@ LOS Be ~fe) sf \ 6 ye E ine 4 6 + 4 \e ~ c 7 Ife h s - 2° ° ™ sf nie |% A+| Soldiers aa Saters Historical Soricty of Rhode stand. 4 PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF EVENTS IN. TUE AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. AUGUSTUS WOODBURY. Read this before you select your Holiday Gift! ; os A Re eee Be. 3 PERSONAL NARRATIV A WORK‘ON A BASIS DIFFERENT FROM ANY NS EXISTING PUBLICATION. OF EVENTS IN THE CHOICE LITERATURE EDITED BY THE LIBRARY O WAR OF TH BEING PAPERS READ BEFORE THI AINS WORDH - Ry SPOFPORD, LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, AND CHARLES GIBBON, SUB LIBRARIAN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, TWO OF THE GRANDEST LIBRARIES IN THE WORLD. The work is superior to all others in its scope, variety, quantity and quality; and is above and beyond all other attempts in this direction. Its editors have the reputation, both in this country and in Europe, of knowing more about authors and ik ore at -ROV JENCE: 6 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. that we should close this day of commemoration by reviewing the life of him who holds a chief place in our memory, because he was always willing to be- come the servant of all. I have been invited to per- form this grateful duty, and while I address myself to this labor of love, I ask, as I know I shall ara s your respectful and patient attention. mili- tary academy at West Point, was spent in the little western town where his father, Edghill Burnside, had 5 6 abi rhe youth of Burnside, before entering the fixed his residence, upon his removal to the north- west from his native state of South Carolina. His great-grandfather had come to this country from Scot- land. is QT: p ‘j i His grandfather, during the Revolution, was a loyalist, and after the war of independence was e “Py as obliged to leave the co ry—settline j i g untry—settling in Jamaica for atime, but subsequently return} ; 1 y returning to South Caro- fo] lina. His father took part in the emigration to the northwest, escaping from evil of : ping the evil of slave-holding inherited, and ee Quaker trail,” by freeing the slaves whom he had following what was then called the though not himself x belonging to the Society of Friends. Among the South C arolina families that AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. removed to Indiana was Miss Pamelia Brown, whom Mr. Burnside married. Nine children were born to them, of whom Ambrose was the fourth. He was named for the family physician, Dr. Everts, but, on his appointment to the military academy, at West Point, changed his second name to Everett, re- taining it afterwards through his life-time. There is a story, that the boy at one time tried to learn the trade of a tailor, and that he was found by friends who became interested in him, conning a book of tactics, while working at the board. He was care- fully brought up, and taught as well as he could be in the elementary schools of the time. It is known that he was of an ardent and adventurous character, with an active and sanguine temperament, which was hardly suited to a quiet occupation. His father, who held the office of associate judge of the county court, desired to give him a military education, and it is a pleasing proof of the esteem in which Mr. Burnside was held, that the young man received the almost, if not entirely, unanimous recommendation of the legislature of Indiana for an appointment to the national military academy. The Hon. Caleb B. 8 AMBROSE EVER ETT BURNSIDE. Smith—afterwards & ‘ ifterwards Secretary of the Interior under Lincoln—was the F was the member of congress holding the cift of : i , : : f appointment. But as Mr. Smith was not in ull accord with th cisti i € exis ‘ Ietrati - igi existing administration of John o , J . yier, the good offices of his father’s friend, Judge C. H. Test, were broucht j isiti ; rought into requisition, and by his influer e Ole . ice the I ac wis s ~ lace Vis secured. At the begin ning of the ac: i 843 o ‘ g > academical year, 18 i ul year, 1843, young Burnside was admitted a cadet at West Point classmates were Orlando B. Willcox Hill, Romeyn B. Among his Ambrose P. Ayers, Charles Griffin ¢ ata Heth. In the other cl riffn and Henry Ulysses §. Grant, F Bee, George B. asses appear the names of itz John Porter, Barnard E. 2 v > © McClellan, Thomas J. Jackson, ouch, John G. Parke, John G. Foster, Darius NG and Jesse L. Reno Burnside w: ; i side was graduated in 1847, in the artillery— eighteen in a class of thir mediately ¢ inte Y appointed brevet second lieutenant, and was promote 1 i Sept I ted to a full second lieutenancy, Septem- | . " © 7 M4 ver, 8, 1847, and was ‘ssigned to the Third Artillery He was at once ordered to Ver cn ty-eight. He was im- re Vooes a Cruz to take part in active service j service in the war with Mexico, which AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. was then drawing near its end. Put in charge of baggage train, he was sent into the interior along oo 5 line of communication threatened by guerrillas at different points. He won the praise of his superior officers for his successful performance of this duty. The chief battles of the war’ had, however, been al- ready fought before his arrival at the front, and there was consequently no opportunity for winning distinction in the field. Upon the proclamation of peace and the return of the army, Lieutenant Burn- side was ordered to Fort Adams, in our own state, where he soon made many dear and life-long friends. In the early part of 1849, he was transferred from Fort Adams to New Mexico, and assigned to Bragg’s 3attery. He arrived at his new post on the Ist of August. The command was organized as cavalry, and was employed as escort to the United States mails upon the plains. On the 21st of August, while in command of a detachment of twenty-nine men, he came in contact with a body of sixty or more Apache warriors, who disputed his passage through a ravine near Las Vegas. Burnside immediately attacked and routed his savage foe—killing eighteen, 10 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. capturing nine prisoners, forty supplies of the band. of the post, horses and all the Captain Judd, in command war 7 "LIS i j wmly praised his subordinate, and recommende is i nmended his promotion to first lieutenant. In the spr Yr O : l De > » sid was spring Hi > f Oo D1 ; Lic ute nant Burns Cc as uarterm: ster f i 4 iste oO the Mexican Boundary Commis- sion ler t ir i : ) Ss >» unc he direction of the Honorable John RK. Bartlett. J S l *] : 9) V Ss t nh we stember, 18: Ly he vas sen from Gila River to W . ashington with important despatches which it was . necessary té forward with utmost lis route lay : : ; Be iene e lay through a hostile territory, ad to run a gauntlet of twelve hundred miles. With an escort of thr is faithfi 1 escort of three men and his faithful speed. colored serv: z rvant, Robert Holloway, he 1s Way, meeting with safely made sedi many hair-breadth escapes, and within three weeks the despatches were in the authorities at the capitol. His : December was a deserved reward for his daring, vigilance and faithful hands of the proper promotion in tie . ness. At the end s ser r > © ~ © . ~ ervice as quartermaster, in March, 185 was ordere ‘etur i 7 dered to return to his former post at Fort Adams. Ther . j _ here he remained until November Ist, 1853, when he resigne 2, he d his commission in the army. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 11 His residence at Fort Adams was naturally a very happy experience for the young officer. Perhaps it was the happiest of his life. He was of a jovial, gay and light-hearted nature. He was intelligent and active in mind, handsome in person, of a tall, com- manding stature, agreeable in manners, with a posi- tion and name in the army which gave him an en- trance into the best social circles in Newport, and he soon became an acknowledged favorite. In an address which he delivered at Newport a few years ago, he alludes to what he calls “ the follies and frail- ties of his youth.” But he was glad to say that not- withstanding these, he had always been met with uniform kindness and confidence. The reason is ob- vious tous. For we know that those “follies and frailties,” whatever they may have been, were mostly upon the surface of his life. They had no power to spoil or even taint the inner purity and generosity of his spirit. Doubtless it was a time of danger and temptation. But it is certain that he passed safely through the ordeal. While at Fort Adams, he was married, on the 27th of April, 1852, to Miss Mary Richmond Bishop, of Providence—and 9 SROSK. RV 12 AMBROSE E\ ERETT BURNSIDE, the union proved t i Ss Ss Ss =} 2 oO be In all respects : 5 tlic ‘ ects of the ore: a) satisfaction and b > fi 4 @.:8 : er « ene it. h J strength aud solidity e’s character Were an ¢: of Mrs. Burnsid idmirable bal : rable bal- ance : , rpar j ind counterpart to the lighter qualities of her and she became il counsellor and his firm< husband, ; i 1 after years his best st support. 3 t tl 3 1 ut the young officer w as not wholly eneross Sena lly engrossed > gayetie ee Pa Oe eae : f social life. VW hile in service on saw that the carbine mounted troops we purpose. the plains, he rj i with which our re armed was not adequate to its He studied the matter thoroughly, and the result of his rica studies was the a invention of a reech-lo: oe rhi -loading rifle, which Was in every way supe- tlor to arms i . 5.5 to the arms then Nn use. It could be easily Of >» sae ‘ . : ‘ ided, discharged and cleansed ; it was accurate in aim and long in range oD oye held a high place in the For more than ten years it 2 : estimation of inilitary men as > > st cary} : one of the most serviceable weapons of its kind Ih i=] 4 . eae - een superseded by better and It Was yet dence of the originality Although it has since more effective arms ; 8, very creditable evi ye able evi- and facility of the en young man’s powers of mind. z ane uil > f iS] ss 4 OAale ne o success In tl ; f z 288 1e manufactu ‘ ; is ‘= y t re o this AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 13 weapon, and encouraged to believe that the govern- ment would give hima profitable contract, Burnside, as I have said, resigned his commission. He imme- diately removed to Bristol, built a factory and began the work. Tle had the assistance of some of our leading capitalists, but the negotiations at Washing- ton failed of completion and the enterprise ended in disaster. In the early years of our civil war the manufucture of the arm became profitable, but it was too late to be of any pecuniary advantage to the inventor. At the time of its first inception, it was accompanied by many discouragements and disap- pointments. Later on, while the Buchanan admin- istration was in power, there were too many adverse influences at work to prevent the introduction of the rifle into the service of the army, and the end was a complete failure. Burnside sold his uniform and sword, gave up all to his creditors, and sought occupation elsewhere. He found a position in the Land Office of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, at Chicago, and removed thither in the latter part of April, 1858. In June, 1860, he was promoted to be treasurer of the company, and removed to New 2 14 AMBROSE- EVERETT BURNSIDE. York, where the opening of the war for the Union found him quietly engaged—like thousands of others —in the occupations of a contented life. There are some, who, with a cert and peaceful ain show of jus- tice, say—and the matter may at this point be ap- propriately discussed—that Burnside did not possess the qualities which are thought necessary to success in business. While all must acknowledge his ad- ministrative and executive ability and hi responsibility, he yet did not h caution in des 8 sense of ave that measure of uling with other men which seems to be required in the transactions of trade the element of distrust. He took too granted. He reg: He lacked much for ded a verbal promise as binding He believed that others under- stood his plans as clearly as a written one. as they were marked out He trusted when he should have watched. Never knowing by e in his own mind. atche xperience the nature ‘12 : ali of intrigue or double-dealing, he could not be made 2 Pen See to see that there was anything in others which justi- fied any suspicion of their i any § motives, or : I tives, or any thought of their untruthfulness. He could not understand AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 15 how any man could work against him or become his I enemy, or even his rival. lis own heart never had an ungenerous feeling, and he could not conceive how any other heart could cherish it. We can read- ily see how open he was to deception by those who had an interest in deceiving him, and how liable he was to be injured through an excess of generosity and trustfulness. This complete confidence in oth- ers is both an amiable and in many respects an ad- mirable feature in human character. Some of the best and loveliest qualities grow out of it. Without it, I am quite sure, Burnside could not have at- tracted the affectionate esteem which we are all glad to give to him. But in the rough conflicts of the world, and in the great variety of human forces, with which the generous and chivalrous soul has to deal, it does not answer—if one wishes to achieve what generally goes by the name of success—to place entirely out of sight the painful