May 9, 1863, The New York Herald
OUR DESPATCHES.
THE CORRESPONDENCE OF MR. S.M. CARPENTER.
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
May 7, 1863.
The Grand Army of the Potomac is once more in its camps, safe from danger. The second experiment for the overthrow of the rebellion has been attempted on the bluffs of the Rappahannock, and failed. In our shattered columns, our decimated batteries, our scattered trains, and the wards of our crowded hospitals we read the painful history of this disaster – a history unprecedented in its character and humiliating to the nation.
A REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.
A brief sketch of the principal features connected with this remarkable campaign, although necessarily meagre, cannot at this time prove uninteresting. I shall attempt the narration, however, conscious of my inability to do the subject justice.
THE ADVANCE was commenced on the morning of the 27th of April. The troops were elated. Every countenance beamed with enthusiasm and confidence, and the army streamed out from its camps among the hills, glorious in the pride of its power, flushed with the prospect of victory. The Eleventh and Twelfth corps went first, and crossed Kelly’s ford without opposition. The Fifth followed immediately after, crossed at the same place, wheeled to the left, and marching down along the narrow strip of land between the Rapidan and the Rappahannock, crossed the former at Ely’s Ford and joined the Eleventh and Twelfth at Chancellorsville, nine miles from Fredericksburg. Every one was astonished at the rapidity of the movement, and the failure of the enemy to resist us. It is true they gave us a little fight at Germania Mills, but a volley from our infantry was answered by the white flag of surrender, and one of the strongest positions upon our line of march fell into our hands, with the loss of but a single man. General Hooker, with his staff, had followed and was soon at the front. The advance of the Fifth corps pushed on down the turnpike towards the city, but was repulsed from a strong position held by the enemy at the junction of the turnpike with the plank road, six miles from Fredericksburg, and fell back upon the main column, while the Second and Third corps hurried up from the United States Ford to join in the battle expected on the morrow. That night Gen. Hooker’s order complimenting the troops upon their achievements was received and read to the army. Cheers and shouts rang through the forests, and swelled up, peal after peal, from the thousands of camp fires in the fields. The bands joined in the chorus of rejoicing, the troops clustered in their tents, and talked exultantly of their exploits and their hopes for the future, and the officers wandered form camp to camp, proud of their deeds and the history to be read thereafter.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON our forces were again thrown out on the turnpike towards Fredericksburg. The enemy met us fiercely, repulsed us and drove us back to the Chancellor House, where Hampton Pennsylvania battery opened upon them and forced them to give up pursuit. Results were unimportant. General Hooker had a strong position. The enemy must fight him in it. The night passed quietly.
ON SATURDAY THE STRUGGLE WAS RECOMMENCED.
The engagement opened on the turnpike, raged for a short time, ceased, and reopened on the plank road to the right. Geary’s division went down into the woods, drove the rebels from the thicket with great slaughter, and again there was a lull. Then a battery opened further to the right from behind the woods, shelled us for half an hour, evidently to distract our attention from the principal movement of their forces, who could be seen through a gap in the forests still further round towards the west, hurrying along to the plank road and massing on our extreme right. At this time our line extended along this road, with the Eleventh corps upon the right, and supported by the Third and Twelfth. Suddenly the musketry opened terrifically upon our flank, and the artillery joining in the rear, deafened the army, while the smoke from the guns and the burning woods drifted back in dense volumes, blinding the eyes and shutting in the engagement from view. The Eleventh corps broke, fell back in most alarming confusion, with artillery, horsemen and infantry rushing pell mell upon the reserves; but the Third and Twelfth corps speedily checked pursuit and closed the fight, bravely holding the ground. So far the operations, aside from the behavior of the Eleventh corps, were not regarded as of much importance. The great battle was yet to come, and the engagements of Friday and Saturday were looked upon as mere skirmishes compared with the struggle expected to ensue on the morrow. All night our troops were at work throwing up intrenchments and strengthening their position, and on Sunday morning all felt confident that the decisive blow was to be struck.
SUNDAY MORNING at daylight the battle commenced. It is unnecessary for me to attempt a description of the scene, the HERALD having already given an accurate account of the engagement. The roar of the cannon and the crash of musketry were awful. Steadily our lines were pressed back until they reached our earthworks. The artillery broke out with redoubled vigor, the infantry poured their murderous volleys into the advancing columns, and now and then the charge, with the sharp, quick work of the bayonet, wrought death among the enemy, and rebels learned too late for life the power of the Northern arm. The morning wore away with the tide of battle dashing up against our lines only to be hurled back like the waves of the sea, while our canister and case shot ploughed through the columns of gray and scattered lines like leaves in the tempest. About noon the firing ceased. The stillness was more impressive than the thunder of battle. We had won the engagement; the enemy has been repulsed victory crowned our arms. The wounded who had fallen inside our earthworks were sent back to the rear, hospitals were established at every available point, and the dead were laid away in their last resting place. The afternoon was undisturbed except by the firing of the sharpshooters and the occasional opening of the artillery; but the next day was anxiously looked forward to for a renewal of the engagement.
