Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-15

Nv 4 lie DOllilu
down the river on the 9Th. having learn
ed only that the Confederates were
alert 10 check any demonstrations
against the capital Below Dutch Gap.
while the Sangamon. which was lead
ing. entered one Of the long reaches
peculiar to the james. she was 1red
upon by n masked shore battery. hid
den by thickets and supported by In
fantry.
Both the monitor and the Barney re-
turned the fire. but the ferryboat was
quickly disabled by a shot through her
boiler She drifted ashore and wRs
taken In tow by the Cohnsset. Soon
the dotilla entered another reach and
was fred upon from n juttins point as
before. After feebly replying the flo
tilla steamed downward again. the
Barney having been literally peppered
with musket balls and bearing more
than thirty wounds from round shot in
her hull and upper works.
With the channel planted with tor.
pedoes and well protected heavy guns
on shore the Confederates could con-
troll the james against an ordinary
naval outfit. The torpedoes were han
died by an expert. Lieutenant Hunter
Davidson. His success in exploding
one under the Barney was not an iso-
lated case. He had done as well be-
fore and repeated the feat many times
before the war closed.
Farreaching Fejeral Plans.
The Federal plans under considera-
ton in August. 1853. were farreaching
Southern invasion Of the north had
been effectually checked IN the sum-
mer campaigns. The fall of Vicksburg
and Port Hudson had opened the Mis-
sissippi river TO the sen. The northern
boundary Of the Confederacy was the
Rappahannock line from the Blue
Ridge 10 the Chesapeake and the Ten
nessee line. stretching also from the
Blue Ridge westward to the Missis.
sippi
Grant was at Yicksburg with
powerful army. He wanted to move
his force down the river by steamboat.
unite with the Army or the Gulf. com.
mnnded by General n. z. Banks. and
operate against Mobile He thought the
operations against the city on the gulf
would weaken the Confederate defense
Of the Tennessee river line, where
General Bruxton Bragg had taken up
u strong position around Chattanooga
Bragg depended upon the region be-
tween Chattanooga and Mobile for
army supplies.
The Mobile plan was overruled in
Washington. and Grant was called
upon within n few days to send three
corps from his army TO other points
About this time rumor stated that
Grant was TO supersede General
George G. Meade Mt the head of the
Army OF the Potomac. Meade. on his
part. had fixed upon 2 plan to attack
Lees army in its positions along the
Rapidan and around Gordonsville.
This was q revival Of the movement
General Mcclellan had entered upon
when he was removed from command
in November. 1862
After spanning the Rappahannock
above Fredericksburg with two pom.
toon bridges and u railroad bridge
Meade pushed bis advance to and be-
yond Rnpidan. even forcing the Con.
federates 10 give up Culpeper Court
House. point of strategic value. His
plan had for its ultimate object a
march to Richmond. II had the ap-
prevail Of military reviewers as being
better than again attacking Freder-
icksburg. which stood across his path
10 Richmond. but had twice been the
scene of Federal disaster. Both Burn.
side aud Hooker had failed there, the
FIRST In a direct attack. the latter in
a flank movement. ending at Chancel.
louisville.
Chattanooga the New Center.
1t was for the Army Of the Cumber.
land to encompass the fall OF Chatta-
/ nooga as plans were developing this
time fifty years ago. Ii had once re.
pulsed. later defeated and still later
outwitted the army which had been
forced TO q last stand at Chattanooga
Its commander. General W. s. Rose
Grams. believed in strategy. where
fighting could be avoided and the end
accomplished without waste OF energy
and human life.
Chattanooga did not invite fighting
for an army coming at 1t from the
north. II could only be approached by
crossing the Tennessee. and the riyel
could only be approached By Rose
Grams army across mountain barriers
and through a sterile country. Rose
Grams decided to wait for corn to ripper
in central Tennessee before cuttins
loose from his supply base at Nash
/ vile. The delay consumed weeks FOL
the main army. but the cavalry scout
ed far southwark. 10 and even across
Z the Alabama border.
| Meanwhile wagon roads aud rail
roads were prepared 20 serve a genera
advance when corn was ripe. A lint
OF communication was opened as IA
I as Stevenson. Ala. and three route.
were adopted to carry the army owe
| the Cumberland mountains. TIE east