fact of human falsehood, wickedness and sin. It is a grand eleva- tion, at which the high and honorable man stands, from which human baseness and meanness retire from view :—as when one stands upon a mountain 16 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, top, from which the unsightly ¢ und low things in the valley are hidden, or, in the distance, become even ricturesque. “¢@ nus ] I que Yet the baseness and the meanness and the lowness are still there! It was certainly Te 1 . } 2 2 ° 7 ereditable to Burnside that he could overlook them all, or, still recogenizi ir exi all, or, ecognizing their existence, could hold f: st l 5 f: tl ] . as Ms Taith np l1umMan nature « 2V =] . und never let it go The war for Jni i i r for the Union did not find him unpre- pared. The country had educated him, and he felt it as a patriotic oblicati i patriotic obligation and duty to enter its ser- vice. 4 : POresea i ice. le had foreseen somewhat. of the trouble that was coming. While in New Orleans, during the autumn of 1861, he frankly told his Souther friends that they were mistaking the temper of the North if they supposed that secession could be peaceably accomplished. Men of all parties would unite to save the Union from disruption ernment from ruin. and thé gov- He was a member of the Dem- ocratic party then, and had been honored by its con- fidence in Rhode Island. But this was a question above party and could not be decided Without blood- a shed. There could be but one issue to the war. The Union would be preserved and the South would AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 17 be reduced to poverty. Such were his opinions then, and his confidence in the success of the gov- ernment never wavered even in the darkest days of the struggle that ensued. When Governor Sprague decided to send a regi- ment of infantry and a battery of artillery to Washing- ton immediately after the attack upon Fort Sumter, no one but Burnside was thought of for the com- mand. He at once responded to the summons to come to Rhode Island and organize the regiment. He shut his desk in New York, took the first con- veyance to Providence, and immediately began the work. By the end of the week the battery had been sent forward and half the regiment—five hundred men—started for the capital. The other half fol- lowed in a few days. One or two regiments reached Washington in advance of the First Rhode Island. But I venture to say that no troops were better or- ganized and prepared for immediate actice service than those from our own state. They could have taken the field at once. Burnside had the entire eonfidence and willing aid of the Governor, and was ably seconded by Pitman and Slocum—good soldiers 18 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE both, who had been tried : ‘oved i ; en tried and proved in the Mexican ee r Rs . = or ; war—by Balch, Goddard, Merriman, Tompkins, of the batte ry > ind the co é We ffi er B > t mpan ) rs oO v I d cers. out the good equipment, the careful trainine and the o efficiency for every duty of the campaign, 5 which were shown by the regiment, were mainly due to the AR ea energy and ability of its colonel. ve ; I do not intend to give an account of that first ending as it did in the defeat It is sufficient to say that the First Rhode Island had an e campaign of the war, at Bull Run. ane Xperience of every kind of service during its term of three months and a half It had its garriso i é f t son y 3 es ; ; gar duty, its camp, its bivouac, and its picket service. It m: +4 ¢ 1ade long marches, it fought a bloody battle. It helped to win the success with which the day at Bull Run began. It was in the rear guard in the humiliating retreat a at evening. Let us go with the Rhode J h slanders !” shouted the “we shall be all ane 12? ‘or ‘oug there ! For, through the day, Sixty-ninth New York, right : the valor of the Rhode Island regiments—the First been conspicuous all ¢ i I us to all along the line, Burnside was it t ' a brigs onsisti 1 command of a brigade consisting of his own and Second—had - AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 19 regiment and the Second with its battery, the Sey- enty-first New York and the Second New Hamp- shire. It was a brigade which did its whole duty on that trying day, and did it faithfully and well. It lost such gallant officers as Slocum, Ballou, Tower, Smith and Prescott. But to those who ame off safely from the field, no shame attaches that they survived the battle. They did what they were ordered to do as well and faithfully as they could, and at the word of command they retired from the contest. The opinion which their fellow citizens held of the manner in which they had per- formed their duty was well expressed in the very cordial welcome which the First regiment received on its return to Providence. In the warmth of that welcome it was very fitting that the colonel should have the first place and the chief part. It was nat- ural that he should suffer from. the chagrin and dis- appointment which accompanied the defeat, and from the grief which touched all hearts in the thought of those who had fallen. But the heartiness of the re- ception when the regiment returned, proved that even an unsuccessful heroism could not fail of ap- 20 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. preciation and reward. The first volunteers were employed for only three"months. But their term of service Was a very important period, and they per- formed a very important duty. They saved the cap- ital — what had almost become a state of siege, cog their presence at Washington, besides affording an immense relief to the President and his advisers, gave renewed confidence to the country. It proved that the North was fully alive to the danger which threatened the national life, and was also fully pre- pared to meet and avert it. The assurance was am- ply given that the people were moved by a deep- seated principle of patriotism tion of th , and that in the asser- at principle, they were ready to make any sacrifice and perform any duty w hich the govern- ment might demand. The First Rhode Island was a type of that kind of manhood which is pared both to defend and to maint of freedom. always pre- ain the institutions It answered the call to duty with promptitude. It did its work with faithfulness. It would have overstayed its time if that had been thought needful. Many of its officers and men w ent back to the strife and g ave up their lives a willing sacrifice to their country’s good. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 71 Burnside received a merited approval in his ap- pointment as brigadier general, August 6, 1861. His first duty was to his friend, McClellan, in reor- ganizing the Army of the Potomac. Then it was proposed to send him upon a coast-wise expedition along the western shores of Chesapeake Bay. Fi- nally it was decided that, with a sufficient force of infantry and in co-operation with the navy, he should make a descent upon the coast of North Carolina. It would appear from Burnside’s own narrative that the proposition came mainly from himself. | McClellan was preparing for an advance, and the object of Burnside’s movement was to co-operate with his chief. But the enemy was bold, even to audacity, and, pressing forward his outposts, flaunted the flag ofthe rebellion within sight of the dome of the cap- itol. The Army of the Potomac was kept in winter quarters on the south side of the river and around Washington until the opening of the spring. On the 10th of March advance was made upou Centre- ville and Manassas, to find those posts evacuated by the rebels and their ramparts mounted with harm- less Quaker guns. McClellan, returning to the 22 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, neighborhc Washi i ghborhood of W ashington, began to embark his troops for Fortress Monroe on the 17th of March ‘ > > ; 3 > ] : and opened his Peninsular campaign. Meanwhile, Burnside i ‘ Me: ns ras haste i . ide was hastening on his prepa- rations for the expedition to North Carolina. His headquarters were established in Ne months of November and Dece in making the necessary arr w York, and the mber were occupied angements. On the arters were transferred to Annapolis, and on the 5th of January, 1862, the By the morning 19th of December headqu embarkation of the troops began. of the 8th, all were on board the transports, which immediately got under way. The army numbered 12,000 men, among whom were the Fourth Rhode Island, a battalion of the Fifth Rhode Island and Battery F, First Rhode Island Light Artillery g " Eleven steamers ¢ i ] “ ste: s and t ‘ty- saili V hirty five sailing vessels furnished trans 0rtati she f ation, 3c anvi 7 i i Accompanying were nine gunboats and five floating batteries armed with aan forty-seven guns as an army division; and twenty aa ‘rying fifty-five guns as a naval division. All the forces gunboats and batteries es rendezvoused in Hampton Roads, from which the entire expedition ’ AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 23 with sealed orders, went to sea on the night of the llth and the morning of the 12th of January, 1862. For ten days nothing was heard of the fleet, but on the 23rd, tidings came of storm and trouble. Cape Hatteras is not an inviting place in the best of weather, and Hatteras Inlet is hardly more than a swash-channel of varying depth. The tempest came down upon the fleet while it was attempting to make an entrance by this doubtful passage into Pamlico Sound, and the transports were fearfully knocked about. There were croakers at the North and even in Rhode Island who prophesied disaster and failure. Happily, their predictions were falsi- fied. The channel was finally passed with the loss of two steamers, one gunboat, one floating battery and one or two supply schooners. Six men and two officers were drowned. On the 25th the storm broke, and the vessels of the expedition floated securely on the calm waters of Pamlico Sound. Throughout this trying time the bearing and con- duct of officers and men were all that could be de- sired. Burnside himself seemed ubiquitous. The 24 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. orrespon i Tews im i correspondent of the London News speaks of him in warmest terms. He notices a feature of his char- acter already familiar to the men of the First Rhode Island. “He has performed all the duties of harbor ne ike avs ry . master,” says the writer, * narrowly escaping being swamped on more than one oc casion, and there is not a grade in his army that he has not filled during the last fortnight, so 4nxlous is he for the well-being and comfort of his troops.” Roanoke Isls ri ind, lying between the passages from Pamlico to Albemarle Sound, was occupied by the with a garri ‘ . enemy with a garrison of four thousand men, holding five earthworks, mounting thirty-tw , o guns. Before descending upon the main land it was necessary to occupy this important Position. On the 7th of February, the gunboats under Flag Officer Golds- ies. During the following night the troops were landed and on the 4 8th a battle was fought whic borough, engaged the shore batter h ended in the capture ; Pe ese of the enemy’s entire force, and of all his material of war. It was a brilliant achievement. As it was the first important success of the Eastern armies since Bull Run, its announcement at the North excited —— PR LASE A eee eee AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 25 great enthusiasm. The President and the War and Navy departments sent letters of thanks to Burnside and Goldsborough. The mayor of New York issued a proclamation of congratulation. The legislatures of Ohio, Massachusetts and Rhode Island voted their thanks for the service—our own legislature supple- menting its action by the gift of a sword. Salutes were fired in the principal northern cities. Demon- strations of the public joy throughout our loyal com- munities were to be witnessed on every side. The next step was to secure a foot-hold on the main land. The troops were embarked on the 6th of March and the two following days, and on the 9th the fleet slowly proceeded to Hatteras Inlet. On the 12th the gunboats got under way, and, proceeding across the sound and up the Neuse river, ‘ame to anchor about twelve miles below New Berne. Here the troops were landed on the 13th and began their march up the right bank of the river. 