Jones, you'll have to open a passport office again--I shall sign no
more."
JUNE 20TH.--Moved once more into the old office.
JUNE 21ST.--Gen. Beauregard is doubly doomed. A few weeks ago, when the
blackness of midnight brooded over our cause, there were some
intimations, I know not whether they were well founded, that certain
high functionaries were making arrangements for a flight to France; and
Gen. Beauregard getting intimation of an order to move certain sums in
bullion in the custody of an Assistant Treasurer in his military
department, forbid its departure until he could be certain that it was
not destined to leave the Confederacy. I have not learned its ultimate
destination; but the victory of the Seven Pines intervening, Gen.
Beauregard has been relieved of his command, "on sick leave." But I know
his army is to be commanded permanently by Gen. Bragg. There are charges
against Beauregard. It is said the Yankee army might have been
annihilated at Shiloh, if Beauregard had fought a little longer.
JUNE 23D.--And Gen. Johnston, I learn, has had his day. And Magruder is
on "sick leave." He is too open in his censures of the late Secretary of
War. But Gen. Huger comes off scotfree; he has always had the confidence
of Mr. Benjamin, and used to send the flag of truce to Fortress Monroe
as often as could be desired.
JUNE 24TH.--Gen. Lee's plan works like a charm! Although I have daily
orders from Mr. Randolph to send persons beyond our lines, yet the
precautions of Lee most effectually prevent any spies from knowing
anything about his army. Even the Adjutant-General, S. Cooper, don't
know how many regiments are ordered into Virginia, or where they are
stationed. Officers returning from furlough, cannot ascertain in the
Adjutant-General's office where their regiments are! They are referred
to me for passports to Gen. Lee's headquarters. No man with a passport
from Gen. Winder, or from his Provost Marshal, can pass the pickets of
Gen. Lee's army. This is the harbinger of success, and I predict a
career of glory for Lee, and for our country! There are some vague
rumors about the approach of Stonewall Jackson's army; but no one knows
anything about it, and but few believe it. Recent Northern papers say he
is approaching Winchester, and I see they are intrenching in the valley
to guard against his terrible blows. This is capital! And our people are
beginning to _fear_ there will be no more fighting around Richmond until
McClellan _digs_ his way to it. The moment fighting ceases, our people
have fits of gloom and despondency; but when they snuff battle in the
breeze, they are animated with confidence. They regard victory as a
matter of course; and are only indignant at our long series of recent
reverses, when they reflect that our armies have so seldom been led
against the embattled hosts of the enemy.
JUNE 25TH.--The people of Louisiana are protesting strongly against
permitting Gen. Lovell to remain in command in that State, since the
fall of New Orleans (which I omitted to note in regular order in these
chronicles), and they attribute that disgraceful event, some to his
incompetency, and others to treason. These remonstrances come from such
influential parties, I think the President must listen to them. Yes, a
Massachusetts man (they say Gen. L. came from Boston) was in command of
the troops of New Orleans when that great city surrendered without
firing a gun. And this is one of the Northern generals who came over to
our side _after_ the battle of Manassas.
JUNE 26TH.--To-day a letter, hastily written by Gen. Lee to the
Secretary of War, stated that his headquarters would be at ----, or
_beyond_ that point, whence couriers could find him if there should be
anything of importance--the Secretary might desire to communicate during
the day. _This is the day of battle!_ Jackson is in the rear of
McClellan's right wing! I sent this note to the Secretary at once. I
_suppose_ Mr. Randolph had been previously advised of Gen. Lee's
intention to fight to-day; but I do not _know_ it. I know some of the
brigadier-generals in the army do not know it; although they have all
been ordered to their commands. This is no uncommon order; but it is
characteristic of Lee's secretiveness to keep _all_ of his officers in
profound ignorance of his intentions, except those he means to be
engaged. The _enemy_ cannot possibly have any intimation of his purpose,
because the spies here have no intelligence; and none are permitted to
pass the rear pickets in sight of the city without my passport. What a
change since the last battle!
To-day, in compliance with an intimation of the President, all in the
departments, who felt so disposed, formed a military organization for
the defense of the city, and especially of the archives, which had been
brought back since the assumption of command by Gen. Lee. Col. Bledsoe
denounced the organization as a humbug! Defending the government, or
readiness to defend it, in such times as these, is no humbug! In the
fluctuations of a great battle, almost in the suburbs of the city, a
squadron of the enemy's horse might penetrate even to the office of the
Chief Executive, when a few hundred muskets, in the hands of old men and
boys, might preserve the papers.
After dinner I repaired, with Custis and a few friends, to my old stand
on the hill north of the Jews' Cemetery, and sat down in the shade to
listen. Many persons were there as usual--for every day some firing
could be heard--who said, in response to my inquiries, that distant guns
had been heard in the direction of the Pamunky River.
"That is _Jackson_!" I exclaimed, as the sounds were distinctly
discerned by myself; "and he is in their rear, behind their right wing!"
All were incredulous, and some doubted whether he was within a hundred
miles of us. But the sounds grew more distinct, and more frequent, and I
knew he was advancing. But how long could he advance in that direction
without being overwhelmed? Everywhere else along the line a deathlike
silence reigned, that even the dropping fire of the pickets, usually so
incessant, could be heard.
