"His hair is crisp, and black, and long,His face is like the tan;His brow is wet with honest sweat,He earns whate'er he can,And looks the whole world in the face,For he owes not any man."
"His hair is crisp, and black, and long,His face is like the tan;His brow is wet with honest sweat,He earns whate'er he can,And looks the whole world in the face,For he owes not any man."
While fitting the shoes he gives a little of his experience in life. He has been a blacksmith thirty-five years. Last year, unassisted by anyone, in this little dingy shop, he earned about eleven hundred dollars; this year, he thinks it will be about thirteen hundred! The farmers hereabouts like his work. When we rode up, he was fitting the axles of a two-horse wagon. He is an excellent horse-shoer, can set wagon-tires, and do all sorts of handy things. His business with the farmers is a credit-business, but he has many cash customers. His wife and his young children live at Salem, four miles distant. He lives an isolated life. He takes his meals at a little log hut near by, with a free negro, but sleeps in the shop. Summer and winter he sleeps here, lying on the bare ground in summer, and curling up upon the warm cinders of the forge in winter. There is his bed, an old blanket. To-night, when his day's work is done, he will wrap himself in it, and lie down to refreshing sleep. Saturday night he goes home to Salem to see his wife, and returns at daylight on Monday. So he has lived for fourteen years. A singular life, but not a voluntary one. No.He is a slave!His owner lives down there, in that large white farm-house, with numerous out-buildings. Looking through between the logs of the shop, I can see the proprietor of this blood, bones, and brains; an old man, white-haired, walking with a cane about his stables, looking out for the comfort of his four-legged cattle on this snowy day. For thirty years has this man before me wielded the hammer, and made the anvil ring with his heavy strokes for his master; a thousand dollars a year has been the aggregate earnings. Thirty thousand dollars earned! of course it is not net earnings, but so much business done by one man, who has received nothing in return. Thirty thousand dollars' worth of unrequited labor. His wife is a slave, and his children are slaves, sold South, some of them. He will behold them no more. One has taken himself up North into freedom, and one daughter is singing of freedom in the presence of God.
"How much business do you do a year, uncle?"
"Last year I earned between ten and eleven hundred dollars; but this year it will be about thirteen hundred."
"Of course your master gives you a liberal share of what you earn."
"Not a cent, sir. I gets nothing only what the gentlemen gives me. I haved worked hard, sir, and master says if I take good care of the tools and shop, he will give 'em to me when he dies, so I takes good care of 'em."
"How old is your master?"
"He is seventy years old."
"I should think, when so many negroes are running away, you would want to get your freedom, for fear they would sell you down South."
"I told my master I would always stay with him, and so he has promised to give me the tools."
"I should think you would like to be where you could live with your wife."
"Yes, I would, sir; but they don't think of a man's feelings here. We ain't no more than their stock, sir! They abuse us, 'cause they's got the power."
"You have some money, haven't you, uncle?"
"Yes, I'se got about three hundred dollars. About fifty dollars is Southern confederate money. I'se mighty oneasy about that. 'FraidI shall lose it. The rest is in Virginia bank notes. I'se been saving it this long while."
"Don't you find it rather hard times?"
"Mighty hard, sir. Hain't had no sugar nor coffee this long while. One of your soldiers gave me a spoonful of sugar yesterday. You'se got a mighty fine army, sir. There's more good clothes in one regiment that went by yesterday, than in the entire Southern army."
"Then you have seen the Southern army?"
"O yes, General Walker's division went down a week ago to-day, and Longstreet went down a week ago day before yesterday."
This was important information, for all of my previous inquiries of white residents upon the matter, had brought only unsatisfactory replies.
"Walker's division, you say, wasn't very well clothed?"
"No, sir; they was miserably clothed. Lots on 'em was barefoot. One on 'em offered me six dollars for these ere shoes I'se got on, and I pitied him so, I was a good mind to let him have 'em; then I thought may be I couldn't get another pair. I was 'fraid he would suffer."
"I should think, uncle, you would be lonesome here, nights."
"O, I'se got used to it. It was kind of lonesome, at first, but I don't have anybody to trouble me, and so I gets along first-rate."
