_From Bull Run to Seven Pines (Continued)._
"You have called us and we're coming, by Richmond's bloody tide
To lay us down, for freedom's sake, our brothers' bones beside."
The several battles around Richmond in the spring of 1862, viz., Seven
Pines, Mechanicsville, Beaver Dam, Malvern Hill, Gaines' Mill, I have
grouped under the head of Seven Pines.
The fall and winter months following the battle of Bull Run were spent
for the most part by both sides in recruiting their armies and getting
ready for a desperate struggle, which would inevitably come when spring
arrived the following year.
There were occasional raids and skirmishes, but no decisive battles were
fought until the following spring, except the battle of Ball's Bluff,
near Leesburg, in which battle the Eighth Virginia played a conspicuous
part. One of my brothers was in this battle, and several of my
schoolmates were killed and wounded.
Johnston's army a few days after the battle had increased to 40,000. He
moved forward and occupied a position near Centerville, and there he
wintered. Jackson, however, was detached and sent back to Winchester to
guard the valley, and became commander-in-chief of that section. The
forces that came down from Leesburg returned to their old position.
During the winter the soldiers were granted frequent furloughs, the
militia was disbanded, and I went back home.
But when the birds began heralding the coming of spring there was a call
from the Confederate Government not only for the return of all enlisted
men to their commands, but for every able-bodied white male citizen
between the ages of eighteen and forty-five to enlist.
I started out from Middleburg with Edwin Bailey and several Marylanders,
the latter having crossed the Potomac for the purpose of joining the
Confederate army. Bailey was already a member of the Eighth Virginia
Infantry, and was at home on furlough.
My destination was the Sixth Virginia Cavalry, which was then with
Stonewall Jackson in the valley of Virginia. This regiment was in
Robinson's brigade, Fitzhugh Lee's division, the whole cavalry force of
the army of Northern Virginia being commanded by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. I
was on horseback; the others on foot.
It reminded me of the resurrection morn, except the trooping thousands
were coming from the top of the ground and not from under it. From
hamlet and villa, from the lordly mansion and mountain shack, from
across the Potomac, the boys and young men of the South were coming in
answer to the call. The Government at Washington had called for half a
million; the Government at Richmond had called for every able-bodied son
from eighteen to forty-five, and they were coming.
The nearest point at which I could reach the Confederate line was
Harrisonburg, Va. All the district between my home and Harrisonburg, and
on the line stretching from there south to the James river, and north
into West Virginia, had been abandoned to the enemy. Hence, it was
necessary for us to move with great caution, to avoid being intercepted
by the bluecoats. The little caravan moved up the pike that runs from
Alexandria across the Blue Ridge into the valley by the way of
Upperville and Paris. When we reached the mountain at Paris we moved
along its foot, traveling mostly by night and resting by day, hiding
ourselves in the heavy timber that stretched along the slopes of the
mountain. We had no trouble procuring food from the little farm houses
that we passed. Occasionally we employed a guide, whom we paid. These
guides took great pains to magnify the danger that surrounded us, and
told us of the narrow escapes of other caravans that had preceded us.
This was done in order to draw as large a fee from us as possible. The
distance to Harrisonburg was about 100 miles. We finally reached our
destination.
During the winter and early spring the North had raised a very large
army, splendidly equipped, and placed under the command of Gen. George
B. McClellan. This army was taken mostly by boat to a point on the James
river, from which point it took up a line of march toward Richmond.
McClellan's army was the largest and best equipped that had ever trod
American soil.
McClellan was the idol of the North, and there was very little doubt in
the minds of the Northern people that when he met the Confederate forces
defending Richmond the Capital of the Confederacy would be captured,
and the army defending it destroyed or captured.
The Confederate forces gradually fell back before McClellan's army as it
advanced along the James river, until the invaders could see the spires
of the Confederate Capitol.
Of course, this move of McClellan's having made Johnston's position at
Centerville untenable, he withdrew his army and marched to Richmond, so
as to confront McClellan on his arrival.
The day finally arrived when McClellan was to make the attack that was
to result in the overthrow of the Confederacy.
While this was going on, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston (who commanded the
Confederate forces) was busy strengthening his position and preparing
his army for the coming struggle.
Jackson had in the meantime distinguished himself in the valley by
routing three armies, each larger than his own, that had been sent out
to capture him. Having defeated these armies, he fell back beyond
Harrisonburg, and then quietly slipped out of the valley, crossed the
Blue Ridge mountains, and made a rapid march toward Richmond.
Instead of uniting his forces with those of Johnston, he moved his army
to a point toward McClellan's rear, and at once began an attack which,
combined with Johnston's attack in the front, resulted in a disastrous
retreat of the Northern army.
Johnston was severely wounded during the first days of the battle, which
lasted seven days, and Gen. Robert E. Lee assumed command of the army
now known as the army of Northern Virginia, and held the position to the
end of the war. Lee also became commander-in-chief of all the
Confederate armies.
When McClellan fully realized that it was Jackson's army from the valley
that "was goring his side like the horns of an angry bull," it is said
that the scene at his headquarters was intensely dramatic. From
information received from Washington, McClellan had every reason to
believe that Jackson and his entire army were either prisoners or cooped
up somewhere in the valley north of Harrisonburg, but as the sound of
Jackson's guns grew louder and nearer, and couriers with panting steeds
came dashing in confirming the truth, he was forced to believe that the
noise was Jackson's "cannon's opening roar." "Then there was hurrying to
and fro and mounting in hot haste." Never did human brain work quicker
than did McClellan's when he realized his position. Who but a Napoleon
could provide so quickly for such an emergency? The masterly manner in
which McClellan changed his base and saved his army, with three such
strategists as Jackson, Lee and Johnston to reckon with, showed military
skill of the highest order.
Someone in conversation with Gen. Lee after the war asked who was the
greatest soldier on the side of the North. Lee replied, "McClellan, by
all odds." The fact is, the Government at Washington never gave
McClellan a fair chance. Gen. Lee came to Richmond from West Virginia,
where his campaign had been a failure, and was elevated at once to the
most important post in the Confederate army, while McClellan was
humiliated by being relieved of his command just at a time when he was
prepared by experience to put into use his great talent. History is
bound to record him a place among the famous generals.
The battle lasted seven full days. The Confederate victory was complete.
Millions of dollars' worth of supplies were captured or destroyed, and
McClellan was compelled to beat a hasty retreat to Washington to defend
the city.
The spoils of this battle that fell into the hands of the Confederates
were 10,000 prisoners, 35,000 rifles, 55 cannon, ammunition, provision
stores of every kind, almost beyond computation. The losses of the two
armies in killed and wounded were nearly equal--about 10,000 each.
Some idea can be formed of the captured stores when it is remembered
that to provide for an army such as McClellan's, 600 tons of ammunition,
food, forage and medical supplies had to be forwarded from Washington
every day. If he kept a thirty days' supply on hand, we have the
enormous sum of 18,000 tons that either fell into the hands of the
Confederates or was destroyed.
When I reached Harrisonburg I found the Sixth Virginia Cavalry had left
the valley with Jackson's army. I followed as rapidly as possible, and
met the regiment at Gordonsville, with Jackson's army, coming back from
the battle and hurrying on toward Manassas to attack Pope, who had
gathered an army there to protect Washington while McClellan was
besieging Richmond. I joined Company A of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry and
felt that I was a full-fledged cavalryman and was ready to take part in
anything that the regiment was called upon to do.