Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late January 1862[/b]   Encouraging news reaches us from the far Southwest, where General Butler’s forces have routed the Confederates from Fayetteville and sent them retreating across hard lands in the dead of winter.  Dismissed by some as merely a political general, Butler has shown a surprising amount of ability, believed by some to be the equal of General Grant.  Speculation is ripe as to what will become of General Butler next – will he continue his campaign and drive on to Little Rock, or will he be summoned to another region for a more important command?[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Along the Atlantic seaboard comes reports of yet another success for our naval operations.  The division of General Negley has seized the Rebel harbor of Port Royal, South Carolina, strategically located between Charleston and Savannah.  Glorious is this news of the blow being struck so near the cradle of rebellion!!!  The port is now closed to Rebel commerce, although troubling reports are surfacing that large rebel forces under General Bragg are concentrating in Charleston, perhaps with the intent of driving General Negley back into the sea.  It is imperative that General-in-Chief Scott reinforce these men at once.  The Union, now having gained a toehold in the very birthplace of secession, must not withdraw!!![/font]
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[font="times new roman"]At sea, the scourge of Confederate pirates continues, with a new corsair joining the ranks of Semmes and Buchanan.  A rogue by the name of Hobart-Hampden set fire to several whaling oil ships, destroying their valuable cargo.  There is a clamor throughout New England for the something to be done about the Navy’s failure to hold these pirates at bay.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early February 1862[/b]   Reports have arrived at this publication indicating a major reshuffling of commands at the corps level.  General Rosecrans has been shifted from the Army of the Cumberland to the Army of the Tennessee, where he has assumed command of the XX Corps.  General Curtis remains in command of the XIII Corps, while General McClernand has been assigned exclusively to the task of training new recruits, a function he has demonstrated great aptitude for.  Also in the Army of the Cumberland, General Hamilton has been relieved of command of the Reserve Corps, which has been placed under the command of a newcomer, General William T. Sherman, and redesignated the XXIII Corps.  Replacing General Rosecrans in command of the IV Corps, Army of the Cumberland, is General George H. Thomas.  Many question the appointment of this Virginian to such an important command, as his loyalties may lie in doubt, but General Grant expresses supreme confidence in his new commanders, and this paper expects the aggressive Grant to not be idle long once spring arrives.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the east, General Heintzelman has been ordered to Port Royal, where his command absorbs the forces of General Negley, and has been designated the X Corps.  The X Corps has been reinforced to combat strength, fortifications constructed, and heavy guns deployed to control local waterways.  It is hoped that these deployments will block commerce in nearby rebel ports, depriving the Confederates of much needed supplies.  General McClellan continues to take advantage of the respite offered by poor weather to reorganize the Army of the Potomac.  General Baker’s command has been designated the III Corps, General Hunter’s the VI Corps, and upon the recommendation of General Butler and many in Congress, General Ambrose Burnside has been appointed to command the newly formed IX Corps.  McClellan’s spies have been busy scouting the Virginia countryside for the campaign that surely lies ahead, and no doubt he looks forward to hearing from the Pinkertons about enemy strength and dispositions.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late February 1862   [/b]We bring our readers some good news from the high seas this month, as the Confederate Raider Commodore Hobart-Hampden has been found and sunk by Union naval forces.  If only this good news were not offset by reports of the return of the Ghost of the Sea, Raphael Semmes, who has reappeared from whatever hive of villainy he was hiding in and took several merchant prizes.  We can only hope that our Navy, which was equal to the task of stopping the depredations of Hobart-Hampden, can finally put and end to the freebooting ways of Semmes.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Word comes from General McClellan spies in Northern Virginia that Albert Sidney Johnston, commander of the Rebel army there, has fallen grievously ill.  Johnston has had to resign his command, and is returning home for a period of convalescence to regain his health.  Reports from Richmond indicate that General Robert E. Lee, who had been serving as personal military advisor to Confederate President Davis, has been assigned a field command.  It is believed the Lee is likely to be the successor to Johnston.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Washington, General Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts has resigned his command of the Washington defenses.  Reportedly, Banks was greatly angered by the Lincoln Administration awarding prominent field commands to Generals Butler, Burnside, and Buell, while ignoring his obvious talents and abilities.  Banks has returned home to Massachusetts, where it is rumored he may be exploring his options for a return to politics and to agitate for the abolitionist cause.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early March 1862[/b]   While winter’s cold remains in the air, the first signs of spring, and a new campaign season, cannot be far away.  Our armies are quiet this month, with only organizational changes and continued drilling for the campaigns to come.  In the Army of the Potomac, 3 new corps have been formed.  The I Corps under Erasmus Keyes, the II Corps under Edwin Sumner, and the V Corps under Fitz-John Porter have all been formed up and are ready for combat.  General William B. Franklin takes over command of the Capital defenses in Washington.  