3ivouacking at night about a mile below the enemy’s defences they made ready for the coming fray. On the 14th, in the midst of a dense fog, the at- tack was made upon a line of earth-works defended 3 26 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, by sixty-six guns and about 8,000 men. In the course of a few hours the position was carried, the enemy re- treating across the bridge which spanned the river Tréent—burning a portion of it behind him—and through the city of New Berne, which he left to its fate. Burnside immediately ferried his army across and took possession of the place en > ™ hr 4 For the next three months and more, New Berne became his headquarters and the centre of expedi- ic s tc iffere , ri ¢ tions to different towns along the coast. Fort Ma- and captured by General Parke on the 26th of April. For all con was attacked these services the administration at Washingtion was profusely grateful. Burnside received the thanks of the Pres- ident and Secretary of War, and was promoted to he rank of mayjor- r€ neral l is ( issi ) i ) > j 2 ner: lls ¢@ so ‘ , t > ’ IMMISsi¢ n datii gs March 18th. His brio: : : ” igade commanders, Foster, also promoted to the same rank, dating April 26th. Reno and Parke, were ‘ Colonel Rodman, of our own state, who had highly distinguished himself at » IN Command of the Fourth Rhode Island, was m: 9 shhiena: tho sland, was made a brigadier-general, ak ing from April 28th. The naval officers the battle of New Berne Golds- a ROSGLLAS a Sse AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 27 borough and Rowan, received the thanks of congress and a deserved promotion. These operations on the North Carolina coast would have had an appropriate ending in the fall of Wilmington. But it was not permitted to Burnside to add this to his list of captures. His instructions did not contemplate a movement to that point. Why it was not ordered has never been explained. At the time, the place was not formidably defended, and it could have been captured with a slight in- crease of the force at Burnside’s command. — It proved to be during most of the war a harbor of refuge for the vessels that ran the blockade and fur- nished supplies to the rebel camps. But by some power Burnside was stopped at New Berne, and the three following months were a period of compara- tive inaction. But enough had been done to show the quality of his generalship and to attract the at- tention of his countrymen. The expedition to North Carolina, the manner in which it had been con- ducted, and the successes which had attended it, had secured his lasting fame. It is no matter of sur- prise that he should then have been looked upon as 28 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. one of our most active, trustworthy and patriotic generals. The opening of his career had in it the promise of a brilliant progress. The presence of Burnside in North Carolina was unquestionably a help to McClellan in his operations > H a al . on the Peninsula. The Army of the Potomac wound its slow length along through the spring and early summer, laid siege to Richmond, and was finally, dur- ing the last days of June and the first of July, forced from its position and obliged to change its base from the Chickahominy to the James, with headquarters at Harrison’s Landing. General I dered to reinforce MeClel] 3urnside was or- an without delay. On the Sth of July, 8,000 men were despatched from New Berne, and on the 8th were landed at New- port News. Ven) , F -. Creek on the evening of the 16th and opened the battle early in the morning of the, following day. McClellan states that his plan was “to attack the en- emy’s left, and as soon as matters looked favorably there, to move the corps of General Burnside against the enemy’s extreme right, upon the ridge running to the south and rear of Sharpsburg.” In front of and the objec- a stone bridge with low Burnside’s position and between him tive point of his attack, was AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 33 parapets, which it was necessary to carry in. onder to cross his command. At ten o’clock in the forenoon, Burnside received orders to attack. The troops were immediately put in motion and the attack was made. Twice were the regiments selected for the task driven back. The third attempt was success- ful, and by one o'clock in the afternoon the bridge was carried, and three divisions were promptly thrown across—Rodman, meanwhile, crossing his division at a ford below. The corps gallantly as- cended and occupied the ridge, and, pressing fats ward, advanced to the outskirts of the town of Sharpsburg. The success of this movement der pended somewhat upon the favorable result of the attack delivered from the right of our line. But that attack had been very strongly met, and at three o’clock in the afternoon had almost entirely ceased. The left wing, which had really occupied the most advanced position of the day, was now paresed baer ward, and, retiring to the ridge on the oer side of the creek, held it firmly and could not be dislodged: The night shut down upon a bloody battle-field. ides were lar n Burnside’s The losses on both sides were large. I AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. command, General Rodman, of our own state, fell, mortally wounded, while gallantly leading his di- vision in the final strugele of the day, beyond the fol- rhe died, leaving bridge. Twelve days of pain and suffering >? lowed, and on the 30th of Septembe the memory of a brave, faithful and Christian man to be long and faithfully cherished by all who knew his worth. The result of the battle of Antietam, although not a decisive victory, was yet of such a nature as to compel General Lee to withdraw his army across the Potomac. Burnside wished to renew the battle on the morning of the 18th, but McC prepared to do so until the lellan was not morning of the 19th, when it was discovered that there was no enemy in front, except about two thousand wounded men who could not be moved, and as many more un- neral Lee had returned to Vir- ginia. For the next few weeks the buried dead. Ge two armies lay inactive on opposite sides of the Potomac. | MeClel- lan was desirous of wintering in the neiehborhood for the purpose of re-fitting and re-organizing his command. The President was desirous of striking 4 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. ov another blow upon the enemy before the winter set in. Early in October he ordered McClellan to take his army across the Potomac. But it was not. till the lst of November that the entire command was finally transferred to Virginia. It then advanced with celerity—General Lee retiring up the valley of the Shenandoah, our own army making its way along upon the eastern side of the Blue Ridge. On the 7th of November headquarters were at Warrenton, and there, on the evening of that day, a special mes- Senger arrived from Washington, bearing an or- der from the War Department, relieving General McClellan and appointing General Burnside to the command of the Army of the Potomac. The order Was dated on the 5th, and on the th, after much se- rious and even prayerful thought, Burnside assumed command. ‘With diffidence for myself,” were the closing words of the general order, “but with a proud confidence in the unswerving loyalty and de- termination of the gallant army now entrusted to my care, I accept its contro] with the steadfast assur- ance that the just cause will prevail.” : i "nsi ‘ 2en raised The honor to which Burnside had now been rais 36 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, was considered, next to the command-in-chief, the highest in the army. When it was a matter which he had declined it, for he felt ; McClellan, should be portunity to retriey fered in the Pe allowed of discussion, that his friend allowéd an op- € the losses which had been suf- ninsular campaign. Doubtless had n summoned to Washington for consul- e pleaded that McClellan n command—at least, till after h McClellan says in his report he Burnside bee tation, he would still hay should be retained j the battle for whie was preparing, and which could hardly be long de- layed. But the order was now peremptory, and could not be avoided. There was nothing left for Burnside but to obey. -He appreciated the confi- ernment reposed in him, and he atness of the honor. But he also felt the weight of the dence which the gov understood the gre responsibility which .had now come upon him. The sense of personal obligation of public duty was at strong with him—ne in all matters all times very ver more so than now. It was a large command—in a letter to me at the time, he He knew that many of the re strongly attached to McClellan. alled it “enormous.” general officers we niceiaeiccais 37 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. Tt was natural, too, that. with all the personal good will which Burnside attracted to himself, there should still be a feeling, that a stranger, so to speak, had come to take the command, passing over those ie were more closely identified with the Army of the Potomac and its career. There was also a modest appreciation of his own ability. But to ae the position thus accorded to him, and aie forced upon him, would be an indication of a lack of sesanieae in the cause, and might even be interpreted wa: a dis- inclination for the service, which Burnside did not and could not feel. Conscious of all the difficulties of the situation, he accepted it with an entire and pa- triotic devotion to the public good. The army was concentrated and halted for afew days around Warrenton. It was in a measure re-organ- ized in three grand divisions—of two corps each— respectively under Generals Sadun etal eon Franklin. It numbered at the time, in the vaaagi i- ate front, 127,574. Besides these, about 100,000 men were distributed around Washington and along the upper Potomac. The entire force tae ‘auauel Burnside’s command, but the new organization in 4 38 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. grand divisions applied only to that part of it which was in face of the enemy. With this force, Burn- side prepared for active and agere ggressive movements. His plan was to march upon Fredericksburg by way of Falmouth, crossing the Rappahannock at the lat- ter place, occupying the town and the hills beyond. Communication with Washington was to be had by way of Aquia Creek and the Potom was the first step. ac river. This The objective point was Rich- With plenty of supplies at Fredericks- burg, “ wagon trains mond itself. “an be organized,” says the gen- eral in his written plan, “and filled with at least twelve days’ provisions, when a rapid movement can be made upon Richmond, direct, by way of such roads as are open to us.” As the bridges across the Rappahannock had been destroyed, pontons would be required to cross the army. It would also be necessary to provide a vast amount of supplies—for- age, horses, mules, beef-cattle and subsistence—and these should be ready at Fredericksburg, upon the arrival of the army at that place, or soon af The plan, after considerable ‘terwards. discussion between Burnside and the authorities at Washington, Was ac- 2 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 39 cepted. There seems, however, to have been some misunderstanding of the details by General Halleck, who, at that time, held the position of general-in- chief. The contemplated movement was evidently not so clear to him, as it was to the general who con- ceived it and was now prepared to put it into exe- cution, Burnside, believing that his plan was as fully un- derstood by the President and General Halleck as it was by himself, set his army in motion. The ad- rance started on the 15th of November and arrived at Falmouth on the 17th. Headquarters started on the 16th and arrived on the 19th. No ponton train had reached the Rappahannock, and there was no intelligence of any. The abundant supplies that had been asked for were not forthcoming. Rain be- gan to fall. The river was rising. The fords above Falmouth were impracticable. There were no means of crossing the army, and the commanding dae chagrined and disappointed, found that his plans were frustrated at the very first stage. General Lee, finding that our army had left Warrenton, made a rapid march across the country and down the 40 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. south bank of the Rappahannock, and on the 22d of November, his troops deployed along the hills in the rear of Fredericksburg. The road to Richmond was effectually blocked. Three days afterwards, on the 25th of November, late in the afternoon, the ponton train, having suffered various misfortunes by land and sea, arrived near the general headquarters. General Daniel P. Woodbury, who had charge of the matter, had requested General Halleck to delay the movement of the army for a few days that he might make the connection sure. to hold the But that officer declined army back, and it accordingly moved, as I have stated, only to find itself stopped at Fal- mouth, with no further means of progress at its dis- posal. What should be done next? was the question at headquarters. After the cold and snowy weather in November the temperature became more favorable for military movements, and it hardly seemed advis- able to put the army into winter quarters. The in camp and supplies had become General Burnside was unwilling to sit down quietly under the first failure. He wished to pontons were abundant. