The Way of All Soldiers (Gone For Soldiers)

by Jeffry S. Hepple

  ~

  Starving for knowledge, President Lincoln telegraphed McClellan: “What news from direction of Manassas Junction?”

  In his reply to the President, McClellan said: “I am clear that one of two courses should be adopted. First: to concentrate all our available forces to open communication with Pope. Second: to leave Pope to get out of his scrape and at once use all our means to make the Capital perfectly safe. No middle course will now answer. Tell me what you wish me to do and I will do all in my power to accomplish it. I wish to know what my orders and authority are. I ask for nothing, but will obey whatever orders you give. I only ask a prompt decision that I may at once give the necessary orders. It will not do to delay longer.” McClellan then halted Franklin’s corps at Annandale, almost within cannon shot of Manassas.

  ~

  Robert E. Lee stood before an assembly of his general-grade officers and pointed to a tiny dark rectangle inside a shaded oval on his map. “This is our objective, Henry House. As you will perhaps recall, Henry House Hill was the key terrain feature in the first Battle of Manassas. If we can capture this hill, we can dominate any line of retreat that those people may choose. General Longstreet? Did you wish to address your commanders?”

  “Yes, sir.” Longstreet approached the map. “Our five divisions are spread from the Brawner Farm, here, to the Manassas Gap Railroad, here. That’s about a mile and a half. We’re gonna have to move that entire mile and a half long line forward about two miles across rough terrain to reach Henry House Hill. That means that y’all are gonna have to work very hard at maintaining a coordinated battle line. The lead division on the left, closest to the turnpike, will be John Bell Hood’s Texans, supported by the South Carolinians of General Shanks Evans. General Jones and Kemper’s divisions will be on General Hood’s right. General Anderson’s division is in reserve. Any questions?”

  ~

  When McDowell sent Reynolds’s division forward to support Porter, he had left only two brigades south of the Warrenton Pike. The brigade commanded by Colonel Nathaniel C. McLean held Chinn Ridge and Gouverneur K. Warren’s brigade was about a half mile west, near Groveton. When Pope and McDowell saw the Confederate attack unfolding, they immediately began sending any available units to reinforce McLean and Warren.

  Hood struck the two Zouave regiments of Warren’s brigade at about 4:00 PM. By 4:10 PM, three hundred of the five hundred men in Duryée’s 5th New York Zouaves were casualties, with a hundred-twenty dead or mortally wounded.

  With Warren’s force decimated, only McLean’s Ohio brigade stood between the Confederate attackers and Henry House Hill. McLean lined up his four regiments facing west on Chinn Ridge and moved his single artillery battery to the center. After withstanding attacks by Hood and Shanks Evans, McLean’s men mistook Confederate Colonel Montgomery D. Corse’s brigade, dressed in blue, as friendly and allowed them to approach the southern tip of the ridge within point blank range. The ensuing firefight lasted ten minutes and was finally decided by fire from a Louisiana artillery battery. McLean’s Ohioans suffered thirty-three percent casualties but bought Pope thirty minutes to bring up reinforcements.

  The first two reinforcing Union brigades to arrive at Chinn Ridge were General Zealous B. Tower and Colonel Robert Stiles. When Tower was wounded, his brigade broke and his artillery battery was captured. Stiles was immediately engaged by General Micah Jenkins and Colonel Eppa Hunton’s brigades, but he held on until the 12th Massachusetts, commanded by Colonel Fletcher Webster, the son of Daniel Webster, reinforced him. When Webster was mortally wounded, the 12th withdrew in confusion as two more brigades from I Corps arrived. They were soon driven away, however, when their commanders were killed.

  By 6:00 PM all the Union defenders had been swept from Chinn Ridge by the Confederates, but the Confederate objective, Henry House Hill, was still a quarter of a mile away and was now defended by four Union brigades.

