Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/388

 GRANT

GRANT

was continuous fighting between the armies around Spottsylvania from the 8th to the 21st of May, in which Grant's army was lessened by 3371 killed, 9360 wounded and 1970 missing. While Grant was hammering at Lee's army, Butler had occupied Bermuda Hundred, Sherman had occupied Daltou, Ga., and was driving Johnston toward Atlanta, and Sigel had been forced back by Breckinridge. Grant moved by the left flank to the North Anna river, May 21, 1864, fighting his way day by day, and moving by the left to Cold Harbor on the 37th he assaulted Lee's entrenched army and was repelled with a loss of 7000 in killed, wounded and missing. During these thirty days of vigorous campaigning Grant had re-

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iii;; army and it stood at the i-nil of the cam- paign numeri- . ally the same as the army he commanded at the begin- ning. Mean- while Sherman was within thirty miles of Atlanta, Ga.; Gen- eral Hunter, who had succeeded Sigel, had seized Staunton, Va.; and Grant's army was being moved to the south of the James to co- operate with Butler against Petersburg and Rich- mond. The transfer occupied three days, June 13-15, 1864, and the advanced troops attacked Petersburg June 15 and the assault continued during the 16th, 17th and 18th, when the out- works had been captured, but further advance was checked by the arrival of Lee's army. Grant established his headquarters at City Point and sent out the cavalry to destroy the railroads both north and south of Petersburg. With Grant south of the James the Confederates began a vigorous campaign against the forces under Hunter at Staunton, driving him back to the Kanawha river, and Early drove the opposing Federal forces back by way of Hagerstown and Frederick, and on July 11, 1864, began to assault the fortifications defending the National capital on the north. General Grant at once hastened forward the 6th army corps to the defence of Washington and Early's forces withdrevr. On July 30 the mine under the Confederate defences of Petersburg was exploded and a deadly assault along the entire front followed, but the Confed- erates were promptly reinforced and Grant with- drew his forces with considerable loss. Earlv

continued to threaten the unprotected borders of Pennsylvania and Maryland and Grant ordered Sheridan on August 6 to assume command of all the forces concentrated in Maryland. On Aug. 14, 1864, Hancocks corps made a demonstration at Deep Bottom on the north of the James to prevent the reinforcement of Early, and on the 18th Warren's corps seized and held the Weldon railway and was reinforced by the 9th corps when severely attacked by Lee's army in its efforts to recover the road on the 21st. The battle of Reams's Station was fought August 25, and the Federal forces were obliged to fall back. On Sept. 3, 1864, Sherman entered Atlanta. On September 19, Sheridan routed Early at Win- chester and on the 23d won the battle at Fisher's Hill. On Se])tember 29. Butler's forces captured Fort Harrison with" fifteen guns and several hundred prisoners and his army within the fort was assaulted by Lee's army in a three days' siege without disturbing his position. On Sep- tember 30-October 1-2; Meade repulsed an attack and advanced his line beyond the Weldon road. On October 19 Early gained a victory at Cedar Creek over the army of Sheridan during his absence, but the retreating Federals were met in their route by Sheridan who had learned of the battle while at Winchester, twenty miles away; and his presence and coolness turned defeat into victory and he captured 24 guns, 300 wagons, and 1600 prisoners. On October 37 Butler made a demonstration against the enemy on his front and Meade moved out to Hatcher's Run where the Confederates were entrenched and after an unsuccessful assault Meade withdrew to his former position. Sherman started from Atlanta on his march to the sea, Nov. 16, 1864, and Hood turned his army north, marched into Tennessee, and fouglit the battle of Nashville, December 15 and 16, in which he was defeated by Thomas, who captured 53 of his gxms, took 4462 of his men prisoners, and drove him south of the Tennessee river. Sherman reached the seacoast near Savannah December 13, having destroyed 200 miles of railroad and property estimated at over §100,000,000. Butler with Porter's fleet attacked Fort Fi-sher, N.C., December 25, and aftei* a vigorous bombardment from the fleet the land forces advanced to the fort, gained the parapets and were fighting their way into the works with every prospect of success, when the army was ordered to fall back and re-embark. On reaching Fort Monroe, December 37, Butler was relieved of his command and the army of the James passed to the command of General Ord who fitted out a second expedition under Gen. A. H. Terry, which with the fleet of Admiral Porter sailed from Hampton Roads, Jan. 6, 1865. On the 13th the fleet moving in a circle again directed