CHAPTER V. MACCLELLAN LANDS IN THE PENINSULA OF VIRGINIA. BATTLE OF MACDOWELL'S disaster at Manassas was the greatest piece of good fortune that could have happened for the Federal Government. It caused it to understand how serious was the enterprise on which it had embarked, and that its projects for reconquering the South bristled with difficulties. The Federal authorities were obliged to confess that their armies were nothing but masses of men without discipline. The defeat of Manassas, fatal to the self-love of the North, yet rendered it better service than to the conquerors of the day. Everybody in the North began to work bravely to raise new armies and equip the fleet. The government negotiated some loans, decreed new levies of men, bought and built ships. It would be difficult truly to approve all that was done in the North at this time. A great number of the measures taken were despotic and arbitrary, and would have been thought disgraceful by all honourable men. But it is not the less certain that the Federal Government acted with decision and energy. From the breaking out of hostilities, it was clear that the decisive struggle would take place in Virginia. After MacDowell's retreat, the Federal Government hastened to assemble another army under the walls of Washington. Major-General George B. MacClellan was placed at its head, whose name had already appeared in the campaign of Western Virginia. The new commander was one of those men about whom it is difficult to form a just idea. When nominated by the president, the country had in him the greatest hopes, because of the campaign of the preceding summer. If he did not justify them, it must be recollected that many influential people in the North offered him a lively opposition, and that Mr. Lincoln's Government fettered him continually. However this may be, he passes for having been the best general the North had. More brilliant in the council than on the battle-field, he understood better how to map out a plan for a campaign than how to execute it. His military operations seldom succeeded, in consequence of his hesitancy and want of vigour. The immense superiority of his army over that of his adversary rendered still more surprising the trifling results of his Virginian campaign. Nevertheless the affection of his troops for him, and the enthusiasm which he knew well how to awaken in them, are proofs that he had military qualities of the first order. At first he was entirely occupied in reorganizing his army. On July 27th, 1861, he assumed the command of it. It comprised only 51,000 men; all appearance of military organization had disappeared, and every day the number of deserters increased. He lost not a moment in stopping this evil, and obtained from Congress a law which permitted him to dismiss incompetent officers. Thanks to this law, he was able, during the autumn, to get rid of several hundreds of them. The new recruits were rapidly organized, and subjected to a strict discipline. Thus, when the army of the Potomac commenced the campaign of 1862, it comprised 221,987 men of all arms, including 25 regiments of cavalry, and was provided with 92 batteries of 521 cannon, a corps of engineers, all manner of conveyances and supplies, pontoon bridges, and so forth, all in a high state of perfection. Never was the army of the South, that medley of rags and heroism, provided in this way, and yet what marvels did it accomplish! It would be unjust to deny that General MacClellan, in this matter, gave proof of great talent as an organizer. To him especially it is due that the Northern army was able to preserve its discipline intact under the most overwhelming reverses. But the resources placed at his disposal were inexhaustible, when compared with those of the South, and it was especially in this that the superiority of the North made itself so cruelly felt. In the month of October, 1861, the Federal army was ready, and public opinion in the North showed itself impatient of prolonged inaction. The Confederate army was encamped at Centreville, its outposts being stationed on certain elevations named Mason, Munson, and Upton's Hills, over which the inhabitants of Washington saw the Southern flags floating, and whence came to them the noise of the enemy's drums. The Northern humiliation at this was great; it became still greater when, some time after, the Potomac was blocked. Loud demands were made to force MacClellan to a decided course of action before the winter rendered all military operations impossible. For a moment he seemed to think seriously of threatening Manassas, Had he even left half of his effective force at Washington and along the Potomac, there still remained an army at his disposal of 75,000 men, 30,000 more than could be opposed to him by the Confederates. The time was singularly favourable; for many years the roads had not been so good at this season. It would at least have been a gain to thrust back Johnston from the line of the upper Potomac upon the line of the Rapidan, and the moral effect in the North would have been immense, without reckoning that in the following spring he would commence his campaign with just as much prestige as his slowness made him lose. The plan remained a mere project, and autumn and winter passed in an inaction of which the South profited to develop its resources as much as possible by establishing ammunition factories and cannon foundries, by buying all it wanted of the foreigner, and summoning to its standard all the able-bodied men. This was still the state of things when, on the 8th of March, General Jackson had evacuated the line of Manassas, and retired southwards. In spite of the advantages which the South drew from MacClellan's inaction, Johnston and Beauregard, to their great regret, had been obliged to leave the Federal general leisure to reorganize his troops. They felt all the value of the time lost. Their true interest would have been to force MacClellan to accept battle before he had finished his preparations, to trammel and paralyze the reorganization of his army as much as possible. But the deplorable state of the commissariat of the South at that period, and the fear of exposing, by a concentration of all the disposable forces of the Confederacy, different points on the coast, and especially the capital, to the attack of an enemy commanding more numerous forces, compelled them to be prudent. It is easy, indeed, to understand that, because of its numerical inferiority, the South was obliged to remain on the defensive, especially at the beginning of the struggle, when its soldiers had not yet learned their trade, and the brilliant successes of the campaign of 1862 had not yet given them that confidence which afterwards twice victoriously carried them beyond the Potomac. The army at Centreville, therefore, also remained on the defensive during the winter. But in the month of February, 1862, Johnston resolved to abandon Manassas and fall back on the line of the Rappahannock. This movement brought the Southern army nearer its base of operations, and afforded better shelter from marauding foes the convoys of provisions which were arriving. He dismounted guns of heavy calibre from the lines at Bull's Run and the Potomac, and moved them to the rear of the Rappahannock. The army numbered 50,000 men. Of these Jackson had 6,000 with him in the Valley of Virginia, so that 44,000 men remained under the immediate orders of Johnston. The outposts were recalled from Leesburg and Evansport, and, on March 8th, 1862, the entire army retreated behind the Rappahannock, destroying all the bridges on its way. The smoke of the barracks, to which the Confederates had set fire, revealed next morning to the Federals the retrograde movement of their enemy. MacClellan made no attempt to pursue him, convinced that his adversary had too much start for him to overtake him. He was contented to occupy the forsaken lines, and send out a strong reconnoitring party to the Rappahannock. Soon after, Johnston, having assured himself that the line of the Rapidan offered a better defensive position than that of the Rappahannock, retired behind that stream. MacClellan then, renouncing the movement on Manassas, thought of changing his base of operation, and carrying his troops into the Peninsula of Virginia. His plan of campaign was very simple. The principal army under MacClellan, to the number of 120,000 men, was to embark at Washington and Alexandria, and occupy the Peninsula, making use of Fortress Monroe as a base of operations in an advance upon Richmond. MacDowell's corps, 40,000 strong, was to follow MacClellan as soon as possible, and he would have for his mission to act against the Confederate flank, if they persisted in defending the Peninsula. General Banks was ordered to occupy Manassas, and cover Washington with 40,000 men; Fremont commanded in Western Virginia, having 30,000 men under him. He was to descend the mountains and march on the Southern capital. All these troops combined could not fail to lead to the forcible capture of Richmond in less than a month. From February 27th to March 16th, 400 steamers and sailingvessels assembled at Washington and Alexandria. There were shipped 121,500 men, 14,592 horses and mules, 44 batteries, waggons, ammunition-vans, ambulances, train-service, telegraphic materials, supplies, and all the baggage required for so great an army. On the 17th of March the embarkation, began, and was completed without hindrance. The transports had only to descend the Potomac, a large and deep river, whose two banks were in the power of the Federals, then navigate a few hours along the coast into the Bay of Chesapeake, a small inland sea |