Chapter XXVII: Campaign of 1864

There was a lull, for a time, in the tempest of war. The Confederate forces had lost ground that they could hardly hope to regain. The Mississippi river and Eastern Tennessee, both of supreme importance to the Confederacy, were in possession of the Union armies, which grew ever stronger. They were now about 1,000,000 men, and the navy had increased to over 600 vessels. This force was soon put in vigorous hands, that gripped fast what they once held. The misfortune of many commanders and continual changes, from political rather than military considerations, began to be well understood. Grant had gained so uniformly when others had failed, he was recognized as so tenacious and unwearied, that he received and held the confidence of the people and the government. This was a point of great importance for shortening the war; for the Southern people were still resolute, had still a vast country, were on the defensive in a smaller region than before, and could resist more effectively with a smaller army. It still made a most gallant and determined resistance which the vast resources of the national government did not enable them to overcome for a year and a half. The country was still covered with detached bodies of troops. A desultory war was maintained where strong armies failed to hold the ground, or were concentrated at a few points. The great movements were in Virginia and Georgia. The secondary in Tennessee, in Mississippi, and Texas.

It took a year to break the will of the Southern people after they were really conquered. This period covers the year 1864; 1865 furnishes only the dying struggles of the Confederacy, already mortally wounded.

1864.

The bombardment of Charleston continued during the preceding month. Some cavalry movements were made, the President of the U. S. offered amnesty to all who would take an oath of allegiance, and Gen. Butler announced that the Confederate government refused to receive any more supplies for Union prisoners from the North.

Jan. 7—Three blockade runners captured.

” 11—Two more were destroyed, making 22 in a few months.

” 25—Mr. Vanderbilt, having presented a steamer worth
$800,000 to the U. S. government, received the thanks of
Congress.

Feb. 1—The President of the U. S. ordered a draft of 500,000
men.

” 5—Two English steamers, with supplies for the South,
captured.

” 9—Cotton worth $700,000 burned at Wilmington, N. C.

” 20—Negro troops cover the retreat of a defeated white Union
force at Olustee, Fla.

” 28—The large armies being broken up or concentrated, and
the lines of communication very much interrupted, many Union
cavalry raids, aiming to break the lines of communication
by railroad completely, to lay waste the country, and to
free the negroes, who were raising supplies for the Southern
armies, in the far interior, were undertaken. That of Sherman
to Meridian, in Miss., and of Grierson and Smith, and many
smaller ones, were executed during this month. The damage to
railroads and the supplies destroyed were incalculable. 18
blockade runners and other vessels bringing supplies to the
South were destroyed during the month.

Mar. 2—Gen. Grant made Lt. General; the only one who had
reached that dignity since Gen. Washington—Gen. Scott being
Lt. Gen. only by brevet.

” 12—Gen. Grant made Commander-in-chief of the U. S. armies.

” 15—The President of the U. S. calls for 200,000 more men.

” 25—Confederate Gen. Forrest makes three assaults on
Paducah, Ky., with loss of 1,500 men, in vain.

” 28—A severe defeat inflicted on Southern forces at Cane
River, La.

Apr. 4—Gen. Marmaduke defeated by Gen. Steele, Unionist, at
Little Missouri, Ark.

” 8—Gen. Banks suffers reverses on the Red River, and
retreats with loss.

” 12—Gen. Forrest takes Ft. Pillow and massacres the
garrison, many being negroes.

” 21—Salt works in North Carolina destroyed—value $100,000.
As salt was indispensable to army operations, the utmost
effort was made to ruin as many as possible.

” 23—Governors of Western States offer the U.S. government
85,000 men for 100 days. President accepts them.

May 2—400 Union prisoners are brought to Annapolis nearly
starved.

” 4—Gen. Grant crosses the Rapidan in Va. and commences
operations in the Wilderness. He, with 140,000 men, confronts
Lee, who has 60,000.

” 5—Fighting in the Wilderness for two days without decided
result. Costs Grant 30,000 (5,000 were prisoners) and Lee
10,000. Lee was intrenched and familiar with the ground,
which was highly unfavorable to the Union army.

” 6—Gen. Sherman confronts Gen. Joe Johnson near Chattanooga.
Sherman has near 100,000; Johnson 60,000.

” 7—Lee retreats toward Spottsylvania Court-House. Union army
follows, fighting.

To this date 150,000 Southern soldiers had been made
prisoners during the course of the war.

May 8—Battle of Spottsylvania; result indecisive.

” 10—Battle of Spottsylvania continued. Still indecisive.
Losses to each side 10,000 men.

