captains of the civil war-第1章

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by　William　Wood





PREFACE

Sixty　years　ago　today　the　guns　that　thundered　round　Fort　Sumter
began　the　third　and　greatest　modern　civil　war　fought　by
English…speaking　people。　This　war　was　quite　as　full　of　politics
as　were　the　other　twothe　War　of　the　American　Revolution　and
that　of　Puritan　and　Cavalier。　But；　though　the　present　Chronicle
never　ignores　the　vital　correlations　between　statesmen　and
commanders；　it　is　a　book　of　warriors；　through　and　through。

I　gratefully　acknowledge　the　indispensable　assistance　of　Colonel
G。　J。　Fiebeger；　a　West　Point　expert；　and　of　Dr。　Allen　Johnson；
chief　editor　of　the　series　and　Professor　of　American　History　at
Yale。

WILLIAM　WOOD；

Late　Colonel　commanding　8th　Royal　Rifles；　and　Officer…in…charge；
Canadian　Special　Mission　Overseas。

QUEBEC；　April　18；　1921


CONTENTS

I。　THE　CLASH：　1861

II。　THE　COMBATANTS

III。　THE　NAVAL　WAR：　1862

IV。　THE　RIVER　WAR：　1861

V。　LINCOLN：　WAR　STATESMAN

VI。　LEE　AND　JACKSON：　1862…3

VII。　GRANT　WINS　THE　RIVER　WAR：　1863　VIII。　GETTYSBURG：　1863

IX。　FARRAGUT　AND　THE　NAVY：　1863…4

X。　GRANT　ATTACKS　THE　FRONT：　1864

XI。　SHERMAN　DESTROYS　THE　BASE：　1864

XII。　THE　END：　1865

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE



CAPTAINS　OF　THE　CIVIL　WAR

CHAPTER　I。　THE　CLASH：　1861

States　which　claimed　a　sovereign　right　to　secede　from　the　Union　naturally　claimed　the　corresponding　right　to　resume　possession　of　all　the　land　they　had　ceded　to　that　Union's　Government　for　the　use　of　its　naval　and　military　posts。　So　South　Carolina；　after　leading　the　way　to　secession　on　December　20；1860；　at　once　began　to　work　for　the　retrocession　of　the　forts　defending　her　famous　cotton　port　of　Charleston。　These　defenses；　being　of　vital　consequence　to　both　sides；　were　soon　to　attract　the　strained　attention　of　the　whole　country。

There　were　three　minor　forts：　Castle　Pinckney；　dozing　away；　in　charge　of　a　solitary　sergeant；　on　an　island　less　than　a　mile　from　the　city；　Fort　Moultrie；　feebly　garrisoned　and　completely　at　the　mercy　of　attackers　on　its　landward　side；　and　Fort　Johnson　over　on　James　Island。　Lastly；　there　was　the　world…renowned　Fort　Sumter；　which　then　stood；　unfinished　and　ungarrisoned；　on　a　little　islet　beside　the　main　ship　channel；　at　the　entrance　to　the　harbor；　and　facing　Fort　Moultrie　just　a　mile　away。　The　proper　war　garrison　of　all　the　forts　should　have　been　over　a　thousand　men。　The　actual　garrisonincluding　officers；　band；　and　the　Castle　Pinckney　sergeantwas　less　than　a　hundred。　It　was；　however；　loyal　to　the　Union；　and　its　commandant；　Major　Robert　Anderson；　though　born　in　the　slave…owning　State　of　Kentucky；　was　determined　to　fight。

The　situation；　here　as　elsewhere；　was　complicated　by　Floyd；　President　Buchanan's　Secretary　of　War；　soon　to　be　forced　out　of　office　on　a　charge　of　misapplying　public　funds。　Floyd；　as　an　ardent　Southerner；　was　using　the　last　lax　days　of　the　Buchanan　Government　to　get　the　army　posts　ready　for　capitulation　whenever　secession　should　have　become　an　accomplished　fact。　He　urged　on　construction；　repairs；　and　armament　at　Charleston；　while　refusing　to　strengthen　the　garrison；　in　order；　as　he　said；　not　to　provoke　Carolina。　Moreover；　in　November　he　had　replaced　old　Colonel　Gardner；　a　Northern　veteran　of　〃1812；〃　by　Anderson　the　Southerner；　in　whom　he　hoped　to　find　a　good　capitulator。　But　this　time　Floyd　was　wrong。

The　day　after　Christmas　Anderson's　little　garrison　at　Fort　Moultrie　slipped　over　to　Fort　Sumter　under　cover　of　the　dark；　quietly　removed　Floyd's　workmen；　who　were　mostly　Baltimore　Secessionists；　and　began　to　prepare　for。　defense。　Next　morning　Charleston　was　furious　and　began　to　prepare　for　attack。　The　South　Carolina　authorities　at　once　took　formal　possession　of　Pinckney　and　Moultrie；　and　three　days　later　seized　the　United　States　Arsenal　in　Charleston　itself。　Ten　days　later　again；　on　January　9；　1861；　the　Star　of　the　West；　a　merchant　vessel　coming　in　with　reinforcements　and　supplies　for　Anderson；　was　fired　on　and　forced　to　turn　back。　Anderson；　who　had　expected　a　man…of…war；　would　not　fire　in　her　defense；　partly　because　he　still　hoped　there　might　yet　be　peace。