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 41 make another attempt to move his army towards Richmond. The chief obstacle in the way was the army of General Lee, strongly posted and fortified on the hills above Fredericksburg—a few regiments holding the town itself. After careful deliberation, Burnside decided to cross the Rappahannock and make an attack upon Lee’s position. Lee himself seemed to have no inclination to take the offensive. His army was well established, and communication with Richmond was easy. He quietly awaited the attack. On the 10th of December, Burnside con- centrated his army—in available force about 100,000 men—along the river front. On the 11th, under cover of a heavy bombardment, six bridges were laid—not without opposition from the enemy’s troops in the town—and one division and two brigades were sent across to hold the town and the bridge-heads. On one of the lower bridges the Second Rhode Is]- and crossed, leading the column. On the 12th, the . a a remainder of the army—with the exception of Gene- ral Hooker's grand division, held in reserve—was sent across. The battle was to be fought on the next day. The general plan was to make a vigorous attack with 42 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. our left upon Lee’s right, about a mile below the town, seize the road in the rear of the hills, if possi- ble, and compel the enemy to move out of the earth- works on the crest of the ridge by taking them in 8 flank and reverse.. If this movement should prove successful the right and centre were to move directly upon the heights and force the enemy into retreat. The plan of battle seemed both feasible and hopeful. Its success depended upon the celerity and vigor with which the opening attack was delivered, and the promptness and force with which it should be sup- ported. By twelve o’clock, meridian, all the nec- essary dispositions were made by General Frank- lin, who held command upon the left, and the at- tack was made by General Meade’s division, sup- ported by General Gibbon’s. It was gallantly, and for a moment successfully, delivered. The troops charged the enemy’s position with great vigor, pierced the first, and very nearly reached the second line, breaking in pieces successively three brigades. Gen- eral Gibbon’s division hurried up in support. But now Jackson’s corps of the enemy’s army appeared upon the scene and our men were forced back. Re- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 43 inforcements were sadly needed, but reinforcements did not come. General Franklin had about 47,000 men—to speak correctly, 46,892—with 116 pieces of artillery, under his command. He sent Meade with 5,000 men to attack, and Gibbon with about as many more, to support. On the call for reinforce- ments, a brigade under General Ward was pushed forward. But it could do no more than help extri- cate the troops in front from their perilous position. At half-past one o’clock Burnside sent a written or- der to Franklin to advance with all his available force and carry the enemy’s position in his front. The order was not obeyed, because, as Franklin says, * darkness would have overtaken us before we could 5) reach the enemy.” He even called the order, if he is correctly reported, “the last resource of all weak generals: an attack along the whole line.” The movement from our left thus became a decided failure. The attack made by the centre and right of our line, notwithstanding the discouraging result of the attack of the left wing, was well and bravely deliv- ered. The ground was a somewhat broken plain and 2 44 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, was swept by the enemy’s fire this movement depended to As the success of a considerable degree upon the favorable issue of the left, there was little hope of victory when that attack failed. But the men beh: aved with the utmost gal- They made most daring but inefficient charges upon the enemy’s works, r and again to the attack. afternoon—long enough attack made from our lantry. eturning again Through the short winter , indeed, to those who were engaged—the slope in rear of the town was.a sheet of fire and a scene of carnage. It was like march- ing up the glacis of a fortress. The earth-works on the crest, the stone wall at * Marye’s,” thundéred with artillery and bl: azed with musketry. The Army of the Potomac—gall: ant, long-enduring and persist- ent—was held at bay till the sun w darkness shut out the fez closed with the disastrous along the line. ent down and ful view. The battle defeat of our forces all Sumner and Hooker had done ever thing that man could do to retrieve the failure of our left, but that failure was de Yet our troops held their positions, and Burnside wished to renew the battle on the next day. He cisive, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 45 would even have put himself at the head of the Ninth Corps and stormed the heights in person. The column was formed and ready. But the three grand division commanders dissuaded him from the at- tempt, and he finally—though with reluctance—gave it up. During the 14th and 15th our forces held the town, the wounded were sent to the rear, and a part of the dead were buried. On the night of the 16th, favored by storm and darkness, the army was si- lently withdrawn across the river without molesta- tion, and the bridges were taken up. A month more of pleasant weather passed, and Burnside, by no means discouraged by his failure, prepared once more to try his strength with the foe. The fords above Falmouth were carefully examined, with a view to crossing the Rappahannock and giving bat- tle to Lee upon his left flank. Meanwhile, inh wre Visited Washington and had a long, free and eat conference with the President, the Secretary of War and the General-in-chief, in which the whole situation was fully discussed. He offered to resign, but Mr. Lincoln would not listen to such a proposal, and he returned to headquarters completely assured of the 46 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. confidence of the administration. Preparations were made for an immediate movement, in accordance with advice both verbal and in writing from General Halleck, and with his own disposition to actively en- gage the enemy. It was decided to cross the Rap- pahannock at Banks’s Ford and United States Ford, with a view of turning Lee’s left flank and obliging him ight us i 1 a to fight us in open field. The army moved out of its en ‘umpments on the 20th of January, 1863, reached the neighborhood of Banks’s Ford—where the main body was to cross—about nightfall, and prepared to make the passage on the following morn- ten res eee gas ing. But soon after dark a furious storm burst upon the soldiers in bivouac. The rain fell in torrents, and soon reduced the roads to a mass of mud and It was impossible to ad vance, and the move- ment, thus stopped by the e mire. lements, was given up. ry. : The army returned to camp as best it could, and im- quarters. On the 25th € was relieved of the command and was succeeded by General Hooker ’ mediately went into winter of January, Burnsid to whom he transferred it on the 26th. He immediately re- turned to his in Provi i to his home in Providence, where he quietly remained till the middle of March. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 47 None of General Burnside’s friends would wish to disguise the fact that his command of the Army of the Potomac was a failure in execution, if not in ad- ministration. He did not himself desire to disguise it. His plans were good. They were substantially the same which Grant followed in his Virginia cam- paign of 1864. The main difference was that Grant’s lines of march were more in the interior than those which Burnside proposed. The objective point was the same. Burnside designed to march by way of Bowling Green, which would bring him nearer the coast of Chesapeake Bay. He hoped to take his supplies with him, or to be supplied from Port Royal and other accessible points until he reached the James, when he could hold his communications with Washington directly by water. Had the pontons been ready at Falmouth, had his supplies been sent there to meet him on his arrival, had he been able to cross the Rappahannock, as he intended, and seize the hills in the rear of Fredericksburg, in all human probability his movement would have been success- ful. All the grand division commanders have ex- pressed the opinion that he would have succeeded 48 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. had not this failure occurred at the very beginning. There was a great lack of energy somewhere in.send- ing forward from Washington the bridge material. When the ponton-train was fairly in motion by land, it suffered many mishaps. The boats that were sent by water had no wagons. A series of accidents and delays occurred, and the army was fairly stranded on the north bank of the Rappahannock. After the first failure many of the subordinate generals seemed to lose heart in the enterprise. The winter was coming on and they did not wish to move They hesitated about attacking Lee in his strong position. till spring. There were discussions and bickerings among different portions of the which impaired the efficiency and ser command iously lowered the tone and morale of the army. There was a want of co-operation with the chief on the part of those who should have been most zealous and helpful. On the day of battle all these various influences were felt. It is not too much to say that General Frank- lin did not clearly understand what was expected of him, nor was he cordially or earnestly disposed to arry out the aggressive movement assigned to his AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 49 direction. He had a grand opportunity, but he had neither the heart nor the mind to improve it. The man who could publicly call his commanding officer “a weak general,” could not be expected’ to give him a hearty obedience, or a warm support. The well- planned enterprise failed. That it would have suc- ceeded in more favorable circumstances and under the influence of a stronger will, the campaign of 1864 afterwards proved. There is other evidence, indeed, which comes from one of the chief actors in the scene, and which car- ries the weight of deliberate utterance and the assur- ance of the highest soldierly qualities of character. General Meade himself, in his evidence before the committee on the conduct of the war, expressed the opinion that a victory would have been gained had he been properly supported. In an address which he made a few months after the battle, he said in the course of his remarks: “I speak of Fredericksburg, where the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps crossed and led the advance, unaided and alone, up the heights, and held their position for half an hour, while the othérs crossed. Had they been followed and sup- 5 50 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. ported by other troops, their courage that day would have won a victory.” That the enemy’s line was pierced, was very rudely shaken, and on the point of being broken altogether, becomes clear from the accounts which have been published on the other side. The attack of General Meade was severe enough to call for the presence and the utmost exer- } ¥ 9 7 ’ tion of Lee’s best general, Stonewall Jackson, to re- pel it. His enthusiastic biographer says that he seemed possessed by the “genius of battle” in that . ds > i PR : hour of danger, “and his countenance glowed as from the glare of a great conflagr > ation.” Other evi- dence of a similar character, and to the same pur- port, abounds. It comes from both sides, and there can be but little doubt, that had adequate support been promptly sent forward from our left wing, the fortunes of the day would have been different. A great victory was within our grasp. But whatever may have been the cause of the fuil- . 2nrne) ~—, . . ure, Burnside was not the man to shrink from tak- ing upon himself the responsibility of it. He soucht v bes) no shelter. His magnanimity shone out more con- spicuously than ever. “For the failure I am re- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. ol sponsible,” he says. When relieved, he said to the President: “Neither you nor General Hooker will be a happier man than myself, if he shall gain a vie- tory on the Rappahannock.” “Give your full and cor- dial support and co-operation to the brave and skill- ful general who is to command you,” he said to the army as he transferred his command. Nothing could be more generous, and nothing could be more char- acteristic. Nor were these words the formal expres- sion which the occasion seemed to demand. I hap- pened to be at headquarters during the time when his mind was mostly exercised in regard to the many trying matters connected with his failure. I had with him the very freest and fullest conversation. He would call me up in the morning, an hour or two before the camp was astir, and we would pace up and down the lines of tents, earnestly and frankly discussing the situation of affairs. While he was entirely outspoken, he was always generous and kind in the expression of his opinions of the officers of the army. I cannot recall a single word of un- just disparagement of the soldierly qualities even of those who were known to be lukewarm in their sup- 52 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. port or lacking in their confidence in his judgment. I am sure that what he said in public was the ex- pression of the genuine feeling of his heart. In the full light which beat upon him he was the same man as in the unreserved intercourse of private friend- ship. For he had nothing to conceal. private enmities to cherish wro ngs to redress . He had no » as he had no private The enemy on the other side of the Rappahannock was the enemy of his country and not of himself. It happened while I was at Fal- mouth that some scouting party brought in among other things an intercepted letter yall Jackson, from his addressed to Stone- wife or some friend of the family, announcing the birth of a child. It was promptly forwarded to its destination under a flag of truce, and its receipt was kindly knowledged. and courteously ac- Moreover, I am well assured that there were not then, or afterwards, any feelings of personal injury towards those officers who had the most to do with He had contemplated a move- ment across the Rappah thwarting his plans. annock at a point about six or seven miles below Fredericksburg, to divert the 2 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 53 enemy’s attention while General Averill with the