Trobriand, Regis de. Four Years with the Army of the Potomac. Translated by George K. Dauchy. Boston: Ticknor and Company, 1889. CHAPTER I. THE CAUSE OF THE WAR. The question of slavery- — The Missouri Compromise — First attempt at secession by South Carolina — Abolition of slavery- in the English colonies — Its effect in the United States — First Abolition candidate for the Presidency- — Annexation of Texas — War with Mexico — Increased agitation — Wilmot Proviso — Van Buren, the anti-slavery candidate — Disorganization of the Whig party- — Compromise of 1850 — Fugitive Slave Law — Kansas- Nebraska bill — Civil war in Kansas — Birth of the Republican party — Election of Buchanan — Affair of Harper's Terry — The irrepressible conflict 1 CHAPTER II THE MANNER OF SECESSION. Electoral campaign of i860 — Direct menaces of secession — Violent scenes in Congress — Charleston convention — Baltimore convention — Chicago convention — Second Baltimore convention — Election of Lincoln to the Presidency- — The Southern States take up arms — Passive complicity- of Buchanan — Treason in the Cabinet — Secession of South Carolina — Last attempts at compromise — Secession of Mississippi — Of Florida — Of Alabama — Of Louisiana — Of Georgia — The first shot — Organization of the Southern Confederacy- — Inauguration of President Lincoln 31 CHAPTER III. THE CALL TO ARMS. Capitulation of Fort Sumter — Call for seventy-five thousand men — Four States refuse to furnish their quota — First regiment en route for Washington — Bloody riot in Baltimore — No news — Secession of Virginia — New call for eighty-three thousand volunteers — Secession of Arkansas — Occupation of Alexandria by the Federals — Men, but no army — School of the battalion — First successes in Western Virginia — General G. B. McClellan — Battle of Bull Run S3 CHAPTER IV. FROM NEW YORK TO WASHINGTON. The Guard Lafayette, Fifty-fifth New York militia — Camp at Staten Island — Departure for Washington — Collision — At Philadelphia —Through Baltimore — Arrival at the capital — Five hundred thousand men and five hundred million dollars — Tents — Organization of regiments of infantry — Composition of the Fifty-fifth — The insignia of rank, and the uniforms in the American army ... 70 CHAPTER V. THE FORMATION OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. The brigade of General Peck — Surroundings at Washington — Regiments of cavalry — Batteries of artillery — Grand review — The Orleans princes — Lincoln and McClellan — Summer storm — General Buell — Inspections — The defences to the south of the Potomac — Arlington, and the Lee family — General Wadsworth at Upton Hill — Blenker's division — Movements of the enemy upon the upper Potomac , . 84 CHAPTER VI. WINTER QUARTERS. Settled down at Tenallytown — Moonlight — Pay-day — A case of delirium tremens — Court- martial — General Keyes — Unfortunate affair of Ball's Bluff — Arrangements for winter — Officers' mess — Flag presentation — President Lincoln at the table of the Fifty--fifth — Effects of the war around Washington 109 1 CHAPTER VII. MEN AND THINGS AT WASHINGTON. Congress — The population of Washington — The lobby and the spectators — The contractors for the army — The faint-hearted — The general-in-chief — General Seth Williams — The Count de Paris — The Duke de Chartres — The diplomatic corps. — Its partiality for the South — Why? — Receptions at the White House — Mr. Stanton — Mr. Seward — President Lincoln 133 CHAPTER VIII. COMMENCEMENT OF THE CAMPAIGN. Opening of the campaign of 1862 — Disagreements at Washington — Adoption of McClellan's plan — Military- excursion in Virginia — Organization of army corps — Embarking for Fortress Monroe — Fight of the Monitor and the Merrimac — Disembarking at Hampton — The surrounding country — Newport News — March upon Yorktown — The beseeching Virginians 152 CHAPTER IX. APPRENTICESHIP OF THE WAR. Siege of Yorktown — Attack on Lee's mill — The Harwood farm — Amongst the sharpshooters — The man hunt — Visit of the general-in-chief — Faults of administration — A black snake mayonnaise — Marching-out of the Confederate troops — The enemy abandons his positions — Evacuation of Yorktown 174 CHAPTER X. THE FIRST BATTLE — WILLIAMSBURG. Pursuit — The enemy attacked at Williamsburg — He attacks Hooker's division — Peck's brigade the first to receive it — The Fifty-fifth under fire — Critical moment — Attack repulsed — Reinforcements arrive — Engagement of General Hancock — General McClellan's report — Advice of General Couch — A walk on the field of battle — Burial of the dead — Visit to the wounded — The amputated — The prediction of a Georgia captain 190 CHAPTER XI. DAYS OF SUFFERING. Forward march — Engagement at West Point — Subject for discontent — Dinner at Headquarters — Fight of a new kind — The bull and the