While　Charleston　stood　at　gaze　and　Anderson　at　bay　the　ferment　of　secession　was　working　fast　in　Florida；　where　another　tiny　garrison　was　all　the　Union　had　to　hold　its　own。　This　garrison；　under　two　loyal　young　lieutenants；　Slemmer　and　Gilman；　occupied　Barrancas　Barracks　in　Pensacola　Bay。　Late　at　night　on　the　eighth　of　January　（the　day　before　the　Star　of　the　West　was　fired　on　at　Charleston）　some　twenty　Secessionists　came　to　seize　the　old　Spanish　Fort　San　Carlos；　where；　up　to　that　time；　the　powder　had　been　kept。　This　fort；　though　lying　close　beside　the　barracks；　had　always　been　unoccupied；　so　the　Secessionists　looked　forward　to　an　easy　capture。　But；　to　their　dismay；　an　unexpected　guard　challenged　them；　and；　not　getting　the　proper　password　in　reply；　dispersed　them　with　the　first　shots　of　the　Civil　War。

Commodore　Armstrong　sat　idle　at　the　Pensacola　Navy　Yard；　distracted　between　the　Union　and　secession。　On　the　ninth　Slemmer　received　orders　from　Winfield　Scott；　General…in…Chief　at　Washington；　to　use　all　means　in　defense　of　Union　property。　Next　morning　Slemmer　and　his　fifty　faithful　men　were　landed　on　Santa　Rosa　Island；　just　one　mile　across　the　bay；　where　the　dilapidated　old　Fort　Pickens　stood　forlorn。　Two　days　later　the　Commodore　surrendered　the　Navy　Yard；　the　Stars　and　Stripes　were　lowered；　and　everything　ashore　fell　into　the　enemy's　hands。　There　was　no　flagstaff　at　Fort　Pickens；　but　the　Union　colors　were　at　once　hung　out　over　the　northwest　bastion；　in　full　view　of　the　shore；　while　the　Supply　and　Wyandotte；　the　only　naval　vessels　in　the　bay；　and　both　commanded　by　loyal　men；　mastheaded　extra　colors　and　stood　clear。　Five　days　afterwards　they　had　to　sail　for　New　York；　and　Slemmer；　whose　total　garrison　had　been　raised　to　eighty　by　the　addition　of　thirty　sailors；　was　left　to　hold　Fort　Pickens　if　he　could。

He　had　already　been　summoned　to　surrender　by　Colonel　Chase　and　Captain　Farrand；　who　had　left　the　United　States　Army　and　Navy　for　the　service　of　the　South。　Chase；　like　many　another　Southern　officer；　was　stirred　to　his　inmost　depths　by　his　own　change　of　allegiance。　〃I　have　come；〃　he　said；　〃to　ask　of　you　young　officers；　officers　of　the　same　army　in　which　I　have　spent　the　best　and　happiest　years　of　my　life；　the　surrender　of　this　fort；　and　fearing　that　I　might　not　be　able　to　say　it　as　I　ought；　and　also　to　have　it　in　proper　form；　I　have　put　it　in　writing　and　will　read　it。〃　He　then　began　to　read。　But　his　eyes　filled　with　tears；　and；　stamping　his　foot；　he　said：　〃I　can't　read　it。　Here；　Farrand；　you　read　it。〃　Farrand；　however；　pleading　that　his　eyes　were　weak；　handed　the　paper　to　the　younger　Union　officer；　saying；　〃Here；　Gilman；　you　have　good　eyes；　please　read　it。〃　Slemmer　refused　to　surrender　and　held　out　till　reinforced　in　April；　by　which　time　the　war　had　begun　in　earnest。　Fort　Pickens　was　never　taken。　On　the　contrary；　it　supported　the　bombardment　of　the　Confederate　longshore　positions　the　next　New　Year　（1869。）　and　witnessed　the　burning　and　evacuation　of　Pensacola　the　following　ninth　of　May。

While　Charleston　and　Pensacola　were　fanning　the　flames　of　secession　the　wildfire　was　running　round　the　Gulf；　catching　well　throughout　Louisiana；　where　the　Governor　ordered　the　state　militia　to　seize　every　place　belonging　to　the　Union；　and　striking　inland　till　it　reached　the　farthest　army　posts　in　Texas。　In　all　Louisiana　the　Union　Government　had　only　forty　men。　These　occupied　the　Arsenal　at　Baton　Rouge　under　Major　Haskins。　Haskins　was　loyal。　But　when　five　hundred　state　militiamen　surrounded　him；　and　his　old　brother…officer；　the　future　Confederate　General　Bragg；　persuaded　him　that　the　Union　was　really　at　an　end；　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　and　when　he　found　no　orders；　no　support；　and　not　even　any　guidance　from　the　Government　at　Washington；　he　surrendered　with　the　honors　of　war　and　left　by　boat　for　St。　Louis　in　Missouri。

There　was　then　in　Louisiana　another　Union　officer；　but　made　of　sterner　stuff。　This　was　Colonel　W。　T。　Sherman；　Superintendent　of　the　State　Seminary　of　Learning　and　Military　Academy　at　Alexandria；　up　the　Red　River。　He　was　much　respected　by　all　the　state　authorities；　and　was　carefu