Shipyards throughout the north also deliver dozens of new steam frigates this month, enough to equip several squadrons for blockade duty, or to hunt down the pirates Semmes and Buchanan.  A large fleet under the command of Admiral David Farragut was seen steaming out of New York, destination unknown.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the west, General Nathaniel Lyon has returned to the battle front, in command of the XXIV Corps of the Army of the Cumberland.  There are reports of several squadrons of gunboats forming up along the Ohio, under the command of Flag Officer Andrew Foote.  It can be surmised that they will be prepared to support whatever campaign plan Generals Grant and Buell have in mind. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Whether at sea or on land, all is quiet, and raw with anticipation.  However, this quiet can only be seen as a brief respite as major campaigns and battles await, perhaps even more devastating than the bloody struggle at Plum Springs last December.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late March 1861[/b]   How tiring it is indeed to have to report to our readers of yet again more victories by Raphael Semmes in his campaign of piracy on the high seas.  Even more discouraging than the failure of our naval squadrons to stop him, is the report that two more Confederate raiders are prowling the shipping lanes.  While they have not yet reportedly taken any prizes, their ships have been sighted by wary merchant captains.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Just as our forces have been, the Rebels are quiet, waiting for the weather to break and the campaigns of spring to begin.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early April 1862[/b]   The spring campaign in the West started with a riverine move down the Ohio by seven gunboat squadrons, under the command of Flag Officer Foote, to the works opposite Paducah.  The objective was to neutralize the gusn, so another squadron under Commodore Cooper could move further upriver into the Cumberland, and block communications between the rebel’s Army of Kentucky in Paducah and the rebel Army of Tennessee in Clarksville.  However, at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee, in the most one sided naval battle since Trafalgar, the Union Riverine navy was utterly destroyed.  All seven gunboat squadrons were either sunk or damaged by the Rebel heavy guns, and Flag Officer Foote was killed when a Confederate shell penetrated the boiler of his flagship USS Carondolet and the ship blew up.  Truly, Paducah is a veritable Gibraltar of the Mississippi, with literally hundreds of heavy guns lining the shore, and extensive fortifications throughout the region.  It boggles the imagination to think that the Rebels have the materiel to construct such a complex of fortresses, and even more incredibly, have the manufacturing ability to equip them all with hundreds upon hundreds of heavy guns.  It may very well be that the unless the Paducah fortress complex is breached by direct frontal attack, with accordant heavy losses, the Ohio and Mississippi shall never flow free, and the riverine craft of the Federal army will rot in their shipyards, as they dare not venture out to challenge the Rebel batteries.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Undeterred by this bloody setback, our brave Generals continued apace with their plan.  General Buell hurled the corps of Generals Rosecrans and Curtis across the Ohio into Paducah.  Sources at Buell’s headquarters tell us that this was primarily a diversionary attack, designed to keep defenders pinned down in Paducah while the main blow fell to the east, north of Nashville.  There, General Grant sent the entire Army of the Cumberland into motion.  The corps of Generals Hurlbut, Lyon, Sherman, and Thomas, supported by Sheridan’s cavalry, were sent against the main rebel force at Clarksville, while General Prentiss’s corps and a detachment of Kentucky volunteers under General Hamilton marched to Gallatin.  Grant’s orders were clear – by the end of the battles ahead, he expected to find no living rebels north of the Cumberland.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the east, General McClellan’s Army of the Potomac breaks from its winter encampments, marches along the Old National Road to Frederick, Maryland, then turns south to cross the Potomac into Virginia, using fords and ferries in the vicinity of Leesburg.  Five full corps, Keyes’ I Corps, Sumner’s II Corps, Hunter’s III Corps, Porter’s V Corps, and Burnside’s IX Corps, move through Leesburg, Virginia and array into line of battle south of the town. Baker’s VI Corps remains in reserve on the Maryland side of the Potomac, ready to cover an emergency retreat crossing should circumstances dictate. McClellan’s Pinkerton spies have informed him that the Rebel army between concentrated near Manassas, south of Leesburg, numbers nearly 200,000 men with over 750 field pieces.  However, McClellan is confident in his plan of battle, and believes his quick maneuvering of a hidden force will allow his outnumbered army to take the rebel host by surprise.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Meanwhile, observers in New York harbor witness the curious sight of several strange new warships slipping out of the harbor.  These bizarre craft sit low in the water, and are completely clad with iron plates.  Each features two mighty naval rifles, mounted in a turret.  The naval ensign of Fleet Admiral Samuel DuPont is spotted flying from a flagpole atop the lead vessel, which is reputed to be named the U.S.S. New Ironsides.  Several observers note that these craft appear to have the appearance of a ‘cheesebox on a raft’.  The purpose of these strange vessels is unknown, as is there destination.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]With the rebellion in its second year, and offensives underway on every front, President Lincoln has telegraphed the governors of every Northern state, requesting 500,000 more men under arms be entered into federal service in the next two months.  No doubt, many bloody battles lay ahead, and the butcher’s bill will be high. These men will be needed to replace those who find their fate on the field of battle.[/font]

