XX 
 
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,/ 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES 
 
 OF 
 
 AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE 
 
 SOLDIER CITIZEN STATESMAN. 
 
 SEN: PERLEY POORE, 
 
 u 
 
 WITH AX INTRODUCTION BY 
 
 HENRY B. ANTHONY. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 PROVIDENCE, R. I. : 
 
 J. A. & R. A. REID, PUBLISHERS. 
 
 1882. 
 
COPYRIGHT. 
 J. A. & R. A. REID, PROVIDENCE. 
 
 1882. 
 
67 
 
 In compliance with current copyright law, 
 
 U. C. Library Bindery produced this replacement volume on 
 
 paper that meets the ANSI Standard 239.48-1984 to replace 
 
 the irreparably deteriorated original. 
 
 1993 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 THE fame of her sons, who have illustrated her history, 
 is the priceless heritage of a free country. They who have 
 contributed to her honor, and to build up her greatness and 
 her glory, are justly held in fond and imperishable remem 
 brance. Their deeds form a part of their country, and 
 live coeval .with her existence. There is no more grateful 
 task, there is no more pleasing duty, than to make the 
 record of them, and to hold them up to the admiration and 
 the emulation of those who survive them, and those who 
 shall come after them. 
 
 AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE forms one of the conspicuous 
 figures in the history of the war for the maintenance ot 
 the Union. His private virtues won the affection of his 
 friends ; his public services and achievements made him 
 the pride and admiration of the State. No other man 
 among us held so large a share of the popular esteem. 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Certain persons, of late, have affected to depreciate the 
 military character of GENERAL BURNSIDE, the evidence 
 against it being largely his gentler qualities, that seem 
 inconsistent with the rough manner of the camp and the 
 field. But 
 
 : The bravest are the tenderest, 
 The loving are the daring." 
 
 So it has long been the custom of similar critics, though 
 not on the same grounds, to disparage the military merits 
 of a far more illustrious personage in American history, no 
 less a man than Washington, whom they represent as a 
 frontier colonel, with little knowledge of the art of war, 
 except what he had picked up in encounters with the In 
 dians. Such \vas the opinion, contemptuously expressed, 
 by Aaron Burr. Not so thought the great Frederick, who 
 sent to Washington his portrait inscribed: "From the 
 oldest general in Europe to the greatest general on earth." 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE brought to the service of his 
 country a natural aptitude for military operations, in 
 formed and instructed by a thorough military education. 
 The Burnside Expedition to North Carolina was planned 
 and executed on the strict rules of military science, and 
 received the hearty approbation of the best military author 
 ities. The defense of Knoxville, against the superior 
 forces of Longstreet. was an admirable exhibition of mili 
 tary skill and science. In fertility of resources, in sagacity, 
 in the comprehensiveness and thoroughness of his plans, 
 and in the vigor of their execution, his merits were remark 
 able ; and not the less in his attention to the details of his 
 
INTRODUCTION. - 
 
 operations, and in care for the health and comfort of his 
 men ; and, although not sparing them in case of necessity, 
 in his conservative regard for their safety. 
 
 He made war, not only on scientific principles, but 
 with a constant reference to the purpose of the war, an 
 honorable peace ; and at all times, in all circumstances, he 
 was actuated by a high patriotic impulse. Singularly mag 
 nanimous and unselfish, his whole thought was for his 
 country, never for himself. After he had withdrawn from 
 the command of the Army of the Potomac, and the Presi 
 dent refused to receive the resignation of his commission, 
 he cheerfully accepted service under a man whom he had 
 commanded, and in repeated instances served under his 
 juniors in rank. This self-abnegation, this supreme re 
 gard for the cause, of which few men are capable, added 
 largely to his efficiency. In addition to these qualities of 
 a general, he possessed that magnetic power which at 
 tracted to him the love and confidence of the men under 
 his command, which made them yield a willing obedience 
 to his orders, and inspired them with an eager desire to 
 deserve his approbation. He fulfilled in an uncommon 
 degree the requisites of a good general, as enumerated by 
 Edmund Burke : 
 
 "The fortitude required of him is very different from the unthinking 
 alacritv of the common soldier, or common sailor, in the face of danger 
 and death. It is not a passion, it is not an impulse, it is not a sentiment ; 
 it is a cool, steady, deliberate principle, always present, always equable; 
 having no connexion with anger; tempering honor with prudence; inci 
 ted, invigorated, and sustained bv a generous love of fame ; informed, 
 
6 IN TR ODUC TION. 
 
 moderated, and directed by an enlarged knowledge of its own great pub 
 lic ends; flowing in one blended stream from the opposite sources of the 
 heart and the head ; carrying in itself its own commission, and proving its 
 title to every other command by the first and most difficult command 
 that of the bosom in which it resides. It is a fortitude which unites with 
 the courage of the field the more exalted an/1 refined courage of the coun 
 cil ; which knows as well to retreat as to advance; which can conquer as 
 well by delay as by the rapidity of a march, or the impetuosity of an attack : 
 which can be, with Fabius. the black cloud that lowers on the tops of the 
 mountains, or, with Scipio. the thunderbolt of war; which, undismayed 
 by false shame, can patiently endure the severest trial that a gallant spirit 
 can undergo, in the taunts and provocations of the enemy, 1 the suspicions, 
 the cold respect, and mouth honor of those from whom it should meet 
 a cheerful obedience; which, undisturbed by false humanity, can calmly 
 assume that most awful moral responsibility of deciding when victory 
 may be too dearly purchased by the loss of a single life, and when the 
 safety and glory of their country may demand the certain sacrifice of 
 thousands." 
 
 The latter portion of this admirable paragraph might 
 have been written on the contemplation of BURNSIDE S 
 military character. Impartial history will accord to him 
 a name among the heroic characters of the country, and 
 worthy to stand with those other great commanders, Greene 
 and Perrv. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. - 
 
 General Burnside s Characteristics Ancestry The Whigs and the 
 Tories of South Carolina Banishment and Confiscation Jamaica 
 Indigo Plantations granted to the Exiles Amnesty and Return 
 Slavery in South Carolina Emigrations to Free Territory Earlv 
 Courts of Indiana, . . . . . . . Pages 17-25 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Birth and Name Quaker Education Detective Skill Youthful Traits 
 
 Religious Views Love of the Militarv Application for a Cadet- 
 ship Political Influence Appointment as a Cadet Letter of Ac 
 ceptance Departure for West Point, .... Pages 26-34 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Military Academy Formation of Lite Friendships Drill and 
 Discipline Shaving a Bison Cadet Rank " Benny Havens, O ! " 
 
 Proficiency in Studies Final Examinations Changing the Gray 
 for the Blue, Pages 35-45 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Ordered to Mexico Crossing the Alleghanies River Pirates and 
 Gamblers Arrival at Vera Cruz March to the Halls of the Mon- 
 tezumas Return to the United States, . . . Pages 46-57 
 
8 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 At Fort Adams, Newport Garrison Life Ordered to the Frontier 
 Placed in Command of a Detachment of Mounted Men His First 
 Report Victorious Engagement with the Indians Wounded 
 Joins His Regiment at Jefferson Barracks, . . . Pages 58-66 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ordered to Join the Boundary Commission Life on the Frontier 
 Differences between the Civil and Military Heads of the Party Rival 
 Expresses sent with Dispatches to Washington Invention of a 
 Breech-loading Musket Promotion Visit to Indiana A Love 
 Episode, Pages 67-74 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 At Fort Adams again Garrison Duty Marriage to Miss Mary R. 
 Bishop Life in a Casemate Resigns his Commission Major 
 General of Militia Visitor to West Point Candidate for Con 
 gress, Pages 75-82 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Competitive Test of Breech-Loading Weapons The Inventor s State 
 ment Reports of two Boards Dishonorable Proposition to Secure 
 the Contract Rejected Pecuniary Reverses Railroad Service at 
 Chicago and at New York The Threatening War-storm Rhode 
 Island Prepares for the Fray, ..... Pages 83-91 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Bombardment of Fort Sumter Uprising of the Loyal North 
 General Burnside Promptly Responds to the Call Organization of 
 the First Rhode Island Regiment Presentation of a Flag Journey 
 to Washington Barrack and Camp-life, . . . Pages 92-102 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Concentration of Confederate Forces at Manassas " On to Richmond ! " 
 
 Camp Services General Patterson Checkmated War Balloons 
 
 Organization of the Grand Army of the Union Burnside s Brig 
 ade Advance into Virginia Capture of Fairfax Court House 
 Political Advisers, ....... Pages 103-111 
 
CONTENTS. 9 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Commands a Brigade The Battle of Bull Run Gallantry of the 
 Rhode Island Troops Stonewall Jackson Named An Artillery 
 Duel Confederate Reinforcements Panic, Retreat, and Rout, 
 
 Pages i 12-120 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Lesson of Bull Run Return of the First Rhode Island Regiment 
 
 Appointment as Brigadier-General Organization of the Coast 
 Division Departure of the Armada Terrific Gale off Hatteras 
 Landing on Roanoke Island, Pages 121-131 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The Battle of Roanoke Island Fruits of the Victory Return of Robert 
 
 Advance on Newbern Glorious Victory Congratulations and 
 Thanks Government of North Carolina Rebuke of an Alarm 
 ist, Pages I32-M3 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Investment and Reduction of Fort Macon Effective Cannonading 
 Occupation of the Fort Jeff" Davis Humiliated Wilmington 
 Arrival ofGovernor Stanley Claimed Contrabands Meeting with 
 Mrs. Burnside at Fortress Monroe Interview with President Lin 
 coln _ Sword Presentation, ... . Pages 144-152 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Ordered to Reinforce General McClellan Offered the Command of the 
 Armv of the Potomac Visits New York Organization of the 
 Ninth Army Corps General Pope s Disasters Evacuation of Fred- 
 ericksburg by Burnside A Night-march Retreat of the Union 
 Forces on Washington Insubordination, . Pages 153-161 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Command Offered a Second Time to Burnside Restoration of 
 General McClellan Advance of the Confederates into Maryland 
 Prompt Movement by Burnside Battle of South Mountain Des 
 perate Fighting Triumphant Victory Death of General Reno- 
 Preparations for a Decisive Battle, . . Pages 162-170 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The Battle of Antietam Gallantry of the Ninth Corps Desire of 
 
 Burnside to Follow the Flying Foe Inactivity of McClellan 
 
 Burnside Placed in Command Order on Taking Command A 
 
 Difficult Task, Pages 171-181 
 
I0 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Burnside Assumes Command of the Armv with Prayerful Reluctance 
 New Plan of Operations A Rapid Movement Failure to Supply 
 Pontoons The Battle of Fredericksburg Desperate Fighting 
 Vigorous Defense by the Confederates Failure, . Pages 182-191 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Opposition by the Generals to a Renewal of the Attack Official Account 
 of its Disasters and Assumption of the Responsibility Military 
 Criticisms Lincoln s Address to the Troops Another Movement 
 
 Insubordinate Generals Letter from Lincoln The Mud Cam 
 paign General Orders No. 8 Resigns, . . Pages 192-201 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Resignation of His Commission not Accepted by President Lincoln 
 Return to Rhode Island Placed in Command of the Department of 
 the Ohio Suppression of Treason Kentucky Quieted Visits to 
 Liberty and Hamilton Arrest and Trial of Vallandigham Sup 
 pression of Newspapers Morgan s Raid The Kentucky Cam 
 paign. .......... Pages 202-212 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 March Across Kentucky Preservation of Order Crossing the Cum 
 berland Mountains The Union Troops Received with Enthusiasm 
 
 Occupation of Knoxville Resignation Again Tendered and Again 
 Refused Arrival of General Longstreet Five Battles in Four 
 Days Siege of Knoxville Return to Rhode Island, Pages 213-223 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Ordered to Recruit the Ninth Corps A Story by President Lincoln 
 Boston s Song- Welcome Speech at Chicago on the Situation 
 Reorganization of the Ninth Corps Its Review by the President 
 Battles of the Wilderness and Cold Harbor Change of Base, 
 
 Pages 224-235 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 The Siege of Petersburg The Mine Beneath the Enemv s Works 
 Plan of Attack The Colored Troops Counted Out The Assault 
 Delav in the Explosion A Terrible Scene General Meade Petu 
 lant Retreat of the Ninth Corps after Hard Fighting Relieved 
 from Duty, ....... . Pages 236-248 
 
CONTEXTS. II 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Popular Disappointment over the Result at Petersburg A Court- 
 Martial Asked for by General Meade A Court of Inquiry Ordered 
 Testimony Findings of the Court Review of Them Return to 
 Providence Visits the White Mountains Speech at the Centen 
 nial of Brown University, ...... Pages 249-257 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 The Political Campaign of 1864 Speech at Providence Congressional 
 Investigation of the Attack on Petersburg Testimony of Lieutenant- 
 General Grant Report of the Committee Close of the War 
 Resignation Military Character Return to Civil Life President 
 of the Cincinnati and Martinsville Railroad. . . Pages 258-265 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Nominated and Elected Governor of Rhode Island Railroad Opera 
 tions at the West Soldiers Monument at Providence Presenta 
 tion Reelection A West Point Comrade Aided The Kingsbury 
 Will Vincennes and Cairo Railroad, . . Pages 266-274 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Home at Providence Love of the Soldiers for Old Burney" Cour- 
 tesv Towards Inferiors An Act of Kindness Attack Made on Him 
 by Senator Sprague Defense of Him by Senators Anthony. Nye, 
 Chandler, Abbott, and Morton Testimonial from Citizens of Rhode 
 Island Ninth Army Corps Association, . . Pages 275-284 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Unsuccessful Visit to London Goes to Paris to Witness the Siege of 
 that Citv Is Made Prisoner at a Saxon Out-post Dr. Russell s 
 Account of Versailles and the German Leaders Fondness of Bis 
 marck for Burnside Visits Paris Under a Flag of Truce The 
 Besieged City Second Visit Return to London, . Pages 285-294 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 The Army Reunions for 1873 Burnside Brought Forward as a Candi 
 date for the United States Senate Unsuccessful Balloting Visit to 
 Knoxville Addresses in Tennessee Elected United States Sen 
 ator, Pages 295-303 
 
12 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 " Edghill Farm" The House and Furniture Farm Stock Rural 
 Pursuits Kindness to Animals Visits from Veterans Hospitali 
 ties Personal Popularity Traits of Character, . Pages 304-312 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 Takes His Seat in the Senate The Old and New Senators Decoration 
 Day at Antietam National Cemetery Patriotic Address on Deco 
 ration Day Speech at the Commencement Dinner of Brown Uni 
 versity Banquet of the Loyal Legion at Boston General Grant at 
 " Edghill Farm," Pages 313-321 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 In the United States Senate Death of Mrs. Burnside Senatorial 
 Duties Modesty Exposure of an Amicable Arrangement Chair 
 man of the Committee on Education and Labor Hayes as Presi 
 dent Tribute from Senator Jones Hospitality at Washington, 
 Pages 322-331 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Death of Senator Morton Enlistment of Colored Recruits Com 
 mission for the Reorganization of the Army Military Bands 
 Eight-hour Law Impartial Reports, . . . Pages 332-339 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 Work of the Special Military Commission Arms to be Manufactured 
 in Private Establishments- Appointment of Staff-Officers Social 
 Science in Schools Estimate of General Burnside s Character, by 
 Senator Edmunds, ....... Pages 340-347 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 The Democrats Gain Possession of the Senate- Change of Officers 
 Rhode Island Public Works Speech on the Monroe Doctrine 
 Fair Play at West Point Soldiers and Senators -Reelection to 
 the United States Senate, ...... Pages 348-361 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 The Fitz John Porter Case Endowment of an Educational Fund by 
 the Sales of Public Lands Pension Laws and Pensioners Monu 
 ments on Revolutionary Battle-fields Moral and Social Science in 
 Schools Watchful Attention to Senatorial Business, Pages 3^2-370 
 
CONTEXTS. j-} 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 The Executive Session Turn of the Political Wheel of Fortune Com 
 mittee Service Acrimonious Debate in the Senate Restoration of 
 Harmony Suffrage in Rhode Island Report on the Monroe Doc 
 trine, Pages 371-384 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Return to Rhode Island Assassination of President Garfield Acci 
 dent Last Hours Death Rhode Island s Mourning Demon 
 strations of Respect Farewell to Edghill" Services at Bristol 
 The Remains Lying in State at Providence. . . Pages 385-396 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 Funeral at Providence The Military Display The Veterans The 
 Procession Services in the Church Eulogy by the Rev. Mr. 
 Woodbury The Last March The- Interment, . Pages 397-410 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 Announcement of General Burnside s Death in the United States Senate 
 Formal Presentation of Resolutions Eulogy by Senator Anthony, 
 of Rhode Island, . . . 4 ir -4 2 3 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 Continuation of the Eulogies in the Senate Addresses by Senator 
 Harrison, of Indiana ; Senator Wade Hampton, of South Carolina; 
 and Senator Aldrich, of Rhode Island, . . . Pages 424-432 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 Eulogies Delivered on General Burnside in the House of Representatives, 
 by the Hon. Jonathan Chace, and the Hon. Henry J. Spooner, of 
 Rhode Island, Pages 433-439 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 Concluding Estimate of General Burnside s Military Career, Legislative 
 Ability, Public Speeches, and Private Life, . . Pages 440-444 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 FULL-LENGTH STEEL PORTRAIT OF GHNEKAL BURNSIDE, Frontispiece 
 
 HEAD-PIECE BIRTHPLACE OF GENERAL BURNSIDK, ... 17 
 
 PORTRAIT OF BURNSIDE S FATHER (full page), opposite page . 24 
 
 HEAD-PIECE PLACE OF FIRST BUSINESS VENTURE, ... 26 
 
 THE PUBLIC SQUARE IN LIBERTY, IND. (full page), 33 
 
 TAIL-PIECE AN ACORN, ........ 34 
 
 HEAD-PIECE BIRD AND BOOK, ....... ^ 
 
 HEAD-PIECE WOMAN S HEAD, ....... 46 
 
 AMERICAN ARMY ENTERING THE CITY OF MEXICO (full page), . 49 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. WINFIELD SCOTT, 55 
 
 HEAD-PIECE WATER SCENE, ....... ^8 
 
 FORT ADAMS, NEWPORT, R. I., 61 
 
 TAIL-PIECE BROKEN CANNON. ....... 66 
 
 HEAD-PIECE PANSIES, 67 
 
 HEAD-PIECE SEA SHELLS, ......... 7^ 
 
 PORTRAIT OF MRS. GENERAL BURNSIDE (full page), opposite page So 
 
 TAIL-PIECE DELIVERY OF A SWORD, ...... 82 
 
 HEAD-PIECE TRAILING ARBUTUS, ...... 83 
 
 HEAD-PIECE HAULING CANNON, ....... 92 
 
 FIRING ON FORT SUMTER, ........ 95 
 
 ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION, ......... 99 
 
 HARPER S FERRY, .......... 101 
 
 TAIL-PIECE BROKEN ARMS, ........ 102 
 
 HEAD-PIECE FLOWERS, ......... 103 
 
ILL L S TRA TIO. VS. l ~ 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. IRVIN MCDOWELL. ...... 107 
 
 TAIL-PIECE CASTLE PINCKNEY, m 
 
 HEAD-PIECE BIRD FEEDING HER YOUNG, . . . . .112 
 
 HEAD-PIECE WATER SCENE, . . . . . . .121 
 
 PORTRAIT OF COM. L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH, ..... 122 
 
 IN THE GALE OFF HATTERAS (full page), ..... 125 
 
 ATTACK ON THE CONFEDERATE FORTS BY THE UNION FLEET 
 
 AT ROANOKE ISLAND (full page), . . . . . .129 
 
 TAIL-PIECE FLAT-BOATS USED IN TRANSPORTING TROOPS, . 131 
 
 HEAD-PIECE BURNSIDE S HEADQUARTERS AT ROANOKE ISLAND. 132 
 ATTACK ON THE CONFEDERATE BATTERY AT ROANOKE ISLAND 
 
 (full page), .... 135 
 
 PORTRAIT OF COM. S. C. ROWAN, 139 
 
 TAIL-PIECE AN ARMY FORGE, ....... 143 
 
 HEAD-PIECE GENERAL BURNSIDE S HEADQUARTERS AT NEWBERN. 144 
 
 FORT MACON, N. C., . . . . . . . . . 147 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. JOHN G. FOSTER, ...... 151 
 
 HEAD-PIECE BUTTERFLIES AND FLOWERS, ..... 153 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. GEO. B. MCCLELLAN, 155 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. JOHN POPE, ....... 159 
 
 TAIL-PIECE A CANNON IN THE MOUNTAINS, . . . . 161 
 
 HEAD-PIECE A WOOD SCENE, ... . . . 162 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. JESSE L. RENO, . . . . . .163 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. J. D. Cox, 167 
 
 TAIL-PIECE BULLET-PROOF IN THE WOODS, . . . .170 
 
 HEAD-PIECE THE STONE BRIDGE AT ANTIETAM, . . . 171 
 
 THE CHARGE AT ANTIETAM (full page), . . . . . 173 
 
 HEAD-PIECE FREDERICKSBURG IN 1863, ..... 182 
 
 THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG (full page), .... 185 
 
 TAIL-PIECE A SMALL HOWITZER, ....... 191 
 
 HEAD-PIECE LANDSCAPE, ........ 192 
 
 TAIL-PIECE CAVALRY STABLE IN THE FIELD, .... 201 
 
 HEAD-PIECE, A NATURALIST S OUTFIT, 202 
 
 BURNSIDE S WELCOME AT KNOXVILLE (full page), . . . 205 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. JOHN G. PARKE. ...... 209 
 
 TAIL-PIECE METHOD OF CARRYING A SHELL. .... 212 
 
 HEAD-PIECE THE SCENE OF LONGSTREET S ATTACK ON FORT 
 
 SAUNDERS, ...... ..... 213 
 
 PORTRAIT OF "PARSON" W. G. BROWNLOW, .... 215 
 
 BURNSIDE S HEADQUARTERS AT KNOXVILLE, TENN., . . . 217 
 
 THE OLD " WHIG " OFFICE, 219 
 
 SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE, . . . . . . . 225 
 
! 6 ILL US TRA TIONS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 COLD HARBOR BATTLE-GROUND. ....... 229 
 
 TAIL-PIECE TORPEDOES, 235 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. U. S. GRANT, 237 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GEN. GEO. G. MEADE, ...... 241 
 
 TAIL-PIECE A 13-iNcir MORTAR. 248 
 
 HEAD-PIECE FLOWERS, ........ 249 
 
 PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN, ...... 261 
 
 SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MONUMENT, PROVIDENCE, .. . . 269 
 
 LIGHT ARTILLERY IN MOTION, . . . . . . 274 
 
 TAIL-PIECE A WATER TANK, 294 
 
 " EDGHILL," RESIDENCE OF GENERAL BURNSIDE, BRISTOL, R. I., 307 
 
 TAIL-PIECE MILITARY CAP, 312 
 
 THE CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON, D. C., 315 
 
 TAIL-PIECE BOMB-SHELL, ........ 321 
 
 PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT HAYES. ....... 325 
 
 PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD, ...... 373 
 
 HEAD-PIECE LANDSCAPE, ........ 385 
 
 BRISTOL, THE SENATOR S HOME (full page), .... 387 
 
 EDIFICE IN WHICH GENERAL BURNSIDE S REMAINS LAY IN STATE. 395 
 
 HEAD-PIECE GAUNTLET AND S\VORD, ...... 397 
 
 A VIEW OF PROVIDENCE, R. I. . . . . . . . . 399 
 
 TAIL-PIECE AN ANGEL, 410 
 
 PORTRAIT OF GENERAL BURNSIDE S COLLEAGUE, SENATOR II. B. 
 
 ANTHONY, ........... 413 
 
 TAIL-PIECE EXTINGUISHING THE LAMP, ..... 444 
 
 MAPS. 
 
 MAP OF THE BULL RUN BATTLE-FIELD, 115 
 
 MAP OF ROANOKE ISLAND, ........ 137 
 
 MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF ANTIETAM, ..... 177 
 
 MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF FREDERICKSBURG, . . . 195 
 THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS AT KNOXVILLE, TENN. , . . .221 
 
 MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF SPOTTSYLVANIA, .... 227 
 
 MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF COLD HARBOR, .... 233 
 
 THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS AROUND PETERSBURG, . . . 245 
 
[Birthplace of General Burnside.*\ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE S CHARACTERISTICS ANCESTRY THE WHIGS 
 AXD THE TORIES OF SOUTH CAROLIXA BANISHMENT AND 
 CONFISCATION -JAMAICA INDIGO PLANTATIONS GRANTED TO 
 THE EXILES AMNESTY AXD RETURN SLAVERY IX SOUTH 
 CAROLIXA EMIGRATIONS TO FREE TERRITORY EARLY COURTS 
 OF INDIANA. 
 
 AIBROSE E. BURNSIDE was a valiant soldier, 
 a sound-hearted citizen, and a useful statesman. 
 Living, after he had attained his manhood, in an 
 heroic age, he was alike earnest in the performance of 
 duty, spotless in reputation, loyally patriotic, and faithful 
 in his friendships. Born and reared among the primeval 
 forests of what was then " the far West," he rose from an 
 humble sphere of life to high commands in the armies of 
 the Union, and subsequently to leading positions in the 
 state of his adoption and in the national councils. Tfre 
 purity of his motives, the strength of his judgment, his 
 unconquerable will, his indomitable courage, his unstudied 
 yet forcible eloquence from a heart filled with belief, his 
 
 * From a sketcli by B. S. Fosdick, E$q., of Liberty, Ind. 
 
Tg LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 gracious presence and his dignified courtesy, were only 
 eclipsed by his genial, affectionate, trusting disposition. 
 He made loving kindness the guide of his life ; no wrong 
 was done him that he did not forgive, neither did he shrink 
 from assuming the responsibilities of defeat, rather than 
 throw upon others the blame that justly belonged to them. 
 His form and features will be transmitted to future genera 
 tions by painters, by photographers, and by sculptors, 
 and his career, from the breaking out of the Rebellion 
 until his untimely death, is chronicled on interesting pages 
 of the Nation s history. It is now proposed to record, with 
 his public life, his ancestry, his family connections, his 
 early struggles for fame, and his private life, so rich in 
 Christian virtues, liberal sentiments, social courtesies, and 
 generous hospitalities. These personal incidents have been 
 obtained from General Burnside s surviving relatives and 
 friends, while the public archives have supplied copies of 
 important documents, hitherto unpublished, illustrating his 
 public life and services. 
 
 Robert Burnside (the great-grandfather of Gen. Am 
 brose E. Burnside), was a native of Scotland, who had. 
 with his brother Joseph, followed the fortunes of Prince 
 Charles Edward, until the final defeat of the "Young 
 Pretender" at Culloden, in 1746. They then sought an 
 asylum in South Carolina, where Robert settled on the 
 bank of the Saluda River. Marrying Rebecca Dodson, a 
 native of Huddersfield, in England, he became a success 
 ful planter, and was the father of three grown-up sons, 
 named James, Robert, and Joseph, when the American 
 colonies declared themselves free and independent. In 
 South Carolina this revolutionary action did not receive 
 th-e united support of the people, and strange to relate 
 nearlv all of those who had become exiles from Scotland. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUKNSIDE. JQ 
 
 for the part which they had taken against the reigning 
 house of Brunswick, enlisted under the royal flag, and 
 drew their swords in the defense of the cause of their 
 loyal sovereign, his most gracious majesty, King George." 
 
 The war was bitterly waged, and as the Whigs and the 
 Tories alternately triumphed, reciprocal injuries sharpened 
 their resentments, and armed neighbor against neighbor- 
 brother against brother. Robert Burnside, who was an 
 Episcopalian, was loyally devoted to "the King, the 
 Church, and the Constitution," but he was too far advanced 
 in life to take up arms, and he died soon after the com 
 mencement of the sanguinary struggle. He was sustained 
 by his oldest son, James, but his sons Robert and Joseph 
 entered the revolutionary army, serving under Gen. Francis 
 Marion, known as "the Swamp Fox," and afterwards in 
 the "Light Horse Legion," commanded by Col. Henry 
 Lee. Joseph was wounded in the shoulder at the battle of 
 Guilford, and after peace had been declared he migrated 
 to Kentucky, where he located near Nicholasville, and 
 was killed by the Indians in the spring of 1790. His 
 brother Robert followed him to Kentucky in 1789, and 
 became noted as a successful farmer, and an ardent politi 
 cal supporter of Andrew Jackson, crossing the Allegha- 
 nies on horseback to witness the inauguration of "Old 
 Hickory" in 1829. The descendants of Robert and of 
 Joseph Burnside now reside in Kentucky. 
 
 James Burnside (the grandfather of Ambrose E. Burn- 
 side), inherited the loyalty of his father, which was 
 strengthened by his marriage to the daughter of James 
 Eclghill, an Englishman by birth, who commanded one 
 of the twenty-one regiments of loyal South Carolinians. 
 James Burnside served as a captain in this regiment, and 
 when it became certain that the royal cause was hopeless, 
 
20 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 he accompanied his father-in-law, Colonel Edghill, to the 
 loyal colony of Jamaica. The British government gave 
 them small indigo plantations there as a recompense for 
 their home estates, which had been confiscated by the 
 Whigs of South Carolina. James Burnside was not, how 
 ever, contented, and obtaining amnesty for his disloyalty 
 through the influence of his brothers, he returned to South 
 Carolina in 1786, accompanied by his wife and their three 
 young daughters. He settled on a plantation in Laurens 
 District, where his four sons, James, Andrew, Edghill, and 
 Thomas were successively born. He tried hard to retrieve 
 his fallen fortunes, but he never recovered from a compli 
 cation of diseases contracted in Jamaica, and he died in 
 1798, leaving six children, who resided with their mother 
 until Thomas, the youngest, became of age. The real 
 estate was then sold, and the proceeds were divided among 
 the widow and her children by the probate court. She 
 was a woman who united rare strength of judgment with 
 an indomitable industry, and she instilled into the youthful 
 minds of her sons and daughters those Christian virtues 
 which she practiced with exemplary devotedness. 
 
 At that time the unrestrained importation of slaves from 
 Africa had prompted many of the Quakers residing in 
 North and South Carolina to emigrate to the then unsettled 
 region north of the Ohio River, and their example was fol 
 lowed by others who also entertained conscientious objec 
 tions to slavery. Among them were Mrs. Burnside and 
 her four sons, the two oldest, James and Andrew, being 
 accompanied by their families. Before leaving South Car 
 olina, they executed deeds of manumission to their slaves, 
 and then started on their long journey across the moun 
 tains. Taking flat-boats at Pittsburgh, they floated down 
 the Ohio to Cincinnati, where they landed, purchased their 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 2 l 
 
 land warrants, and went by the way of Hamilton to their 
 new homes, just across the line, in what was then the 
 territory of. Indiana. 
 
 James Bnrnside, who was the guiding spirit of the migrat 
 ing family, had visited Indiana the year previous, and had 
 selected a location for settlement, although he did not re 
 main there. He was a native of Laurens County, South 
 Carolina, where he was born in 1788, and on attaining his 
 manhood he was married to Jane Crossan, the daughter 
 of a revolutionary soldier who was permanently lamed by a 
 wound received in battle. A good land surveyor, he found 
 abundant employment in locating land warrants in Indiana, 
 Illinois, and finally in Wisconsin, where he found a per 
 manent home in his declining years. He was a member 
 of the Constitutional Convention of Wisconsin in 1846, and 
 he held, at different times, a number of local offices. After 
 a long career of usefulness, he died in 1868, having always 
 enjoyed good health until within a few days of his decease. 
 While he was neither prominent nor conspicuous, it is re 
 corded by the historians of Wisconsin that he was noted 
 for his clear understanding, strong sterling sense, and a 
 firm integrity of purpose which endeared him to all of his 
 associates. His son, Col. J. O. P. Burnside, was a gallant 
 officer in the Union army, and was subsequently in the 
 postal service of the United States. 
 
 Two of the daughters of James Burnside, senior, who 
 had married in South Carolina after they had come with 
 their parents from Jamaica, remained there. The third 
 daughter accompanied her mother and brothers to Indi 
 ana, buther stay there was short. Mrs. Burnside, accom 
 panied by her oldest son, Andrew, her youngest son, 
 Thomas, and her unmarried daughter, only remained in 
 Indiana about two years. They then returned to South 
 
22 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Carolina, and went from there to Columbia County, Geor 
 gia. Thomas studied law, was admitted to the bar, and 
 had a lucrative practice when he was elected to the State 
 Legislature. Georgia was at that time agitated by the 
 political feuds of the adherents of Troup and of Clark, 
 and several times in debate Thomas Burnside was alluded 
 to by a revolutionary veteran, Peter Crawford, who was 
 one of his opponents, as the son of a Tory. When they 
 met on "the stump ; in the ensuing political canvass, 
 Crawford repeated his accusations, and Burnside retal 
 iated by telling a scandalous story about his opponent s 
 daughter. 
 
 Duelling was then the common way of adjusting differ 
 ences between gentlemen, and was regarded as an alter 
 native that could not be excluded from modern civilization, 
 as the abolition of it would render violent tempers intolera 
 ble. Every gentleman had his brace of duelling pistols, 
 often imposing in size, with flint locks and hair-triggers, 
 and bearing notches cut on the stock, ominous hiero 
 glyphics indicating that so many fatal shots had been fired 
 from it. George W. Crawford (afterwards Secretary of 
 War), a son of Peter Crawford, no sooner heard of the 
 remarks affecting the reputation of his sister, than he chal 
 lenged Thomas Burnside. The challenge was accepted, 
 and they fought with pistols, just across the state line, in 
 Florida. On the first fire Burnside fell, mortally wounded. 
 His family remained in Georgia, and two of his sons, who 
 served in the confederate army, were killed in the valley 
 of Virginia during the war for the suppression of the 
 Rebellion. 
 
 Edghill Burnside (the father of Ambrose E. Burnside), 
 was born in Laurens District, South Carolina, in 1790. 
 His father gave him the family name of his mother as a 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. Hint. \SfDE. 2 Q 
 
 baptismal appellation, and he received a good English 
 education at a neighborhood school, kept by a Scotchman. 
 As he grew up, he became impressed by intercourse with 
 his Quaker neighbors with a desire to leave South Carolina 
 and its "peculiar institutions" for a region where there 
 was " neither slavery nor involuntary servitude," and this 
 desire was increased by the favorable reports brought back 
 by his elder brother James, after an exploring expedition 
 to the territory of Indiana. 
 
 Accompanying his family, Edghill Burnside selected as 
 his future home a quarter of a section of public land, in 
 the vicinity of a town just staked out, named Liberty, in 
 what was then Franklin County- There he became one 
 of those stalwart pioneers who laid the foundations of the 
 great State of Indiana, and who became identified with its 
 growth and its prosperity. They had not the advantages 
 for intellectual improvement found in the older states, but 
 circumstances around them developed stout hearts, rugged 
 honesty, patient industry, and self-reliant manhood, which 
 subdued the forests and their savage denizens, and made 
 the wild prairies blossom like the rose. Edghill Burnside 
 was a large, heavy-framed man. with a strong intellect, 
 and the stubborn tenacity of purpose of his Scotch ances 
 tors. 
 
 Soon after he reached Indiana, Edghill Burnside re 
 ceived the congratulations of his friends as the happy 
 bridegroom of Pamelia Brown, to whom he was married 
 on the 1 4th of July, 1814. She, like himself, was a native 
 of Laurens District, South Carolina, where she was born 
 on the I5th of September, 1795. She was the daughter 
 of John Brown, who had emigrated from Belfast, Ireland, 
 to South Carolina, when seventeen years of age. and had 
 married Sarah Weeks, a native of Maryland. Pamelia 
 
2 A LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Brown is remembered by those who enjoyed her acquaint 
 ance as having the fair skin and brown hair of her Cel 
 tic ancestors, with large, expressive hazel eyes. Quiet 
 and domestic, she was a devoted wife and an affectionate* 
 mother, sacrificing her own health to promote the comfort 
 of her husband and their children. 
 
 For a while, after going to Indiana, Edghill Burnside 
 and his brother taught school and assisted the land survey 
 ors. The following year Union County was organized, 
 with the town of Liberty as its county seat, and Edghill 
 Burnside was elected an associate judge of the circuit 
 court. These courts were composed of a president judge, 
 learned in the law, elected by the Legislature, and two 
 associate judges, elected in each county by the people. 
 These "side judges. as they were called, generally made 
 no pretensions to any particular knowledge of the law, 
 but still they had the power to over-rule the president 
 judge, and give the opinion of the court. Sometimes they 
 k out-guessed" the president, giving the most preposterous 
 reasons imaginable for their decisions, as, in one instance, 
 that a writ of scirc facias to revive a judgment would not 
 lie, unless it was sued out within a year and a day. The 
 associate judges also individually exercised minor judicial 
 power in their respective localities, and Judge Burnside 
 soon became noted for his success in reconciling angry 
 litigants when called upon to weigh their respective cases 
 in the scales of justice. Disputed claims between neigh 
 bors were adjusted by compromise, and the log cabin in 
 which he administered justice was in truth a court of con 
 ciliation. Gaining the confidence of his fellow-citizens, 
 and becoming acquainted with legal documents and judi 
 cial proceedings. Judge Burnside was persuaded to accept 
 the office of clerk of the county courts, which he held by 
 

 JUDGE EUGHILL BURNSIDE. 
 (The General s Father.) 
 
I 
 
 
 
 JUDGE KlHiUlLI. DUKNSIDE. 
 (T/i; Gc iiL-rafs Fxi/ier.) 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 25 
 
 repeated re-elections for twenty-eight years, when the 
 adoption of the new state constitution of 1850 rendered 
 him ineligible. The fees which he received, however, 
 were barely sufficient, with the utmost economy, to sup 
 port his family. Tardy in pressing for the small sums due 
 him, he thereby frequently lost them altogether, and he 
 was more attentive to his official duties than he was to his 
 own pecuniary affairs. 
 
 judge Burnside and his first wife were the parents of 
 nine children : Cynthia Ann was born June 4, 1815, 
 married to Benjamin Gould Nov. 20, 1832, and died July 
 10, 1879. Henrietta was born May 21, 1817, married to 
 Norman Ross Nov. 26, 1840, and died March 7, 1847. 
 Henry M. was born Sept. 15, 1819, married to Camilla 
 Cornell Nov. 18, 1845, and died Aug. 9, 1874. Ambrose 
 E. was born May 23, 1824, married to Mary R. Bishop 
 April 27, 1852, and died Sept. 13, iSSi. Benjamin F. 
 was born May 30, 1826, married to Lydia Ann Zoudst, 
 and died Nov. 16, 1831. Ellen W., born Oct. 30. 1829, 
 is now living at Liberty, Indiana. Thomas Brown was 
 born July u, 1832, and died April 9, 1833. Harrison E. 
 was born May 28, 1834, an l cu ec ^ April 13. 1835. Wil 
 liam Brown was born May 24, 1838, and died Sept. 7, 
 1838. 
 
[Place of First Business Veninr* 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BIRTH AND NAME QUAKER EDUCATION DETECTIVE SKILL- 
 YOUTHFUL TRAITS RELIGIOUS VIEWS LOVE OF THE MILI 
 TARYAPPLICATION FOR A CADETSHIP POLITICAL INFLU 
 ENCEAPPOINTMENT AS A CADET LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE 
 DEPARTURE FOR WEST POINT. 
 
 A1BROSE E. BURNSIDE (the fourth child of 
 Judge Edghill Burnside), was born in the log 
 cabin on his father s farm, near Liberty, Union 
 County, Indiana, on the twenty-third day of May, 1824. 
 The attendant physician, Dr. Sylvanus Everts, at first 
 almost despaired of establishing respiration, but by titillat 
 ing the nostrils with the feather of a chicken, he excited a 
 spasm of the respiratory apparatus, and gave the boy a 
 start in life. The wife of Dr. Everts, who was Mrs. 
 Burnside s most intimate friend in their new home, had 
 recently lost her first-born child, who had been named 
 Ambrose, after his grandfather, Ambrose Everts, an emi- 
 
 1 From a sketch by B. S. Fosdick, Esq., of Liberty. Ind. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 2 y 
 
 grant from Vermont to Ohio in 1794- Mrs. Burnside, as 
 a mark of sympathy and of affection for her friend, named 
 the babe Ambrose Everts Burnside. A few years after 
 wards Dr. Everts removed to La Porte County, Indiana, 
 and when the youth s name was inscribed on the roster of 
 the military academy, Everts was unintentionally changed 
 to Everett, an error which was never corrected. 
 
 The village of Liberty was noted for the good order and 
 quiet of its citizens, but was more particularly distin 
 guished for the excellence of its schools. The Miami 
 University, then Ohio s favorite institution of learning, was 
 but a few miles distant, yet her professors, except in num 
 ber, could claim no superiority over the teachers in the 
 seminary at Liberty. The principal was Dr. Houghton, 
 a Quaker preacher, who was a ripe scholar, endowed with 
 the happy faculty of imparting knowledge and of inspir 
 ing his pupils with a spirit of inquiry that secured their 
 advancement. Young Ambrose was acknowledged in his . 
 youth to be an obedient scholar and a faithful student. 
 Under the guidance of Dr. Houghton he rapidly acquired 
 a sound knowledge of the practical branches of mathemat 
 ics, rhetoric, logic, and moral philosophy. When he left 
 the seminary he was further advanced in education than 
 boys of his age generally are. 
 
 An incident which occurred while Ambrose was a pupil 
 at the seminary shows the determined courage of the com 
 ing man. He and an elder brother were members of a 
 debating club which held its sessions at the Court House. 
 One evening, at the close of the debate, when the mem 
 bers were about to separate, the elder Burnside missed his 
 pocket-book, containing a small sum of money. At first 
 he supposed that it had been taken as a joke, but no one 
 offered to return it, and Ambrose, to the surprise of all 
 
2 8 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 present, locked the door, saying: "There is the thief 
 let him be searched." The other members of the club 
 stood astonished, for the accused was a young lawyer who 
 had been invited by an old practitioner to settle in Lib 
 erty, where he had already begun to secure clients. He 
 became very indignant, blustering and threatening severe 
 punishment to any one who would attempt to search . his 
 person. Ambrose Burnside, nothing daunted, stepped up 
 to him, seized him by the collar with one hand, and soon 
 produced the missing pocket-book from one of his pockets. 
 Before the dawn of the succeeding day, the culprit had 
 left for parts unknown, and it then became known that on 
 several previous occasions his fellow-boarders had lost 
 money from their pockets at night. No one had ever inti 
 mated that the young lawyer was the thief, but young 
 Burnside had heard of the thefts, and his quick percep 
 tion had prompted him to expose the purloiner of his 
 brother s pocket-book, at some personal risk. 
 
 On the ipth of May, 1841, young Burnside s mother died, 
 beloved and esteemed by all who knew her. The expen 
 ses of educating him for a profession, in accordance with 
 her wishes, were too onerous for the paternal pocket, and 
 Ambrose was forced to avail himself of the only visible 
 means for earning his own livelihood. When upwards of 
 seventeen years of age, he was indentured as the appren 
 tice of John E. Dunham, a merchant tailor, who resided 
 .at Centreville, Wayne County, Indiana, about fifteen miles 
 from Liberty. At first the errand boy of the shop, he was 
 soon promoted to a seat on the board, where lie won the 
 approval of his master by his industry and skill. 
 
 The young tailor s vitality and great powers of endur 
 ance were soon well known in Centreville, as after a long 
 day s work, seated cross-legged on the shop-board, he was 
 
GEN. AMU HOSE E. BURNSIDE. 2 Q 
 
 ready to pass the night \vith jovial companions, only ask 
 ing for two or three hours sleep as the morning advanced. 
 Fond of female society, he was a regular attendant on the 
 village belles at dancing-assemblies, singing-schools, quilt- 
 ings and evening prayer-meetings. It was not long before 
 lie was the leading beau in Centreville, his social urbanity, 
 courteous manners, and frank, hearty address giving him 
 a high social reputation in that neighborhood. 
 
 He became a skillful mechanic, but his heart was not 
 in his work, and while he cut, and basted, and stitched, 
 and pressed, he managed to read every book that he 
 could borrow. The appetite for. knowledge grew by what 
 it fed upon, and he became especially fond of reading the 
 lives of military heroes and the narratives of campaigns. 
 Veterans who had served under Jackson at New Orleans, 
 and under Harrison in the Indian wars, found in him an 
 attentive listener as they narrated their exploits, and he 
 became familiar with the details of the battles which they 
 described. 
 
 The young man s term of apprenticeship having expired, 
 he returned to Liberty, where he worked for a short time 
 as a journeyman, and then entered into partnership with 
 John M. Myers. The firm of " Myers & Burnside, Mer 
 chant Tailors, occupied a small, one-story, wooden build 
 ing, and their only apprentice, Benajah S. Fosdick (now 
 a leading merchant at Liberty), slept with Burnside on a 
 mattress placed on the shop-board at night, and stowed 
 away under it in the day-time. 
 
 Young Burnside was a regular attendant at the Metho- - 
 dist Episcopal Church at Liberty, and he was the secretary 
 of its Sunday School, in which his father and two of his sis 
 ters were teachers. The religious convictions thus formed, j_ 
 based on a pure, biblical faith, were never shaken by skep- 
 
jo LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 ticism or infidelity. He was, through his eventful life, 
 a daily reader of the Holy Scriptures, and his esteemed 
 friend, the Rev. Augustus Woodbury, the chaplain of the 
 First Rhode Island Regiment when he was its commander, 
 bore testimony at his funeral to the deep religious element 
 in his character. " It may not." said Mr. Woodbury, 
 have often come to the surface, certainly not in anv 
 ostentatious way, but it lay within him, his safeguard from 
 many an ill, his encouragement in many a difficult duty, 
 and his support in many a sore and trying experience." 
 He was, in the truest meaning of the term, a Christian 
 gentleman, illustrating the Golden Rule, by his honest 
 works, his honest utterance, and his honest faith. 
 
 The rural surroundings of young Burnside gave strength 
 to his judgment and freedom to his speech, and he became 
 the leading spirit of the village debating society, never 
 seeking oratorical effect, or dropping into the discussion 
 any poisonous ingredients. Then, as in his after life, he 
 possessed the remarkable facility of making friends as if 
 by some power of fascination, and attracting them to him 
 by ties which were rarely weakened. He was noted for 
 his neatness and order, and although of an impetuous tem 
 perament, he was, nevertheless, persevering and firm of 
 purpose. On one occasion a troublesome fellows some 
 what intoxicated, came into his shop and began to abuse 
 him. Young Burnside endured the infliction patiently for 
 a while, then sprang from his shop-board, and seizing the 
 man by the shoulders, pushed him into the street. 
 
 Success rewarded his industry and good behavior, but 
 his sedentary employment grew distasteful, and he longed 
 for out-of-door exercise. He used to hold long discus 
 sions on military matters with his partner, Mr. Myers, 
 who had some military experience, and who subsequently 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. -, r 
 
 served creditably as the colonel of a regiment of Indiana 
 volunteers in the Mexican war. They used to study tac 
 tics with the aid of buttons ranged on their shop-board, 
 and on one occasion young Burnside patiently worked out 
 a movement "en echelon" by changing the positions oi 
 over rive hundred buttons, one at a time, in the " deploy 
 ment from line into column." 
 
 There is a tradition at Liberty, that on one occasion the 
 Hon. Caleb B. Smith, then the Representative in the Fed 
 eral Congress from that district, was about to start on an 
 electioneering tour, when he discovered that there was a 
 rent in his coat. Stepping into the tailor s shop to have 
 it mended, he found no one there but young Burnside, 
 who was stitching away on a coat, while he was atten 
 tively studying a volume of Cooper s Tactics, which was 
 propped up by a " goose," and kept open by a pair of 
 shears. 
 
 Questioning the young man, the congressman was struck 
 with his self-reliant confidence and the unflinching look 
 with which he returned his gaze, and an unknown influence 
 prompted him to say: " You should be a cadet at West 
 Point !" That remark changed the young tailor s destiny. 
 Ardent and impulsive, he would not listen to those who 
 told him that he had not the slightest chance of obtaining 
 an appointment, and he persuaded his father to make a 
 formal application in his behalf. 
 
 It was fortunate for the young aspirant for martial life 
 that Judge Burnside was that year a member of the State 
 Senate of Indiana. He thus obtained a recommendation 
 that his son might receive the appointment, signed by 
 nearly fifty members of the Legislature, the governor, and 
 other distinguished citizens. In transmitting these recom 
 mendations. Judge Burnside wrote to the Secretary of War, 
 
32 GEN. AMBROSE E. BUHNSIDE. 
 
 saying in conclusion : "I have only to say to you that it 
 would be a source of gratification to me. could my son 
 obtain the appointment, as I am induced to believe he has 
 the constitution and mental capacity to sustain himself 
 there." 
 
