The 18th passed quietly away, and that night Lee silently withdrew from his position and retreated across the Potomac. He retired up the valley to Winchester. The Federal army moved to the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, and did not cross the Potomac until the 2d of November.

Upon entering Virginia General McClellan moved towards the Rappahannock with the design of interposing his army between Lee and Richmond. General Lee at once left the valley where he had been detained by the necessity of watching McClellan, and by a rapid march to Warrenton placed his army between Richmond and McClellan. The Federal army continuing to advance, he fell back to Culpepper Courthouse, and McClellan moved forward to the vicinity of Warrenton. On the 7th of November, when about to resume his advance, McClellan, whose conduct of the campaign had not pleased either President Lincoln or the people of the north, was removed from the command of the army of the Potomac, which was conferred upon

General Ambrose E. Burnside.

Burnside at once advanced to the banks of the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg, intending to pass the river at that place and move upon Richmond. Upon his arrival at Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, he found the Confederate army strongly posted on the heights in the rear of the latter place, prepared to dispute his advance, He crossed the Rappahannock on the 11th and 12th of December,

and on the 13th attacked the Confederate posi- MAJ.-GEN. A. E. BURNSIDE. tion, which had been strongly intrenched. He

was repulsed with a loss of eleven thousand men, and compelled to retreat across the Rappahannock. This terrible reverse greatly disheartened the army of the Potomac, and destroyed its faith in its commander; and so the year closed gloomily for the Union cause in the east.

In the fall of 1862 President Lincoln took the bold step of issuing a proclamation announcing that if the seceded States did not return to their allegiance to the Union he would declare all the negro slaves within their limits free from the 1st of January next. This proclamation was issued on the 22d of September, immediately after the battle of Antietam. The army and navy of the United States were to enforce the terms of this proclamation, and from the new year there was to be no more slavery within the limits of the Union. The proclamation was avowedly a war measure, but it was sustained by Congress by appropriate legislation during the ensuing winter.

When the year 1862 closed the Federal government, in spite of its re verses in Virginia, had great cause for hope. It had effected lodgments of its forces at important points on the southern coast, had captured New Orleans, the largest and wealthiest city of the south, and had opened the Mississippi as far as Vicksburg. West Tennessee, Kentucky and northern Missouri were overrun and held by the Union forces. A decided gain had been made, and there was reason to hope that the next year would bring more favorable results. The Confederates were greatly elated, however, by their succesess in the east, which they regarded as counterbalancing their disasters in the west, and were more than ever resolved to continue the war "to the bitter end."

1

CHAPTER XLII.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN THE CIVIL WAR

CONCLUDED.

The Emancipation Proclamation-Battle of Chancellorsville-Death of Stonewall Jackson -Invasion of the North by Lee's Army-Battle of Gettysburg-Retreat of Lee into Virginia-Grant's Army crosses the Mississippi-Battle of Champion Hills-Investment of Vicksburg-Surrender of Vicksburg and Port Hudson-Battle of Chickamauga— Rosecrans shut up in Chattanooga-Grant in command of the Western Armies-Battles of Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge-Defeat of Bragg's Army-The Campaign in East Tennessee-Retreat of Longstreet-Capture of Galveston-Attack on CharlestonCapture of Fort Wagner-Charleston Bombarded-State of Affairs in the Spring of 1864 -The Red River Expedition-Grant made Lieutenant-General-Advance of the Army of the Potomac-Battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and Cold Harbor-Sheridan's Raid-Death of General J. E. B. Stuart-Battle of New Market-Early sent into the Valley of Virginia-Butler's Army at Bermuda Hundreds-Grant crosses the James River-The Siege of Petersburg begun-Early's Raid upon Washington-Sheridan defeats Early at Winchester and Fisher's Hill-Battle of Cedar Creek-The final Defeat of Early's Army-Sherman's Advance to Atlanta-Johnston removed-Defeat of Hood before Atlanta-Evacuation of Atlanta-Hood's Invasion of Tennessee-Battle of Franklin-Siege of Nashville-Hood defeated at Nashville-His Retreat-Sherman's "March to the Sea"-Capture of Savannah-Battle of Mobile Bay-Attack on Fort Fisher-The Confederate Cruisers-Sinking of the "Alabama" by the "Kearsarge "Re-election of President Lincoln-Admission of Nevada into the Union-The Hampton Roads Peace Conference-Capture of Fort Fisher-Occupation of Wilmington-Sherman advances through South Carolina-Evacuation of Charleston-Battles of Averasboro' and Bentonville-Sherman at Goldsboro'-Critical situation of Lee's Army— Attack on Fort Steadman-Sheridan joins Grant-Advance of Grant's Army-Battle of Five Forks-Attack on Petersburg-Evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg-Retreat of Lee's Army-Richmond occupied-SURRENDER of General Lee's Army-Rejoicings in the North-Assassination of President Lincoln-Death of Booth-Execution of the Conspirators-Johnston Surrenders-Surrender of the other Confederate Forces-Capture of Jefferson Davis-Close of the War.