  Both Kemper and Hood’s brigades were too damaged to continue so Lee ordered the reserves under Richard Anderson forward to support the attack of General D.R. Jones. Anderson’s attack was tentative and as a result, the Federals held until darkness, which ended the bloodbath. Within a short period of time, Pope had thrown up a defensive line and ordered a general withdrawal on the turnpike to Centreville, with McDowell providing cover and Sigel as rearguard.

  Buford’s cavalry had been in running gun battles throughout the day and some horses were so tired that they were being led by their riders along with a group of dismounted cavalry whose horses had been killed. At the stone bridge, Buford called a halt and dispersed his dismounted troops in a line until Sigel crossed, then he destroyed the bridge.

  ~

  “We will not pursue,” Lee announced. “General Jackson will instead march around the enemy’s right and take up a strong position between Centerville and Washington at Germantown where the Warrenton Pike and Little River Turnpike meet. This will cut off their retreat routes and isolate them from reinforcements. Elements of General Stuart’s division will act as General Jackson’s van. General Longstreet will remain here and will demonstrate to convince those people that our entire army is still in place.”

  ~

  At 7:50 PM, an irate Halleck wired McClellan: “I have just been told that Franklin’s corps stopped at Annandale and that Franklin, himself, was this evening in Alexandria with you. This is all contrary to my orders. Investigate and report the facts of this disobedience. That corps must push forward, as I directed.”

  Ten minutes later McClellan replied: “It was not safe for Franklin to move beyond Annandale, under the circumstances, until we knew what was at Vienna… Please give distinct orders in reference to Franklin’s movements of tomorrow... I desire definite instructions as it is not agreeable to me to be accused of disobeying orders when I have simply exercised the discretion you committed to me.”

  September 1, 1862

  Centreville, Virginia

  For two days, Pope had dithered. The bravado that he had demonstrated before taking the field was gone, as was his confidence. Washington was telling him to attack and his cavalry was telling him that he was about to be cut off and surrounded. After an unprecedented war council, he sent one of General Edwin V. Sumner’s brigades on a recon mission to the north and sent McDowell’s Corps toward Germantown to cover the main body’s move toward Washington.

  At mid-morning Pope was told that Stonewall Jackson was approaching his flank and he sent three brigades under General Isaac Stevens to block Jackson, and then sent General Philip Kearny’s division after Stevens later in the afternoon.

  At about 3:00 PM, Stevens found Jackson at Ox Hill, southeast of Chantilly Plantation, and attacked his center pushing back Alexander Lawton’s division. Two hours later, when Jackson sent Jubal Early’s brigade to reinforce Lawton, Stevens was killed. At about this same time, Kearny arrived and began maneuvering into position on Stevens’s left but when Kearny too was killed, the Federal troops withdrew.

  September 2, 1862

  Washington, D.C.

  President Lincoln arrived at the office of General Halleck before dawn to find Halleck already at his desk. “Good morning, General.” Lincoln sat down.

  “Good morning, sir. I’ve ordered General Pope to bring his forces within the fortifications of Washington.”

  “That puts them in McClellan’s control,” Lincoln said.

  “We could replace him.”

  Lincoln shook his head. “He’s the best we have at getting men ready for battle and I have no doubt that he’ll fight if attacked. But getting him to attack is like trying to push a snake by its tail.”

  “I’ve asked for and received gunboats in the river and a war steamer to be brought to the Navy Yard,” Halleck said. “All public employees have been called to arms. The sale of liquor within the District of Columbia is now prohibited.”

  “Good.” Lincoln nodded. “Anything new from General Pope?”

  Halleck handed him a message form. “He says tha
t his army is so demoralized that unless we do something to restore its esprit d’ corps, it will melt away.”

  Lincoln read it and handed it back. “True or posturing?”

  “Probably true, but slightly exaggerated. Do we give McClellan command of Pope’s army, to restore its esprit d’ corps?”

  Lincoln sighed. “It’s shocking to see and know this; but there is no other remedy at present. McClellan has the army with him. The soldiers love Little Mac.”

  Halleck hesitated, then nodded. “There’s really very little choice, is there?”