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The offensive in the West begins. Both Buell and Grant have initiative. In Cairo, the remnants of the destroyed Union Riverine Fleet seek shelter. Buell sends two corps across the Ohio to pin down Rebel forces in Paducah, to keep them from reinforcing against Grant's primary attack. Grant's main body strikes the fort at Clarksville, TN hard, while Prentiss Corps and Hamilton's men strike towards Gallatin, to further stretch Rebel resources.

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In the east, McClellan with a 1 attack rating miraculously gets initative. His entire force is unspotted in Baltimore. They move to Frederick and cut south into Virginia. It is my hope that the element of surprise will compensate for poor commanders. Baker, with his large corps and 4 attack rating, is only rated 2 for INF, meaning he cant get his men across the river to join the others in the attack. Out in the Atlantic, DuPont's Fleet of Ironclads steams south, ready to begin the work of destroying Confederate coastal fortifications.

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late April 1862.  [/b]The scourge of the high seas has definitely returned with a vengeance.  Captain Semmes’ raider has attacked and destroyed several ships, and a Federal frigate sent to intercept him has been ambushed and damaged by Captain Huger, in his first combat action.  The losses at sea continue to demoralize the North, and reduce the import of war materiel and consumer goods from abroad.  With eight squadrons patrolling the Atlantic ineffective in reining in the attacks, this magazine wonders whether additional squadrons, new leadership, or both are required.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the east, the Army of the Potomac’s thrust into Virginia has come to ruin.  General McClellan, after massing five corps of his army south of Leesburg to attack Confederate positions along Goose Creek, managed to commit only a fraction of his men to battle on the first day.  McClellan blamed the piecemeal Northern attacks as the result of a cabal of disloyal officers ambitious to supplant him as army commander. These troops involved in battle took over 5000 casualties, largely from General Sumner’s and Porter’s corps, roughly equal to the Rebel side.  Generals Sumner and Porter distinguished themselves as outstanding leaders of men, but were sadly let down by their fellow commanders.  General Burnside in particular was reported to have delayed moving his corps forward for several hours, and when he final set his men in motion, only a few regiments were actually engaged before the fighting ended at sunset.  General McClellan gave orders that evening to prepare to resume the offensive the following day.  However, later that evening, the General was informed by his Pinkerton spies that a relief force of nearly 150,000 Confederates was nearing the field of battle.  With this news in hand, McClellan ordered a hasty retreat back across the Potomac.  Upon reaching safety on the Maryland shore, McClellan pronounced the campaign a victory, based upon the fact that he had managed to save the largest army of the Union from sure destruction at the hands of the Rebels.  Richmond newspapers portrayed a different version of the events of the battle, praising General Mansfield Lovell’s Army of Northern Virginia for skillfully beating back an attack against long odds, and pronouncing the Battle of Goose Creek to be a major strategic victory for the South.  Chasing the Union Army back across the Potomac, the Rebel cavalry of General Milledge Bonham then raided across the front range of the Blue Ridge, striking the Union depot at Harper’s Ferry, and tearing up the rail lines of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.  Such aggressive activity by the Rebels leads General McClellan to believe that a full scale invasion of the North by a massive Confederate Army is imminent. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the west, General Grant’ Army of the Cumberland battled mightily against the deeply entrenched Confederates of General Leonidas Polk’s Army of Tennessee.  Battles raged around the strategic town of Clarksville for three days.  With Grant’s Army on the verge of victory, a Confederate Corps under the leadership of General Crittenden suddenly materialized from across the Cumberland, striking Grant’s supply lines and wagon train, thus stopping his momentum. However, General Crittenden was severely wounded, and the lead division commander, General Gideon Pillow paid for the success of this attack with the loss of his life  With both sides eventually exhausted, Grant’s men retired in good order back to their bases at Bowling Green, to rest and refit.  When asked by our correspondent after the battle about what he had planned next, Grant replied that he intended to fight it out along this line if it takes all summer.  While such grim determination bodes well for future success, it also means that the surgeons and burial details will be busy for months to come.  Despite the fact that the Army of the Cumberland inflicted over 8000 casualties on the Rebels at the cost of less than 4000 of their own men, Southern papers are crediting General Polk with a strategic victory.  Grants’s second strike, the Corps of General Prentiss, was also repulsed by the superior numbers of General Holmes forces in Gallatin.  Southern papers hailed this action as a major victory, raising southern morale further.  While analysis of the campaign’s failure will take time, it appears that the basic concept was sound, and that it was the destruction of Foote’s naval forces, which had been intended to block the movement of Confederate reinforcements across the Cumberland River, which made the difference in this campaign.  If the Rebels had been unable to cross, the timely attack of Crittenden would not have taken place, and the outcome of the battle would have been much different.  Further west at Paducah, the attack by General Buell’s Army of the Tennessee was thrown back with heavy losses by General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Kentucky.  Once again, the huge preponderance of heavy guns and fortifications provided the Confederacy with a decisive edge.  While covering his brigade’s retreat, the gallant Colonel Dietzler was severely wounded, requiring the amputation of his right leg.  It is though the Colonel will survive, but surgeons expect his recovery to take as much as a year.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early May 1862[/b]   As the spring warmth reached the hills of northwest Arkansas, General Butler’s Army of the Southwest broke out of its encampment at Fayetteville, crossed the Arkansas River, and plunged deep into the Arkansas hill country, with the objective of capturing Fort Smith before driving on to the state capital in Little Rock.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Kentucky, Grant leads the Corps of Hurlbut and Lyon to clear Confederate forces out of the region of Glasgow, while leaving the majority of the Army of the Cumberland, temporarily under the command of General Sherman, at its camps south of Bowling Green to keep an eye on rebel activites.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the east, General McClellan blames the loss of supplies and rail damage from Confederate cavalry raids on General Baker, whose III Corps was assigned to guard the north bank of the Potomac during the drive into Virginia.  Baker is superceded in command by General Joseph Hooker, a man reputed to have important connections with Democratic politicians in Congress.  However, it is rumored that President Lincoln is quite unhappy with General McClellan.  General Baker is a personal friend of the President’s, and has reported to Lincoln that the real failure at the Battle of Goose Creek was that of General McClellan, who committed only part of his army in a piecemeal fashion, then beat a hasty retreat at the first sign of resistance.  Rumors are swirling around the capital that Lincoln has decreed that either McClellan succeed in advancing into Virginia and driving the Rebels from the doorstep of Washington, or perhaps a more aggressive commander will be found who will.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Good news is provided this month by the response to President Lincoln’s call for new men for the service.  Northern governors have gone all out and exceeded their quotas, dozens of new regiments have been formed, and the new recruits are being transported forward to training depots prior to transfer to the front.  The response is so large that some recruiting stations expect that next month will see a continued influx of volunteers.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late May 1862   [/b]Yet again, we must report of disaster on the seas for the Union cause.  No fewer than five separate Confederate pirate captains have struck this month, each one sinking merchant shipping and looting valuable supplies for the Rebels.  The deeds of these Southern sailors are causing a noticeable decline in morale and support for the war effort in many New England waterfront towns, who have seen their local merchant fleets decimated by the southern freebooters.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]The bad news on the high seas was tempered by word of two successful actions by our Federal forces on land.  In Arkansas, General Butler’s army captured Fort Smith, and is reported to be driving hard to the south towards Little Rock.  In Kentucky, the commands of Lyon and Hurlbut, under the personal supervision of General Grant, routed a small Confederate force under John Pemberton near the town of Glasgow.  The rebels were sent fleeing, unable to rally until south of the Tennessee border.  This victory at Glasgow, while small, now means that the entire state of Kentucky, save the mighty Confederate fortresses at Paducah, has been cleared of rebels.  It is hoped that these victories might soon inspire a loyalist Kentucky legislature to form, and declare its allegiance for the Union.  However, many local residents think that until such time as the mighty fortresses of Paducah are reduced,  there is little chance of such a pro-Union move