” 12—Lee and Grant fight again, without victory by either.

” 13—Sheridan destroyed Lee’s depot of supplies in his rear,
at Beaver Dam.

” 15—Sherman drives Johnson from Resaca after two days’
fighting.

” 21—Lee is flanked at Spottsylvania, and retires to the
North Anna.

” 23—Morgan (Confederate cavalry) enters Ky. with 4,000 men.

” 25—Sheridan rejoins Grant, after a brilliant series of
daring deeds in the rear of Lee. Gen. Stuart, a very able
Confederate cavalry leader, is killed in this raid.

” 27—Grant again flanked Lee, crossing the Pamunky to
Hanovertown.

June 1—Battle of Cold Harbor, north of, and near, Richmond.
It was fought with the utmost bravery and obstinacy, but
gained no more decisive end than the destruction of men and
material involved. This was very severe on Lee, from the
smaller number he had to fall back on.

” 7—Abraham Lincoln renominated for the presidency of the U.
S.

” 14—Gen. Polk (a Southern bishop) killed.

” 15—An unsuccessful assault for three days on Petersburg.
Union losses 10,000 men.

” 18—To this time Grant had lost 64,000 men—Lee 38,000 during
this campaign.

” 19—Steamer Kearsarge sinks the famous Alabama, on the coast
of France.

” 20—Petersburg strongly reinforced by Lee.

” 27—Sherman, pushing Johnson at Keneshaw, meets a severe
repulse. In one month he had driven Johnson 100 miles, fought
six battles, and killed, wounded or taken prisoner 17,000
men. He followed Grant’s principle, and “flanked” him. A
retreat was the result.

July 1—Public debt over $1,740,000,000.

” 9—Gen. Early, with 20,000 Confederate troops, passes into
Grant’s rear, and makes a hasty march north into Maryland.
This day he gained a victory over Gen. Wallace, but his
losses were so great that he was hindered in his design of
capturing Washington, though within six miles of it at one
time. He retreats, but soon turns back.

” 18—President Lincoln calls for 500,000 more troops.

” 19—Gen. Averill (Union) gives Early a check, but finally
falls back.

” 20-22—Severe battles in the neighborhood of Atlanta, Geo.
Gen. Sherman victorious. Confederate losses in all over
15,000; Union about 5,500. Union Gen. McPherson killed.

” 22—A mine, made under the fortifications of Petersburg,
completed. It was charged with 8,000 lbs. of powder.

” 28—Early sent a detachment into Penn., which burnt
Chambersburg.

” 30—Gen. Stoneman defeated and taken prisoner at Macon,
Geo., by Confederates.

The mine exploded at Petersburg, blowing up a fort and
its garrison; but, from unskillful management, proved a
Union disaster; 4,000 men were lost in killed, wounded
and prisoners. A constant artillery attack was kept up on
Petersburg through this month.

Aug. 2—Gen. Banks puts all the negroes in his region in the
army (Grand Gulf, La.).

” 3—Constant fighting at Atlanta. Hood (Confederate) repulsed.

” 5—Admiral Farragut enters Mobile bay with 18 vessels, and
captures or destroys the vessels and forts. It was the last
seaport of the Confederacy.

” 7—Union Gen. Averill gains a complete victory at Moorfield,
West Va.

” 9—Atlanta, Geo., bombarded by Sherman’s army.

” 11—The Confederate vessel Tallahassee burns 5 vessels, and
5 more in the course of Aug.

” 13—Mosby, Confederate, captures an immense supply train at
Berryville, Va.

” 19—Success of Southern forces before Petersburg. Took 2,000
prisoners.

” 21—Lee fails to dislodge Warner, who is destroying the
Weldon R. R. In three days Grant lost 4,500 men in this
undertaking.

” 31—Gen. Howard, of Sherman’s army, gains a decided victory
at Jonesborough, Geo.

Sept. 2—Gen. Hood evacuates Atlanta, Geo., a very important
place, which Sherman at once occupies. Sherman had lost
30,000 men in this campaign, the Confederates 42,000.

” 5—Gen. Morgan, an active Southern cavalry officer, is
killed at Granville, Tenn.

” 12—Sherman sends away all the families and burns a
good part of Atlanta, preparatory to great and brilliant
operations.

” 13—General Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, Va.

” 16—A strong force of Confederate cavalry drive off 2,500
beeves belonging to the Union army on James river.

” 19—Sheridan defeats Early, (at Oquequan, Shenandoah
valley,) inflicting a loss of 8,000 men.

