Secretary-at-War for Generals Lee and Longstreet, I left Richmond at 6
A.M., to join the Virginian army. I was accompanied by a sergeant of the
Signal Corps, sent by my kind friend Major Norris, for the purpose of
assisting me in getting on. We took the train as far as Culpepper, and
arrived there at 5.30 P.M., after having changed cars at Gordonsville,
near which place I observed an enormous pile of excellent rifles rotting
in the open air. These had been captured at Chancellorsville; but the
Confederates have already such a superabundant stock of rifles that
apparently they can afford to let them spoil. The weather was quite cool
after the rain of last night. The country through which we passed had
been in the enemy's hands last year, and was evacuated by them after the
battles before Richmond; but at that time it was not their custom to
burn, destroy, and devastate--everything looked green and beautiful, and
did not in the least give one the idea of a hot country.
In his late daring raid, the Federal General Stoneman crossed this
railroad, and destroyed a small portion of it, burned a few buildings,
and penetrated to within three miles of Richmond; but he and his men
were in such a hurry that they had not time to do much serious harm.
Culpepper was, until five days ago, the headquarters of Generals Lee
and Longstreet; but since Ewell's recapture of Winchester, the whole
army had advanced with rapidity, and it was my object to catch it up as
quickly as possible. On arriving at Culpepper, my sergeant handed me
over to another myrmidon of Major Norris, with orders from that officer
to supply me with a horse, and take me himself to join Mr Lawley, who
had passed through for the same purpose as myself three days before.
Sergeant Norris, my new chaperon, is cousin to Major Norris, and is a
capital fellow. Before the war he was a gentleman of good means in
Maryland, and was accustomed to a life of luxury; he now lives the life
of a private soldier with perfect contentment, and is utterly
indifferent to civilisation and comfort. Although he was unwell when I
arrived, and it was pouring with rain, he proposed that we should start
at once--6 P.M. I agreed, and we did so. Our horses had both sore backs,
were both unfed, except on grass, and mine was deficient of a shoe. They
nevertheless travelled well, and we reached a hamlet called Woodville,
fifteen miles distant, at 9.30. We had great difficulty in procuring
shelter; but at length we overcame the inhospitality of a native, who
gave us a feed of corn for our horses, and a blanket on the floor for
ourselves.
* * * * *
_21st June_ (Sunday).--We got the horse shod with some delay, and after
refreshing the animals with corn and ourselves with bacon, we effected a
start at 8.15 A.M. We experienced considerable difficulty in carrying my
small saddlebags and knapsack, on account of the state of our horses'
backs. Mine was not very bad, but that of Norris was in a horrid state.
We had not travelled more than a few miles when the latter animal cast a
shoe, which took us an hour to replace at a village called Sperryville.
The country is really magnificent, but as it has supported two large
armies for two years, it is now completely cleaned out. It is almost
uncultivated, and no animals are grazing where there used to be
hundreds. All fences have been destroyed, and numberless farms burnt,
the chimneys alone left standing. It is difficult to depict and
impossible to exaggerate the sufferings which this part of Virginia has
undergone. But the ravages of war have not been able to destroy the
beauties of nature--the verdure is charming, the trees magnificent, the
country undulating, and the Blue Ridge mountains form the background.
Being Sunday, we met about thirty negroes going to church, wonderfully
smartly dressed, some (both male and female) riding on horseback, and
others in waggons; but Mr Norris informs me that two years ago we should
have numbered them by hundreds. We soon began to catch up the sick and
broken-down men of the army, but not in great numbers; most of them were
well shod, though I saw two without shoes.
After crossing a gap in the Blue Ridge range, we reached Front Royal at
5 P.M., and we were now in the well-known Shenandoah Valley--the scene
of Jackson's celebrated campaigns. Front Royal is a pretty little place,
and was the theatre of one of the earliest fights in the war, which was
commenced by a Maryland regiment of Confederates, who, as Mr Norris
observed, "jumped on to" a Federal regiment from the same State, and
"whipped it badly." Since that time the village has changed hands
continually, and was visited by the Federals only a few days previous to
Ewell's rapid advance ten days ago.
After immense trouble we procured a feed of corn for the horses, and, to
Mr Norris's astonishment, I was impudent enough to get food for
ourselves by appealing to the kind feelings of two good-looking female
citizens of Front Royal, who, during our supper, entertained us by
stories of the manner they annoyed the Northern soldiers by disagreeable
allusions to "Stonewall" Jackson.