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, June 1862[/b]  The National Capital of Washington, DC is abuzz with news of President Lincoln’s General War Order #2, in which he has directed General McClellan to take his Army of the Potomac on the offensive back to Northern Virginia.  With this bold stroke, the President has made it clear to all that the Army of the Potomac is ‘Mr. Lincoln’s Army’ and not the personal bodyguard of General McClellan.  Accordingly, the Army of the Potomac splashed back across the fords near Leesburg, and headed south towards the key railroad town of Manassas Junction.  Somewhere near Manassas Junction, the Federal army is expected to collide with the Army of Northern Virginia.  Simultaneously, Lincoln orders General Cadwalader at Frederick, Md, and General Morgan, in Harper’s Ferry, to support the Army of the Potomac’s move by striking into the northern part of the resource rich Shenandoah Valley, near Winchester.  A third small detachment of cavalry under Col. Henry Davies moves from Huntington to the mountainous Monroe region of western Virginia, positioning itself to threaten the heart of the Confederate breadbasket in the southern Shenandoah Valley, near Lexington. Whispers in Washington, including some originating in the President’s cabinet, indicate that if McClellan does not enjoy success in this campaign, or if a victory is not followed up aggressively enough, it is very possible that there could be a change of command at the top of the Army of the Potomac.  Such a change would put the President in direct conflict with the Committee on the Conduct of the War in Congress, whose members are known to have close ties to McClellan.  It remains to be seen how the things will play out, but as one astute observer has remarked ‘the die is cast’.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the western theater, General Grant moves the corps of Hurlbut and Lyon back to the main camps of the Army of the Cumberland, concentrating his forces for an anticipated strike to the south.  In the mountains of Missouri, reports have reached us that the outriders of General Butler’s Army of the Southwest, the cavalry of General Sturgis, have scouted the approaches to Little Rock and found it lightly defended.  However, due to problems with supply in the rough terrain, the main body of General Butler’s force is still slogging through the tough mountain roads and trails, and are not anticipated to reach their campaign’s objective this month.  [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]At sea, reinforcement squadrons have been sent to the North Atlantic, and Fleet Admiral DuPont has transferred his flag to the North Atlantic Squadrons, taking personal command of the hunt for Semmes and the other Confederate pirates.  Taking over command of DuPont’s squadron of strange new warships is Admiral David Dixon Porter, who is reputed to be moving the force further south to strike at Confederate targets on the Gulf Coast.  [/font]

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Lincoln's General War Order #2 -- the Union Offensive in the East, June 1862. Four seperate forces have initiative -- the Union cavalry under Davies overruns Monroe, W.Va, the command of Morgan strikes from Harpers Ferry to Winchester, joined there by Cadawalder's men from Frederick, while the main body of the Army of the Potomac strikes at Manassas. At a minimum, even if McClellan is repulsed, I am hoping to take the Winchester region with Rebel forces pinned down in Manassas, thus depriving the Confederates of valuable resources.

