Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/202

 UNITED

172

UNITED

George B. McClellan, who later advanced toward Richmond from Yorktown. In May, 1862, his army was close to the Confederate capital. Thereafter occurred heavy fighting until the beginning of July. Later in the season the Union forces were again de- feated near the old Bull Run battle-ground. This succession of victories persuaded General Robert E. Lee, then in command of the Army of Northern Virginia, to make his first invasion of the North. On 16-17 Sept., 1862, he was defeated at Antietam by a superior Union force under General McClellan, and compelled to retreat into Virginia. The approach of winter found him occupying a strong position in the vicinity of Fredericksburg. There he was attacked by General Burnside, who had superseded McClellan in the command of the Federal army. Lee inflicted immense loss on his opponents, and in May, 1863, at Chancellorsville won perhaps a still greater vic- tory. These advantages effaced every recollection of his defeat at Antietam, and induced him to make another invasion of the North. During May and June, 1863, his victorious troops marched leisurely through Virginia and Maryland, and during the first three days of July following fought at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the greatest battle of the New World. The defeat of General Lee by General George G. Meade, the Commander of the Army of the Potomac, was a disaster to the South, and marked the turning-point of the war. General Lee never again commanded so splendid an army; in fact the Confederacy could not furnish one. Perhaps a greater military leader than Meade would have annihilated the remnant of the Army of Northern Virginia before it arrived at the Rappahannock a second time. As it was, Lee escaped and was able to protract the struggle for more than another year. When the war was renewed in Vir- ginia, Lee and his famous captains were opposed to Generals Sheridan and Grant.

The mention of these officers reminds one of the progress of the Federal armies in the West. The problem of opening up the Mississippi was begun in the south by General Benjamin F. Butler in command of an army, and Commodore D. G. Farragut, who co-operated with a powerful fleet. In April, 1862, New Orleans was permanently occupied by the Fed- erals. Farther north the river had been freed from Confederate control by the victories of General Pope, General Grant, and Commodore Foote. The capture of Forts Henry and Donelson brought Grant's army into the heart of Tennessee and led to the flight of its legislature to Memphis, where the Confederates still had a foothold. Later that general directed his attention to the remaining obstacles to the free navi- gation of the Mississii)pi, namely Vicksburg and Port Hudson. However, his first movements were not altogether successful. Sherman and some of his other officers met with reverses. In fact, there was little in the first attempts that would lead one to fore- tell a glorious conclusion of the campaign. Grant decided to run past the batteries at Vicksburg; landed a large army below that place, and in the interior of Mississippi defeated both Pemberton and Johnston, the Confederate commanders. The army of the former general, over 37,000 strong, which was forced into the city of Vicksburg, surrendered on 4 July, 1863. This loss occurring on the day after the great defeat at Gettysburg was too much for the resources of the South. Within about five days Port Hudson also fell into the hands of the Federals, and the Mississippi was open from its source to the Gulf.

A large LInion force under General Rosecrans was stationed near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where also was the Confederate General Bragg with a fine army. In that vicinity was fouglit one of the great battles of the war. Bragg w.as defeated 31 Dec, 1862, and 2 Jan., 1863, and was finally forced to enter Georgia,

where he was greatly strengthened. On 19 and 20 September, 1863, these armies fought at Chicka- mauga the most desperate battle that had yet taken place in Tennessee. The mihtary genius of General George H. Thomas saved the Union army from de- struction after Rosecrans had left the field. Though his fame was to come later, even here Sheridan dis- played great ability. Though still in command, Rosecrans remained inactive, and pressed the admin- istration for reinforcements. When it was feared that he would surrender the army. President Lincoln sent General Grant to the headquarters of Rosecrans; Sherman came later with a small force. As we have seen, Sheridan and Thomas already belonged to that l

army. General Hooker was sent west from the Army 1

of the Potomac, which was following Lee. This was T

the only occasion dui'ing the war when nearly all the great Union commanders took part in any battle. The Federal cause had the benefits of their services at Missionary Ridge and Lookout Moimtain, 23-25 Nov., 1863. In these great battles Bragg, after much loss, was forced into Georgia, where his command was turned over to General Joseph E. Johnston. He re- I treated slowly toward Atlanta, followed by Sher- I man and Thomas. Grant and Sheridan came east; m the former, commander-in-chief of aU the Federal armies, took up his headquarters with Meade's army, while the latter was given an independent command in West Virginia. This brought him later into the Shenandoah Valley, where he destroyed a fine Con- federate army under General Early during the sum- mer and autumn of 1864.

After wirming a number of small battles from John- ston, who had continued to retire before him, Sher- man finally reached Atlanta. There his command was energetically attacked by General J. B. Hood, who had superseded Johnston. The aggressive sys- tem of the new leader destroyed an excellent army and left the State of Georgia at the mercy of Sherman's veterans. To draw the Federal commander away from the interior of the commonwealth. Hood entered Tennessee, intending, no doubt, to alarm the people of the Middle West by a demonstration of force in the direction of the Ohio River. This policy, however, failed to divert Sherman from his purpose of marching to the sea and destroying en route whatever would be of value to the Confederate armies. This was very thoroughly. Southern people think ruthlessly, done. By December, 1863, Sherman captui-ed Fort McAl- lister, and later made President Lincoln a Christmas present of Savannah. As he marched northward through the Carolinas, General Hardee hurried away from the city of Charleston lest his little army might be captured. When IIocul invaded Tennessee, Sher- man left Thomas to deal with him. In an evil hour for the Confederacy, Hood threatened Thomas at Nashville. The Union commander came from behind his defences, captured the Confederate guns and sol- diers behind their intrenchments and annihilated Hood's army. After this, all the available troops in the lower South were entrusted once more to General Johnston. Great though that oflicer's genius un- doubtedly was, it was not sufficient to sustain the de- clining fortunes of the South. Grant had begun at the Wilderness, 4 May, 1864, his advance toward Richmond and Petersburg. Sheridan, as already stated, had destroyed the army of Early in the Shen- andoah Valley, and of his own account joined the great army under Grant. In the beginning of 186.5 there was an attempt to end the war by a conference of Southern statesmen and President Lincoln, with his Secretary of State, at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Nothing came of this attempt. The South madean expiring effort, but its resources were exhausted. Grant forced Lee out of Richmond; he was hurrying toward the west(>rn i)art of Virginia, and was com- pelled at Ai)i)omattox Court House to surrender the