cavalry was to make a raid upon the enemy’s rear by way of the upper fords. This was in the last days of December, 1862. One or two officers, ob- taining leave of absence, went directly to Washing- ton, and, in an interview with the President, per- suaded him that such a movement would be disas- trous. The President was induced at once to tele- graph an order that no movement be made without letting him know. The cavalry force had already started, and of course had to be recalled. Burnside was grievously disappointed, and immediately went to Washington (as I have said) to consult with the President and the Secretary of War. He then as- certained by what means his contemplated movement had been frustrated. It was a time when, if ever, a man would be justified in using the language of strong invective against those who had thus abused his confidence. But Burnside had an admirable self- control ; and, though grieved and indignant, that he was hindered and baulked in this unworthy way, it was yet more on account of the injury that was done to the cause than of the indignity that was put upon 54 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. himself. I speak on this matter from personal knowl- edge, for I was with him at the time he went to Washington. He made a warm protest to the Presi- dent against such practices, for he was strongly con- vinced that they were vastly prejudicial to the inter- ests of the service. They were proofs of insubordi- nation. But, what was worse in his eyes, they were unpatriotic and disloyal. His personal grievances were lost sight of in the greater injury that threat- ened the Republic if such acts were allowed to go unnoticed and unpunished. It was in this spirit that “order No. 8”—dismissing some officers from the service and relieving others from command in the Army of the Potomac—was written, but not is- sued. It may be accepted as the declaration more of a public principle than a personal intent. For what I would wish to emphasize is, that the keenest feeling that General Burnside had in the matter, was not personal. If ever there was a man or a pub- lic officer that was able to sink his private feeling in his service of the country’s interest and wel- fare, Burnside was that man. It was an admira- ble and a very conspicuous feature in his character, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 55 and it has been illustrated in so many ways and on so many fields, as to be stated here without a ques- tion or a doubt! It is a grateful task to turn from discussions of this kind to scenes of more brilliant and successful adventure. General Burnside was assigned to the command of the Department of the Ohio on the 16th of March, 1863. He arrived at Cincinnati, the head- quarters of the department, on the 23d, and assumed command on the 25th. He held the position until the 11th of December.. Two divisions of the Ninth Corps were sent to him in April, and he thus had the pleasure of welcoming to his command his for- Mer companions in arms. The three important events of General Burnside’s administration of the Department of the Ohio, were the arrest, trial and conviction of Clement L. Vallandigham for disloyalty to the government, the entire suppression of John Morgan's raid and the extinction of his force of par- tizans, and the deliverance of East Tennessee from the rule of the Southern Confederacy. An episode of the operations of this period was the participa- tion of the Ninth Corps, under General Parke, in the capture of Vicksburg by General Grant. 56 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. The arrest of Vallandigham Ww which a bold and loyal m as one of those acts an is sometimes obliged to perform at the risk of transgressing the bounds of ordinary obedience to the strict letter of the law. There is no question that the speeches made _ before the arrest were calculated to weaken the power of the government, and were extremely disloyal, if not absolutely treasonable. of May, Mr. Vallandigham was unusually violent and vituperative. In an address about the 1st The President, the army, General Burnside and the general orders issued for maintain- ing the peace of the department, were the subjects of especial invective. The speaker was arrested on the night of the 4th and immediately taken to Cin- cinnati. He was at once tried by a military com- mission and sente need to “confinement in some for- tress of the United States * * «* during the continuance of the war,” The sentence was ap- proved by Burnside, and Vallandigham was ordered to be confined in Fort Warren. M sanwhile, appli- cation was made for a writ of habeas corpus in the United States Circuit Court, for the Southern’ Dis- trict of Ohio. Learned counsel on both sides pre- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 57 sented the case before Judge Leavitt—a magistrate of thirty years’ standing. After patient hearing, the writ was refused. The President, however, with characteristic sagacity, commuted the sentence to one of banishment from loyal territory, and ordered Mr. Vallandigham to be sent beyond the lines of our armies, through General Rosecrans, then command- ing at the front. The order was promptly obeyed. Mr. Lincoln rightly judged, that to the Confederacy the disloyal orator would be an unwelcome guest. He was coldly received, and he afterwards trans- ferred himself to Canada, where he found an asylum till the last days of the war, when he was permitted to return home. That which is interesting to us in this transaction, is the spirit in which Burnside carried it through to its end. He declared that he considered it his duty to “stop license and intemperate discussion, which tends to weaken the authority of the government and the army.” Speakers who attempted to inflame the passions of the populace by their disloyal utterances would be met by the strong hand of military power. r . oe mnel Se “They must not use license,” said Burnside, “and k 58 AMBROSE EVER ETT BURNSIDE. plead that they are exercising liberty. In this De- partment it cannot be done. I shall power I have to bre; use all the ik down such license, and I am tained by all honest men. At all events, I will-have the sure I will be sus consciousness, before God, of having done my duty to my country; and when I 4M swerved from the performance of that duty by any pressure, public or private, or by any prejudice, I will no longer be a man or a patriot.” There is no doubt, that the prompt and decisive action which was taken in this case, had a very tranquillizing effect throughout the Northwest. There had previously been many violent harangues, which, in the leniency of the sovernment, had been overlooked. After the arrest of Vallandigham, these harangues practically It was found that the commander of the Department of the ceased. Ohio would not tolerate any such bounds of his jurisdiction. There mies in the rear. Disloyalists at the North were to doings within the were to be no ene go to their own place. Even there—within the lines of the Southern army—they ordially received. Men whose _busi- hess was mainly to talk would not bee treason had no real standing 70 . 59 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 5 anywhere. Those who were engaged in a ~ ane death struggle with the government did not wish - recruits whose chief weapon was their tongue. But such men did not care to fight, and so they sought safety in silence. The arrest of Vallandigham ex- tinguished the entire brood. General John H. Morgan was an intrepid and ac- tive partizan, and during the month of July i made a raid through the southern counties of Indiana and Ohio, which at one time threatened very serious re- sults. Morgan, with a force of two or three thou- sand mounted men and four pieces of artillery, broke through our lines in Kentucky on the 2d of July. Pushing forward, not without opposition, he reached the Ohio river at Brandenburgh on the Sth, and cap- turing two steamers, he ferried his erepaiaen across, and, having placed his men and ee safely Ste ssi Indiana side, burnt his transports. For a time, * seemed as though he was about to do a vast deal of mischief. But Burnside had already ae pur- suing forces which followed closely upon his heels, patrolled the river with armed boats, employed the iliti ile arranged a system of de- militia that were available, arranged a 3) 60 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. fence for the towns most seriously threatened, and, in fine, effectually hemmed in the daring raider. Morgan attempted to make his escape across the Ohio at different points, but was effectually baffled everywhere. He was hotly pursued through the lower range of counties, his r sar, under Basil Duke, his second in command, was overtaken and captured on the 19th, another part of the the 20th, and on the 27th, Morg rest of the command were compelled to surrender. N o similar enterprise on either side, during the war, same to such an inglorious end. band was taken on an himself and the When the Department of the Ohio w it comprised the states of Ohio, Indi Michig: as organized, ana, Illinois and in, with Eastern Kentucky and prospectively East Tennessee. The last named portion of the De- partment was still in the hands of the re side directed his attention to bels. Burn- the relief and occu- pation of East Tennessee immediately upon taking command, In making a movement in this direction, two objects were held in vyiew—to protect the left flank of General Rosecrans, who was operating” in West Tennessee, and to deliver a loyal population AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 61 from a rule which had become both oppressive and hateful. Regarding this as of chief importance in the administration of his department, Burnside re- ceived authority to organize the Twenty-third Corps, which he hoped to lead, with the two divisions of the Ninth Corps, over the mountains. His plans were formed, and, with the advice and co-operation of Generals Thomas and Rosecrans, preparations were early made to begin the movement. By the 2d of June, everything was ready, and headquarters were transferred from Cincinnati to Lexington. But on the 3d, orders came from Washington to send the Ninth to the re-inforcement of General Grant, who was then operating against Vicksburg. On the 4th, the Ninth, under General Parke, was started. It did excellent service in Mississippi, and received the thanks of General Grant. But its departure post- poned the movement into East Tennessee, for a sea- son. After the suppression of Morgan and his band, the project was taken up anew, and, at last, on the 16th of August, Burnside moved out from Lexing- ton. The Ninth Corps had not yet returned to Ken- tucky, and the movement was made by the Twenty- 6 62 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. third, re-inforced by new levies from different por- tions of the Department. The design was to cross the Cumberland mountains by unfrequented roads and passes, which, owing to their difficulty, had been left unguarded by the enemy. Cutting loose from his communications, Burnside left Crab Orchard on the 2lst of August, and on the 30th, arrived at Montgomery. The next two days were occupied in crossing the last ridge, and on the Ist of September the command marched into Kingston and proceeded at once to Knoxville, arriving there on the 3d. The army was divided into five columns, that were united at Montgomery, except the cavalry, which passed through Wheeler’s Gap and éccupied Knox- ville on the lst of September: The movement was an entire success. The enemy’s general, Buckner, was completely surprised, but succeeded in getting off with most of his force, retreating southward in considerable haste, leaving behind a large amount of military stores and public property. Twenty-five hundred of the enemy, with eleven pieces of artil- lery, were left at Cumberland Gap without orders, and on the 9th of September, fell into Burnside’s hands as prisoners of war. