The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-27
FIGHTING THEIR BATTLES DER.
ARMY OF THE LANES

The New York Sun of the 22d inst. con-
tains the following account of the late re-
union of the Army of the James: Con-
spicuoOs a. the third triennial reunion of /
the Society of the Army of the James in |
the Union Leage Theater yesterday |
were Gen. Joseph r.. Hawley, Gen. b. +. |
Butler. Gen. Ingalls,, Gen. Morgan, Gen. |
Terrell, cen Graham, Gen. Duncan. Gen.
Goff, Gen. shaw, Gen. Kidtioo. Gen. Alden 1
Gen. Serrell. Col. Howell, Col. Kilburn /
Knox, Major kesselourg, MsjoE Jackson,
Capt. Freeborn, Gen. w. S. Hancock. /
Admiral Rowan, and DIR. J. g. Hol- |
land. After glowing welcoming ad- |
dress BY Gen. Joseph G.. Hawley, |
the Rev. w. ii. Thomas, late chaplain |
OF the Fourth New Hampshire volunteers, |
offered up the opening prayer, and Gen.
Hawley introduced Gen. Butler. Gen. But
Ter traced the history of the Army of the |
James from the organization, in April, 1864. |
down to the end of the operations before /
Richmond. The plan OF the campaign, he |
said, was 20 cross the Rapidan, pressing
Lees forces in front; the Army of the Po-
tomac, operating toward the right flank, /
turning Lse's LETT, should drive him bac k, 1
extend itselfto the right, and march around |
Richmond, and establish itself with its |
right flank resting on the north bank of
the James above the rebel capi- |
tai, its left resting on the |
swamps of the Chickahominy, while |
the Army of the James should ascend the |
river from the Chesapeake by a surprise
movement, If possible, seize City Point and
The peninsula lying between the Appomat-
tox and the James, aud throw itself above
and around Richmond, SO as to effect a
junction on the south bank with the Army
of the Potomac above Richmond, thereby
scOOping its capital out of the confederscy,
and holding the armies of Lee imprisoned
within the belt of the armies OF the Union.
a -
would be seige of Richmond, it's supplies
| from the south cut off by its development,
| and the glories and successes of the cam.
paign of Vicksburg re-enacted.
WAITING FOR ORDERS.
The Army of the James in its rendezvous
around Fort Monroe awaited the telegraphic
announcement that Grant had crossed the
Rapidan. It came in the evening of the 4Lh
| of May. BY the next morning the army was
| embarked, and as the sun rose the order to
march was given, and that army, larger
than any army of British troops that
England has ever put into battle at one
time. waS afloat, with their supplies, their
no. ses, their provisions, advancing upon the
enemy's capital, at the regulated speed of
| six miles an hour, each vessel, each barge,
| each tug IN its place Obi il was glorious
| sight, as you, my comrades, remember, as
all of us looked upon it. Nothing like it in
ever seen before. The advancing squadron
pauses moment to seize with regiment
upon the strategic point known as Fort
| POwhattan. At O'Clock in the afternoon,
passing the ships OF the navy, one division
| seized City Point without the loss of a man:
and before o'clock that evening 10000
picked Union soldiers were disembarked at
Bermuda Hundred, and the success of
the expedition was assured and the
surprise so complete that it was not
1 a. -. L. ~s&s
at Richmond had any notice of our approach
or even intention TO come. The line occu-
pied from the James to the Appomattox was
fortified, after which we marched upon .he
Petersburg Il Richmond railway, destroyed
it, cutting off Richmond's supplies from the
South. Demonstrations were made upon
Petersburg, but that place had been rein
forced by Beauregard, and the assaults were
discontinued. Within the next five days
the enemy was driven into the Richmond
forti6cstions, and that city was enveloped.
But the night OF the 18th, the cavalry of the
Army of the Potomac came TO Turkey Bend,
opposite City Point, and Gen. Sheridan re-
| ported that he had been sent to cut off the
Communications of the enemy and destroy
his supplies at Brandy Station, and that the
| Army of the Potomac was marching by its
| left flank, which would thus effect juno
! ton with the Army of the James at City
Point. The first plan of the compaign being
then apparently abandoned, in the abSenca
of furtner instructions, there remained
nothing for the Army of the James but to
return TO their line of entrenchments, and
+, so strengthen our 70 tificstions as
} to render the peninsula of Bermuda
! Hundred safe depot of supplies and base
for the future operations of the conjoined
, armies OF the Potomac and the James. This
was done. and on the 2lst the enemy at
tempted, in strong force, and with great de-
termination, to force our lines, then but par
TALLY completed. In the attempt, after a
} severe and protracted struggle, he was foiled
} and every exertion was made to COM
} plete the fertilization of the peninsula. Ac-
cording TO orders received May %, 1900
picked men were sent to reinforce the
} army of the Potomac ct Cold Harbor. They
} returned June II less than II 900 strong.
DUTCH GAP CANAL.
1 now come to what has always been OBJ
jected against the operations of the Army of
the James as useless and futile, but which,
when the facts are known and understood,
as they really are in the light of history,
, will be seen to have been its most success
ful and brilliant undertaking. ] refer TO
, the cutoff known as Dutch Gap canal. 1t
, was demonstrated to the commanding gem
eraI of the armies of the United States and
, the chief engineer of the armies of the
United States that it was impossible
for the navy to aid the army in
our operations further up the river
than our rlgnC nank OF tne peninsula at
Bermuda Hundred. because of the want of
Sufficient depth of water around Trent's
, Reach. II not driven from their position,
the eneny's gnnboats above Trent's Reach
would give the same aid to him and drive
our forces back from the river. as our gun
boats below could give US. 1t was assumed
by the commanding general of the army
that if there was sufficient water to float
the gunh0ats of the United States
} they were more than able TO cope
with the enemy's gunboats and
drive them above Fort Darling.
and leave the bank of the river free for our
adyance. The river at Trents Reach makes
! sudden aEd very sharp bend and return
like a horseshoe, so that while the distance
around the circumference of tho shoe is
l GOV af =