LIEUT.-GENERAL WADE HAMPTON.

CHAPTER LXIX.

An Englishman's remark on the military aptitude of the Southern plar ter.-Wealth and culture of Wade Hampton.-The Hampton Legion.-Its mettle tried at Manassas.-Gen. Hampton in the campaign of 1862.-Detached enterprises against the enemy.-In the battle of Brandy Station.-Wounded at Gettysburg.-In the campaign of 1864.-Fights with Sheridan.-Trevillian Station.-Sappony Church. -Hampton's "beef-raid."-He joins Gen. Beauregard's command.- Operations against Sherman.-A severe commentary on the enemy's atrocities.-Peculiar compliments of the Northern Radicals to Gen. Hampton since the war.-His admirable speeches and advice to his countrymen.

AN Englishman recently writing on the subject of the American War, ingeniously remarks: "The richer planter, possessing many slaves dependent entirely on him in regard to food, clothing, medicine, and discipline, acquires habits of command and of organization highly useful to the affairs of an army. A man capable of managing the affairs of a large plantation, and ruling his servants with order and regularity, has advanced far in the qualities necessary to make a good Colonel of a regiment." It was in this school that Wade Hampton of South Carolina was eminently educated school where was not only taught the art of command, but which inspired the best notions of chivalry, and produced an aristocracy haughty and narrow in some respects, but singularly pure, circumspect, and aspiring.

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He was one of the richest planters in his State, owned several large tracts of land well stocked with negroes, and had the reputation, extending beyond his neighbourhood, of an enlightened and 'liberal agriculturist. He was born in Charleston in 1818. His family was among the most ancient and honoured in the history of South Carolina. His grandfather, Gen. Wade Hampton, was a

gallant officer in the Revolution which gained American Independence, and was one of the most eminent and respected citizens of South Carolina, in those days. His father, Col. Wade Hampton, was a distinguished officer in the war of 1812, and was an aide-decamp to Gen. Jackson in the memorable battle of New Orleans.

Before the war made upon the South, the subject of our sketch was considered one of the wealthiest men in the State of South Carolina. As a man and a citizen none stood above him in the estimation of his fellow-citizens. He had served with distinction in both branches of the Legislature of his State. His first wife was a daughter of Gen. F. P. Preston, of Virginia, and after the death of this estimable lady, he married a daughter of the celebrated Gov. McDuffie, of South Carolina. He owned the greatest number of negroes of any gentleman in the State, and was distinguished as the most humane and indulgent of men in the management of his servants. All his surroundings were those of a gentleman of culture and honour. His residence at Columbia, South Carolina, was known both in Europe and America as the abode of splendid hospitality, and as one of the most superb residences in the United States.

In the first gathering of troops in Virginia to oppose the Grand Army of the North, a regiment of legionary formation (i. e. of the different arms-infantry, cavalry and artillery), commanded by Col. Hampton, and honourably known throughout the war as "Hampton's Legion," was among the earliest contributions of South Carolina. In the early encampments around Richmond it was recognized as the élite of the regiments, and obtained the best of the social honours that were then so profusely distributed among military men. Its associations were aristrocratic; its dress-parades at Rocketts, were the wonder and fashionable resort of Richmond; and as a corps of gentlemen soldiers, they were perfect in every appointment. The munificent spirit of the commander was testified by the fact that out of his own private means he had contributed largely towards the equipment of the men. Their flag was the patriotic and sacred gift of the ladies of South Carolina, and in accepting it, the Legion had promised to defend it as long as one of their number remained to step the field of conflict.

The mettle of the Legion was tried on the first field of Manassas. It was here that Hampton's 600 infantry held for some time the

Warrenton road against Keyes, and when forced back, recovered with "Stonewall" Jackson, and afterwards aided, as Gen. Beauregard wrote, in "restoring the fortunes of the day at a time when the enemy, by a last desperate onset, with heavy odds had driven the Confederates from the fiercely contested ground about the Henry House." The personal gallantry of Col. Hampton was noticed in all accounts of the battle. His horse was shot dead under him, and he was severely wounded in the head, after fighting some time on foot with a rifle. His Legion's first experience of battle was severe and bloody, and its loss counted as 110 killed and wounded, including among the first, Lieut.-Col. Johnston, an officer of brilliant promise.

In nearly all the battles of the Peninsula, Col. Hampton was ever among the first in the fight. At the battle of Seven Pines, he lost, in killed and wounded, more than half of his command, and he was himself again severely wounded. After the terrible battle of Gaines' Mills, he was promoted to Brigadier-General of Cavalry, and was afterwards with Gen. Stuart in all his memorable deeds of daring.

We find him, too, noticed separately for a number of detached enterprises of the cavalry in Virginia, during the second winter of the war. About the 1st December, 1862, with a detachment of his brigade, he crossed the Upper Rappahannock, surprised two squadrons of Federal cavalry, captured several commissioned officers, and about one hundred men, with their horses, arms, colours, and accoutrements, without loss on his part.