Newfoundland dog — The death of Bianco — Virginia plantations — Marsh fever — The Turner house — Delirium — Manna in the desert — Anxieties — Battle of Fair Oaks — First days of convalescence — Departure for the North 213 CHAPTER XII. THE SANITARY COMMISSION. The victims of the Chickahominy — The army railroad — Peregrinations of a friend in search of me — Hospital tents — Agreeable surprise — Origin of the Sanitary Commission — Difficulties thrown in the way — Services rendered — The commission transports — Herculean labors — Strifes — The loads of sick humanity — Horrible realities — The miracles of charity 235 CHAPTER XIII. THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLE. Contrasts — New York — The Newport steamer — Boston — Success of Stonewall Jackson — Stuart's raid — Return to Fortress Monroe — Interview with General Dix — Evacuation of West Point — Arrival at Harrison's Landing — The work of McClellan — A characteristic despatch — Battle of Mechanicsville — of Gaines' Mill — of Savage Station — of White Oak Swamp — of Glendale — of Malvern Hill — The port of refuge 261 CHAPTER XIV. FROM CHARYBDIS TO SCYLLA. Miserable condition of the army — Desertions — Military bravado and political manifesto of McClellan — Reconnoissances — Order to evacuate the Peninsula — Delay after delay — Pope on the Rappahannock — ■ Delay at Alexandria — Night march — Fairfax Court House — Death of Kearny — Retreat on Washington — Pope and McClellan 283 2 CHAPTER XV. BETTER TIMES. Invasion of Maryland by the Confederates — Passage of the Fifty,--fifth through Tenallytown — Advance posts on the Monocacy — Transfer to the Third Corps — Appearance of Washington — A legacy from Kearny — General Birney — How Harper's Ferry surrendered to the enemy — Battles on South Mountain — Condition of the two armies — Battle of Antietam — Attacks in detail — Incomplete Result — McClellan's hesitations — Lee returns to Virginia . 308 CHAPTER XVI. INTERLUDE. General Berry — Volunteer recruiting — Antipathy of the people to the conscription — New regiments — Three hundred thousand men raised for nine months — The Fifty-fifth reorganized in seven companies — Raid of General Stuart into Maryland — The Third Corps at Edwards Ferry — General Stoneman — Colonel Duffie — General McClellan's inaction — Correspondence with the President — The army returns to Virginia — The different classes of farmers — Forward march — General McClellan relieved of his command 328 CHAPTER XVII. FREDERICKSBURG. Ambrose Bumside, general commanding — Organization of grand divisions — Mrs. L.'s honey — State elections — General Bumside's plan — The delay -of the pontoons — Effect of snow — Passage of the Rappahannock — Doctor C.'s nerves — Battle of Fredericksburg — Attack of the enemy's positions on the left — Tragical episode — Whose fault was it ? — Disasters on the right — General Bumside's obstinacy — Dead and wounded — Return to our camp . 351 CHAPTER XVIII. EMANCIPATION. Military- balance-sheet for the year 1S62 — The emancipation question — The inaugural address of Mr. Lincoln — Reserve of the President and of Congress — General Fremont — Abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia — Proposition for gradual emancipation — General Hunter — Confiscation act — Progress of emancipation — Letter of Mr. Lincoln — Religious deputation — Last scruples — Preparatory dispositions — Definite proclamation of emancipation . 3S0 CHAPTER XIX. LAST EFFORTS OF BURNSIDE. The Fifty-fifth New York consolidated with the Thirty--eighth — New Year's day in camp — Abuse of strong liquor in the army — New projects of General Bumside — Plan of a cavalry expedition by General Averill — Intervention of the President — Bumside at Washington — General Newton and General Cochrane — Complications — The army in motion — A gloomy night — The army buried in the mud — Return to camp — General order No. 8 — How General Burnside came to be relieved of the command of the army 397 CHAPTER XX. HOOKER COMMAXDIXG THE ARMY. General Hooker's character — Improvements in the army — How promotions were made — Intrigues and rivalries — Political preferences — Brigadier-generals' report — Special marks to designate the different army corps — Poverty of Virginia country people — A pastor with- out a flock — Marriage under a tent — Camp fetes — Preparations for moving — Combined march on Chancellorsville — Brilliant commencement of a brilliant conception 413 CHAPTER XXI. CHANCELLORSVILLE. First encounter with the enemy — Capital fault — Defensive position of the army — Advance position of the Third Corps — Engagement of Birney's division — Jackson's attack on the right — Rout of the Eleventh Corps — Counter charge of Berry's division — Death of Major Keenan — Artillery saved by General Pleasonton — Night encounter — Episodes — Death