Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/211

 JAMES ABRAM GARFIELD 173 of a freshet that had swelled the river, he stood at the helm for forty-eight hours and piloted the craft through the dangerous channel. In order to surprise Marshall, then intrenched in Cumber land Gap, Garfield marched his soldiers 100 miles in four days through a blinding snow-storm. Re turning to Louisville, he found that Gen. Buell was away, overtook him at Columbia, Tenn., and was assigned to the command of the 20th brigade. He reached Shiloh in time to take part in the second day s fight, was engaged in all the operations in front of Corinth, and in June, 1862, rebuilt the bridges on the Memphis and Charleston railroad, and exhibited noticeable engineering skill in repair ing the fortifications of Huntsville. The unhealth- fulness of the region told upon him, and on July 30, 1862, under leave of absence, he returned to Hiram, where he lay ill for two months. On Sep tember 25, 1862, he went to Washington, and was ordered on court-martial duty, and gained such reputation in this practice that, on November 25, he was assigned to the case of Gen. Fitz-John Porter. In February, 1863, he returned to duty under Gen. Rosecrans, then in command of the Army of the Cumberland. Rosecrans made him his chief -of-staff, with responsibilities beyond those usually given to this office. In this field, Garfield s influence on the campaign in Middle Tennessee was most important. One familiar incident shows