The Washington herald., 1914-06-12
CLASSIFIED
WANT ADS
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
Jun. r. lssCsa Grant Withdrew His Army from The Tenehe Cold
Harbss Near Rchnoad and Started Flank March Past
Less Psi6eu with he Object Of Crossing the James River

Il (written expressly for
/ Fifty years ago today Gen. Grant with
drew his army from the trenches at Cold
Harbor. near Richmond. where for nine
days It had been, facing the fortified lines
Of Gen. Lee. and started 1t on q nanh
march past Lees position. with the OBJ.
Ject Of crossing the James River and
cutting of the Confederate capitals rail-
road connections with the South
The removal Of the army to its new
neld of operations ranks among the bril-
liant accomplishments Of its kind in the
war. All the details were arranged b!
\ Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the
Army Of the Potomac under Grant, and
Gen Meade's highly efiicient chief OF
STAFF, Gen. A. A. Humphreys. The stra-
tegy Of the movement was Gen. Grants
who indicated how the various corps OF
the great force, numbering 1l5,ooo, should
be moved In q manner to mystify the
Confederates.
The movement began at night and un.
der cover OF darkness the great army.
which would have formed column
twenty-one miles long had the men
marched two abreast. disappeared silent
iy and completely from positions In som<
places only fifty yards from the Con-
federste intrenchments. Pickets were left
to allay suspicion, and toward morning
these quietly withdrew. leaving the
miles Of strong works that the Federals
had occupied for nine days empty and
silent.
Plans for the withdrawal had been
progressing for a week. In fact, orders
for assembling pontoon boats on the
James River. for the bridges for the
army's use in crossing. had been given
before the army reached Cold Harbor.
To protect the army IL 1t should be at
tackled when starting to retire. Gen.
Grant had caused line of works to be
built some distance in the rear of the
advanced line. The purpose of building
these works had puzzled the soldiers who
labored on them.
No alarm being raised as the army
withdrew, the march was taken up ex-
actly as ordered. A cavalry division
first advanced. riding to the site Of Long
Bridgs on the Chickahominy River. ten
miles below Gen. Lees position Here
the cavalrymen waded the muddy bed
OF the stream, drove OF a few Confed-
toon bridge, by which the infantry OF the
Fifth Corps began crossing the river.
Once over, this corps was to push out
On the roads to Richmond. as II to
march on the Confederate capital
The purpose Of this movement was to
screen the passing OF the rest of the
army. which was destined for Wilcox
Landing. on the James River. ten miles
below City Point. The army must march
fifty miles to reach its objective point,
Petersburg, beyond the James.
The 18th Corps, which had been with
the army at Cold Harbor, was started
back to the James. from which It had
come, by transports from White House,
on the Pamunkey River. This corps
made a fast night march OF twelve miles
to its boats at White House, moving
without guns or wagons, which were
started with the rest OF the army on the
march TO the James.
Following Original Plan.
The march of Grants Army away from
called overland campaign against Rich
mond a campaign that had witnessed the
bloodiest continuous fighting In the his
tory OF modern times.
Grant had set out with 116,ooo effective
men. and had lost in forty days d,s2S. as
follows: Killed. 7.S21: wounded. IS. s.s39;
captured or missing. S,ses. The sick sent
back numbered about 5000. The losses
had been made good by reinforcements.
What Gen. Lees losses had been con-
not be learned. He had set out with
about 5000 electives. He had received
I, 900 re-enforcements. He probably lost
between 5000 and $4,000.
At Cold Harbor on June 3 Grant had
ordered an assault upon Lees works that
,ost him 1900 men and brought no COM |
result. This had shown him fur |
her attempts at crushing Lee by attack |
ng him in intrenched positions would in
erfere with the execution of his original |
olar of campaign.
Before starting from the Rapidan River /
amps on May 4 Grant had foreseen the
possibility Of Lees making an immov-
Ible stand outside of Richmond, and had |
provided a means of meeting 1t by NOV
ng around him and crossing the James.
This was not an alternative movement.
tut his original plan of campaign-a fact
lot generally understood The alternative
would have been to follow Lee to the in
of Richmond had he retired
o them. Grant feared that Lee might do
his-groIndlessly, as events proved-and
lis strategy and tactics in the campaign
lad been directed to the object Of pre-
enting him from doing it. Grant wished
o crush Lee in the open either in direct
attic, or by getting between him and
richmond, cutting him of from his sup
lies and reducing him to surrender
Lees generalship had rendered either of
he objects unattainable. He had placed
rant at disadvantage in each of their
attles-in the Wilderness by fighting
i'm in a tangle of swamp and forest with
Thich he was familiar and Grant was
OF; at spottsylvania by intrenchipg In a
trong position before Grant could get
is army up for battle; at the North
Inna River twenty-five miles from Rich
1ond. and again at Cold Harbor in the
anne way.