 Unfortunately for the success of the application, the 
 Hon. Caleb B. Smith became involved in a personal quar 
 rel with John Tyler, then the President of the United 
 States. Mr. Smith s bitter denunciations of the adminis 
 tration had been republished in the eastern newspapers, 
 and had excited the anger of President Tyler and his 
 cabinet to such an extent that his subsequent recommenda 
 tions for office were ignored at the departments at Wash 
 ington. Meanwhile Judge C. H. Test, who had been the 
 unsuccessful competitor of Mr. Smith in the congressional 
 election, took up the cudgels in- defense of the administra 
 tion. His articles were copied in the Madisonian^ Presi 
 dent Tyler s Washington " organ," and it was soon known 
 in Indiana that candidates for postrnasterships and other 
 places recommended by him received their appointments 
 without delay. 
 
 Judge Burnside at last learned the exact position of his 
 son s application, and also became convinced that he had 
 made a mistake in selecting a calling for him. He then 
 applied to Judge Test, who wrote a note to Mr. Robert 
 Tyler, the President s son and private secretary, asking 
 him to interpose in behalf of young Burnside. The 
 appointment was promptly made, and enclosed to Judge 
 Test, who placed it in the hands of the delighted recipient. 
 He at once wrote the following letter of acceptance, which, 
 with the required parental indorsement, was transmitted 
 to Washington : 
 
w* 
 
 Iff 
 
 / S jOfL JRJa ", ^$n. 
 Jf-^.-Jg*. , 
 
 
 
34 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 LIBERTY, March 17, 1843. 
 HON. J. M. PORTER, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 SIR : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a communica 
 tion of the 8th of March, informing me that the President has conferred 
 upon me a conditional appointment of cadet in the service of the United 
 States, and to inform vou of my acceptance of the same. 
 
 Very Respectfullv, 
 
 Your Obedient Servant, 
 
 AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 I hereby assent to the above acceptance by my son of his conditional 
 appointment as a cadet, and he has my full permission to sign articles by 
 which he will bind himself to serve the United States eight years, unless 
 
 sooner discharged. 
 
 KDGIIILL BURNSIDE. 
 
 The people of Liberty bade farewell to their young 
 townsman with regret, for he had won their confidence, 
 their respect, and their affection. The survivors of those 
 days now allude to him with pride, and hold .up his indus 
 trious habits, his good conduct, and his genial manners, 
 for the emulation of young men who may be struggling 
 to rise, by their own exertions, from penury to high and 
 honorable positions. 
 

 - -< 
 
 rm : -, : ,w< 
 
 i._ff^-MV :,;.. , : 
 
 
34 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 LIBERTY, March 17, 1843. 
 HON. J. M. PORTER, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 SIR : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a communica 
 tion of the Sth of March, informing me that the President has conferred 
 upon me a conditional appointment of cadet in the service of the United 
 States, and to inform vou of mv acceptance of the same. 
 
 Very Respectfully, 
 
 Your Obedient Servant, 
 
 AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 I hereby assent to the above acceptance by my son of his conditional 
 appointment as a cadet, and he has my full permission to sign articles by 
 which he will bind himself to serve the United States eight vears, unless 
 
 sooner discharged. 
 
 EDCMIILL BURNSIDE. 
 
 The people of Liberty bade farewell to their young 
 townsman with regret, for he had won their confidence, 
 their respect, and their affection. The survivors of those 
 days now allude to him with pride, and hold .up his indus 
 trious habits, his good conduct, and his genial manners, 
 for the emulation of young men who may be struggling 
 to rise, by their own exertions, from penury to high and 
 honorable positions. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE MILITARY ACADEMY FORMATION OF LIKK FRIENDSHIPS 
 DRILL AND DISCIPLINE - SHAVING A HISON CADET RANK- 
 "HENXY HAVENS, O ! " PROFICIEXC Y IX STUDIES FINAL EX 
 AMINATION SCHANGING THE GRAY FOR TIIK HLUE. 
 
 "T "IT TEST POINT was a glorious laboratory for the 
 
 \ /\ / transformation of an awkward countrv lad, 
 V V fresh from his work-bench, into " an officer 
 and a gentleman. 1 To young Burnside the military acad 
 emy, with its surroundings, appeared like fairy land, and 
 he was charmed with what he saw. There was the parade- 
 ground on which Washington witnessed battalion drills by 
 that irascible tactician, Baron Steuben, and the romantic 
 haunt of Kosciuszko still retained its picturesque beauty. 
 Near bv was Stony Point, the scene of Wayne s exploit, 
 and on every hand were eloquent testimonials of the vigor 
 of our soldiers and of the achievements of our armies. 
 
 The class of 1847, which entered the military academy 
 on the ist of July, 1843. numbered fifty-three cadets, from 
 every section of the United States. In that class, and 
 other classes which immediately preceded and followed 
 
36 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 it, were a number who afterwards became famous, includ 
 ing Generals McClellan, Hancock, Parke, Pleasanton, Fitz 
 John Porter, Hatch, Sackett. Granger, Russell, Pitcher, 
 Foster, Reno, Stoneman, Gibbs, Frye, Gibbon, Griffin, 
 Viele, De Russy, Duane, Michler, Tidball, Gilmore, 
 Benet, Baird, and McKeever, of the Union army, with 
 Generals T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson, Buckner, Bee, 
 Rhett, Wilcox, Maxey, Pickett, Hill, Heth, Steuart, 
 Withers, and Robinson, who espoused the Confederate 
 cause. Then all were loyal, and life-lasting friendships 
 were formed between cadets from the North and from the 
 South, as they vied with each other in qualifying them 
 selves for upholding the national glory. 
 
 Cadet Burnside was assigned to a room in the old North 
 Barrack, No. 8, and had as a room-mate Cadet Heth, of 
 Virginia. They soon became the most devoted of friends, 
 and not once during the four years of their joint occupancy 
 of that room did a harsh word or cross look mar their 
 friendship. Their beds were always side by side, and 
 often in the still hours of night the young Indianian would 
 leave his own, seek that of his Virginia comrade, and with 
 his head pillowed on his shoulder, sleep the sleep of peace 
 ful youth, to be aroused only by the morning gun, calling 
 them to the duties of another day. 
 
 The daily duties at the academy were varied and inter 
 esting, especially during the summer months, when, in 
 addition to the severe studies of the class-rooms, the cadets 
 were practically exercised in the art of war. The encamp 
 ment, with its sentinels, gave the e fleet of the tented field, 
 with its drills, manoeuvres, and discipline. There were 
 the artillery drills, during which the athletic young men 
 rattled the heavy field-pieces about like so many plav- 
 things, loading, firing, swabbing, attacking and repellincr 
 with as great a degree of accuracy, rapidity, precision, 
 
GEX. AiMHItOSE E. Hl ltXSIDE. 07 
 
 and skill as could be exhibited in actual warfare. At the 
 cavalry exercises in the riding-school, feats of horseman 
 ship were performed that made the lady spectators shudder 
 with fright, and that rivaled in daring and skill some of 
 the classical performances of the ancient circus. Then 
 fortifications would be laid out, fascines would be made, 
 and bridges would be built out into the river on pontoons, 
 launched from their wagons. The art of war was exem 
 plified. 
 
 Cadet Burnside was, when he entered the academy, tall, 
 erect, and compactly built, with the same style of side whis 
 kers which he wore through life. Mastering the drill, he 
 
 O O 
 
 became an animated automaton on parade, while his quick 
 apprehension and retentive memory enabled him to master 
 his studies with comparatively little effort. The professors 
 liked him, although he was soon regarded as somewhat 
 wild when off duty. Among his classmates he was a 
 universal favorite. His quick perception of character, in 
 tegrity of purpose, and the moral courage which prompted 
 his action upon his convictions, enabled him to win the 
 regard of those with whom he desired to associate, and 
 treat others with cold civility. No cadet enjoyed a frolic 
 more than he did, but his conscientious sense of duty often 
 thwarted mischievous schemes, and such was his innate 
 activity of mind, that it was difficult to hide anything from 
 him. 
 
 Cadet T. J. Jackson, of Virginia, afterwards known as 
 Stonewall Jackson, was of a very different disposition. 
 He was regarded by the other cadets as an awkward, eccen 
 tric hypochondriac, who often conceived the idea that he 
 was threatened with a paralysis of the right arm, and he 
 would move it up and down like a pump-handle a certain 
 number of times, counting as he continued, and getting 
 very angry if he was interrupted. 
 
38 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The discipline at the military academy was very strict, 
 and in addition to daily marks for deficiencies at recita- 
 
 J 
 
 tions, by which the relative standing of each cadet was 
 ascertained at the end of the academic year, demerit marks 
 were given for offences against the regulations. These 
 offences were often of what would seem a trivial nature, 
 but they formed a part of the system of discipline. For 
 example "not neatly shaved at inspection," "hair too 
 long at inspection," " collar not neatly put on," " coat not 
 buttoned," and "shoes not properly blacked, were some 
 of the delinquencies for which demerit marks were given, 
 and when a cadet received more than one hundred demerit 
 marks in six months, he was dismissed. Leniency was 
 shown, however, to the newly-entered cadets, by striking 
 off one-third of their demerit marks. At the end of the 
 first year Cadet Burnside s standing in his class was : 
 Mathematics, 18 ; French, 44 ; and General Merit, 31. His 
 demerit marks for the year were 198. 
 
 The cadet uniform was of the shade of gray cloth which 
 had been adopted by General Scott for uniforming the 
 troops with which he won the battle of Chippewa, trimmed 
 with black braid, and ornamented with a profusion of 
 brass ball-buttons. In the winter, gray cloth, and in the 
 summer, white drilling pantaloons were worn. The full- 
 dress hat was of leather, with a woolen pompon, with a 
 leather bellows-topped cap for undress. The cadets but 
 tons were prized by the belles who visited West Point, 
 and who secured them as "trophies of war." 
 
 Entering upon his second year, Cadet Burnside s sol 
 dierly bearing and perfection in drill secured his appoint 
 ment as a cadet-corporal, and he also became somewhat 
 noted for the practical jokes with which he initiated the 
 newly-appointed cadets. One of these, who came from 
 
GEN. AMHJtOSE E. liUR.\ SI DE. og 
 
 the far West, had such a profusion of long, bleached, 
 sandy hair hanging down over his shoulders, while his 
 face was partially covered with a light-red beard, that he 
 was at once nick-named "The Bison." A day or two 
 after his arrival he was met by Cadet lleth, who told him 
 that he could not be aware of the regulations of the acad 
 emy, or he would have been to the barber-shop : and that 
 cadets who did not have their hair cut and their whiskers 
 trimmed by the cadet barber within, twenty-four hours 
 after their arrival at the academv, were liable to be impris 
 oned twenty days, during which time they would be fed 
 on bread and water only. "The Bison" innocently fell 
 into the trap, and asked his informant if he would kindly 
 show him the cadet barber-shop. This was exactly what 
 was wanted, and the new comer was escorted to the room 
 occupied by Burnside and Heth, which had been made to 
 resemble somewhat a barber-shop. A large chair was 
 placed in the centre of the room", and at its side was a 
 table, on which were arranged hair-brushes, combs, scis 
 sors, cologne-water, and perfumer} . 
 
 Burnside, personating the cadet barber, was in his shirt 
 sleeves, with a large white towel pinned before him like an 
 apron. When asked if he could cut the hair of, and 
 shave the new cadet before the drum beat for evening 
 parade, he replied that he thought he could. The victim 
 accordingly took his seat, and Burnside began to ply the 
 scissors, timing his movements by his watch. He had cut 
 the hair from one-half of the young man s head, and had 
 trimmed the beard from one side of his face when the 
 drum beat, and he said : "I must go to parade, but if you 
 will return in an hour I will finish the job." They accord 
 ingly left, taking with them their victim, from whom they 
 separated at the door. It so happened that just then the 
 
^o LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 superintendent of the academy came along, and " The 
 Bison" seeing several of the cadets around him take off their 
 hats and caps, took his hat off also, his appearance excit 
 ing a roar of laughter from those cadets who saw him. The 
 superintendent angrily asked him how he came to appear 
 in such a half-shorn condition, to which the prompt reply 
 was: "The cadet barber is cutting my hair and shaving 
 me according to regulations." " Cadet barber !" exclaimed 
 the superintendent, " where is the cadet barber?" "Up 
 in the cadet barber-shop," was the reply, pointing to the 
 North Barracks. "Come with me, sir!" said the super 
 intendent, "and show me this cadet barber!" "The 
 Bison" accordingly led the way to the room in which he 
 had been partially despoiled of his locks. On entering, 
 the superintendent saw on the floor the evidences of the 
 tonsorial operation, while Cadets Burnside and Heth, lying 
 on their beds, were roaring with laughter. 
 
 " So," said the superintendent, "this is the cadet bar 
 ber-shop ; and pray who is the barber?" Burnside arose 
 to his feet, and paying the usual military salute, said, "I 
 am, sir! I am the one to be blamed." "Well," replied 
 the superintendent, " let me see you finish your job." 
 The young man was told to resume his seat in the chair, 
 and Burnside cut off the remainder of his hair and beard, 
 receiving for some time the sobriquet of the " cadet 
 barber." 
 
 The cadets at West Point are not only thoroughly edu 
 cated, but they receive a moral training in those qualities 
 and traits which distinguish the gentleman. Particular at 
 tention is paid to truthfulness, and the opportunities for 
 deceit in recitation are eliminated altogether. At many 
 colleges students pass their examinations by having the 
 answers to questions written on their shirt-cuffs or in their 
 
GEiV. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. ^ 
 
 hats. These practices, with their necessary effect on char 
 acter, are impossible at West Point, the recitation sections 
 being small, the recitations being frequent, and the ques 
 tioning so thorough that success by deceit would be im 
 possible. 
 
 Then again, lying is an offence punishable by court- 
 martial, and where the. possibility of concealing a lie is so 
 small and the result of discovery so disgraceful, it is easy 
 to see how a strong habit of habitual truthfulness rinds 
 place among young men who are not otherwise distin 
 guished for morality. Cadet Burnside and his comrades 
 would steal out of bounds to enjoy forbidden festivities at 
 the restaurant kept by Benny Havens, yet they were truth 
 ful to a fault. 
 
 Benny Havens restaurant was at that time the favorite 
 resort of those cadets who were convivially disposed. It 
 was situated on the bank of the river, near Buttermilk 
 Falls, which made it an easy matter for the host to pro 
 cure supplies of wine, liquor, and tobacco from New York 
 by the passing sloops, and he could always get up a plate 
 of hot buckwheat cakes, with a steaming mug of flip, or 
 a more substantial supper. A feature of these clandes 
 tine entertainments was the singing of a song, the original 
 verses of which were composed by Lieutenant O Brien, to 
 the tune of " Wearing of the Green," but successive classes 
 added new stanzas until there were over fifty, and to these 
 improvised additions are often made. The first verse of 
 the original song was as follows : 
 
 "Come, fill your glasses, fellows, and stand up in a row, 
 
 To singing sentimentally, \ve re going for to go; 
 In the armv there s sobrietv, promotion s very slow, 
 So we 11 sing our reminiscences of Benny Havens, oh ! 
 
 Chorus. Oh ! Benny Havens, oh ! oh ! Benny Havens, oh ! 
 
 So we 11 sing our reminiscences of Bennv Havens, oh ! 
 
^ 2 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Cadet Burnside was one of Benny Havens most con 
 stant visitors and best patrons after "taps," on Saturday 
 nights, and there are traditions that on very convivial 
 occasions he would sing a ballad entitled "The Little 
 Black Bull," with great effect. 
 
 A " hash" at the quarters occupied by two of the cadets 
 was a favorite winter amusement. After "taps," when the 
 light had been extinguished, the windows of the room in 
 which the "hash" was to be enjoyed were carefully dark 
 ened, and the cadets invited would quietly enter in their 
 stocking feet, bringing knives, forks, spoons, and plates, 
 which had been " hived" from the mess-table. A turkey or 
 a pair of chickens would then be roasted, and potatoes 
 baked in the hot ashes, with other improvised dishes. 
 After the feast had been cooked and eaten, pipes and to 
 bacco would be produced, and the cadets would enjoy a 
 good smoke, unless surprised by the officer-of-the-dav. 
 On his entrance the lights would be extinguished, and the 
 cadets would hasten to their rooms, but they were gener 
 ally detected. Cadet Burnside s reputation as purveyor 
 and cook of a " hash" was unsurpassed, and he acquired 
 a practical knowledge of cooking which he never forgot. 
 
 At the end of the second year the class had been reduced 
 from fifty-three to forty-four members. Cadet Burnside s 
 standing and demerit were as follows : Mathematics, 10 ; 
 French, 28 ; English Grammar, 13 ; Drawing, 20 ; Gen 
 eral Merit, 13. His demerits for the year were 133. 
 
 The third vear Cadet Burnside received a furlough. 
 
 * O 
 
 On his return to duty he was promoted to the rank of 
 lieutenant in the corps of cadets, and he greatly enjoyed 
 camp-life from the last of June until the last of August. 
 There were always numbers of young ladies many of 
 them relatives of cadets at the hotel, and the pleasant 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 43 
 
 walks after four o clock in the afternoon, followed by 
 41 hops" at the hotel in the evening, were very enjoyable. 
 Occasionally the camp would be enlivened by a "stag 
 dance," performed by twenty or more cadets, who gyrated 
 among rows of candles placed on the ground, cadencing 
 their movements by the rattle of a muffled drum. At the 
 close of the third year, the class was reduced from forty- 
 four to forty members, and Cadet Burnside s class standing 
 was: Philosophy, 14; Chemistry, 13; Drawing, 18 ; 
 General Merit, 12. His demerits for the year were 64. 
 
 The fourth year of Burnside s stay at West Point was an 
 exciting one. The war with Mexico was raging, and the 
 bulletins received from the land of the Montezumas nat 
 urally produced a feeling of restlessness among the cadets 
 who were anxious to take the field. In the cadet corps, 
 one of the four captains having been reduced to the ranks 
 for a violation of the rules, Burnside was promoted to the 
 vacancy thus created, in October, 1846. The following 
 spring he was reported as absent from the post without 
 leave, and he was reduced to the ranks on the i5th of 
 April, 1847. The discipline has always been severe 
 against going off limits. 
 
 The final examination came at last, commencing on the 
 4th of June, 1847. The chairman of the board was Hugh 
 A. Haraldson, a Georgia lawyer, afterwards in Congress, 
 and the secretary was Henry K. Oliver, of Massachusetts, a 
 successful school-teacher, who had been made adjutant-gen 
 eral of the State. Among the members of the board were 
 Senator Brown, of Mississippi, Senator Yulee, of Florida, 
 and the ponderous Dixon II. Lewis, a representative from 
 Alabama, who weighed four hundred and thirty pounds. 
 The examination of the cadets was at times carried on by 
 the professors, and at times taken under the control of the 
 
44 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Board of Examiners. In some instances the professors 
 announced the question and the board selected the indi 
 vidual cadet who should solve it ; and in some instances 
 a question proposed to one cadet was, by direction of the 
 board, given to another for solution. Questions, also, of 
 important practical bearing, and relating to subjects not 
 recently reviewed, were freely proposed, and, in most 
 instances, readily answered. In fact, every variety of 
 method was put in operation to test the fidelity of the 
 teachers and the ability and acquirements of the pupils. 
 The examinations continued for a fortnight, everv fore- 
 noou being given to literarv work in the Librarv Hall, 
 
 o o ** / 
 
 and everv afternoon to military drill and evolutions on 
 the parade-ground. In the Library Hall the members of 
 the Examining Board and the professors sat at a semi 
 circular table, in front of which were three large black 
 boards in frames. The cadets marched in to the tap of the 
 drum, in squads of eight or ten, one being sent to each 
 blackboard to solve a question proposed, and one standing 
 with arms folded, to answer oral questions. " These were 
 put at him with small mercy and with rigid impartiality. 
 Unless promptly answered he received an unfavorable 
 mark. Whenever a cadet at the blackboard had com 
 pleted his work he faced about, folded his arms, and 
 waited till called upon for explanation of his work. The 
 regular business of the other cadets, in study and recitation, 
 continued as though no examination was going on." 
 
 Cadet Burnside was pronounced by the examiners the 
 finest looking and most soldier-like of the corps, and he 
 was found equally ready when demonstrating mathemati 
 cal problems on the blackboard, or executing manoeuvres 
 on the field. One day he was questioned on the prelim 
 inary steps and surveys necessary to the laying out of a 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. *t 
 
 line of railway in any new location, and the requisite cal 
 culations in excavating, rilling, etc. On another day he 
 was examined on the principle which controlled the rela 
 tive positions in line of the several companies in a regi 
 ment, and upon the evolutions of regiments and brigades. 
 
 One afternoon the cadets, organized as a battalion of 
 four companies, were under examination in military move 
 ments, and as had been arranged General Oliver 
 successively called several cadet-privates from the ranks, 
 placed them in command of the battalion, and directed 
 them to perform several evolutions. Among those sin 
 gled out was Cadet Burnside, who had distinguished him 
 self at the blackboard in the forenoon, and who without 
 hesitation took command of the battalion, and gave the 
 requisite words of command for the execution of six evo 
 lutions, which he saw were promptly executed. 
 
 The board, in its report, expressed itself satisfied that 
 the several branches of science prescribed in the academic 
 course had been faithfully studied and skillfully taught, 
 and that the academy had well sustained the high reputa 
 tion which had always been conceded to it. 
 
 Cadet Burnside s standing for the last year that he was 
 at West Point was : Engineering, 24 ; Ethics, 26 ; Artillery 
 Duty, 18; Infantry Tactics, 8; Mineralogy and Geology, 
 29, and General Merit, 18. The class had been reduced to 
 thirty, and Burnside s relative standing when he graduated 
 \vas eighteen. At last, the severe questionings were ended, 
 the final ordeal was passed, the graduating diplomas were 
 handed to Burnside and his comrades, and the class of 47 
 hastened to 
 
 " Doft" the cadet and don the brevet, 
 And change the gray for the blue." 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ORDERED TO MEXICO - CROSSING THE ALLEGHANIES RIVER PI 
 RATES AND GAMBLERS ARRIVAL AT VERA CRUZ MARCH 
 TO Til E HALLS OK THE MONTEZUMAS RETURN TO THE UNI 
 TED STATES. 
 
 THE war with Mexico, whatever may be thought 
 of the causes which provoked it, showed that the 
 dimensions of the moral and physical power of 
 the people of the United States were far greater than had 
 been supposed. For upwards of thirty years, with the ex 
 ception of difficulties with the Indians, the Republic had 
 been at peace with all mankind. The men who were to 
 carry the stars and stripes into the land of the Montezu- 
 mas were, with a comparatively few exceptions, unused to 
 the privations and requirements of martial life. It was 
 said of Carnot, the great French war minister, that in his 
 office at Paris, his mind was capable of accurately survey 
 ing the battle-plains of Europe, and " organizing victory"; 
 that to his genius the arms of France owed as much for 
 their success -as they did to the general, who in the midst 
 of the strife held aloft the eagles of the republic ; and 
 men who in an hundred fields had cheerfully encoun 
 tered the bayonet and the hail of battle, knew the ascrip 
 tion to be just, and proudly and honestly acknowledged 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 47 
 
 its truth. What Carnot had to do tor France, President 
 Polk, during the Mexican war, had to do for the United 
 States. To find at any time commanders capable and 
 brave is not difficult; but to raise, organize, equip, and 
 provide with all the munitions of war, an invading army, 
 is not so easy of accomplishment. To do this is to " or 
 ganize victory," and this did Mr. Polk. The records of 
 the country show that in an incredibly short space of time 
 nearly one hundred thousand soldiers regulars and vol 
 unteers were placed, with all the means of attack and 
 defense, on the territory of the enemy ; and that this large 
 body, under the lead of skillful officers, were, in fulfill 
 ment of the instructions of the government, converged 
 from different points on the Mexican capital, and con 
 quered peAce. 
 
 Young Burnside passed the last few months of his cadet- 
 ship amid the excitement of battle bulletins, which recorded 
 the persevering marches, the impetuous courage, and the 
 resistless daring of the army to which he was soon to be 
 long. With the long-coveted commission, dated July i, 
 1847, the dream of his boyhood and the stimulus of his 
 youth, came an order to proceed to the city of Mexico, 
 by the way of New Orleans, and there join his regiment, 
 the Second Artillery. 
 
 Joining a classmate at Baltimore, the two embryo officers 
 started across the mountains to descend the Ohio and Mis 
 sissippi rivers to New Orleans. But a short distance ot 
 the Baltimore and Ohio railroad had been completed, and 
 the Alleghanies were crossed in a -stage-coach. The back 
 seat of the vehicle was occupied by two Sisters of Charity 
 on the way from the " Maison Merc" at Paris, to the Con 
 vent of the Sacred Heart, at St. Louis, and on the front 
 seat were three western jewelers who had been making 
 
48 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 purchases at the East. The two young officers had the 
 middle seat, which was not very comfortable, and Burnside 
 showed his familiarity with the situation by causing himself 
 to be strapped under the baggage-cover on top of the coach, 
 for the purpose of getting a good nap on the way. The 
 experiment was apparently a successful one until drivers 
 were changed at the ten-mile relay, when he .found his 
 somewhat peculiarly shaped head being punched for a sup 
 posed watermelon by the new driver. At the next station 
 he was still more unfortunate, as the succeeding driver 
 threw a bag of curry-combs and brushes on his head, which 
 induced him to beat a precipitate retreat to the inside of the 
 coach, satisfied to take his chance for naps with the rest of 
 the passengers. 
 
 Reaching Wheeling on the evening of the second day, 
 the party embarked on a small stern-wheel steamboat, which 
 they exchanged for a more commodious side-wheel steam 
 boat at Pittsburgh. The change was a grateful one, but 
 a formidable source of annoyance presented itself to the 
 travelers in the shape of certain suspicious characters who 
 appeared among the passengers. The western rivers at 
 that time were infested by piratical gangs of the very worst 
 description. So daring anil so well organized had they 
 become, that the officers of the boats regarded them with 
 fear that almost amounted to terror. A number of these 
 officers had forfeited their lives in their efforts to protect the 
 passengers from the depredations of these villains. One 
 of the most notorious leaders of these robber gangs was a 
 certain Burt Mackey. He had been repeatedly arrested 
 and several times tried for felony, but had always managed 
 to escape punishment probably from having some of his 
 confederates on the jury. It was discovered shortly after 
 the steamboat started that no less a personage than the 
 
^o LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 redoubtable robber-chief himself, with some four or five 
 confederates was on board, attracted by the presence of 
 the western jewelers with their recent purchases. It had 
 also been reported that the worthy Sisters of Charity were 
 the custodians of a large sum of money for the convent. 
 
 A general feeling of consternation took place among 
 the jewelers, and the Sisters of Charity were in great dis 
 tress. Burnside and his classmate calmed their fears by 
 volunteering to mount guard over their state-room, relieving 
 "each other every two hours during the night. The situa 
 tion was an extremely novel one, and very strange seemed 
 all the surroundings of this western craft, with its high- 
 pressure puffings, the cyclopean operations on the lower 
 deck, where the glare of the burning wood in the huge fur 
 naces lit up the swarthy faces of the negro crew, and cast 
 long shadows through the forests on the shore ; the con 
 stant heaving of the lead and cries of " quarter less twain" 
 from the man with the line ; the silence and loneliness of 
 the upper cabin, broken by an occasionally opening door 
 and the protruding head of a nervous passenger, or the 
 stealthy tread of two or more of the confederates, meeting 
 to consult over their baffled schemes. 
 
 The jewelers and the river-pirates left the steamboat at 
 Cincinnati, Burnside and his classmate remaining on board 
 to go to Louisville. On the way there a passenger made 
 Burnside s acquaintance and proposed a friendly game of 
 euchre, at the same time inviting an apparent stranger to 
 take a hand. The three sat down, and soon became very 
 much interested in the game ; small stakes were proposed, 
 and Burnside, being generally the winner, cheerfully as 
 sented to a proposition to increase the stakes. After a 
 while Burnside began to lose, and he was led on until he 
 had lost every cent of his money. In the morning he had 
 
:;o LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 redoubtable robber-chief himself, with some four or five 
 confederates was on board, attracted by the presence of 
 the western jewelers with their recent purchases. It had 
 also been reported that the worthy Sisters of Charity were 
 the custodians of a large sum of money for the convent. 
 
 A general feeling of consternation took place among 
 the jewelers, and the Sisters of Charity were in great dis 
 tress. Burnside and his classmate calmed their fears by 
 volunteering to mount guard over their state-room, relieving 
 each other every two hours during the night. The situa 
 tion was an extremely novel one, and very strange seemed 
 all the surroundings of this western craft, with its high- 
 pressure puffings, the cyclopean operations on the lower 
 deck, where the glare of the burning wood in the huge fur 
 naces lit up the swarthy faces of the negro crew, and cast 
 long shadows through the forests on the shore ; the con 
 stant heaving of the lead and cries of " quarter less twain" 
 from the man with the line ; the silence and loneliness of 
 the upper cabin, broken by an occasionally opening door 
 and the protruding head of a nervous passenger, or the 
 stealthy tread of two or more of the confederates, meeting 
 to consult over their baffled schemes. 
 
 The jewelers and the river-pirates left the steamboat at 
 Cincinnati, Burnside and his classmate remaining on board 
 to go to Louisville. On the way there a passenger made 
 Burnsicle s acquaintance and proposed a friendly game of 
 euchre, at the same time inviting an apparent stranger to 
 take a hand. The three sat down, and soon became very 
 much interested in the game ; small stakes were proposed, 
 and Burnside, being generally the winner, cheerfully as 
 sented to a proposition to increase the stakes. After a 
 while Burnside began to lose, and he was led on until he 
 had lost every cent of his money. In the morning he had 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. - 1 
 
 to admit that he was "dead-broke," which was the more 
 unpleasant as his classmate had thus far paid all the 
 traveling expenses, and had about exhausted his pocket- 
 book. What to do for the remainder of the journey was 
 the question. No money was to be had until thev reached 
 New Orleans, where the quartermaster would refund them 
 their traveling expenses in the way of mileage ; but how to 
 get there was the problem, as neither of them had five 
 dollars. 
 
 While discussing the situation one of the passengers 
 approached, and excusing himself for apparently intruding 
 upon their private affairs, he frankly stated that, having 
 watched the game the night before, and knowing the two 
 individuals with whom Burnside was playing were river 
 sharpers, he had been much pained at the result, and finally 
 suggested that if they were in any way embarrassed by it 
 he would be most happy, on arriving at his home in Louis 
 ville, to furnish them with the requisite funds to pursue 
 their journey. On landing at the wharf at Louisville he 
 gave them his card and invited them to call upon him, 
 when he would let them have what money they wanted. 
 
 They accordingly called on their new-found friend, and 
 after seeking him without success in the fashionable por 
 tion of the city, they were directed to the business quarter, 
 where, in a somewhat obscure locality, and over the door 
 of a small variety shop, they found the name indicated on 
 the card. Entering with some hesitation at the possible 
 chance of a mistake, they were a little surprised at meeting 
 their fellow-passenger, who was expecting them, and with 
 a rare tact and delicacy had computed their possible ex 
 penses and placed the amount in two envelopes. 
 
 The surroundings of this unpretending little store were 
 sufficient to show them at a "-lance that the sum of monev 
 
5 2 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 he handed to them was not taken from a very large accu 
 mulation, and when he subsequently invited them into a 
 small room at the rear, which was his home, and, introduc 
 ing them to his wife, who was as unpretending as him 
 self, but who bore a look of unmistakable refinement, 
 begged them to stay and take tea with them, they could 
 not refuse. An interesting little boy stood by the side of 
 his mother, these three constituting all the family. After 
 tea the wife went into the shop and selected from a little 
 glass show-case two very pretty and commodious arrange 
 ments of brown morocco for thread, needles, buttons, etc., 
 which she begged them to accept and take with them to 
 Mexico, where she was sure they would often be found 
 serviceable. Each little compartment was amply supplied 
 with whatever it was intended to contain, and they proved 
 to be; most serviceable and timely gifts. 
 
 Years afterwards, when Burnside was in command of 
 the Department of North Carolina, he received a letter 
 from a lady in Louisville, telling him that her only son had 
 enlisted in a loyal regiment ; that he was in delicate health, 
 but nothing could stay the ardor of his patriotism, and, 
 notwithstanding the fact that he was hardly able physically 
 to endure the privations of camp-life, he had gone to the 
 war and was at that time a private in one of the regiments 
 in North Carolina. The mother asked that Burnside 
 would, if he could consistently do so, place him in a posi 
 tion where his health would be the least endangered. 
 She added that Burnside might possibly remember her, as 
 she had once seen him in Louisville, but mentioning noth 
 ing bv which he could recall the name. Thinking over 
 the matter and recalling carefully the incidents of his visit 
 to Louisville, it occurred to him that this might be the wife 
 of his generous friend in the little variety store, and the 
 
c;/s.v. A MI; HUSK E. ni 
 
 young man in question the little boy who stood at his 
 mother s knee at the tea-table that evening. Meeting his 
 old classmate, he mentioned the case, and it proved to be 
 the same lad. Immediately on Burnside s return to head 
 quarters he promoted this young soldier to a lieutenancy. 
 
 Barnskle remained at Louisville for nearly a week, 
 when he was joined by other classmates, also on their way 
 to the seat of war, and they descended the Mississippi 
 River in a steamer to New Orleans. At the Crescent 
 City thev were warmly welcomed, and soon embarked on 
 a transport, which conveyed them to Mexico. 
 
 Far out at sea they saw the snow-capped peak of Ori 
 zaba, standing as a sentinel before the City of the Monte- 
 zumas, and the next morning they landed at Vera Cruz, 
 then in possession of the United States troops. The young 
 officers learned with regret that the war was virtually at an 
 end, and that the Mexicans, relieved from the danger of 
 subjugation, had relapsed into their usual state of indiffer 
 ence and indolence, with which was a desire to wreak ven 
 geance on their conquerors. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside, who had meanwhile been commis 
 sioned as second lieutenant of the Third Artillery, was 
 ordered to start at once for the city of Mexico, in com 
 mand of the recruits destined for his regiment, as escort to 
 a baggage train. Traversing the " ticrras callicntcs" 
 where tropical fruits and flowers were to be seen growing in 
 all their luxuriance, they came to the "ticrras lanpladcs" 
 or temperate table-land at the base of the mountain. The 
 wearisome march was greatly enjoyed by the officers and 
 men, although they had to be continually on the alert, as 
 the country was swarming with guerillas. Onward and 
 Upward led the road, and at last, at the foot of two majes 
 tic, snow-clad mountains, was the city of Mexico, with its 
 
C-, LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 turrets, spires, and domes, while high above all waved in 
 triumph the stars and stripes. Climates succeeded to each 
 other to use Humboldt s expression in layers, and the 
 detachment passed in review, between Vera Cruz and Mex 
 ico, the whole scale of vegetation, from the cacti of the 
 tropics to the pines of the Arctic regions. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside was warmly welcomed by his 
 brother officers, and he was complimented by his superiors 
 for the ability with which he had kept the men and the 
 mules of his train from straggling and being carried off. 
 He was much interested with the novel appearance of the 
 captured city. Palaces, churches, and monasteries rose 
 on every hand, some of them bearing marks of the recent 
 cannonading. Dark-eyed senoritas smiled from behind 
 the iron-work of balconies, and young men, gorgeously 
 arrayed in Andalusian attire, moved about on small, am 
 bling horses, richly caparisoned. Itinerant jugglers per 
 formed the same tricks that were witnessed by Pizarro ; 
 but a band of negro minstrels had crowded out the Span 
 ish operatic company, and an American theatrical com 
 pany nightly reveled in the halls of the " Gran Tcatro 
 National." 
 
 The " Cafe dc Indcpcndcncia" had been rechristened 
 the "Old Kentuck House/ Other hotels in a like man 
 ner had changed their cognomens, and there were the 
 "Eagle House," the " Lone Star House, the " St. Louis." 
 the " Alhambra," the " Verandah," the " Merchants," the 
 "St. Charles," the "New York Restaurant," the "Amer 
 ican Eating Establishment," the " Shakespeare Dining 
 Saloon," the " Indian Queen." etc., etc., where everything 
 to eat and to drink, from "pigs feet and buttermilk" to the 
 very best " bald-face and Jamaica," were sold. 
 
 The Diaro Gobicnw newspaper had given place to 
 
-,- 
 
 the American Star, the first number of which had been 
 printed at Matamoras when the United States troops landed 
 there, while others had been successively published at the 
 various stopping-places of 
 the advancing column. 
 The North American was 
 issued from where a Mex 
 ican journal formerly ema 
 nated ; and the Yankee 
 Doodle, full of mirth and 
 humor, poked his comical 
 face from behind a confer, 
 weekly. 
 
 Divine services were held 
 every Sunday at the Grand 
 Palace, by the Rev. Mr. 
 McCarty, chaplain to the 
 
 army, who, in a highly commendable manner, had been 
 assiduous in his attention to the sick, wounded, and dving, 
 both upon the field and in the hospital. While one of the 
 commands was passing to a position in order to turn the 
 enemy s works at Cherubusco, they encountered a murder 
 ous tire, which swept off nearly one-third of the command, 
 and was calculated to produce momentary confusion even 
 among the veteran troops. The reverend gentleman was 
 among those left standing, and turning to them with a calm 
 and placid countenance, raising his hat from his head, he 
 called out: Never fear, my brave fellows! the Lord is 
 on our side ; do your duty, and \ve are certain of victory." 
 As the troops proceeded on they encountered an almost 
 impassable ditch, where they suffered severely from the 
 guns of the foe before thev could reach the point of assault, 
 when. he was again foremost in the van, remarking : " My 
 
 GEN. WINFIELD SCOTT. 
 
^6 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 friends, war is a very bad trade, but this is not the time to 
 discuss it ; just hand me your guns, and I will hold them 
 until you hurry over the ditch." His language and action 
 produced a most happy effect upon the men, and as they 
 were led on by their gallant officers they raised a shout, 
 charged the enemy in line spirits and confidence, and most 
 signally routed and defeated them. As soon as the contest 
 between the two armies was decided, the reverend gentle 
 man was to be found among the wounded and the dying, 
 endeavoring to alleviate the sufferings of the former, and 
 administering the last of all earthly consolations to the 
 latter. 
 
 The United States Army in Mexico presented but little 
 of the pride and pomp of war, but all of its stern realities. 
 The bloody battles in the neighborhood had made sad 
 havoc among the officers of the old regiments of regulars, 
 which jiave the voung graduates from West Point a great 
 
 > */ O C? O 
 
 deal to do. Living under military regulations, and breath 
 ing a military atmosphere, the young gentlemen became 
 habituated to obedience and accustomed to the restraints of 
 discipline. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside is remembered by his comrades as 
 a tall, lithe, well-made young man, whose features were 
 expressive of indomitable good spirits and keen huir.or. 
 He was remarkable for his good temper, his obliging dis 
 position, and his aversion to continued duty. In conver 
 sation with his superior officers his manner was slightly 
 deferential, while with the younger officers he was cordial 
 and courteous, his manner combining dignity and elegance 
 with singular ease and simplicity. 
 
 The society in Mexico was to the young lieutenant an 
 enigma. The degenerate descendants of the Cortez and 
 the Pizarros lacked the chivalrous arrogance of the Cas- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. ^ 
 
 tilian, or the bland gaiety of the French. Gambling and 
 smoking occupied their time, while the ladies, reared in 
 deplorable ignorance, lacked the languid grace and subtle 
 sparkliness so peculiar to the Andalusian race. Many of 
 the officers visited the gambling-houses, and Lieutenant 
 Burnside was one of those who became fascinated in 
 " fighting the tiger," without sufficient self-denial to stop 
 until he had been regularly plucked. At last he found 
 himself stopped of all his available means, and his pav 
 for six months in advance was mortgaged. His first im 
 pulse was to resign, but a senior officer who had been 
 regarded as somewhat parsimonious insisted upon Burn- 
 side receiving from him a loan sufficiently large to extin 
 guish his indebtedness. 
 
 o 
 
 Ji anyana" was the favorite expression of the Mexicans, 
 and it was practically applied to everything, from the sim 
 plest transactions of life up to matters of the utmost moment. 
 It may be translated : " Do nothing to-day which by any 
 possible means you can put off until to-morrow." With 
 the Americans it was different. Guard-mounting, drills, 
 reviews, and parades were ordered and punctually execu 
 ted. Unfortunate differences of opinion between General 
 Scott and his subordinate generals created a bad feeling, 
 which extended throughout the army, and there was a 
 general feeling of relief when the troops began to leave 
 for Vera Cruz, there to embark for the United States. 
 Braggs battery, of the Third Artillery, to which Lieutenant 
 Burnside was attached, was ordered to Fort Adams, at 
 Newport, R. I. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 AT TORT ADAMS, NEWPORT GARRISON LIFE ORDERED TO THE 
 FROXTIER PLACED IX COMMAXD OF A DETACHMENT OF 
 MOUXTED MEX HIS FIRST REPORT VICTORIOUS ENGAGE- 
 MF.XT \VITII THE INDIANS WOUNDED JOINS HIS REGIMENT 
 AT JEFFERSON BARRACKS. 
 
 FORT ADAMS, near Newport, where Lieutenant 
 Burnside was stationed on his return from Mexico, 
 is a most delightful stronghold, built in accordance 
 with the science of engineering, before earth-works were 
 substituted for massive granite walls. The view from the 
 ramparts of the fort is varied and picturesque. On one 
 hand is Narragansett Bay, with its islands, its watering- 
 places, its steamers, its iishing-boats, and in the distance 
 the broad sweep of the Atlantic Ocean, its dark waves 
 crested with foam and flecked with white sails. On the 
 other hand is the long hillside town of Newport, with its 
 spires and public edifices, its long wharf, and the range of 
 villas on its heights. Between the fort and the city, in the 
 foreground, is the harbor, often the anchorage of foreign 
 or home squadrons of war-vessels, and of gay yachts. 
 And in the background are miniature precipitous ranges 
 of granite, veined with small terraces of green grass, some 
 of which are watered by springs. 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. HUltXSlDE. ^Q 
 
 The battery of light artillery stationed at Fort Adams 
 when Lieutenant Burnside was one of the garrison, was a 
 corps d tlitc, showily uniformed, perfectly equipped, and 
 kept thoroughly drilled. Nearly all of the officers and 
 enlisted men had seen service in the recent war with Mex 
 ico, and had the weather-bronzed, robust air of veterans. 
 Their soldier-like appearance, their great exactitude of 
 drill, the freedom and celerity of their movements, all 
 showed their familiarity with the essentials as well as the 
 glitter of war. Lieutenant Burnside, who was a bold horse 
 man, was conspicuous by his gallant appearance and his 
 familiarity with the intricate evolutions, and he soon be 
 came a welcome guest in the adjacent town. 
 
 Newport was at that time beginning to be a fashionable 
 watering-place, where celebrities and beauties from differ 
 ent sections of the country came to enjoy the summer 
 season, even as the " Greeks of old went in peace to their 
 Olympia." The familiar faces of congressmen, diplomats, 
 jurists, and fashionables, with merchants of great wealth, 
 were to be seen congregated there every summer, many 
 remaining until late in the autumn. They enjoved the 
 
 O . ~ 
 
 foggy, bracing air, loitered at the Redwood Library, 
 visited historic localities, sailed on the bay, feasted at 
 " clam-bakes," and worshiped on Sundays in Old Trinity, 
 where Bishop Berkeley preached in 1730. Once a week 
 came " fort-day," when the owners of equipages rode out 
 from the town in stately array, followed by equestrians and 
 pedestrians. The commander of the post, with his sub 
 ordinate officers, all in full uniform, would receive them 
 with military courtesy, a line band playing meanwhile. 
 Occasionally the light battery would visit Newport, and 
 perform its wonderful evolutions on Bellevue Avenue, 
 horses and men moving in unison, in obedience to the 
 notes of the bugle. 
 
60 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The young officers stationed at the fort found the so 
 ciety delightful. Boating parties on the bay, drives upon 
 the beach, walks upon the rocky crags which border the 
 ocean, dinners given by the wealthy sojourners, with music 
 and dances at night., were all wonderfully attractive. Dur 
 ing the Revolutionary War, the beauty of the young 
 women of Newport, and the culture and wit of the citizens 
 had entranced the hearts of the French officers stationed 
 there, and Lieutenant Burnside was equally charmed with 
 their successors. Occasionally he would visit Providence, 
 to enjoy its hospitalities, and he thus laid the foundations 
 of friendships which years afterwards resulted in his be 
 coming a citizen of Rhode Island. 
 
 But garrison life, even with these surrounding social 
 attractions, soon dragged wearily along. There were no 
 threatening enemies compelling vigilance, and no active 
 necessities to stimulate enterprise. He was well pleased 
 when orders, dated December 10, 1849, directed him to 
 proceed to New Mexico with " Bragg s Battery," one of 
 the most efficient in the service. 
 
 On his arrival in New Mexico he found that it had been 
 deemed impracticable to use the battery as light artillerv, 
 and he was placed in command of a detachment of it 
 equipped and mounted as cavalry. At the head of this 
 detachment, he performed escort duty, protected the mail- 
 riders, went on scouting-parties, and rendered other effi 
 cient services, obeying the orders given him with equal 
 ability and cheerfulness. 
 
 Soon after Lieutenant Burnside had organized his de 
 tachment for service, a band of Apaches and Eutaws 
 appeared in the vicinity of Las Vegas, and commenced 
 petty hostilities. After having committed several depreda 
 tions, they surprised a mail-party. The two mail-carriers, 
 with several persons who had accompanied them, were 
 
<V/i/V. AMHKOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 6l 
 
 killed, and only one Mexican attendant escaped to tell 
 the tale. Lieutenant Burnside, with his detachment of 
 mounted men, was at once sent by Captain Judcl, who was 
 
 KOKT ADAMS, NEWl OKT, K. I. 
 
 in command at Las Vegas, to the scene of the murder, 
 with instructions to bury the dead, and to collect what 
 could be found of the mails. On his return from this duty 
 he made the following report -clear, full of information, 
 and yet modest, which was the first of the long series of 
 reports from his pen which have since graced the military 
 annals of the country : 
 
 LAS VKOAS, NEW MEXICO, May .23. 1850. 
 
 SIR : I have the honor to report, for the information of the Lieutenant- 
 Colonel commanding, that in ohedience to Post Order No. n. dated 
 Headquarters, Las Vegas, N. M., May 21, 1850, I proceeded with my 
 detachment in the direction of the Wagon Mound, for the purpose of in 
 terring the bodies of the mail carriers and others who were murdered 
 near that place, as well as to collect such parts of the mail as were not 
 destroyed or had not already been brought in. I arrived at the scene of 
 
62 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 murder on the day after I left this place, and found the remains of ten 
 persons. I at once put the Mexicans taken for the purpose to digging a 
 grave for the bodies, and immediately commenced a careful examination 
 of all the ground in the vicinity, assisted by Lieutenant Plympton, 
 attached to this command, and Mr. Barcby, of Barclay s Fort. The 
 wagon which Clay and Hendrickson (mail carriers) took from this place 
 last March was found about a half mile from the foot of the Wagon 
 Mound, with the tongue broken, and a dead mule, still in harness, attached 
 to it. Two of the bodies, in a complete state of purification, were found 
 in the wagon ; the remaining eight, very much eaten by the wolves, in its 
 immediate vicinity, the farthest one probably seventy-five yards off; one 
 horse and two mules were killed near the wagon, and two American 
 horses near the foot of the Mound. The ground, from these two horses 
 to the wagon, was strewn with arrows. On the road which passes by the 
 foot of the Mound, and about a mile from the wagon, we found where the 
 party had encamped before they were attacked ; the track of the wagon 
 could not be discerned. The trail of the marauding party was indistinct. 
 We examined the canon formed by the rising ground near the mound, 
 and in fact all the ground in the neighborhood, and secured all the mail 
 that could he found, which consisted principally of" blank forms " and a 
 few private papers. 
 
 From these facts I am led to the following conclusion : That the mail 
 party, with five or six other persons who had joined it, arrived at the 
 Wagon Mound either before the snow fell, on the third of this month, or 
 whilst the snow was still on the ground, for no tracks of any description 
 could be seen; that the wagon with eight of the party started from 
 camp, two of the party, not of the mail carriers, mounted on American 
 horses, remained at the fire for a short time, afterwards starting, were 
 charged upon by the Indians, who were laying behind the small mound 
 at the foot of the Wagon Mound, their horses killed, and themselves 
 wounded; they ran to the wagon, and were assisted in getting in by the 
 main party; while in the act of doing this, the party were charged upon 
 by the Indians, thrown in a state of confusion, and finally all killed 
 within seventy-five yards of the wagon, on either side of the road. This 
 opinion is sustained by the fact of the two men who were in the wagon 
 being wounded each in the left thigh, the most common wound a man 
 receives on horseback, and one that could not have been inflicted whilst 
 they were in the wagon. No signs were discovered of any Indian being 
 killed. The attacking party were evidently in great numbers, from the 
 large number of arrows found on the ground, but the best evidence of it 
 is the small space within which the whole party were killed. So large a 
 party of Americans have never before been entirely destroyed by the 
 Indians of that portion of the territory, and. in fact, ten Americans have 
 
(iE.V. AMBJtOSE E. h ( A .YS//)E. -> 
 
 heretofore been considered comparatively safe in traveling over the road 
 with proper care. Mr. Barclay, who had been a great deal among the 
 Eii taw Indians, and in fact traded with them for some time, recognized 
 certain arrows among those left on the ground. One of the Mexicans 
 that I carried with me had been for many years a prisoner among the 
 Indians, and recognized both Apache and Eutaw arrows, which confirmed 
 me in the opinion that it was a combined movement of the two tribes. 
 The partv consisted certainly of not less than one hundred warriors. 
 All these are mere matters of opinion, and may appear to show conceit 
 and arrogance in so inexperienced a person as myself, but I have taken 
 particular pains to weigh all the circumstances, and have formed my 
 opinion not only from my own observation, but from that of Lieutenant 
 Plympton and Mr. Barclay. The latter has been in the country for many 
 years, and knows the Indian habits almost perfectly. No possible clue 
 to the direction of the Indian trail could be found, and, in fact, the mur 
 der was committed so long before it was known (at least fifteen days) 
 that all pursuit would have been unavailing, could we have found the 
 trail. No fresh signs of Indians were seen, but it was reported that a 
 party had been seen by a hunter near Barclay s Fort, but not being able 
 to learn anything positive on the subject, I cannot say that the report is 
 correct. 
 