While he shaped the shoes and fastened them upon the feet of the horse with a dexterity equal to that of any New England blacksmith, I fell into revery. There was the smith—stout, hale, hearty, earning a handsome fortune for his master—robbed of his wages, of his wife, his children,less cared for than the dumb beasts seeking the shelter of the stables in the storm,—a human being with a soul to be saved, with capabilities of immortal life, of glory unspeakable with the angels, with Jesus, God, and all the society of heaven, and yet, in the estimation of every white man in the slave states and one-half of the population of the free states, he has no rights which a white man is bound to respect! Men forget that justice is the mightiest power in the universe. There is judgment for every crime, and retribution for every wrong. The wheels of justice never stand still, but turn forever. Therefore there are vacant places by many firesides, and aching voids in many a heart, and wounds which time can never heal.
It was a pleasant march from Harper's Ferry to Warrenton. The roads were in excellent condition; dry and hard. The troops were in good spirits; living on turkeys, chickens, pigs, and mutton. They marched ten or twelve miles a day, built roaring fires at night, and enjoyed the campaign. The army was a week in reaching Warrenton. General McClellan was waited upon there by a messenger from Washington, who delivered him a sealed envelope containing orders relieving him of the command of the army and appointing General Burnside as his successor. The matter was soon noised abroad. There was much discussion upon the subject, relative to the cause of the removal. Some officers said that the Government wanted to destroy the army, and had begunwith General McClellan; others that the President, General Halleck, and Secretary Stanton were afraid of General McClellan's popularity; others, that they were wearied with his delays, and that there were no political reasons for the change.
The reasons for the removal undoubtedly have been truly stated by Mr. Montgomery Blair, who was at that time a member of the President's cabinet, that the President was friendly to General McClellan, but the military authorities at Washington and many of the officers of the army were hostile to him. They held that his delay to attack the Rebels at Manassas in the fall and winter; the delay at Yorktown; the keeping the army in the swamps of the Chickahominy; the operations on the Peninsula, showed conclusively that the command ought to pass into other hands.
The President resisted all the importunities of those who desired his removal when the affairs were so disastrous in front of Washington. The success at Antietam gave the President new confidence, but the failure to renew the attack with his reserves; the refusal of McClellan to cross the Potomac and attack Lee; his long delay at Berlin and Harper's Ferry, gave great dissatisfaction. These were the causes of his removal.84
General McClellan was much loved by a portion of his troops. When he rode along the lines for the last time, they cheered him. Some could not refrain from shedding tears. They believed that he was a good man, and that he had been thwarted in all his plans by General Halleck, Secretary Stanton, the President, and membersof Congress; and that if he could have had his own way, he would have won great victories.
There were other soldiers who did not join in the cheers. They rejoiced at his removal and the appointment of General Burnside. They felt that he had failed as a commander, and that he was incompetent to command a great army. They remembered their hardships, privations, sufferings, and losses on the Peninsula; they recalled the fact, that while the battle was raging at Malvern, he was on board a gunboat. Perhaps they did not fully weigh all the circumstances of the case—that it was necessary for him to consult Commodore Rogers relative to joint operations of the army and navy; but it looked like cowardice. General Kearny, the idol of his division, then sleeping in a soldier's grave, had declared it to be cowardice or treason; and the soldiers who had fought under the command of one who had been in the battle-clouds on the heights of Chapultepec and on the plains of Solferino, who had dashed like a lion upon the enemy at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Glendale, and Groveton, were not likely to forget the sentiments of one so brave and brilliant as he.
In all the battles of the Peninsula, they could not remember that General McClellan had been upon the field. When Fair Oaks was fought, he was north of the Chickahominy; when Lee with his whole army approached Gaines's Mills, he removed to the south side of the river. He passed White-Oak Swamp before the enemy came to Savage Station. He was at Malvern when they appeared at Glendale, and on board the gunboat when they came to Malvern. They did not consider that he rode to Malvern once during the day. Sitting by their camp-fires, the soldiers talked over the matter. There was no disaffection. They were too good soldiers to make any demonstration of disapprobation. Besides, General Burnside had been successful at Roanoke, Newbern, and South Mountain; and success gives confidence.
The soldiers were in earnest in carrying on the war. The people were impatient at the delays of General McClellan in the east, and General Buell in the west.
