Recollections of the Civil War

A. Dana Charles

Description

As the Civil War seemed to spin out of control, President Lincoln sought more insight into the conditions on the front lines. Because he did not have full confidence in the controversial approach that General Grant had taken, Lincoln sent renowned journalist Charles Dana to keep an eye on things and report back. Recollections of the Civil War offers Dana's account of what transpired, differing in several key aspects from "official" accounts.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Military history

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776584895
• Langue: English

Extrait

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CIVIL WAR
WITH THE LEADER AT WASHINGTON AND IN THE FIELD IN THE SIXTIES
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CHARLES A. DANA
 
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Recollections of the Civil War With the Leader at Washington and in the Field in the Sixties First published in 1898 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-489-5 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-490-1 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Recollections of the Civil War Preface Chapter I - From the Tribune to the War Department Chapter II - At the Front with Grant's Army Chapter III - Before and Around Vicksburg Chapter IV - In Camp and Battle with Grant and His Generals Chapter V - Some Contemporary Portraits Chapter VI - The Siege of Vicksburg Chapter VII - Pemberton's Surrender Chapter VIII - With the Army of the Cumberland Chapter IX - The Removal of Rosecrans Chapter X - Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge Chapter XI - The War Department in War Times Chapter XII - Abraham Lincoln and His Cabinet Chapter XIII - The Army of the Potomac in '64 Chapter XIV - The Great Game Between Grant and Lee Chapter XV - The March on Petersburg Chapter XVI - Early's Raid and the Washington Panic Chapter XVII - The Secret Service of the War Chapter XVIII - A Visit to Sheridan in the Valley Chapter XIX - "On to Richmond" at Last! Chapter XX - The Closing Scenes at Washington Endnotes
Recollections of the Civil War
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With the Leaders at Washington and in the Field in the Sixties
BY
CHARLES A. DANA
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR FROM 1863 TO 1865
Preface
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Mr. Dana wrote these Recollections of the civil war according to apurpose which he had entertained for several years. They were completedonly a few months before his death on October 17, 1897. A large part ofthe narrative has been published serially in McClure's Magazine. In thechapter about Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln Cabinet Mr. Dana has drawnfrom a lecture which he delivered in 1896 before the New Haven ColonyHistorical Society. The incident of the self-wounded spy, in the chapterrelating to the secret service of the war, was first printed in theNorth American Review for August, 1891. A few of the anecdotes about Mr.Lincoln which appear in this book were told by Mr. Dana originally in abrief contribution to a volume entitled Reminiscences of Abraham Lincolnby Distinguished Men of his Time, edited by the late Allen ThorndikeRice, and published in 1886.
Although Mr. Dana was in one sense the least reminiscent of men, livingactively in the present, and always more interested in to-morrow thanin yesterday, and although it was his characteristic habit to toss intothe wastebasket documents for history which many persons would havetreasured, he found in the preparation of the following chaptersabundant material wherewith to stimulate and confirm his own memory, inthe form of his official and unofficial reports written at the front forthe information of Mr. Stanton and Mr. Lincoln, and private letters tomembers of his family and intimate friends.
Charles Anderson Dana was forty-four years old when his appointment asAssistant Secretary of War put him behind the scenes of the great dramathen enacting, and brought him into personal relations with theconspicuous civilians and soldiers of the war period. Born in NewHampshire on August 8, 1819, he had passed by way of western New York,Harvard College, and Brook Farm into the profession which he loved andin which he labored almost to the last day of his life. When SecretaryStanton called him to Washington he had been engaged for nearly fifteenyears in the management of the New York Tribune, the journal mostpowerful at that time in solidifying Northern sentiment for the crisisthat was to come. When the war was over and the Union preserved, hereturned at once to journalism. His career subsequently as the editor ofThe Sun for thirty years is familiar to most Americans.
It is proper to note the circumstance that the three years covered byMr. Dana's Recollections as here recorded constitute the only termduring which he held any public office, and the only break in more thanhalf a century of continuous experience in the making of newspapers. Hisconnection with the Government during those momentous years is anepisode in the story of a life that throbbed from boyhood to age withintellectual energy, and was crowded with practical achievement.