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 63 This march over the Cumberland mountains takes ‘ank among the most brilliant achievements of the war. It was the first time in the course of the strug- gle that an Union army had moved independently of its line of communication. Cavalry raids had been conducted on both sides with differing results. But this was an important movement of 18,000 men, not for inflicting a temporary injury, but for permanent occupation. It was effected with as much celerity as the nature of the ways and mountain paths would permit. The wagon trains were obliged to make a considerable detour to find suitable roads, while the troops on foot and horseback, clambered over the heights and through the gaps. Many of the horses and mules were broken down by the severity of the march, and the men were obliged to take to the drag-ropes to haul the artillery over the obstructions in the way. But every difficulty was cheerfully sur- mounted, the army descended into the valley and Kast Tennessee was conquered without a_ battle. Apart from the difficulties, the march was very pic- turesque. Officers and men recall with pleasure the scenes of beauty and grandeur which every mile = aa eS see 64 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. of progress disclosed. Their letters are very graphic and even enthusiastic in description of the country through which they passed. But that which excited the most grateful feeling, was the very warm and cordial reception with which the troops were met. There were no more loyal people in the North than the people of East Tennes- see. They felt that the coming of an Union army was indeed a deliverance. They welcomed Burn- side with most joyful acclamations. There was a considerable number of East Tennessee soldiers in his army, and the scenes at their meeting with kins- men, friends and neighbors, are spoken of as most affecting. The old flag, which had been hidden away, and in some instances, buried in the ground, was brought forth and floated from every staff. Knoxville was radiant with the stars and stripes. It was an hour of genuine triumph; and the satis- faction of having achieved this brilliant and in every way gratifying success, went far to compensate for the disappointment and gloom of the defeat at Fred- ericksburg. The real importance of the movement was also seen in the occupation of the railroad, which AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 65 was the connecting line of communication between the advanced armies of the enemy, east and west. Burnside received the thanks of the President for his great success. During the next six weeks the valley of the Hol- ston was occupied and the railroad destroyed as far eastward as the Virginia line. Early in October the Ninth Corps joined the little army and swelled its proportions to about 25,000 men. Before its ar- rival, the rebel General Bragg, re-inforced by Long- street's corps from Lee’s army in Virginia, defeated Rosecrans at Chickamauga and pushed him back to Chattanooga. Emboldened by this success, the gov- ernment at Richmond determined to make a bold ef- fort to recover East Tennessee, and sent Longstreet against Burnside. Meanwhile, General Grant had been placed in command of the military division of the Mississippi, and, relieving Rosecrans by Thomas, appointed Sherman to the command of the Depart- ment of the Tennessee, retaining Burnside in com- mand at Knoxville. Longstreet first came in con- tact with our troops on the 14th of November, near Loudon, where a smart action took place with a fa- 66 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. vorable result.for our side. Burnside, however, in order to relieve Grant altogether from Longstreet’s presence on his left flank, decided to withdraw to Knoxville. On the way, a severe engagement 0oc- curred on the 16th of November at Campbell’s Sta- tion, in which the enemy was decidedly worsted. On the next day the march was resumed toward Knoxville, Longstreet following; and on the 18th there was another action near the town, which re- sulted in an advantage for our forces, under the im- mediate command of General Sanders—a very bril- liant and promising officer—who was mortally wound- ed. The effect of these movements was to compel Longstreet to undertake the siege of Knoxville. The town itself was well fortified, and could only be carried by regular approaches. Longstreet sat down before it and began to lay his parallels, hoping to reduce the place by starvation. But on the 23d, 24th and 25th of November, the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge were fought, and Longstreet found it necessary to m ake an assault. The attack was delivered against Fort Sanders on the 29th of November, and was a complete and dis- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, 67 astrous failure. A day or two after this, Sherman Was sent up the Tennessee river, and on the 5th of December, Longstreet raised the siege of Knoxville and retreated up the valley of the Holston, taking post near the Virginia line, but refraining from all offensive operations. The biographer of General Lee calls Longstreet’s expedition to Knoxville an “unfortunate” one, and says that he was sent upon it by the folly of “President” Davis. The successful defence of Knoxville brought the campaign in East Tennessee to an end. Burnside was relieved of the command of the Department of the Ohio by General Foster, on the 11th of Decem- ber, and leaving Knoxville on the 14th, arrived at his home in Providence on the 23d. He had done an excellent and a very important work, and re- ceived therefor the thanks of Congress in a resolu- tion approved by the President on the 28th of Janu- ary, 1864. The occupation of East Tennessee was an effectual protection to the left flank of the army Operating towards Atlanta. The deliverance of the people from the rule of the rebel government was a signal benefit for which they could not be too grate- 68 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. ful, and no name is dearer to them now than Burn- side’s. The success of the whole movement, from beginning to end, reflecting the highest honor upon the gallant leader, was yet modestly disclaimed by him, with characteristic generosity, in favor of “the under officers and the men in the ranks.” Those of- ficers and men, speaking through Major Burrage, of the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts, declare that they will ever be proud to say: “We fought with Burn- side at Campbell’s Station and in the trenches at Knoxville.” It was while Burnside was at Knoxville that he conceived and submitted to the authorities at Wash- ington a plan for a march to the sea. He stated it in brief as follows: “To move on the south side of the Tennessee, through Athens, Columbus and Ben- ton, past the right flank of the enemy, sending a body of cavalry along the railroad, or on its west side, to threaten the enemy's flank and cover the movement of the main body, which, consisting of 7,000 infantry and 5,000 e¢ ralry, will move rapidly down the line of the East Tennessee and Georgia railroad to Dalton, destroying the enemy’s commu- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 69 nications, sending a cavalry force to Rome to destroy the machine works and powder mills at that place ; the main body moving rapidly on the direct road to Atlanta, the railroad centre, and there entirely de- stroying the enemy’s communications, breaking up the depots, ete. ; thence moving to some point on the coast, where cover can be obtained, as shall be agreed upon. It is proposed to take no trains, but to live upon the country and the supplies at the ene- my’s depots, destroying such as we do not use. If followed by the enemy, as we undoubtedly shall be, Rosecrans will be relieved and enabled to advance, and from the celerity of our movement and the de- struction of bridges, etc., in our rear, the chances of escaping material injury from pursuit, are in our favor. Our chief loss would probably be from strag- glers.” This despatch to General Halleck was dated September 30, 1863. On the 2d of October, the reply came: “Distant expeditions into Georgia are not now contemplated.” A year later than this, name- ly, on the 21st of September, 1864, General Sher- man had the plan, as he says, “in his mind’s eye.” On the 26th of September he became “more posi- 70 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. tive in his conviction, but was in doubt as to time and manner.” In the course of a day or two he was “perfectly convinced.” On the 29th, he telegraphed Halleck that he preferred “to make the movement on Milledgeville, Millen and Savannah.” On the Ist of October, he asked General Grant for permis- sion to destroy Atlanta and march across Georgia to Savannah or Charleston. On the 2d of Novem- ber, Grant telegraphed to him to “go on as he pro- posed,” and on the 16th of November, Sherman finally started from Atlanta on his memorable march to the sea. In my history of the Ninth Corps, I state that before General Grant came east to make his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1864, he had already projected this movement in his mind. General Badeau, in his book on Grant’s “ampaigns, makes the same state- ment. On the 13th of January, 1864, Grant wrote to Halleck: “I look upon the next line for me to se- cure to be that from Chattanooga to Mobile—Mont- gomery and Atlanta being intermediate points.” Had Burnside been allowed to elaborate his plan in detail, it would have been found to contain in it the AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 71 substance, at least, of that of Grant and Sherman. I do not put him in the rank of either of those two great commanders. He would not put himself there. I simply state the facts in the case to show that Burnside’s suggestion of the movement antedates the other plans—one by nearly four months, the other by a year. For some reason which I have not been able to as- certain, General Halleck conceived a strong feeling of distrust toward Burnside. He even thought that Burnside contemplated retreating from East Tennes- see, or surrendering his army when Longstreet came against him. In this he was entirely mistaken. Throughout the whole of the anxious period after the battle of Chickamauga, Burnside never lost heart or courage. He believed that he could hold out until relief should come. He believed that he was helping Grant by drawing Longstreet to Knox- ville and occupying him there. The event justified his opinion. Bragg was greatly weakened and Grant was able to gain a decisive victory. The whole movement was a complete success, and while it was in progress, Burnside had the satisfaction of receiv- 72 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, ing from Grant, November 17th, a despatch contain- ing the following words: “You are doing exactly what appears to be right.” I think that with such positive and unimpeachable testimony as that, we can safely leave the record of Burnside’s operations in East Tennessee. We come now to the last year of the great rebel- lion. Burnside was again assigned to duty as com- mander of the Ninth Corps, on the 7th of January, 1864. His especial task was to re-organize and re- cruit the corps to the number of 50,000 men, if that were possible. He was to have three white divis- ions, and, at his own request, a division of colored troops was added. He submitted a plan on the 26th of January for a coast-wise expedition to North Car- olina, to complete the work which he had so well begun in 1862 by the reduction of Wilmington and the occupation of the entire state of North Carolina, or at least, such portions of it as would place the railroads and the lines of communication in the inte- rior within our control. If this plan could be suc- cessfully carried out, Richmond would be evacuated and the army of Northern Virginia would fall a prey AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 73 to the strong and now well-hardened Army of the Potomac. For the next five or six weeks, Burnside was actively engaged in recruiting his corps, and on the 8th of March, Annapolis, Maryland, was desig- nated as the rendezvous. Another month of inces- sant labor followed, and on the 11th of April Burn- side left Providence for his last campaign. The two divisions of the Ninth that had been at Knoxville, came East in March, and by the 20th of April 25,000 men had been collected, organized, equipped, armed and made ready for immediate service. Burn- side’s plan for going to North Carolina had neither been accepted nor rejected, and up to the middle of April, the officers and men of the command fully ex- pected to be sent upon that service. Being at An- napolis at the time, and in constant personal commu- nication with the general, I have reason to believe that Burnside himself was not apprised of his des- tination till a few days previous to his reception of the order to march. When that order came, it was to proceed to Vir- ginia and guard the rear of the Army of the Poto- mac, holding the line from the Rapidan to the Poto- 7 74 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. mac. Burnside, with his staff and a few friends, went to Washington by rail, while General Willcox marched the corps. The column started on the 23d of April, and, on the night of the 24th, encamped a few miles outside of the city of Washington. On the morning of the 25th, the corps passed through the city, paying a marching salute to the President, who was stationed in a balcony of Willard’s Ho- tel. It was a scene of great spirit and animation. La al = . . . The veterans of the corps, bearing the marks of their hard service, with their tattered flags—not one of which had ever fallen into the enemy’s hands— were objects of the greatest interest. “But when the colored division passed, the enthusiasm reached its : : height. The men themselves, slaves no longer, but freemen and soldiers of the Republic, when they caught sight of the Pre themselves. sident, could not restrain They shouted, cheered, swung their caps, and showed every mark of affection, esteem and joy. They s: iw in Mr. Lincoln the emancipator of their race. It was the first time that any consid- erable number of colored troops had p assed through Washington, and their b earing and appearance drew AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. (o forth many expressions of commendation from the multitudes that filled the streets and from the Presi- dent and his friends, who witnessed the march. The corps crossed Long Bridge and went into camp on the Virginia side of the river. The expectation of going down the coast was given up. The command was soon distributed along the Orange and Alexan- dria railroad, and headquarters were established at Warrenton. By the Ist of May, most of the com- mand was drawn forward between the Rappahannock and Bull Run, and it became definitely settled that it Was to operate in connection with the Army of the Potomac, and that its field of service would be in Virginia. General