MAJ.-GEN. CHARLES W. FIELD.

CHAPTER XLVI.

Services in the United States Army and at West Point.-Commands a Brigade in "the Seven Days' Battles" around Richmond.-Promoted Major-General in 1864.Field's Division restores the Battle in the Wilderness.-An unheralded victory on the Richmond lines.-Apocrypha of the newspapers.-Remarkable and brilliant appearance of Field's Division at the Surrender-What the Federal General Meade said of "the Rebels."

CHARLES W. FIELD was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, in 1818; his parents having migrated from Virginia, his father being a native of Culpepper county, where the family had lived for several generations, and maintains to this day some honoured representatives. The illustrious Henry Clay conceived a great fondness for young Field, and was indeed a devoted friend of his father, but being defeated in his candidacy for the Presidency, he was in no position to serve the boy, who, however, through the solicitation of ex-President Jackson, secured a cadetship at West Point, which he had long coveted, being appointed "at large" by President Polk, in 1845. Being graduated in 1849, he was assigned to the 2nd Dragoons, Col. Harney, and for the five succeeding years operated against the Indians on the frontier of New Mexico, Texas and the Plains. In 1855 he was promoted first lieutenant and transferred to the Second Cavalry, then being raised, A. S. Johnston, colonel, and R. E. Lee, lieut.-colonel. In 1856, he was ordered by the War Department on duty at West Point, as chief of cavalry at that institution, and remained there until 1861, when he resigned his commission as captain, and, going to Richmond, offered his services to the Southern Con federacy.

His first duties in the war were quiet and obscure, he having been appointed to organize a school of instruction for cavalry at Ashland, near Richmond; thence he was appointed to command the 6th Virginia Cavalry; but it was not until Johnston's army abandoned North Virginia, in 1862, that he appeared conspicuously in the field. He was then made a Brigadier-General, and finally, falling into the command of an infantry brigade (all Virginia regiments), he was placed in A. P. Hill's division, and in that fought in the Seven Days' Battles around Richmond, Cedar Run, and the Second Manassas. In the last named battle Gen. Field was dreadfully wounded, and was actually confined to his bed for nearly a year. In February, 1864, though still on crutches, he reported for duty, was made a Major-General, and was assigned to Longstreet's corps, and to the division that Gen. Hood had formerly commanded.

From that time to the surrender at Appomattox Court-House Field's Division was an honourable and familiar name. It was this division that mainly restored the battle in the Wilderness, when at one time it appeared that the Confederate right wing was gone, and Gen. Lee in desperation had offered to lead the Texas Brigade into action. "Go back," said these hardy soldiers, “and we'll show you what we will do." They did show it, they did repulse the enemy; but in twenty minutes two-thirds of this devoted brigade were on the ground, killed or wounded.

When Gen. Lee fell back to Richmond and Petersburg, Field's division was withdrawn and sent to the north line of the James, to meet a demonstration in that direction. On the 14th August, 1864, while Gen. Field held a line extending from Chapin's Bluff to New Market Heights, reinforced by some brigades from Mahone's, Wilcox' and Pickett's divisions, he sustained a heavy attack of the enemy, which at one time broke through a a gap of two brigades in his centre. It appeared that everything on the field was lost, and that there was nothing to stop the enemy short of the works immediately around Richmond. Gen. Field, however, called upon his old division, which had never yet failed him, formed it rapidly in front of the enemy, dashed at his advancing columns, drove them half a mile, and completely reëstablished his lines. It was a critical success; it may be said to have snatched Richmond itself from the grasp of the enemy. Gen. Field's forces

numbered about 14,000; those of the enemy were not less than 40,000, and the presence of Gens. Grant, Butler and Hancock on the field attested the breadth and seriousness of the enterprise. Yet this important and brilliant victory was scarcely ever heard of in Richmond, a few miles away. The only notice of it was a paragraph in the Whig, giving the credit to Mahone-who had never been nearer the battle-field than Petersburg, and who was even ignorant that a battle had been fought-and "hoping that his modesty would not prevent him hereafter from at least reporting his victories." Field's division was not even mentioned-a remarkable instance indeed of apocrypha, and the uncertainty of "the gazette" in heralding and distributing the honours of war.