On the 11th December Gen. Hampton was again in the saddle, crossed the Rappahannock with a detachment of his brigade, cut the enemy's communications at Dumfries, entered the town a few hours before Sigel's corps, then marching on Fredericksburg, captured twenty wagons with a guard of about ninety men, and returned safely to his camp. On the 16th December, he again crossed the river with a small force, proceeded to Occoquan, surprised the pickets between that place and Dumfries, captured fifty wagons, bringing many of them across the Occoquan in a ferry-boat, and beating back a brigade of cavalry sent to their rescue. reached the Rappahannock with thirty wagons and 130 prisoners. In the reorganization of Gen. Lee's army in 1863, preparatory to the Pennsylvania campaign, we find Gen. Hampton assigned to

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a brigade of cavalry, and again zealously engaged with Stuart and the two Lees in the operations of that year. The most important of the cavalry affairs of this period, was the battle of Brandy Station; and here Gen. Hampton again distinguished himself, and gave a remarkable example of valour and devotion. His command was composed of the 1st and 2d South Carolina, the 1st North Carolina, the Cobb, Jeff Davis, and Phillips Legions. In this bloody fight every field officer was wounded, as he successively took command of the brigade-Col. Baker of North Carolina first, then Col. Young, Cobb's Legion, then Col. Black, 1st South Carolina, and lastly Lieut.-Col. Lipscomb, 2d South Carolina.

When Gen. Lee's army occupied Chambersburg, Gen. Hampton was appointed "Military Governor," and, to this day, the candid inhabitants of the place admit that they suffered no outrage whatever at the hands of the Confederates. At the battle of Gettysburg Gen. Hampton was three times wounded, and so badly that he had for some time to be absent from his command. What were the perils and glories of this campaign may be judged from the fact, that out of twenty-three field officers in Gen. Hampton's command, twenty-one were killed or wounded. The statement of its losses is quite sufficient to prove that the cavalry were not unworthy compeers of the glorious infantry of the Army of Northern Virginia, and that in the article of hard fighting Hampton contested the palm with the best of Lee's lieutenants.

For his many brave deeds, he was promoted to the rank of Major-General, and shortly thereafter Lieutenant-General, and had command of the cavalry in Virginia after the death of Stuart. Thenceforth considered as Lee's master of horse, he had an important share in the great campaign of 1864, and obtained the most brilliant and valuable success of his military life. A part of Grant's early combination against Richmond was a movement of cavalry under Sheridan, to destroy Gordonsville and Charlottesville, with the railroad near these places; then to unite with Hunter in his attack on Lynchburg; and after the capture of that place, the joint forces to move to the White House on the Pamunkey, from which point they would join the main Federal army or threaten Richmond. This imposing piece of strategy was brought to naught by Gen. Hampton's celerity of movement and vigour of action. On the 10th June, he succeeded in placing him

self in front of the enemy near Trevillian's Station, on the Central railroad, and attacked the next morning at daybreak. In his official report of the action, Gen. Grant claims that, on the 11th, Sheridan drove the Confederate cavalry "from the field, in complete rout;" and says, when he advanced towards Gordonsville, on the 12th, "he found the enemy reinforced by infantry, behind well-constructed rifle-pits, about five miles from the latter place, and too strong to successfully assault." There is an absurd excess of falsehood in this. In fact there was not an infantry soldier in arms nearer the scene of action than with Gen. Lee's army, at Cold Harbour; and the "well-constructed rifle-pits" were nothing more than rails put up in the manner in which cavalry were accustomed to arrange them to prevent a charge. Sheridan mistook some of Hampton's cavalry, dismounted and fighting on foot, for infantry; he saw "infantry" "too strong to successfully assault;" and the statement was eagerly seized by his superiour to cover his shame and mortification of defeat.

It was-indeed a decisive check. Sheridan was defeated at Trevillian's-was punished in the skirmishes at the White House and Forge Bridges, and was routed at Samaria Church. Nearly 1,000 prisoners were taken, and from the last-named place the enemy was pursued within two or three miles of Charles City Court House, his wounded scattered over the ground upon which he had fought. He retreated to Wynoke Neck in order to cross the James river under protection of the gunboats, and Gen. Hampton, in accordance with instructions from Gen. Lee, moved on the 26th June to the pontoon bridge, with a view to cross and join the army on the south side of the James river. This closed his operations, which had for their object the defeat of Sheridan's movement in rear of Lee.

He at once commenced another operation-which was to intercept Wilson, who was returning from Staunton River bridge to rejoin Grant's army. A force of infantry and artillery having been placed at Reams' Station (as the enemy would have to cross the railroad there-Jarrett's or Hick's Ford), Gen. Hampton moved out with his division to attack the enemy at a place called Sappony Church. Here he broke the enemy's lines, and pursued and fought him for several days, while Fitz Lee at Reams' Station crowned the victory, and achieved a brilliant success of his own.