The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-06-25
CIVIL WAR GENERALS
FEW OF THE OLD COMMANDERS
NOW LIVING.
Ranks of the Union Leaders Thinning
-Interesting Anecdotes Recalled by
General "Baldy" Smith's Death


.ional history than the bulletins which
announce from day to day the death of
the men who figured prominently in
the command of our army during the
civil war. The three chief commanders
long since passed away. and since their
deaths the ranks of the men who ac-
lively upheld the Union have been
thinning with steadily increasing ra-
pidity The deaths of General Benja-
min +. Butler. General Franklin and
among the last Of the men who inaugu-
rated and conducted separate CAM
paigns. There are now living but four
teen major generals who held that rank
during the civil war, and Of these only
one or two ever commanded independ-
ent divisions or corps. As these figures
pass from the scene of present day af-
fairs many contrasts between the way
In which they met and solved the prob
lens of their. day, and the methods
followed at the present time are pre-
sented Much of the picturesqueness
of civil war times has disappeared In
our ordinary life. and this Is even truer
In the case of our military and naval
establishments. For instance, In con-
nection with the death of General
Smith, "Baldy" Smith he was always
called by his intimates, ii will be pleas
ant to recall as Il key to the mans
character the courage and resOurceful-
ness with lie conducted his campaign
with the Army of the Potomac in the
action leading up to the attack OH
Richmond. No more picturesque incl
dent stands out from the history of the
civil war. Smiths command was =
movable column consisting Of 5000
infantry, sixteen pieces of artillery and
a squadron of cavalry, and he was Or
dered to join the Army of the Potomac.
On June 1 he took up position near
Cold Spring Harbor, engaged the enc
my for nine days. and on the four
teenth retired to Bermuda Hundred.
The next day he was ordered to attack
Petersburg. and that night moved for
ward, meeting the enemy early next
morning. Some rifle pits were cap
tured. and Smith formed lines in front
Of the Notifications of Petersburg.
Acting as His Own Scout.
The enemy's artillery was strong and
well served, and Smith could not bring
up his own guns. He had no engineer
officer to make a reconnaissance Of the
enemy's line to discover its weak
points, aid so Badly" Smith became
his own scout, crawling on his hands
and knees for two hours. He c0axed
his men forward. in small bodies, grad
ually getting his guns into position,
and in this way they fought until
o'clock in the evening, when general
assault was ordered. Two hours later
the principal Notifications to the key
Of the confederacy We're TAKEN. Smith
lost 750 men in round numbers, 500 Of
whom were negroes. He took sixteen
guns, six being captured by the black
troops, who fought gallantly. Ham
cocks troops had been ordered to OPP
crate with Smith at this battle, but the
were defective and the
corps was delayed. Smith always be-
lieyed that the defective Instructions
were given to embarrass him.
OF General Smith General Grant once
is obstinate, and is likely to condemn
is not suggested by himself"
He was not averse to criticising his SUI
periOrs in command, and this fact did
not add to his popularity In certain
quarters. He was fighter, not
diplomat, and as result his career
during the war was stormy one.
1t was in the Virginia peninsular
that his real active service
began, and out of which there arose
the famous controversy which was
ended but three years ago. After the
battle of Chickamauga, >On September
u. 1868, General ROsecrans drew ND
his army near the southern side of
Tenn, The railroad cOn-
Meeting Chattanooga with Bridgeport,
which formed the then only available
base of supplies from the north, left
the city. crossed Chattanooga creek
near its mouth, followed the river
closely 10 the north end of Lookout
Mountain, passed through tunnel and
then debouched into the northern end
Of Lookout valley. All passes in the
were abandoned, for the
Union line was behind CHATTANOOGA
.raal- anl ,nI-o,,t ,-alI,,.
Around Chattanooga.
General ROSencranS, in command at
Chattanooga. was in a dangerous. pO-
sition, and the condition of his army,
shut off as it was from its base, was
described by General Grant in his
Memoirs as follows:
This country afforded but little food
'Or his (ROsecranso animals. nearly
10000 of which had already starved.
md not enough We're left to draw Il
single piece of artillery, or even ambu-
ances to convey the sick. The men
lad been on half ratiOns Of hard bread
'or considerable time, with but few
,ther supplies except beef from Nash
iNiosS lie region
,lOng the road became so exhausted of
'OOd for cattle that by the time they
cached Chattanooga they were much
II the condition of the few animals left |
llive there. Indeed. the beef was so
DOOR that the soldiers were i'm the habit |
If saying with a faint facetiousness
hat they We're living .on half rations |
If hard bread and beef dried on the |
IOOf''
Grant arrived at Chattanooga on Oc- /
eber 2i, and the next day General |
smith, who was then chief engineer of |
lie Army of the Cumberland. with the |
commander In chief reconnOitered the |
position which the former said he had |
discovered at the mouth of. Lookout |
'alley. General Smiths plan was to |
surprise the enemy, seize the hills !
'Outh of the Tennessee river at |
Browns Ferry. build a pontoon bridge,
'ecover the lines Of communication and |
gain control of the river. General |
,raut nova his sanction oud ,lap,tod |