Chapter XX

AFTER REACHING THE RAPIDAN IT GOES TO GOVERNOR'S ISLAND.--AFTER ITS RETURN IT ACCOMPANIES HOOKER'S CORPS TO THE WESTERN DEPARTMENT.

After the battle of Gettysburg, the regiment was with the grand army in pursuit of the broken columns of General Lee. Passing through Frederick City, it arrived at Harper's Ferry and went into camp. Here it remained for two days, when it moved across the Potomac, and again passing up the beautiful Loudon Valley, crossed the Blue Ridge to Fairfax and Manassas Junction, over the old battle-field of Bull Run. Again taking up the line of march, it crossed the Rappahannock below Culpepper Court-house, and encamped on the banks of the Rapidan.

About this time a riot broke out in New York city, which required the presence of the military, as an assistance to the civil authorities. The Government was therefore called upon to furnish troops. Several regiments were at once dispatched to the scene of strife. Among these was the Seventh. It left the vicinity of the Rapidan about one week after its arrival there. It marched to Alexandria, and there taking the United States ship Baltic, passed down the Potomac through Chesapeake Bay to the ocean, arriving on Governor's Island in the latter part of August. It remained until the first of September, when again embarking, it sailed to Alexandria, from whence it marched to the Rapidan, near its old camp.

General Rosecrans had now been removed from the command of the Army of the Cumberland, and General Grant assumed control. The army occupied the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee; while the rebel army under General Bragg occupied Mission Ridge, immediately in front of and overlooking the city. The task of driving Bragg from this position was assigned to General Grant.

Before entering upon this campaign, however, it was necessary to re-enforce the Army of the Cumberland; for it had not entirely recovered from the disastrous battle of Chickamauga. For this purpose it was necessary to draw on the Army of the Potomac, now lying idle on the banks of the Rapidan. At this time this army had, _positively_ speaking, accomplished nothing. It had barely saved Washington from the enemy. To be sure, it had seen many hard-fought battles, and on all occasions sustained its reputation for courage and endurance. But the results following these battles were entirely negative; and after more than two years of marches, counter-marches, sieges, and battles, when graves had been dug from the Potomac to the James, and filled with the best blood of the land, and the country left in mourning for her fallen braves, but little territory had been gained, and the possession of this little being constantly disputed by a well-organized and gallant army. A sort of fatality had thus settled down upon the Army of the Potomac. Some of the best generals had been summoned to its command, but to no purpose. The hand of fate rested upon it heavily. When about to seize upon victory, some stream would rise in its rear, or some unseen accident happen to its communications or line of supplies, compelling it to let go its hold on victory, and in its stead to accept defeat. No wonder, then, that the authorities saw fit to send a part of this not very promising army to a department where victory sometimes rested upon the Federal arms. Hooker's corps was therefore ordered to report to Grant.

The Seventh being a part of this command, left its camp on the Rapidan in the latter part of September, and moving up to Washington, passed over to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, when it left for Nashville, Tennessee, by the way of Columbus, Indianapolis, and Louisville. It soon after left for Wartrays, by the way of Murfreesboro'. It was now ordered to construct winter-quarters, but having them nearly completed, it was ordered to Bridgeport, Alabama, where it arrived in due time.

This entire trip from the East was accomplished without any delay, and nothing occurring to lessen the good opinion the people entertained for this veteran corps.