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late June 1862[/b]    Dispatches front the Virginia theater indicate that the most terrible battle of the war has just been fought near Manassas Junction.  With over 150,000 combatants involved, this battle is the largest ever fought on the North American Continent, and rivals the famous Battle of Waterloo from the Napoleonic Wars.  Featuring 80,000 men of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George McClellan, once referred to as our own ‘Young Napoleon’ and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by CSA General Mansfield Lovell, the casualties from this 3 day struggle are rumored to exceed 37,000 men.  The Battle of Manassas started auspiciously enough for the Union, with the II Corps of General Edwin Sumner sending left wing of the Army of Northern Virginia into headlong flight, where they rallied only at the small town of Haymarket.  Following the success of Sumner, the V Corps of General Porter and the III Corps of General Hooker advanced, only to be struck in the flank by the Confederates of General James Longstreet.  Longstreet’s men in turn sent the two Union corps flying back into retreat.  At the height of the fighting, General Edward Baker, former III Corps commander, led his men in a gallant last stand to stem the Confederate wave.  Baker’s actions succeeded in covering the Union withdrawal, but at the cost of his own life.  The promising division commander James Wadsworth was also slain at this point in the battle, and Generals Berry and Kimball were wounded while rallying their troops when a Confederate shell burst near their mounts and unhorsed the men.  Both are expected to recover after a period of convalescence.  At a key moments in the first and second days of battle, General Burnside once again did not commit his IX Corps fully to the action.  Driven back to the original lines of battle at Manassas, on the third day Federal forces were assailed by a division of Virginians under General George Pickett.  The Rebel attack was repulsed, and Pickett was killed at the head of his charging troops, along with four other Rebel commanders, including the promising young General Robert Hatton.  Despite this success, General McClellan ignored the pleadings of Generals Sumner, Hunter, Porter, and Hooker to continue the offensive the next day, and instead, ordered his army to return to the Potomac fords and cross back into Maryland.  General McClellan cited the grievous casualties his forces suffered, and spoke of the need to ‘save the Army’ from a renewed Confederate onslaught while there was still a chance’. President Lincoln is said to be despondent at the loss of his close friend Baker, and the failure of McClellan and Burnside to adequately support the attacking corps, and for withdrawing after inflicting overwhelming casualties against Pickett’s division, when an immediate counterattack had great promise of success.  Throughout the North, questions are being asked as to why the Army of the Potomac was withdrawn after inflicting far more casualties on the enemy than they suffered themselves.  In small towns and hamlets throughout the North, people wait with great anxiety to see if the names of loved ones and friends appear on the fearsome casualty lists which will soon be posted.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Offsetting in part the losses suffered at Manassas was the victory gained by Generals Cadwalader and Morgan at Winchester, where they drove the rebels from the Northern part of the Shenandoah Valley.  This victory, while small consolation for the setback in the epic Battle of Manassas, will bring great long term benefits to our cause, as the Rebels will be deprived of the all important grains and foodstuffs of this region during the harvest to come.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the west, the distinguished commander of the XVI Corps of the Army of the Cumberland, General Benjamin Prentiss, has taken seriously ill.  It is suspected that the General’s food may have been poisoned by a Rebel sympathizer.  His constitution is strong, but it may take a year for his body to recover from the ravages of the dangerous poison.  Likewise, a tragic accident aboard his flagship has caused severe injuries to the aggressive and capable Admiral David Farragut, who has been forced to take shore leave for several months to recuperate from his wounds.[/font]
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The terrible battle of Manassas, June 17-19 1862.