N accordance with his proclamation of September 22, 1862, President Lincoln, on the 1st of January, 1863, issued his proclamation of emancipation, in which he declared all the slaves within the limits of the Confederate States free from that day.

The plan of campaign adopted by the Federal government for 1863 was very much like that of the previous year. In the east the army of the Potomac was to push forward towards Richmond; and in

the west the army of General Grant was to capture Vicksburg, and thus open the Mississippi, after which it was to march eastward, unite with the forces of General Rosecrans and occupy East Tennessee, thus cutting the communication between the Border and the Gulf States. In addition to these operations an expedition against Charleston, South Carolina, was to be attempted.

The army of the Potomac was greatly disheartened by its defeat at Fredericksburg, and had lost confidence in General Burnside. That commander, at his own request, was removed from the command, and was succeeded by General Joseph Hooker on the 25th of January. Hooker at once began the reorganization of his army, and soon brought it to a splendid state of efficiency. By the opening of the spring it numbered one hundred and twenty thousand men and four hundred pieces of artillery. General Lee had remained in his position back of Fredericksburg all winter, and his army had been weakened by the withdrawal of General Longstreet's corps, twenty-four thousand strong, by the Confederate government, leaving him about fifty thousand men.

General Hooker, upon learning of Lee's weakened condition, determined to attack him. He divided his army into two columns. One of these, consisting of the Second, Fifth, Eleventh, and Twelfth army corps, under his own command, was to cross the Rappahannock above Fredericksburg and turn the Confederate position. The other column, consisting of the First, Third, and Sixth corps, under General Sedgwick, was to cross the river at Fredericksburg and attack the heights. Between these forces it was believed that Lee's army would be crushed. On the 27th of April Hooker moved off with the first column, crossed the river on the 28th and 29th at Kelley's ford, and on the 30th took position at Chancellorsville, on the left and in the rear of Lee's fortified line. On the 29th General Sedgwick crossed his column about three miles below Fredericksburg, and during that day and the 30th made demonstrations as though he intended to assault the southern position in the rear of the town.

General Lee's situation was now critical, and demanded the most extraordinary exertions of him. Leaving a small force to hold the heights in the rear of Fredericksburg, he moved with his main body towards Chancellorsville, where Hooker had intrenched himself with about eighty thousand men. His only hope of safety lay in defeating this force before Sedgwick's column could arrive to its assistance. On the 2d of May he

sent Jackson's corps to turn the Federal right, and with the remainder of his force deceived Hooker into the belief that he meant to storm the intrenched position of the Federal army. Jackson performed his flank march with success, and on the afternoon of the 2d of May made a fierce attack upon the Federal right, and drove it in upon its centre. In this attack he received a mortal wound, of which he died on the 10th of May. The next day, the 3d, having reunited Jackson's corps with his main force, Lee attacked Hooker at Chancellorsville, and drove him back to the junction of the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers. He was preparing to storm this new position when he learned that Sedgwick had defeated the force left to hold the heights of Fredericksburg on the 3d of May, and was marching against him. His danger was now greater than ever. Leaving a part of his army to hold Hooker in check, he marched rapidly to meet Sedgwick. He encountered him at Salem heights on the 4th of May, and compelled him to recross the Rappahannock at Banks' ford. Then moving back towards

Hooker's position Lee prepared to storm it. General Hooker, however, disheartened by Sedgwick's defeat, withdrew his army across the Rappahannock on the night of the 5th, and returned to his old position on the north side of that stream, having lost twelve thousand men and fourteen pieces of artillery in the battle of Chancellorsville. The Confederate loss was also heavy. Out of an army of about fifty thousand men, ten thousand two hundred and eighty-one were killed, wounded and captured. The victory was dearly bought by the Confederates by the death of Stonewall Jackson, who was worth fully fifty thousand men to their cause. At the moment of his success against the Federal right, he was shot down by his own men, who mistook his escort for a party of Federal cavalry.

The success of the Confederates in Virginia was more than counterbalanced by their reverses in the west and southwest. The southern gov ernment, anxious to change the course of the war by a bold stroke, decided to follow up the victory at Chancellorsville by an invasion of the north by Lee's army. This army was reinforced heavily, and by the last of May numbered seventy thousand infantry and artillery, and ten thousand cavalry. General Hooker's army on the other hand had been reduced by desertions and expirations of enlistments to about eighty thousand men, making the two forces about equal.

On the 3d of June, 1863, Lee began his forward movement, and