MONDAY MORNING affairs remained quiet, unusually so. While these events were transpiring, the First and Sixth Corps were active at Fredericksburg. Bridges had been thrown across the river, the heights taken, and the enemy pushed back towards Chancellorsville. It was expected that a simultaneous attack would be made by Hooker and Sedgwick. Had this been done the two wings of the army, distant from each other only four miles, would have been united, a large force of the enemy cut off between the plank road and the river, a direct and safe line of communication established with Falmouth, several miles shorter than that used, and our entire army have been enabled to push forward like a wedge towards Richmond. But the First corps recrossed and moved up to the United States Ford. Sedgewick was attacked by an overwhelming forces, crushed and driven back across the river at Banks’ ford, and Fredericksburg abandoned to the enemy, with the guns of its captors and defenders thundering in the ears of our waiting army in the intrenchments of Chancellorsville. The golden opportunity was lost, but it was not yet too late to achieve victory, and the annihilation of Lee. Our troops were jubilant – anxious to advance. The enemy had attacked us, been driven back with terrible slaughter, while three cops of our army were fresh and capable of pushing on to Richmond, if supported by the others.
STONEMAN had gone the long and weary route marked out for him, severed all communication between the rebel army and its capital, and rendered a successful retreat by Lee impossible. Why did we remain here idle was the anxious query of the army. The rebels were strangely silent. Now and then a straggling fire would break out along our line, dying out as suddenly as it began, while the troops lounged in the shadow of the oaks, and wondered at the ominous silence. Was Lee retreating and Gen. Hooker hurrying up supplies to enable him to follow after, or was the rebel army crossing the river above to pounce upon our rear? Some expected a fierce attack upon our right near Ely ford, some believed that our communication with Aquia would be cut off, others looked for orders to pursue a flying enemy – all had faith in Hooker. Monday wore away with no excitement after that occasioned by the shelling of our pontoon s at the United States Ford, and
TUESDAY’S SUN ROSE UPON THE SCENE with our army still waiting in its earthworks. Then the troops looked more earnestly for something to do, and moved uneasily to and from, chafing with impatience. At Falmouth the hills were crowded by anxious listeners for the first gun of the expected battle, and at noon I left the old headquarters confident of witnessing another engagement and the rout of the rebel army. To my astonishment I met the wagon trains hurrying down from the river, crowding and overturning in the woods, and rushing frantically on wherever the condition of the roads would allow. Long processions of ambulances full of wounded men streamed away toward Potomac creek and Falmouth, stragglers swarmed like ants in the byways, and everything betokened a retreat. But that was impossible. Fearing that the army had cut loose from its base and pushed on after the enemy I hurried on to accompany it, but found all quiet at the forts, and the hospitals on the other side empty.
About five o’clock in the afternoon it commenced raining. The water poured down in torrential cascades, leaped from the hillsides; rivers rushed through every ravine. The teams, blinded by the driving storm, staggered like drunken men. Pack mules turned their backs to the tempest and refused to move, and the soldiers crouched beneath their rubber blankets and behind the trunks of the oaks. By and by the storm abated, and, reaching the front, the problem was solved. All along the road, from the earthworks, to the ford, there stretched a line of troops, their arms stacked and cartridge boxes hanging on them. Wagons, pack mules, stragglers – all were gone.
GENERAL HOOKER, surrounded by a group of Generals, talked low and earnestly. His staff wandered to and fro around him with their horses saddled and their orderlies at hand. Twilight deepened into night and in the gathering darkness I rode back to the hospitals, found them deserted, and pushed on to the ford. The river was rising rapidly, and fears were already entertained that the pontoons would be destroyed. The water came up above the banks, swept away a portion of the bridges and spread out over the flats, while the Engineer Corps labored zealously to save a least a portion of them, and finally succeeded.
AT TEN O’CLOCK the scene was most impressive. The moon was just coming up, and shed through the clouds a dim, gray light, while the campfires on the river bank, the bonfires and the torches flared in the wind that swept in fitful gusts down the rock-ribbed gulches. The pines swayed restlessly with a sobbing sound, the rain pattered dolefully on the leaves, and the river foamed and lashed its banks, while the logs and floodwood drifted by like spectres. There was no noise or confusion of any kind. Occasionally there was a sound of falling boards, and hurried shouts down where the lanterns flitted to and fro, and sometimes strange voices seemed to be whispering in the treetops on the bluffs above; but the work of preparation, for the retreat went on, and at midnight it was done. The storm kept on pelting pitilessly upon the faces of the dead upon the battle field, chilling the wounded, and drenching the troops.