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early July 1862    [/b]Washington DC, and indeed all of the Union, is abuzz at the news that the one-time Young Napoleon, General George McClellan, has been relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac by President Lincoln.  He has been replaced in command by General Joseph ‘Fighting Joe’ Hooker, who is immensely popular with is men, and who distinguished himself with his aggressive fighting in command of the III Corps at the Battle of Manassas.  However, this dismissal did not come without a political price to the Lincoln Administration.  McClellan is quite popular on Capitol Hill, having cultivated friendships with key Members of the Committee on the Conduct of the War.  So, in a necessary political compromise, the aged General-in-Chief Winfield Scott agreed to retire from the Army, allowing President Lincoln to ‘kick McClellan upstairs’ in a face saving move, and appoint him the administrative commander of the Eastern Theater.  McClellan’s undoubted skill in paperwork, political relations, and recruit training will no doubt come in handy in this command, while his shortcomings as a decisive battle leader will not be exposed in his new role.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]General Hooker has immediately set out to revitalize and reorganize the leadership of the Army of the Potomac.  The new lineup is as follows:  General Erasmus Keyes in command of the I Corps, General Edwin Sumner, a close ally of Hooker’s, in command of the II Corps, General John Peck replacing Hooker as commander of III Corps, General Fitz-John Porter remaining in command of V Corps, General John Sedgwick in command of the VI Corps (known as ‘Uncle John’ to his men) and General Jesse Reno in command of the IX Corps, in relief of General Ambrose Burnside.  Hooker, who dislikes Burnside intensely, has made it known that he blames Burnside for critical failures to move in support of fellow commanders at the Battles of Goose Creek and Manassas, and such a lack of aggressiveness will have no place in the new Army of the Potomac.  Burnside, who is popular in Congress, appears to be headed to the Western Theater, where it is possible he will receive a new command.  In an initial sign of the new aggressiveness Hooker plans to instill in the Army of the Potomac, he sent a brigade of cavalry under General John Hatch to raid rebel supplies and tear up railroad tracks in the Manassas area.  The Hatch raid was successful, resulting in the destruction of several miles of track and dozens of locomotives and rolling stock.  Further south, a single regiment of cavalry under Col Henry Davies exploded out of a mountain gap and raided the critical rebel rail lines running through Lynchburg, VA, the main connection between the Western and Virginia theaters for the Confederates.  While this raid was too small to do significant damage, local militia had to be mobilized, and no doubt the Southerners will have to deploy additional troops to this now-threatened region that will lessen their strength elsewhere.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the West, General Grant has mysteriously moved the Army of the Cumberland north of Bowling Green, to camps closer to Louisville.  It is unknown at this time what Grant hopes to accomplish with this move, but military observers comment that such a maneuver will allow Grant to hide his army from the prying eyes of Rebel scouts and cavalry, and perhaps permit him to gain a significant advantage of surprise with his next campaign move.  Regardless of what his motivations, no one expects the aggressive Grant to remain static for long.  Additional reports have his army being reinforced with Corps of General Rosecrans, which has moved quickly from Cairo to the Louisville encampment.  Whatever Grant may have planned, it certainly involves forces larger than have been seen before in the Western theater.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]With his supply problems finally solved, General Butler has managed to move his entire Army of the Southwest to the outskirts of Little Rock, where his forces are drawn up in line of battle and are preparing to assault the city.  Anticipation is high for the Butler’s men, as success will mean the capture of the first Rebel state capital of the war.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late July 1862[/b]   Glorious news has reached us from the West!!!  General Butler’s Army of the Southwest has defeated the Rebel forces of Felix Zolicoffer in Arkansas, and has taken the rebel state’s capital of Little Rock.  General Butler has waged an impressive campaign through rough country, battling the terrain, partisans, supply problems, and rebel forces, and has managed to become the first Union general to capture a rebel state capital.  We can only see more and better things coming from this truly brilliant campaigner and leader of men.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]At sea, we have heard news of the battle of Admiral Porter’s fleet of new warships with the batteries of Mobile Bay.  From accounts of the action, these new ‘ironclad’ warships are all but invincible to the power of Confederate shore batteries.  Porter’s ironclads exchanged heavy fire for several hours with rebel batteries.  Although his ships took several direct hits, the southern shells simply bounced off the iron plating, doing no damage to the vessels.  Having exhausted his powder and shells, Porter eventually had to retire, but not before striking fear throughout the entire Confederacy with the awesome power of his ironclad warships.  We at Harper’s can only hope that the Administration has had the foresight to order the production of many more of this apparently invincible vessels.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]From the east, we have reports of a new scourge which has arisen in Virginia, a dashing Confederate cavalier with the odd name of J.E.B. Stuart.  