 It is probable that Clay and Hendrickson, who went out in March, were 
 the carriers. Benjamin Shaw and Mr. Goldstien are probably two others 
 of the party, as many private papers belonging to them were found on 
 the ground. Mr. Barclay is of the opinion that Mr. Brown, who owned 
 the train that wintered near the Arkansas, was another. lie judges from 
 the appearance of the hair on the head, as well as the shape of the head. 
 I have heard other persons spoken of as probably belonging to the party, 
 but seeing no evidence, don t think it best to mention their names, as it 
 may cause unnecessary alarm among their friends. Two of the partv 
 only were scalped, but all of them stripped. The principal part of the 
 letter mail, I think, has been brought in. The Indians evidently thought 
 the large rolls of blanks to be the most important, and consequently tore 
 them open. I .have brought in all that was worth picking up. 
 
 The bodies were buried in a common grave, and the wagon with all 
 the rubbish was burned over it, to prevent, it possible, the bodies being 
 dug up by the wolves. 
 
 I have the honor to be, Sir, very respectfully, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 (Signed), A. E. BURXSIDE, 
 Lieutenant Third Artillery, Commanding Detachment . 
 
 To LIEUT. J. N. WARD, 
 
 Post Adjutant. 
 
64 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 On the 1 6th of August a party of about sixty Apaches 
 visited Las Vegas and solicited powder and ball in ex 
 change for furs. Captain Judd, who was in command, 
 held a "talk" with them, and became convinced that their 
 intentions were anything but pacific. Several of them 
 were recognized as having been among the Indians who 
 had falsely treated for peace at Taos, and had afterwards 
 been engaged in numerous murders and robberies along 
 the frontier. Captain Judd refused to grant their request 
 for ammunition, and after their departure to their camp, 
 about half a mile from the town, he ordered Lieutenant 
 Burnside to follow them there, and arrest the chiefs. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside, at the head of twenty-nine men, 
 came up with the Indians before they had reached their 
 camp, and advancing within short range of their arrows, 
 halted his detachment, in the hope that the Indians would 
 surrender. Instead of so doing, they delivered a flight 
 of missiles from their bows and rifles, and then fled at a 
 hand-gallop over the rough hills and ravines. A charge, 
 with his command deployed as skirmishers, was at once 
 ordered by Lieutenant Burnside, who gallantly led his men 
 against the flying but resisting foe. A hand-to-hand con 
 flict ensued, in which the sabre was the only weapon used 
 by the troops, who followed their foes more than nine 
 miles, capturing three prisoners, and killing, it was be 
 lieved, at least twenty warriors. Lieutenant Burnside was 
 wounded by an arrow just below the ear, and several of 
 his command also received arrow wounds. He was 
 warmly commended by Captain Judd for his braverv, and 
 Colonel Washington, who then commanded the military 
 department of New Mexico, in transmitting a report of 
 the affair to Major-General Jones, then adjutant-general 
 of the army, said : " The troops serving in New Mexico 
 
(i EN. A MX HOSE E. KURXSIDE. 6=J 
 
 are entitled to much consideration for the prompt and 
 cheerful manner in which they have performed their ardu 
 ous duties, as well as for their conduct in chastising the 
 hostile bands which infest it, on every occasion which has 
 been presented." 
 
 Before the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Burnside was 
 known at Washington, it had been determined to send a 
 cavalry force to New Mexico, and orders had accordingly 
 been forwarded, relieving him from further duty, and as 
 signing the men comprising his detachment to companies 
 serving in their vicinity. This was accordingly done, and 
 
 O . o ., 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside, having settled his accounts and 
 turned over his arms and horse equipments to the Ord 
 nance and Quartermaster s departments, left for Jefferson 
 Barracks, Missouri, where he joined his regiment. 
 
 Resuming the routine duties and drills of garrison life, 
 Lieutenant Burnside found relaxation in the neighboring 
 
 O O 
 
 city of St. Louis, with its old French families, its wealthy 
 merchants, and its numerous visitors from Kentucky. 
 Fond of ladies society, the young officer was soon a fa 
 vorite escort among the Missouri and Kentuckv belles, 
 and one night he went with a bevy of them to a public 
 ball. On arriving at the hotel where the ball was given, 
 Lieutenant Burnside learned that some disreputable persons 
 had obtained admission to the floor, and proposed to the 
 ladies of his party that they should content themselves 
 with a view of the gay scene from the gallery of the ball 
 room. This they did, to the annovance of some of the 
 young residents, who had hoped to enjoy dancing with 
 the ladies, and a newspaper published the next day made 
 some sneering remarks about the military snob who thought 
 that the society of St. Louis was not sufficiently refined 
 for his lady frjends to mix with. 
 
66 
 
 GEX. AMHJtOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside was much incensed when he read 
 this, and believing with Dr. Johnson that " a free press 
 should always be accompanied by a free cudgel," -he de 
 termined to chastise the writer. Having first obtained a 
 fortnight s leave of absence, he went to the office of the 
 newspaper, where he found the writer of the article and 
 cowhided him well. He then left secretly for Indiana, 
 and the constables sought him at the barracks in vain 
 when they went to arrest him for assault and battery. 
 Some of the leading citizens interfered, the complaint was 
 withdrawn, and the pugnacious lieutenant returned to his 
 duty. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ORDERED TO JOIN THK HOUNDAKV COMMISSION I.IKE ON THE 
 FRONTIER DIFFERENCES HETWEEN THE CIVIL AND MILI- 
 TARV HEADS OF THE PAR.TV RIVAL EXPRESSES SENT WITH 
 DISPATCHES TO WASHINGTON* INVENTION OK A KREKCH- 
 LOADING MUSKET PROMOTION VISIT TO INDIANA A LOVE 
 EPISODE. 
 
 ^~ "^HE treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo having pro 
 vided for a joint commission for running and 
 
 JL. marking the boundary between the United States 
 and Mexico, Hon. John B. Weller was appointed on the 
 part of the United States, and Gen. P. D. Conde on the 
 part of Mexico. On the accession of General Taylor to 
 the presidential chair Mr. Weller was removed, and Gen 
 eral Fremont was appointed as his successor. Before he 
 had rendered any service, however, General Fremont was 
 elected a United States Senator from California, and then 
 the Hon. John Russell Bartlett, of Rhode Island, was ap 
 pointed commissioner on the part of the United States. 
 Mr. Bartlett met the Mexican commissioner, General 
 Conde, at El Paso on the ist of December, 1851, and 
 they commenced the important work entrusted to them. 
 
 The following May the commission established its head 
 quarters at Santa Rita del Cobre, where copper-mines had 
 
68 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 been profitably worked until the Apaches drove the Mexi 
 cans away. There having been some misunderstanding 
 between the officers of the army detailed for service on the 
 commission and the citizen commissary, the Secretary of 
 the Interior had requested the Secretary of War to detail 
 an officer of the army as quartermaster and commissary. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside was accordingly detailed for this 
 duty, and ordered to report to Colonel Graham, of the 
 corps of engineers, the principal astronomer of the com 
 mission, at San Antonio, Texas. This old Spanish town, 
 hallowed by the gallant defense of its mission-church by 
 Crockett, Bowie, and others in the struggle for Texan inde 
 pendence, was the central point for freight-trains, drawn 
 bv mules and oxen, which transported the commerce of 
 that portion of the continent. A large portion of the in 
 habitants at that time were Mexicans, the women having 
 their heads enveloped in "rebosas,"or mantles, and plying 
 their fans with inimitable grace. The men, wearing broad- 
 brimmed " sombreros," jackets thickly studded with silver 
 buttons, and trowsers open at the outside from the hip 
 down, displaying ample drawers of white linen, were much 
 given to drinking and gambling. 
 
 The Mexicans distilled a potent spirituous liquor, which 
 they called aguardiente, from the bulbous root of the agave 
 uicxicdna, by a process which reminded Lieutenant Burn- 
 side of the Rhode Island clam-bakes using wet grass in 
 stead of sea-weed to cover the bulbs while being roasted 
 on heated stones. The laborers were .-peons, of Indian 
 and Mexican descent, and were generally held in servitude 
 for the payment of debts which they had been encouraged 
 to contract early in life. When such debtors grew old and 
 unfit for labor, they were released with much ceremony 
 from their pecuniary obligation, and thenceforth became 
 beggars. 
 
GE\. .l.l/AYi ^.SVi E. HURXSIDE. 60 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside reported to Colonel Graham at San 
 Antonio, and they traveled together to El Paso del Norte, 
 a fatiguing journey of thirty days, through the picturesque 
 Guadaloupe Pass. There were rumors of large parties of 
 hostile Indians on the way, but none were seen, although 
 on several occasions the fire-telegraphs of the Apaches 
 were seen in different directions, resembling puffs of smoke 
 suddenly rising from the ground. This is produced by 
 digging a small hole in the ground, making a fire in it, 
 and then smothering the blaze with leaves. On suddenly 
 opening the hole, the smoke escapes in a dense body, and 
 rises high in the air. 
 
 Colonel Graham remained at El Paso, but sent forward 
 Lieutenant Burnside with a letter introducing him to Com 
 missioner Bartlett as "an officer of great merit." He at 
 once entered upon the discharge of his duties as quarter 
 master and commissary, and commenced arrangements for 
 equipping subsistence parties who were to make surveys 
 and observations. When Colonel Graham arrived, diffi 
 culties arose almost immediately between him and Mr. 
 Gray, the chief surveyor, which Commissioner Bartlett 
 could not adjust. Wishing to obtain more positive instruc 
 tions, he determined to send one of his civilian assistants, 
 Mr. Charles Radziminski, to Washington with special dis 
 patches narrating his story of the situation. Learning 
 this, Colonel Graham started Lieutenant Burnside at ten 
 o clock the next morning on a similar errand, with his story 
 of the difficulty. Great interest was manifested as to 
 which of the two expresses would be the first to arrive at 
 Washington. They went by different routes : Mr. Radxi- 
 minski going by El Paso and San Antonio, and thence 
 through the Southern States, while Lieutenant Burnside 
 struck boldly for the Missouri River, on what was known 
 as the old Santa Fe trail. 
 
yo LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Colonel Graham, inclosing the dispatches which gave 
 his version of the difficulties which had arisen between 
 Commissioner Bartlett and himself, said: "In regard to 
 matters touching the commissariat, I must leave them, for 
 want of time to enter into details, to the explanation which 
 will be made by Lieutenant Burnside, an officer of the 
 highest honor and the highest merit, in whose statements 
 the most implicit confidence may be placed." 
 
 Commissioner Bartlett, in a dispatch narrating his side 
 of the dispute, and earnestly protesting against the pro 
 cedure, said : "In justice to Lieutenant Burnside, I would 
 state that, prior to the arrival of Colonel Graham, and 
 when he was, in consequence, influenced by his own judg 
 ment and good sense, he conducted in every way in a 
 highly acceptable manner; but subsequently a material 
 change has taken place in him as regards his official ( not 
 individual) capacity. During the former period he. in 
 fact, discharged the duties of quartermaster ; during the 
 latter he has become an automaton. I should desire no 
 better quartermaster, were he instructed to recognize and 
 obey my legitimate orders, as head of the commission ; but 
 I do not admit that requisitions by me made, and for which 
 I am responsible, are to be submitted to another individ 
 ual, to be by him approved before the quartermaster shall 
 answer them." 
 
 This race of twelve hundred miles across the then almost 
 unknown country of the savage Apaches has rarely been 
 equaled, and it tested the iron frame and the audacious 
 nature of the young officer who was competing with a 
 civilian. With an escort of three men one of them his 
 faithful negro servant, Robert Holloway, who continued to 
 serve him through life with marked devotion he started 
 
 O 
 
 on his way across the \\\fajornadcs., or stretches of inhos 
 pitable and unwatered desert, uninhabited and uninhabita- 
 
GEA . A MI! HOSE E. BURNSIDE. yj 
 
 ble. The scanty vegetation of the previous years had 
 become so dry and withered by the scorching rays of the 
 
 *> J O J 
 
 sun, that it crumbled into dust when crushed in the hand 
 or trodden on by animals. The beds of the streams were 
 dry, and the little lakes that once bordered them did not 
 contain a drop of water. Several times, in crossing these 
 dry basins, they saw beautiful mirages, which appeared 
 like bodies of water in the distance. Clumps of bushes rose 
 from their surface like small islands, and the green grass 
 on their borders was reflected from the imaginary surface. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside had also to contend with the Indians, 
 who were well mounted, and armed with lances and bows 
 and arrows. One party followed his trail for more than 
 twenty-four hours, and he only escaped through the dark 
 ness of night, which enabled him to elude his pursuers. 
 Mis guide, a veteran frontier mail-rider, twice lost his way, 
 and on one occasion they were eleven hours without water. 
 They saw several immense herds of buffalo, which would 
 sometimes cross their road a fe\v hundred yards in front 
 of them, and kneeling down, toss the dust into the air with 
 their horns, and then dash off again, with their long beards 
 and manes waving in the wind. They ate some of the 
 choice parts of all which they killed, and carried a few 
 pieces along with them, leaving the remainder for the at 
 tendant pack of wolves. When they arrived at Fort Leav- 
 emvorth they were so worn out with fatigue and want of 
 sleep, that the surgeon ordered them to be waked every 
 half-hour, walked about for five minutes, and then fed with 
 beef-tea. 
 
 After a few days rest at Fort Leavenworth, Lieutenant 
 Burnside proceeded to St. Louis, and thence to Washing 
 ton, arriving there in thirty-one days after he left the Cop 
 per-mines. He delivered his dispatches to the Secretary 
 of the Interior nearly a month before the arrival of his 
 
72 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 competitor, Mr. Radziminski. The government, however, 
 after reading both dispatches and hearing both of the 
 special messengers, sustained Commissioner Bartlett and 
 removed Colonel Graham, appointing Major AV. H. Emory 
 in his place. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside was highly complimented at Wash 
 ington on his wonderful ride, and the Secretary of War 
 placed his name on a list from which officers were to be 
 selected for promotion. He also gave him permission to 
 remain at Washington and have manufactured at the ar- 
 
 O t 
 
 senal a breech-loading fire-arm which he had invented, 
 the drawings of which had received high approval from 
 those officers of the army who had examined them. 
 Lieutenant Burnside s attention had been called to the sub 
 ject of breech-loaders while on his ride from New Mexico, 
 when in crossing a stream one of his men accidentally let 
 his carbine fall into the water, and the next day the lock 
 was so rusted that it was with difficulty that it could be 
 made serviceable. This started afresh in Lieutenant Burn- 
 side s mind the improvement of lire-arms, which had been 
 a common topic of discussion among the United States 
 army officers in Mexico. The muskets, carbines, and pis 
 tols carried by the soldiers who fought under Taylor and 
 Scott differed in no essential particular from those used at 
 Yorktown and at New Orleans, except that they were 
 lighter. It was estimated that no one bullet fired in two 
 hundred and fifty caused death, and it was an army say 
 ing that to kill a man it would be necessary to fire his own 
 
 O ~ 
 
 weight in lead before he was hit, except by accident. It 
 was not strange, therefore, that many intelligent officers 
 racked their brains to invent and to construct readier and 
 more certain means for destroying human life. Old wea 
 pons, like the revolver, were revived in their integrity or 
 with some modifications, and mechanical gun-making in- 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. - i 
 
 genuity \vas devoted to the production and the perfection 
 of efficient breech-loaders. 
 
 The result of Lieutenant Burnside s meditations on this 
 subject was the production of a breech-loader which would 
 not become so speedily heated from rapidity of fire as to 
 impair the general utility of the weapon, while the mech 
 anism was as secure from water or derangement as that of 
 the muzzle-loader with its flint lock. 
 
 While in waiting at Washington, he put his thoughts 
 into shape, and produced an arm which attracted much 
 notice for its simplicity, its strength, and its adaptability 
 for military uses. Several pattern arms were made under 
 his direction at the Washington Arsenal, and when tested 
 they proved superior to similar inventions recently made. 
 
 On the i6th of December, 1851, Lieutenant Burnside 
 was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, and received 
 a furlough, that he might visit his home in Indiana. He 
 was greeted with open arms, and his old friends were de 
 lighted to find that he not only recognized them, but could 
 call them by their names, a wonderful faculty which he 
 retained through life. Among those whom he met was 
 his old partner, Mr. John M. Myers, who had served 
 creditably in Mexico, and had risen to the command of a 
 regiment of volunteers, with the rank of colonel. 
 
 While at home on a previous visit. Lieutenant Burnside 
 had made many acquaintances at the neighboring town ot 
 Hamilton, Ohio. Among them was a Kentucky belle, 
 who united to the vivacity of the North the soft and lan 
 guid style of the South. She was highly educated, and 
 her industry in acquiring knowledge was only surpassed 
 by her conversational power to impart it to others. The 
 young officer was dazzled by her personal beauty and ac 
 complishments, charmed by her affability, and bewitched 
 by her fascinations. Offering his hand, it was accepted, 
 
tjA GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 the necessary license was procured, and on an appointed 
 day the young couple stood up before a clergyman to be 
 joined in wedlock. Asked whether he would take the 
 bride to be his wedded wife, Burnside responded affirma 
 tively, but when the question was put to her, whether she 
 would take him to be her husband, she said no ! and could 
 not be prevailed upon to change her mind. This, of 
 course, terminated the proposed marriage, to the great 
 annoyance of the disappointed bridegroom. The amaze 
 ment with which youth receives its first defeat in love came 
 to deaden the smart of the rebuff, and then the flame 
 which Cupid had so suddenly kindled was extinguished 
 without a sigh. 
 
 A few years afterwards, a distinguished Ohio lawyer 
 obtained from the same lady a promise that she would 
 marry him, and the wedding-day was fixed. He showed 
 her, on their way to be married, a revolver, and told her 
 that she would return either his wife or a corpse. Prompted 
 either by love or by fear, she replied, "I will," and she 
 made a most devoted wife. By a curious coincidence, 
 when, during the Rebellion, General Burnside was placed 
 in command of the military district of the Ohio, the lady s 
 mother and sister were arrested as they were about to go 
 South, carrying correspondence and munition of war con 
 cealed on their persons. General Burnside ordered them 
 sent through the lines into "Dixie, "and the husband of 
 his old lady-love had hard work to obtain from President 
 Lincoln permission for them to return to their home. 
 
 On the i6th of March, 1852, a special order, issued by 
 command of Major General Scott, relieved Lieutenant 
 Burnside from duty on the Mexican Boundary Commission, 
 and directed him to proceed without delay to join his com 
 pany at Fort Adams, near Newport. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 AT FOHT ADAMS AGAIN GARRISON DUTY MARRIAGE TO MISS 
 MARY R. BISHOP LIFE IN A CASEMATE RESIGNS HIS COM 
 MISSIONMAJOR GENERAL OF MILITIA VISITOR TO WEST 
 POINT -CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS. 
 
 \ GAIN at Fort Adams, Lieutenant Burnside was one 
 
 / \ of the hosts on "fort davs," when a gay cqn- 
 
 j^ X. course would drive or ride out from Newport, to 
 
 hear the fine regimental band till the air with the concert 
 
 o 
 
 of sweet harmony. Beautiful and elegantly dressed ladies 
 from every section of the country would promenade to and 
 fro. now and then returning with haughty or affable recog 
 nition the salute of a friend or acquaintance, or visiting the 
 officers in their cosy casemates, several of which were lux 
 uriously fitted up. 
 
 The light battery to which Lieutenant Burnside was 
 attached was composed of picked men, active and intelli 
 gent, and was drilled by efficient officers in the perform 
 ance of movements which would be very effective in an 
 engagement. Showy additions were made to the regula 
 tion uniform, and the strict discipline enforced, the care 
 
76 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 taken of the horses, and the confidence felt bv the men in 
 
 \ ^ 
 
 themselves and their officers, made the light battery a 
 perfect organization. The last recruit, beneath the eye of 
 the commander, " felt full of point of honor like a knight." 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside was not only popular with the offi 
 cers and men of his command, but with the members of 
 the volunteer militia associations of Rhode Island, who 
 sought the acquaintance and the advice of those who had 
 received military educations. His courteous and consid 
 erate manner which was no outward form, but the natural 
 result and the true reflex of his kindly disposition made 
 him a general favorite in the militia armories. Among 
 the organizations with the members of which he became 
 acquainted was the Marine Artillery Corps of Providence, 
 which Mr. William Sprague, afterwards the War Gov 
 ernor of Rhode Island, had made so efficient in drill that 
 it compared favorably with the light batteries of the regu 
 lar army. At a ball given by this corps at Providence, 
 Lieutenant Burnside met Miss Bishop, the lady who after 
 wards became his wife. 
 
 Lieutenant Burnside also devoted much time and thought 
 to the breech-loading rifle which he had invented. It had 
 been his wish that government should manufacture this 
 weapon at the Springfield Armory. While he would not 
 have objected to the receipt of a reasonable royalty for his 
 invention, he did not wish it to fall into the hands of spec 
 ulators, and be manufactured so cheaply that its efficacy 
 would be impaired. Meanwhile Congress was urged to 
 make an appropriation of $100.000 for the best breech- 
 loading rifle, and it was understood by those familiar with 
 the subject, that the Burnside rifle was far superior to any 
 other which had been brought to the notice of the Ord 
 nance Department. 
 
GEA r . AMI3ROSE E JiUJfNSfDE. yy 
 
 On the 2yth of April, 1852, Lieutenant Burnside was 
 married to Miss Mary Richmond Bishop, at Providence, 
 where she had been born on the 26th of October. 1828. 
 She was the only daughter and the youngest child of 
 Maj. Nathaniel Bishop, who had married Fanny Windsor. 
 Miss Bishop was a lady of courtly presence, rather tall 
 and stately, of quiet and genial temper, self-reliant, and 
 the possessor of earnest religious convictions. The educa 
 tion which she had received had been conducive to the 
 development of feminine character. 
 
 Mrs. Burnside made the casemate at Fort Adams, in 
 which they passed the first months of their wedded life, a 
 happy home, where she greeted her young 1 husband with 
 joy-beaming eyes, and encouraged him as he advanced 
 amid the stern realities of life. She also exerted a salutary 
 influence in toning down the exuberance of spirits acquired 
 in military life, and in reforming his camp habits. One 
 day, as they were sitting together, a messenger brought in 
 a demijohn of wine which Lieutenant Burnside had pur 
 chased at Providence, and put it down roughly on the 
 brick floor. The wicker covering could not protect the 
 enclosed glass vessel, which broke, and the wine was 
 wasted. The young lieutenant, incensed by the man s 
 carelessness, which would prevent his offering a glass of 
 wine to visiting friends that afternoon, expressed himself 
 in language more profane than elegant. When the man 
 had left, Mrs. Burnside rose from her seat, went to her 
 husband, and placing her hand on his shoulder as she 
 looked him calmly in the face, said : "My dear, you have 
 shocked me by swearing so. Don t, I beg of you, ever let 
 me hear you use profane language again." From that 
 day, an oath rarely escaped General Burnside s lips, al 
 though He was often sorely tempted to relieve his feelings 
 by an energetic use of the king s English. 
 
jS LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Resigning on the ist of November, 1852, Mr. Burnside, 
 aided by the capital of friends, established a factory for 
 the manufacture of his breech-loading rifle at the pleasant 
 town of Bristol, which he made his home. The " Bristol 
 Rifle Works " were very completely equipped with the 
 most improved machinery for manufacturing locks, barrels, 
 and finished arms. When inspected by a board of United 
 States army officers it met their approval as possessing 
 facilities for manufacturing arms of the best quality, both 
 as regarded material and workmanship. Mr. Burnside 
 was the life of the establishment, ever on the alert to sug 
 gest some improvement in the machinery, and encouraging 
 the workmen by commendation of their skill. At home, 
 after the occupations of the day, his mind was constantly 
 busy, and he read a great deal, carefully studying all 
 available works on ordnance projectiles. It was not 
 strange that he became very popular among his neighbors, 
 and that he was a general favorite in the social circle of 
 the quaint old to\vn of Bristol. 
 
 The volunteer militia of Rhode Island recognized his 
 
 O 
 
 military ability and his ardent attachment to the profes 
 sion of arms, by which he was qualified for usefulness 
 when preparing for war in times of peace, and in 1855 he 
 was, at their request, placed in command of them as major- 
 general of the volunteer militia of the State. He at once 
 began such reforms and reorganizations as would promote 
 the efficiency of the force, but met with obstacles in the 
 jealousies of the local corps, some of which, regarding 
 themselves as independent, were unwilling to submit to 
 his authority. 
 
 In 1856 he ordered a court-martial for the trial of the 
 commander of a Providence corps, who had refused to 
 occupy a place assigned to him in a Fourth of July pro- 
 
GEN. A MR HOSE E. /U I{.\S/DE. ^g 
 
 cession, alleging as an excuse for non-appearance that 
 the weather was rainy, and that the new uniforms of the 
 corps would be damaged. The governor of the State inter 
 fered, as commander-in-chiei, and dissolved the court, 
 whereupon General Burnside resigned his commission, 
 and the officer who was to have been tried was elected by 
 the Legislature as his successor. 
 
 Appointed by President Pierce one of the Board of Vis 
 itors of the United States Military Academy in 1856, Gen 
 eral Burnside met his associates there on the second day 
 of June, and remained in session with them until the seven 
 teenth. He was a member of the committee on discipline, 
 police, quarters and mess arrangements, and his practical 
 suggestions, based upon his personal experience, were 
 adopted by the committee, and subsequently by the Board 
 of Visitors. The course of studies was that which he had 
 followed a few years previous, and was theoretically that 
 as organized by Colonel Thayer as the best fitted for an 
 American military education a course calculated to cul- 
 tivate the powers of thought rather than crowd the memorv 
 with a general smattering of many branches of knowl 
 edge. He rightly believed, it lias been said by his associ 
 ates, that a military education must be founded on a math 
 ematical training and knowledge, hence he gave, in the 
 course, that prominence which they have ever since re 
 tained, to mathematics, natural and experimental philoso 
 phy, and engineering. An attempt made by a member 
 of the board to suggest a change of this course of studies 
 met with decided opposition from General Burnside, and 
 failed. 
 
 The Board of Visitors, in their annual report, expressed 
 in conclusion the high satisfaction which their visit had 
 given them, say ing : " Representing as they do, fourteen dis- 
 
So LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tinct states of this great confederacy, coming together as 
 strangers to each other to consult over the interests of an 
 important national institution, they part with sentiments of 
 profound and honest pride sentiments which the} are 
 sure are responded to by their constituents that their 
 country has established so noble an institution as the Uni 
 ted States Military Academy. While differences of opin 
 ion have occasionally existed in their consideration of the 
 various questions of public policy which relate to the cqn- 
 duct of this great school, their session has been one of the 
 greatest harmony and satisfaction ; and the views which 
 they beg leave now to present are the result of their united 
 and concurrent labors." 
 
 General Burnside was at this time acting with the Dem 
 ocratic party, and on the 4th of March, 1857, he was nom 
 inated on the second ballot, as the Democratic candidate 
 for Congress from the Eastern district of Rhode Island. 
 
 O 
 
 The Bristol Phceuix, a newspaper politically opposed to 
 him, said of this nomination : " Our distinguished towns 
 man, Gen. A. E. .Burnside, has been honored by the 
 Democratic convention with the nomination to the next 
 Congress from this district. If it were possible for the 
 General to be elected, he would fill the office with honor 
 to the State, the town, and to himself." 
 
 General Burnside accepted the nomination, and intended 
 to have " stumped the district. His business preventing 
 this, he addressed the following letter to the voters of the 
 Eastern district, prior to the election. The Providence 
 Post, which was the recognized organ of the Democracy 
 of Rhode Island at the time, said editorially: "All will 
 recognize in this letter the manly frankness oi an honest 
 and earnest man a man who can be relied upon under 
 all circumstances, and who deals more in action than in 
 words." 
 
MRS. GENERAL A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
MRS. GENERAL A. K. RURNSTDE. 
 
GEN. AMBR OS E E. BURNS IDE. gl 
 
 BRISTOL, March 27, 1857. 
 Fellow-Citizens of the Eastern Congressional District of Rhode Island : 
 
 I have been kept from the State by urgent business ; otherwise I should, 
 before this, have fulfilled my promise made to you in the letter of accept 
 ance of my nomination to Congress by the Democrats of our district. 
 I shall not be able to meet you, as I hoped, and therefore take this method 
 of briefly expressing my views upon some of the most important politi 
 cal topics of the day, that those who choose to honor me with their votes 
 may know for what they are voting. 
 
 I am in favor of a tariff that will incidentally protect home industry, 
 home capital, and home interests, and that will enable our manufacturers 
 to compete successfully with foreign manufacturers, without interference 
 with the constitutional basis of our revenue laws. 
 
 I am opposed to the hasty legislation which rushed through Congress 
 the tariff measure of the last session, and induced members to vote for a 
 bill, the contents of which they did not know, and which may prove to 
 be the source of great injustice to our manufacturers. 
 
 I am opposed to the wholesale giving away of the public lands to rail 
 road corporations, and other like institutions ; at the same time, I believe 
 that the government can encourage by gifts, great national enterprises 
 which are for the common weal, and are so placed that they cannot prop 
 erly expect local support. Such works, in my opinion, are the Atlantic 
 and Pacific Telegraphs, and the Pacific Railroad. 
 
 I am in favor of a foreign policy that will cultivate relations of peace 
 with all nations, and I will never give my influence, either as a private 
 citizen or a public servant, for war, so long as it can be honorably avoided. 
 
 I am in favor of the present independent treasury system. 
 
 I am in favor of admitting any territory into the Union of States as 
 soon as it has fulfilled the requirements of the Constitution, and shall 
 petition for admission. A taint of injustice, bribery, outside influence or 
 force attached to the petition, would secure for it my unconditional 
 opposition. 
 
 The most important requirement, in my opinion, is, that the Constitu 
 tion should express the unrestrained and unbiased wishes of the people. 
 The next in importance is that the territory should have the proper num 
 ber of inhabitants. 
 
 I believe that the principle of allowing the people of the states and 
 territories to arrange their own local institutions is right, and that the 
 general government should only interfere when it finds that the people of 
 a territory are checked in that privilege by imp roper influences; and 
 when it does interfere it should be without prejudice, and with energy 
 
 Whether I remain a private citizen, or am made by you a public servant, 
 G 
 
82 GEN. A Mil HOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 I shall give to James Buchanan s administration my humble support, so 
 long as he is governed by the great principles laid down in his inaugural 
 address, but I owe no allegiance to any party that will compel me to sup 
 port his administration, should he depart from those principles. 
 
 Fellow-citizens, I have been in your State but five years, and am com 
 paratively unknown. It is but just that you should know mv political 
 opinions, and this is mv excuse for trespassing even thus briefly upon 
 vour patience. 
 
 (Signed), A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 The Native American, or Know Nothing excitement then 
 prevailed, and but little regard was paid to the qualifica 
 tions of candidates. The American candidate, Nathaniel 
 B. Durfee, was re-elected, receiving 5,442 votes against 
 1,971 for General Burnside. Personally, he did not regret 
 the defeat, and his friends felt confident that, sooner or 
 later, the people of Rhode Island would recognize his 
 merits and reward his services. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 COMPETITIVE TEST OF BREECH-LOADING WEAPONS THE INVEN 
 TOR S STATEMENT REPORTS OF TWO HOARDS DISHONOR 
 ABLE PROPOSITION TO SECURE THE CONTRACT REJECTED 
 PECUNIARY REVERSES RAILROAD SERVICE AT CHICAGO AND 
 AT XE\V YORK THE THREATENING \VAR-STORM-RHODE 
 ISLAND PREPARES FOR THE FRAY. 
 
 THE long-talked of competitive test of fire-arms 
 arrived at last. On the lyth of August, 1857, a 
 board of officers of the army assembled at West 
 Point for the purpose of making trials of breech-loading 
 rifles, with the view of ascertaining which arm of this 
 description was best suited for the military service. The 
 board was composed of six officers, representing different 
 branches of the service, with Lieut. -Col. 13. L. Beall, ol 
 the First Dragoons, as president. 
 
 Eighteen inventors submitted their arms, which were 
 successively tested in the order named in a list from the 
 War Department. Each rifle was fired twenty rounds at 
 100 yards, and twenty rounds at 600 yards, with ammuni 
 tion furnished by the inventor. The first six shots were 
 fired by him, or by some person designated by him, and 
 the remainder by a member of the board, or some one des 
 ignated by the board. The penetration was to be deter 
 mined by firing three rounds at a pine-board target, with 
 
84 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 powder furnished by the government. To test the com 
 parative rapidity of fire, eighteen rounds were fired by the 
 inventor, or some one designated by him, and one hundred 
 rounds were then fired at the loo-yard target without 
 cleaning the piece, to test the working of the machinery. 
 Several of the inventors were not ready, but General 
 Burnside was promptly on hand, and although his fire 
 arm stood < No. 1 6 on the programme, his was the sixth 
 tested. He fired the first six shots himself, and the carbine 
 was then taken by his old room-mate, Captain Heth, who 
 was a member of the board. The carbine weighed 6.6 
 pounds, the length of the barrel was 23.75 inches, and 
 the diameter of the bore was .54 inches. The charge of 
 50 grains of powder was in a brass shell which weighed 
 173 grains, and the weight of the ball was 150 grains. 
 A number of the shots were fired with the Maynard primer, 
 and the remainder with percussion caps. There was no 
 escape of gas at the joint, nor any interruption in the 
 working of the machinery, while the use of a thick wad 
 between the powder and the ball removed the dirt from 
 the barrel very effectually on each discharge. 
 
 The board having requested the inventors of the arms 
 tested to state in writing the advantages which they each 
 claimed for their inventions, General Burnside filed the fol 
 lowing paper : 
 
 WEST POINT, Sept. 30, 1857. 
 
 Having been requested by the board to present a statement of the ad 
 vantages I claim for my arm over other "breech-loaders," I have the 
 honor to submit the following: 
 
 My arm is simple in construction, there being no small complicated 
 part in the breech-loading machinery. 
 
 It is strong, compact, and durable; the stock and barrel being firmly 
 connected together, the barrel cannot become loosened in the stock by 
 constant wear and jarring, as is the case with arms that lift up or throw 
 down the entire barrel in the act of loading. The chamber works upon 
 
GEN. AMIiKOSE E. HUKXSIDE. S< 
 
 o 
 
 the simplest hinge, and when locked in its place for firing is independent 
 of that hinge. The open joints of the chamber cannot wear by firing, as 
 they are at each fire perfectly packed by the cartridge itself, and not by 
 metal disks or cups connected with the arm, which disks or cups would 
 be liable to wear and break by heating, cooling, and rusting, causing the 
 joints to open, the gas to escape, and the arm to foul in firing. The 
 joints in my arm need not to be ground to fit; in fact, they can be the 
 1-32 of an inch or more open, and then be perfectly packed -by the cart 
 ridge. 
 
 It is light and portable. 
 
 It can be fired with as much speed as is desirable. 
 
 It is not liable to foul in firing in either the barrel or chamber, owing 
 to the peculiar construction of the cartridge. 
 
 The cartridge is water-tight, and can be taken from the chamber in per 
 fect condition after loading, thereby making a great saving in the expend 
 iture of cartridges, and securing the most necessary principle in warfare, 
 and border-warfare particularly ; that is, a full reliance upon the effi 
 ciency of the cartridge at all times and in all weather. 
 
 The arm can be fired with loose powder and ball or paper cartridges. 
 
 The cartridge exactly fills the chamber, and the ball, as a consequence, 
 starts from its bed with the axis corresponding with axis of the bore. 
 
 The cost of the cartridge is about double that of the paper ones, but the 
 cases can be reloaded. The increase in cost, of course, is trilling, if they 
 are more efficient. 
 
 1 have studied to make mv arm a purely military one. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 (Signed). A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 To the Board for Examining Brftch-Loading Rifles, If <w/ Point. 
 
 The board, after careful investigation and due deliber 
 ation, made the follov/ing report, which awarded the palm 
 to General Burnside : 
 
 After a full and careful consideration of all the arms tried, the board 
 are of the unanimous opinion that the breech-loading rifle submitted by 
 A. E. Burnside, of Rhode Island, is best suited for the military service. 
 
 As a breech-loading arm it is thought to be simple and strong in its 
 parts, and therefore less liable to get out of order than any other. The 
 cartridge is simple in its structure, strong, and perfectly protects the 
 powder from moisture, and the gun from the clogging action of the gas. 
 
 In expressing this opinion the board do not wish to be understood a? 
 
86 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 disparaging the merits of the other guns tried, for they consider that some 
 of them possess much merit, and evince much ingenuity in their con 
 struction. 
 
 In submitting this opinion the board feel it their duty to state that 
 they have seen nothing in these trials to lead them to think that a breech- 
 loading arm has yet been invented which is suited to replace the muzzle- 
 loading gun for foot troops. On the contrary, they have seen much to 
 impress them with an opinion unfavorable to the use of a breech-loading 
 arm for general military purposes. 
 
 General Burnside expected that on the receipt of this 
 award, the Secretary of War would order his arms to the 
 amount of $90,000, which was the unexpended balance of 
 the appropriation. To his surprise, only three hundred car 
 bines were ordered, and it was evident that the Secretary 
 of War was, for some reason, unknown to General 
 Burnside, unwilling that he should receive the benefits 
 of the appropriation. 
 
 After much delay the ordnance officer appointed a new 
 board, composed of three ordnance officers, with Major 
 Mordecair as chairman, to test breech-loading arms. Seven 
 carbines were presented, and were subjected to a variety 
 of severe tests, including immersion in water without sub 
 sequent cleaning. 
 
 The board made a report, in which all of the arms were 
 criticised as having serious defects which prevented their 
 giving any one of them an unqualified approval. The 
 report then said : 
 
 Being required however, by the terms of the law, to select the "best 
 model" of breech-loading arms, the board are of opinion that among the 
 arms offered for their examination, the Burnside carbine is the least ob 
 jectionable for use in the hands of mounted troops. 
 
 The construction of this arm seems to be sufficiently strong; it can 
 be easily and safely loaded and handled on horseback; the movements 
 are simple and easily understood- there is no escape of gas from the 
 joints ; the chamber and barrel are kept clean and not subject to be clogged 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 8 7 
 
 by fragments of the (metallic) cartridge-case; its range and accuracy of 
 fire are very satisfactory, with a moderate charge of powder, and no in 
 convenient recoil. 
 
 General Burnside hoped that after this indorsement by 
 the second board of the award, contracts to the amount 
 of $90,000 would at once be entered into wi th the " Bristol 
 Rifle Works." But on going to Washington, he was told 
 that Secretary Floyd hesitated about directing the contract 
 to be made, and he received from different quarters hints 
 that he must share the profits if he desired to receive the 
 appropriation. 
 
 One of his classmates at West Point, a gentleman of 
 high honor and respectability, says : "About a month after 
 the board made its award, I visited Washington and found 
 Burnside there. I asked him how he was getting on. He 
 replied, Badly ; there is something wrong, but I will 
 know to-night. We were occupying the same room. 
 After midnight he came in, awoke me and said, I am a 
 ruined man ! I met a man to-night, by appointment, and 
 he informed me that if I would pay $5,000 I could get the 
 award, otherwise not. I at once indignantly refused, and 
 after a moment he added, there is but one thing I regret, 
 and that is, that I did not fell him to the ground ! 
 
 Reverses are common to all the world, but few are pre 
 pared to meet them. General Burnside had for some 
 months been aware that unless he obtained the govern 
 ment appropriation, the "Bristol Rifle Works" must go 
 into bankruptcy, and he was the better prepared for the 
 blow. Friends offered their aid, but while he thanked 
 them for their sympathy, he declined accepting any fur 
 ther pecuniary assistance. Going to New York, he as 
 signed everything which he possessed, even the letters- 
 patent for his invention, to the creditors of the Bristol 
 
88 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 company, and then, walking up the Bowery as bravely 
 as he would have approached a hostile battery, he entered 
 a second-hand clothing store, and offered for sale his uni 
 form, epaulettes, and sword. Receiving thirty dollars for 
 them, he sent half of that sum, with about twenty dollars 
 more that was in his pocket, to his wife, and started west 
 ward in search of employment. 
 
 Stopping at Liberty, he did not conceal from his boy 
 hood s friends that he was a ruined and penniless man. 
 He had written to his former comrade, Capt. George B. 
 McClellan, then vice-president of the Illinois Central Rail 
 road, and it so happened that there was a vacancy which 
 Burnside s West Point training qualified him to fill the 
 position of cashier of the Railroad Land Office. He re 
 ceived a letter while he was lingering at Liberty, inviting 
 him to take the place. Accepting, he repaired at once to 
 Chicago, where he entered upon the discharge of his duties 
 April 27, 1858. He soon sent to Rhode Island for Mrs. 
 Burnside, and the young couple resided in the house 
 with Captain McClellan. Reducing his expenses to the 
 smallest possible amount, Burnside remitted the remainder 
 of his salary to Rhode Island for the payment of his debts, 
 and in time he paid up every obligation in full. 
 
 General Burnside soon became a favorite at Chicago, 
 and lie took a great interest in Colonel Ellsworth, who was 
 then drilling his company of zouaves, which afterwards 
 visited New York and other eastern cities, where their 
 exhibition drills were much applauded. Their execution 
 of the manual of arms and of several intricate company 
 movements was theatrical in effect, but executed with such 
 faultless precision and unity of action, such individual dis 
 tinctness of motion, and such sympathetic obedience to the 
 energetic young commander, as to elicit high praise, even 
 
GEN. AAfBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 9 
 
 from West Point graduates and veterans of the Mexican 
 war. 
 
 Although he lived a retired life while at Chicago, Gen 
 eral Burnside enjoyed social popularity there. He was 
 neither very witty nor a profound thinker, but he was well 
 informed, and he always had in conversation the right 
 sentence ready at the right time. 
 
 Giving unqualified satisfaction to the president and other 
 officers of the Illinois Central Railroad, General Burn- 
 side was appointed, in June, 1860, treasurer of the cor 
 poration, with his office at New York City. Remov 
 ing there, he assiduously devoted himself to the duties 
 of his new office, and the following fall he visited New 
 Orleans on the business of the Illinois Central corpo 
 ration. While there he met a number of his old friends, 
 with some of whom he held lon<r arguments on the threat- 
 
 O O 
 
 ening aspect presented by the political horizon. Threats 
 of resistance to the Federal government and a dissolution 
 of the Union were as common in the rotunda of the St. 
 Charles Hotel as household words, and morbid spirits 
 brooded over the destruction of the Union with almost 
 total indifference. General Burnside, loyal and patriotic, 
 felt his political convictions weakening. He saw that the 
 Democratic party w r as southern and geographical ; that 
 it had ceased to have any national ideas except the nation- 
 alitv of slavery ; that it declined to protect free labor, but 
 sought the extension of the area of slave labor ; that it 
 permitted the surrender of forts and the hauling down of 
 the flag ; and he frankly told his old southern associates 
 that they did not understand the temper of the North. 
 "There will be no war," said his friends. "Northern 
 men will not fight. The South will separate herself from 
 the Union, will set up an independent government, and 
 
C>0 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 will draw to her the Middle and Western States. We 
 shall do whatever we please, and give laws and govern 
 ment to the continent. The North will not fight, and the 
 South will have an easy triumph." "You entirely mis 
 take the character of the Northern people," said General 
 Burnside. " They will fight. They never will allow the 
 Union to be broken, and a free government to be thus 
 destroyed without a contest. If you persist in your pur 
 pose of secession there will be war, a bloody and cruel 
 war. Not only will the North fight, but she will also tri 
 umph. The experiment of secession will fail, and the 
 South, in ruin and desolation, will bitterly repent the day 
 when she attempted to overthrow a wise and beneficent 
 government. Why do you seek redress for what you call 
 your wrongs in civil war? The first gun that you fire 
 will unite us all whatever our political opinions may be 
 in opposition to your attempt. The government will 
 be sustained, and you will suffer a disastrous defeat." 
 
 Rhode Island although a Democratic State at that 
 time was meanwhile making preparations to sustain the 
 Union, should it be assailed. Governor Sprague had 
 visited Washington in February, 1861, and in conversation 
 with President Buchanan and Lieutenant-General Scott, 
 had expressed his readiness to promptly furnish a regi 
 ment of infantry and a battery of light artillery, should 
 they be needed for the defense of the national capital. 
 On his return to Providence the governor took measures 
 for perfecting the drill and discipline of the volunteer mili 
 tia organizations of the State, some of which had been in 
 existence prior to the achievement of American independ 
 ence. Maj. William Goddard was then sent to Washing 
 ton to renew the offer of volunteers, but the old hero was 
 powerless. " I have urged again and again," said he, 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUltNSIDE. gi 
 
 "both verbally and in writing, upon the President (Mr. 
 Buchanan) and upon the Secretary of War (Governor 
 Floyd), that I might be permitted to concentrate here 
 troops for the defense of the capital, but, I grieve to say, 
 in vain. I have even this morning written to the Presi 
 dent that, with 1,500 good troops, in addition to those now 
 here, I would undertake to hold the capital against any 
 force that could probably be brought against it at this 
 time; but, alas, I can make no impression upon him. 
 The President, sir, has a natural dread of blood-shed, and 
 so have I. But, sir, there are cases in which a little 
 blood-letting is the best, the only remedy, and in my opin 
 ion this is one of those cases. I have thought that, taking 
 into account the reluctance of the President to consent to 
 the use of the militia of the states, he might be willing to 
 accept the services of the New York Seventh Regiment, 
 which, having performed some services of a national char 
 acter, might in some sense be regarded as a national regi 
 ment, which could be used without exciting the prejudices 
 of which both he and the Secretary of War seem in appre 
 hension. But, in spite of all my solicitations, I meet with 
 nothing but refusals. And here I am ! God knows how 
 much I should desire the aid of your gallant troops, but I 
 am powerless ! The inauguration day is fast approaching, 
 and I have but a handful of troops. I am too old to 
 mount my horse again, but I am determined, if God spares 
 my life, to ride in the procession with Commodore Stew 
 art ; and I think, Major, our gray hairs will be worth a 
 thousand men !" 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER UPRISING OF THE LOYAL 
 NORTH GENERAL BURNSIDE PROMPTLY. RESPONDS TO THE 
 CALL ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST RHODE ISLAND REGI 
 MENTPRESENTATION OF A FLAG JOURNEY TO WASHING 
 TONBARRACK AND CAMP-LIFE. 
 
 AT last the crisis came ! Sumter was bombarded by 
 the fratricidal Southrons, and the indomitable en 
 ergy of the North was displayed with patriotic 
 zeal. Domestic bonds, political alliances, and commer 
 cial ties were at once rent asunder, and the great North 
 ern heart swelled with fierce indignation. Each section 
 appeared animated with the same earnest convictions of 
 the integrity of its cause, but the South displayed a bitter 
 animosity, fanned by the incendiary speeches of her leaders. 
 The attack made by 7, ooo rebels upon the seventy worn- 
 out Union soldiers who surrendered Fort Sumter on the 
 nth of April, 1861, was followed, four days later, by 
 President Lincoln s proclamation convening Congress, and 
 calling forth 75,000 of the militia " to maintain the honor, 
 the integrity, and the existence of our national govern 
 ment, and to redress wrongs already long enough en 
 dured." This proclamation was flashed by electricity 
 over the northern states, like the fiery cross of Roderick 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 93 
 
 Dhu, which summoned Clan-Alpine to its rendezvous, 
 and it was everywhere received with the beating of drums 
 and the ringing notes of the bugle, calling the Nation s 
 defenders to their colors. Rhode Island was ready to 
 furnish her quota without delay, and Governor Sprague, 
 in looking around for a commander, selected General 
 Burnside, as having a well-earned reputation for bravery, 
 military ability and administrative talents of a high order, 
 with a patriotic comprehension of the situation. 
 
