, 1865-12-06
Grand aggregate. ......-...- go. ITO
The negregata aynilable force present for dnty
Nay j, 1864, was distributed In the different conn

66es45
Active military operations west OF the Missis-
sippi commenced In the month OF March, 1851 The
Concentrated under Gen. Kirby Smith, at Shtcve-
port, on The Red river. Against this force an expe-
aItion was undertaken ~ Haj. Gen. Banks, with =
with By troops nom The department Of Arkansas,
under Gen. Steele and from the division Of Missls
s!pp, under Gen. A. J. Smith. and also large M
~ force under Admita ro5ss Gsn ;B Banks with
March. Advancing thence toward Shreveport, .
seres Of disasiers commenced. that ended in the
allure Of ,he e5Ped,ion VIII a., hesyy loss Of men
subject OF d,cusston. not material to the present
report. Although BY this mlshap the enemy Sns
cnabied TO occupy the attention of large force
other fields. he was himself kept In check and him
Of the Mississippi.
Of May. By simnl.ancous movements the army Of
the Potomac crossed the 1iaptdaH, End City Point,
on the eouih elde Vt the james, wus ee1zcd and oc
By R I OF ths
him BY surprise. 1he army Of the Potomac WIS
asee1sa q Lss 1,my whis The S q Richmond
Minute defails OF the snheeauent campaigns are
glsen IN the aeeomPanylnc reports Of the Licntcn-
ant General md other distinguished commanders
80 that nothfnG more than q Clrsoy view Of the
m4ln results Is here required. .,
1Le antagonist hrn,ies Of Meade and Lea met in
conflict near Nine hen On the Sin day Of May.
by day ard night forced hack Tic rebel array from
tie Khpidan TO their fntreuchments around Rich
mond, and carried The army OF The Potomac to the
6Outh side Of the James river. The strength Of
sbe tnemy . ioscs Nhau the campaign opened, or
the extent Of his loss. /. not known 10 this depart
Ecntt AZ inequality q nnmlers between Lees
Dcnsaled by the advantage Of position Kesolute
Plse ri despefale .alor VIE az ih,tcd Cd both
vsiIa cout House Je,eo Fosn MsTesp pc!ib.y bon
and Cold 1llTboE, many hrave snfdi-rI md gallant
SsS1s Rs1ShEsa g. sn AoHE s hen sna III so
wick. Lieut. Gen. Grant ia hts report oi.cryes:
'Ihc battles Of the Wilderness, 5potf.ylyanla,
oI,e an anu ons eyh se e2 9 ols
10 tic enemy, and 20 crippled him as TO make I'm
wary ever amer OF taking The offensive. His lo.se.
aa PF ssss not ~ se
vas a. u IL opsa anu Snsn a
ALTHOUGH expectations Or DESTROYING Lees amy,
burg, were disappointed, md the enemy had found
refuge behind impsecnable Notifications, the e1n-
pagn vas Sun prosecuted with 4eis5mlned @ pr; ~;
nrnY was sheltered behind his fntrenchments the
national forces were busy At work outside strclsh-
eninr and ndyanein: the1r position, breaking ihe
destroying bis supplies narrowing his limits, h1r-
Essiue him By raids, md occupying his nttention
10 prev ept Qet4tCnmeAt4 OF fe-eniQlCEme1t4 Oe1NE
tent to operate els eNhete.
Active operations were nlo going On 10 tue val-
ler Of the Sheuandpah. On the frat Of May an e.
petition. under Geps. Crook and AveH!l, was tent
accomplished the destruction Of much rebel prop
cry. Gen. SIeci advanced, on the 6th day Of May,
with his force. from Winchester to New Market,
rtsr be was deieased and iel back to Cedar Creek.
Gen, Hunter was then placed IN command Of the
Department., lie marehed With strong force to-
Piedmont defeated The enemy with severe loss. Ad.
SaIesng to stannfun, be was Joined there by Crook
and A1eIin, and moved against Lynehbuig. Re
enforcements from the enemy having arrived before
him, Gen. Hunter retlred by way Of tho Khnasha.
Meanwhile, n order 70 repair ihs 1o,ses o. the
designed to guard the Middle Department and the
The 'front.' Taking advantage Of this state Of afa8re,
IN the absence of Gen. unntez'e command,
the enemy made large detachment from
Cen. Eaf1y, moved down .nc Shenandoah valley,
threatening. Baltimore and Washington. Their nd.
vnncc was checked at Nonocacy, where severe en-
sas Gas pa o4 SHpi p az Snaer
der Gen. Ricketts,, Amer this battle The enemy
continued 10 adyanee until they reached intrench:
%srs n,o91a m w. ~ % hy wefs Ms
Ing Of ,ac 9Th corps, undcz zen. Wright, part oi
the 18th corps, inst asrlged from New Or, Or,
,
troops the enemy Merc driven back nom Washing:
ton, md retrenled hastfly to Vtrgtnia pursued BY
our forces under Gen. Wright.
placed in command Of he military division com.
prising ihs department Of Washington, the depart-
great battles, at The cross1nelof Tho 0pequan the
18th Of September, and 1t Fi.her's Hill on the I'D
OF September, The rebel army under Early Wis
routed md driven from The valley with lmmense
loss ofprsoners, artillery, and storcs desperate
effort was made By the enemy TO recover thelr posi-
ton. Early was strongly REINFORCED, and on the
Gen. Sheridan, bis lines wers surprised, hls posi-
tion turned, and his forces driven back In cnnfu
tton. AT the moment when great Disaster I'M
hndn ae H.
The routed forces Of the enemy were pursued II
Mount jackson, where he arrived without an or
Canned 5e:iment Of hia aIny Al big artillery ans
These successes closed military operations in TIT
Shenandoah valley, and rebel force appeared thers
Mi. Gen. William i, sbe.mnn began Tho br1lI.an
jecttve point was Atlanta. To reach that polnt hi
armies must pass from the northern limit 10 tn
centre Of The great State Of Geon.ia forcing then
way through mountain defles and across great rfv
erp. overcoming or turning formidable intrenchet
positions defended BY strong, wellappoioted vet
skilful General. The campaign opened on the GU
day Of May, and On the I'd day Of September th
natioral forces entered Atlanta. This achievement
ts tins described in Gen. Shernau'a Field Orde
ssf}n thc br1t of Nav onr ar,nir, were Ivinr I,
rsrriton seemingly nnfft nom KnoxyiIle to UTnts
1TiIIe ana nnr enfr5y Inv hehind his roefr-face1
harrier | ~ nnIton nr1nt den,nt md exnifi1;o' m
had had lime sints Ch1fstmas 10 recover nom hi
| iiscomitune on tie Wissfon Ridre. with his rsrk
filed and new commander -ln-chief, aud second I!
sarsctty and extren1e popularitT. All ut once on
arries assumed llfc snd 1ctfon and appeared kefor
Dalton. Threatening Rocky Face Ne threw on,
| selyes mon Reeacas and tke rebel army pnlr e.
nume1o1s roads viii which be was fsmillar, m
5hlch we're strance to rs. Aeain he took pos,
AlIatoona, but We gave him no rest, and, by on
ctfcuit towards Dallas and Subsequent movemen
to ACworth, we gained the Aliatoona Pase. The