THE ENEMY EXPECTED ON THE REAR.
The gloom and sinking of the heart occasioned by the retreat was soon forgotten in the fear that the enemy would discover our movement and fall upon our rear. Pine brush were strewed upon the bridge to prevent noise and every precaution was taken to secure a safe removal of our army. Sykes’ division of regulars was detailed to bring up the rear, the columns filed out into the road and sorrowfully marched down to the river. Steadily and in silence the dark mass surged on, stretching in one unbroken line for the intrenchments, through the woods, out upon the hills, down across the river, and up again into the almost Egyptian darkness, of the gorges among the pines and cedars. Daylight came and still the enemy was quiet. Six o’clock, seven, eight, and still there was no shot to indicate that we were discovered, nothing but the tramp of the soldiers and the rush of the swollen river. Nearly all of the army had crossed before the enemy found out that we were leaving, and then he followed us with a few pieces of artillery. Our cannon on the bluffs drove back his guns, the rear guard hastened over, the pontoons swung around in the current, and the other side was abandoned. It is painful to reflect upon the sacrifice of lives and treasure, humiliating to contemplate the enormity of our disaster, but the Army of the Potomac still lives. It is not crushed. Its spirit is not broken.
There is no repining, no desire to give up the struggle, no thought of ought but ultimate success. Rest, full rations, and a word of cheer from their commanders and the people will serve them again. Victories like those of the past are yet to be wrought. The corps are very little broken up, and a few days will suffice to put them in first rate condition. General Hooker has already commenced the work of reorganization, and we may soon look for encouraging intelligence from the Army of the Rappahannock.
OUR LOSSES Are extremely difficult to determine. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed for correct reports of casualties to be made out; but it is evident that the loss is much less than was anticipated, not exceeding ten thousand. Eleven pieces of artillery were taken from the Eleventh corps, a great portion of their train and supplies was captured, and a large number of prisoners taken. But for this our record of disaster would have been much more brief. An unusual number of officers have fallen, many of them into the hands of the enemy. Those not seriously wounded will, doubtless, soon be exchanged, and will return to their commands.
OUR WOUNDED are being sent to Washington as rapidly as possible, and a comparatively small number now remains. Those in the hands of the enemy will receive attention at the hands of our own surgeons, sent to take charge of them, and, will doubtless, prosper almost as well in the hospitals at Richmond as elsewhere. Dr. Johnson, Medical Inspector of the Army of the Potomac, offered to remain upon the other side, and organized a corps of surgeons to attend to the wants of our men, but it was deemed expedient to delay such a proceeding for a short time.
THE LOSS OF THE ENEMY has been enormous. Fighting us in our intrenchments, our men were enabled to fire with much more deliberation, and the reports of prisoners are to the effect that their casualties have been terrific. We have captured several pieces of artillery, taken a number of stands of colors and nearly three thousand prisoners, including one hundred and thirty-one commissioned officers. One hundred of the prisoners took the oath of allegiance; the remainder have been paroled for exchange. They are all evidently well fed, though ragged and dirty in the extreme. It is folly to talk of starvation in the rebel army. It is true they do not get such rations as our own; but they get enough, and that of good quality. All are intensely hostile, with the exception of a few from North Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana, and exceedingly confident of the success of the confederacy. The following is a list of their commissioned officers captured, with the number of prisoners taken each day[…..]
PRESENTATION OF PLATE
Among the painful events connected with the present campaign has been the parting between General Patrick, Provost Marshal General, and his old brigade, composed of the Twentieth New York State Militia and the Twenty- first, Twenty-third and Thirty-fifth New York Volunteers. General Patrick came out in command of this brigade, and has kept it near him throughout his entire career in the Army of the Potomac. The attachment which sprung up between the troops and their commander is unsurpassed, and as many of them are about to return to their homes – their term of service having expired – it was determined to leave their General a lasting testimonial of their appreciation and regard. Accordingly, this morning the General was invited to visit Aquia to bid farewell to the officers of the command. The meeting was most affecting. Colonel Rogers, in a brief but eloquent speech, alluded to the associations connected with their career, and presented to the General the silver tea service provided by the several officers.
For a time the surprise and emotions of the General would not allow him to reply. After a moment he collected himself, and in a few words bid them all an affectionate adieu. It is a matter of regret that no phonograhic reporter was present. The speech of the General was a gem, sparkling with sentiments of the purest patriotism, with words of counsel to the young officers, and affectionate remembrance to all.
The service is a most magnificent affair and consist of a silver urn, teapot, water pot, sugar dish, slop bowl, creamer, plated waiter and tea bell, the whole costing twelve hundred dollars.
A portion of the brigade leaves tomorrow. Some of its numbers still remain upon the staff of the General.
All quiet tonight on the Rappahannock.