Leading a large force of Rebel cavalry in reprisal for the successful Hatch raid on the Manassas rail junction, Stuart’s troopers raided up the Shenandoah Valley, through Harper’s Ferry, and into the mountains of Alleghany, MD, tearing up railroad track and destroying locomotives along the way, before returning to whence he came.  It is apparent to all that General Hooker will need to strengthen the numbers of Federal mounted troops in this region to prevent further depredations by Stuart and his men.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early August 1862   [/b]Major command reorganizations, large scale troop movements, and continued political infighting and controversy seem to be the order of the day for Union forces.  In St. Louis, General John Fremont has issued a controversial order, decreeing that slaves held in that border state be freed.  Readers will remember that General Fremont, the unsuccessful candidate for president of the new Republican party in 1856, is known for his staunch abolitionist views.  This unilateral declaration on his part was met by great hostility, both within Missouri and the Union at large, as the public knows that this terrible War between the States is not being fought to free the Negro from slavery, but rather to preserve the Union.  In reaction to Fremont’s outrageous declaration, President Lincoln has dismissed him as overall commander of Union forces in the Western Theater.  However, a vocal minority of voices has sprung up in support of Fremont, including the noted abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the influential newspaper publisher Horace Greeley, and prominent anti-slavery crusaders in New England.  While Fremont’s dismissal will not be reversed, the issue of what to do with the slaves in rebel areas now under Federal control will undoubtedly be a continued concern of the Lincoln Administration.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Replacing Fremont in overall command in the West is General Benjamin Butler, who is coming off a spectacular success in his campaigns in southwest Missouri and Arkansas.  General Butler’s appointment is being received quite warmly by the public and the Congress, as his proven record of accomplishment speaks for itself.  Butler has indicated that he agrees with the aggressive approach of Ulysses S. Grant, and as a further inspiration to his men, has moved his theater headquarters forward to Cairo, Illinois, in hopes of aggressively directing and supporting field operations throughout the west.  Replacing Butler in command of Federal troops at Little Rock is General Ambrose Burnside.  Burnside’s command will not be deemed an independent army, but rather a large corps operating under the overall supervision of General Butler from Cairo.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Upon assuming command, General Butler confers with General Grant, and the two undertake a major reorganization of Union forces in Kentucky.  In Bowling Green, General Buell is deployed to assume command of the newly reconstituted Army of the Ohio, consisting of the XXI Corps under Franz Sigel, the XXIII Corps under Charles Hamilton, and a Cavalry Corps under Philip Sheridan.  In Louisville, Grant’s massive forces have been divided into two separate armies.  Grant remains in personal command of the Army of the Cumberland, consisting of the IV Corps of Nathaniel Lyon, the XIV Corps of George Thomas, the XVI Corps of Stephen Hurlbut, and the XXIV Corps of William Rosecrans.  General William Tecumseh Sherman has been elevated to command of the newly revamped Army of the Tennessee, consisting of the XIII Corps, commanded by Lew Wallace, the XX Corps of John G. Parke, and the XV Corps of Edward O.C. Ord.  A cavalry contingent is attached to the Army of Tennessee commanded by David Stanley.  This powerful reorganization indicates that Grant is planning a renewed, vigorous thrust to breach the barrier of the Cumberland and enter the Confederate heartland.  However, the command shuffling has not come without controversy.  General Buell has been publicly complaining that the size of his command is not commensurate with his seniority, since his promotion to Major General predates that of both Grant and Sherman.  Buell has been bitter in his conversations with his friends and allies in Congress about the fact that the armies commanded by those two men far outstrip the size of his force, and that Grant has told him he will be stripped of Sheridan’s cavalry corps when the offensive moves south.  These developments have caused Buell to complain that his force is a mere token command, whose primary purpose is to screen the larger forces of Grant and Sherman, and provide a diversion from the main offensive.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the east, General Hooker has the Army of the Potomac on the march, repositioning it to an area just south and west of Harper’s Ferry.  From there, protect the vital B and O rail lines ravaged by Stuart, and be in a position to strike at Manassas from the west, avoiding having to cross the Potomac fords, or to move against Gordonsville, putting him into the rear of the Army of Northern Virginia, or even giving him the option of driving deeper into the Shenandoah, striking Staunton and points beyond.  Hooker continues to ready his army for combat, adding a new corps, the XII Corps, commanded by General Henry Slocum.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]At sea, the anti-piracy squadrons have been further reinforced, while there are reports that Admiral Porters fleet of ironclads has entered the mouth of the Mississippi, where it is anticipated they will attempt to reduce the Confederate fortress at Ft. St. Philip, and perhaps bombard New Orleans itself. [/font]