Grant opened the bloody summer of 1864 by moving the Army of the Potomac from the Rapi- dan on the 3d of May, ordering the Ninth Corps to march with all possible despatch on the afternoon of the 4th. On the dth, General Lee struck the Army of the Potomac in the entanglements of the Wilder- hess. Burnside was marching all this day to the re- inforcement of Meade, then in immediate command, and reached the battle-field on the morning of the 76 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 6th. He found himself confronted by his familiar antagonist, Longstreet, and between the two oppos- ing corps the contest was severe. In the course of the battle, Longstreet was wounded, and the advan- tage lay with our men. Burnside’s arrival was very opportune, and Grant took occasion to speak of the movement of his corps to the scene of action as a “remarkable march.” It is not my purpose—nor indeed is it necessary— to speak of the sanguinary battles that were fought between the Opening of the campaign in the first days of May and the middle of June, when the army sat down in front of Petersburg and began the regu- lar siege of that place. The fighting and manceuver- ing of the two contending armies, the battles and the marches, have al] been sufficiently set forth. It is enough to say, that Burnside and his corps were engaged in every battle and every important move- ment from the Wilder ness to Petersburg, and that their duty was always promptly and effectively done. In other respects the most notable act was one which capitally illustrated Burnside’s magnanimity of char- acter. At the beginning of the campaign, the Ninth AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 77 Corps was an independent command. There were, therefore, two distinct, although co-operative armies in the field. Burnside and Meade received their or- ders from Grant. It was an arrangement which was not altogether satisfactory to either party. Burnside saw its disadvantages and also the remedy. He was Meade’s senior and superior in rank. But he was willing to waive all considerations of this kind, when he saw that the good of the service would be pro- moted by such a course. At his suggestion, there- fore, General Grant, on the 25th of May, issued an order incorporating the Ninth Corps with the Army of the Potomac, and Burnside thus voluntarily came under the command of one who, in former days, had been a commander of one of his divisions. It cer- tainly was an act of generosity which was very hon- orable at the time, and which we can now gratefully recall. . On the 18th of June, after three days’ fighting, 5 our lines of siege were laid in front of Petersburg, the Ninth Corps occupying the salient—about one hundred and twenty-five yards from the enemy’s po- sition on Cemetery Hill. On the same day, the col- 78 ——— 8 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE ae eee re? ed division, which had been occupied in i Suarding the lines of communication since the army er the Rapidan, joined the corps. General a: aren : < WVé © at last secured a firm grasp upon the Army ae ie ern Virginia, and he held it in a position ee lich the abando ; > abandonment would be tl > the assurance F ‘ of utter defeat. “The last ditch” had become a literal fact al fact, TI ; 1e end of the rebellic y i 2 yn Was certainly drawi y drawing near, ; ; Could anything now be done to hasten it ? Among the Pennsylvani : g sylvania troops bel i J 8S belonging t, oS ) the Nint Y . * rae 6 . hd } h Corps was a regiment that had been : *n raised amon the miners 1 ; I > » é g 7] ark n Schuylkill Co t ) inty leute < v e cnant- > nry P : i colonel Henry Pleasants, of this regime giment, was an ex- yerienced mining engineer I ing engineer, and he conceived t| _ 1e bold project of runni i project of running a mine from the Positi > position of the Ninth Corps to a point beneath the rebel > rebe works opposite and w site, and when complet J ed to ex } 2 plode it ’ with the hope that the e1 » that > enemy thus taken } . os +Y sur- rise C successfully prise could be successfully attacked. After ¢ * Securing thr = " . = . through the proper channels—though somew} t ag ae Weed os luctantly given—the approval of the comm li an general of the army, Lieuten: — y, Lieutenant-colonel Plea t asants beg an WOrk ¢& ae ne H ae ] at noon on the 25th F i , of Ju 2 le, e com- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 79 pleted the ex savation—having taken out 18,000 cu- bic feet of earth—on the in charging, laying the fuses 93d of July. The next few days were spent and tamping, and on the 28th of July the mine was £ ready for exploding. It was Burnside’s plan, plosion, to put in his colored division, supporting the attack by his white divisions—the corps itself being supported by other corps U f the works shaken by the immediately upon the ex- pon either flank. Upon gaining the crest 0 o o ttacking columns would erse. The colored troops explosion, the a divide and take the enemy’s line in rev were drilled for two or three weeks with especial refer- ence to the duty they were expected to perform, and their commanders carefully reconnoitred the ground. and his officers became quite enthu- General Ferrero which promised dis- siastic in the prospect of service tinction. But when this plan of ade, they did not give to attack was submitted to Generals Grant and Me it their approval. General Grant afterwards had the frankness to say th ral Burnside had put hi a success. at he believed that, if Gene- s colored division in front, ” ? 4 «it would have been But at the time 80 g AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE when this opini Ss on would have h: i ave had weight, | i Fe >» he disap- aotec : : proved that movement. The colored tro ay “OOps Wer distrusted : F ey strusted at headquarters. The formation of t] ation of the column of attack yas “ fe ck Was not approved ‘ a, and on tl * 1e af a cos ernoon of the 29th of July, Burnside found that hj at his de " attack. whi plan of attack, which had been carefully studied “i ed and e aborated mus i S W | ‘ 5 ist be Piven u =] ; i D> J I. One of hi 5 rhi ‘ hite di CL visions—harassed : y arass and worn as they § y had bee y tk nn by th ) e hard service of service of the summer and by the nec¢ it ¥ 5 A 3 essity of de > . te 2 ; ‘i ’ perpetual watching an enemy in very close i . é sacle ro eae mity—must make the assault. Burnside I side allowed his divisio i W S s h commanders to d E F ‘ € ra lot 5 for tl o s 1e lea i din position. By an extraordinary fatality the lot fe} : > lot fell upon Gener: »dlie pon General Ledlie—the least experienced eines ; 1e least competent of the three. We can onl 1 x Y look upon this mode of 8 i t ‘ selection as an ‘ c unfortuna ate error of tiileiess a f judgment. Burnside should have given ¢ hi Si . 5 O Dis best and most trusted subordinate the duty of | li b cntta aki. «tihavartadaaihik iG 3 piting the attack. Thwarted in his first choice of t} I é 1€ Col- ored troops, he sl s, he should have put th st of a e best of his i : Is White SER os ee visions forward. In cases of this kind it doe Satin igs answer to trust to chance. " The mine was to have been exploded at 84 o’cloc} LOCK AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 81 on the morning of the 30th. The fuses were ignited but the connections had become damp, promptly, The failure and the fire would not communicate. was remedied as speedily as possible, and at sixteen minutes before five o’clock, the mine was success- fully sprung. An entire six-gun battery, and its garrison of two hundred men thrown into the air and fell again and more, with all their paraphernalia were in inextricable confusion. ig, fifty feet wide and twenty-five feet A huge chasm two hun- dred feet lo1 deep, with sand, ¢ man beings remained and desolation. The enemy was taken completely by «The troops in the immediate vicinity,” lay, broken gun-carriages, cais- sons and hut a scene of ruin surprise. * 3 ‘ 1 his Cz aions. “wer says the author of Lee and his Campaigns, “were considerably demoralized by the sudden and appall- ing explosion.” Ledlie’s division was immediately and made for the breach. ‘The troops put by some unhappy error they ir leaders to remain there. In ordered in entered the chasm, were permitted by the point of fact they had no leader, fur General Ledlie did not go with his command. by the havoc that had been Whether they were surprised themselves 9 > “3 VW 82 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. made, or were disposed to stop and make captures of the half-buried men who were eryine for hel sa 3 . ying for help; vhether there was any misunderstanding of order = “T'S, or some strange feebleness of will in the imm li edi- ate direction fell upon them and paralyzed their ef. > . d 21r el- forts for the moment, we cannot tell] “Had tl . i ley advanced beyond the crater,” says the author I | ° 1ave ; eo ee rs . ‘ Just quoted, “they might have carried the line for ’ the Confederates had not yet recovered fia ees S ; leir surprise. To the astonishme ; stonishment. of every one,” he adds, “they huddled into the crater and sought shel soug i c ore and behin l the 1 re: vork t . 5 t I the Q ) easty cS 1er O e ti oops were at once sent in, and last of all, the colored li a 6 . a A rie 2 ay «¢ rt vision. But they all, with the exception of Potter’ . * ate division and the colored troops, crowded down i t nto the crater at once. Potter and Ferrero got thei a commands beyond . re ands beyond, but they were speedily driy . . o : : pon back, and, mingling with the others, increased the confusion. ace 3 agre if va ei n. All accounts agree, that if the leading division had made at once for the crest of th hill 8 e hi beyond > rebel li : j , the rebel line would have been broken, and an, the other divisions following in support would h = ave, in all probability, won a decisive victory. But after AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 83 the first half hour had passed, and the enemy had recovered from his surprise, while the troops re- mained in the crater without advancing, the day was hopelessly lost. It would seem, however, that some strong demonstration might have been made by those portions of our army that were formed on either flank of the Ninth Corps, by which the. suffering troops in the crater could have been extricated from their deadly position. General Meade declined to go to the front, although solicited to do so by General 3urnside and other officers. secing how hopeless the enterprise was, ordered Grant went forward, and the withdrawal of the troops. Thus ended in disaster what, in its inception, was as promising an attack as the Army of the Potomac ever made. The disagree- ment between the generals in -regard to the plan of attack before it was made, was extremely unfortu- nate. General Meade was punctilious, and, as Gen- eral Badeau says tle. General Burnside naturally felt great chagrin that his arr should be so completely set aside within twelve of the time at which the attack was to be , lost his temper on the day of bat- angements, which he had carefully made, hours 84 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. Still he loyally set himself to the task and accomplished it had not the leading divis- It could hardly made. would have ion delayed too long in its advance. have been expected that Burnside himself would lead the way. A court of inquiry investigated the mat- ter and blamed Burnside and seve ral of his officers by name. The committee on the conduct of the war subsequently took up the case and exonerated Burnside. General Grant, in his testimony, blamed not only General Ledlie for his inefficiency, but also “his seniors, for not seeing that he did his duty, all the way up to” himself. He considered the operation as most promising in results. “Such an opportunity for car- rying fortifications,” said he, “I have never seen, and It is a significant fact, do not expect again to have.” nevertheless, that it was with great difficulty that Lieutenant-colonel Pleasants could obt t of mining the enemy’s ain approval at headquarters for the projec works. This was the end of Burnside’s military service. He was granted leave of absence on the 13th of August and immediately left the army for his home. Mr. Lincoln refused to accept his resignation, but on AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 85 the accession of Mr. Johnson, it was again tendered, and on the 15th of April, 1865, was finally accepted. General Badeau, in his history of Grant’s cam- paigns, bears witness to Burnside’s “magnanimous cheerfulness” in the matter of waiving his rank when assigned to duty under Meade. “On every occasion during the war, when there was need, Burn- side displayed the same heroic self-abnegation. His ability has been questioned, his strategy criticized, and sometimes even his vigor denied; but the purity of his patriotism and the loftiness of his public spirit were unsurpassed.” Badeau acknowledges that his criticisms of Burnside are more severe than any he had ever heard from Grant. That is very true, for Grant knew that much of the criticism was unde- served. The personal relations of the two men were always extremely cordial, and Grant had no more loyal supporter at any time than Burnside. Badeau feels impelled to say that no one more fully than himself “ acknowledges or admires the unselfish patriotism » of Burnside, “and the lofty willingness which, even after the event of the mine, he displayed to subordinate his own