  “None at all on such short notice. But I’ll be crucified in the Cabinet Meeting this morning when I make the announcement.”

  “What about Pope, sir?”

  “Can we send him off to fight the Santee Sioux in Minnesota?”

  “Yes, sir. What should McClellan’s orders read?”

  “He’s to command the joint armies until the Army of Virginia can be absorbed into the Army of the Potomac.” Lincoln stood up. “You should probably prepare yourself to be attacked by the press and the Congress. Those that are backing McClellan for President won’t be supportive, so you’ll likely get nothing but negatives.”

  Halleck walked around his desk and offered his hand. “Whatever happens, it’s been an honor.”

  ~

  Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was the first member to enter the Cabinet Room. He was twenty minutes early and had secretly asked the other members of the Cabinet to arrive early as well. In his pocket was a remonstrance that he had prepared for fellow Cabinet members to sign and to then present to President Lincoln. It charged General George B. McClellan with incompetence and with deliberately disobeying direct orders to aid General John Pope at Manassas. In typical overly-wordy, lawyerly fashion, Stanton summarized the remonstrance: “The destruction of our armies, the protraction of the war, the waste of our national resources, and the overthrow of the government, which we believe must be the inevitable consequence of George B. McClellan being continued in command.”

  Attorney General Edward Bates added his own codicil before signing it. “The thing I complain of is a criminal tardiness, a fatuous apathy, a captious, bickering rivalry, among our commanders who seem so taken up with their quick made dignity, that they overlook the lives of their people and the necessities of their country.”

  Before signing, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase added: “At this time, it is not safe to entrust to Major General McClellan the command of any of the armies of the United States.”

  Secretary of the Interior Caleb B. Smith signed the document as it was.

  Postmaster General Montgomery Blair refused to sign the document.

  Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles refused to sign the document.

  Stanton put it back in his pocket and waited for the President.

  ~

  Lincoln, who was in John Hay’s office, chuckled. “Putting McClellan back in command is like curing the bite with the hair of the dog, but we must use what tools we have. There is no one in the Army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops of ours into shape half as well as he. If he can’t fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight.” He looked at the clock again.

  “Secretary of State Seward will be absent today,” Hay reminded him. “Everyone else is there.”

  “Guess they’ve had enough time to pull me to pieces by now.”

  Hay nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Has an entire cabinet ever resigned en masse?”

  “I don’t think so, sir. Nor do I think this one will.”

  “I’ll let you know shortly.” Lincoln went into the Cabinet Room and closed the door.

  ~

  When McClellan received his orders, he rode out to meet the advancing column of Pope’s army. Pope and McDowell at the head of the column, fearing mass desertions, had already spread the word that McClellan would soon be in command. When the men behind the officers saw McClellan they began to cheer and the cheers moved backward toward the rear of the column until the sound was deafening. “Little Mac, Little Mac, Little Mac, Little Mac.”

  The following day, Pope, looking for a scapegoat, pressed charges against Fitz John Porter for two violations of the Articles of War: Article IX, disobeying a lawful order, and Article LII, misbehavior in front of the enemy. The charges were filed by Brigadier General B.S. Roberts, the Inspector General of the Army of Virginia.

  September 4, 1862

  Fairfax County, Virginia

  General Robert E. Lee was mounted on his horse, Traveller, so that he might be heard by his assembled commanders. “Yesterday I requested of and received from President Jefferson Davis permission to undertake an invasion of the North.” He raised his hand to silence the cheers and comments. “I have reached this decision for a number of reasons. Firstly, the farms and fields of Virginia have been plundered and picked clean by this army. By moving north, we can resupply our army from northern farms that have been untouched by war.

  “Secondly, our invasion might influence the outcome of the upcoming November elections toward a majority of the Democratic Party, who then could force a negotiated end to this war.

  “President Davis has expressed his opinion that a successful invasion might bring England and France into the war on behalf of the Southern cause. Although I do not know if that is a real possibility, I am quite sure that our success in the North might bring Maryland to join our cause.