Riding from the east to the west and back again in the cars, after the battle of Antietam, I had an opportunity to know how the people were affected by the war. It was the last week in October. The mountains were purple, scarlet, and crimson, and had it not been that there was war in the land, one might have dreamed that he was in Eden,—so beautiful the landscape, so resplendent the days. But there were sad scenes. A mother bidding farewell to her son, the wife to her husband, the father to his children, taking them in his arms, perhaps, for the last time, dashing aside the tears, kissing them again and again, folding them to his heart, tearing himself away at last, sitting down by himself and weeping, while the swift train bore them away. It was not for military glory, not for honor, or fame, but for his country!
I saw an old man, whose head was crowned with years. He was on his way to Washington, to take back with him to his Pennsylvania home the body of his youngest son, who had died in the hospital. He had three other sons in thearmy. He was calm, yet a tear rolled down his cheek as he talked of his loss.
"I shall take the body home, and bury it in the family ground. I shall miss my boy. But I gave him to the country. I want the government to push on the war. I want our generals to move. I want this rebellion crushed out," he said.
The stout-hearted Pennsylvania farmer left the car, and a lady sat in the seat he had occupied by my side.
She, too, was advanced in life. She had traveled all day, was sick and weary, but she had received a letter that one of her sons was dying at Frederick. He had been wounded at Antietam,—shot through the breast. She had three sons; two in the army, and one, a little one, at home.
"I am a widow," she said. "My husband was a sea-captain, and was lost at sea years ago. My boys supported me. When the war broke out, they wanted to go, and I couldn't say no. Joseph, the youngest, is not old enough to be a soldier; if he was, he would be with them. I should like to see my son once more. I hope God will spare him till I get there; but I am not sorry I let him go."
Opposite sat a well-dressed lady from Philadelphia. She had received a message, "Your son is dying; come quick if you would see him."
Tears were dropping from her eyelids. The train was not swift enough.
"Why don't they go faster?" she impatiently asked. She had a basket with wine, cordials, and delicacies.
"I thought I would take them, for if he don't want them, somebody will."
The two mothers, the one poor, earning her living by her needle, now that her brave boys were in the army; the other rich, able to have all that money can purchase, sat down together, and talked of their hopes and fears, both longing to clasp their loved ones to their hearts once more. There was no complaining, no regret that they had given their consent when their sons asked if they might enlist.
There was sorrow all over the land, for loved ones who had fallen at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Glendale, and Malvern, for those who were sleeping beside the Chickahominy, and for those who reposed beneath the shadow of South Mountain, and on the field of Antietam.
But a great change was going on in the minds of men. They had said: "We will have the Union as it was, and the Constitution as it is," not discerning that it was a war of moral elements, a contest between right and wrong, justice and injustice, freedom and slavery, civilization and barbarism.
But they began to discern that the elements of the contest were the rights of men, and God's eternal laws; that the armies of the Union were serving in the cause which had inspired Leonidas at Thermopylæ, and Miltiades at Marathon; that the reveille which waked the soldier from his slumber was the drum-beat of all ages; that they were moving, not by the force of men's wills, not by opinions or acts of men in positions of honor and power, but by the resistless propulsion of God's immutable, changeless, eternal laws, which wither, blast, and destroy, when resisted, but which are as the dews of the morning, like sweetsummer showers, vivifying, strengthening and sustaining, when accepted and obeyed.
They mourned for the fallen, but they felt that they had lived for a great purpose, and had not died in vain. With defeat and disappointment there came a sublimer trust in God. There was a rekindling of faith and hope, a confidence,—
"That nothing walks with aimless feet,That not one life shall be destroyed,Or cast as rubbish to the void,When God hath made the pile complete."
"That nothing walks with aimless feet,That not one life shall be destroyed,Or cast as rubbish to the void,When God hath made the pile complete."
TheArmy of the Potomac was organized in October, 1861. There was a reorganization in April, 1862, and again in August of that year. The organization of that portion of the army which fought the battle of the Peninsula is annexed; also those troops which fought the great battle of Antietam. By means of this table and the accompanying diagrams the reader will be able to ascertain in most instances the positions of the several regiments,—not their exact locality, for regiments in battle are often detached to other parts of the field, as reserves, pickets, skirmishers, or guards.