This suspense continued only a few minutes. Two guns were then heard
northeast of us, and in such proximity as to startle some of the anxious
listeners. These were followed by three or four more, and then the fire
continued with increasing rapidity. This was Gen. A. P. Hill's division
in _front_ of the enemy's right wing, and Lee's plan of battle was
developed. Hill was so near us as to be almost in sight. The drums and
fifes of his regiments, as they marched up to the point of attack, could
be easily heard; how distinctly, then, sounded his cannon in our ears!
And the enemy's guns, pointed in the direction of the city, were as
plainly discerned. I think McClellan is taken by surprise.
One gentleman, who had been incredulous on the subject of a battle
to-day, held his watch in his hand ten minutes, during which time one
hundred and ninety guns were heard. Saying he believed a battle was in
progress, he replaced the watch in his pocket, and sat down on the
ground to listen.
Another hour, and the reports come with the rapidity of seconds, or 3600
per hour! And now, for the first time, we hear the rattle of small arms.
And lo! two guns farther to the right,--from Longstreet's division, I
suppose. And they were followed by others. This is Lee's grand plan of
battle: Jackson first, then Hill, then Longstreet--time and distance
computed with mathematical precision! The enemy's balloons are not up
now. They _know_ what is going on, without further investigations up in
the air. The business is upon earth, where many a Yankee will breathe
his last this night! McClellan must be thunderstruck at this unexpected
opening of a decisive battle. Our own people, and even our own general
officers, except those who were to participate in the attack, were
uninformed of Lee's grand purpose, until the booming of Jackson's guns
were heard far on our left.
As the shades of evening fall, the fire seems to increase in rapidity,
and a gentle breeze rising as the stars come out, billows of smoke are
wafted from the battle-field. And now, occasionally, we can distinctly
see the bursting of shells in the air, aimed too high by the enemy, and
exploding far this side of our line of battle.
Darkness is upon us, save the glimmer of the stars, as the sulphurous
clouds sink into the humid valleys. But the flashes of the guns are
visible on the horizon, followed by the deep intonations of the mighty
engines of destruction, echoing and reverberating from hill to hill, and
through the vast valley of the James in the rear.
Hundreds of men, women, and children were attracted to the heights
around the city to behold the spectacle. From the Capitol and from the
President's mansion, the vivid flashes of artillery could be seen; but
no one doubted the result. It is only silence and inaction we dread. The
firing ceased at nine o'clock P.M. The President was on the field, but
did not interfere with Lee.
JUNE 27TH.--At the first dawn of day, the battle recommenced, farther
round to the east. This was enough. The enemy had drawn in his right
wing. And courier after courier announced the taking of his batteries by
our brave defenders! But the battle rages loud and long, and the troops
of Jackson's corps, like the march of Fate, still upon McClellan's right
flank and rear. Jackson's horse, and the gallant Stuart, with his
irresistible cavalry, have cut the enemy's communications with their
base on the Pamunky. It is said they are burning their stores!
What genius! what audacity in Lee! He has absolutely taken the greater
portion of his army to the north side of the Chickahominy, leaving
McClellan's center and left wing on the south side, with apparently easy
access to the city. This is (to the invaders) impenetrable strategy. The
enemy believes Lee's main forces are _here_, and will never think of
advancing. We have so completely closed the avenues of intelligence that
the enemy has not been able to get the slightest intimation of our
strength or the dispositions of our forces.
JUNE 28TH.--The President publishes a dispatch from Lee, announcing a
victory! The enemy has been driven from all his intrenchments, losing
many batteries.
Yesterday the President's life was saved by Lee. Every day he rides out
near the battle-field, in citizen's dress, marking the fluctuations of
the conflict, but assuming no direction of affairs in the field. Gen.
Lee, however, is ever apprised of his position; and once, when the enemy
were about to point one of their most powerful batteries in the
direction of a certain farm-house occupied by the President, Lee sent a
courier in haste to inform him of it. No sooner had the President
escaped than a storm of shot and shell riddled the house.
Some of the people still think that their military President is on the
field directing every important movement in person. A gentleman told me
to-day, that he met the President yesterday, and the day before, alone,
in the lanes and orchards, near the battle-field. He issued no orders;
but awaited results like the rest of us, praying fervently for abundant
success.
To-day some of our streets are crammed with thousands of
bluejackets--Yankee prisoners. There are many field officers, and among
them several generals.
General Reynolds, who surrendered with his brigade, was thus accosted by
one of our functionaries, who knew him before the war began:
"General, this is in accordance with McClellan's prediction; you are in
Richmond."
"Yes, sir," responded the general, in bitterness; "and d--n me, if it is
not precisely in the manner I anticipated."
"Where is McClellan, general?"
"I know not exactly; his movements have been so frequent of late. But I
think it probable he too may be here before night!"
"I doubt that," said his fellow-prisoner, Gen. McCall; "beware of your
left wing! Who commands there?"
"Gen. Jackson."
"Stonewall Jackson? Is he in this fight? Was it really Jackson making
mince-meat of our right? Then your left wing is safe!"
Four or five thousand prisoners have arrived.
JUNE 29TH.--The battle still rages. But the scene has shifted farther to
the east. The enemy's army is now entirely on _this_ side of the
Chickahominy. McClellan is doggedly retiring toward the James River.
JUNE 30TH.--Once more all men are execrating Gen. Huger. It is alleged
that he _again_ failed to obey an order, and kept his division away from
the position assigned it, which would have prevented the escape of
McClellan. If this be so, who is responsible, after his alleged
misconduct at the battle of the Seven Pines?