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one vast morass; the Chickahominy rose
to a higher stage than had been known for
years before. Pursuing the advance, the
crossings were seized, and the right wing
extended to effect a junction with re-en-
forcements now promised and earnestly
desired, and upon the arrival of which the
complete success of the campaign seemed
clear. The brilliant battle of Hanover
Court House was fought, which opened
the way for the first corps, with the aid of
which, had it come, we should then have
It never
gone into the enemy's capital.
came. The bravest army could not do more,
under such overwhelming disappointment,
than the army of the Potomac then did.
Fair Oaks attests their courage and .endu-
rance when they hurled back, again and
again, the vastly superior masses of the
enemy. But mortal men could not accom-
plish the miracle that seemed to have been
expected of them. But one course was
left-a flank march in the face of a power-
ful enemy to another and better base-one
of the most hazardous movements in war.
The army of the Potomac, holding its
own safety and almost the safety of our
cause, in its hands, was equal to the occa-
sion. The seven days are classical in
American history; those days in which
the noble soldiers of the Union and Consti-
tution fought an outnumbering enemy by
day, and retreated from successive victories
by night, through a week of battle, closing

The enemy, no longer occupied ir guard ing his own capital, poured his troops northward, entered Maryland, threatened Pennsylvania, and even Washington itself. Elated by his recent victories, and assured that our troops were disorganized and dispirited, he was confident that the seat of war was now permanently transferred to the loyal States, and that his own exhausted soil was to be relieved from the burden of supporting two hostile armies. But he did not understand the spirit which animated the soldiers of the Union. I shall not, nor can I living, forget that when I was ordered to the command of the troops for the defence of the capital, the soldiers with whom I had shared so much of the anxiety, and pain, and suffering of the war, had not lost their confidence in me as their commander. They sprang to my call with all their ancient vigor, discipline, and courage. I led them into Maryland. Fif. teen days after they had fallen back defeated before Washington, they vanquished the enemy on the rugged height of South Mountain, pursued him to the hard-fought field of Antietam, and drove him, broken and disappointed, across the Potomac into Virginia.

The army had need of rest. Ater the terrible experiences of battles and marches, with scarcely an interval of repose, which they had gone through from the time of leaving for the Peninsula; the return to the terrible series of conflicts with the Washington; the defeat in Virginia; the ever-memorable victory of Malvern, where Antietam, it was not surprising that they they drove back, beaten and shattered, the victory at South Mountain, and again at entire eastern army of the confederacy, were in a large degree destitute of the aband thus secured for themselves a place of solute necessaries to effective duty. Shoes rest and a point for a new advance upon were worn out; blankets were lost; cloththe capital from the banks of the James. ing was in rags; in short, the army was Richmond was still within our grasp, had rest and equipment was necessary. When the army of the Potomac been re-enforced unfit for active service, and an interval for and permitted to advance. But counsels, the slowly forwarded supplies came to us which I cannot but think subsequent I led the army across the river, renovated, events proved unwise, prevailed in Wash- refreshed, in good order and discipline, ington, and we were ordered to abandon the campaign. Never did soldiers better

deserve the thanks of a nation than the

army of the Potomac for the deeds of the Peninsula campaign, and although that meed was withheld from them by the authorities, I am persuaded they have received the applause of the American people.

The army of the Potomac was recalled from within sight of Richmond, and incorporated with the army of Virginia. The disappointments of the campaign on the Peninsula had not damped their ardor nor They fought diminished their patriotism. well, faithfully, gallantly, under General Pope; yet were compelled to fall back on Washington, defeated and almost demoralized.

and followed the retreating foe to a posi tion where I was confident of decisive vic while my advance guard was actually in tory, when, in the midst of the movement, contact with the enemy, I was removed from the command.

I am devoutly grateful to God that my last campaign with this brave army was crowned with a victory which saved the nation from the greatest peril it had then undergone. I have not accomplished my purpose if, by this report, the army of the Potomac is not placed high on the roll of the historic armies of the world. Its deeds enoble the nation to which it belongs. Always ready for battle, always firm, steadfast, and trustworthy, I never called on it in vain; nor will the nation ever

have cause to attribute its want of success, under myself, or under other commanders, to any failure of patriotism or bravery in that noble body of American soldiers.

No man can justly charge upon any portion of that army, from the commanding general to the private, any lack of devotion to the service of the United States government, and to the cause of the Constitution and the Union. They have proved their fealty in much sorrow, suffering, danger, and through the very shadow of death. Their comrades dead on all the fields where we fought have scarcely more claim to the honor of a nation's reverence

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INDEX.

PAGE.

PAGE.

FIRST PERIOD.

..3
4-5

Introductory Summary.....
Memorandum of Operations......
Letter to the Secretary of War—
Strength of the Army of the Po-
tomac Plans of Advance.......6-8

Situation at Washington, July 1861..8
Organization of the Army.
Artillery....

Organization of Divisions...
Wadsworth's Command...
Dix's Command........
Engineers.....

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..9

.10
.11-17

.17

..18

.18

..19

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SECOND PERIOD.

..53

Embarkation at Alexandria.......53-4
Arrival at Fort Monroe...............54
Position and force of the Enemy...55
The Advance on Yorktown.......

.56

Topographical..........
Medical and other departments.. 20-23
Occupation of Drainsville... .24
The Battle of Ball's Bluff...
.25
Coast Expeditions proposed......26-7
Burnside sent to North Carolina...27 McDowell's corps detached..........57
Instructions to Gen. Halleck.........28 Preparations for the Siege of
Gen. Buell............29 Yorktown...
Gen. Sherman........30
Gen. Butler...........31
President's General War Order
........31-2

No. 1........
President's Special War Order

No. 1.......

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Peninsula Route proposed............32
Note from the President to Mc-
Clellan........
Letter from McClellan to the Sec-

.32-6

retary of War...........
Vessels of transport....................36-7
War Vessels on the Potomac........37
Rebel obstructions on the Potomac..38
Notes explaining Operations......38-9
President's General War Order
No. 3.......
...40
Advance of the Army on Manas-
.40-1
Circular in relation to Spies, &c..41-2
Strength of the Rebel Army...... 42
President's War Order No. 3........43
Preparations for the Peninsula
Campaign.....

sas..

44

......69

Evacuation of Yorktown..............64
Battle of Williamsburg....
Advance to White House............cs
On the Chickahominy...
Reinforcements requested........69-70
McDowell ordered to co-operate 70-71
Instructions to McDowell................................71
McDowell's Orders Suspended......73
Alarm at Washington about Banks 74
Preparations for the Attack on
Richmond...

.75

Battle at Hanover Court House....76
Advance to the Seven Pines......... 78
Battle at Fair Oaks.....
.79-81
Condition of the Army.... 83-4
Awaiting Reinforcements............ E4
The affair at Redoubt No. 3.........88
(173)

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