The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-05-13
Looking at Grants BattIe-Fields in
Virginia.


Harbor. 1t was no place at all--only
an old weather hlackened wooden house
with a porch and we'll in front, and q
sort Of open place opposite, where the
level roads forked-as il q wagon yard
or hitching- qnare. Some little distance
beyond tLis place was white shanty,
back on lane, kept by crippled man
"a mere hal'-house, two stories high,
with the sign, rs remember ii, OF New
Cold Harbor. Nothing else was In sight
but level fields, last year in lean corn,
and level woods bounding everything,
aud the old roads running back to White
Houses north 40 Bstiiesda Church and
along the left hank of the Chickahominy
from bridge to bridge. Here, however,
no Chickahominy vas to be seen. A liz
lie ahead, at Gaine's Mill, the swampy
river was visible, and Richmond almost
in sight beyond il. Everything was still
around the old tavern,a few contrabands
coming in, q amounted scout or two rid-.
ing past. 1t looked to he libel on hn-
man nature TO suspect that II l would
ride on . little distance somebody would
shoot me. m Is saR fl 4eea.f
GHOSTS OF COLD HARBoR. sa'
That night or the next the Command
ing Generals headquarters we're made
at old Cold Harbor. This name ! sus;-
pect was derived from sor. Of octd-
gonal cupola or harbor, built over the
windIass we'll of cool water before the
tavern and some large trees standing
around, spreading over the road, giving
cool harbor to teams aud teamsters who
had climbed up the steep red clay roads
after fording the Chickahnminy.
About Christmas, 1855, / rode to Cold
Harbor again from Richmond and my
buggy was met at every turn by rid pits,
lines of logs,old worm fences nearly bu.
| ried In earth, and ramparts of trees and
turf, as II gigantic ground moles had
been throwing up the world. could
make nothing Of it until Ireturned to
Richmond and was told: "After Nc
Clellan was defeated on the: approach,
Ger. Lee had his engineers survey the
whole region and throw up systematic
II plain, detenses,to be ready for another
army which would come as near. Grant
struck Cold Harbor and found the
ground prepared. He also intrenched
and the scars will never disappear from
the ground" ~ > i'F''.4 'a
In the battle, Of Mcclellan at and he.
fore Cold Harbor, the secession General
lost nearly 10 900 men killed and wound
ed, the Federal forces 4,500. 1t wal
Fridsy, June ~. Nearly two years af.
terward, on May 81, 1864, Sheridan, il
advance Of Grant, carried Cold Harbor
hv assault, it wss Immediately attacked
by Longstreet, but still held by Genera
Wright at loss OF 1000 men. lie,
then swung his army to cover the Chick
ahominy bridges, in precisely the same
position McClellan's General, Porter
had held in 1862. Here, on the g. ot
June, Grant assaulted the rebel line anG
lost 1000 men in an hour, the rebel'
about 5000. Ordered by Meade to at
tack again, every corps refused to stir
the men had too much intelligence to b.
murdered without chanc-.
| Thus the road side chap who had bull
q little tavern made it. the Tombstone ant
memorial Of nearly $4,000 killed ant
wounded mer. Cool Arbor was the ar
Dor vito. the cypress OF the expiring
Probably no battl, -neld in the world hat
so little Of real interest, but here was th'
last great struggle Of the rebellion, ,endet
where Mcclellan had begun to fght.-
Never again did the rebel army eDjo,
the general privilege OF murder.
TIE wEsTERN Boss.y $50
+ The overland campaign Of Gran
against Lee was marked by unintermi'
tent s,eadiness and confidence. BY Le
1t was met with clear tact and skill and
brave army. Grant soon wore dow
Lees idea that he must retreat, as al
other Federal commanders had done
, Meade falling back as far as Bull Rul
only the previous autumn. Unable I,
bea. Lee, tirant kept onward until at th
last, when he crossed the Chickahominy
Lee fell back to the defenses Of Rich
mond, believing that Grant meant to fol
low him there. Then, crossing th
James, Grant invested Petersburg.
But it is not only as the resident su
!, peryisory commander Of the Army Q
the Potomac that Grantis to be estims
ted. He was the Lieutenant Geners
over the whole continent. and put in mo
ttion the expedition that broke the heat
!. OF the South by burning the crops, d,
: stroying the mills and supplies, and car
ssIr,ing poverty TO the skuiking elemeu
which sacriiced their sons to save thei
negroes. War in the early campaig
: was political gsme-to fight just lii
tie, save life. and be elected the gres
Compromise President, thus leaving IA
future wars the miserable question
which had plagued our fathers.
The man who entered Virginia wit
! Meade's army, had the spirit with whic
secession began the war that he pr,
ferred to kill people and expected to 10.
:, men doing it, His commanders, man
of them very good, had been demora
ICED by jealousies and laying respons
:. bility on each other. Grant set the e,
ample of accusing nobody never tattlln,
wedding out the second-rates, and d
;. pending on his soldiers. He sent 81
= q cocksdoodles to Warrington, made
!. :, newspapers, and, reduced the corps
: : three, picking Hancock, Warren ar
!, Sedgwick. and reducing his person
- staff to Il men instead of Mcclellan
43.
Before this time public opinion cor
manded the armv. He commanded pu
ID lie opinion. Corps commanders b,
81 been afraid Of losing life on account
b. the great sweat and horror of the hon
'h party. Grant did not apologize for los
q e.. All but unknown in the East, sphin
le visaged, with no beautiful sentiments 9
TO tached to him and nobody to fear,
~ marched on where 70 finch would ha
in been pardonahle in any other man. T.
n. average commander would have 9
e, down and wept before Spottsylvania
IN Cold Harbor; Grant merely lit q Gig
s. and marched by the left flank. The ci,
,u Government was SO dependent on {,
re man aud the result that it played secol
in for ths frat time in the war Linen