We started again at 6.30, and crossed two branches of the Shenandoah
River, a broad and rapid stream. Both the railway and carriage bridges
having been destroyed, we had to ford it; and as the water was deep, we
were only just able to accomplish the passage. The soldiers, of whom
there were a number with us, took off their trousers, and held their
rifles and ammunition above their heads. Soon afterwards our horses
became very leg-weary; for although the weather had been cool, the roads
were muddy and hard upon them. At 8.30 we came up with Pender's Division
encamped on the sides of hills, illuminated with innumerable camp-fires,
which looked very picturesque. After passing through about two miles of
bivouacs, we begged for shelter in the hayloft of a Mr Mason: we turned
our horses into a field, and found our hayloft most luxurious after
forty-six miles' ride at a foot's pace.
Stonewall Jackson is considered a regular demigod in this country.
* * * * *
_22d June_ (Monday).--We started without food or corn at 6.30 A.M., and
soon became entangled with Pender's Division on its line of march, which
delayed us a good deal. My poor brute of a horse also took this
opportunity of throwing two more shoes, which we found it impossible to
replace, all the blacksmiths' shops having been pressed by the troops.
The soldiers of this Division are a remarkably fine body of men, and
look quite seasoned and ready for any work. Their clothing is
serviceable, so also are their boots; but there is the usual utter
absence of uniformity as to colour and shape of their garments and hats:
grey of all shades, and brown clothing, with felt hats, predominate. The
Confederate troops are now entirely armed with excellent rifles, mostly
Enfields. When they first turned out, they were in the habit of wearing
numerous revolvers and bowie-knives. General Lee is said to have mildly
remarked, "Gentlemen, I think you will find an Enfield rifle, a bayonet,
and sixty rounds of ammunition, as much as you can conveniently carry in
the way of arms." They laughed, and thought they knew better; but the
six-shooters and bowie-knives gradually disappeared; and now none are to
be seen among the infantry.
The artillery horses are in poor condition, and only get 3 lb. of
corn[51] a-day. The artillery is of all kinds--Parrots, Napoleons,
rifled and smooth bores, all shapes and sizes; most of them bear the
letters U.S., showing that they have changed masters.
The colours of the regiments differ from the blue battle-flags I saw
with Bragg's army. They are generally red, with a blue St Andrew's Cross
showing the stars. This pattern is said to have been invented by General
Joseph Johnston, as not so liable to be mistaken for the Yankee flag.
The new Confederate flag has evidently been adopted from this
battle-flag, as it is called. Most of the colours in this Division bear
the names Manassas, Fredericksburg, Seven Pines, Harper's Ferry,
Chancellorsville, &c.
I saw no stragglers during the time I was with Pender's Division; but
although the Virginian army certainly does get over a deal of ground,
yet they move at a slow dragging pace, and are evidently not good
marchers naturally. As Mr Norris observed to me, "Before this war we
were a lazy set of devils; our niggers worked for us, and none of us
ever dreamt of walking, though we all rode a great deal."
We reached Berryville (eleven miles) at 9 A.M. The headquarters of
General Lee were a few hundred yards beyond this place. Just before
getting there, I saw a general officer of handsome appearance, who must,
I knew from description, be the Commander-in-chief; but as he was
evidently engaged I did not join him, although I gave my letter of
introduction to one of his Staff. Shortly afterwards, I presented myself
to Mr Lawley, with whom I became immediately great friends.[52] He
introduced me to General Chilton, the Adjutant-General of the army, to
Colonel Cole, the Quartermaster-General, to Major Taylor, Captain
Venables, and other officers of General Lee's Staff; and he suggested,
as the headquarters were so busy and crowded, that he and I should ride
to Winchester at once, and afterwards ask for hospitality from the less
busy Staff of General Longstreet. I was also introduced to Captain
Schreibert of the Prussian army, who is a guest sometimes of General Lee
and sometimes of General Stuart of the cavalry. He had been present at
one of the late severe cavalry skirmishes, which have been of constant
occurrence since the sudden advance of this army. This advance has been
so admirably timed as to allow of the capture of Winchester, with its
Yankee garrison and stores, and at the same time of the seizure of the
gaps of the Blue Ridge range. All the officers were speaking with regret
of the severe wound received in this skirmish by Major Von Borke,
another Prussian, but now in the Confederate States service, and
aide-de-camp to Jeb Stuart.