The troops which took part in the battles of the Peninsula were the Second Corps (Sumner's), Third Corps (Heintzelman's), Fourth Corps (Keyes's), and Franklin's and McCall's divisions of the First Corps (McDowell's). McCall joined the army when it was on the Chickahominy. Shields's division of the Fifth Corps (Banks's) was sent to the Peninsula after the retreat to Harrison's Landing. It took no part in active operations there.
In the reorganization after the battle of Groveton and the retreat of Pope's army to Washington, the army was composed of six corps, as described p. 175. Many of the troops which had fought on the Peninsula were left at Alexandria, and other troops—Burnside's, from North Carolina; Sherman's, from Port Royal; Cox's from Western Virginia; new troops which had been but a few days in the service, and regiments from Wadsworth's command at Washington—were put in to fill their places.
It has not been possible to obtain a complete and correct list of all the regiments engaged in that battle. Some regiments, after the battle of South Mountain, were detached from their brigades, and sent on special service; others were kept in the rear, to guard the trains; others were sent on flank movements. But much care has been taken in the description of that battle to give the exact position of the divisions engaged, and also the brigades, so that it will be comparatively easy to ascertain the general position of most of the regiments.
Emory's Brigade.
5th U. S. Cavalry.6th " "6th Penn. "
Blake's Brigade.
1st U. S. Cavalry.8th Penn. "Barker's Squadron, Ill. Cavalry.
4 10-pds. Parr.
2 Napoleon
15th New York Volunteers.50th " " "
Companies "A," "B," and "C," U. S. Engineers.
1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery.Col. Tyler.
Cavalry.
8th Illinois Cavalry.Col. Farnsworth.One Squadron 6th New York Cavalry.
Artillery.
Infantry.
Howard'sBrigade.
5th N. H. Vols.81st Penn. "61st N. Y. "64th " "
Meagher'sBrigade.
69th N. Y. Vols.63d " "88th " "
French's Brigade.
52d N. Y. Vols.57th " "66th " "53d Penn. "
Artillery.
10-pds. Parrott
2 12-pds. Howitzers
4 10-pds. Parrott
2 12-pds. Howitzers
Infantry.
Gorman's Brigade.
2d N. Y. S. M.15th Mass. Vols.34th N. Y. "1st Minn. "
Burns's Brigade.
69th Penn. Vols.71st " "72d " "106th " "
Dana's Brigade.
19th Mass. Vols.7th Mich. "42d N. Y. "20th Mass. "
Note.—Blenker's divisiondetached and assigned to theMountain Department.
Note.—Blenker's divisiondetached and assigned to theMountain Department.
Cavalry.
3d Pennsylvania Cavalry.Col. Averill.
Artillery.
Infantry.
Martindale's Brigade.
2d Maine Vols.18th Mass. "22d " "25th N. Y. "13th " "1st Berdan Sharpshooters.
Morell's Brigade.
14th N. Y. Vols.4th Mich. "9th Mass. "62d Penn. "
Butterfield's Brigade.
17th N. Y. Vols.83d Penn. "44th N. Y. "Stockton's Michigan.12th N. Y. Vols.
Artillery.
4 10-pds Parrott
2 12-pds. Howitzers
Infantry.
Sickles's Brigade.
1st Excelsior (N. Y.)2d " "3d " "4th " "5th " "
Grover's Brigade.
1st Mass. Vols.11th " "26th Penn. "2d N. H. "
Col. Starr's Brigade.
5th N. J. Vols.6th " "7th " "8th " "
Artillery.
4 10-pds Parrott
2 Napoleon
4 10-pds Parrott
2 Napoleon
Infantry.
Jameson's Brigade.
105th Penn. Vols.63d " "57th " "87th N. Y. "
Birney's Brigade.
38th N. Y. Vols.40th " "3d Maine "4th " "
Berry's Brigade.
2d Mich. Vols.3d " "5th " "37th N. Y. "
Cavalry.
Artillery.
Infantry.
Graham's85Brigade.
67th N. Y. Vols. (1st L. I.)65th " " (1st U. S. Chas.)23d Penn. "31st " "61st " "
Peck's Brigade.
98th Penn. Vols.102d " "93d " "62d N. Y. "55th " "
Devens'sBrig.
2d R. I. Vols.7th Mass. "10th " "36th N. Y. "
Artillery.
