Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 03.djvu/11



Vol. III.

This is an octavo volume of more than 250 pages, prepared in 1865-6, and entirely devoted to the campaign of Mobile.

The author manifests extreme pride in the success accomplished by the Federal army, in which he held high command. He has avowedly endeavored to set forth fairly the facts of the history he has undertaken to record, but has shown how difficult was the task when the passions of the recent strife were so fresh.

The first and second chapters are devoted to the capture by Farragut of Forts Morgan and Gaines and Powell. Though they are not very accurate, we let them pass.

Chapter four is very short, but it contains as many errors as can well be found in any other chapter not longer.

It vindicates, as the author thinks, Canby's selection of his base of operations, which was made upon the eastern shore of Mobile bay, and from which he operated against detached outworks of comparatively little importance.

We were infinitely relieved when we found the attack would be there—but never knew why; and until General Andrews told us in this chapter why General Steele's column moved from Pensacola up to Pollard, we had been at a loss to account for that movement. He says it was to prevent us from escaping Canby's army on the eastern shore and making our way to Montgomery! Such a route of escape had never been contemplated by us. We always feared