After eating some breakfast, Lawley and I rode ten miles into
Winchester. My horse, minus his foreshoes, showed signs of great
fatigue, but we struggled into Winchester at 5 P.M., where I was
fortunate enough to procure shoes for the horse, and, by Lawley's
introduction, admirable quarters for both of us at the house of the
hospitable Mrs ----, with whom he had lodged seven months before, and
who was charmed to see him. Her two nieces, who are as agreeable as they
are good-looking, gave us a miserable picture of the three captivities
they have experienced under the Federal commanders Banks, Shields, and
Milroy.
The unfortunate town of Winchester seems to have been made a regular
shuttlecock of by the contending armies. Stonewall Jackson rescued it
once, and last Sunday week his successor, General Ewell, drove out
Milroy. The name of Milroy is always associated with that of Butler, and
his rule in Winchester seems to have been somewhat similar to that of
his illustrious rival in New Orleans. Should either of these two
individuals fall alive into the hands of the Confederates, I imagine
that Jeff Davis himself would be unable to save their lives, even if he
were disposed to do so.
Before leaving Richmond, I heard every one expressing regret that
Milroy should have escaped, as the recapture of Winchester seemed to be
incomplete without him. More than 4000 of his men were taken in the two
forts which overlook the town, and which were carried by assault by a
Louisianian brigade with trifling loss. The joy of the unfortunate
inhabitants may easily be conceived at this sudden and unexpected relief
from their last captivity, which had lasted six months. During the whole
of this time they could not legally buy an article of provisions without
taking the oath of allegiance, which they magnanimously refused to do.
They were unable to hear a word of their male relations or friends, who
were all in the Southern army; they were shut up in their houses after 8
P.M., and sometimes deprived of light; part of our kind entertainer's
house was forcibly occupied by a vulgar, ignorant, and low-born Federal
officer, _ci-devant_ driver of a street car; and they were constantly
subjected to the most humiliating insults, on pretence of searching the
house for arms, documents, &c. To my surprise, however, these ladies
spoke of the enemy with less violence and rancour than almost any other
ladies I had met with during my travels through the whole Southern
Confederacy. When I told them so, they replied that they who had seen
many men shot down in the streets before their own eyes knew what they
were talking about, which other and more excited Southern women did not.
Ewell's Division is in front and across the Potomac; and before I left
headquarters this morning, I saw Longstreet's corps beginning to follow
in the same direction.
[51] Indian corn.
[52] The Honourable F. Lawley, author of the admirable letters from the
Southern States which appear in the 'Times' newspaper.
* * * * *
_23d June_ (Tuesday).--Lawley and I went to inspect the site of Mr
Mason's (the Southern Commissioner in London) once pretty house--a
melancholy scene. It had been charmingly situated near the outskirts of
the town, and by all accounts must have been a delightful little place.
When Lawley saw it seven months ago, it was then only a ruin; but since
that time Northern vengeance (as directed by General Milroy) has
satiated itself by destroying almost the very foundations of the house
of this arch-traitor, as they call him. Literally not one stone remains
standing upon another; and the _débris_ seems to have been carted away,
for there is now a big hole where the principal part of the house stood.
Troops have evidently been encamped upon the ground, which was strewed
with fragments of Yankee clothing, accoutrements, &c.
I understand that Winchester used to be a most agreeable little town,
and its society extremely pleasant. Many of its houses are now destroyed
or converted into hospitals; the rest look miserable and dilapidated.
Its female inhabitants (for the able-bodied males are all absent in the
army) are familiar with the bloody realities of war. As many as 5000
wounded have been accommodated here at one time. All the ladies are
accustomed to the bursting of shells and the sight of fighting, and all
are turned into hospital nurses or cooks.