 General Burnside, anticipating a call from the Federal 
 government upon those who had been educated at West 
 Point but had resigned their commissions, to again draw 
 their swords in defense of the Nation, had balanced his 
 books, and made preparations for a speedy departure if 
 summoned to the field. When, as he sat in the New York 
 office of the Illinois Central Railroad on Monday, the 
 1 5th of April, 1861, he received a dispatch from Governor 
 Sprague, saying: "A regiment of Rhode Island troops 
 will go to Washington this week. How soon can you 
 come on and take command?" he promptly responded: 
 " At once ! " Turning his books over to his clerk, he left 
 that night for Providence, and reported for duty the next 
 morning. 
 
 Commissioned as colonel of the First Regiment oi 
 Rhode Island Detached Militia on the i6th of April, 1861, 
 he immediately appointed his staff, and commenced the 
 organization and equipment of his command. 
 
 General now Colonel Burnside s activity, energy, in 
 dustry, and military training accomplished wonders. He 
 superintended the manufacture of a serviceable uniform, 
 consisting of a dark blue blouse, gray trowsers, broad- 
 brimmed felt hats, and black waist-belts. He had the 
 thick scarlet blanket of each man converted into a Mexi- 
 
94 LIFE^ AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 canponc/io, by cutting a slit in the centre through which 
 the head could be put, leaving the blanket resting as a cloak 
 on the shoulders. He instructed officers and drilled en 
 listed men ; he was quartermaster, commissary, farrier, 
 and surgeon, and his promptness electrified not only the 
 regiment, but the entire population of Rhode Island. 
 
 The ladies of Providence met in the church-vestries to 
 aid in making the uniforms, and more recruits presented 
 themselves than could be accepted without exceeding the 
 prescribed number of men. There were in the ranks 
 several young gentlemen possessing large fortunes, and 
 others equally fitted by nature and education for almost 
 any administrative position, with a large number of skill 
 ful mechanics, embracing nearly every trade. As a 
 whole, this regiment of the Rhode Island Detached Mili 
 tia was a noble specimen of the citizens of Rhode Island, 
 patriotic, of gentleman-like deportment, loyal, and eager 
 to distinguish themselves in the defense of their country. 
 As was sung in the company armories : 
 
 " The gallant young men of Rhode Island 
 
 Are marching in haste to the wars ; 
 Full girded for strife, they are hazarding life, 
 In defense of our banner and stars." 
 
 The day previous to the departure of the regiment, the 
 ladies of Providence presented to it a national flag, made 
 of silk, accompanied by the following letter : 
 
 To the First Regiment of Rhode Island Volunteers, 
 
 From the Ladies of Providence 
 
 With this banner Rhode Island places her honor in your hands. May 
 God protect you in your noble cause. God save the Union ! 
 
 PROVIDENCE, April 19, 1861. 
 
 Colonel Burnside, on the receipt of the flag, addressed 
 the following letter to those who had presented it : 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 95 
 
 THE OUTBREAK OF THE KEHELLION. 
 
 Hn.\nqi AKTKRS RIIODK ISLAND MIMTIA. 
 To the Ladies of Providence. : 
 
 I know the soldiers I carry away will prove themselves worthy of the 
 beautiful banner presented to them by you. 
 
 We are fully impressed with the fact that we take with us your most 
 fervent prayers, and we shall constantly feel that your eyes are upon us. 
 
 God grant that we may yet see the Union out of danger. Bidding you 
 an affectionate farewell, and thanking you in behalf of my command for 
 your kindness, I am ever yours, 
 
 (Signed), A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 
 Colonel First Rfgiment Detached Militia. 
 
 It havino- been determined to send away one-half of the 
 
 o 
 
96 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 regiment as soon as it could be uniformed and equipped, 
 to be followed by the other half, detachments of one-half 
 of each company paraded on Saturday morning, the 2Oth 
 of April, and Colonel Burnside formally took command. 
 The regiment was reviewed by Governor Sprague, and 
 was afterwards eloquently addressed by the Rt. Rev. 
 Bishop Clark, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who, 
 on the conclusion of his remarks, offered a short but ear 
 nest prayer in behalf of the brave men going forth to aid 
 in subduing the rebellion. That afternoon the regiment 
 left Providence on a steamer amid the firing of cannon and 
 the cheers of an assembled multitude. 
 
 Arriving at New York, the regiment was transferred to 
 the government transport, Coatzocoalcos." Colonel Burn- 
 side was called upon by the crowd assembled on the wharf 
 to make a speech, but all that he could be finally prevailed 
 on to say was., " I ll make a speech when I come back." 
 The transport conveyed the regiment to Annapolis, where 
 it arrived on the afternoon of the 24th of April. 
 
 The Eighth Massachusetts Volunteers, and the Seventh, 
 or National Guard Regiment, of New York, had reached 
 there previously, and the sturdy mechanics of the Massa 
 chusetts Eighth had reconstructed the disabled railway 
 between Annapolis and the Junction ; but the First Rhode 
 Island Regiment, which reached Washington on the morn 
 ing of the 26th of April, was the first organization that 
 had arrived completely uniformed, armed, and supplied 
 with provisions and ammunition for a three-weeks cam 
 paign. 
 
 While on the march from Annapolis to the Junction, the 
 regiment bivouacked, and had just prepared its first camp- 
 meal when the New York Seventy-first came up, tired and 
 hungry. They were hospitably entertained, and one of 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. lil I! NS 1 1)E. ^ 
 
 their number celebrated the visit in a song, which was 
 afterwards heard before many a camp-fire. The closing 
 verses of this song will give an idea of the whole : 
 
 "The Rhode Island boys cheered us on out of sight, 
 
 After giving the following injunction : 
 Just keep up your courage you ll get there to-night. 
 
 For tis only nine miles to the Junction. 
 
 They gave us hot coffee, a grasp of the hand. 
 
 Which cheer d and refreshed our exhaustion. 
 We reached in six hours the long-promised land. 
 
 For twas only nine miles to the Junction." 
 
 Arriving at Washington on the 26th of April, the Rhode 
 Island regiment was temporarily quartered in the Patent 
 Office, where bunks were erected for their accommodation 
 between the glass cases containing models. On Sunday, 
 the 28th, religious services were held in the large halls of 
 the building, where many spectators, including a number 
 oi ladies, were present. The chaplain, the Rev. Augustus 
 Woodbury, delivered an able discourse, taking as his text 
 the third verse of the second chapter of First Timothy. 
 After the sermon the whole regiment united in singing 
 Old Hundred, accompanied by the band. The effect was 
 inspiring and imposing. 
 
 On the ist of May a large American Hag, purchased by 
 the clerks in the Interior Department, was raised on the 
 south front of the Patent Office. The Rhode Island regi 
 ment was under arms in the street facing the building, and 
 on the roof of the portico was the Washington City Rifle 
 Corps* At noon President Lincoln, accompanied by Sec 
 retary Seward and other members of his Cabinet, appeared 
 on the portico, and the President hoisted the flag to the 
 top of the staff* where the breeze at once displayed its fair 
 proportions amid the hearty cheers of the soldiers and ol 
 
og LIFE AND ITl-iL/C SER] /CES OF 
 
 the multitude. Three cheers were then given for the 
 President, and three more for the Secretary of State, both 
 of whom gracefully but silently acknowledged the compli 
 ments. The Rhode Island regiment then gave nine cheers 
 for the stars and stripes, and were drilled in the manual 
 by Colonel Burnside, displaying a steadiness and unity of 
 movement worthy of veterans. Mr. Lincoln then advanc 
 ing to the front, the regiment presented arms, a salute 
 which he acknowledged by raising his hat. He had in 
 tended to address the regiment, but the strong wind would 
 have prevented their hearing him, had he spoken. 
 
 On Thursday, the 2d of May, the Rhode Island regiment 
 marched to the grounds east of the capilol, where they 
 were mustered in by Major McDowell, then connected 
 with the Adjutant-General s Department. The regiment 
 was formed in a hollow square, and the American flag 
 was brought into the centre. General Thomas, of the War 
 Department, who was the magistrate of the district, read 
 the oath of fealty to the men on each side of the square 
 successively. Each man then raised aloft his right hand, 
 and swore forever to sustain his country, and to follow her 
 flag. The band then played "The Star Spangled Ban 
 ner," and the last beams of the setting sun illuminated the 
 marble statue by Crawford of the " Father of His Country/ 
 
 After remaining at the Patent Office a fortnight, the 
 Rhode Island regiment went into camp on the farm of 
 Mr. George Keating, about two miles northeast of the city. 
 A miniature town was laid out on the slope of a hill which 
 commanded a view of the metropolis in all its strangling 
 magnificence. The streets which intersected it were named 
 after those of Providence, and temporary edifices were con 
 structed, one-half of each being fitted up With bunks for a 
 dormitory, while the other half, open at the sides like the 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 99 
 
 porch of a house, formed a sitting-room and an eating- 
 room. On these houses were signs bearing their names, 
 such as Chateau de Burnside," " Woodbury Castle," 
 "Aldrich House," etc. 
 
 ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION. 
 
 The life of the regiment was by no means that of a con 
 tinuous pleasure excursion. Rising with the sun, tin 
 men breakfasted early, and the greater part of the day was 
 occupied in fatiguing drills. Household or rather bar- 
 rackhold duties required no little time, and it was a 
 somewhat amusing sight to see young men who had been 
 well bred, busily engaged in sweeping, washing dishes and 
 tin cups, or mending stockings. All this was, however, 
 done with the utmost cheerfulness and good humor. Each 
 small structure was the home of a perfect democracy, 
 which had equality and fraternity (if not always liberty) 
 as its watchword. 
 
 Colonel Burnside proved himself to be " the right man 
 in the right place," and soon won the love and the respect 
 of his command. Many of the men who had always lived 
 in luxury found it a novel task to be set at scrubbing 
 floors, cleaning quarters, or brushing musket-barrels, but 
 they cheerfully and promptly obeyed their colonel s orders. 
 
IOO 
 
 A//-7i AND I UHLJC SEKVJCES OF 
 
 He had to look alter the most minute matters of detail, 
 and, like the Barber of Seville, he was here he was 
 there he was everywhere." His government was the 
 autocracy of love, sleepless in vigilance, yet not oppres 
 sive in discipline ; no deviation from duty escaped his eye, 
 and no display of merit passed unnoticed. His foresight 
 never failed, and his prudence and judgment were emi 
 nently displayed. 
 
 While the red-shirted New York Fire Zouaves, com 
 manded by Colonel Ellsworth, created some consternation 
 at Washington by their frolicsome fights, and their appro 
 priation of eatables and drinkables, with an impudent re 
 quest that the bill be sent to Jeff Davis, at Richmond, the 
 Rhode Island regiment became a great favorite at the 
 national capital. Colonel Burnside and his officers were 
 invited to social entertainments given by leading officials 
 and citizens, and their encampment was a fashionable 
 resort every pleasant afternoon. President Lincoln, mem 
 bers of the diplomatic corps, congressmen, and officers of 
 other regiments were frequent spectators o( the evening 
 dress-parades, with their line music, which were always 
 closed with impressive religious exercises. 
 
 On the loth of June the First Rhode Island Regiment 
 left its pleasant quarters to join General Patterson s com 
 mand in a demonstration against the Confederate forces 
 then occupying Harper s Ferry, under Gen. Joe Johnston. 
 The weather was warm and the march was fatiguing, but 
 Colonel Burnside trudged along on foot with the men, his 
 colored servant leading his horse, ready for him to mount 
 if the emergency required. The Rev. Mr. Woodbury, 
 the chaplain of the regiment, said afterwards of Colonel 
 Burnside : 
 
 " His care for his command., his personal supervision, 
 
GEN. AMSKOSE E. 13 Ult \ 
 
 lor 
 
 and his readiness to share in the burdens of the humblest 
 soldiers were very remarkable. Every morning he visited 
 the hospital-tent, to see that the sick were properly at 
 tended to. Every evening he went the rounds of the 
 camp and through the quarters, to see that all was as it 
 
 should be for the night. His discipline was strict, and he 
 knew how to rebuke delinquencies. But the men loved 
 him, as children love a father. For they knew that, while 
 he required of them a complete obedience, and that they 
 would not be spared when duty was to be done, they would 
 not be harassed and worried. They looked up to their 
 commanding officer with a kind of filial affection and de 
 votion." 
 
IO 2 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 Meanwhile Colonel Burnside s hopes of securing the 
 adoption of his breech-loading rifle were renewed. A 
 company was formed in Providence which manufactured 
 the weapon, using a variety of machines, nicely adjusted 
 and precisely accurate in their movements, turning out the 
 different parts, which had only to be put together by hand- 
 A company of sharp-shooters, armed with this weapon, was 
 formed in the First Rhode Island Regiment, and Colonel 
 Burnside had thus an opportunity of witnessing its useful 
 ness in actual service. 
 
 After marching to and fro in Maryland the regiment 
 was recalled to Washington for important service, and 
 reoccupied its old encampment on the 25th of June. Offi 
 cers and men were weather-bronzed and hardened by this 
 brief campaign, and the veteran appearance of the regi 
 ment as it marched down Pennsylvania Avenue on its 
 return prompted a camp-poet to record its praises in the 
 following words, which were sung that night by the vocal 
 ists of the different regiments then at the national capital : 
 
 " Of all the true host that New England can boast, 
 
 From down by the sea unto highland, 
 No state is more true, or willing to do, 
 Than dear little Yankee Rhode Island! 
 Loyal and true Little Rhody. 
 Bully for you. Little Rhody, 
 Governor Sprague was not very vague. 
 When he said : Shoulder arms! Little Rhody. " 
 
<>^ipp^ 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 CONCENTRATION OF CONFEDERATE FORCES AT MAXASSAS "ON TO 
 RICHMOND! " CAMP SERVICES GENERAL PATTERSON CHECK 
 MATEDWAR HALLOONS ORGANIZATION OF THE GRAND 
 ARMY OF THE UNION HURNSIDE S HRIGADE ADVANCE INTO 
 VIRGINIA CAPTURE OF FAIRFAX COURT MOUSE POLITICAL 
 ADVISERS. 
 
 THE Confederates had meanwhile concentrated their 
 available forces at Manassas, a gorge through 
 the eastern spur of the Blue Ridge, through which 
 the road from Washington to Richmond passed. It took 
 its name from the landlord of a small hotel there, who was 
 widely known and much esteemed for his kind heart and 
 good cheer, and travelers would often add many miles to 
 their day s journey, that they might spend the night with 
 " Old Manassas." It was a commanding position, selected 
 with great strategic skill, and fortified in part by nature, 
 the plateau being equidistant between the almost impassa 
 ble heights of the Blue Ridge on the one hand, and the 
 Potomac on the other. 
 
 Here General Beauregard, who was a skillful engineer, 
 constructed a line of earth-works some two miles in length, 
 with angles, salients, bastions, and casemates. On the 
 left of these fortifications were the head waters of the tortu- 
 
104 -LIFE .LAV; ri iv.rc SERVICES OF 
 
 ous creek known as Bull Run, with wooded banks, which 
 could easily be made impassable by the felling of trees ; 
 and on the right was rolling land so rough and rugged 
 that it was a defense in itself. Bull Run wound its way 
 along in front of the Confederates fortified position, be 
 tween steep and rocky banks, and although there were 
 several long-used fords, they were only known to the Con 
 federates. The position was carefully selected, and the 
 Confederates waited there in anxious expectation of the 
 arrival of the Union troops. The}" were kept informed as 
 to what transpired at Washington, not only in public, -but 
 in the War Department and the military committees of 
 Congress. 
 
 President Lincoln and the members of his administra 
 tion were, meanwhile, using every exertion to form an 
 army which would overcome the Confederate forces known 
 to be at Manassas. There had been so much progress 
 and improvement in everything in the science of war, in 
 the comforts of the soldier, in all kinds of mechanical 
 inventions, in the mutual courtesy of combatants, and 
 everything else, that people fancied battles would be fought 
 as cleanly and as smoothly as a game of chess, or a sham 
 fight on the vacant land east of the capitol. The only 
 difficulty was to see how the war would be decided. Some 
 thought it would be an affair of tactics, others that it would 
 be a question of improved rifles, or of long-range artillery, 
 and there were those who believed that the North, with its 
 mechanical and scientific resources, would win an easy 
 victory, and bring the war to a speedy termination. 
 
 Others, at the North, desired the abolition of slavery 
 more than they did a restoration of the Union with that 
 institution. They feared a compromise and a reconcilia 
 tion, and they echoed the shout, "On to Richmond!" first 
 
GEA . AMBROSE E. IU r KNSIDE. IO - 
 
 raised in the New York Tribune, by Mr. Fitz Henry 
 Warren, of Iowa, and taken up over the entire North. 
 
 Colonel Burnside and others at Washington who were 
 versed in the art of war, endeavored to check this desire 
 for a forced movement. They knew that while poets may 
 be born, soldiers must be made, and that it remained to be 
 seen whether they would be manoeuvred and handled 
 against a foe. But the politicians would not listen to the 
 experienced soldiers, and the " Grand Army of the Union" 
 was organized for an advance movement. 
 
 The camp of the Rhode Island regiment became a 
 favorite resort, and its chaplain, the Rev. .Mr. Woodbury, 
 had large audiences at his Sunday services. There was 
 a martial clang in the preacher s eloquence that consorted 
 well with the aspect of his congregation, the larger portion 
 of whom were in uniform. Like a modern Peter the 
 Hermit, he preached the duty of righteous war: like a 
 sacred Tyrtseus, he stirred in poetic prose the manhood of 
 his listeners. Perhaps the fertility and freedom of his 
 allusions to historical battles rather reminded them of the 
 monotonous labor of the armorer hammering home his 
 rivets with reiterated blows ; but certainly if the test of 
 an effective discourse is the attention of the audience, it 
 must be acknowledged that the patriotic preacher harped 
 on the heart-strings of those whom he addressed. 
 
 Meanwhile it was believed at Washington that General 
 Patterson was keeping General Johnston in check at Win 
 chester, that he might not join General Beauregard when 
 the United States forces advanced. Patterson had written 
 to the Secretary of War ; " Give me the means of success. 
 You have the means place them at my disposal, and 
 shoot me if I do not use them to advantage. Men and 
 supplies were furnir.hed. but Johnston had his troops in 
 
I0 6 LIFE A.\D PL BLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 such position that on the first notification from General 
 Beauregard he quietly started for Manassas, while Gen 
 eral Patterson actually began on the same day to march 
 in the opposite direction. 
 
 It is now known that General Beauregard was kept per 
 fectly well informed of all that was going on at Washing 
 ton, and of the intention of the administration to have the 
 Union troops force their way to Richmond. It was a 
 most critical moment for the Confederate leaders, for if 
 their army was defeated they had no more resources for 
 carrying on the war to fall back upon ; besides, if the South 
 should be defeated, there could be no hope of recognition 
 from any European power. 
 
 Washington presented at this time the appearance of a 
 vast camp, and troops were quartered in nearly all of the 
 public buildings. The capitol was crowded with armed 
 men, and its elegantly adorned and furnished committee- 
 rooms were used as dormitories. The passages of the 
 basement were filled with barrels of flour and pork, and a 
 large bakery was fitted up there, which supplied all the 
 troops in and around the city with bread. 
 
 The Rhode Island regiments and the New York Seventh 
 received many social attentions, although a large majority 
 of the residents sympathized more or less with secession, 
 and regarded the coming contest as an " abolition war." 
 Beside the public buildings, but few houses displayed the 
 stars and stripes, and rebel spies went and came without 
 molestation. 
 
 Among other novel munitions of war sent from Rhode 
 Island for the use of the regiments from that State, were 
 two balloons, to be used for reconnoitering purposes, with 
 a skillful aeronaut to manage them. Before they could be 
 used, they came to an untimely end. One collapsed sud- 
 
(i EN. AM Hit OS E E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 IO7 
 
 denly while it was being inflated, and the other got away 
 from those who were holding it by ropes, and was torn to 
 pieces. Balloon observations were not then a success. 
 
 Lieutenant-General Scott 
 retained the direction of all 
 military movements, and 
 the command of the 
 44 Grand Army of the Un 
 ion " was entrusted to Gen 
 eral McDowell. He had 
 distinguished himself at 
 the military academv at 
 West Point, and had served 
 gallantly in Mexico, but he 
 was destitute of experience 
 in the handling of large 
 
 GEN. IRVIN MCDOWELL. 
 
 bodies of men. 
 
 Colonel Burnside was made commander of the Second 
 Brigade, in the Second Division, which was commanded 
 by Col. David Hunter, of the Third Cavalry. Colonel 
 Burnside s brigade embraced the First and Second Rhode 
 Island regiments, the Seventy-first New York, the Second 
 New Hampshire, and the second battery of Rhode Island 
 Artillery. As was the case in the other brigades, the 
 troops thus brigaded had never been manoeuvred together, 
 nor had their commander any personal knowledge of many 
 of the officers or men. But the politicians at Washington 
 insisted upon an immediate advance. They saw with ad 
 miration the gallant appearance of the different regiments 
 that were to compose the advancing column, and they 
 could not but believe that it would be gloriously success 
 ful. 
 
 At length, on Tuesday, the i6th of July, 1861, General 
 
I08 LIFE AND PirBLlC SERVICES OF 
 
 Scott ordered General McDowell to move forward, towards 
 Richmond. The troops began at an early hour to prepare 
 for the march, taking three days cooked rations, ammuni 
 tion, and rubber-blankets, but leaving their knapsacks 
 behind. The effect of the column, as it passed across the 
 long bridge over the Potomac into Virginia, was imposing. 
 The rays of the afternoon sun glistened on forests of glit 
 tering steel, as wave after wave of armed men was swept 
 along by the torrent of war, with bands playing martial 
 airs, and flags fluttering in the breeze. 
 
 Colonel Burnside was loaded down with bouquets as he 
 rode at the head of his improvised brigade, giving and 
 receiving hearty cheers. Crossing the Potomac, the col 
 umn advanced unmolested into Virginia, and bivouacked 
 that night at Annandale. Each regiment stacked arms, 
 and occupied the space behind its line. Camp-fires were 
 soon lighted, coffee was made, and the rations of cooked 
 meat and hard-tack were enjoyed. Canteens were filled 
 with water at the nearest wells, pipes were lighted, and 
 miniature councils of war were held, to discuss the situa 
 tion and the probabilities of success. Long before "taps" 
 nearly every tired soldier had gone to sleep, and from 
 the dim light of each smouldering fire radiated grave-like 
 mounds of slumbering men, each shrouded in a blanket. 
 
 Before reveille" was sounded, the bivouac was astir. 
 The fires were replenished, coffee was made, guns and 
 equipments were cleaned, staff-officers and orderlies rode 
 to and fro, and soon after sunrise the well-known strains 
 of the "assembly" summoned every officer and man to his 
 colors. 
 
 Marching along the Leesburg turnpike towards Fairfax 
 Court House, the column, headed by Colonel Burnside s 
 brigade, proceeded unmolested until within about a mile of 
 
the town. Here, earth-works had been thrown up across 
 the turnpike, with embrasures for three guns, and in front 
 of them trees had been felled to obstruct the advance. 
 But none of the enemy were to be found, although unex- 
 tinguished camp-fires and the feed-bags of horses showed 
 that about two hundred men, with three pieces of artillery, 
 had passed the night there. On the approach of the 
 Union troops they had made a precipitate retreat, leaving 
 fresh meat, cooking utensils, entrenching tools, and some 
 knapsacks. 
 
 While the pioneers were clearing the turnpike of the 
 fallen trees, three men two Rhode Island skirmishers 
 and a correspondent pushed on into the town, and found 
 it deserted. Soon afterwards, the column marched into 
 the main street, the men cheering for the Union, and the 
 bands playing the " Star Spangled Banner." The Confed 
 erate flag on the court house was hauled down, and the 
 national ensign hoisted in its place. 
 
 Colonel Burnside, on rinding the town evacuated by the 
 Confederates, ordered a detachment of cavalry which had 
 been added to his brigade to pursue the retreating foe. 
 They galloped after them, but the weather was very hot, 
 and as the infantry could not come up, the pursuit was 
 discontinued, and the brigade bivouacked at Centreville. 
 
 This bloodless victory, resulting in the capture of a vil 
 lage garrisoned by Confederates without the firing of a 
 gun, was telegraphed over the northern states as the glo 
 rious initial victory of a successful campaign. Those who 
 had advocated the "On to Richmond " policy were jubi 
 lant, and they predicted that the " Grand Army of the 
 Union " would occupy Richmond within a week. Colonel 
 Burnside, with other experienced officers who were versed 
 in the art of war, thought difterentlv, and had grave appre- 
 
IIO LIFE AND Pl BLfC SERVICES OF 
 
 hensions that they were being entrapped in a position from 
 which escape would be difficult. 
 
 An attempt by another column to cross Bull Run at 
 Blackburn s ford was unsuccessful, as it was successfully 
 defended by General Longstreet s brigade. General 
 McDowell, finding that the enemy s works could not be 
 carried by assault, concentrated the Union troops the next 
 day at Centreville, and then, following advice received 
 from General Scott, he determined to make a flank move 
 ment, pass around the fortified fords of Bull Run, and 
 attack the enemy at Manassas. 
 
 Colonel Burnside, in a brief speech which he made at a 
 public reception given him by the citizens of Providence 
 on his return there, expressed his unreserved opinion that 
 the advance on Manassas should not have been made 
 when it was. "I called upon General McDowell," said 
 he, "and expressed my dissent to the policy of fighting 
 the enemy at that time. Senator Wilson was present, and 
 looked at me when I made the remark as though I was a 
 coward. General McDowell said, If I do not fight them 
 to-morrow I cannot do it in six months. Better, said I, 
 k wait that time than hazard a battle now. General Mc 
 Dowell invited a meeting of officers at his headquarters on 
 the night before the battle, but he (McDowell) was not 
 present until ten o clock, and then nothing was to be heard 
 but the reception of orders for the following day." 
 
 The baneful influence of politicians in the war was then 
 for the first time manifested, destroying not only the use 
 fulness but the reputations of some of the best generals of 
 the Union army, and putting the very life of the Republic 
 in jeopardy. Accomplished officers, like Colonel Burn- 
 side, who had energetically aided in building up an army, 
 were powerless before a lot of politicians, who had never 
 
GEN. AMR ROSE E. BURNSIDB. 
 
 Ill 
 
 conferred any blessing on the country before the war, and 
 who never after the declaration of hostilities proposed to 
 take a musket and march against the enemy, although a 
 few of them raised regiments, which they gallantly led to 
 Washington, and then turned over to the command of sub 
 ordinates. It was these politicians who had besieged 
 General Scott at Washington, and who had insisted on his 
 ordering General McDowell to move, via Manassas, " On 
 to Richmond." 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 COMMANDS A 15KIGAUE -THK BATTLK Of BL I.L KUX GALLANTK V 
 OF THK KHODK ISLAND TROOPS STOXEWALL JACKSON NAMED 
 AN AIITILLEKV DLTEL CONKEDRR ATE REINFORCEMENTS 
 PANIC. KKTKKAT, AND HOLT. 
 
 EFORE da} , on the morning of Sunday, July 21, 
 1861, the "Grand Army of the Union" began to 
 move forward, and soon the continued rumble of 
 the artillerv wheels and the measured tread of masses of 
 men were heard, as they moved along, apparently as 
 resistless as the sweep of destiny. There was not in that 
 mightv host a more gallant brigade than that which was 
 commanded by Colonel Burnside, and he was, physically 
 and mentally, a model leader. Possessing a West Point 
 training, well versed in the art of war, and familiar with 
 the details of armv routine, he had a tall and robust frame, 
 buoyancy of manner, and a spirit of perpetual elasticity, 
 with a desire to soften the rigors of martial law. He wore 
 the blue blouse which had been adopted as the uniform of 
 his Rhode Island regiment, with a broad-brimmed Kos- 
 suth hat, and when mounted on his favorite horse, "Ma 
 jor," it was evident that the saddle was to him a familiar 
 seat. 
 
(,/i.V. AMBROSE ];. /i( 7i .\ SI !)!:. T j -, 
 
 The sun rose in a cloudless sky, and the scene became an 
 extraordinary one, as the advancing columns of Union sol 
 diers, with their glistening bayonets and gay flags, moved 
 through the primeval forests of the Old Dominion. Mean 
 while there arrived from Washington at the headquarters 
 in the rear, a crowd of spectators, consisting of members 
 of Congress, correspondents, contractors, and camp-fol 
 lowers, with a number of ladies, who came in a variety of 
 vehicles to witness the fight, as they would have gone to 
 see a horse-race, or to witness a Fourth of July procession. 
 Some oi them holding official positions did not hesitate to 
 intrude themselves upon General McDowell, and to offer 
 him their advice. Others, unpacking baskets of provis 
 ions, enjoyed their lunch after the cannonading showed 
 that the action had commenced. 
 
 General McDowell having abandoned General Scott s 
 original plan of carrying Manassas by a direct assault, had 
 determined, with the approval of those in authority at 
 Washington, to endeavor to turn the left flank of the 
 enemy. He was not aware that Johnston was joining 
 Beauregard, and he sent a strong detachment towards 
 Gainesville to prevent such a union. There were live 
 different fords across Bull Run, each one defended by 
 Confederate batteries, with their supporting bodies of in 
 fantry. McDowell ordered General Tyler with a heavy 
 force to advance on the direct line by the turnpike towards 
 Manassas, and make a feigned attack on the works which 
 defended the stone bridge : meanwhile Colonel Hunter s 
 division was to start before davhght and make a flank 
 
 ~ O 
 
 movement through the woods to Sudley ford, where there 
 were no defenses. Crossing Bull Run at that point, Hun 
 ter was to move down the opposite bank of the stream to 
 the Red-house ford, where he would secure the passage 
 
LIFE AM) JT/JL/C ,SYiYi I ICES Or 
 
 of Heintzelman s division. The two divisions would then 
 move jointly down to the stone bridge, where they would 
 secure the crossing of Tyler s division, and enable him to 
 cross and join in the combined attack on Manassas. 
 
 Hunter s division moved forward towards Sudley ford at 
 an early hour, but was delayed, and did not reach there 
 until half-past nine o clock in the morning, nearly four 
 hours behind time. When Burnside s brigade, which 
 headed the column, had reached the ford and began to 
 cross, a column of the enemy made its appearance to resist 
 them. Colonel Burnside ordered Colonel Slocum, of the 
 Second Rhode Island Regiment, to throw out skirmishers, 
 and to support them with his regiment, accompanied by 
 its battery of six thirteen-pound rifle-guns. Advancing 
 until an open field was reached, a spirited engagement was 
 commenced, and for a short time Burnside s brigade had 
 to sustain the shock, engaging Wheat s Louisiana Bat 
 tery, Sloane s South Carolina Regiment, and Bee s Geor 
 gia and Mississippi Brigade. Soon after the firing com 
 menced Colonel Burnside was ordered by General Hun 
 ter, who was leaving the field severely wounded, to as 
 sume command of that portion of the division in presence 
 of the enemy. Finding that the Second Rhode Island 
 Regiment was closely pressed by the enemy, Colonel 
 Burnside ordered the Seventy-first New York and the 
 Second New Hampshire to advance, intending to hold 
 the First Rhode Island in reserve, but owing to delay 
 in the formation of the two first-named regiments, the 
 First Rhode Island was at once ordered on the field of 
 battle, and bore the brunt of the contest. 
 
 The Rhode Island men then showed by their gallantry 
 and coolness that their colonel s labors had produced the 
 finest results. Major Balch, who was in command, gal- 
 
GEA . AMBROSE /s. JiUlt \SIDE. 
 
 J I 
 
 lantly led the regiment into action, where it performed 
 efficient service in assisting its comrades to repel the attack 
 of the enemy s forces. The Second Rhode Island had, 
 with the dogged courage of the Anglo-Saxon race, bravely 
 
 .MAT OF THE BULL KUN UATTI.E-FIF.LD. 
 
 stood its ground, eventually compelling the enemy to give 
 way. At this time Colonel Slocum fell, mortally wounded, 
 and soon after, Major Ballon was very seriously injured by 
 a cannon-ball that killed his horse and crushed one of his 
 legs. Yet the Second Regiment, under the command of 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Wheaton, continued gallantly to hold 
 its position, and the enemy fell before its deadlv fire, like 
 leaves in the autumn. 
 
 Colonel Martin, of the Seventy-first New York Regi 
 ment, next led his men into action, and planting his two 
 howitzers upon the right of his line, had them effectually 
 worked against the enemy s troops. The battery of the 
 
Il6 LI PR AX I) ri BLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Second Rhode Island Regiment, on a knoll upon the ex 
 treme right, soon succeeded in silencing the heavy masked 
 battery of the enemy in front, occasionally throwing in 
 shot and shell upon the enemy s infantry, six regiments of 
 which were attempting to force Colonel Burnside s position. 
 The Second New Hampshire Regiment, Colonel Marston, 
 then brought into the field, rendered great service, and the 
 whole brigade pouring in a destructive fire, compelled the 
 enemy to retreat. Heintzelman s division, with Ricketts 
 superior light battery of six ten-pounder rifle-guns, was 
 equally successful, and Sherman s brigade, also crossing 
 Bull Run, participated in the fierce and destructive con 
 flict. The shattered Confederate battalions were forced to 
 retreat under a deadly fire, and the prospect of a Union 
 victory appeared certain. The news was carried to the 
 rear, and soon the telegraph had flashed the intelligence 
 through the entire North that the Federal troops were 
 winning a glorious victory. 
 
 At noon the scene of the battle, as described by eye 
 witnesses, was unutterably sublime. The unceasing roar 
 of artillery echoed far and wide, like protracted peals of 
 thunder, and for upwards of a mile the Virginia side of the 
 Bull Run valley was like a boiling crater, from which 
 arose dense clouds of dust and smoke. Then it was that 
 the advance-guard of Gen. Joe Johnston arrived, with the 
 force which General Patterson had failed to hold in check. 
 Among the first reinforcements was the Virginia Brigade, 
 composed of five regiments, and commanded by General 
 Jackson. General Beauregard, well-nigh overwhelmed, 
 greeted General Jackson with the pathetic exclamation, 
 " General, they are beating us back," to which the latter 
 promptly replied: "Sir, we ll give them the bayonet." 
 General Beauregard immediately rallied his over-tasked 
 
fr7i\V, J.l/A /. O.V/i /;. /, C /, . \ .S IDK. 
 
 troops with the words : " There is Jackson, standing like 
 a stone-wall ; let us determine to die here, and we will 
 conquer." From that day General Jackson was known by 
 the soldiers on both sides as " Stonewall Jackson." 
 
 About two o clock in the afternoon General Beauregard 
 gave the order for the right of his line to advance and 
 recover the plateau from which they had been driven. 
 This was done with great bravery, and at the same time 
 Jackson s brigade pierced the Union lines with the deter 
 mination of veterans. The fresh reinforcements came up, 
 and the fighting on the plateau was desperate. The 
 cleared land in the vicinity of the Henry House was the 
 scene of an artillery duel. On one side were the Union 
 batteries, commanded by Ricketts and Griffin, and on the 
 other, thirteen Confederate guns poured forth grape and 
 canister. Suddenly Griffin saw a regiment advancing 
 from the woods towards his batterv, and was about to open 
 fire upon them, when he was told bv Major Barry that 
 they were coming to support him. But I think they are 
 Confederates," replied Griffin. " as certain as the world, 
 they are Confederates. "No:" answered Barry, I 
 know they are coming to support you." Griffin hastened 
 to his pieces and told the officers in command not to fire. 
 Had they fired at that moment it would have almost anni 
 hilated the advancing regiment. But the tables were 
 turned, and the next moment the regiment fired a voile} at 
 the batteries which killed or wounded nearly every officer 
 and man. The frightened horses, deprived of their riders, 
 started down the hill on a full run with the caissons, scat 
 tering the advancing troops. 
 
 The regiment of New York Zouaves, which had been 
 ordered to support the battery, was seized with a panic, 
 and fled in wild disorder. Words and threats were un- 
 
IlS LIFE AND Pl IiLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 availing in stopping men who had lost all presence of 
 mind, and only longed for absence of body. A desperate 
 contest then took place for the possession of the guns of 
 these disabled batteries. Three successive times did the 
 rebels capture them, and three successive times the bat 
 teries were recovered, to be again lost. Regiment after 
 regiment was sent into the fight, and the Union troops, 
 finally recovering their ground and their guns, renewed 
 the offensive. Several of the Confederate regiments were 
 almost annihilated. On either side soldiers no longer rec 
 ognized their officers, nor the officers their men, and it 
 was scarcely possible to procure any obedience to orders. 
 
 By this time it was three o clock in the afternoon, and 
 the Union troops had been on duty since two o clock in 
 the morning, much of the time on the march or in action. 
 Three days provisions had been served out to them the 
 night before, but many had thrown them away on the 
 march or during the battle, and were without food. Just 
 then it became known to the Confederates that they had 
 been reinforced by Johnston s army, while the presence 
 of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, in 
 spired them with fresh courage. The rebel sharp-shooters, 
 occupying the woods, opened a deadly fire on the Union 
 regiments, and Steuart s cavalry brigade, sweeping to and 
 fro, cut down hundreds of stragglers. The panic became 
 general, and disorder soon degenerated into a retreat. 
 
 " Finding," said General McDowell in his official re 
 port, " that this state of affairs was beyond the efforts of 
 all those who had assisted so faithfully during the long 
 and hard day s work in gaining almost the object of our 
 wishes, and that nothing remained on the field but to rec 
 ognize what we could no longer prevent, I gave the nec 
 essary orders to protect their withdrawal, begging the men 
 
Ci/L.V. AMfl/tOSE /:. BURNSIDE. 
 
 to form \\\ line, and offer the appearance, at least, of or 
 ganization. They returned by the fords to the Warren- 
 ton road, protected, by my order, by Colonel Porter s force 
 of regulars. Once on the road, and the different corps 
 coming together in small parties, many without officers, 
 they became intermingled, and all organization was lost." 
 
 Colonel Burnside s brigade encountered the enemy s fire 
 for four hours, receiving crashing volleys of grape-shot 
 and musketry, and sustaining a loss of 123 killed and 236 
 wounded. Relieved by Colonel Sherman s brigade, Burn- 
 side s men were withdrawn from the front, to rest and to 
 receive a fresh supply of ammunition preparatory to orders 
 for another advance. But the order was not to advance 
 but to " cover the retreat on Centreville," and stragglers 
 began to pass to the rear in great numbers. Once in 
 retreat, the regiments became uncontrollable masses of 
 men, and there was an individual stampede for safety. 
 
 When the first rush of fugitives had passed, Colonel 
 Burnside, who had kept his brigade together, formed in 
 column and retired in comparatively good condition, Rey 
 nolds and Arnold s batteries of artillery and Armstrong s 
 company of regular dragoons bringing up the rear. The 
 retreat of the brigade continued in tolerably good order 
 until a bridge was reached over a little stream called Cub 
 Run, which was commanded by a Confederate light bat 
 tery, making it necessary for the retreating Union force to 
 cross the bridge under fire. "The enemy opened fire, 
 says Burnside s report, "upon the retreating mass of men. 
 Upon the bridge crossing Cub Run, a shot took effect 
 upon the horses of a team that was crossing. The wagon 
 was overturned directly in the centre of the bridge, and 
 the passage was completely obstructed. The enemy con 
 tinued to play his artillery upon the train, carriages. 
 
I2 o (iE.Y. AMBROSE E. BUR XS IDE. 
 
 ambulances, and artillery wagons that filled up the road, 
 and these were reduced to ruin. The artillery could not 
 possibly pass, and five pieces of the Rhode Island battery, 
 which had been safely brought oft the field, were here 
 lost/ 
 
 The guns of two other Union batteries were also lost in 
 the retreat. Indeed, only the batteries of Griffin and 
 Ricketts were lost in the main battle. The retreat became 
 a rout, and Colonel Burnside, seeing that his brigade 
 could not cross the bridge, ordered the men to ford the 
 creek and rally at Ce.ntreville. While his command moved 
 there with little demoralization, others fled panic-stricken 
 in a disorderly rout. Army-wagons, hacks containing 
 spectators of the affray, correspondents on horseback, and 
 sutlers teams choked the road, amid clouds of dust and 
 crowds of horror-stricken fugitives. But it is very evident 
 that an account of this retreat written by the correspond 
 ent of the London Times was greatly exaggerated. The 
 terrified Briton evidently "drew" on his imagination for his 
 facts." 
 
 Colonel Burnside s brigade found at Centreville the biv 
 ouacs which they had left in the morning, and were pre 
 paring to pass the night there, when orders were received 
 from General McDowell to move on to Washington. 
 Marching all night, with occasional halts, the brigade 
 reached Washington early on the morning of July 22, and 
 the Rhode Island regiments were back in their old camp 
 at nine o clock. 
 
 It was well said of Colonel Burnside that his bearing in 
 all the experiences of the day and night, the battle and 
 the march, was all that could be expected of a man and a 
 soldier, and he at once attracted the attention of the coun- 
 trv to his gallantry, generalship, and skill. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE LESSON* OF BULL RUN RETURN OF THE FIRST RHODE ISLAND 
 REGIMENT APPOINTMENT AS BRIGA*DIER-GENERAL ORGANI 
 ZATION OF THE COAST DIVISION DEPARTURE OF THE ARMA 
 DATERRIFIC GALE OFF HATTERAS LANDING ON ROANOK.E 
 
 ISLAND. 
 
 ^ T ~MiE battle of Bull Run was a severe rebuke to the 
 politicians who had forced it, while it displayed 
 JL the superior military skill and scientific strategy 
 of the Confederate leaders. The Union officers, obeying 
 orders, hurled their undisciplined forces into the fight, as 
 though muscle and the musket could decide the day. The 
 Confederate officers economized their forces, avoided any 
 needless exposure of the men, utilized their artillery, and 
 compensated for weakness of battalions by strength of 
 position. But the Union troops fought like veterans, 
 marching gallantly into the concentrated batteries, and 
 loading and firing under fire with the precision of veter 
 ans. Volunteers never displayed more bravery, and but 
 for the loss of some officers, and the cowardice of others, 
 the ignorance of the roads, and the want of rally ing-points, 
 the retreat unexpected, as it was disastrous would have 
 been avoided. The Confederates found themselves in no 
 condition to follow up the victory which they had gained, 
 and to press on to Washington. 
 
122 
 
 Lin-: AXD j i:vL/c s EH \-JCEX or 
 
 Resuming the command of the First Rhode Island Regi 
 ment, Colonel Burnside tendered its services to President 
 Lincoln, its term of service having expired on the Satur 
 day previous to the battle. His officers and men shared 
 
 in his desire to remain 
 so long as the capital 
 was in danger, but when 
 it was evident that the 
 Confederates did not pro 
 pose to move on Wash 
 ington, the three-months 
 regiments were all or 
 dered to their respective 
 states, where three-years 
 regiments were being re 
 cruited. President Lin 
 coln and Secretary Sew- 
 ard rode out to the camp 
 on the day following the 
 
 return of the regiment, to personally compliment General 
 Burnside, and to speak words of encouragement to the 
 men. 
 
 On the night of the 25th of July, the First Rhode Island 
 Regiment broke camp and started for Providence, where 
 it arrived on Sunday morning, the 28th. Addresses of 
 welcome and of congratulation were delivered by Lieuten- 
 ant-Governor Arnold and the Rt. Rev. Bishop Clark, and 
 on the 2d of August, 1861, the officers and men were mus 
 tered out of service. The General Assembly of Rhode 
 Island voted its thanks to the regiment and to Colonel 
 Burnside, and Brown University, at its Commencement in 
 September, honored him with the degree of Master of 
 Arts. 
 
 COM. I.. M. GOLDSBOROUGII. 
 
GEN. A. VHROSE E. BURNSIDE. I2 o 
 
 President Lincoln recognized the ability of General 
 Burnside by appointing him a brigadier-general of United 
 States Volunteers, his commission dating Aug. 6, 1861. 
 He immediately reported at Washington, where he was 
 placed in command of a provisional brigade. The three- 
 years regiments, which began to assemble at the national 
 capital, reporting on their arrival to him, were assigned 
 places of encampment, carefullv inspected, and supplied 
 with all necessary articles of equipment. Great attention 
 was paid to drill and discipline, and when General Mc- 
 Clellan arrived, he found that the organization of the Army 
 of the Potomac had been commenced. 
 
 The administration of President Lincoln displayed a 
 remarkable energy in raising money and men, and in 
 organizing armies which were to act in different sections 
 of the country. Several expeditions were projected against 
 Southern sea-ports, and one of them was entrusted to Gen 
 eral Burnside. He was ordered to organize a " coast 
 division," on the 23d of October, 1861, and to establish his 
 headquarters at Annapolis. The men for this division 
 were to be recruited in New England, and many of them 
 would be acquainted with boat service. With this force, 
 and some light-draught gun-boats, General Burnside ex 
 pected to terminate the blockade of the Potomac. He 
 wanted to shell out or storm one Confederate battery after 
 another, until every rebel should have been driven from 
 the river-bank, and the Nation relieved from the shame of 
 seeing its capital besieged by a foe so inferior in numbers. 
 The organization of this force, the charter of vessels, the 
 equipment of men, and the purchase of provisions, ammu- 
 niHon, and supplies was superintended by Colonel Burn- 
 side in person, at New York. 
 
 General Burnside submitted his original plan of opera- 
 
124 GEA r . AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 tion to General McClellan, on the 6th of September. Gen 
 eral Scott had then been virtually superseded, and on the 
 ist of November the old hero was formally relieved of his 
 command, and General McClellan was appointed General- 
 in-Chief of the Army of the United States. He soon after 
 wards decided to increase the "coast division," and to send 
 it to North Carolina. This required more vessels and 
 more men, but after the coast of North Carolina was occu 
 pied, a column was to penetrate to Raleigh and Golds- 
 boro , where it was to be met by General Buell, at the 
 head of the Union army from Tennessee. Meanwhile 
 General Butler was to occupy New Orleans, and Gen. T. 
 W. Sherman, Savannah. These movements would, it was 
 hoped, divide the Confederate army, and so occupy the 
 attention of its generals that the Army of the Potomac 
 would be able to move "On to Richmond!" The pro 
 gramme was a good one, but its execution was unfortu 
 nately delayed until the storms of winter made navigation 
 dangerous and land-travel difficult. 
 
 General Burnside s troops rendezvoused at Annapolis, 
 Maryland, where they were consolidated into three brig 
 ades. The first brigade, commanded by Brig. -Gen. John 
 G. Foster, was composed of the Twenty-third, Twenty- 
 fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, 
 and Tenth Connecticut regiments of infantry ; the sec 
 ond brigade, commanded by Bfig.-Gen. Jesse L. Reno, 
 was composed of the Sixth New Hampshire, Twenty-first 
 Massachusetts, Fifty-first New York, Ninth New Jersey, 
 and Fifty-first Pennsylvania regiments of infantry ; and 
 the third brigade, commanded by Brig. -Gen. John G. 
 Parke, was composed of the Fourth Rhode Island, Eighth 
 and Eleventh Connecticut, Fifty-third and Eighty-ninth 
 New York regiments of infantry ; a battalion of the Fifth 
 
I2 6 LIFE AND PL-RLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Rhode Island infantry, and Battery F, First Rhode Island 
 light artillery. The regiments were full, and the com 
 mand numbered upwards of twelve thousand men. 
 
 Forty-six transports were employed, eleven of which 
 were steamers. There were also nine armed propellers, to 
 act as gun-boats, and five barges armed as floating bat 
 teries, carrying altogether forty-seven guns, mostly of small 
 calibre. These formed the army division of the fleet, and 
 were commanded by Commander Samuel F. Hazard. A 
 navy, composed of twenty vessels of different sizes, but 
 most of light draught, for the navigation of the Albemarle 
 and Pamlico sounds, carried altogether fifty-five heavy 
 <mns, and were commanded by Commodore L. M. Golds- 
 
 c" * 
 
 borough. 
 
 The orders for embarkation were promulgated on Sat 
 urday, the 4th of January, 1862, and their reading in each 
 camp was the signal for outbursts of cheering. The next 
 morning the troops commenced embarking, and on the pth 
 the fleet of transports steamed down Chesapeake Bay and 
 anchored oft Fortress Monroe. On the morning of the 
 nth, General Burnside arrived, on the gun-boat "Picket," 
 a screw steamer, the smallest of the fleet, on which he 
 had established his headquarters. The secret of the des 
 tination of the fleet had been well kept, and when it sailed, 
 on the morning of the i2th, no one knew it except the 
 general and Commodore Goldsborough. The officer com 
 manding the troops on each ship had sealed orders given 
 him, which were to be opened after getting six miles at 
 sea. 
 