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The Union High Command as of August 1862

Eastern Theater Commander -- George McClellan Cmd Rating 17, 4 admin rating, 3 stars

Army of the Potomac -- Fighting Joe Hooker Cmd Rating 15, 4-?-3, 2 stars

Western Theater Commander --- Benjamin F. Butler Cmd Rating 20, 4 admin rating, 4 stars (also 4 political and attack rating 4)

Army of the Cumberland -- Ulysses S. Grant Cmd Rating 20, 4-?-4, 3 stars

Army of the Tennesse -- William T. Sherman Cmd Rating 14, 3-?-4, 2 stars

Army of the Ohio -- Don Carlos Buell Cmd Rating 14, 4-?-2, 2 stars

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late August 1862[/b]   Church bells are rung, and fireworks and illuminations brighten the countryside throughout New England as the word is received that the notorious Confederate pirate, Raphael Semmes, has been engaged by our naval forces and defeated.  Semmes’s ship was sunk, but Semmes survived, badly wounded.  Finally, this scourge of the seas has been defeated.  Even the news that other raiders have successfully struck at our commerce does not reduce the jubilation at the news of Semmes’ demise.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Late word comes to our readers from remote Arkansas, where General Mahlon Manson’s division has aggressively pushed south from Little Rock to the strategic town of Camden, near the Louisiana border.  General Manson’s seasoned troops routed an equal force of hastily mobilized rebel militia, and sent the survivors fleeing into northern Louisiana.  General Manson is to be commended for exercising initiative in his independent command.  Can it be long before a spot is found for such a leader to head a corps in one of our armies?[/font]