interest to that of the army, 8 86 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. and his own reputation to the success of his cause. Despite his mistakes and his misfortunes, General Burnside’s military career remains a credit to himself and his country, from the magnanimity and public vir- tue by which, on so many occasions, it was adorned.” It hardly seems necessary to repéat such language before an audience and in a community which has seen the lofty patriotism of Burnside conspicuously manifested on the most numerous and important oc- casions. It has its weight, however, as coming from one who was not especially friendly to any of the generals of the army except his own hero and his favorites. It is in pleasing contrast with the lan- guage of those tyros in the service, who show their incapacity of appreciating nobleness of character and their military ignorance by attempting to belittle Burnside and his deeds. The biographer of General Lee adds his meed of praise, and speaks earnestly and warmly of the noble qualities of Burnside in accept- ing the command of the Army of the Potomac, as shown in “the manliness with which he sought to save McClellan from his political enemies, and the modesty with which he met the tempting offer of his government.” AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 87 After the war was ended, General Burnside en- tered into business relations with some friends in Providence, in connection with the manufacture of locomotive engines. But wishing for more active employment, he began the construction of railroads in the states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. I am quite sure that, at the time of entering upon this en- terprise, he had no thought of engaging in public life; but the people of Rhode Island were desirous of expressing their interest and esteem for him, and demanded his election as their governor. He was nominated for the office March 30, 1866, was elected April 4th and was inaugurated May 29th. He held the office by successive re-elections for three years, and retired from it in 1869, having secured the en- tire approbation of the people of every political opinion. His administration was marked by an ex- ecutive ability of a high order, and he was especially active and instrumental in obtaining from the gene- ral government the prompt acknowledgment and yment of the war claims of the state. His labors pa Hs, in behalf of the state were distinguished by fidelity and success, and were characterized by that generosity 88 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE and sissies dang which were prominent in all hi a: career. If I mistake not, the state is ev ies — to him for a considerable ainassnis as ae ditures incurred by him in the discharge : can cial duties, for which he forgot to r Mati oe oe Ratna a ‘8 ” reimburse himself. urnside was in Europe, and this visi bie notable for the attempt which he mad 4 a oo between France and Germany thi rari in war with each other. The isin ac besieging Paris in the autumn of vain = -shssasaaine Burnside, with a friend, succeeded A a ting through the lines of the opposing armies si same the medium of communic: ad an governments of France and ae ae = ored very earnestly to arr: : shea iad wee peace, but without a tied ise 7 avail. His interviews with Bi eo on one side and Jules Favre on tl = side, although comparatively stilt stats very agreeable to all parties ales von oe upon these able diplomatists a deep] 0 a ro pression of his intelligence and eae mee successful in securing permission for iisiaaadae, number of Americans to leave Pari aris and to return AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 89 to their homes. On his return he resumed his busi- ness in New York and in which he was engaged were not, how- as he had anticipated, and he at the West. The railroad enterprises ever, sO successful cided to enter into public life. finally de a senator of the United Burnside’s election as States was finally consummated, after a considerable on the 26th of January, 1875. He entered struggle, 4th of March following. He ies on the upon his dut was re-elected—almos 9th of June, 1880, to serve ning March 4th, 1881. Upon his first. election as t without opposition—on the a second term, begin- senator, he decided to make his residence in Bristol ’ and purchased a fa Bay, to which he gave the name of his father, Edg- hill, and where i between the sessions of Cor 1 it gave him, a relaxation from the cares rm on the shore of Mount Hope 1e spent the inter vals of his leisure 1gTess. He found in the labors whick and duties of public life, and he made the house which he built upon it, the scene of a generous and cordial hospitality. Scarcely had he entered upon his official career at Washington, when a very painful and distressing o 90 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE disease, to which Mrs. Burnside had been for time subject, developed itself with alarming ra get The newly-elected senator was called behdlak st mained in close and watchful care over hi te a death ended her sufferings on the 10tl io oe oe eRe 1 of March, S avery severe bereavement to Bur side. His wife had been to him in many tryi ve cumstances and experiences a very soak mast a support. She was a woman of hase iads Yo wa of character, and her death for a time Sac him. The grief which he was thus called read endure, coupled with a severe sickness A ohaa came upon himself, caused him for a time such . ¢ sh de- pression of spirit as to ind i ser ] rt Pa uce him rious y 16) thir ] 1K of-beiernting bi ; resigning his office. As the summer wore away he regained in a measure the tone and vigor |} ; body and mind, but there was thenceforth ‘ srt current of sadness which gave a ae: ate tinge even to his brightest moments ee never obtruded his grief, he yet never sali a : ia its influence, and it served to chasten hi : “ 7 te secret presence. ee In the circumstances of the case it was very nat natu- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 91 rnside should feel some diffidence and n he engaged in his senatorial ral that Bu even self-distrust whe But he soon acquired a position of influ- and attracted the confidence and He held places duties. ence and usefulness affectionate esteem of his associates. nt committees—commerce, military af- 1d Jabor—and he was very faith- The subjects which chiefly on importa fairs, and education al ful in all public service. ere the extension and enlargement the Monroe doc- interested him w of our trade with foreign countries, trine in its application to the construction of the Panama Canal, the increased efficiency of the army and the promotion of public education. To all these ave an intelligent consideration and an and when they came up for dis- pon them with clear- subjects he g attentive study ; ion in the Senate he spoke u cuss He did not assume that he could ness and force. equal the older, abler and bers of the distinguished bod atters which required the exercise of a sm and devotion to the public more experienced mem- y to which he belonged. But in all m self-forgetful patrioti , he was the unquestioned peer of the ablest. welfare from the spirit of self- No man could be more free 92 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE seekit 4 C Tr i II from the influence of ulterior ti 1g , r motives. His sing -mi I frene- single mindedness was conspicuou iF Ss Ss. is n ro) rosity oa t O] ponent was marked. He kn W hi t l Khe 11S own rig h ‘ é i i = ] y ts and maintained them with self. se res rect But he w i y vas care is careful not to encroach in a AS ath { an yay the rights of others. If in the h t of eae: > heat of deb: bate he let a ‘ wand at an expression which had ey neem ag, of injustice, he was quick to a it the his error, and to retrieve it. But he C ¥ > i i 5S - ’ comr ades 1n service, the widow ] and or phans 0 3 ier s f the soldiers who were under hi - comma nd and had fallen In the stri e, Wl ong yles | . fe ill ] I ss > Pe] 11is mem ory. For they never had and they never will h ave AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 93 in Congress a more faithful and self-forgetful friend. The state of Rhode Island will never have a devoted representative. The Republic will more asion to honor a more patriotic public never have occ servant ! I have thus told the story of this pure and honor- able life. It is one on which our hearts love to It is one which our We have followed his career both dwell. minds will long keep in remembrance. with admiration and affection. the magnanimous surrender For we have admired the chivalric generosity, of personal feeling to the public good, the forgetful- ness of private interests in the public service, the entire self-devotion to his country’s cause, which made him the realized ideal of man for the nobleness of his a genuine patriotism. We have loved the aims, the kindness of his heart, his thoughtful con- siderateness for the humblest of his friends and de- pendents, his manly self-respect and modesty of bearing, his helpful benev and his faith in man and God. aim for him the possession of the olence, his trustfulness of spirit, We do not cl Cc 94 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE, ene order of military genius. But he did have acer- tain quickness of apprehension and suggestiveness of mind in military affairs, whichis surely kindred to me ius. He would have occupied Wilmineton when eat scended upon the North Carolina coast, could he have been allowed a force sufficient for the enterprise He urged the capture of Petersburg, when McClellan changed his base from the Chickalernitiy to the Js . The subject of a march to the sea seis went ee to the government before either Grant ‘ill had given expression to the thought of such an un- dertaking. The bold plan of a winter ~ampaign through Virginia, from the Rappahannock to the James, was clearly settled in his mind as soon-as he had accepted the command of the Army of the P tomac. The arrest of Vallandigham wis in itil of the sentiment or the policy of the era but was wholly in accord with the pred: silts and was really a military necessity. The - a across the Cumberland mountains to the sation and deliverance of East Tennessee was a ‘ince performance. And finally, the construction of iin mine in fr ’ Petersburg, |: i ont of Petersburg, according to the ad- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 95 mission of Grant himself, gave the Army of the Po- tomac the finest opportunity for a successful assault that that army ever had. That some of his plans should have failed is not to be taken to his discredit. In war there are many accidents and much uncer- One of Grant’s finest movements in his last tainty. campaign—to mention no other instances—was al- most completely foiled by a counter movement of a division of the enemy, made without orders, and even without the knowledge of the commanding gen- eral. This much is certain, that Burnside, when acting independently and with full freedom to carry out his plans, did win great and important successes. Even in his failures he still commanded the public confidence and gained a larger measure of public es- teem. For in every station, whether in prosperous or in adverse fortune, the manly qualities of his character shone conspicuous—those qualities which a generous nation is quick to recognize and ready to et — © y appreciate. That he should escape deiraction was not to be expected. But from whatever quarter it came— from the jealous and puerile petulance that made its 96 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. exhibition on the floor of the Senate, or from the anonymous, hostile criticisms of the “Nation,” or from the sneering disparagement and unpardonable ignorance of the author of “The Antietam and Fred- ericksburg,” or from the wilful misrepresentation and falsehood that disfigure the pages of the “Cam- paigns of the Army of the Potomac,”— it had and still has no more effect upon the strength of his char- acter, or the estimation in which he is held by his fellow-countrymen, than the waves that dush-upon the cliffs of a rocky coast, or the wind that whistles through the branches of the sturdy oak. He a too strongly fixed in patriotic principle and is now too firmly held in a nation’s honorable love to be disturbed by any such malevolence as this, A just and honest criticism we do not fear. Neither do we hesitate to invite it. For we are convinced that in it and through it all, will shine the purity of mo- tive, the unselfish patriotism, the devotion to the. public weal, the military ability and skill, the high and unstained heroism, in the country’s service, which characterize the man whom his comrades and the people of our state have delighted to honor. IPN 2 97 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. i and Perry Gide by side with the names of Greene nd the worthiest of Rhode Island’s sons, shall stand a ’ Burnside—not native, indeed, forever the name of surnside z and to the manner born, but loving the state which rotion ¢ as firm and idopted him with as true a devotion and as firm ant ? ; » € y 7 > *¢ l onstant and loyal an affection as any whom she car Cc Sle ra 2 Il her own. Let the enduring bronze hand down ca , Set. 2 4 ) ‘ ‘uture generations. But his form and features to future generat sre enduring still will be the monument which his more e a * 2 oan erateful fellow citizens for long years to come will : ae raise and keep sacred in their memories and hearts ! “aise < Se SN SS Saar