 When the fleet left Hampton Roads the weather was fine, 
 but the next day a terrific storm burst upon the armada, 
 as if determined to sweep all on board into the ocean. 
 The steamers staggered on, breasting the giant blows of 
 
V/i.V. AM/t/tOSE E. lil K \S 
 
 each successive sea, their luills and spars trembling, their 
 decks swept tore and aft, and all on board reeling from 
 side to side like drunken men. One figure stood immov 
 able, grasping the shrouds, scanning the horizon for traces 
 of ships as his steamer rose on each glittering mass of 
 foam. It was the square, manly form of General Burn- 
 side, whose anxiety for the fate of his army was intense, 
 With nothing to distinguish him but his yellow belt and 
 blue blouse, slouch hat, and high boots, he stood like a 
 sea-king, hailing every vessel and asking affectionately 
 after the welfare of those on board. It became necessary 
 to find the tortuous channel of Hatteras Inlet when the 
 storm was at its height. A few light-draught steamers 
 succeeded in passing safely. Making the inlet, they 
 crossed the bar, came to anchor in the comparatively 
 smooth water of Pamlico Sound, and some of the troops 
 were landed. But many of the steamers, which had been 
 represented as light-draught, could not cross the bar, and 
 were tossed about outside for nearly two weeks. Occa 
 sionally a steamer would work her way in, and some of 
 them were much injured. 
 
 General Burnside acted the part of admiral as well as 
 general, and managed his great fleet as best he could, 
 performing the duties of navigator, pilot, and harbor-mas 
 ter. Whenever a steamer was in distress, the general was 
 always the first man off to her assistance, and there was 
 not a grade in the army which he did not fill during this 
 trving occasion, so anxious was he for the well-being and 
 comfort of his troops. Generals Foster, Reno, and Parke 
 gave him their ablest assistance, and the conduct of the 
 officers and men was highly commendable. At length, 
 on the 25th of January, the storm finally broke, and the 
 vessels were all inside of the bar. A depot of supplies 
 
I2 8 GEX. AMKltOSE E. Ki:ii 
 
 was established on shore, and some of" the troops were 
 transferred from the steamers in which they had come from 
 Annapolis to others of a lighter draught, while the Sixth 
 New Hampshire Regiment, which had been landed, was 
 re-embarked, with the Ninth New York Regiment, of the 
 Hatteras Island garrison. 
 
 General Burnside was ubiquitous, moving about in 
 every direction on the " Picket," and when all was ready, 
 he issued the following order, which breathes the broad- 
 hearted humanity that all who had even the slightest inter 
 course with him found to be a large element in his nature. 
 It also showed the .confidence he reposed in his troops, 
 and it was an appeal to the humanitv and honor of his 
 
 men : 
 
 HEAD^TARTERS DKPARTMKNT OF NORTH CAROLINA, ) 
 I A.MI.K O Soi Nu, Feb. 3. 186::. j 
 
 General Orders. Xo. j. 
 
 This expedition, being about to land on the soil of North Carolina, the 
 general commanding desires his soldiers to remember that they are here 
 to support the Constitution and the laws, i.c> put down rebellion, and to 
 protect the persons and property of the loyai and peaceable citizens of 
 the State. In the march of the army, all unnecessary injuries to houses, 
 barns, fences, and other property will be carefully avoided, and in all 
 cases the rules of civilized warfare will be carefully observed. 
 
 Wounded soldiers will be treated with every care and attention, ami 
 neither they nor prisoners must be insulted or annoved by word or act. 
 
 With the fullest confidence in the valor and the character of his troops, 
 the general commanding looks forward to a speedy and successful termi 
 nation of the campaign. 
 
 By command of Urig.-Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-Gmrral. 
 
 On the morning of the 5th, the fleet, consisting in all of 
 sixty-five vessels, moved forward in regular order, each 
 brigade forming three columns, headed by its flag-ship. 
 The gun-boats of the " coast division " occupied positions 
 on the flanks, to be ready for a response to any demonstra- 
 
1^0 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tion from shore. Each large steamer had one, two, and 
 in some instances three schooners in tow, whose tall spires 
 pointed unvaryingly to the zenith as the water was ruffled 
 by the light wind. The aisles between the three columns 
 of ships were unbroken through the whole length of the 
 fleet, which extended almost two miles over the surface of 
 the sound, except by General Burnside s flag-boat, the 
 "Picket," which was dashing here, there, and everywhere. 
 This great armada, which had so lately been buffeted by 
 the storms of Hatteras, stranded and baffled among those 
 perilous sands, with the hopes of thousands of brave men 
 ebbing and flowing with the dangerous tides, and finding 
 their only consolation in the skill and energy of invincible 
 leaders, was again moving onward with the hearts of offi 
 cers and men inspired with confidence and renewed hopes. 
 Arriving in sight of Roanoke Island, the fleet came to 
 anchor for the night, and it was hoped that the landing 
 could take place on the next day. A fog, followed by a 
 storm, prevented it, but on the morning of the 7th the sun 
 shone out brightly and the sky cleared. Commodore 
 Goldsborough, after getting his fleet under way, hoisted 
 this signal: "The country expects every man to do his 
 duty." The gun-boats moved forward, and were soon 
 engaged with the enemy s fleet of steamers, and Forts 
 Forrest and Bartow. The Confederate steamers retreated, 
 as the Union fleet advanced, behind a barricade of sunken 
 vessels and piles. Meanwhile the troops were landed 
 from the transports about four o clock in the afternoon, in 
 light-draught steamers, each one of which towed several 
 boats filled with men. The scene was animated beyond 
 description. As the boats dashed up towards the shore the 
 men jumped overboard when the keels touched the land, 
 and waded to the beach, a long distance through deep 
 
I } LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 lion from shore. Each large steamer had one, two, and 
 in some instances three schooners in tow, whose tall spires 
 pointed unvaryingly to the zenith as the water was ruffled 
 by the light wind. The aisles between the three columns 
 of ships were unbroken through the whole length of the 
 fleet, which extended almost two miles over the surface of 
 the sound, except by General Burnside s flag-boat, the 
 Picket," which was dashing here, there, and everywhere. 
 This great armada, which had so lately been buffeted by 
 the storms of Hatteras, stranded and baffled among those 
 perilous sands, with the hopes of thousands of brave men 
 ebbing and flowing with the dangerous tides, and finding 
 their only consolation in the skill and energy of invincible 
 leaders, was again moving onward with the hearts of offi 
 cers and men inspired with confidence and renewed hopes. 
 Arriving in sight of Roanoke Island, the fleet came to 
 anchor for the night, and it was hoped that the landing 
 could take place on the next day. A fog, followed by a 
 storm, prevented it, but on the morning of the 7th the sun 
 shone out brightly and the sky cleared. Commodore 
 Goldsborough, after getting his fleet under way, hoisted 
 this signal: "The countrv expects every man to do his 
 duty. The gun-boats moved forward, and were soon 
 engaged with the enemy s fleet of steamers, and Forts 
 Forrest and Bartow. The Confederate steamers retreated, 
 as the Union fleet advanced, behind a barricade of sunken 
 vessels and piles. Meanwhile the troops were landed 
 from the transports about four o clock in the afternoon, in 
 light-draught steamers, each one of which towed several 
 boats filled with men. The scene was animated beyond 
 description. As the boats dashed up towards the shore the 
 men jumped overboard when the keels touched the land, 
 and waded to the beach, a long distance through deep 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 mud. This was a most tedious, exhausting operation, and 
 the night was well advanced before it was completed. 
 The rain was falling, a cold northern wind was blowing 
 at the time, and the men were compelled to bivouac on 
 the ground without protection of any kind. Those nearest 
 the enemy could not even kindle fires for cooking, as the 
 lights might prove marks for the enemy s sharp-shooters. 
 General Burnside did all in his power to promote the 
 comfort of the men, afloat and ashore, and they greeted 
 him wherever he went with the utmost enthusiasm. Al 
 ready every one in the command appreciated his good 
 temper, his cool courage, his knowledge of military mat 
 ters, and his evident determination that every officer, as 
 well as every enlisted man, should do his duty. 
 
General fiurnfidf s Headquarters, Roatwkc Island, 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 TIIK BATTLE OK ROANOKE ISLAND FRUITS OF THE VICTORY 
 RETURN OF ROBERT ADVANCE ON NEWBERN GLORIOUS 
 VICTORV CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS -GOVERNMENT 
 OF NORTH CAROMNA REBUKE OF AN ALARMIST. 
 
 RDANOKE ISLAND was the scene of active hos 
 tilities on the morning of Feb. 8, 1862. General 
 Burnside had received information that the Con 
 federates were entrenched on what they regarded as their 
 stronghold, near the middle of the island, flanked by 
 almost impassable swamps, and only approached b} a nar 
 row causeway, defended by a battery of three guns. At 
 day-break, General Foster s brigade moved to attack this 
 position, followed by the brigades of Generals Reno and 
 Parke. While General Foster attacked the battery on the 
 causeway, General Reno led his men through the swamp 
 on one flank and General Parke did the same on the 
 other, often wading in water. waist-deep, through a dense, 
 interlaced growth of bushes and briars, which was cut 
 away by the officers swords. This tedious advance occu 
 pied several hours, but it was a complete surprise to the 
 enemy when the Union troops appeared on either flank, 
 from swamps which had been regarded as impassable. 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. joo 
 
 v J O 
 
 At this juncture Major Kimball, of the New York Ninth 
 Regiment ( Hawkins Zouaves), volunteered to lead the 
 charge with his men, and to carry the entrenchment at the 
 point of the bayonet. You are the man!" exclaimed 
 General Foster. " The Ninth is the regiment, and this is 
 the moment! Zouaves, storm the battery! Forward!" 
 The regiment started at double-quick time, shouting: 
 " Zou ! Zou ! Zou !" and being joined by their colonel, 
 leaped into the ditch, mounted the parapet, and drove the 
 enemy away from their guns with the bayonet. Almost 
 simultaneously, the Twenty-first Massachusetts and the 
 Fifty-first New York scaled the parapet on the opposite 
 side, and the two victorious columns met at the flag-staff, 
 on which the "stars and stripes" soon replaced the "stars 
 and bars." 
 
 The Confederates, panic-stricken, fled at full speed, 
 strewing the road with their muskets and equipments. 
 General Foster, after having obtained a supply of ammu 
 nition, followed the fugitives, and had chased them for 
 several miles, when he was met bv a flag of truce borne 
 by Colonel Pool, with a message from Colonel Shaw, of 
 the North Carolina forces, then senior in command, ask 
 ing what terms of capitulation would be granted. Gen 
 eral Foster s answer was: "Unconditional surrender!" 
 Colonel Pool wanted to know how much time would be 
 granted. -No longer than will enable you to report to 
 Colonel Shaw/ Colonel Pool retired, and General Fos 
 ter, having waited what he considered a sufficient time, 
 had ordered the troops to move forward, when Major 
 Stevenson, of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, who had 
 gone with Colonel Pool to receive Colonel Shaw s answer, 
 appeared with a message that General Fosters terms were 
 accepted. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. I3URNSJDE. 
 
 Capt. O. J. Wise, of the "Wise Legion" of Virginia, 
 was wounded, and endeavored to make his escape in a 
 boat to Nag s Head, but he was captured, and he died the 
 next morning, defiantly expressing with his latest breath 
 his deep regret that he could not live longer to fight against 
 the Union. Company A, of the " Wise Legion, was the 
 pet volunteer military organization of Richmond, having 
 been chartered in 1793, and some of the most promising 
 young men of that city fought and fell in its ranks. They 
 left behind them in the fort, where the Twenty-first Massa 
 chusetts found it, a beautiful white-silk banner, tastefully 
 embroidered, and bearing the motto: " Ant Vinccrc ant 
 Mori" "To Conquer or to Die." The survivors being 
 unable to obey either of its alternatives, had left it with 
 their dead the few of them all who had accepted the 
 second alternative when the first was not attainable. An 
 other volunteer organization, that had come over from 
 Elizabeth City on the morning of the battle, received no 
 ammunition, and were obliged to surrender without having 
 fired a gun. 
 
 The commanders of the three forts speedily followed 
 Colonel Shaw s example, and their strongholds were at 
 once rechristened by General Burnside, Fort Foster, Fort 
 Reno, and Fort Parke. The Confederate fleet, com 
 manded by Captain Lynch, formerly of the United States 
 Navy, endeavored to escape, but nearly all of the steamers 
 were captured. 
 
 The capture of two thousand five hundred prisoners 
 was especially acceptable to General Burnside, as it en 
 abled him to secure the exchange of an equal number ot 
 Union prisoners taken at Bull Run and elsewhere, who 
 were held at the South. General Burnside also reported 
 to General McClellan that he had captured " five forts, 
 
LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 mounting thirty-two guns, winter quarters for some four 
 thousand troops, three thousand stand of small arms, large 
 hospital buildings, with a large amount of lumber, wheel 
 barrows, scows, pile-driver, a mud-dredge, and various 
 other appurtenances for military service." The following 
 congratulatory order was issued by General Burnside : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, | 
 
 ROANOKE ISLAND. Feb. 6. 1862. j 
 
 General Orders, No. 7. 
 
 The general commanding congratulates his troops on their brilliant 
 and successful occupation of Roanoke Island. The courage and steadi 
 ness they have shown under iire is what he expected from them, and he 
 accepts it as a token of future victory. 
 
 Each regiment on the island will inscribe on its banner: "Roanoke 
 Island, Feb. 8, i86.V 
 
 The highest praise i> due to Brigadier-Generals Foster. Reno, and 
 Parke, who so energetically carried out the movement that has resulted 
 in the complete success of the Union arms. 
 
 By command of Brig.-Gen. A. E. Bl RNSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND. Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 The battle of Roanoke Island, followed by the occupa 
 tion of Elizabeth City, Edenton, and Plymouth, caused 
 great rejoicing in the northern states, and revived the 
 drooping spirits of loyal men. Rhode Island voted Gen 
 eral Burnside a sword, in addition to her thanks, the legis 
 latures of Massachusetts and of Ohio, then in session, ex 
 pressed their gratitude by the passage of congratulatory 
 resolutions. President Lincoln nominated General Burn- 
 side a major-general of volunteers, and the Senate con 
 firmed the nomination on the iSth of March, 1862. 
 
 The first of the Union prisoners exchanged for the Con 
 federates who surrendered at Roanoke Island to reach 
 there, was Robert Holloway, the faithful colored servant 
 of General Burnside. Robert had been with the general 
 
J-.6 LIFE A.\D PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 mounting thirty-two guns, winter quarters for some four 
 thousand troops, three thousand stand of small arms, large 
 hospital buildings, with a large amount of lumber, wheel 
 barrows, scows, pile-driver, a mud-dredge, and various 
 other appurtenances for military service." The following 
 congratulatory order was issued by General Burnside : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OK NORTH CAROLINA, ] 
 ROANOKE ISLAND. Feb. 6, iS6j. j 
 
 General Orders, JVo. 7. 
 
 The general commanding congratulates his troops on their brilliant 
 and successful occupation of Roanoke Island. The courage and steadi 
 ness they have shown under fire is what he expected from them, and he 
 accepts it as a token of future victorv. 
 
 Each regiment on the island will inscribe on its banner: "Roanoke 
 Island, Feb. 8, i86j." 
 
 The highest praise i> due to Brigadier-Generals Foster. Reno, and 
 Parke. who so energetically carried out the movement that has resulted 
 in the complete success of the Union arms. 
 
 Bv command of Brig. -Gen. A. E. BURXSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 The battle of Roanoke Island, followed by the occupa 
 tion of Elizabeth City, Edenton, and Plymouth, caused 
 great rejoicing in v the northern states, and revived the 
 drooping spirits of loyal men. Rhode Island voted Gen 
 eral Burnside a sword, in addition to her thanks, the legis 
 latures of Massachusetts and of Ohio, then in session, ex 
 pressed their gratitude by the passage of congratulatory 
 resolutions. President Lincoln nominated General Burn- 
 side a major-general of volunteers, and the Senate con 
 firmed the nomination on the iSth of March, 1862. 
 
 The first of the Union prisoners exchanged for the Con 
 federates who surrendered at Roanoke Island to reach 
 there, was Robert Holloway, the faithful colored servant 
 of General Burnside. Robert had been with the <reneral 
 
GEX. AM/i/fOSE E. BL A\\S/DE. 
 
 137 
 
 since their ride across the plains in New Mexico, until the 
 battle of Bull Run, when he fell into the hands of the 
 enemy, was carried to Richmond, and imprisoned in a 
 tobacco warehouse. When an exchange was agreed upon, 
 
 MAP OF KOANOKE ISLAND. 
 
 the general saw that Robert s name was included, and the 
 
 O 
 
 faithful fellow, instead of going to see his wife and child, 
 when he was liberated, found his way to his old employer. 
 Newbern was the next place in North Carolina to be 
 occupied, and General Burnside lost no time in organizing 
 an expedition for the occupation of that ancient town. 
 
j-^8 LIFE AND J>[ KL/C SE/fl /CKS OF 
 
 Detachments were meanwhile sent to places in the vicinity, 
 to destroy munitions of war, and to divert the attention of 
 the Confederates. It was the nth of March before the 
 fleet was ready to sail, and an order from General Burn- 
 side was distributed among those on board, assuring them 
 that the movement about to be commenced would "greatly 
 demoralize the enemy, and contribute much to the success 
 of the Army of the Potomac." 
 
 An important point for keeping open the communication 
 between the Confederate capital and the South Atlantic 
 States, Newbern had been strongly fortified, heavily armed, 
 and abundantly manned. Yet General Burnside did not 
 
 mt 
 
 hesitate to attack it with an infantry force, without siege 
 guns, or any artillery, in fact, except two rifled twelve- 
 pound navy guns, and six boat howitzers, each drawn and 
 served by twelve sailors. 
 
 The transports on which the troops had embarked, 
 escorted by a flotilla of fourteen armed steamboats under 
 the command of Commander Rowan, sailed across Pamlico 
 Sound and up the Neuse River, until they reached Slo- 
 cum s Creek, about fifteen miles below the city of New 
 bern. On Thursday morning, the i3th, the troops were 
 landed, and marched up the bank of the river, over a 
 road ankle-deep in mud, in a driving rain. Reaching the 
 enemy s line of defenses, the column was halted, and biv 
 ouacked. The men, wet through, fatigued, and muddy, 
 crowded around the camp-tires, and passed an uncomfort 
 able night, to be ordered under arms at an early hour the 
 next morning. It was very foggy, and impossible to see 
 the entrenchments and other defenses which obstructed 
 the road leading to Newbern. But General Burnside did 
 not falter or hesitate. He knew the men of his command, 
 and he proposed, with an audacity that was invincible, to 
 "move on the enemy s works" and to capture them. 
 
GEX. AM/UfOSE E. KUKNSIDE. 
 
 The order of advance was in three columns, General 
 Foster s brigade forming the right, and General Reno s the 
 left, with General Parke s forming a central column, ready 
 to support either of the others, as circumstances should 
 demand. The engage 
 ment commenced at 7.30 
 in the morning, the ar 
 tillery and infantry be 
 hind the earth-works 
 pouring forth a destruc 
 tive fire, which was re 
 turned from the advanc 
 ing regiments. Several 
 desperate charges were 
 made by the Union reg 
 iments, but were re 
 pulsed, when Colonel 
 Rodman, at the head of 
 the Fourth Rhode Island 
 
 Regiment, managed to effect an entrance into one end of 
 the enemy s works, and fought his way along its entire 
 length, successively capturing nine guns. This unex 
 pected appearance of a Union regiment within their own 
 lines demoralized the rebels, while it assured the Union 
 troops. When General Burnside was told that the Fourth 
 Rhode Island was within the enemy s lines, and saw its 
 flag moving steadily along, he said : " Know that flag. It 
 is just what I expected. Thank God ! the day is ours !" 
 Soon after, he entered the captured battery, from which 
 the Confederates had fled in precipitate haste. The 
 remaining obstacles were soon swept away, and the de 
 fenders of Newbern were soon fleeing to Goldsboro by 
 the railroad, burning the bridges after they had passed, to 
 prevent pursuit. 
 
 COMMANDER S. C. KOWAN. 
 
140 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Having occupied the city and made provision for the 
 care of the wounded, both Union and Confederate, Gen 
 eral Burnside issued the followinp- orders : 
 
 o 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, ") 
 NEWBERN, March i6 ; 1862. j 
 
 General Orders, No. //. 
 
 The general commanding congratulates his troops on their gallant and 
 hard-won victory of the i4th. Their courage, their patience, their endur 
 ance of fatigue, exposure, and toil, cannot be too highly praised. After 
 a tedious inarch, dragging their howitzers by hand through swamps and 
 thickets; after a sleepless night passed in a drenching rain, thev met the 
 enemy in his chosen position, found him protected by strong earth-works, 
 mounting many and heavy guns, and, although in an open Held them 
 selves, they conquered. 
 
 With such soldiers advance is victory. 
 
 The general commanding directs, with peculiar pride, that, as a well- 
 deserved tribute to valor in this second victory of the expedition, each 
 regiment engaged shall inscribe on its banner the memorable name. 
 Newbern." 
 
 By command of Hrig.-Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, ^ 
 NEWHERN. March 15, 1862. \ 
 
 Special Order, No. j/. 
 
 Brig. -Gen. J. G. Foster. Military Governor of Newbern, will direct that 
 the churches be opened at a suitable hour to-morrow, in order that the 
 chaplains of the different regiments mav hold divine services in them. 
 The bells will be rung as usual. 
 
 By command of Brig.-Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 In his official report to General McClellan, narrating 
 the advance on and the capture of Newbern, General 
 Burnside said : "I beg to say to the general commanding 
 the army, that I have endeavored to carry out the very 
 minute instructions given me by him before leaving Annap 
 olis, and thus far events have been singularlv coincident 
 
(iEX. AMKltOSE E. BUKX^IDE. 
 
 with his anticipations. I only hope that we may in future 
 be able to carry out in detail the remaining plans of the 
 campaign ; the only thing I have to regret is the delay 
 caused by the elements." 
 
 This report perfected the claims of General Burnside 
 to public respect and admiration. To proofs of well-con 
 trived strategy, cautious and successful leadership, and 
 consummate gallantry under fire, he added, in this official 
 rrarrative, evidence of that rare modesty, which not only 
 arrogates no merit belonging to others, but is even anxious 
 to place the fortunate result to the credit of its original 
 projectors. 
 
 Secretary Stanton, in a dispatch said: -The report of 
 the late brilliant success of the United States forces under 
 your command at Newbern has afforded the highest satis 
 faction to the President, to this Department, and to the 
 whole Nation, and thanks for distinguished services are 
 attain tendered to von, and the officers and soldiers under 
 
 o / 
 
 your command." General Burnside found himself in 
 vested with civil as well as military jurisdiction. It had 
 been asserted that the State of North Carolina had been 
 forced into the Rebellion against the wishes of a large num 
 ber of its citizens, but officers sent out from Newbern in 
 different directions on reconnoitering expeditions, returned 
 with discouraging reports. The loyal sentiment was not 
 found to exist in any considerable extent. It was very 
 evident that the Rebellion could not be suppressed while 
 slaverv existed, and General Burnside found himself much 
 
 j 
 
 perplexed by the arrival within his lines of large numbers 
 of fugitive slaves, who were received and employed by 
 himself as contraband of war. 
 
 General Burnside continued to send expeditions in differ 
 ent directions, although he had no wagon-trains, ambu- 
 
T j.2 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES (.)/ 
 
 lances, or cavalry. His scouting parties were mounted 
 on the horses of a Rhode Island battery, and a few im 
 pressed country teams furnished his only transportation. 
 
 Newbern, under General Burnside s rule, was soon re- 
 peopled by its inhabitants, and the spring Sundays were 
 most delightful, smoothing the " wrinkled front of war." 
 The weather was delightful, neither too warm nor too cool 
 for enjoyment, and the air was fragrant with the odors of 
 peach blossoms and freshly-blown flowers. The music 
 of the bands at the various regimental headquarters, espec 
 ially those led by Gilmore and by Brown, floated on the 
 quiet air, and lent its charm to the clay. In the harbor, 
 gay colors were displayed from the mast-heads of many 
 vessels, and the surface of the water, scarcely ruffled by 
 the wind, was early dotted with boats from steamers and 
 men-of-war, filled with officers on their way to church. 
 The morning parades of the different regiments were 
 accompanied with an elasticity of step and pride of move 
 ment which showed how much the soldiers themselves had 
 improved in discipline and drill. The colored people were 
 out in masses in their best clothes, and listened to the 
 music as if thev had awakened to a new existence. 
 
 / 
 
 General Burnside and staff attended the Episcopal 
 Church, at which the Rev. Mr. Drunem, of the Ninth 
 New Jersey Regiment, officiated. The other churches 
 were all open, and were well attended by the soldiers and 
 citizens. 
 
 General Burnside s government of North Carolina, al 
 though kind and parental, was firm. One of the surgeons 
 attached to his command having been guilty of raising 
 a false alarm, relative to the approach of the Confederates 
 in a large body on Newbern, was disposed of by the com 
 manding general in the following characteristic order : 
 
(rE.\. AMKKOS/-: E.. HCKXSIDE. j^o 
 
 IlEADOJ ARTERS DlCPARTMKXT OF NORTH CAROLINA, 1 
 
 NKWHERX, April 4. 1862. I 
 
 General Orders, A~i>. 2j. 
 
 Dr. J. II. Thompson. Brigade Surgeon, First Division, is herein* re 
 lieved from duty with the First Division, and will report without delay to 
 the Surgeon-General at Washington, with the recommendation to the 
 President of the United States that he be dismissed from the service as an 
 alarmist. 
 
 It is expected that all important and reliable information should be 
 duly reported through proper channels, but the stern realities of active 
 warfare rob the soldier of quite sufficient of his rest and sleep without the 
 aggravations of senseless rumors and imaginary dangers, and those who 
 create or report them will be at once expelled from this department. 
 
 By command of Brig. -Gen. A. E. BURNSIDK. 
 .LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
General Sufnside s Headquarters at Neivbern. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 INVESTMENT AND REDUCTION OF FORT MACON EFFECTIVE CAN 
 NONADING OCCUPATION OF THE FORT JEFF DAVIS HUMIL 
 IATED WILMINGTON ARRIVAL OF GOVERNOR STANLEY 
 CLAIMED CONTRABANDS MEETING WITH MRS. BURNSIDE AT 
 FORTRESS MONROE INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT LINCOLN 
 SWORD PRESENTATION. 
 
 "M-1E investment and reduction of Fort Macon next 
 became a military necessity, and it was entrusted 
 to General Parke, an engineer officer of great 
 ability, while General Burnside secured Beaufort and 
 Morehead City. A blockading squadron prevented the 
 receipt of reinforcements or provisions, and soon three 
 siege batteries, armed with thirty-pound guns and large 
 mortars were ready for service. General Burnside would 
 not, however, permit the fire to be opened until he had 
 personally summoned Colonel White, the Confederate com 
 mander, to surrender. The two officers met under flags 
 of truce on the beach. 
 
 Anxious to repossess the fort without blood-shed, Gen- 
 
GE.Y. A MBit OS E E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 eral Burnside offered Colonel White the privilege of sur 
 rendering with his men on their parole of honor, and 
 agreed to permit them to return to their homes with their 
 personal effects. Colonel White replied that he could 
 not surrender the fort without resistance, but he prom 
 ised General Burnside that he would not fire upon Beau 
 fort or Morehead City, and in return General Burnside 
 agreed to forward letters written by the garrison. On 
 Friday morning a day whose evil augury was signally 
 reversed in this campaign a ten-pound Parrott gun from 
 one of the Union batteries startled the citizens of Beaufort 
 from their slumbers. Another and another followed in 
 quick succession, and then came an earthquake shock 
 from the ten-inch mortars, which shook the houses and 
 their foundations. The fort returned a sharp and well- 
 sustained fire, the solid thirty-two-pound shot striking short 
 and throwing up clouds of sand, or passing over the bat 
 teries and entering the sand-hills beyond. 
 
 About nine o clock the United States gun-boats came 
 into position, one after the other, and sent a perfect storm 
 of exploding projectiles into the fort. The rough sea 
 which prevailed outside, however, rendered all attempt at 
 accurate range impossible, and after firing about two hours 
 they hauled off. The Parrott battery kept up a continuous 
 discharge, its shells exploding over the parapets, and 
 its solid bolts plowing up the works in all directions. 
 When one of these shots struck the parapets, the fort, for 
 an instant, would be enveloped in heavy clouds of black 
 mould, which were thrown almost to the top of the flag 
 staff, while fragments of brick, stone, and lumber from the 
 wooden covering of the ramparts filled the air, hiding the 
 enemy s gunners from view. The spectators upon the 
 houses and wharves of Beaufort watched the progress of 
 the fight with great interest. Women, whose friends were 
 10 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 in the fort, hastened nervously from one house to another, 
 or watched with tearful eyes the awful pageant from their 
 own windows. The smoke of the guns constantly envel 
 oped the fort, and settled like a blue veil upon the surface 
 of the water. As the Union batteries obtained the exact 
 range, and poured a continuous storm of bursting shell into 
 the fort, its guns were gradually deserted, and shortly 
 after four o clock a white flag was displayed on the para 
 pet. 
 
 An armistice was granted, and early the next morning 
 the rebel commander went on board the steamer "Alice 
 Price," where General Burnside had his headquarters, to 
 formally surrender. The general invited Colonel White 
 to breakfast with him, after which the terms of surrender 
 were drawn up and signed. Soon afterwards General 
 Burnside, accompanied by General Parke, proceeded to 
 the fort, followed by the Fifth Rhode Island battalion, 
 which carried an American flag, and the new state colors 
 received that morning from Providence. The, rebel stars 
 and bars still floated over the fort, and the garrison, march 
 ing out, stacked their arms, after which they returned for 
 their baggage. 
 
 General Parke, with four men, entered the fort, and in 
 a few moments the rebel flag was hauled down, and the 
 stars and stripes majestically rose in its place, while the 
 well-known veteran Rhode Island band-master, Capt. Joe 
 Greene, standing on the ramparts, played on his bugle 
 the " Star Spangled Banner," following it with * Yankee 
 Doodle." Soon afterwards the Fourth Rhode Island Regi 
 ment, headed by its band, marched in and took possession 
 of the fort, which bore witness to the frightful effects of the 
 iron storm. Deep holes were indented in the brick-work, 
 chimnevs were knocked flat, gun-carriages were broken 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 to pieces, fifteen out of eighteen guns pointing in one 
 direction were disabled, and several were dismounted. 
 General Burnside, after congratulating General Parke and 
 
 
 FORT MACON, N. C. 
 
 his officers, returned on board the "Alice Price," and 
 issued the following order : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, | 
 
 BEACFORT HARBOR, April 26, 1862. j 
 
 General Orders, No. JO. 
 
 The general commanding takes peculiar pleasure in thanking General 
 Parke and his brave command for the patient labor, fortitude, and cour 
 age displayed in the investment and reduction of Fort Macon. 
 
 Every patriotic heart will be filled with gratitude to God for having 
 given to our beloved country such soldiers. 
 
 The regiments and artillery companies engaged have earned the right 
 to wear upon their colors and guidons, li Fort Macon, April 26, 1862." 
 Bv command of Maj. -Gen. A. E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
r ^8 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The successes of General Burnsicle in North Carolina, 
 which gave him three thousand six hundred prisoners, one 
 hundred and seventy-nine cannon, and a large quantity 
 of ammunition, small arms, and flags, was a subject of 
 keen mortification to the Confederates, and their President, 
 Jefferson Davis, referred to the result of the battle of 
 Roanoke Island as " deeply humiliating." Complaint was 
 made by the Southern people that the coast of North Caro 
 lina had been abandoned by the Confederate government 
 for the purpose of a concentration of troops in Virginia, 
 and earnest appeals were made to reinforce the garrison 
 at Wilmington. 
 
 The capture of Wilmington was earnestly desired by 
 General Burnside. It was a port frequented by blockade- 
 runners, and it commanded the main line of railroad run 
 ning from Richmond to the Gulf States. It was not only 
 strongly garrisoned, however, but the approaches to it 
 were capable of being defended with a small force against 
 a large army ; neither was there an available Union fleet to 
 cooperate with the land forces. 
 
 General McClellan, who was slowly advancing towards 
 Richmond, wrote to General Burnside that no further offen 
 sive movement was to be made into the interior of North 
 Carolina until the result of his operations on the lower pen 
 insula should be determined. The irresolution and the 
 delay which began to be apparent in Virginia, reflected on 
 North Carolina, and General Burnside remained confined 
 within the limits of his conquests along the coast. 
 
 The arrival of the Hon. Edward Stanley, with a com 
 mission as provisional governor of North Carolina, relieved 
 General Burnside of great responsibilities. His great cause 
 of trouble had been the demands for the restoration of the 
 "contrabands," and he used to say to the claimants: 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. HURXSIDE. 
 
 " Well, I suppose you are ready to take the oath of allegi 
 ance to the United States." Some would at once declare 
 their unwillingness to take the oath, and then they would 
 ask after their "chattels." 
 
 "Ah !" General Burnside would blandly answer, "your 
 negroes are at work out on the fortifications. Go there, 
 and see if you can identify them." Exulting in their suc 
 cess, the slave-owners would hurry away to the fortifica 
 tions, and when they found their "boys" at work there 
 would sternly order them to go home. But there was 
 no indication of any desire to obey. On the contrary, the 
 colored men would use their hoe-handles somewhat effect 
 ively, and their former masters would be unable to seize 
 them. 
 
 Governor Stanley, who desired to restore the Union "as 
 it was," promptly revived the old slave code of North Car 
 olina. A school for colored children, which had been 
 opened at Newbern by Mr. Colyer, was closed, as by the 
 old code it was forbidden to teacli negroes to read or write, 
 under severe penalties, and no colored person could travel 
 without having a pass. 
 
 The canals between North Carolina and Norfolk having 
 been taken by the Union troops, General Burnside passed 
 through them in June, and on the pth was on the wharf at 
 Fortress Monroe, to meet his \vife, who had come by the 
 way of Baltimore to meet him. The steamer on which 
 she came was not moored ere he was on board, and he 
 hastened to the hurricane deck, where he had seen her. 
 But she was not there, and, pushing his way through the 
 crowd of gentlemen who stood with outstretched hands to 
 welcome him, he passed into the cabin, where they met 
 for the first time in many long months. During that period 
 the general had been achieving victories for his country, 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 and had proved himself one of the bravest champions of 
 the Union. But of all the plaudits which had greeted him, 
 none had sounded so grateful as the loving praise of his 
 wife. They went to Washington that night, and stopped 
 at Willard s Hotel. The general s friends desired to sere 
 nade him. but he begged them not to do so. 
 
 General Burnside had a long and very interesting inter 
 view with President Lincoln and Secretary Stanton. He 
 told them that there was very little loyalty in North Caro 
 lina should slavery not be sustained, but he believed that 
 the quicker it could be abolfshed the better. He would 
 not criticise the conduct of Governor Stanley, but he be 
 lieved that the governor already doubted the policy of it. 
 From Washington General Burnside went to the peninsula, 
 where he spent several hours with General McClellan, dis 
 cussing future military operations. 
 
 Returning to Newbern, General Burnside was formally 
 presented with the magnificent sword presented to him by 
 the State of Rhode Island. All the Union troops paraded 
 on the afternoon of June 2oth, near the city. There 
 was a shower while the lines were being formed, but as 
 General Burnside rode on to the field, a beautiful rain 
 bow spanned the heavens, forming a triumphant arch of 
 gorgeous splendor. 
 
 Adjutant-General Mauran, of Rhode Island, formally 
 presented the sword, concluding his remarks by saying : 
 "Be pleased to accept the sword, and if you may have 
 occasion to draw it from its scabbard, we know full well 
 that it will be in defense of the Union, the Constitution, 
 and the laws; and when, by a kind Providence, you are 
 again permitted to return to the peaceful walks of life, we 
 will all be proud to greet you as one who has proved a 
 good and faithful servant." 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR XS IDE. j^j 
 
 General Burnside, receiving the sword, said: "Gen 
 eral : In behalf of this gallant little army which surrounds 
 you, I beg through you to thank the State of Rhode Island 
 for the gift, given in 
 appreciation of our 
 services in the battle 
 of Roanoke. 
 
 " Your excellent 
 governor has most 
 
 O 
 
 fittingly said that the 
 services of this army 
 have been in this 
 manner remembered 
 through its comman 
 der. Without the 
 skill, courage, pa 
 tience, and fortitude 
 of the general offi- 
 
 GEN. JOHN G. FOSTER. 
 
 cers, field and staff 
 
 officers, company officers, non-commissioned officers, and 
 privates of this corps cCannec, together with the full and 
 hearty cooperation of our gallant navy in these waters, 
 the State of Rhode Island would have been deprived the 
 pleasure of giving, and I debarred the proud satisfaction 
 of receiving, this elegant sword. 
 
 "On your return to our much-beloved State, say to its 
 gallant governor, its Legislature, and its ever brave and 
 loyal people, that they are represented in my command by 
 as hardy and courageous a band as ever left Narragan- 
 sett s shores, and should you meet any of the officials or 
 citizens of our sister states that have contributed so much 
 to our strength, say to them that they, too, have given to 
 us soldiers who have, in common with others, been lore- 
 
152 
 
 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 most in- the combat for the suppression of this wicked 
 rebellion. 
 
 " I now beg to thank the State of Rhode Island for the 
 kind manner in which she has been pleased to remember 
 me ; and to thank you for the kind interest you have man 
 ifested in the presentation of this most acceptable gift." 
 
 A few days after this presentation General Burnside was 
 summoned to a conference with General McClellan, the 
 result of which was his withdrawal, with the greater por 
 tion of his command, from North Carolina, to cooperate 
 more directly with the Army of the Potomac. He retained 
 a nominal authority in North Carolina, how r ever, until the 
 26th of August, when he issued the following farewell 
 order, and General Foster succeeded to the vacant com 
 mand : 
 
 llEAUqTARTERS NlNTII ARMY CoRI S. ) 
 
 FRKDKKICKSHURG, VA., Aug. 26. ) 
 General Orders. No. 13. 
 
 The commanding general, on retiring from the Department of North 
 Carolina, desires to express hi;* deep regret at taking leave of the gallant 
 soldiers who have been his comrades through so many trials. The re 
 quirements of the service prevented his bidding them farewell in person, 
 when suddenlv called to other scenes of dutv, and he now desires to pav 
 a high and well-deserved tribute to their discipline, their patience, and 
 their courage. In the trving scenes at Ilatteras Inlet, and on the battle 
 fields of North Carolina, these soldiers virtues were fully shown, and he 
 now parts from them as from well-tried friends, who have alwavs proved 
 true to their leaders and to their country, and on whom, in anv emer 
 gency, he could always relv. 
 
 By command of Major-General BURNSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-GeHeral. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ORDERED TO REINFORCE GENERAL McCLELLAN OFFERED THE 
 COMMAND OF THE ARMV OF THE POTOMAC VISITS NEW YORK 
 ORGANIZATION OF THE NINTH ARMY CORPS - GENERAL POPE S 
 DISASTERS EVACUATION OF FREDERICKSBURG BY BURNSIDE 
 A NIGHT-MARCHRETREAT OF THE UNION FORCES ON WASH 
 INGTON INSUBORDINATION. 
 
 ORDERED, with two divisions of his North Caro 
 lina army, to reinforce General McClellan, who 
 had been obliged to retreat from before Rich 
 mond, General Burnside embarked with his forces for 
 Virginia. When off Roanoke Island a messenger from 
 Colonel Hawkins boarded his flag-ship with the intelli 
 gence that General McClellan had driven the Confeder- 
 
 o 
 
 ates from Richmond. Upon this information the troops 
 were ordered back to Newbern, as it was expected by 
 General Burnside that he would be ordered to advance on 
 Raleigh. After waiting several days, the true story of 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 McClellan s reverse was learned, and General Burnside 
 again started to reinforce him. 
 
 Meeting President Lincoln on his arrival at Fortress 
 Monroe, General Burnside had a conference with him, and 
 then went to Baltimore, where he again met Mrs. Burn- 
 side. They went together to Washington, where, at the 
 conclusion of another long interview with President Lin 
 coln, General Halleck, and Secretary Stanton, the Presi 
 dent offered General Burnside the command of the Army 
 of the Potomac, which he promptly and peremptorily de 
 clined. The next day he escorted Mrs. Burnside to New 
 York, and while there, visited the Illinois Central Railroad 
 office, where he had some business matters to look after. 
 
 General Burnside continued wearing his Rhode Island 
 uniform blouse and slouch hat, so that he was easily rec 
 ognized. No sooner did he enter the building in which 
 his old office was situated, than an enthusiastic crowd 
 began to gather in front of it, and to call on him for a 
 speech. Finding there was no escape, the general went 
 out on a balcony over the door-way, where he was wel 
 comed by a shout which rang far and wide. Removing 
 his hat, and with his face lighted up by that hopeful smile 
 so peculiar to him, he said : 
 
 " My friends : The enthusiastic welcome you have 
 extended to me has quite taken me aback. I expected to 
 come here quietly and to go away without making any ex 
 citement ; but the kind interest you take in me proves 
 that you will also take some interest in what I have to tell 
 you. It is this : That all is going well, if you will only 
 fill up the old regiments. (Voices They shall be filled 
 up. ) This is the best advice I have to give } ou fill up 
 the old regiments. So many men have so many times 
 predicted the time of the end of the Rebellion, and been 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 mistaken, that I will not do so now; but I can say it will 
 
 be very soon, if the old regiments are filled up. I thank 
 
 you for the kind reception you have given me, and hope to 
 
 meetyouhere again 
 
 w hen peace an d 
 
 quiet reign among 
 
 us." 
 
 Returning to his 
 command, which 
 h ad mean w h i 1 e 
 been reorganized as 
 the Ninth Army 
 Corps, General 
 Burnside endeavor 
 ed to cooperate with 
 General McClellan, 
 who was in a short 
 time virtually de 
 posed, and General 
 Halleck placed in 
 command. The Ninth Corps was ordered to Fredericks- 
 burg, having been reinforced by a division under General 
 Stevens to replace that of General Foster, and made a 
 part of the " Army of Virginia." This army of occupa 
 tion had been placed under the command of Ma] . -Gen. 
 John Pope, who boasted that he was fresh from a campaign 
 in the West, where he had "seen only the backs of 
 rebels." General Burnside was his superior in rank, but, 
 with his customary devotion to his country, he reported to 
 General Pope, and obeyed his orders with cheerfulness and 
 promptitude. 
 
 General Halleck soon became involved in an acrimoni 
 ous correspondence with General McClellan, who was dil- 
 
 GEN. GEOKGE It. MCCLELLAN. 
 
1^6 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 atory in abandoning the peninsula and hastening to the 
 relief of General Pope, who was hard pressed by the en 
 emy under General Stonewall Jackson. Indeed, nothing 
 but the timely arrival of the Ninth Corps at Fredericksburg 
 saved General Pope s left flank from being turned, and the 
 " Army of Virginia " from being cut off from its communi 
 cations with Washington. 
 
 o 
 
 While General Pope complained and with some reason 
 of the want of zeal, and even of subordination, on the 
 part of the generals of the " Army of the Potomac" who 
 had been placed under his orders, he warmly eulogized that 
 portion of the Ninth Corps which had come to his assist 
 ance under the command of General Reno. "I cannot 
 express myself too highly," said General Pope in his re 
 port, " of the zealous, gallant, and cheerful manner in 
 which General Reno deported himself from the beginning 
 to the end of the operations ; ever prompt, earnest, and 
 soldierly, he was the model of a soldier and a gallant 
 gentleman." 
 
 Tlie Ninth Corps mourned the loss of Brig. -Gen. Isaac 
 I. Stevens, who fell at Chantilly while leading a charge 
 and waving aloft the colors of one of his regiments. Gen 
 eral Burnside s headquarters had meanwhile been at Fred 
 ericksburg, where he had sent forward nearly forty regi 
 ments of infantry to the aid of General Pope, in addition 
 to a large force of artillery and cavalry. Some of the 
 new regiments having displayed a marauding spirit, Gen 
 eral Burnside issued the following order : 
 
 HEAIH^rARTERS XlNTII ARMY CORPS, 
 
 NEAR FREDERICKSHURG. VA., Aug. 12, 1862. 
 
 General Orders, JVo. S. 
 
 A misapprehension seems to exist as to the spirit of an order from the 
 President of the United States, concerning the subsisting of troops in 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUKNSIDE. 
 
 157 
 
 the enemy s territory, which will lead to serious license unless promptly 
 checked, and with this object the commanding general calls for a strict 
 observance of the following: 
 
 The seizure of private property, under any circumstances, by unauthor 
 ized parties, is strictly prohibited. 
 
 The wastefulness of indiscriminate plunder impoverishes a countrv, 
 while it adds nothing to the support of the army; policy, as well as hu 
 manity to the inhabitants, dictates that all levies should be made accord 
 ing Jo established rules, and under the charge of discreet and competent 
 officers. 
 
 Whenever, in the judgment of the commanding general, it shall become 
 necessary to levy on private property, the proper officers will be ap 
 pointed, who will carry out the measure according to the usages of civil 
 ized warfare, and with the determination on the part of the commanding 
 general, that this command shall not lapse into barbarism. All unauthor 
 ized and irregular seizures will be followed by severe and speedy punish 
 ment. 
 
 By command of Maj.-Gen. A. E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 It finally became necessary for the Union forces to evac 
 uate FYedericksburg and retreat to Acquia Creek. Three 
 bridges across the Rappahannock, a machine-shop, the 
 warehouses of the quartermaster and commissary, and a 
 bakery were burned. Just before the troops started, while 
 columns of flame and smoke rose to the sky, General 
 Burnside was observed walking leisurely to and fro, dis 
 patching orders to the different regiments, and watching in 
 calm silence the movements of the various commands. It 
 was, indeed, an hour of deep interest and concern to him ; 
 for days he had watched with sleepless vigilance every 
 movement of his own and the enemy s forces, as they af 
 fected his own position, and something of weariness could 
 be detected in his usual elastic step. 
 
 At this juncture a poor woman with three lovely chil 
 dren clinging to her side passed by, each carrying some 
 little articles of household furniture. The quick eye of the 
 
158 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 general immediately recognized her as an excellent Union 
 lady of Fredericksburg, who was escaping with her chil 
 dren and little effects from the town. " Have you anything 
 else down at the bridge, madam?" asked the general. 
 " Only a bed and a few small articles, sir," she timidly an 
 swered. " Send down an ambulance, wagon-master, and 
 have them brought up and carried to the depot," was the 
 general s order, and it was obeyed. In a few minutes the 
 poor widow had the pleasure of seeing all her remaining 
 goods safely deposited on the cars for Acquia Creek. 
 
 The night-march from the Rappahannock River to Ac 
 quia Creek was very difficult, the roads having been so cut 
 up by incessant travel that they were almost impassable in 
 some places. General Burnside kept up with the train, 
 and seemed always in the place where there was the most 
 difficulty. Several times the column came to a halt, by 
 reason of the blocking of the narrow road with stalled 
 wagons, and there it might have remained until broad 
 daylight, for all that the soldiers seemed disposed to do 
 towards righting matters. Lazy troopers sat dozing on 
 their horses, while the march of a whole army was hin 
 dered for want of their help, and if Burnside himself had 
 not several times dismounted, waded knee-deep into the 
 mud-holes, and put his own shoulder to the wheels, thus 
 shaming his men into doing something, the rebels might 
 have captured the whole force. 
 
 By daylight the whole of the train was safely through 
 the hills and encamped in sight of Acquia Creek Land 
 ing, under the protecting fire of four gun-boats anchored 
 in the Potomac. Without waiting for sleep, an hour of 
 which he had scarcely experienced for forty-eight hours, 
 General Burnside rode up to the hill-sides overlooking 
 the place, and selected positions where batteries were 
 
GEN, Ai\JlUtO^E E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 J 59 
 
 planted to enfilade the approach to the landing. He at 
 once commenced embarking his troops, and when they 
 had left, he destroyed the government buildings at Acquia 
 Creek, and started for Washington. 
 
 Meanwhile General 
 McClellan, with a 
 strong force, remain 
 ed inactive at Alex 
 andria, although he 
 had been ordered by 
 General Halleck to 
 place himself within 
 easy supporting dis 
 tance of General 
 Pope ; and a copy of 
 this order was sent 
 to Pope at the same 
 time by Halleck, in 
 order that he might 
 know what were his 
 reliances. Pope, on the strength of this order, requested 
 Franklin and Simmer to come up, and lie asked from 
 McClellan rations, and forage for his horses. They had 
 been nearly two days without food, and the road to 
 McClellan was all the way within our lines. The answer 
 of the general who received this appeal, and knew its 
 vital character, was, that if General Pope would send a 
 cavalry escort (the distance being nearlv thirty miles) he 
 should have the desired supplies. " When I received this 
 answer," says Pope, in his report, I gave up all hope, 
 for I could not withdraw any portion of my force from the 
 front, and if I should gain any advantage of the enemy, 
 I had no means, without cavalry, of following it up." 
 
 GEN. JOHN POl K. 
 
T 6o LIFE AND PC B LIC S Eli VICES OP 
 
 The reinforcements under Sumner and Franklin were 
 likewise withheld till Saturday, and on the final day of 
 strife, Fitz John Porter, with his division, and Griffin, 
 with his troops, stood still in presence of the enemy. 
 Even the very soldiers, who had been taught to despise 
 Pope for that opening proclamation which reflected upon 
 the strategy of McClellan, acted badly, fought moodily, 
 and almost threw down their arms. 
 