NEW YORK, October 17, 1898 .
Chapter I - From the Tribune to the War Department
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First meeting with Mr. Lincoln—Early correspondence with Mr. Stanton—A command obtained for General Frémont—The new energy in the military operations—Mr. Stanton disclaims the credit—The War Secretary's opinion of McClellan—Mr. Dana called into Government service—The Cairo investigation and its results—First acquaintance with General Grant.
I had been associated with Horace Greeley on the New York Tribune forabout fifteen years when, one morning early in April, 1862, Mr.Sinclair, the advertising manager of the paper, came to me, saying thatMr. Greeley would be glad to have me resign. I asked one of myassociates to find from Mr. Greeley if that was really his wish. In afew hours he came to me saying that I had better go. I stayed the dayout in order to make up the paper and give them an opportunity to find asuccessor, but I never went into the office after that. I think I thenowned a fifth of the paper—twenty shares; this stock my colleaguesbought.
Mr. Greeley never gave a reason for dismissing me, nor did I ever askfor one. I know, though, that the real explanation was that while hewas for peace I was for war, and that as long as I stayed on the Tribunethere was a spirit there which was not his spirit—that he did not like.
My retirement from the Tribune was talked of in the newspapers for a dayor two, and brought me a letter from the Secretary of War, Edwin M.Stanton, saying he would like to employ me in the War Department. I hadalready met Mr. Lincoln, and had carried on a brief correspondence withMr. Stanton. My meeting with Mr. Lincoln was shortly after hisinauguration. He had appointed Mr. Seward to be his Secretary of State,and some of the Republican leaders of New York who had been instrumentalin preventing Mr. Seward's nomination to the presidency, and in securingthat of Mr. Lincoln, had begun to fear that they would be left out inthe cold in the distribution of the offices. General James S. Wadsworth,George Opdyke, Lucius Robinson, T. B. Carroll, and Henry B. Stanton wereamong the number of these gentlemen. Their apprehensions were somewhatmitigated by the fact that Mr. Chase, to whom we were all friendly, wasSecretary of the Treasury. But, notwithstanding, they were afraid thatthe superior tact and pertinacity of Mr. Seward and of Mr. Thurlow Weed,Seward's close friend and political manager, would get the upper hand,and that the power of the Federal administration would be put into thecontrol of the rival faction; accordingly, several of them determined togo to Washington, and I was asked to go with them.
I believe the appointment for our interview with the President was madethrough Mr. Chase; but at any rate we all went up to the White Housetogether, except Mr. Henry B. Stanton, who stayed away because he washimself an applicant for office.
Mr. Lincoln received us in the large room upstairs in the east wing ofthe White House, where he had his working office. The President stood upwhile General Wadsworth, who was our principal spokesman, and Mr. Opdykestated what was desired. After the interview had begun, a big Indian,who was a messenger in attendance in the White House, came into the roomand said to the President:
"She wants you."
"Yes, yes," said Mr. Lincoln, without stirring.
Soon afterward the messenger returned again, exclaiming, "I say, shewants you!"
The President was evidently annoyed, but instead of going out after themessenger he remarked to us:
"One side shall not gobble up everything. Make out a list of places andmen you want, and I will endeavor to apply the rule of give and take."
General Wadsworth answered:
"Our party will not be able to remain in Washington, but we will leavesuch a list with Mr. Carroll, and whatever he agrees to will beagreeable to us."
Mr. Lincoln continued: "Let Mr. Carroll come in to-morrow, and we willsee what can be done."
This is the substance of the interview, and what most impressed me wasthe evident fairness of the President. We all felt that he meant to dowhat was right and square in the matter. While he was not the man topromote factious quarrels and difficulties within his party, he did notintend to leave in the lurch the friends through whose exertions hisnomination and election had finally been brought about. At the same timehe understood perfectly that we of New York and our associates in theRepublican body had not gone to Chicago for the purpose of nominatinghim, or of nominating any one in particular, but only to beat Mr.Seward, and thereupon to do the best that could be done as regards theselection of the candidate.
My acquaintance with Mr. Stanton had come about through an editorialwhich I had written for the Tribune on his entrance to the WarDepartment. I had sent it to him with a letter calling his attention tocertain facts with which it seemed to me the War Department ought todeal. In reply I received the following letter:
WASHINGTON, January 24, 1862 .
MY DEAR SIR: Yours of the 22d only reached me this evening. The facts you mention were new to me, but t