4 10-pds. Parrott
2 Napoleon
4 10-pds. Parrott
2 Napoleon
Infantry.
Hancock's Brigade.
5th Wis. Vols.49th Penn. "43d N. Y. "6th Maine "
Brooks's Brigade.
2d Vermont Vols.3d " "4th " "5th " "6th " "
Davidson's Brigade.
33d N. Y. Vols.77th " "49th " "7th Maine "
Artillery.
Infantry.
Wessel's Brigade.
85th Penn. Vols.101st " "103d " "96th N. Y. "
Palmer's Brigade.
85th N. Y. Vols.98th " "98th " "92d " "81st " "93d " "
Naglee's Brigade.
104th Penn. Vols.52d " "56th N. Y. "100th " "11th Maine "
2nd U. S. Cavalry.Battalion 8th and 17th U. S. Infantry.
Infantry.
2 Cos. 4th U. S. Cavalry.1 Co. Oneida Cav. (N. Y. Vols.)1 Co. Sturgis Rifles (Ill. Vols.)
Cavalry.
1st New York Cavalry.2d " "4th New York Cavalry.1st Pennsylvania "
Sharpshooters.
2d Regiment Berdan's Sharpshooters.
Artillery.
4 10-pds. Parrott
12-pds Howitzers
4 10-pds. Parrott
12-pds Howitzers
Infantry.
Kearny's86Brigade.
1st N. J. Vols.2d " "3d " "4th " "
Slocum's Brigade.
16th N. Y. Vols.27th " "5th Maine "96th Penn. "
Newton's Brigade.
18th N. Y. Vols.31st " "32d " "95th Penn. "
Artillery.
2 10-pds Parrott
4 12-pds Howitzers
Infantry.
Reynolds's Brigade.
1st Penn. Res. Reg't.2d " " "5th " " "8th " " "
Meade's Brigade.
3d Penn. Res. Reg't.4th " " "7th " " "11th " " "1 Penn. Res. Rifles.
Ord's Brigade.
6th Penn. Res. Reg't.9th " " "10th " " "12th " " "
Artillery.
Infantry.
—— Brigade.
2d Wis. Vols.6th " "7th " "19th Ind. "
Patrick's Brigade.
20th N. Y. S. M.21st " Vols.23d " "25th " "
Augur's Brigade.
14th N. Y. S. M.22d " Vols.24th " "30th " "
Cavalry.
1st Maine Cavalry.1st Vermont "5th New York Cavalry.8th " "1st Michigan "1st R. I. "Keyes's Battal'n Penn. Cavalry.18 Cos. Maryland "1 Squadron Virginia "
Unattached.
28th Penn. Vols.4th Reg't Potom. Home Guards (Maryl. Vols.)
Artillery.
Infantry.
Abercrombie's Brigade.
12th Mass. Vols.2d " "16th Ind. "1st Potom. Home Brig. (Md. Vols.)1 Co. Zouav. d'Afrique (Penn. Vols.)
—— Brigade.
9th N. Y. S. M.29th Penn. Vols.27th Ind. "3d Wis. "
—— Brig.
28th N. Y. V.5th Conn. "46th Penn. "1st Md. "13th Mass. "
Artillery.
4 10-pds. Parrott
2 6-pds.
2 12-pds. Howitzers
46-pds.
Infantry.
Brigade.
14th Ind. Vols.4th Ohio "8th " "7th Va. "67th Ohio "84th Penn. "
Brigade.
5th Ohio Vols.62d " "66th " "13th Ind. "39th Ill. "
Brigade.
7th Ohio Vols.29th " "7th " "1st Va. "11th Penn. "Andrew Sharpshooters
Cavalry.
Artillery and Infantry.
Artillery.
14th Mass. " (Heavy Art'y)
56th Penn. "
Forts "Albany," "Tellinghast," "Richardson," "Runyon," "Jackson," "Barnard," "Craig," "Scott."
4th U. S. Art'y (Detachment)
37th N. Y. Vols. (Detachment)
Fort "Washington."
" "
6th New York Cavalry. Dismounted.10th " " "Swain's " " "2nd Pennsylvania " "
Cavalry.
1st Maryland Cavalry.Detachment of Cav. PurnellLegion.
Artillery.
Infantry.
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