 The administration began to be alarmed, and to fear for 
 the safety of Washington. General McClellan, while re 
 fusing to go to the rescue of Pope, telegraphed the Presi 
 dent as follows : 
 
 " I am clear that one of two courses should be adopted : ist. To con 
 centrate all our available forces to open communication with Pope. 2nd. 
 To leave Pope to get out of his scrape, and at once use all our means 
 to make the capital perfectly safe. 
 
 " No middle ground will now answer. Tell me what you wish me to 
 do, and I will do all in my power to accomplish it. I wish to know what 
 my orders and authority are. I .ask for nothing, but will obey whatever 
 orders you give. I only ask a prompt decision, that I may at once give 
 the necessary orders. It will not do to delay longer." 
 
 To which the President, at 4.10 P. M., responded as 
 follows : 
 
 " Yours of to-day just received. I think your first alternative to wit : 
 To concentrate all our available forces to open communication with 
 Pope is the right one. But I wish not to control. That I now leave 
 to General Halleck, aided bv vour counsels. 
 
 "A. LINCOLN." 
 
 General Pope was defeated and driven back on Centre- 
 ville, and the "Army of Virginia " was wrecked beyond 
 repair ; while the terrified officials at Washington besought 
 General McClellan to resume the command of which he 
 had been deprived. The general came to Washington, 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 161 
 
 master of the situation, and walking into the headquarters 
 of General Halleck, said, with an air of injured innocence : 
 
 " I understand, General Halleck, you have censured 
 me." 
 
 " I have not censured you," was General Halleck s reply. 
 
 "Then, sir," said McClellan, in his usual deliberate style 
 of speech, "I have been greatly misinformed." 
 
 " I did not censure you, General McClellan," continued 
 the commander-in-chief, "because I did not know what 
 your condition was, or what excuses you might have to 
 offer. I did state, however, most emphatically, both to 
 the President and the Secretary of War, that I had expected 
 you to be within supporting distance of General Pope on 
 Thursday; but I did not censure you, because I was not 
 then in possession of evidence which I soon expect to 
 obtain." 
 
THE COMMAND OFFERED A SECOND TIME TO BURXSIDE RESTORA 
 TION OF GENERAL McCLELLAN ADVANCE OF THE CONFEDER 
 ATES INTO MARYLAND PROMPT MOVEMENT BY BURNSIDE 
 BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN DESPERATE FIGHTING TRI 
 UMPHANT VICTORY DEATH OF GENERAL RENO PREPARA 
 TIONS FOR A DECISIVE BATTLE. 
 
 PRESIDENT LINCOLN and his advisers were 
 sorely troubled. The Army of the Potomac had 
 returned from the peninsula demoralized and insub 
 ordinate, and the army of Virginia had been defeated and 
 driven back upon Washington, which was threatened by 
 the victorious enemy. General Burnside was for the sec 
 ond time invited to take command, and he not only refused, 
 but urged the President to restore General McClellan. 
 This was undoubtedly the wish of a large majority of the 
 surviving officers and soldiers, and of many leading mem 
 bers of Congress and journalists. General McClellan 
 was accordingly placed in command of " all the troops for 
 the defense of the capital," but he soon found that General 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. Kl ItNS/DE. 
 
 163 
 
 Lee, withdrawing his troops from before Washington, was 
 marching into Maryland, where he hoped to be supported 
 by a general uprising of the people. 
 
 General McClellan 
 having detailed suffi 
 cient garrisons for the 
 occupation of the nu 
 merous forts around 
 Washington, organized 
 an army which was at 
 once started to meet the > 
 enemy. General Burn- *| 
 side had the advance, ^1 
 in command of the right 
 wing, formed of the 
 First Corps, General 
 Hooker, and the Ninth 
 Corps, General Reno. 
 General Simmer had the centre, formed of the Second 
 Corps, the Twelfth Corps, General Williams, and Gen 
 eral Sykes division of the Fifth Corps. General Frank 
 lin had the left, formed of the Sixth Corps and one divi 
 sion of the Fourth Corps, General Couch. 
 
 General Burnside moved from Washington on the 3d 
 of September, with the Ninth Corps, and was joined a few 
 days afterwards by the First Corps. They found some 
 traces of the rebels, as they advanced, but the people of 
 Maryland had not sympathized with them, and gave a 
 warm greeting to the Union forces. 
 
 The advance of General Burnside s column reached 
 Frederick City on the afternoon of Sept. i2th, driving be 
 fore it the pickets of the enemy, which were General Lee s 
 rear guards. The reception given to General Burnside, as 
 
 GEN. JESSE L. RENO. 
 
i6 4 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 he afterwards entered the town, was an ovation. The 
 people illuminated their houses, the stars and stripes were 
 thrown to the breeze, patriotic songs were sung, and re 
 freshments were urged upon officers and men. General 
 Burnside s passage through the streets was blocked up by 
 citizens, eager to thank and bless him as their deliverer ; 
 ladies crowded about and insisted upon kissing his hands, 
 and from the balconies of private residences bouquets 
 rained upon him. General McClellan, who reached Fred 
 erick the next morning, was received with a similar enthu 
 siastic demonstration. 
 
 The promptness with which General Burnside had moved 
 forward was evidently unexpected by General Lee, who 
 had sent six of his best brigades to capture Harper s Ferry, 
 while General Hill s division of live brigades, with Steu- 
 art s cavalry, were to hold Turner s Gap until their return, 
 when he would be in a position to give battle with his old 
 force. The position was well chosen, the old national road 
 leading over a mountain thickly covered with woods. 
 The road ascending the side of the mountain was steep 
 and narrow, and so filled with large stones that quick lo 
 comotion was out of the question, and a charge a very 
 difficult thing to undertake. The high, massive stone walls 
 on either side of the road were used as fortifications, over 
 which they could pqur volley after volley into an opposing 
 force, while they were comparatively free from danger, or, 
 as soon as they had fired could kneel and load in safety. 
 General Burnside, when he marched over this road in 
 command of the Rhode Island regiments, in the summer of 
 1861, had noted its capabilities for military defense, and 
 now availed himself of them. 
 
 On the morning of Sept. i/fth, General Burnside, with 
 the Ninth and First corps, started to meet the enemy. 
 
GEN. AMJ1KOSE E. BURNSIDE. ^ 
 
 The Ninth Corps, in admirable righting trim, and under 
 the command of General Reno, was organized in four di 
 visions, commanded respectively by Generals Cox, Stur- 
 gis, Rodman, and Wilcox. General Cox s Kanavvha 
 division, which had won laurels in West Virginia, was 
 composed of six regiments of Ohio infantry, with an Ohio 
 battery. Moving onward from Middletown towards South 
 Mountain, which is about three miles distant, the Union 
 army met a determined resistance. The battle was at first 
 an artillery duel between batteries which fired at each 
 other at long range, but it was not long before the infantry 
 came up and the battle became general. 
 
 General Cox s division was the first to close with the 
 enemy. The Twenty-third Ohio Regiment, then under 
 the command, of Lieut. -Col. Rutherford B. Hayes (after 
 wards President of the United States), was ordered to 
 make a detour to the left, and after marching a short dis 
 tance, the two companies thrown out as skirmishers came 
 within thirtv yards of two Confederate regiments before 
 
 . J O 
 
 discovering them. The Confederates, who were lying 
 down behind a ridge, sprang up, poured a terrific fire into 
 the Twenty-third, and charged upon them. The Twenty- 
 third stood firm to receive them, but the enemy halted be 
 fore the line of bayonets, and seemed uncertain what to do. 
 The Twenty-third was now ordered to charge the Confed 
 erates, and dashing forward with a regimental yell, large 
 numbers of the enemy were bayoneted, while the remain 
 der, unable to stand the rushing charge, fell back in con 
 fusion. The left was turned, and sixteen prisoners cap- 
 tared in this, one of the most brilliant charges of the war. 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes, during the charge, felt a stun 
 ning blow, and found that a large musket-ball had struck 
 his left arm above the elbow, badly fracturing the entire 
 
j66 LIFE AND PUBLIC SER\ 7 JCE8 OF 
 
 bone. Fearing an artery might be severed, he asked a 
 soldier to bandage the wound, and a few moments after, 
 through exhaustion, lie fell. Recovering from a state of 
 unconsciousness while down, in a few moments, and 
 observing that his men had fallen back to the woods for 
 shelter, he sprang to his feet, and with unusual vehe 
 mence ordered them to come forward, which they did. 
 He continued fighting some time at the head of his men, 
 but, becoming exhausted, fell a second time, still giving 
 orders to fight it out. A surgeon having dressed his 
 wound, he again made his appearance on the field, and 
 animated his regiment until the rest of the brigade came 
 up. A brilliant bayonet charge up the hill dislodged the 
 Confederates and drove them into the woods beyond. 
 
 The fight became general, the Confederates retreating 
 up the mountain slowly, and resolutely contesting every 
 foot of ground. Heavy columns were pushed successively 
 forward by Burnside, driving the Confederates back, until 
 about half the mountain was gained. Between two and 
 three o clock the Confederates formed in hue of battle, and 
 the engagement became general. The musketry fire, as 
 described by officers engaged, was the most continuous 
 and sustained of the war. It rolled rapidly and fiercely 
 from right to left, and back and forward, with irresistible 
 fury. The turnpike was narrow, and the ground on either 
 side covered with woods, which, with fallen timber and 
 massive stone walls, obstructed the advance of the Union 
 troops. 
 
 General Burnside ordered General Gibbon to the front, 
 and that brave officer advanced a regiment on each side of 
 the road, preceded by skirmishers and followed by the 
 other two regiments in double column, the artillery moving 
 on the road until within range of the enemy s guns, which 
 
(7A\V. .-\MJiltOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 167 
 
 were firing on the column tVom the gorge. The brigade 
 advanced steadilv, driving the Confederates from their 
 position in the woods and behind stone walls. It reached 
 the top of the pass, re 
 ceived a heavy lire, but 
 persistently held its own, 
 and poured in grape and 
 canister, doing fearful 
 execution, and scatter 
 ing the Confederates like 
 chaff before the wind. 
 As night approached. 
 General M c C 1 e 1 1 a n 
 came on the field, and 
 approved the arrange 
 ments, dispositions, and 
 orders which General 
 Burn side had made. 
 The enemy finally gave 
 way before a charge 
 made by the Ninth Corps under General Reno, who was 
 mortally wounded just as the victory was achieved. About 
 nine o clock the enemy, giving up the contest, retreated 
 down the mountain, leaving his dead unburied, his wounded 
 uncared for, and 1,500 prisoners. 
 
 The Union losses were 312 killed, 1,234 wounded, and 
 twenty-two missing. Strange as it may appear, General 
 McClellan did not mention the name of General Burnside 
 in his dispatch to Washington announcing the rout pf the 
 rebel army. It was, however, known to all that the bat 
 tle of South Mountain was fought under the direction ot 
 General Burnside, \vho moved his troops with great prompt 
 ness, and carried a position which many had regarded as 
 
 GEN. J. D. COX. 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tenable. The Ninth Corps, which he had organized, bore 
 the brunt of the battle, having 144 men killed, and 546 
 wounded. The greatest loss was that of General Reno, a 
 dauntless soldier and a gallant gentleman. -I will not 
 attempt, in a public report," said General Burnside in his 
 report of the operations of his command at South Moun 
 tain, " to express the deep sorrow which the death of the 
 gallant Reno caused me. A long and intimate acquaint 
 ance and extended services in the same field, and an inti 
 mate knowledge of his high and noble character, had en 
 deared him to me, as well as to all with whom he had 
 served. No more valuable life than his has been lost dur 
 ing this contest for our country s preservation." 
 
 President Lincoln, on receiving the gratifying intelli 
 gence of the victory of South Mountain, sent the follow 
 ing message : " God bless you, and all with you. Destroy 
 the rebel army if possible." The Union army bivouacked 
 that night on the battle-field, and in the morning nearly 
 all the men wandered over the ground, pointing out to one 
 another where a brilliant charge was made, or where a 
 comrade fell. On the road, behind the stone wall, the 
 dead were thickly strewn. The death of many was so in 
 stantaneous that their arms were in full position of firing 
 their pieces, w r hile others still retained the bitten cartridges 
 in their hands. There was also a great number of Con 
 federate dead lying in the woods on the slope of the moun 
 tain. Early in the morning parties were detailed to bury 
 the dead, and the mangled bodies were deposited in their 
 last camping-ground with the most tender care. The 
 wounded of both armies were conveyed to hospitals in the 
 rear, where the surgeons worked hard all night. The 
 ladies of Middletown assembled at the hospitals in large 
 numbers, soothing the sufferers. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR XS IDE. 
 
 General McClellan, having concentrated his entire forces, 
 which amounted to nearly, if not quite, one hundred and 
 fifteen thousand men, reorganized his commands, placing 
 General Burnside in command of the Ninth Corps. He 
 was received by his old command with shouts of the wild 
 est delight, to which he responded in his usually pleas 
 ant manner. 
 
 General McClellan pushed on after the enemy, tele 
 graphing to General Halleck, "I have just learned from 
 General Hooker in the advance who states that the in 
 formation is perfectly reliable that the enemy is mak 
 ing for the river in a perfect panic, and General Lee last 
 night slated publicly that he must admit they had been 
 shockingly whipped. I must hurry everything forward to 
 endeavor to press their retreat to the utmost. But two 
 days were lost, during which General Lee was enabled to 
 entrench himself across An tie tarn Creek, in front of the vil 
 lage of Sharpsburg. Frowning earth-works were thrown 
 up on the crest of hills, protecting batteries which would 
 sweep every stretch of open ground over which the Union 
 soldiers might advance. The enemy thus entrenched in a 
 position favorably located for both offensive and defensive 
 operations, had the advantage. 
 
 On Tuesday night General McClellan formed his plan 
 of attack. General Hooker was ordered to cross Antie- 
 tam Creek at the upper ford with his whole corps, attack 
 the enemy s left, and occupy a position on the Confederate 
 flank. Generals Sumner, Franklin, and Mansfield were 
 to cooperate with and sustain his attack. General Burn- 
 side was to cross the creek lower down, over a stone bridge, 
 and attack the rebels right, move on Sharpsburg also, 
 which was in their rear, and thus cut oft" their retreat, The 
 commands of Generals Porter and Sykes were held in 
 
170 
 
 GE.V. AMBROSE E. KUHXSIDE. 
 
 reserve. General Burnside summoned his division gener 
 als to his headquarters, and gave them the orders requisite 
 to carry out that part of the programme assigned to the 
 Ninth Corps. " Did not you hear what I have been 
 saying," he asked, after he had concluded. "Yes," they 
 all answered. " Then say it over," said the general ; and 
 the generals, like school-boys in a class, repeated their 
 lessons. 
 
....^Jjg!. 
 ^^l^fe 
 
 Stone Bridge at Anlietam. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE RATTLE OF ANTIETAM GALLANTRY OF THE NINTH CORPS- 
 DESIRE OF I5URNSIDE TO FOLLO\V THE FLVIXG FOE INAC 
 TIVITY OF McCLELLAX RURNSIDE PLACED IN COMMAND 
 ORDER ON TAKING COMMAND A DIFFICULT TASK. 
 
 THE battle of Antietam, fought on Wednesday, 
 Sept. 17, 1862, made the vicinity of the little vil 
 lage of Sharpsburg, Md., memorable thenceforth 
 in our national history. It is situated on Antietam Creek, 
 which rises in central Pennsylvania, and after running in 
 a southerly direction, mingles its clear stream with the tur 
 gid waters of the Potomac about five miles above Harper s 
 Ferry. The stone bridge across the creek, which General 
 Burnside was ordered to take, is in a deep ravine. The 
 face of the hill on the opposite side of the bridge is too 
 steep to be ascended by o. horse, and must be literally 
 
1^2. GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 climbed, to be surmounted by man. The roadway from 
 the bridge turns abruptly to the right and left, and rises the 
 hill along its side very gradually. On this steep hill, com 
 manding the bridge, was a Confederate batteiy, and there 
 were also rifle-pits, stone walls, and earth-works on either 
 bank, filled with the enemy s sharp-shooters. The fight 
 was a desperate one. 
 
 Some regiments advanced directly against the bridge, 
 under a terrific fire ; others, fording the creek, crossed, and 
 endeavored to drive the enemy s sharp-shooters from their 
 rifle-pits. An angry tempest of shot arid shell poured 
 down from the enemy s works, and several times the ad 
 vancing columns were repulsed with great slaughter. 
 Hooker and Meade were gallantly fighting lower down 
 the creek, and from the spot where General McClellan 
 established his headquarters, four miles of battle could be 
 seen beneath the bright autumnal sun. Ao-ain and ajjain 
 
 o o o 
 
 did the regiments move forward into what was literally the 
 
 J 
 
 jaws of death. The bridge was at last handsomely car 
 ried, but the Confederates received reinforcements, and 
 General Burnsicle was forced to send to General McClel 
 lan for aid. 
 
 Fifteen thousand men, constituting the division of -Gen. 
 Fitz John Porter, were massed idly in the valley, and their 
 commander was with General McClellan when Burnside s 
 staff-officer rode up. The message which he delivered 
 was : "I want troops and guns. If you do not send them 
 I cannot hold my position for half an hour." General 
 McClellan s only answer for the moment was a glance at 
 the western sky, and he then looked on General Porter, 
 who shook his head gravely. " Tell General Burnside," 
 said McClellan, speaking very slowly, "that this is the 
 battle of the war ; he must hold his ground till dark, at anv 
 
 O -J 
 
LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 cost. I will send him a battery ; I cannot do any more. I 
 have no infantry. Then, as the messenger was riding 
 away he called him back. " Tell him also," said he, 
 "that if he cannot hold his ground, then the bridge, to 
 the last man, always the bridge ; if the bridge is lost, 
 all is lost." 
 
 The bridge was not lost. Every foot of ground was 
 stubbornly contested, and when the sun went down it was 
 a source of gratification to General Burnside to know that 
 the Ninth Corps, after a hard day s fighting, held the bridge, 
 and thus secured victory by remaining on the ground which 
 the Confederates had occupied. Could the Ninth Corps, 
 isolated from the rest of McClellan s forces, have been cut 
 off and overwhelmed, Lee would have gained the victory. 
 "It is certain," said Mr. Pollard, in his Historv of the 
 War, " that if w r e had had fresh troops to hurl against 
 Burnside at the bridge of Antietam, the day would have 
 been ours." 
 
 The Ninth Corps numbered on the morning of the bat 
 tle 13,819 officers and men. Its losses during the day 
 were twenty-two officers and 410 enlisted men killed ; 
 ninety-six officers and 1,645 enlisted men wounded, and 
 1 20 missing. The commanding generals on both sides 
 could not have been sorry when the sun set, and darkness 
 prohibited any further carnage. General Burnside was 
 actively engaged during the day watching intently every 
 movement of the enemy. Among those who fell was Gen 
 eral Rodman, who had been with him since the beginning 
 of the war, and of whom he said: " One of the first to 
 leave his home at his country s call, General Rodman, in 
 his constant and wearing service, now ended by his un 
 timely death, has left a bright record of earnest patriotism, 
 undimmed by one thought of self; respected and esteemed 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 cost. I will send him a battery ; I cannot do any more. I 
 have no infantry." Then, as the messenger was riding 
 away he called him back. " Tell him also," said he, 
 "that if he cannot hold his ground, then the bridge, to 
 the last man, always the bridge ; if the bridge is lost, 
 all is lost." 
 
 The bridge was not lost. Every foot of ground was 
 stubbornly contested, and when the sun went down it was 
 a source of gratification to General Burnside to know that 
 the Ninth Corps, after a hard day s fighting, held the bridge, 
 and thus secured victory by remaining on the ground which 
 the Confederates had occupied. Could the Ninth Corps, 
 isolated from the rest of McClellan s forces, have been cut 
 off and overwhelmed. Lee would have gained the victory. 
 "It is certain," said Mr. Pollard, in his History of the 
 War, "that if we had had fresh troops to hurl against 
 Burnside at the bridge of Antietam, the day would have 
 been ours." 
 
 The Ninth Corps numbered on the morning of the bat 
 tle 13,819 officers and men. Its losses during the day 
 were twenty-two officers and 410 enlisted men killed; 
 ninety-six officers and 1,645 enlisted men wounded, and 
 1 20 missing. The commanding generals on both sides 
 could not have been sorry when the sun set, and darkness 
 prohibited any further carnage. General Burnside was 
 actively engaged during the day watching intently every 
 movement of the enemy. Among those who fell was Gen 
 eral Rodman, who had been with him since the beginning 
 of the war, and of whom he said : " One of the first to 
 leave his home at his country s call, General Rodman, in 
 his constant and wearing service, now ended by his un 
 timely death, has left a bright record of earnest patriotism, 
 undimmed by one thought of self; respected and esteemed 
 
GEy. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 in the various relations of his life, the army mourns his 
 loss as a pure-hearted patriot, and a brave, devoted sol 
 dier, and his division will miss a gallant leader, who was 
 always foremost at the post of danger." 
 
 Late in the afternoon, stragglers began to come in from 
 the field, some tenderly escorting wounded comrades, three 
 or four often performing this service for one man. Gen 
 eral Burnside ordered many of these stragglers back to 
 their regiments with a sharp reprimand. Among them 
 was a lieutenant of a Connecticut regiment, whom the 
 general reprimanded, ordering one of his aides to take his 
 name. The man went limping away, saying that a ball 
 had hit him in the leg. "But you walked all the way 
 from the field," said the general, "why did you come here 
 to exhibit your cowardice? You had better remained at 
 home." Just then a youth, not over fifteen, who had his 
 arm torn by a shell or ball, came up holding the bleeding 
 member in his other hand. " Look at that boy, Lieuten 
 ant," said General Burnside; "he has some excuse for 
 leaving the field, but you have none." 
 
 That night General Lee quietly returned into Virginia, 
 leaving his dead and some two thousand of his wounded 
 behind him. General Burnside, visiting General McClel- 
 lan s headquarters, expressed the opinion that the Union 
 army ought to renew the battle, for the enemy had been 
 worse shaken than they had, and an assault upon his 
 position promised every success. General McClellan had 
 been reinforced during the night in numbers sufficient to 
 cover his losses of the preceding day, but he dared not 
 take the responsibility. " With five thousand fresh troops 
 to pass in advance of my line," said General Burnside, 
 "I will be willing to commence the attack." But the 
 commanding general of the army was in no humor for 
 
!j6 GEN. AMBROSE E. DURXSIDE. 
 
 more fighting, and on the night of the 19th, General Lee 
 quietly crossed the river into Virginia. " He leaves us, 
 said the correspondent of the New York Tribune, "the 
 debris of his late camp. T\vo disabled pieces of artillery, 
 a few hundred of his stragglers, perhaps two thousand of 
 his wounded, and as many more of his unburied dead. 
 Not a sound field-piece, caisson, ambulance, or wagon ; 
 not a tent, box of stores, or a pound of ammunition. He 
 takes with him the supplies gathered in Maryland, and the 
 rich spoils of Harper s Ferry." 
 
 For a month General McClellan remained idle, without 
 following up the enemy. The country, which had lavished 
 its resources to furnish a large, well-equipped army, be 
 gan to look, after the retreat of Lee, for a blow to be 
 struck that would retrieve the national honor. The bat 
 tle of Antietam having been fought early in the autumn, 
 there was a prospect of a season of two months during 
 which the state of the roads and weather would favor mili 
 tary operations, and it was supposed that General McClel 
 lan would have eagerly availed himself of this opportunity 
 to strike a blow. 
 
 On the 27th of September, he wrote to General Hal- 
 leek : " When the river rises so that the enemy cannot 
 cross in force, I purpose concentrating the army some 
 where near Harper s Ferry, and then moving." The river 
 rose, but the army did not move, although it was then 
 150.000 strong. On the 6th of October General McClellan 
 was peremptorily ordered to cross the Potomac and give 
 battle to the enemy, or drive him south; "your army 
 must move now," he was told, " while the roads are 
 good." But the army did not move, and an acrimonious 
 correspondence was kept up, General McClellan demand 
 ing men, horses, clothing, shoes, ammunition and provis- 
 
I "Ox- F * 
 
 , ^ Vf , 
 i -. <=s, *. /-. 
 
 V. >A-V\ 
 
 \ 
 
 N *\|> 
 
 SHARPSBURG 
 
 % ^ \ Uu 1 \|^p ZLANii t i 
 -:2L4i. *^ : f5sSr^"5 54 
 
 MAP OF THE ISA 
 
i 7 8 
 
 J.IFE A.\/) /Y "/> /,/( SERVICES Of- 
 
 ions, which were promptly promised but tardily supplied, 
 and Halleck sending orders to advance which were not 
 obeyed \vith alacrity, if at all. 
 
 Early in October the camp of the Union army was enliv 
 ened by a visit from the wives of General McClellan, Gen 
 eral Burnside, and other officers, which exasperated those 
 who believed that the army should have moved. 
 
 On the 1 3th of October, General Burnside, at the head 
 of two divisions of the Ninth Corps under Generals Burns 
 and Sturgis, with General Stoneman s division, General 
 Whipple s division, and General Pleasanton s cavalry, 
 crossed the Potomac six miles east of Harper s Ferry, and 
 moved along the eastern base of the Blue Ridge, closing 
 up, as he advanced, the passes through which Lee could 
 have moved from the Shenandoah to Manassas. Again 
 did the loyal people of the Union hope for a battle in which 
 the Union army, now fully recruited, well armed, well 
 shod, enthusiastic and confident, could defeat the Confed 
 erate forces and put an end to the war. 
 
 It was soon evident that General McClellan did not 
 intend aggressive movements, and President Lincoln, who 
 had vainly urged him onward, determined on his removal. 
 The net result of McClellan s stubborn inaction was the loss 
 of several months of pleasant weather with good roads ; a 
 sacrifice of an army of 12,000 men and the park of artillery 
 at Harper s Ferry ; a second Ball s Bluff disaster at Shep- 
 ardstown, and a successful raid by the Confederate cav 
 alry into Pennsylvania. For all this, the Army of the 
 Potomac had reached the mountain-gaps of Virginia in the 
 midst of an unprecedented snowstorm, which brought 
 unpleasant reminiscences of the fate of Napoleon s grand 
 army in Russia. 
 
 General Buckingham was sent to the headquarters of the 
 
j^S LIFE A.\D PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 ions, which were promptly promised but tardily supplied, 
 and Halleck sending orders to advance which were not 
 obeyed with alacrity, if at all. 
 
 Early in October the camp of the Union army was enliv 
 ened by a visit from the wives of General McClellan, Gen 
 eral Burnside, and other officers, which exasperated those 
 who believed that the army should have moved. 
 
 On the 1 3th of October, General Burnside, at the head 
 of two divisions of the Ninth Corps under Generals Burns 
 and Sturgis, with General Stoneman s division, General 
 Whipple s division, and General Pleasanton s cavalry, 
 crossed the Potomac six miles east of Harper s Ferry, and 
 moved along the eastern base of the Blue Ridge, closing 
 up, as he advanced, the passes through which Lee could 
 have moved from the Shenandoah to Manassas. Again 
 did the loyal people of the Union hope for a battle in which 
 the Union army, now fully recruited, well armed, \vell 
 shod, enthusiastic and confident, could defeat the Confed 
 erate forces and put an end to the war. 
 
 It was soon evident that General McClellan did not 
 intend aggressive movements, and President Lincoln, who 
 had vainly urged him onward, determined on his removal. 
 The net result of McClellan s stubborn inaction was the loss 
 of several months of pleasant weather with good roads ; a 
 sacrifice of an army of 12,000 men and the park of artillery 
 at Harper s Ferry ; a second Ball s Bluff disaster at Shep- 
 ardstown, and a successful raid by the Confederate cav 
 alry into Pennsylvania. For all this, the Army of the 
 Potomac had reached the mountain-gaps of Virginia in the 
 midst of an unprecedented snow-storm, which brought 
 unpleasant reminiscences of the fate of Napoleon s grand 
 army in Russia. 
 
 General Buckingham \vas sent to the headquarters of the 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 Army of the Potomac with two envelopes, one assigning 
 to General Burnside the command of the Army of the Poto 
 mac, and the other relieving General McClellan. He was 
 instructed by Secretary Stanton to first see General Burn- 
 side, and to use, if necessary, the strongest arguments to 
 induce him not to refuse. If he would not accept, Gen 
 eral Buckingham was at once to return to Washington ; if 
 he consented, he was then to deliver the order to McClel 
 lan. The Secretary further explained to General Buck 
 ingham, his reasons for sending a general officer on this 
 errand. He had not only no confidence in McClellan s 
 military skill, but he very much doubted his patriotism, 
 and even loyalty, and he expressed to him some fear that 
 McClellan would not give up the command ; he wished, 
 therefore, that the order should be presented by an officer 
 of high rank, direct from the War Department, so as to 
 carry the full weight of the President s authority. 
 
 General Buckingham found General Burnside about fif 
 teen miles south of Salem, where his division was halted, 
 and he was alone in a little chamber. Closing the door, 
 General Buckingham made known his errand. General 
 Burnside at once, as he had twice done before, declined the 
 offered command. General Buckingham then endeavored, 
 in conformity with the directions- of Secretary Stanton, to 
 overcome his objections. Knowing as he did, that the 
 President was resolved, at all events, to remove McClel 
 lan, he felt fully satisfied that he (Burnside) ought to ac 
 cept, and urged him to do so. Burnside, among other ob 
 jections, urged his want of confidence in himself, and his 
 particularly friendly relations to McClellan, to whom he 
 felt under the strongest obligations. Buckingham met 
 these objections by stating that McCiellan s removal was 
 resolved upon at any rate, and that if he (Burnside) did 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 not accept the command, it would be given to Hooker, 
 who subsequently became his successor. 
 
 General Burnside at length consented to obey the order, 
 and General Buckingham requested him to go with him to 
 find General McClellan. They returned to Salem, whence 
 General Buckingham had ridden on horseback through 
 the snow-storm, and went from there about five miles up 
 the railroad to General McClellan s headquarters. Arriv 
 ing there about eleven o clock, they found him alone in 
 his tent, examining papers, and as they entered together, 
 he received them in his usual kind and cordial manner. 
 
 General Buckingham s task was not only a painful one, 
 but particularly distasteful to him, in view of his friendly 
 feelings for McClellan. The order which he communi 
 cated read as follows : 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL S OFFICE, ") 
 WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 1862. j 
 
 General Orders, JVo. 182. 
 
 By direction of the President of the United States, it is ordered that 
 Major-General McClellan be relieved from the command of the Army of 
 the Potomac, and that Major-General Burnside take command of that 
 army. By order of the Secretary of War, 
 
 E. D. TOWNSEND, A. A. G. 
 
 General McClellan received the announcement of his 
 removal with perfect equanimity, saying that General 
 Burnside, as a soldier, must obey, and that he, as a soldier, 
 must give up his command. He was not heard to utter a 
 word of complaint, nor did he make any allusion to the 
 subject in the presence of his staff, other than to mention 
 the surprise occasioned by the reception of the order. 
 General Burnside did everything in his power to show his 
 respect and esteem for his predecessor. He rode with 
 him through the army on his farewell visit, and when 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E UUKNSIDE. jgj 
 
 General McClellan finally left, he said to the officers as 
 sembled at the Warrenton Junction, "1 wish you to stand 
 by Burnside as you have stood by me, and all will be 
 well." 
 
 The following order was issued by General Burnside on 
 taking command of the army: 
 
 In accordance with General Orders, No. 182, issued by the President of 
 the United States, I hereby assume command of the Armv of the Poto 
 mac. Patriotism, and the exertion of my every energy in the direction of 
 this army, aided by the full and hearty cooperation of its officers and 
 men, will, I hope, under the blessing of God, insure its success. 
 
 Having been a sharer of the privations, and a witness of the bra very of 
 the old Army of the Potomac in the Maryland campaign, and fully iden 
 tified with them in their feelings of respect and esteem of General Mc 
 Clellan, entertained through a large, long, and most friendly association 
 with him, I feel that it is not as a stranger I assume command. 
 
 Of the Ninth Corps, so long immediately associated with me, I need 
 say nothing. Our histories are identical. 
 
 With diffidence for myself, but with a proud confidence in the unswerv 
 ing loyalty and determination of the gallant arm}, now entrusted to mv 
 cure, I accept the command with the steadfast assurance that the just 
 cause must prevail. 
 
 A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 
 Afajor- General Coiiandintr. 
 
 General Burnside, on thus assuming the command of 
 the Army of the Potomac, found a heavy and difficult task 
 before him. Everything was expected of him by the op 
 ponents of McClellan, at least two of whom, holding gen 
 erals commissions, had hoped to have succeeded him in 
 command, while the friends of the deposed chief scruti 
 nized his every act with jealousy, if not malignity. 
 
f redericksburg in 186?. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 BURXSIDE ASSUMES COMMAND OP" THE ARMY WITH PRAYERFUL 
 RELUCTANCE NEW PLAN OF OPERATIONS A RAPID MOVE 
 MENTFAILURE TO SUPPLY PONTOONS THE BATTLE OF FRED- 
 ERICKSBURG DESPERATE FIGHTING VIGOROUS DEFENSE BY 
 THE CONFEDERATES FAILURE. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE accepted the command of 
 the Army of the Potomac, then numbering two 
 hundred and twenty-five thousand men, with great 
 reluctance, and a fear that he was not competent for the 
 position. Writing to his much-esteemed friend and chap 
 lain, the Rev. Augustus Woodbury, under date of Nov. 
 21, 1862, he said : "You who know how much I feel any 
 responsibility placed upon me, can readily imagine how 
 much of my time is occupied with this enormous command. 
 You will remember that when I was with you in the field, 
 with a comparatively small command, I felt that I could 
 do nothing of myself, and I then felt, more than ever in 
 my life, the need of an entire reliance upon an all-wise 
 Creator. But now the responsibility is so great, that at 
 
CiEN. AMBROSE E. HURXSIDE. jgo 
 
 times I tremble at the thought of assuming that I am able 
 to exercise so large a command. Yet when I think that I 
 have made no such assumption, that I have shunned the 
 responsibility, and only accepted it when I was ordered to 
 do it, and when it would have been disloyal and unfriendly 
 to our government not to do it, then I take courage, and I 
 approach our Heavenly Father with freedom and trustful 
 ness, confident that if I can act honestly and industriously, 
 constantly asking His protection and assistance, all will be 
 well, no matter how dark everything now seems to me." 
 
 After conferring with some of his leading officers, Gen- 
 eral Burnside submitted his plans, which were : to make a 
 rapid march to Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, to 
 cross the Rappahannock on pontoon bridges to Fredericks- 
 burg, and make a forward movement from there to Rich 
 mond. On the i4th of November, General Halleck tele 
 graphed him : " The President has just assented to your 
 plan ; he thinks that it will succeed if you move rapidly ; 
 otherwise not." Meanwhile the Army of the Potomac had 
 been reorganized into three grand divisions, the right 
 commanded by General Sumner, the centre by General 
 Hooker, and the left by General Franklin, while General 
 Sigel commanded a reserve. 
 
 The army started from Warren ton on the i5th of No 
 vember, marched fort3 r miles in three days, and changed 
 its base from the Manassas railroad to Acquia Creek. The 
 Blue Ridge faded in the distance, the valley of the Rap 
 pahannock was reached, and on the iqth of November 
 General Burnside watered his horse in the Rappahannock 
 River, before Fredericksbur^jyji[ch_JieJiad evacuated a 
 few months before. If the enemy s pickets, not a stone s- 
 throw from him on the opposite bank, had known who the 
 large man in a slouch hat was, they might have shot at 
 
184 
 
 GE<\. AMBROSE E. BL RXSIJDE. 
 
 him, but they probably never imagined that the Union 
 commander would put himself within the range of a 
 smooth-bore musket. 
 
 Had General Burnside found the pontoon-train at Fred- 
 ericksburg, as he had reason to expect, he would have 
 thrown a heavy force across the river before the enenvy 
 could have concentrated a force to oppose the cross ing. 
 In that case the whole of the right wing, under General 
 Sumner, could have crossed the Rappahannock with its 
 wagon-trains, loaded with bread and commissary stores, 
 and had beef cattle along for meat ; then made a rapid 
 movement in the direction of Richmond, meeting the en- 
 emy, if possible, and fighting a battle before General J a ck- 
 son could join General Lee. But rapid as the movements 
 of General Burnside had been from the mountains to the 
 Rappahannock, the march of General Lee was equally 
 expeditious. General Burnside had to halt at Falmouth , 
 and when lie awoke on the morning of the 22d of No v em- 
 be r^jmd_j[pjojcej:l_ac^^ the 
 e nemy s cannon frowning on his position, and the ene my s 
 bayonets gleaming in the vicinity of the fords acrossjthe 
 river. The highway which he had expected to take was 
 barred at its commencement, and he wrote to General 
 Cullum on the 23d of November, stating that the pontoon- 
 train had not arrived, neither had the provision-trains been 
 supplied. "I am not prepared," said he in conclusion, 
 "to say that every effort has not been made to carry out 
 the other parts of the plan, but I must in honesty and can 
 dor say that I cannot feel that the move indicated in my 
 plan of operations will be successful after two very impor 
 tant parts of the plan have not been carried out no mat 
 ter for what reason. The President said that the move 
 ment, in order to be successful, must be made quickly, and 
 I think the same." 
 
1 86 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Mrs. Burnside went from Washington with President 
 Lincoln and Secretary Stanton to Acquia Creek, on the 
 26th of November, and returned with them on the 28th, 
 accompanied by the general. During the two days that 
 they were in camp there was a severe rain-storm, which 
 rendered the roads almost impassable. General Burnside 
 made energetic remonstrances to President Lincoln about 
 the delay in the receipt of the pontoon-train, which had 
 just begun to arrive, each boat being drawn on wheels bv 
 eight mules. Meanwhile, the Confederates had thrown up 
 batteries commanding the spaces where bridges could be 
 laid across the river, and their earth-works began to be 
 visible on the crest of the ridges around the old town of 
 Fredericksburg. It was very evident that General Lee 
 was concentrating his forces, and preparing for a desper 
 ate resistance against any attempt to cross the Rappahan- 
 nock, or to advance towards Richmond. The Confederate 
 forces had been badly shattered by the unsuccessful inva 
 sion of Maryland, and their commander evidently wished 
 to recuperate, protected by the earth- works around Fred 
 ericksburg, with a railroad running to Richmond as a 
 base of supplies. 
 
 Returning to Washington with the President and Mrs. 
 Burnside, the general discussed the situation with the 
 administration and the leading bureau officers at the War 
 Department. Prudence counseled his going into winter 
 quarters, but the President and all others in authority urged 
 an active, vigorous campaign against Richmond, (jtme r a 1 
 Burnside, like a true soldier, determined to carry out the 
 wishes of the President, to advance southward steadily, 
 slowly perhaps, but unflinchingly. His practical, tireless 
 temperament inspired him, when he returned to his com 
 mand, with a determination to fight his way southward. 
 
T 86 LIFE AXD mi LIC SILK VICES OF 
 
 Mrs. Burnside went from Washington with President 
 
 o 
 
 Lincoln and Secretary Stanton to Acquia Creek, on the 
 26th of November, and returned -with them on the 28th, 
 accompanied by the general. During the two days that 
 they were in camp there was a severe rain-storm, which 
 rendered the roads almost impassable. General Burnside 
 made energetic remonstrances to President Lincoln about 
 the delay in the receipt of the pontoon-train, which had 
 just begun to arrive, each boat being drawn on wheels by 
 eight mules. Meanwhile, the Confederates had thrown up 
 batteries commanding the spaces where bridges could be 
 laid across the river, and their earth-works began to be 
 visible on the crest of the ridges around the old town of 
 Fredericksburg. It was very evident that General Lee 
 was concentrating his forces, and preparing for a desper 
 ate resistance against any attempt to cross the Rappahan- 
 nock, or to advance towards Richmond. The Confederate 
 forces had been badly shattered by the unsuccessful inva 
 sion of Maryland, and their commander evidently wished 
 to recuperate, protected by the earth-works around Fred 
 ericksburg, with a railroad running to Richmond as a 
 base of supplies. 
 
 Returning to Washington with the President and Mrs. 
 Burnside, the general discussed the situation with the 
 administration and the leading bureau officers at the Wai- 
 Department. Prudence counseled his going into winter 
 quarters, but the President and all others in jiuthority urged 
 an active, vigorous campaign against Richmond,. Genera 1 
 Burnside, like a true soldier, determined to carry out the 
 wishes of the President, to advance southward steadily, 
 slowly perhaps, but unflinchingly. His practical, tireless 
 temperament inspired him, when he returned to his com 
 mand, with a determination to light his way southward. 
 
C;EN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. jSj 
 
 He went everywhere through his camps with a bright, 
 quiet, creative energy, " still achieving, still pursuing. 
 New tents, winter clothing, and thick boots were supplied 
 to all the men, and every preparation was made for cross 
 ing the river in the face of the enemy. 
 
 On the night of the loth of December, the engineer 
 corps wi s ordered to lay three pontoon bridges across the 
 Rappahannock, upon which the army was to cross, occupy 
 Fredericksburg, and carry the fortifications on the hills 
 by assault. A dense fog filled the valley and hung over 
 the river. The three lower bridges were laid by eleven 
 o clock in the morning, and General Franklin reported to 
 General Burnside that he was ready to cross with his com 
 mand. The three upper bridges could not, however, be 
 laid, owing to the enemy s sharp-shooters, who poured in 
 a merciless fire, and General Woodbury was compelled to 
 report to the commanding general that the bridges could 
 not be built. " They must be built," replied General 
 Burnside, " try again." 
 
 The engineers returned to their work, but it was impos 
 sible for them to finish it, and when the fog lifted at noon, 
 the fire of the rebel sharp-shooters became more deadly. 
 Going down to the river bank, General Burnside saw the 
 situation, and called for volunteers to cross the river in pon 
 toon boats, drive the riflemen from their entrenchments, 
 and hold the town until the bridges should be laid. Sol 
 diers from the Seventh Michigan and Nineteenth and 
 Twentieth Massachusetts regiments sprang forward with 
 alacrity, and they were rowed across the river by men of 
 the Fiftieth New York. A desperate conflict took place 
 as they landed, but they soon secured the surviving Confed 
 erate riflemen as prisoners of war, and the engineers were 
 enabled to finish the bridges. It was four o clock in the 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 afternoon, however, before the troops began to cross, and 
 the next day was occupied in moving over the army. 
 
 That night a council of war, attended by the grand divi 
 sion, corps, and division commanders, was held at a late 
 hour at General Sumner s headquarters. General Burnside 
 submitted and explained his plan for the general attack he 
 proposed to make the next day. This plan comprised^ 
 simultaneous advance of the Union line upon the enemy s 
 entrenched position on the hills in front of the left and 
 right grand divisions, which were to be carried by sudden 
 assaults of select bodies of troops. It was in keeping with 
 the will, boldness, and frankness of its author, but some 
 doubts of its practicability were expressed in the council 
 by a number of those in attendance. All, however, ex 
 pressed their readiness to undertake anything ordered by 
 General Burnside, and the necessary instructions were 
 given to commence a general movement upon the enemy 
 with daylight. 
 
 It was nine o clock in the morning of Dec. 13, 1862, 
 before the troops commenced their march, and as they 
 ascended the heights, they soon found themselves exposed 
 to a terrible fire with grape and canister, and an enfilad 
 ing fire from round shot and shell on their right and 
 left. Below the batteries, too, were stone fences and rifle- 
 pits, behind and in which the Confederates lay concealed 
 until the Union troops, who had been ordered to charge 
 bayonets and not to fire until they reached the entrench 
 ments, had approached within a few feet of them. Rising 
 then, in one long, dense line, with a rebel yell that was 
 heard above their musketry, they poured volley after 
 volley into the leading troops. Regiment after regiment 
 wavered, halted, fell back, and again advanced, only to 
 meet with the same desperate resistance. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. jgo 
 
 General Palfrey, who was in the battle, has truly said 
 that only those who participated in the contest know how 
 much and how little they heard. "They remember how 
 the smoke, and the woods, and the inequalities of ground 
 limited their vision when they had leisure to look about 
 them, and how every faculty was absorbed in their work 
 when they were actively engaged ; how the deafening noise 
 made it almost impossible to hear orders ; what ghastly 
 sights they saw, as men and horses near them were torn 
 with shell ; how peacefully the men sank to rest whom the 
 more merciful rifle-bullet reached in a vital spot ; how 
 some wounded men shrieked, and others lay quiet ; how 
 awful was the sound of the projectiles when they were 
 near hostile batteries ; how incessant was the singing and 
 whistling of the balls from rifles and muskets ; ho\v little 
 they commonly knew of what was going on a hundred 
 yards to their right or left. Orderly advances of bodies of 
 men may be easily described and easily imagined, but 
 pictures of real righting are and must be imperfect. Par 
 ticipants in real righting know how limited and fragmen 
 tary and confused are their recollections of work after it 
 became hot. The larger the force engaged, the more 
 impossible it is to give an accurate presentation of its expe 
 riences. We can follow the charge of the six hundred at 
 Balaklava, from which less than one in three came back 
 unharmed, better than we can follow the advance of Han 
 cock s five thousand at Fredericksburg, from which not 
 quite three in five came back unharmed." 
 
 General Humphreys thus describes his attempt to lead 
 Tyler s brigade through several demoralized masses of 
 Union troops to the wall which was defended: "As the 
 brigade reached the men who were sheltered behind a 
 slight rise of ground, every effort was made by the latter 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 to prevent our advance. They called to our men not to 
 go forward, and some attempted to prevent by force then- 
 doing so. The effect upon my command was what I 
 apprehended the line was somewhat disordered, and in 
 part forced to form into a column, but still advanced rap 
 idly. The fire of the enemy s musketry and artillery, 
 furious as it was before, now became still hotter. The 
 stone wall was a sheet of flame that enveloped the head 
 and flanks of the column. Officers and men were falling 
 rapidly, and the head of the column was at length brought 
 to a stand when close up to the wall. Up to this time not 
 a shot had been fired by the column, but now some firing 
 began. It lasted but a minute, when, in spite of all our 
 efforts, the column turned and began to retire slowly. I 
 attempted to rally the brigade behind the natural embank 
 ment so often mentioned, but the united efforts of General 
 Tyler, myself, our staff, and the other officers could not 
 arrest the retiring mass." 
 
 At four o clock in the afternoon General Hooker crossed 
 the river, and a fresh assaulting column was formed, 
 watched earnestly by General Burnside from the Lacey 
 House on the opposite bank of the river. General Getty s 
 brigade, by making a flank movement, succeeded in gain 
 ing a stone wall which had been occupied by the Confed 
 erate sharp-shooters during the day. General Hooker s 
 other brigade started for the entrenchments on the heights 
 with fixed bayonets. The field batteries, which, owing to 
 the restricted space, had been of little use all day, were 
 brought vigorously into play, and from both sides two 
 miles of guns rained forth fiery missiles athwart the dark 
 background of the coming night. Volleys of musketry 
 were poured forth in profusion. Rushing up the heights, 
 General Hooker s troops had approached within a stone s- 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BL RXSIDE. I .^ I 
 
 throw of the entrenchments, when the hill swarmed forth 
 in new reinforcements of Confederate infantry, who, rush 
 ing upon General Hooker s men, drove them back. The 
 turn of a die decides such situations. The day was lost, 
 and the Union troops retired. Immediately cannon and 
 musketry ceased their roar, and in a few moments the 
 silence of death succeeded the stormy fury of the ten 
 hours battle. 
 
 General Burnside, turning, walked off through the gar 
 den of the Lacey House and, mounting his horse, galloped 
 back to his headquarters. Summoning his general officers, 
 he promptly formed his plans for the next morning. He 
 ordered General Sumner to take the Ninth Corps and 
 attack the entrenchments on the heights by regiments. 
 There were eighteen old regiments and some new ones, 
 and the commanding general thought that these, by com 
 ing quickly up, one after the other, would be able to carry 
 the stone wall and the batteries in front, forcing the enemy 
 into their entrenchments, and by going in with them they 
 would not be able to fire to any great extent. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 OPPOSITION BY THE GENERALS TO A RENEWAL OF THE ATTACK 
 - OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF ITS DISASTERS AND ASSUMPTION OF 
 THE RESPONSIBILITY MILITARY CRITICISMS - LINCOLN S AD 
 DRESS TO THE TROOPS ANOTHER MOVEMENT INSUBORDI 
 NATE GENERALS LETTER FROM LINCOLN THE MUD CAM 
 PAIGN-GENERAL ORDERS NO. S RESIGNS. 
 