  “Our initial objective is to disrupt the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which supplies Washington, and to annoy and harass the enemy. We will begin our march toward Leesburg as soon as practicable. Thank you for your attention. You are dismissed.”

  September 7, 1962

  Washington, D.C.

  General George McClellan looked up from his desk. “Yes?”

  “Colonel Van Buskirk is here, sir,” his aide said from the doorway.

  “Send him in.” McClellan sat back and waited, then returned Paul’s salute. “Did you find Lee?”

  “Yes, sir,” Paul said. “And I’m happy to report that the citizens of Maryland have not greeted him with the open arms that he expected. In Baltimore every able-bodied man has armed himself to fight off the invading Confederates.”

  McClellan smiled. “Lee based his expectations on the fact that Maryland is a slave-holding State.”

  Paul nodded. “It seems that the civilian population is much more supportive of the Union cause than is the Maryland legislature.”

  “Where is Lee now?”

  “He’s still at the town of Frederick, sir. He’s resupplying and waiting to see what you’ll do.”

  “How many troops does he have?”

  “He started from Chantilly with about fifty-five thousand but a surprising number of his troops refused to cross the Potomac River because they said that they were fighting only to defend Virginia from Northern aggression. He also has a severe outbreak of stomach illness and many of his shoeless troops are suffering from the paved roads. Lee has dealt very harshly with stragglers, but I estimate that he’s lost as many as ten thousand to desertion.”

  “Where’s the rest of his army?”

  “He has the entire Army of Northern Virginia with him plus a few brigades that Davis sent him from the Richmond defenses.”

  “You’re telling me that he has less than fifty-thousand and my other intelligence indicates a force of nearly triple that size. How do you justify that disparity?”

  “You must ask that of your other intelligence source, sir. I’ve not seen any more than I just reported.”

  “Then I suggest that you return to your brigade and find the rest of Lee’s army. You’re dismissed.”

  ~

  When Paul caught up, Buford’s brigade was moving northeast between the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Potomac River. “We just had a little skirmish with one of Stuart’s brigades,” Buford said. “They’ve formed a broken line-of-sight picket line from here to Hyattstown. There might be a squadron or t
wo as far north as New Market. That’s a pretty thin line. We could take them one at a time and retreat before they could be reinforced. Hell. We might even be able to whip him.”

  “We’re a long way from where Lee’s main body crossed at Licksville,” Paul said, “and Hyattstown is a long way from Frederick Town.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  Paul shrugged. “McClellan’s convinced that there’s an army of a hundred and fifty thousand out here somewhere. I was just wondering if he could be right.”

  “No,” Buford said. “He’s wrong. Lee knows that McClellan’s fortifications in Washington are impregnable so he’s gonna attack the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and get McClellan to chase him. Stuart’s ten miles out in front to delay us and to warn Lee. Lee’s gonna call him in when he continues his march. We could hit Stuart now while he’s spread out and whip him.”

  “Who’s back in the Shenandoah Valley?”

  Buford looked over his shoulder at the long line of mounted men behind him, then turned back to Paul. “What? You’re thinkin’ that Lee’s gonna combine with some other army from the West?”

  “Why not? He just did it at Manassas by bringing Jackson in from the Valley.”

  “Yeah but Lee’s east of Catoctin Mountain.”

  Paul nodded. “Of course. If he was behind it, he wouldn’t be a threat to Baltimore and Washington. The Cumberland Valley’s just an extension of the Shenandoah Valley. But if President Davis brought up one of his western armies, we wouldn’t know until it joined with Lee.

  “If Lee was west of South Mountain or Elk Mountain you’d have a point that might trouble me some. But trying to form two armies into one through those narrow gaps in the mountains would leave them both fractured and exposed for days. Besides, Grant’s keeping the Confederates busy in the west. If Davis pulled even a single corps out, Grant would take control of the main Mississippi tributaries within a week or two. Davis can’t risk that.”