From the utter impossibility of procuring corn, I was forced to take
the horses out grazing a mile beyond the town for four hours in the
morning and two in the afternoon. As one mustn't lose sight of them for
a moment, this occupied me all day, while Lawley wrote in the house. In
the evening we went to visit two wounded officers in Mrs ----'s house, a
major and a captain in the Louisianian Brigade which stormed the forts
last Sunday week. I am afraid the captain will die. Both are shot
through the body, but are cheery. They served under Stonewall Jackson
until his death, and they venerate his name, though they both agree that
he has got an efficient successor in Ewell, his former companion in
arms; and they confirmed a great deal of what General Johnston had told
me as to Jackson having been so much indebted to Ewell for several of
his victories. They gave us an animated account of the spirits and
feeling of the army. At no period of the war, they say, have the men
been so well equipped, so well clothed, so eager for a fight, or so
confident of success--a very different state of affairs from that which
characterised the Maryland invasion of last year, when half of the army
were barefooted stragglers, and many of the remainder unwilling and
reluctant to cross the Potomac.
Miss ---- told me to-day that dancing and horse-racing are forbidden by
the Episcopal Church in this part of Virginia.
* * * * *
_24th June_ (Wednesday).--Lawley being in weak health, we determined to
spend another day with our kind friends in Winchester. I took the horses
out again for six hours to graze, and made acquaintance with two
Irishmen, who gave me some cut grass and salt for the horses. One of
these men had served and had been wounded in the Southern army. I
remarked to him that he must have killed lots of his own countrymen; to
which he replied, "Oh yes, but faix they must all take it as it comes."
I have always observed that Southern Irishmen make excellent "Rebs," and
have no sort of scruple in killing as many of their Northern brethren as
they possibly can.
I saw to-day many new Yankee graves, which the deaths among the captives
are constantly increasing. Wooden head-posts are put at each grave, on
which is written, "An Unknown Soldier, U.S.A. Died of wounds received
upon the field of battle, June 21, 22, or 23, 1863."
A sentry stopped me to-day as I was going out of town, and when I showed
him my pass from General Chilton, he replied with great firmness, but
with perfect courtesy, "I'm extremely sorry, sir; but if you were the
Secretary of War, or Jeff Davis himself, you couldn't pass without a
passport from the Provost-Marshal."
* * * * *
_25th June_ (Thursday).--We took leave of Mrs ----and her hospitable
family, and started at 10 A.M. to overtake Generals Lee and Longstreet,
who were supposed to be crossing the Potomac at Williamsport. Before we
had got more than a few miles on our way, we began to meet horses and
oxen, the first fruits of Ewell's advance into Pennsylvania. The weather
was cool and showery, and all went swimmingly for the first fourteen
miles, when we caught up M'Laws's division, which belongs to
Longstreet's corps. As my horse about this time began to show signs of
fatigue, and as Lawley's pickaxed most alarmingly, we turned them into
some clover to graze, whilst we watched two brigades pass along the
road. They were commanded, I think, by Semmes and Barksdale,[53] and
were composed of Georgians, Mississippians, and South Carolinians. They
marched very well, and there was no attempt at straggling; quite a
different state of things from Johnston's men in Mississippi. All were
well shod and efficiently clothed. In rear of each regiment were from
twenty to thirty negro slaves, and a certain number of unarmed men
carrying stretchers and wearing in their hats the red badges of the
ambulance corps;--this is an excellent institution, for it prevents
unwounded men falling out on pretence of taking wounded to the rear. The
knapsacks of the men still bear the names of the Massachusetts, Vermont,
New Jersey, or other regiments to which they originally belonged. There
were about twenty waggons to each brigade, most of which were marked
U.S., and each of these brigades was about 2800 strong. There are four
brigades in M'Laws's division. All the men seemed in the highest
spirits, and were cheering and yelling most vociferously.
We reached Martinsburg (twenty-two miles) at 6 P.M., by which time my
horse nearly broke down, and I was forced to get off and walk.
Martinsburg and this part of Virginia are supposed to be more Unionist
than Southern; however, many of the women went through the form of
cheering M'Laws's division as it passed. I daresay they would perform
the same ceremony in honour of the Yankees to-morrow.
Three miles beyond Martinsburg we were forced by the state of our horses
to insist upon receiving the unwilling hospitality of a very surly
native, who was evidently Unionist in his proclivities. We were obliged
to turn our horses into a field to graze during the night. This was most
dangerous, for the Confederate soldier, in spite of his many virtues,
is, as a rule, the most incorrigible horse-stealer in the world.
[53] Barksdale was killed, and Semmes mortally wounded, at the battle of
Gettysburg.