 ON the morning of the I4th of December, 1862, just 
 before the column was to have started, General 
 Sumner came to headquarters and said: "Gen 
 eral Burnside, I hope you will desist from this attack ; I do 
 not know of any general officer who approves of it, and 
 I think it will prove disastrous to the army." Advice of 
 that kind from General Sumner, who had always been in 
 favor of an advance whenever it was possible, caused Gen 
 eral Burnside to hesitate. He kept the column of attack 
 formed, and sent over for the division and corps command 
 ers, with whom he consulted, and they voted against the 
 attack. He then sent for General Franklin, who was on 
 the left, and he was exactly of the same opinion. This 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 caused General Burnside to decide that he ought not to 
 make the attack he had contemplated. " Besides," to use 
 General Burnside s own words, " inasmuch as the Presi 
 dent of the United States had told me not to be in haste in 
 making this attack , that he would give me all the support 
 that he could, but he did not want the Army of the Poto 
 mac destroyed, I felt that I could not take the responsibil 
 ity of ordering the attack, notwithstanding my own- belief 
 at the time that the works of the enemy could be carried." 
 The orders were countermanded, and the next day, 
 under a flag of truce, the dead were buried. At night 
 the army moved back across the Rappahannock. The 
 night was intensely dark, the wind blowing furiously from 
 the east, and the pontoon bridges swinging with every 
 gust. The bridges were taken up after the troops had 
 crossed, and the weary soldiers found rest in their old 
 camps. The following dispatch officially announced the 
 fact to those at Washington : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OK THE POTOMAC, 
 
 December 16, 6 p. M. 
 Major-General Ilallcck, Com mantle r-in- C/ticJ : 
 
 The Army of the Potomac was withdrawn to this side of the Rappa 
 hannock River, because I felt fully convinced that the position in front 
 could not be carried, and it was a military necessity either to attack the 
 enemy or retire. A repulse would have been disastrous to us underexist- 
 ing circumstances. 
 
 The army was withdrawn at night, without the knowledge of the 
 enemy, and without loss, either of property or men. 
 
 AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE, 
 
 Major- General Commanding: 
 
 A few days afterwards General Burnside wrote a long- 
 letter to General Halleck, which is a model of manliness 
 and true courage. While the popular heart was swelling 
 with indignation over the repulse at Fredericksburg ; 
 
 13 
 
JQI GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 while the howl of wrath went up from every quarter 
 against the officials at Washington for not having supplied 
 the pontoon bridges, and while, one after another, his sub 
 ordinate commanders sought to cast the responsibility on 
 others, General Burnside stood up squarely and firmly, and 
 said, i; I am responsible for the movement." Never did_ 
 his open-hearted, fearless, transparent honesty shine forth 
 more splendidly than in this letter, in which, after narrating 
 the movement, he says : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ~) 
 FALMOUTH, Dec. 19, 186^. ^ 
 
 Maj.-Gen. H . IV. Halleck^ General-in-Chief United States Army, Washington : 
 
 To the brave officers and soldiers who accomplished the feat of thus 
 recrossing the river in the face of the enemy, I owe everything. 
 
 For the failure in the attack, I am responsible, as theextreme gallantry, 
 courage, and endurance shown by them was never exceeded, and would 
 have carried the points had it been possible. 
 
 To the families and friends of the dead, I can only offer my heartfelt 
 sympathies ~ but for the wounded, I can offer my earnest prayers for their 
 comfort and final recovery. 
 
 The fact that I decided to move from Worrenton on to this line, rather 
 against the opinion of the President, Secretary of War, and yourself, and 
 that vou left the whole movement in my hands, without giving me 
 orders, makes me responsible. 
 
 I will visit vou very soon, and give vou more definite information ; and 
 finallv. will send you my detailed report, in which a special acknowledg 
 ment will be made of the services of the different grand divisions, corps, 
 and mv general and personal staff, of the departments of the Army of 
 the Potomac, to whom I am much indebted for their hearty support and 
 cooperation. 
 
 I will add here, that the movement was made earlier than you expected, 
 and after the President, Secretary, and yourself requested me not to be 
 in haste, for the reason that we were supplied much sooner by the differ 
 ent staff departments than was anticipated when I last saw you. 
 
 Our killed amount to 1,152; our wounded to about nine thousand, and 
 our prisoners to about seven hundred, which last have been paroled and 
 exchanged for about the same number taken by us. 
 
 The wounded were all removed to this side of the river, and are being 
 well cared for, and the dead were all buried under a flag of truce. 
 
MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF FREDEIUCKSBURG. 
 
196 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The surgeons report a much larger proportion of slight wounds than 
 usual, 1,632 only being treated in hospitals. 
 
 I am glad to represent the army at the present time in good condition. 
 Thanking the government for that entire support and confidence which 
 I have always received from them, 
 
 I remain, General, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 Major- General Commanding Army of the Potomac. 
 
 Military critics, however, differed much on the plan of 
 the battle of Fredericksburg. General Burnside had used 
 it before with skill and success at Roanoke Island, and at 
 Newbern, and although he failed at Fredericksburg, that 
 does not prove that the plan itself was defective. Napo 
 leon achieved his greatest success by risking his whole 
 force on a single desperate attack of the centre. McDon 
 ald s charge-column at Wagram started out some eighteen 
 thousand strong, and when it reached the Austrian lines, 
 had only eighteen hundred left, but it broke the enemy s 
 line and gained the victory. Could the Ninth Corps have 
 made a decisive charge, regiment after regiment, the 
 heights of Fredericksburg might have been carried. Gen 
 eral Franklin s conduct has been bitterly assailed and 
 stoutly defended, but no one denies that General Meade 
 held the coveted position for two hours, and was then 
 forced to retreat from it, while $O,OQO Union troops were 
 standing idle within two miles of him, in his rear. 
 
 President Lincoln, after having had a long personal in 
 terview with General Burnside, issued the following ad 
 dress to the Army of the Potomac : 
 
 EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 1862. 
 To the Army of the Potomac : 
 
 I have just read your commanding general s preliminary report of the 
 battle of Fredericksburg. Although you were not successful, the attempt 
 
MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF FREDEKICKSBUKG. 
 
196 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The surgeons report a much larger proportion ol" slight wounds than 
 usual, 1,632 only being treated in hospitals. 
 
 I am glad to represent the annv at the present time in good condition. 
 Thanking the government for that entire support and confidence which 
 I have always received from them, 
 
 I remain, General, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 Major-General Commanding Army of the Potomac. 
 
 Military critics, however, differed much on the plan of 
 the battle of Fredericksburg. General Burnside had used 
 it before with skill and success at Roanoke Island, and at 
 Xewbern, and although he failed at Fredericksburg, that 
 does not prove that the plan itself was defective. Xapo- 
 leon achieved his greatest success by risking his whole 
 force on a single desperate attack of the centre. McDon 
 ald s charge-column at Wagram started out some eighteen 
 thousand strong, and when it reached the Austrian lines, 
 had only eighteen hundred left, but it broke the enemy s 
 line and gained the victory. Could the Ninth Corps have 
 made a decisive charge, regiment after regiment, the 
 heights of Fredericksburg might have been carried.^ Gen 
 eral Franklin s conduct has been bitterly assailed and 
 stoutly defended, but no one denies that General Meade 
 held the coveted position for two hours, and was then 
 forced to retreat from it, while 50,000 Union troops were 
 standing idle within two miles of him, in his rear. 
 
 President Lincoln, after having had a long personal in 
 terview with General Burnside, issued the following ad 
 dress to the Army of the Potomac : 
 
 EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, Dec. 22. 1862. 
 To the Army oj Hie Potomac : 
 
 I have just read your commanding general s preliminary report of the 
 battle of Fredericksburg. Although you were not successful, the attempt 
 
GEX. AMBJfOSE E. J1URXSIDE. 
 
 197 
 
 was not an error, nor the failure other than an accident. The courage 
 with which you, in an open field, maintained the contest against an en 
 trenched foe, and the consummate skill and success with which you 
 crossed and recrossed the river in the face of the enemy, show that you 
 possess all the qualities of a great army, which will vet give victory to 
 the cause of the country and of popular government. Condoling with 
 the mourners for the dead, and sympathizing with the severely wounded, 
 I congratulate you that the number is comparatively so small. I tender 
 to you, officers and soldiers, the thanks of the Nation. 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 
 
 General Burnside had no desire to go into winter quar 
 ters, and as the weather was good, made preparations for 
 a demonstration into Virginia, in connection with an ex 
 tensive cavalry raid under General Averill. The cavalry 
 had started and the army was ready to move, when the 
 following dispatch was received from President Lincoln : 
 "I have good reason for saying that you must not make 
 a general movement without letting me know of it." It 
 was evident that two insubordinate officers had visited 
 Washington, obtained an interview with the President, 
 and convinced him that a movement should not be made. 
 Countermanding the orders to the troops, General Burn- 
 side went to Washington, and after a full and frank 
 explanation to the President, returned to his camp on the 
 morning of Jan. 2, 1863, with the intention of carrying 
 out his plan. He learned, however, from scouts, that 
 the enemy had become possessed of his instructions to 
 General Averill, and he ordered the troops back into camp. 
 His third attempt to use the Army of the Potomac against 
 the enemy was thus thwarted, and he wrote a letter to 
 President Lincoln, enclosing his resignation, which he said 
 could be accepted if his course w r as not in accordance with 
 the views of the administration ; adding, " I beg leave to 
 say that my resignation is not sent in a spirit of insubordi- 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 nation, but simply to relieve you from any embarrassment 
 in changing commanders where a lack of confidence may 
 have rendered it necessary." In reply, he received a letter 
 from General Halleck approving his plans, and advising 
 that a forward movement be made, and as early as possi 
 ble. On this, the President made the following indorse- 
 
 o 
 
 ment : 
 
 January S, 1863. 
 
 I understand General Halleck has sent you a letter, of which this is a 
 copy. I approve this letter. I deplore the want of concurrence with you 
 in opinion by your general officers, but I do not see the remedy. Be 
 cautious, and do not understand that the government or country is driv 
 ing you. I do not yet see how I could profit by changing the command 
 of the Army of the Potomac, and if I did, I should not wish to do it by 
 accepting the resignation of your commission. . T TXCDT \~ 
 
 Fortifietl by these opinions, and agreeing with General 
 
 Halleck that both the armv and the enemv should be occu- 
 
 i j 
 
 pied, he again made preparations for a forward movement. 
 Making General Lee believe that he intended to cross the 
 river below Fredericksburg, he moved up the river, intend 
 ing to cross at the upper fords and turn General Lee s left 
 flank. When everything was prepared, he issued the fol 
 lowing order : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ) 
 
 CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., Jan. 20, 1863. T 
 General Orders, No. 7. 
 
 The commanding general announces to the Army of the Potomac that 
 they are about to meet the enemy once more. The late brilliant actions 
 in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas divided and weakened the 
 enemv on the Rappahannock, and the auspicious moment seems to have 
 arrived to strike a great and mortal blow at the Rebellion, and to gain 
 that decisive victory which is due to the country. Let the gallant soldiers 
 of so man v brilliant battle-fields accomplish this achievement, and a fame 
 the most glorious awaits them. 
 
 The commanding general calls for a firm and united action of officers 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 and men, and, under the providence of God, the Army of the Potomac 
 will have taken the threat step toward restoring peace to the countrv. and 
 the government to its rightful authority. 
 
 By command of Major-General BURXSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 The army marched on the 2Oth of January, with pleasant 
 weather and good roads, but at night a furious storm set in, 
 and by daylight the roads were impassable for the artillery 
 and the pontoon bridges. The rain fell in torrents. A 
 chaos of pontoons and artillery incumbered the road down 
 to the river, supply-wagons were stalled in the mud, am 
 munition trains were mired by the way, and horses and 
 mules dropped down dead by scores. The movement had 
 to be abandoned. 
 
 General Burnside next determined to leave his artillery, 
 and to make a bold attack with his infantry. But this was 
 opposed by General Hooker, and several other officers 
 were virtually insubordinate. General Burnside saw that 
 victory would not crown his efforts with this lukewarm 
 support and insubordination among his generals, and he 
 wrote the following order : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Jan. 23. 1863. 
 General Orders, Xo. S. 
 
 First Gen. Joseph E. Hooker, Major-General of Volunteers and 
 Brigadier-General of the United States Army, having been guilty of 
 unjust and unnecessary criticisms of the actions of his superior officers 
 and of the authorities; and having, by the general tone of his conversa 
 tion, endeavored to create distrust in the minds of officers who have asso 
 ciated with him; and having, by omissions and otherwise, made reports 
 and statements which were calculated to create incorrect impressions ; and 
 for habitually speaking in disparaging terms of other officers, is hereby 
 dismissed the service of the United States, as a man unfit to hold an 
 important commission during a crisis like the present, when so much 
 
200 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 patience, charity, confidence, consideration, and patriotism are due from 
 everv soldier in the field. 
 
 This order is issued subject to the approval of the President of the 
 United States. 
 
 Second Brig. -Gen. W. T. II. Brooks, commanding First Division, 
 Sixth Army Corps, for complaining of the policy of the government, and 
 for using language tending to demoralize his command, is, subject to the 
 approval of the President of the United States, dismissed from the mili 
 tary service of the United States. 
 
 77n rd Brig. -Gen. John Newton, commanding Third Division, Sixth 
 Army Corps, and Brig. -Gen. John Cochrane, commanding First Brigade. 
 Third Division, Sixth Army Corps, for going to the President of the 
 United States with criticisms upon the plans of their commanding officers, 
 are, subject to the approval of the President, dismissed from the military 
 service of the United States. 
 
 Fourth It being evident that the following-named officers can be of 
 no further service to this army, they are hereby relieved from duty, and 
 will report in person, without delay, to the Adjutant-General of the 
 United States Army : 
 
 Maj.-Gen. W. B. Franklin, commanding Left Grand Division. 
 
 Maj.-Gen. W. F. Smith, commanding Sixth Army Corps. 
 
 Brig. -Gen. Sam. D. Sturgis, commanding Second Division, Ninth 
 Army Corps. 
 
 Brig. -Gen. Edward Ferero, commanding Second Brigade, Second Di 
 vision, Ninth Army Corps. 
 
 Brig. -Gen. John Cochrane, commanding First Brigade, Third Division, 
 Sixth Armv Corps. 4 
 
 Lieut. -Col. J. II. Taylor, Acting Adjutant-General Rignt Grand Di 
 vision. 
 
 By command of Maj.-Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 President Lincoln was not willing to permit the dismissal 
 of the disaffected or demoralized generals, whose partisan 
 feelings and prejudices had overshadowed their entire con 
 duct. He accepted the alternative, and relieved General 
 Burnside from the command of the Army of the Potomac, 
 conferring the command on Gen. Joseph E. Hooker. In 
 turning over the command to General Hooker, General 
 Burnside issued the following farewell address : 
 
GE.\. AM/i/tOSE E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 2OI 
 
 IlKADt^L ARTKRS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ~) 
 
 CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, Jan. 26, 1863. j 
 General Orders, A <>. y. 
 
 Bv direction of the President of the United States, the commanding 
 general this day transfers the command of this army to Maj.-Gen. Joseph 
 Hooker. 
 
 The short time that he lias directed your movements has not heen 
 fruitful of victory, nor any considerable advancement of our lines, but it 
 has again demonstrated an amount of courage, patience, and endurance 
 that, under more favorable circumstances, would have accomplished 
 great results. 
 
 Continue to exercise these virtues, be true in your devotion to your 
 country and the principles you have sworn to maintain, give to the brave 
 and skillful general who has long been identified with your organization, 
 and who is now to command you, your full and cordial support and co 
 operation, and you will deserve success. 
 
 Your general, in taking an affectionate leave of the army, from which 
 he separates with so much regret, may be pardoned if he bids an espe 
 cial farewell to his long and tried associates of the Ninth Corps. His 
 prayers are that God may be with you, and grant you continued success 
 until the Rebellion is crushed. 
 
 Uy command of Maj. -Gen. A. K. 1JURNS1DE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assis/a/i/ Adjutant-General. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 RESIGN ATIOX OF HIS COMMISSION NOT ACCEPTED BY PRESIDENT 
 LINCOLN RETURN TO RHODE ISLAND PLACED IN T COMMAND 
 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO SUPPRESSION OF TREA 
 SONKENTUCKY QUIETED -VISITS TO LIBERTY AXD HAMILTON 
 ARREST AND TRIAL OF VALLANDIGHAM SUPPRESSION OF 
 NEWSPAPERS MORGAN S RAID THE KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN. 
 
 RELIEVED at his own request from the command of 
 the Army of the Potomac, General Burnside went 
 to Washington, where he formally tendered his re 
 signation as a major-general of volunteers to the President, 
 but Mr. Lincoln declined to receive it, quaintly remarking 
 that he had " other fish for him to fry." General Burnside 
 replied that he would willingly accept any command, he 
 cared not what it was, but that he was extremely reluctant 
 to wear a major-general s shoulder-straps, and draw a 
 major-general s pay, while doing nothing to earn his honor 
 or his money. The genuine honesty, sincerity, and un 
 selfish patriotism of the man were everywhere understood, 
 and his journey from Washington to Providence, .accom 
 panied by Mrs. Burnside, was a continuous ovation, the 
 people assembling in crowds at the stations to do him 
 honor. 
 
 It was understood that he desired to avoid any demon- 
 
GEN. A. \fIUfOSE E. KUKNSIDE. 2 O^ 
 
 o 
 
 stration on his arrival at his old home, yet an immense 
 concourse of citizens had assembled at the railroad-station 
 to greet him, and they attested their sympathetic interest 
 by earnest and continuous cheers. The Legislature, which 
 was in session, passed a complimentary resolution inviting 
 him to visit the Senate and the House of Representatives, 
 in their respective chambers. All formalities were there 
 dispensed with, the members thronged around the beloved 
 hero, and the most cordial and heart-felt greetings were 
 universally interchanged. Rhode Island welcomed him 
 back to his old home, and told him to rest assured that 
 time had only strengthened her admiration for him, as one 
 of the noblest and best of her warrior-heroes. After re 
 maining at home four days, he returned to Washington, 
 hoping to have the command of his old Ninth Corps. 
 
 Stopping at New York on the way, to attend the mar 
 riage of Maj. Ed. M. Neill, a member of his staff , he 
 was also present at the meeting of the United States 
 Christian Commission, where he made a brief, but effec 
 tive speech, declaring that it was the duty of every man to 
 stand by the administration and the government. " Sol 
 diers/ he said, " remember that while it is noble and grand 
 to entertain personal friendship for their commander, it is 
 ignominious to give a blind adherence to any man, or any 
 specific line of policy. They are in the field to give their 
 whole strength and energy in support of their govern 
 ment." 
 
 President Lincoln, after several consultations with Gen 
 eral Burnside, placed him in command of the Department 
 of the Ohio. The Union cause was not then in a verv 
 promising condition in that vicinity. Kentucky, although 
 nominally loyal, was only held in the Union by martial 
 law, and was traversed from time to time by raiding bodies 
 
GE.V. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 of rebel cavalry. Sympathizers with secession were 
 boldly endeavoring to corrupt public sentiment in Ohio, 
 Indiana, and Illinois, and were threatening to liberate the 
 rebel prisoners confined in various localities. It was ex 
 pected that in the spring an attempt would be made to lib 
 erate East Tennessee, and the situation all around required 
 great tact and skill on the part of the department com 
 mander. General Burnside, before leaving Washington 
 for Ohio, requested, and was promised, that two divisions 
 of his favorite Ninth Corps should be sent after him with 
 out delay. 
 
 Arriving at Cincinnati on the 24th of March, 1863, the 
 general issued the following orderthe next morning : 
 
 o o 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OK THE OHIO, ) 
 CINX-IXKATI, O., March 25, 1863. J 
 
 General Orders., No. 27. 
 
 In accordance with the instructions from the general-in-chief, the 
 undersigned hereby assumes command of the Department of the Ohio. 
 
 A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 
 Major- General Commanding 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 Serenaded by a large assemblage of citizens, General 
 Burnside appeared on the balcony of the Burnet House, 
 and was introduced by Major-General Wallace, who said 
 it was an inexpressible pleasure to introduce the gene.ral 
 to them. "The great West, said he, "loves all her sons, 
 of whom it is enough to say Ambrose Burnside is the truest 
 and best." 
 
 General Burnside was- greeted with prolonged cheers, 
 which having subsided, he said he begged to thank those 
 present for the very kind reception they had given him. 
 He considered it all the more complimentary as coming 
 
BUUNSIDE S WELCOME AT KNOXVILLE. 
 From a Sketch in Hc.rpcr s Weekly. 
 
206 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 from the people of this section, from whom he had been 
 absent many years. It was the more gratifying, too, be 
 cause it indicated that, in the performance of his duties, 
 they, without looking at results, had confidence in his hav 
 ing endeavored to discharge them faithfully and conscien 
 tiously. 
 
 He came here (General Burnside said), actuated by the 
 same motives. He came to them in full faith in the success 
 of our cause*, He had never, for one single moment, 
 doubted its success. Since he had been in the service, he 
 had had, as they well knew, as many dark hours as any 
 soldier of the same military experience, but in the darkest 
 moment he had not doubted the success of a cause founded 
 on the right, against a rebellion founded upon fraud and 
 deceit. He warned them that ambition was the vice of 
 republics, against which they should fight as much as 
 against deceit and fraud. Ours was a cause in which all 
 should put their hearts. 
 
 General Burnside, in conclusion, thanked them again for 
 their attention, and was about retiring, when they called 
 upon him to go on. He replied that he had not the faculty 
 of making long speeches ; if he had, he would address 
 them for a half-hour with pleasure. He would rather fight 
 than speak. 
 
 Finding that treason had been at a premium and loyalty 
 at a discount on both banks of the Ohio River, and that 
 organizations for sustaining lines of communication to the 
 enemy had been established, General Burnside issued the 
 following order : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, ) 
 CINCINNATI, O , April 13, 1863. ) 
 
 General Orders, No. jtf. 
 
 The commanding general publishes, for the information of all con 
 cerned, that hereafter all persons found within our lines who commit acts 
 
uUVOvAxv^SW* 
 
 BUKNSIDE S WELCOME AT KNOXVILLE. 
 
 JIc.rper s 
 
206 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 from the people of this section, from whom he had been 
 absent many years. It was the more gratifying, too, be 
 cause it indicated that, in the performance of his duties, 
 they, without looking at results, had confidence in his hav 
 ing endeavored to discharge them faithfully and conscien 
 tiously. 
 
 He came here (General Burnside said), actuated by the 
 same motives. He came to them in full faith in the success 
 of our cause. He had never, for one single moment, 
 doubted its success. Since he had been in the service, he 
 had had, as they well knew, as many dark hours as any 
 soldier of the same military experience, but in the darkest 
 moment he had not doubted the success of a cause founded 
 on the right, against a rebellion founded upon fraud and 
 deceit. He warned them that ambition was the vice of 
 republics, against which they should fight as much as 
 against deceit and fraud. Ours was a cause in which all 
 should put their hearts. 
 
 General Burnside, in conclusion, thanked them again for 
 their attention, and was about retiring, when they called 
 upon him to go on. He replied that he had not the faculty 
 of making long speeches ; if he had, he would address 
 them for a half-hour with pleasure. He would rather fight 
 than speak. 
 
 Finding that treason had been at a premium and loyalty 
 at a discount on both banks of the Ohio River, and that 
 organizations for sustaining lines of communication to the 
 enemy had been established, General Burnside issued the 
 following order : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, ) 
 
 CINCINNATI, O , April 13, 1863. ) 
 
 General Orders, No. j5. 
 
 The commanding general publishes, for the information of all con 
 cerned, that hereafter all persons found within our lines who commit acts 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 207 
 
 for the benefit of the enemies of our country, will be tried as 5pies, or 
 traitors, and if convicted, will sutler death. This order includes the fol 
 lowing classes of persons : 
 
 Carriers of secret mails. 
 
 Writers of letters sent by secret mails. 
 
 Secret recruiting-officers within the lines. 
 
 Persons who have entered into an agreement to pass our lines for the 
 purpose of joining the enemy. 
 
 Persons found concealed within our lines belonging to the service of 
 the enemy, and, in fact, all persons found improperly within our lines 
 who could give private information to the enemy. 
 
 All persons within our lines who harbor, protect, conceal, feed, clothe, 
 or in any way aid the enemies of our country. 
 
 The habit of declaring sympathies for the enemy will no longer be 
 tolerated in this department. Persons committing such offences will be 
 at once.arresled, with a view to being tried as above stated, or sent beyond 
 our lines into the lines of their friends. 
 
 It must be distinctly understood that treason, expressed or implied, will 
 not be tolerated in this department. 
 
 All officers and soldiers are strictly charged with the execution of this 
 order. 
 
 By command of Maj.-Gen. A. E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 General Burnside then went to Kentucky, where he 
 issued such orders as secured the capture of the rebel 
 General Pegram, and took steps to check the undercurrent 
 of rebellious sentiment which had been flowing unchecked 
 through the State. Returning to Ohio, he made a brief 
 visit to Liberty, Ind., his birth-place, where he said, in a 
 speech to the friends of his boyhood: "I have entered 
 into the service from an honest conviction of duty. For 
 all I am, I owe to my government ; and I am ready to give 
 all my services and my life, if necessary, to my country s 
 cause. No patriot will do less because the government 
 happens to be administered by an administration that is 
 not of his choice. I was a supporter of the Buchanan ad 
 ministration, but when war was made upon my govern 
 ment, I felt it no less my duty to give it my support because 
 
2o8 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 it had passed into other hands, than if it had remained in 
 his." 
 
 He also made a brief speech at a Union demonstration at 
 Hamilton, Ohio, in which he said, "I do not come here 
 to-day to identify myself by remarks with any political 
 creed or doctrine, but to meet and confer with the friends 
 of the country. I came here to meet the loyal citizens of 
 this neighborhood, many of whom knew me. in my boy 
 hood, and as I could not see them all singly, this afforded 
 me an excellent opportunity to make my acknowledg 
 ments for the interest they have shown in my welfare. 
 Therefore I may be excused for absence from headquar 
 ters for a few hours. It certainly affords me great pleas 
 ure to meet my friends who have done me the honor of 
 coming here to meet me, and especially to learn that there 
 are so many earnest hearts interested in the cause of the 
 country. I am blessed with little more authority than you 
 here in suppressing treason, and all those acts which go to 
 create dissensioij ; and I deem it the duty of every man 
 and woman to aid me in this work." 
 
 Some of the Democratic members of Congress in the 
 Department of the Ohio, returning to their homes, began 
 making incendiary speeches, in which they encouraged a 
 resistance to the draft ; and Mr. Clement L. Vallandigharn, 
 addressing an audience at Mt. Vernon, on the ist of May, 
 after attempting to show that President Lincoln was a 
 tyrant, reminded his hearers that "resistance to tyrants is 
 obedience to God/ 
 
 When this speech was brought to the attention of Gene 
 ral Burnside, he immediately dispatched a company of 
 United States infantry with an order directing its captain 
 to arrest Mr. Vallandigharn, at his residence at Dayton. 
 The valiant orator made a feeble resistance, when he was 
 
GEN. A Mltlt OS E K. 7V A\\ S //)/?. 
 
 2Og 
 
 taken and carried to Cincinnati, where he was placed 
 under guard at the Burnet House, and arraigned, a few 
 days afterwards, before a military commission. Applica 
 tion was made to the 
 United States Circuit 
 Court, Judge Leavitt 
 presiding, for a writ 
 of habeas corpus in 
 behalf of Vallandig- 
 ham, and General 
 Burnside, having re 
 ceived notice, made 
 a response in oppo 
 sition to the granting 
 of the writ, which 
 was characterized by 
 his usual common 
 sense. 
 
 After deprecating 
 
 the violence of orators and presses in assailing the army, 
 and the organization of secret political societies which 
 created dissensions and discord amounting to treason, 
 General Burnside declared that these orators and presses 
 must be careful as to what they said. "They must not 
 use license and plead that they are exercising liberty. 
 In this department it cannot be done. I shall use all 
 the power I have to break down such license, and I am 
 sure I will be sustained in this course by all honest men. 
 At all events, I will have the consciousness, before God, 
 of having done my duty to my country ; and when I am 
 swerved from the performance of that duty by any pres 
 sure, public or private, or by any prejudice, I will no 
 longer be a man or a patriot." 
 u 
 
2io LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The court refused to grant the writ of habeas corpus, 
 and the military commission sentenced Vallandigham to 
 close confinement in Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, during 
 the remainder of the war. President Lincoln, however, 
 afterwards commuted the sentence to banishment into the 
 Confederacy, and Mr. Vallandigham was taken to Nash- 
 
 j 7 O 
 
 ville, where General Rosecrans, under a flag of truce, 
 delivered him into the lines of the Confederates. General 
 Burnside was also called on to send through the lines the 
 mother and the sister of a lady for whom he had, in his 
 younger days, a sincere attachment, they having been de 
 tected in attempting to carry letters, quinine, opium, and 
 camphor through the lines. 
 
 The arrest and trial of Mr. Vallandigham and the effi 
 cient manner in which treasonable correspondence with the 
 South was checked, was severely commented on by papers 
 opposed to the administration, and General Burnside was 
 finally provoked into the issue of the following order : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, ) 
 
 CINCINNATI, O., June i, 1863. j 
 
 General Orders, JV0. $j. 
 
 I. The tendency of the opinions and articles habitually published in 
 the newspaper known as the New York World being to cast reproach 
 upon the government, and to weaken its efforts to suppress the Rebellion, 
 by creating distrust in its war policy, its circulation in time of war is 
 calculated to exert a pernicious and treasonable influence, and is there 
 fore prohibited in this department. 
 
 II. Postmasters, news agents, and all others will govern themselves 
 by this order, as any person detected in forwarding, selling, or in any 
 way circulating the paper referred to, will be promptly arrested and held 
 for trial. 
 
 III. On account of the repeated expression of disloval and incendiary 
 sentiments, the publication of the newspaper known as the Chicago 
 Times is hereby suppressed. 
 
 IV. Brig.-Gen. Jacob Ammen, commanding the District of Illinois, is 
 charged with the execution of the third paragraph of this order. 
 
 By command of Major-General BURNSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Lieutenant- Colonel and Assistant Adjutant- General. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 2 II 
 
 Powerful influence was brought upon the President to 
 secure a revocation of the salutary order, and it was finally 
 successful. The opposition press, however, was thence 
 forth more moderate in its tone, while the sympathizers 
 with secession in Ohio secured Vallandigham s nomination 
 by the Democratic party for governor. The people of that 
 State repudiated him, and he was defeated by a large ma 
 jority. 
 
 Meanwhile General Burnside left Cincinnati on the 3oth 
 of May, 1863, for Hickman s Bridge, a point twenty-six 
 miles beyond Lexington, Ky., where he proposed to direct 
 in person- his regiments for the deliverance *of the loyal 
 people of East Tennessee ; but when he reached Lexing 
 ton he received an order to reinforce General Grant, then 
 moving against Vicksburg, with eight thousand men. It 
 was instantly obeyed, and the Ninth Corps, under General 
 Parke, was dispatched with a promptness for which Presi 
 dent Lincoln telegraphed his most cordial thanks. General 
 Burnside wished to accompany his command, but the Sec 
 retary of War would not permit, and he returned to Cin 
 cinnati, arriving there in time to organize the militia of 
 Ohio and Indiana in opposition to a raid of Confederates 
 commanded by General Morgan, who was captured with 
 the remnant of his party, four hundred in number, and 
 imprisoned in the Ohio penitentiaries. 
 
 Having relieved Indiana and Ohio from Morgan s raid 
 ers, General Burnside turned his attention to Kentucky, 
 where the sympathizers with secession hoped that with the 
 help of the guerillas they could triumph. A law of Ken 
 tucky provided that any man who had been in the rebel 
 service, or who had given voluntary aid or assistance to 
 the rebels, thereby forfeited his rights as a citizen. To 
 prevent their illegal voting, General Burnside issued the 
 following order : 
 
212 
 
 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO. ] 
 CINCINNATI, O., July 31, 1863 I 
 
 General Order*. No. 120. 
 
 Whereas, the State of Kentucky is invaded by a rebel force with the 
 avowed intention of over-awing the judges of elections, of intimidating 
 the loyal voters, keeping them from the polls and forcing the electing of 
 disloyal candidates at the election on the 3d of August; and, whereas, the 
 military power of the government is the only force that can defeat this 
 attempt, the State of Kentucky is hereby declared under martial law, and 
 all military officers are commanded to aid the constituted authorities of 
 the State in the support of the laws and of the purity of suffrage, as de 
 fined in the late proclamation of His Excellency, Governor Robinson. 
 
 As it is not the intention of the commanding general to interfere with 
 the proper expression of public opinion, all discretion in the conduct of 
 the election \\~\\\ lie as usual in the hands of the legally appointed judges 
 at the polls, who will be held stnctlv responsible that no disloyal person 
 be allowed to vote, and to this end the military power is ordered to give 
 them its utmost support. 
 
 The civil authority, civil courts, and business will not be suspended by 
 this order. It is for the purpose only of protecting, if necessary, the 
 rights of loyal citizens, and the freedom of election. 
 
 By command of Major-General BURNSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND. Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
The Scene nf Long-street s Attack on Fort Sounders. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 MARCH ACROSS KENTUCKY - PRESERVATION OF ORDER -CROSSING 
 THE CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS -THE UNION TROOPS RE 
 CEIVED WITH ENTHUSIASM OCCUPATION OF KNOXVILLE- 
 RESIGNAT1ON AGAIN TENDERED AND AGAIN REFUSED AR 
 RIVAL OF GENERAL LONGSTREET FI VE BATTLES IX FOUR 
 DAYS -SIEGE OF KNOXVILLE - RETURN TO RHODE ISLAND. 
 
 THE staunch old State of Kentucky was of loyal 
 heart. Mr. Bramlette, the Union candidate for 
 governor, was elected, and General Burnside 
 next turned his attention to the deliverance of the long- 
 oppressed citizens of East Tennessee. The Ninth Corps 
 was unavoidably detained by General Grant in Mississippi, 
 having been so often transferred from one department to 
 another, that it was known as " Burnside s Geography 
 Class"; and before it had again reported for duty to him, 
 General Burnside had started on his mountain march. On 
 the sixteenth day of August, 1863, General Rosecrans left 
 Winchester for Chattanooga, and on the same day Gen 
 eral Burnside left Lexington for Knoxville. The follow 
 ing order, issued by General Burnside, to be distributed 
 
214 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 along the route of his march, showed his solicitude for the 
 inhabitants of the country through which his route lay, 
 and his determination to have daily religious exercises 
 when practicable. He always encouraged divine services 
 in camp, and in his daily trials placed his prayerful trust 
 in the Divine care, relying upon Almighty help to aid him 
 in his difficulties and his duty : 
 
 HEADqUARTERS ARMY OF THE OlIIO, 
 
 CAMP NELSON, Aug. 14, 1863. 
 General Orders, J\ r o. 2. 
 
 I. The general commanding calls upon all members of his command 
 to remember that the present campaign takes them through a friendlv 
 territory, and that humanity and the best interests of the service re 
 quire that the peaceable inhabitants be treated with kindness, and that 
 every protection be given by the soldiers to them and to their property. 
 
 II. Officers will enforce the strictest discipline to prevent straggling, 
 any ill-treatment of citizens, depredations, or willful destruction of pri 
 vate property; and each officer will be held strictly responsible for of 
 fences of such nature, committed by men under his command. 
 
 III. No prisoners will be liberated on parole, but will be conducted 
 under guard to the authorities appointed to receive them. 
 
 IV. It must also be distinctly understood, that this war is conducted 
 for national objects, and that any desire which may exist on the part of 
 soldiers to avenge their private wrongs, must yield to a proper observ 
 ance of the well-established usages of civilized warfare. 
 
 V. Prisoners of war, particularly the wounded, will be treated with 
 every consideration consistent with their safe-keeping, and any ill-treat 
 ment or insults offered to them will be severely punished. 
 
 VI. Whenever regimental evening dress-parades are held, it shall be 
 the duty of the commanding officer to see that the chaplain, or some 
 proper person, in his absence, holds some short religious service, such as 
 the reading of a portion of the Scripture, with appropriate prayer for the 
 protection and assistance of Divine Providence. 
 
 By order of Maj. -Gen. A E. BURXSIDE. 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Affistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 General Burnside s inarch over the Cumberland Moun 
 tains, at the head of eighteen thousand men divided into 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 21 
 
 five columns, was a brilliant achievement. " It was the 
 first instance," says Col. William Goclclard, "during the 
 war, in which a commander had cut loose from a base of 
 supplies, and it sug 
 gested to General 
 Burnside the concep 
 tion of a march to the 
 sea, afterwards so 
 skillfully executed 
 by General Sher 
 man. General Burn- 
 side s plan of this 
 march, and his ap 
 plication to under 
 take the expedition, 
 are on the files of 
 the War Depart 
 ment." 
 
 This march, over 
 the mountains which 
 
 the Confederates had regarded as an impregnable barrier, 
 was an undertaking which throws the celebrated passage 
 of the Alps into the shade. "In many cases the horses 
 utterly failed to drag the guns up the precipitous sides of 
 the ascents, and then the worn and struggling animals 
 gave place to men, who, with hands and shoulders to 
 wheel and limber, hoisted guns and caissons from height 
 to height. The fearful wayside was strewn with broken 
 wheels and vehicles, and with horses and mules, dying 
 exhausted on the march. Baggage animals, mules, and 
 drivers, in several instances, made missteps and rolled 
 down precipices. Nothing but the indomitable courage 
 and hardihood of Burnside, nothing less lofty than the 
 
 PAKSON liROWNLOW. 
 
2i6 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 heroism that possessed his army, could have ever seen 
 such an undertaking- accomplished." 
 
 General Burnside was the inspiring spirit of the march, 
 and he kept his men in good heart as they made this 
 forced march of 250 miles in fourteen days. Crossing the 
 summit ridge, they marched down upon the fertile plains of 
 East Tennessee, and offered the protection of the old flag 
 to its oppressed citizens. General Buckner, the Confed 
 erate commander, surprised by this unexpected advance of 
 a force which appeared to have been brought over the 
 mountains in balloons, retreated precipitately to join Gen 
 eral Bragg at Chickamauga. He did not even wait to 
 send word to his detachment which was niardin Cum- 
 
 o o 
 
 berland Gap. 
 
 As the Union forces advanced they were received by 
 the long-suffering loyalists, who welcomed their deliverers 
 and entertained them with good-cheer. The stars and 
 stripes, which had been concealed in houses or buried in 
 the ground, were taken from their hiding-places, and soon 
 floated on the breeze from every house. " Bless the Lord, 
 the Yankees have come ; the old flag has come back to 
 Tennessee!" were the shouts that gave expression to the 
 people s joy. Gray-haired men, with tears streaming 
 down their cheeks, women who had lost everything, and 
 children whose tender age had not escaped the cruelty of 
 the rebel rule, came forth to meet the general and his 
 officers at every turn, and to express their gratitude for 
 their redemption. it was a scene of grateful joy that 
 baffles all attempt at description. 
 
 As General Burnside sought his quarters after his arrival 
 at Knoxville, he had the gratification of resting in the 
 midst of as loval people as could be found in the Union, 
 who joyouslv hailed him as their redeemer from a terrible 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 217 
 
 IIEADQUAKTHUS AT KNOXVILLE. 
 
 despotism. The satisfaction of such a triumph might 
 well repay him for the disappointment and defeat at Fred- 
 ericksburg. After stopping a few days at Knoxville, he 
 pushed forward, making a forced march of sixty miles in 
 two days, to Cumberland 
 Gap, the unconditional 
 surrender of which he 
 demanded. The Con 
 federate commander, 
 General Frazer, seeing 
 that successful resistance 
 was impossible, surren 
 dered, with 2,500 prison 
 ers, 2,000 stand of small 
 arms, eleven pieces of 
 artillery, and a large 
 quantity of ammunition. 
 
 Suffering from a complaint which had troubled him all 
 summer, and anxious to pay some attention to his private 
 affairs, General Burnside tendered his resignation on the 
 loth of September, 1863, and received from President Lin 
 coln the following reply over the wires : "A thousand 
 thanks for the late success you have given us. We can 
 not allow you to resign until things shall be a little more 
 settled in East Tennessee." General Ilalleck also tele 
 graphed his congratulations, and directed General Burn- 
 side to hold certain points between his forces and those of 
 General Rosecrans. 
 
 While at Cumberland Gap, General Burnside was in 
 formed that General Rosecrans was triumphantly advanc 
 ing, but it soon appeared that this was not the case. Gen 
 eral Longstreet had reinforced General Bragg, and the 
 combined armies had forced General Rosecrans back to 
 
2i8 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 the defenses of Chattanooga. General Longstreet then 
 undertook to strike and destroy General Burnsicle before 
 General Grant could succor him, and then to return to Gen 
 eral Bragg before General Grant could reach him. Gen 
 eral Longstreet appeared near London, on the Tennessee 
 River, on the night of Nov. 14, 1863, and General Burn- 
 side drove his forces back to the river in a storm. He 
 contemplated renewing his attack on the following morn 
 ing, but the receipt of a dispatch from General Grant, late 
 at night, changed his plans. 
 
 "I shall withdraw my command to Knoxville," said 
 General Burnside. "Why so?" said one of his staff, "you 
 can easily beat the enemy, as he is at present situated, and 
 drive him back across the river. If we start we are lost; 
 he will bring his entire force against us, and we shall be 
 defeated and ruined. "That may be true," replied Gen 
 eral Burnside, "but it will benefit Grant, if we can draw 
 Longstreet away from his front, more than it will injure us. 
 If General Grant can destroy Bragg, it is of no great con 
 sequence what becomes of ourselves. Order the troops to 
 be ready to march in the morning." 
 
 The bugle sounded the advance before daylight the next 
 morning, and General Burnside retired to Lenoir, where, 
 on Sunday, the i5th of November, a desperate battle was 
 fought, General Longstreet taking the offensive, and meet 
 ing with a damaging repulse. General Burnside, out 
 numbered, but certainly not out-fought, continued his re 
 treat, but as the pursuit was hot, he fought a third and ap 
 parently a severe battle on Monday, November 16, at 
 Campbell Station. Unable to maintain his position, he 
 again retreated, and fought his fourth battle a short dis 
 tance in the rear of the field upon which the second was 
 fought. On Monday night he again retreated, and on 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 219 
 
 Tuesday fought a fifth battle, near Knoxville. Five battles 
 in four days, from an army in retreat before a superior 
 force, speak all the praise that could possibly be given to 
 a commander or to his men. 
 
 THE OLD "WHVJ" OFFICE, KNOXVILLE. 
 
 General Longstreet now marched to Knoxville, where 
 he found General Burnside and his garrison ready to re 
 ceive him. The fortifications which encircled the city 
 were connected by a continuous line of rifle-pits, the 
 roads leading to the city were well picketed, and skir 
 mishers were kept out from five hundred to a thousand 
 yards in front. The men were in good spirits, and sup 
 plies had been accumulated which would suffice for four 
 or five weeks consumption. The siege was commenced 
 on the zyth of November, 1863, and several days were 
 marked by assaults and counter-assaults between the op 
 posing parties. The most desperate contest was early on 
 Sunday morning, Nov. 29, when an assaulting column 
 composed of three picked brigades moved against Fort 
 Saunders. 
 
 These men, veterans of Lee s, Jackson s, and Long- 
 street s forces, confident of promised victory, advanced 
 into a rain of lead. Wires had been stretched from stump 
 to stump in front of the works. Over these the advancing 
 Confederates fell in confused heaps, with killed and 
 
220 GEX. AMBROSE E. BURN SIDE. 
 
 wounded all about them, but they pressed onward; they 
 cut away the abatis ; they filled the ditch ; and a few made 
 their way up to the top of the parapet. There a terrible 
 hand-to-hand conflict ensued. Clubbed muskets, bayonets, 
 sabres, even spades and axes, were employed in the dread 
 ful work, and not a score of the brave storming party es 
 caped. A sortie was made on the rear of the assaulting 
 column, which faltered, stopped, and at last retreated in 
 great confusion. General Longstreet lost, that day, up 
 wards of one thousand men. General Burnside permitted 
 him to remove his wounded and bury his dead, but there 
 was no disposition to renew the attack. 
 
 General Grant had meanwhile sent General Sherman to 
 relieve Knoxville, and as he approached, General Long- 
 street, baffled, disappointed, and defeated, raised the siege. 
 General Burnside issued an order congratulating his troops 
 on the unsurpassed fortitude and patient watchfulness with 
 which they had sustained the wearing duties of the defense, 
 and the unyielding courage with which they had repulsed 
 the most dangerous assaults. The next day, having been 
 relieved b} General Foster, he issued the following order, 
 in which he took his leave of the Army of the Ohio : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE OHIO, ") 
 
 KXOXVILI.E, TENX., Dec. 16. 1863. j 
 General Field Orders, Xo. jS. 
 
 In obedience to orders from the War Department, the commanding 
 general this dav resigns to Maj.-Gen. John G. Foster the command of 
 the Army of the Ohio. 
 
 On severing the tie which has united him to this gallant army, he can 
 not express his deep personal feeling at parting from men brought near 
 to him by their mutual experiences in the eventful scenes of the past 
 campaign, and who have always, regardless of every privation and of 
 every danger, cheerfully and faithfully performed their duty. Associ 
 ated with many of their number from the earliest days of the war, he 
 takes leave of this army, not onlv as soldiers to whose heroism many a 
 
222 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 victorious battle-field bears witness, but as well-tried friends, who in the 
 darkest hours have never failed him. With the sincerest regret he leaves 
 the department without the opportunity of personally bidding them fare 
 well. 
 
 To the citizen-soldiers of East Tennessee, who proved their loyalty in 
 the trenches of Knoxville, he tenders his warmest thanks. 
 
 With the highest confidence in the patriotism and skill of the distin 
 guished officer who succeeds him, with whom he has been long and inti 
 mately connected in the field, and who will be welcomed as their leader 
 by those who served with him in the memorable campaign in North Car 
 olina ; and by all as one identified with some of the most brilliant events 
 of the war, he transfers to him the command, assured that under his 
 guidance the bright record of the Army of the Ohio will never grow 
 dim. 
 
 By command of Major-General BURNSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 The loyal residents in the valley of the Ohio parted with 
 General Burnside with great regret, for he had established 
 the supremacy of the Union and the laws. When he 
 assumed command he had found his department infested 
 by persons who, to use the language of the Hon. Horace 
 Binney, "lived on the margin of disobedience to the laws, 
 but against whom no judicial proceedings could be brought, 
 for the want of a tribunal having jurisdiction." To have 
 confronted these traitors in disguise in the ordinary course 
 of justice, would have insured their escape, and have 
 added to the danger, frequently worse than open-armed 
 resistance. Military arrest and an examination before a 
 military commission promptly checked them, just as they 
 were passing from treason in purpose to treason in act, 
 and the supremacy of the Union, the Constitution, and the 
 laws was asserted. 
 
 Serenaded at Cincinnati before he left for the East, Gen 
 eral Burnside made one of his characteristic speeches, in 
 which he modestly attributed the success of his recent 
 operations in East Tennessee to the cooperation of his offi- 
 
222 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 victorious battle-field bears witness, but as well-tried friends, who in the 
 darkest hours have never failed him. With the sincerest regret he leaves 
 the department without the opportunity of personally bidding them fare 
 well. 
 
 To the citizen-soldiers of East Tennessee, who proved their loyalty in 
 the trenches of Knoxville, he tenders his warmest thanks. 
 
 With the highest confidence in the patriotism and skill of the distin 
 guished officer who succeeds him, with whom he has been long and inti 
 mately connected in the field, and who will be welcomed as their leader 
 by those who served with him in the memorable campaign in North Car 
 olina ; and by all as one identified with some of the most brilliant events 
 of the war, he transfers to him the command, assured that under his 
 guidance the bright record of the Army of the Ohio will never grow 
 dim. 
 
 By command of Major-General BURXSIDE. 
 
 LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant- General. 
 
 The loyal residents in the valley of the Ohio parted with 
 General Burnside with great regret, for he had established 
 the supremacy of the Union and the laws. When he 
 assumed command he had found his department infested 
 by persons who, to use the language of the Hon. Horace 
 Binney, "lived on the margin of disobedience to the laws, 
 but against whom no judicial proceedings could be brought, 
 for the want of a tribunal having jurisdiction." To have 
 confronted these traitors in disguise in the ordinary course 
 of justice, would have insured their escape, and have 
 added to the danger, frequently worse than open-armed 
 resistance. Military arrest and an examination before a 
 military commission promptly checked them, just as they 
 were passing from treason in purpose to treason in act, 
 and the supremacy of the Union, the Constitution, and the 
 laws was asserted. 
 
 Serenaded at Cincinnati before he left for the East, Gen 
 eral Burnside made one of his characteristic speeches, in 
 which he modestly attributed the success of his recent 
 operations in East Tennessee to the cooperation of his offi- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. DURNSIDE, 223 
 
 cers, and especially to the enlisted men. "Thousands of 
 the men in the ranks," said he, "deserve the credit that is 
 given to the leaders. Many of them foreigners have 
 no relatives on this side of the Atlantic who will ever hear 
 of them again, yet they fight for the country they love, 
 being actuated by genuine patriotism. I owe all my suc 
 cess to this patriotism, and I have never been more truly 
 sensible of it than during my last campaign. For one, I 
 shall never forget what is due to the men in the ranks." 
 