” 22—Sheridan again inflicts a loss of near 4,000 on Early,
at Fisher’s Hill, Va.

” 29—Gen. Grant advances to within ten miles of Richmond, on
the north.

Gen. Price again invades Missouri.

” 30—The blockading force captured and destroyed 50 vessels
this month.

Oct. 5—A repulse of the Southern forces at Allatoona, Geo.

” 7—The Confederate steamer Florida captured by the
Wachusett, on the coast of Brazil.

Sheridan, having laid waste the Shenandoah valley, returns
South.

” 8—Sheridan defeats the Confederates again in the Shenandoah
valley.

” 11—Maryland votes for a constitution abolishing slavery.

” 19—Sheridan annihilated Early, at Cedar Creek, by his
famous “ride from Winchester,” and rallying his men, after
they had been defeated.

Confederate refugees from Canada rob a bank in St. Albans, Vt.

” 23—Gen. Price defeated at Blue river, Missouri.

” 27—Gen. Grant closes the active campaign by an extensive
reconnaissance.

” 28—Gen. Blunt defeats Price and drives him out of Missouri.
He returns no more.

Nov.—Gen. Hood, in command of the forces in Georgia,
withdrew from the neighborhood of Atlanta, for the purpose
of destroying Sherman’s base of supplies, and invading
Tennessee and Kentucky. He had now about 40,000 men. Gen.
Thomas was sent into Tennessee, by Sherman, with a strong
force, to contend with him; and Sherman, breaking away from
his northern connections, commences his celebrated “march to
the sea,” in which he is lost to his friends for 40 days, but
reaches Savannah in safety.

” 4—Johnsonville, Tenn., bombarded. 3 gunboats and 8
transports, with $1,500,000 of stores destroyed.

” 8—President Lincoln re-elected. Gen. McClellan resigns his
commission.

” 11—A gunboat, the Tulip, blows up on Potomac river. Her
boiler burst.

” 13—Gen. Breckenridge attacks Gillem, near Morristown,
Tenn., capturing his artillery, and several hundred prisoners.

” 14—Atlanta completely destroyed by Sherman, before his
march South.

” 16—Gen. Stoneman attacks Breckenridge, at Marion, Tenn.,
and captures his artillery and 200 prisoners.

Gen. Sherman starts for Savannah through the heart of the
Confederacy, with over 65,000 troops. He destroys railroads
and lays the country waste wherever he is treated in a
hostile manner.

” 22—Sherman’s army reach Milledgeville, the capital of
Georgia. The Gov. and Legislature hastily retire. The
soldiers amuse themselves by holding a mock legislature,
passing loyal resolutions, &c.

” 24—The Union army in Va., receive nearly 100,000 pounds
of turkeys, sent from the North to supply them a Christmas
dinner.

” 25—An attempt to fire New York city miscarries.

” 30—Gen. Hood, Confederate, with 40,000 men, attacks
Schofield, 18 miles from Nashville. Gen. Schofield had
only 17,000 men. Hood made four attacks, and was each time
repulsed. He lost 6,000 men. At midnight Schofield retreated
to Nashville, and joined Thomas, followed by Hood’s army.

Dec. 1—The U. S. navy has 671 vessels, carrying over 4,000
guns, and 51,000 men. It has captured 324 vessels during the
year—during the war, 1,379—267 being steamers.

” 5—65 blockade runners, ships and cargoes worth $12,000,000,
have been captured or destroyed by the U. S. navy, at
Wilmington, N. C.

” 6—Mr. Chase, ex-Sec. of the U. S. Treasury, appointed Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court.

” 12—Gen. Sherman’s army reaches the rear of Savannah, Geo.,
which is occupied by the Confederate Gen. Hardee, with 15,000
men.

” 13—Gen. Hazen, of Sherman’s command, captures Ft.
McAllister, near Savannah. It had been frequently attacked by
gunboats, in vain.

” 15—Gen. Rousseau defeats the Southern forces under Forrest
at Murfreesborough, Tenn., with great loss.

” 15-16—Battle of Nashville, Tenn., in which Gen. Hood is
completely defeated by Gen. Thomas, Federal commander. Hood’s
flying troops pursued 200 miles. It was one of the most fatal
blows of the war for the South.

” 19—President Lincoln calls for 300,000 volunteers to finish
the war.

” 20—Gen. Stoneman, Unionist, captures forts and destroys
salt works, lead mines, and railway bridges at Saltville,
East Tennessee.

Gen. Sherman summons Savannah to surrender. Gen. Hardee
retreated in the night. Gen. Sherman takes possession next
day.