* * * * *
_26th June_ (Friday).--I got up a little before daylight, and,
notwithstanding the drenching rain, I secured our horses, which, to my
intense relief, were present. But my horse showed a back rapidly getting
worse, and both looked "mean" to a degree. Lawley being ill, he declined
starting in the rain, and our host became more and more surly when we
stated our intention of remaining with him. However, the sight of _real
gold_ instead of Confederate paper, or even greenbacks, soothed him
wonderfully, and he furnished us with some breakfast. All this time
M'Laws's division was passing the door; but so strict was the
discipline, that the only man who loafed in was immediately pounced upon
and carried away captive. At 2 P.M., the weather having become a little
clearer, we made a start, but under very unpromising circumstances.
Lawley was so ill that he could hardly ride; his horse was most unsafe,
and had cast a shoe;--my animal was in such a miserable state that I had
not the inhumanity to ride him;--but, by the assistance of his tail, I
managed to struggle through the deep mud and wet. We soon became
entangled with M'Laws's division, and reached the Potomac, a distance of
nine miles and a half, at 5 P.M.; the river is both wide and deep, and
in fording it (for which purpose I was obliged to mount) we couldn't
keep our legs out of the water. The little town of Williamsport is on
the opposite bank of the river, and we were now in Maryland. We had the
mortification to learn that Generals Lee and Longstreet had quitted
Williamsport this morning at 11 o'clock, and were therefore obliged to
toil on to Hagerstown, six miles farther. This latter place is evidently
by no means Rebel in its sentiments, for all the houses were shut up,
and many apparently abandoned. The few natives that were about stared at
the troops with sulky indifference.
After passing through Hagerstown, we could obtain no certain information
of the whereabouts of the two generals, nor could we get any willing
hospitality from any one; but at 9 P.M., our horses being quite
exhausted, we forced ourselves into the house of a Dutchman, who became
a little more civil at the sight of gold, although the assurance that we
were English travellers, and not Rebels, had produced no effect. I had
walked to-day, in mud and rain, seventeen miles, and I dared not take
off my solitary pair of boots, because I knew I should never get them on
again.
* * * * *
_27th June_ (Saturday).--Lawley was so ill this morning that he
couldn't possibly ride; I therefore mounted his horse a little before
daybreak, and started in search of the generals. After riding eight
miles, I came up with General Longstreet, at 6.30 A.M., and was only
just in time, as he was on the point of moving. Both he and his Staff
were most kind, when I introduced myself and stated my difficulties; he
arranged that an ambulance should fetch Lawley, and he immediately
invited me to join his mess during the campaign; he told me (which I did
not know) that we were now in Pennsylvania, the enemy's
country--Maryland being only ten miles broad at this point; he declared
that Bushwhackers exist in the woods, who shoot unsuspecting stragglers,
and it would therefore be unsafe that Lawley and I should travel alone.
General Longstreet is an Alabamian--a thickset, determined-looking man,
forty-three years of age: he was an infantry major in the old army, and
now commands the 1st _corps d'armée_: he is never far from General Lee,
who relies very much upon his judgment. By the soldiers he is invariably
spoken of as "the best fighter in the whole army." Whilst speaking of
entering upon the enemy's soil, he said to me that although it might be
fair, in just retaliation, _to apply the torch_, yet that doing so would
demoralise the army and ruin its now excellent discipline. Private
property is therefore to be rigidly protected.
[Illustration: LIEUT.-GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET.]
At 7 A.M. I returned with an orderly (or courier, as they are called)
to the farmhouse in which I had left Lawley; and after seeing all
arranged satisfactorily about the ambulance, I rode slowly on to rejoin
General Longstreet, near Chambersburg, which is a Pennsylvanian town,
distant twenty-two miles from Hagerstown. I was with M'Laws's division,
and observed that the moment they entered Pennsylvania the troops opened
the fences and enlarged the road about twenty yards on each side, which
enabled the waggons and themselves to proceed together: this is the only
damage I saw done by the Confederates. This part of Pennsylvania is very
flourishing, highly cultivated, and, in comparison with the Southern
States, thickly peopled. But all the cattle and horses having been
seized by Ewell, farm-labour had now come to a complete stand-still.
In passing through Greencastle we found all the houses and windows shut
up, the natives in their Sunday clothes standing at their doors
regarding the troops in a very unfriendly manner. I saw no straggling
into the houses, nor were any of the inhabitants disturbed or annoyed by
the soldiers. Sentries were placed at the doors of many of the best
houses, to prevent any officer or soldier from getting in on any
pretence.