It was in the last days of the Confederacy that Field's division shone in its greatest and most peculiar glory; for, to the very day of the surrender, it was remarkable that this body of troops was in prime fighting condition, compact and brilliant, partaking of none of the disorganization around it, animated by its glorious memories, and retaining its arms and spirit to the last. We respond to the noble and touching pride of its commander, when he writes: "I am proud of my division, always was, but was never so proud of it as on that black 9th of April, when, for the first time on the retreat, our army was all together, and I could compare their soldierly appearance and numbers and bearing with the wrecks about me." On the 1st April, Field's division was about the strength of the others on the 9th he surrendered nearly 5,000 men-more than half Gen. Lee's entire infantry force surrendered in arms. Although it constituted the rear-guard on the retreat, and was thus constantly exposed, there was scarcely a straggler from the division, and but few captures. The division was composed of five brigades: Laws' Alabama, Jenkins' (afterwards Bratton's) South Carolina, Benning's and Anderson's Georgia, and Gregg's Texas. Jenkins was killed in the Wilderness, and Benning badly wounded there. At Cold Harbour, Law was wounded slightly, but was afterwards detached, and never rejoined his brigade. At Charles City road, October 7, 1864, Gregg was killed, and Bratton painfully wounded.

Gen. Field relates a pleasant incident of the surrender. While his division was at Appomattox Court-House, waiting to obtain their paroles, Gen. Meade, whose army was just in his rear, sent

to request that Gen. Field would conduct him through his lines, on his way to make his personal respects to Gen. Lee, who was a mile in front. As Gen. Meade at the head of a large and brilliant staff passed through Field's Division, the men gathered along the route in numerous squads, attracted by the spectacle. The two Generals were side by side conversing, when Gen. Meade turned to Gen. Field, with the remark, "your troops are very complimentary to me." "How so?" asked the latter. "Why, those fellows there,"-pointing to a group of soiled and grim Confederates-" say I look like a Rebel." "Do you take that for a compliment?" said Gen. Field. "To be sure I do," replied Gen. Meade; "any people who have shown the courage and spirit you have, must have their admirers everywhere."

MAJ.-GEN. ROBERT E. RODES.

CHAPTER XLVII.

Graduates at the Virginia Military Institute.-A civil engineer in Alabama.-Elected to a Professor's chair in the Virginia Military Institute.-Commands a Brigade at Seven Pines.-Gallantry at Chancellorsville.-Complimented on the field by Stonewall Jackson.-Killed at Winchester.-A touching tribute to his memory.

ROBERT E. RODES was born in Virginia, but was a citizen of Alabama when that State seceded from the Union. He was the second son of the late Gen. David Rodes of the city of Lynchburg. He entered the Virginia Military Institute as a cadet in July, 1845, and graduated with great distinction, July 4, 1848. His eminent qualifications as a scholar and a soldier led to his immediate appointment as assistant professor in the Institute, and he discharged the duties of this position with the highest credit until July, 1851, when he resigned, to enter the profession of civil engineering.

In this new field he soon rose to distinction and, having removed to Alabama, he was appointed the chief-engineer of the Great Northeastern and Southwestern railroad, connecting New Orleans with Tuscaloosa,

When the State of Louisiana was about to organize the Military Academy at Alexandria, the name of Rodes was presented to the Board of Visitors, without his knowledge, for the position of Superintendent of that Institution. The uncertainty of his acceptance of the appointment, and other considerations, led to the selection of the now notorious Maj.-Gen. Wm. T. Sherman.

In 1859, the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute, in the organization of the school of Applied Science, divided the Chair of Natural Philosophy, then occupied by "Stonewall"