 Years afterward, when General Burnside had gone to 
 join his fallen comrades in the cold bivouac of the dead, 
 and the representatives of the people were paying their 
 tributes of respect to his memory, Maj. Augustus H. Petti- 
 bone, the Representative from the First District of Tennes 
 see, gracefully laid a sprig of mountain laurel on the grave 
 of the deliverer of his section of the Country. Said he : 
 
 In the darkest hour of the Civil War it was his good fortune to lead the 
 Union forces across the mountains and to bring back to our people the 
 loved banner which their fathers had followed when Andrew Jackson led 
 the Tennessee soldiers on the plains of Chalmette in the defense of New 
 Orleans. And it is entirely safe to say that among the homes of the 
 Union people of eastern Tennessee, no name is to-day held in dearer 
 remembrance than his. Mis sojourn among them was marked bv a flow 
 ing courtesy toward all men which softened the asperities of war, and 
 made all to speak his praise. His urbanity, his leonine courage, his 
 transparent honesty, his unquestioned integrity, his patriotism, which 
 was as broad as the limits of the Union, stamped him a born leader of 
 men. In my last interview with him he sent his good wishes to his old 
 comrades, and expressed his warm regard for those whom he had suc 
 cored in the dark days of war. While stoutly maintaining the Union 
 cause, he so bore himself that those who had thrown their fortunes into 
 the scale of the Confederacv were compelled to honor the Union general 
 who was tender toward the women and children, the weak and the suffer 
 ing of every age, class, and condition. Among our mountains hundreds 
 of children have been named for him, for he won the heart-love of our 
 people. But, v sir, I speak no more of his renown: 
 
 Whatever record leaps to light, 
 He never shall be shamed. 
 
\\ 
 
 \m\\\ 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 ORDERED TO RECRUIT TIIK XIXTII CORPS A STORV BY PRESIDENT 
 LINCOLN BOSTON S SONG-WELCOME SPEECH AT CHICAGO ON 
 THE SITUATION REORGANIXATION OF THE NINTH CORPS ITS 
 REVIEW BV THE PRESIDENT -BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS 
 AND COLD HARBOR CHANGE OF BASE. 
 
 ORDERED to recruit and fill up the Ninth Army 
 Corps, and seeking rest, General Burnside re 
 turned to his home at Providence, accompanied 
 from Cleveland by Mrs. Burnside. They were cordially 
 received at Albany and at New York on their way, and at 
 a dinner given to the general at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, 
 the following characteristic storv of Mr. Lincoln was told : 
 
 O . / 
 
 A few weeks previous, when Mr. Lincoln had received 
 telegraphic information that firing was heard in the direc 
 tion of Knoxville, he simply remarked that he was "glad 
 of it." One of his Cabinet, who knew the perils of Burn- 
 side s position, could not see why the President should be 
 "glad of it," and he so expressed himself. "Why, you 
 see," responded Mr. Lincoln, "it reminds me of Mrs. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUIfNSIDE. 
 
 225 
 
 
 SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE. 
 
 Sallie Ward, a neighbor of mine in Illinois, who had a 
 
 very large family. Occasionally one of her numerous 
 
 progeny would be heard crying in some out of the way 
 
 place, upon which Mrs. 
 
 Sallie would exclaim, %^.. 
 
 There s one of my 
 
 children that is n t dead 
 
 yet. " 
 
 Visiting in turn the 
 capitals of New Eng 
 land, to encourage the 
 recruiting of the Ninth 
 Corps, General Burn- 
 side was made the re 
 cipient of many flatter 
 ing testimonials of the 
 public regard. At a 
 
 public dinner given to him in Boston, the following orig 
 inal song was sung by Samuel B. Noyes, Esq. : 
 
 " Here s a health to the heart that has weathered the storm ! 
 
 To the hero who leaped at the bugle s first blowing, 
 And rushed where the war gathered black round his form, 
 
 Full-armed for God s vengeance and Treason s undoing! 
 Hail, hail to the chief, from the battle s red gloom, 
 With the smell of the strife on his cassock and plume ! 
 For the welcomes of freemen to valor belong, 
 And the deeds of the brave are the glory of song. 
 
 " From thy far, well-fought fields, hail, O soldier! Well done! 
 
 Where thy squadrons still march, and thy rifles are pealing, 
 Thy foes and the foes of thy country were one ; 
 
 Thy friends are its friends- one in faith as in feeling. 
 Three cheers for thy laurels, O guest of the Free! 
 From the border, the sea-board, the blue Tennessee; 
 For the welcomes of freemen to valor belong, 
 And the deeds of the brave are the glory of song." 
 
226 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Meanwhile stirring appeals were made to Union men to 
 enlist in the Old Ninth Corps, which was to be recruited to 
 fifty thousand men "for special service." It was under 
 stood that this "special service" was an expedition to 
 South Carolina, and as the veteran regiments were re 
 cruited, they rendezvoused at Annapolis. 
 
 Among other Northern cities visited by General Burn- 
 side while he was recruiting the Ninth Corps, was Chi 
 cago, where an attempt had been made to denounce him 
 as an "attempted assassin of liberty, "because he had sup 
 pressed a newspaper published there when he was com 
 mander of the Department of the Ohio. A public recep 
 tion was given him by the Board of Trade, and the hall 
 was literally packed. He was eloquently welcomed by 
 Dr. Daniel Brainard, and then spoke at greater length 
 than he ever had before on the situation. 
 
 "In North Carolina and in East Tennessee," said he, 
 "I had the gallant cooperation of officers, non-commis 
 sioned officers, and privates, to whom a glory is due. I 
 disclaim for myself anything more than what belongs sim 
 ply to the honest discharge of my duty to my country and 
 my God. I have felt cheerful and sanguine from the be 
 ginning, for the simple reason that I have felt that every 
 man should feel sanguine and cheerful when he has done 
 what he conceives to be his duty, regardless of the conse 
 quences. I have never felt that there was anything wrong 
 done by me unless I felt that I had neglected to do some 
 thing I ought to have done, and I never afterwards felt 
 that I had done wrong when I felt satisfied at the time that 
 I had done what was right. .* 
 
 " The presiding officer has referred," said General Burn- 
 side, "to an act of mine which affected this community to 
 a considerable extent, and had the appearance at the time 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 227 
 
 of an attempt to stifle the liberty of speech, and the liberty 
 of the press. I am as much of an advocate for the liberty 
 of speech and of the press as any man on the face of the 
 
 MAP OF TUB UATTLE-FIELD OF SPOTTSYLVANIA. 
 
 globe can be, but when I am sent into a department to 
 command soldiers who are to fight the enemies of my 
 country, and who should be strengthened in all possible 
 ways by giving them encouragement, and by giving them 
 clothes to wear, and food to eat, and recruits to fill up their 
 ranks ; when I find men in that department opposing all 
 these means of strengthening the soldiers in the army, I 
 will strike these men in precisely the same way that I 
 would strike an enemy in arms against them. 
 
228 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 " It is my duty to my country and my duty to my God 
 to strengthen these men, who have daily, for years, endan 
 gered their lives in the presence of the enemy. That is 
 all I have to say with reference to this order which I 
 issued, and which was rescinded. I am, and I hope to 
 continue to be, only a subordinate to the President of the 
 United States, and he could not possibly do anything that 
 would withdraw from him my entire support in any act he 
 may order for the good of his country, because I believe 
 him to be an honest and a true man. That he has made 
 mistakes there* can be no doubt ; we have all made mis 
 takes. But to say that he has made a mistake and I have 
 not, would be very silly, that is, it would be very insub 
 ordinate, certainly. I have no disposition to say anything 
 more of the matter. I entirely acquiesce in all he has 
 done, and I feel now, this night, just as I felt the moment I 
 issued that order which was rescinded. It was issued, as 
 I thought, for the good of the soldiers in the field, but I feel 
 now, just as I felt then, that the President is doing all he 
 can to sustain the government of this country, to preserve 
 its liberties and establish peace throughout all its borders, 
 over every inch of its territory. 
 
 " It will not be improper to say something to you of the 
 appearance of the contest at the present moment. I have 
 been very much encouraged to know that our cause is 
 right and just, and for that very reason it must succeed. 
 Probably very few of the general officers in the army have 
 seen more dark hours than I have, but I have never for a 
 moment faltered in my faith in the success of our cause, 
 because I feel it is just. I have every confidence that God 
 will help us to succeed in this cause, that He will prosper 
 us, and that this country will be preserved and made glo 
 rious in the end. But I was going to refer to the present 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 229 
 
 state of affairs. General Grant is, as you know, at the 
 head of all the armies. It might seem superfluous for me 
 to attempt to give my opinion to the people about the mer- 
 
 COLD HARBOR BATTLE-GROUNn. 
 
 its and success of General Grant, but nevertheless I will 
 do so. I have known him for a great number of years. 
 General Grant possesses qualities which preeminently fit 
 him for the position he now holds. He is distinguished 
 for magnanimity ; he is one of the most magnanimous men 
 I ever knew ; he is entirely unambitious and unselfish ; he 
 is a capital judge of men, and he possesses, in a remark 
 able degree, the quality of good common sense. These 
 qualities, I think, will make a pretty good general, partic 
 ularly when he has good generals to deal with, because if 
 
230 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 he is magnanimous he will give everybody credit for what 
 they have done, and not seek to rob them of the fame 
 which they have honestly earned. If he is unambitious, 
 he will not seek to undermine innocent persons who may 
 seem to be in the way ; and if he has good common sense, 
 and good judgment, he will keep each man below him to 
 that specific duty for which he is best fitted ; so that Gen 
 eral Grant, who combines all these qualifications, is very 
 apt to succeed. And General Grant thus far has been 
 successful, and the chances are that he will succeed in the 
 future." 
 
 General Burnside left his home at Providence on the 
 nth of April, 1864, and on his arrival at Annapolis took 
 command of the Ninth Corps, then nearly twenty-five 
 thousand strong. He organized the corps into four divi 
 sions, General Stevenson commanding the first, General 
 Potter the second, General Willcox the third, and General 
 Ferrero the fourth, which was composed entirely of colored 
 troops. Every preparation was made for an active cam 
 paign, and the troops expected to embark at Annapolis for 
 South Carolina, but when, early on the morning of the 
 22d, tents were struck, the line of march was taken up to 
 Washington, and not to the wharves. On the night of the 
 24th, the troops encamped on the Baltimore turnpike, near 
 Bladensburgh, and about six miles from Washington. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 25th, the head of the col 
 umn entered the city. President Lincoln, with a few 
 friends, occupied a balcony at Willard s Hotel, where he 
 received a marching salute from the troops. It was a de 
 lightful spring day, a shower having laid the dust, and the 
 Ninth Corps appeared to great advantage. On their tat 
 tered battle-flags were inscriptions of battles in six states 
 in which they had participated, and the spectators were 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUKNSIDE. 231 
 
 alike struck by the firm and soldierly bearing of the vete 
 rans, and the eager and expectant countenances of the 
 men composing the new regiments. The colored troops 
 appeared to great advantage, and President Lincoln ac 
 knowledged their cheers with great respect and courtesy. 
 Hour after hour the column, with its long wagon-train, 
 moved past, the spectators greeting each successive regi 
 ment with enthusiastic cheers. Crossing Long Bridge, the 
 corps went into camp near Alexandria, and it was known 
 that the_y were thenceforth to again form a portion of the 
 Army of the Potomac, then under the command of Gen 
 eral Grant. 
 
 Lieutenant-General Grant s plan of campaign was very 
 much like that of General Burnside s when he took com 
 mand of the Army of the Potomac. He evidently pro 
 posed to make a rapid march across the Rapidan at its 
 lowest fords, and across the Rappahannock at the fords 
 above Falmouth, seizing upon the roads leading from 
 Richmond to Fredericksburg, thus turning General Lee s 
 fortified position and threatening his communication with 
 the rebel capital. The line from the lower Rappahannock 
 to Richmond was accepted as the most feasible for accom 
 plishing his object, and he proposed "to fight it out on 
 that line, if it took him all summer." General Burnside s 
 plan was almost identical with this, but he had the disad 
 vantages of an inclement season, an untrained command, 
 and reluctant, if not insubordinate, generals. 
 
 On the 3d of May, 1864, General Grant put the Army of 
 the Potomac in motion for Spottsylvania Court House, and 
 General Burnside was ordered to follow him with the 
 Ninth Corps. On the 5th occurred the celebrated battle 
 of the Wilderness, which raged for two days on ground 
 chosen by General Lee, and unfavorable for the use of in- 
 
232 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 fantry or of cavalry. It was an infantry fight in a dense 
 tract of woodland, in which the Confederate forces were 
 shifted from one side of the field to the other, and hurled 
 in masses, now on one wing and now on the other of the 
 Union army. Early on the morning of the 6th, General 
 Burnside led his corps into the action near the Wilderness 
 tavern, after they had marched all night. Not following 
 the example of Gen. Fitz John Porter when he was or 
 dered to reinforce General Pope, General Burnside has 
 tened to the rescue and insured the victory. 
 
 The fight was a desperate one, and General Lee, who 
 had for two days dashed against the Northern troops some 
 of his bravest legions, was forced to withdraw on Satur 
 day, and to leave the field and the victory. General Grant, 
 in his report of the operations of the campaign, with char 
 acteristic justice declares that, " considering that a large 
 proportion probably two thirds of General Burnside s 
 command was composed of new troops, unaccustomed to 
 marches and carrying the accoutrements of a soldier, this 
 was a remarkable march." 
 
 General Grant pushed the Confederates back, step by 
 step, closely supported at every point by the Ninth Corps, 
 which lost heavily. No less than five thousand five hun 
 dred of its men were disabled in the battles of the Wilder 
 ness and around Spottsylvania Court House. 
 
 General Grant next moved towards the North Anna 
 River, and several contests took place, followed by the 
 battle of Cold Harbor, which was fought on the 3d of 
 June, 1864. The contest raged along the entire line 
 eight miles in length from daylight until noon. In the 
 course of the morning two divisions of Hancock s corps 
 made a magnificent charge on an earth-work which was 
 the key of the enemy s position, but they \vere driven out 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 233 
 
 and back, and were forced to retreat within their own lines 
 under a murderous fire. The Ninth Corps bore the brunt 
 of the battle on the right, and were on the point of secur 
 ing a decided advantage, when General Burnside received 
 orders to cease all offensive operations. 
 
 MAP OF THE BATTLE-FIELD OF COLD IIARBOK. 
 
 At midnight on the 6th, and again on the 7th, the Con 
 federates made a severe attack upon the Ninth Corps, but 
 on each occasion they were bravely and promptly re 
 pulsed. 
 
 On the night of the i2th of June, 1864, a flank move 
 ment was begun, and the celebrated change of base af 
 fected, which placed the Army of the Potomac on the south 
 side of the James, in front of Petersburg. No campaign 
 of the war had been so severe on human endurance and 
 courage as this forty days campaign under Lieutenant- 
 General Grant. The Ninth Corps, which, during this 
 time, had lost in killed, wounded, and missing over seven 
 thousand nine hundred men, had done all that had been 
 required of it promptly and gallantly. 
 
 Whether General Grant could have placed his army on 
 the south side of the James River without the vast expen- 
 
234 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 diture of human life which marked this campaign, is a 
 question which future historians, removed from the per 
 sonal feelings of the present, will be called upon to decide. 
 If General Lee exhibited great capacity for defense, it 
 was demonstrated during this five weeks campaign that he 
 had met with more than his match in the tenacity and the 
 persistency with which General Grant pushed on his ag 
 gressive operations. 
 
 General Lee was greatly aided (as has been well re 
 marked by the Rev. Mr. Woodbury) by the peculiar for 
 mation of the portion of Virginia which was the scene of 
 these military operations. There were rivers crossing the 
 lines of march almost at right angles ; forests of vast ex 
 tent, which afforded concealment for the movements of an 
 army on its defense or retreating ; marshes which could be 
 used for the protection of positions selected for a stand ; 
 hills, each one of which could speedily be made to become 
 a fort ; and all these strengthened by all the appliances of 
 engineering skill which had leisurely constructed defen 
 sive works in view of just this contingency, or had hastily 
 thrown them up as the emergency demanded. But all 
 his skill, his ability, his resources, the advantages of his 
 chosen positions, the very favorable opportunities which 
 the natural features of the country supplied, were of little 
 avail, except to postpone defeat for a season. In the end 
 they were compelled to give way before the indomitable 
 will, the resistless and steady advance, the undaunted spirit, 
 the matchless persistence and energy of Lieutenant-Gen- 
 eral Grant and his army. 
 
 The advance was slow, and it has been well said that 
 every mile was marked with brave men s blood, yet the 
 Army of the Potomac moved onward, and the Confederate 
 forces retreated. Positions which could not be successfully 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 235 
 
 carried by assault without a vast expenditure of human 
 life, were turned by skillful flank movements, which were 
 equivalent to battles won. In all these operations the 
 Ninth Corps participated so gallantly as to reflect the 
 highest honor upon all its officers and men, and especially 
 upon its hopeful general and his division commanders. 
 When it was said that the Ninth Corps, during those forty 
 days of marching and fighting, complied with every de 
 mand upon human endurance and human courage, per 
 forming all that was required of it, and suffering commen- 
 surately, the highest praise was awarded both to the living 
 and to the dead. 
 
 General Burnside, always ready to waive his rank, per 
 mitted the incorporation of the Ninth Corps into the Army 
 of the Potomac, which made him subordinate to General 
 Meade. Well might General Harrison, a Senator of the 
 United States, afterwards say that jealousy, that bane of 
 military life, never found harbor in Burnside s heart : 
 
 "There was no room in that -well-lighted breast for this black angel. 
 As a subordinate, he never failed to yield a quick and loyal obedience to 
 his superior; nor ever sought to justify his own judgment in the council 
 by a hesitating support of the plan of battle which his superior had 
 chosen. He was a true soldier one who had not only a master but a 
 cause, into the fellowship of which he received all who made that cause 
 common. He might join in the high rivalry of those who would give 
 most to this sacred cause, or win most honor to the flag; but if he might 
 not be first to plant the Hag on the enemy s battlements, he would at least 
 be found among those who hailed with cheers both the flag and the 
 victor." 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE SIEGE OF PETERSBURG THE MINE BENEATH THE ENEMY S 
 WORKS PLAN OF ATTACK THE COLORED TROOPS COUNTED 
 OUT THE ASSAULT DELAY IN THE EXPLOSION A TERRIBLE 
 SCENE GENERAL MEADE PETULANT RETREAT OF THE NINTH 
 CORPS AFTER HARD FIGHTING RELIEVED FROM DUTY. 
 
 EUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT, having become 
 convinced that he could not capture Richmond by 
 a flank movement, determined to besiege the en 
 emy, who was securely entrenched before Petersburg and 
 Richmond. His headquarters was established at City 
 Point, with the Army of the James keeping his lines north 
 of the James River, and the Army of the Potomac those 
 on the south bank. Frequent assaults were made, both 
 from the right and left. The lines were gradually ex 
 tended, and although General Lee made several desperate 
 attempts to release himself, he soon found that to move out 
 of his entrenchments at any point was certain destruction, 
 while to stay and be besieged was equally as certain, 
 though the process was slower and longer. 
 
 The Ninth Corps was in front of Petersburg, and from 
 day to day, for six weeks, by the aid of the shovel and the 
 pick, General Burnside s lines were insidiously advanced 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 2 37 
 
 by zig-zags and covered ways, until the outline pickets 
 of both armies had scarcely five hundred yards between 
 them. The sharp-shooters on either side were especially 
 vigilant, and skir 
 mishing and artillery 
 fire were almost in 
 cessant. It was only 
 necessary for General 
 Burnside to occupy 
 Cemetery Hill, to 
 place his guns in a 
 position where they 
 would command an 
 easy range of the old 
 town of Petersburg. 
 The crest of this hill, 
 frowning with guns, 
 was not more than 
 eight hundred yards 
 distant from the ad 
 vance works of the Ninth Corps, and its gently sloping 
 sides were welted with long rows of earth-works, pitted 
 with redoubts and redans, and ridged with serried salients 
 and curtains, and all the works of defense known to the 
 educated military engineers. 
 
 The vital importance to the Union Army of Cemetery 
 Hill was evident to all, and many schemes were advanced 
 by which it might be made useless for the enemy s pur 
 pose, or made to change hands altogether ; but to take it by 
 direct assault must .necessarily cost many lives, and the at 
 tempt might not be a success. It was then that Lieut. -Col. 
 Henry Pleasants of the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volun 
 teers, which was in General Potter s division of the Ninth 
 
 GEN. U. S. GRANT. 
 
2 3 8 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Corps, conceived the idea of mining the enemy s redoubt 
 in front of Cemetery Hill, and blowing its contents into 
 the air. The Forty-eighth Pennsylvania had been re 
 cruited in the coal regions of that State. Colonel Pleas- 
 ants was a practical miner, and so were nearly all of its 
 officers and men. They had talked over the practica 
 bility of this work, and they were anxious to undertake it. 
 When the project was laid before General Burnside, he 
 consulted the engineer on his staff, Maj. J. C. Duane, 
 who ridiculed the whole plan as impracticable, and even 
 impossible of execution. General Burnside was of a dif 
 ferent opinion, and, laying the project before General 
 Meade, who was at that time his commanding officer, he 
 received authority to go on with the work. 
 
 Colonel Pleasants and his men commenced work on the 
 25th of June, under great disadvantages. No officer of 
 rank, except -Generals Burnside and Potter, gave them 
 any encouragement. The miners were obliged to carry 
 out the earth in bread-boxes, and to cut down bushes and 
 strew over the excavated material to prevent the suspicions 
 of the enemy. They were not even allowed the use of 
 a theodolite at General Meade s headquarters, for their 
 measurements, and they were obliged to send to Wash 
 ington for an instrument. The roof of the mine was 
 propped up by old lumber, picked up about the camp, 
 and the ventilation improvised for the occasion was im 
 perfect. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, eighteen 
 thousand cubic feet of earth was removed, and on the 2 3 d 
 of July, a subterranean gallery five hundred and ten feet 
 long, with two lateral galleries, one thirty-seven feet long 
 and the other thirty-eight feet, with eight magazines, had 
 been constructed. Four magazines were placed in each 
 lateral gallery made beneath the enemy s earth-work. It 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 230 
 
 was supposed at one time that the Confederates suspected 
 the existence of the mine, but after listening intently, it 
 was ascertained that the troops who occupied the redoubt 
 were engaged in the ordinary drill and fatigue duty, little 
 imagining what was going on immediately under their 
 feet. 
 
 Lieutenant-General Grant had meanwhile been anxious 
 to make an assault upon the Confederate works, and had 
 requested the views of General Meade upon the chances 
 of success. General Meade, in turn, had asked the advice 
 of his corps commanders. General Burnside, on the 3d of 
 July, replied that he thought it best to wait until the mine 
 was completed, unless it was the question of changing the 
 plan of operations, in which case he was in favor of an 
 immediate assault ; then he added, " If an assault be made 
 now, I think we have a fair chance of success, provided 
 my corps can make the attack, and it is left for me to say 
 when and how the other two corps shall come to my sup 
 port." General Meade took offence at this remark, as a 
 reflection, on the part of General Burnside, upon his skill 
 as the commanding general of the Army of the Potomac. 
 In his reply, dated on the 4th of July, General Meade de 
 clared that in all offensive operations he should " exercise 
 the prerogative of" his " position, to control and direct 
 the same," and intimated that the " acceding" on his part 
 to General Burnside s conditions " would not be consis 
 tent with" his "position of commanding general of the 
 army/ General Burnside immediately sent his dis 
 claimer of any wish to assume the prerogative which did 
 not belong to him, and which had only existed in the sus 
 picious imagination of General Meade. The correspond 
 ence closed, but it was never forgotten by the commander 
 
 o */ 
 
 of the Army of the Potomac, and it was the first step in the 
 
2 AO LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 combination of unfortunate circumstances which changed 
 the anticipated victory into a gloomy and deplorable defeat. 
 
 One division of the Ninth Corps, commanded by Gen 
 eral Ferrero, was composed entirely of colored men a 
 large proportion of them emancipated slaves. Not having 
 participated in the previous campaign, they were compara 
 tively fresh, and they desired to take a conspicuous part in 
 the coming conflict. It was the wish of General Burnside 
 to make them his assaulting column at the explosion of the 
 mine, and they were drilled on a similarly situated piece 
 of ground in the rear of the Union lines, for the particular 
 service which was expected of them. 
 
 The mine was at last finished. Eight thousand pounds 
 of powder were placed in the eight magazines, and three 
 fuses were laid. General Burnside s original plan had 
 provided for six fuses and two electric wires, to insure the 
 explosion of the mine beyond question without delay, but 
 no wires at all were furnished, and the fuse was in pieces, 
 with no material for splicing the ends together but some 
 old blankets. It seemed to ordinary observers as though 
 General Meade had determined that the enterprise should 
 fail, and that the adverse opinion which had been given 
 at the outset should thus have its justification. Col 
 onel Pleasants persevered, however, and at last reported 
 the mine ready for explosion. Then General Meade ap 
 peared to have received a new inspiration, for he acknowl 
 edged that he " had every reason to believe that the explo 
 sion of the mine and the subsequent assault on the crest 
 would be successful, and would be followed by results 
 which would have consisted in the capture of the whole of 
 the enemy s artillery and the greater part of his infantry." 
 
 On the 26th of July, General Burnside submitted to 
 General Meade a carefully prepared plan of attack. He 
 
GEN. AM/iJfOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 2 4 r 
 
 proposed to explode the mine just before daylight in the 
 
 morning, or about five o clock in the afternoon. Then he 
 
 would send in General Ferrero s division of colored troops 
 
 in two columns to attack ; the leading regiments of each 
 
 to deploy into line, as 
 
 soon as they had passed 
 
 through the breach made 
 
 by the explosion. Each 
 
 column to then wheel 
 
 outward and sweep the 
 
 enemy s line right and 
 
 left, thus attacking the 
 
 Confederates on each 
 
 flank. Meanwhile the | 
 
 other three divisions of \ 
 
 white troops in the Ninth 
 
 Corps would follow, and 
 
 complete the work by 
 
 occupying Cemetery 
 
 Hill and compelling the enemy to evacuate his line of 
 
 works. 
 
 General Meade, who possessed a prejudice against the 
 colored race, resulting from his having known it while in a 
 servile condition, was not willing that General Ferrero s 
 
 O 
 
 corps should lead the assault. He insisted that a division 
 of white troops must attack, and instead of sweeping the 
 enemy s lines right and left, should "rush for the crest." 
 It was evident from the persistence with which he opposed 
 the adoption of General Burnside s plan, that General Meade 
 cherished a belief that " acceding" to it might not be " con 
 sistent with his position as commanding general " of the 
 Army of the Potomac. After considerable discussion, 
 however, he referred the case to the decision of General 
 
 16 
 
 GEN. GEORGE G. MEADE. 
 
242 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Grant, who had no personal knowledge of the subject, 
 and could only base his opinion on the statement of Gen 
 eral Meade. The decision was adverse, as might have 
 been expected : 
 
 IlEADqUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ") 
 
 . 10.15 A. M., July 29, 1864. j 
 
 Major-General Burnside, commanding Ninth Corps, : 
 
 I am instructed to say that the major-general commanding submitted 
 to the Lieutenant-General commanding the Armies, your proposition to 
 form the leading columns of assault of the black troops, and that he, as 
 well as the major-general commanding, does not approve the proposi 
 tion, but directs that these columns be formed of the white troops. 
 
 A. A. HUMPHREYS, 
 
 Major- General, Chief of Stajf. 
 S. WlLLiA.vs, Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 The colored troops were not permitted to lead the as 
 sault, and the whole plan of attack was changed. At 
 noon, on the 2pth of July, General Meade gave General 
 Burnside his orders for the next day. The assault was to 
 be made by General Burnside, whose three divisions of 
 white troops were to make for the summit of Cemetery Hill, 
 and occupy it. The other troops were to support the attack. 
 General Burnside was grievously disappointed, but he 
 accepted the situation, complied strictly with General 
 Meade s instructions, and issued his orders exactly in ac 
 cordance with those of the "Commanding General." 
 That night a large train of empty wagons was kept m 
 motion, and the enemy was induced to believe that- the 
 movement upon Richmond had been commenced. The 
 short summer night passed anxiously away, and soon after 
 two o clock en the morning of Saturday, July 30, 1864, 
 General Burnside left his headquarters, and reported to 
 what was known as the " Fourteen Gun Battery," directly 
 
GK.Y. .i.i/jtA osj-: A-. BUJINSIDE. 243 
 
 opposite the mine, to personally direct the operations of the 
 Ninth Corps. (ieneral Meade soon alter occupied the 
 spot which General Burns! de had just vacated, a shady 
 grove nearh a mile in the rear, where he was soon 
 joined by General Grant. Telegraphic communication 
 was established between General Meade and General 
 Burnside. 
 
 The time fixed tor the assault was half-past three o clock, 
 when, as there was no moon, the darkness would shut out 
 from the enemy the stir and bustle of the Union troops as 
 they got into position. Hut here the lirst misfortune of the 
 day occurred. The army stood in suspense and silent 
 patience, waiting for the explosion. But there was none. 
 The fuse had gone out. The powder had become damp 
 where the splices had been made. At quarter-past four 
 o clock two brave men Lieut. Jacob Douty and Sergeant 
 (afterwards Lieutenant) Henry Rees, of the Forty-eighth 
 Pennsylvania Volunteers volunteered to go into the 
 mine and ascertain where the fuses had failed, put them 
 in order, and light them. They performed their dangerous 
 duty with coolness and bravery. The fuses were re-lighted, 
 and at sixteen minutes before live o clock the mine was 
 exploded. 
 
 The scene that ensued beggars description. For seve 
 ral seconds the ground swayed and quaked, then the earth 
 was rent and a terrific sound burst upon the morning air. 
 The immense mass of dull earth was thrown high in air, 
 and those who were near the spot say that the clods of 
 earth were mingled with cannon, caissons, camp-equip 
 age, and human bodies, all shooting out in that fountain 
 of horror, to fall into shapeless and pulveri/ed atoms ; 
 where there had been a formidable earth-work, with its 
 guns and men, now yawned a great crater two hundred 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 feet long, fifty feet wide, and twenty-five feet deep. In 
 it were the bodies of the dead, crushed and mangled out 
 of all resemblance to humanity, writhing forms partly 
 buried, arms protruding here and legs struggling there, 
 while with this chaos of mutilated humanity were frag 
 ments of weapons and munitions of war. Meanwhile 
 the heavy guns and field artillery of the Army of the Poto 
 mac simultaneously opened fire. 
 
 The Fourteenth New York heavy artillery led the 
 assaulting column, descended into the crater, and endeav 
 ored to pass through it, dash forward and storm the 
 crest of the hill. They had nearly gained the summit, 
 subject all the 1 time to the severe fire of shot and shell, 
 when they faltered and were compelled to fall back to the 
 partial protection of the crater, leaving the ground thickly 
 strewn with the dying and the dead. 
 
 General Meade, from his headquarters in the grove, 
 back in the rear, where he could hear the roar of battle 
 but could not see what was going on, ordered General 
 Burnside to "push forward" his "men at all hazards, 
 white and black," and to have them " rush for the crest." 
 General Ferrero was at once ordered in, and the colored 
 troops charged gallantly, capturing and sending to the 
 rear a stand of colors. Then one regiment, the Thirty- 
 ninth Maryland, became panic-stricken and broke through 
 to the rear. Their officers urged, then entreated, then 
 threatened, but failed to rally them, and the mass, broken 
 and shattered, swept back like a torrent into the crater, 
 which was all choked with white troops. 
 
 Again did two divisions of the Ninth Corps advance up 
 the hill, but all this time no attempt was made to relieve 
 them by the other corps, which it was expected would 
 support them. 
 
. e 
 
 PETERSBURG. 
 
 THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS AROUND PETERSBURG 
 
246 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 At twenty minutes after seven o clock, General Burn- 
 side telegraphed to General Meade : "I am doing all in 
 my power to push the troops forward, and if possible we 
 will carry the crest. It is hard work, but we hope to 
 accomplish it." 
 
 Ten minutes later, General Meade sent the following 
 written answer : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, 
 
 7.30 A. M., July 30, 1864. 
 Major- General Burnside : 
 
 What do you mean by hard work to take the crest? I understand not 
 a man has advanced beyond the enemy s line which you occupied imme 
 diately after exploding the mine. 
 
 Do you mean to say your officers and men will not obey your orders to 
 advance? If not, what is the obstacle? I wish to know the truth, and 
 desire an immediate answer. 
 
 GEO. G. MEADE, 
 
 Major- General. 
 
 The general promptly replied to this ill-natured effusion 
 as follows : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, 
 
 BATTERY MORTON, July 30, 1864. 
 General Meade : 
 
 Your dispatch, by Captain Jay, received. The main body of General 
 Potter s division is beyond the crater. I do not mean to say that my 
 officers and men will not obey my orders to advance. I mean to say that 
 it is very hard work to advance to the crest. 
 
 1 have never, in any report, said anything different from what I con 
 ceived to be the truth. Were it not insubordinate, I would say that the 
 latter remark of your note was unofficerlike and ungentlemanly. 
 Respectfully yours, 
 
 A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 
 Major- General. 
 
 At eight o clock, General Burnside whose corps occu 
 pied the advance lines of the enemy s works, had seized 
 four stands of colors, and had planted the stars and 
 
>.v 
 
 VHOUHVJD 
 
 PETERSBURG. 
 
 THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS AROUND PETERSBURG 
 
2A.6 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 At twenty minutes after seven o clock, General Burn- 
 side telegraphed to General Meade : "I am doing all in 
 my power to push the troops forward, and if possible we 
 will carry the crest. It is hard work, but we hope to 
 accomplish it." 
 
 Ten minutes later, General Meade sent the following 
 written answer : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, 
 7.30 A. M. , July 30, 1864. 
 
 Major-General Burnside : 
 
 What do you mean by hard work to take the crest? I understand not 
 a man has advanced beyond the enemy s line which you occupied imme 
 diately after exploding the mine. 
 
 Do you mean to say your officers and men will not obey your orders to 
 advance? If not, what is the obstacle? I wish to know the truth, and 
 desire an immediate answer. 
 
 GEO. G. MEADE, 
 
 Major- General. 
 
 The general promptly replied to this ill-natured effusion 
 as follows : 
 
 HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, 
 
 BATTERY MORTON, July 30, 1864. 
 General Meade : 
 
 Your dispatch, by Captain Jay, received. The main body of General 
 Potter s division is beyond the crater. I do not mean to say that my 
 officers and men will not obey my orders to advance. I mean to say that 
 it is very hard work to advance to the crest. 
 
 1 have never, in any report, said anything different from what I con 
 ceived to be the truth. Were it not insubordinate, I would say that the 
 latter remark of your note was unofficerlike and ungentlemanly. 
 Respectfully yours, 
 
 A. E. BURNSIDE, 
 
 Majo r- General. 
 
 At eight o clock, General Burnside whose corps occu 
 pied the advance lines of the enemy s works, had seized 
 four stands of colors, and had planted the stars and 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 stripes high up on Cemetery Hill asked that the Fifth 
 Corps, commanded by General Warren, might be ordered 
 to attack, that a diversion might" be made. The request 
 was refused, and at half-past nine o clock General Meade 
 telegraphed to Generals Burnside, Warren, and Ord to 
 withdraw their respective commands to their camps. Fif 
 teen minutes later the order was peremptorily repeated to 
 General Burnside. The Ninth Corps had seen the troops 
 from which they expected support marched oft in sight of 
 the enemy, leaving them in the crater, and General Burn- 
 side, who had not been allowed to exercise the slightest 
 discretion in moving or fighting his command, was left to 
 withdraw them as best he could. The intervening space 
 between the crater and the Union lines was swept by the 
 enemy s guns, but General Meade was impatient and im 
 perative, and the Ninth Corps suffered greatly as they 
 withdrew, defeated but not disheartened. General Burn- 
 side, sorrow-stricken by the contemplation of this lament 
 able result of his well-laid plan, retired to his quarters at 
 two o clock in the afternoon. The losses of this bloody 
 day amounted to about five thousand in killed, wounded, 
 and missing, nine-tenths of which fell upon the Ninth 
 Corps, and were largely incurred during the withdrawal 
 from the crater. Neither the Second nor the Fifth Corps 
 lost fifty men all told. General Meade at once undertook 
 to try General Burnside by court-martial, and prepared 
 elaborate charges and specifications, but they were disap 
 proved by General Grant. President Lincoln, at General 
 Burnside s request, ordered a court of inquiry "to examine 
 into and report the facts" attendant upon the assault of July 
 30. General Burnside was relieved from the command of 
 the Ninth Corps on the I3th of August, and immediately 
 left for his home at Providence. Before leaving he ten- 
 
2*8 GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 dered his resignation, which Lieutenant-General Grant 
 refused to receive. 
 
 Reaching Providence on the morning of August 16, 
 General Burnside met the warm and hearty welcome that 
 he had so often received in Rhode Island, and that he 
 always deserved. His fellow-citizens had watched his 
 course of skillful and gallant service, and they felt confi 
 dent that when all the facts were known, he would come 
 out of the investigation, as he had come out of every other 
 test, with uncliminished claims upon the confidence and 
 admiration of the country. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 POPULAR DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE RESULT AT PETERSBURG 
 A COURT-MARTIAL ASKED FOR BY GENERAL MEADE A COURT 
 OF INQUIRY ORDERED TESTIMONY FINDINGS OF THE COURT 
 REVIEW OF THEM RETURN TO PROVIDENCE VISITS THE 
 WHITE MOUNTAINS SPEECH AT THE CENTENNIAL OF BROWN 
 UNIVERSITY. 
 
 THE disastrous result of the assault of July 30, 
 1864, after the explosion of the mine beneath the 
 enemy s works before Petersburg, discouraged 
 the public mind in the Northern states more than any 
 previous defeat of the war, with the exception, perhaps, of 
 the first battle of Bull Run. The determination, on the 
 part of those who opposed the emancipation of the slaves, 
 to disparage the employment of negro troops, led them to 
 sharply criticise General Burnside, and to select him as 
 a scape-goat of the failure. Others joined in the attack, 
 forgetting his brave service in North Carolina and East 
 Tennessee; forgetting the developments in regard to the 
 assault at Fredericksburg, which certainly did not leave 
 him culpable, and forgetting the history of the intrigues 
 in the Army of the Potomac, in the midst of which the one 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 thing steadily clear was the character of Burnside. The 
 disappointment of the mine betrayed the loyal North into 
 an injustice, and the general was most sharply and im 
 patiently condemned. Those who knew him (to quote 
 the words of George William Curtis), bided their time. 
 Those who knew his good sense, his soldierly character, 
 his brave integrity, and who remembered his service, 
 were very sure it would at last appear that, however 
 severe and deplorable the misfortune, it could not be justly 
 charged upon his sheer incapacity, or that the hero of 
 Newbern and Knoxville had suddenly become a "blun 
 derer and a butcher." As for the general, he was no more 
 daunted by calumny than by canister, and stood as firm 
 and calm amidst the peltings of popular misrepresentation, 
 as in the storm of shot and shell. "Some of us must lose 
 our lives in this war," said he, " and some of us our repu 
 tations, perhaps, and a few must lose both ;" and when he 
 was urged to publish some explanation of the circum 
 stances, he replied smilingly, "when the war is over there 
 will be plenty of time to clean damaged reputations." 
 
 General Meade was the foremost among those who 
 censured General Burnside. On the fourth day after the 
 disaster he requested Lieutenant-General Grant to relieve 
 General Burnside from further duty with the Army of the 
 Potomac. He also preferred charges against him, wishing 
 to try him by court-martial. These charges were for 
 "disobedience of orders," and "conduct prejudicial to 
 good order and military discipline." The specifications of 
 the first charge were, for failure in communicating infor 
 mation, and neglect in relieving the Eighteenth Corps. 
 That of the second was for addressing to General Meade 
 a dispatch intimating that one of his orders was unofficer- 
 like and ungentlemanly in tone. General Grant consid- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 ered these charges frivolous, and refused to order a court- 
 marshal, or to relieve General Burnside from duty. 
 
 General Meade, however, was not disposed to allow the 
 matter to rest, and ordered a court of inquiry to investi 
 gate the mine and subsequent assault. This court was 
 composed of General Hancock, who commanded the Sec 
 ond Corps, General Ayres, who commanded a division of 
 the Fifth Corps, and General Miles who commanded a 
 brigade of the Second Corps, 1 all officers in the support 
 ing corps on the day of battle. Colonel Schriver, in 
 spector-general at General Meade s headquarters, was 
 the judge-advocate of the court, which decided when it 
 first met that it could not proceed without the authority of 
 the President of the United States. General Meade then 
 obtained the legalization of the court by the President, 
 and it commenced its sittings in camp on the 6th of August. 
 
 General Burnside made a formal protest to the Secre 
 tary of War against the constitution of the court, on the 
 ground that the officers composing it had commands in 
 the supporting columns, which were not brought into action 
 on the 3oth of July, and that the judge-advocate was a 
 member of General Meade s staff, and felt that he had a 
 right to ask that if an investigation were made it should be 
 by officers who did not belong to the Army of the Potomac, 
 and who were not selected by General Meade. He did 
 not shrink from an investigation, but desired that it should 
 be removed from even the suspicion of partiality. Secre 
 tary Stanton did not perceive the force of the objection, 
 and assured General Burnside that he might feel entire 
 confidence in the fairness and justice of the President in 
 reviewing the case. "The action of the board of in 
 quiry," said Mr. Stanton, "will be merely to collect facts 
 for the PVesident s information." 
 
252 
 
 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The court was in session seventeen days, during which 
 time all the principal officers connected with the assault 
 were examined. General Burnside nave a detailed account 
 
 O 
 
 of the whole affair, dwelling especially on his regret at the 
 over-ruling of that part of his plan which contemplated 
 putting in the colored troops. He went on to say : "I 
 am under the impression that I broached the subject my 
 self, as to the colored division taking the advance, but 
 whether I did or not, he (General Meade) informed me 
 that General Grant coincided with him in opinion, and it 
 was decided that I could not put that division in advance. 
 I felt, and I suppose I expressed, and showed, very great 
 disappointment at this announcement; and finally, in the 
 conversation which occurred, and to which there are two 
 witnesses here present, I asked General Meade if that de 
 cision could not be changed. He said, No, General, it 
 cannot ; it is final, and you must put in your white troops. 
 No doubt in the conversation I gave some of the reasons 
 for not wishing to put the white troops in that I had given 
 at his headquarters, but of that I am not certain." 
 
 The court, on the seventeenth day, delivered an elaborate 
 "finding." After stating the causes of failure, and the 
 reasons why the attack ought to Have been successful, they 
 gave the names of five officers who appeared, in their opin 
 ion, to be "answerable for the want of success." The 
 first of these officers was Major-General Burnside, who 
 was answerable because he had failed to obey the orders 
 of the commanding general, viz. : 
 
 1. In not giving such formation to his assaulting column as to insure 
 a reasonable prospect of success. 
 
 2. In not preparing his parapets and abatis for the passage of the col 
 umns of assault. 
 
 3. In not employing engineer officers, who reported to him, to lead the 
 assaulting columns with working parties, and not causing to be provided 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 2 ^1 
 
 ** o o 
 
 proper materials necessary for crowning the crest when the assaulting 
 columns should arrive there. 
 
 4. In neglecting to execute Major-General Meade s orders, respecting 
 the prompt advance of General Ledlie s troops from the crater to the 
 cres-t: or, in default of accomplishing that, not causing those troops to 
 fall hack and give place to other troops more -willing and equal to the 
 task, instead of delaving until the opportunity passed awav, thus afford 
 ing time for the enemy to recover from his surprise, concentrate his fire, 
 and bring his troops to operate against the Union troops assembled use- 
 lesslv in the crater. 
 
 The court added: "Notwithstanding the failure to com 
 ply with orders and to apply proper military principles 
 ascribed to General Burnside, the Court is satisfied and 
 believe that the measures taken by him would insure suc 
 cess/ 
 
 The testimony upon which the court based its opinion 
 does not justify the finding. General Burnside was shown 
 to have manifested a desire to execute the orders of Gen 
 eral Meade, and his battle-order to his division officers, 
 through whom alone it could be executed, was as clear as 
 General Meade s order to him. The formation of his 
 column of assault must have been determined by the offi 
 cers having the immediate direction of the attack, and was 
 answerable in this by the condition of the ground. Indeed, 
 the formation was not altogether by the flank ; for Gen 
 eral Hartranft testified that "he formed his command, 
 which was immediately in the rear of the first division, in 
 two regiments front." 
 
 The second point made by the court against General 
 Burnside, in not having made preparation for the passage 
 of the assault columns, is not sustained by the evidence. 
 There was no necessity for the leveling of the parapets, 
 and the abatis was so much cut up by the enemy s fire as 
 to offer little obstruction to the advance. General Willcox 
 stated that what was left of it when his division passed 
 
2 54 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 over was no obstacle whatever. Captain Farquhar, the 
 chief engineer of the Eighteenth Corps, testified that 
 " there seemed to be room enough at" his " salient to pass 
 over certainly in regimental front," but the passage was 
 not practicable for artillery ; moreover, more troops passed 
 out of the lines than could be well handled upon the 
 ground they occupied. 
 
 The third point made by the court against General 
 Burnside, for " not causing to be provided the necessary 
 materials for crowning the crest," is utterly at variance 
 with the testimony. General Burnside testified that an 
 engineer regiment was detailed for the advance of his 
 corps, fully equipped with the necessary tools for en 
 trenching. General Potter testified that his regiment of 
 engineers was immediately in the neighborhood of the 
 breast-works, prepared, with spades and pick-axes, to level 
 the works for the passage of field batteries, in case the 
 forward command was not successful, and that axes were 
 provided with which the chevaux-dc-frise on the enemy s 
 line for two or three hundred yards was broken down. 
 General Griffin testified that he had under his command a 
 pioneer corps equipped with the necessary implements and 
 tools. Major Randall testified that he saw the Twenty- 
 fifth Massachusetts near the crater, equipped with shovels 
 and spades. 
 
 Two officers of the corps of engineers, who had been 
 sent from the headquarters of General Meade but who 
 were not employed by him, were ignorant concerning the 
 employment of working troops ; but their vague statements 
 should not have been permitted by the court to outweigh 
 the positive testimony above mentioned. 
 
 The fourth point by the court made against General 
 Burnside, that he had not pushed forward General Ledlie s 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS1DE. 255 
 
 division from the crater to the crest of the hill, was not 
 supported by any testimony. On the contrary, Sergeant 
 Chubb testified that General Lecllie received orders in his 
 hearing "to move his troops forward from where they 
 were then lying," and that General Ledlie " frequently sent 
 his aides-de-camp to have them move forward." The 
 court, in censuring General Ledlie, based its condemna 
 tion of that officer upon his neglect to report the condition 
 of affairs to his commander. Thus General Burnside was 
 censured for not sending General Ledlie s troops forward, 
 and General Ledlie was censured for failing to give the 
 information upon which General Burnside was expected to 
 act. General Burnside was answerable for the failure, be 
 cause he did not withdraw General Ledlie s troops in 
 order to give place to others, but it was manifestly im 
 possible to withdraw the troops while General Meade was 
 continually ordering them forward. 
 
 The court also held " answerable for the want of suc 
 cess, General Ledlie, General Ferrero, Colonel Bliss, and 
 General Willcox." A paragraph was added to express the 
 opinion of the court, that " explicit orders should have 
 been given, assigning one officer to the command of all 
 the troops intended to engage in the assault, when the 
 commanding general was not present in person to witness 
 the operations." 
 
 General Burnside, it will be remembered, was not per 
 mitted to exercise the " prerogative" of the commanding 
 officer of the army, and he had been sharply rebuked upon 
 the mere suspicion that he had any design to do so. Gen 
 eral Meade consequently fought the battle by telegraph, 
 all the while, to use his own words, groping in the dark." 
 He positively refused to go forward when General Warren 
 suggested to him that it would be well to be where he 
 
256 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 could see and know what was doing in front. Lieutenant- 
 General Grant had behaved very differently, having gone 
 to the front to reconnoiter in person. 
 
 General Burnside having delivered his testimony before 
 the court of inquiry, left for Providence, where, as has 
 already been stated, he was heartily welcome. His health 
 having suffered, he made a visit to the White Mountains, 
 where, when called upon to address admiring crowds, he 
 took a cheerful and hopeful view of the present aspect, 
 declaring his confidence in the ability of the government 
 to crush out the Rebellion. He also expressed surprise at 
 the despondency of many persons at the North, and said 
 at Centre Harbor that he had heard more grumbling in 
 three days since he had left the army, than he had during 
 his whole march from Newbern to Petersburg. 
 
 Attending the New England Agricultural Fair at Wor 
 cester, he made a pleasant speech", in which he spoke of his 
 enjoyment on the occasion : "I have enjoyed it," said he, 
 "the more because, notwithstanding I am, in reality, a 
 citizen of Rhode Island, I was born in the extreme West, 
 and the early part of my life was passed upon a farm, and 
 you can easily realize I have enjoyed my visit to a greater 
 extent than many of the persons who are now in the sound 
 of my voice, who have passed their lives in cities and 
 towns. I am sure no one feels a greater interest in this 
 society than I, myself. I am a citizen of New England, 
 and feel fully identified with her honor and interests. My 
 mind has been so taken up with what has been occupying, 
 in fact, the minds of all of us for the last two or three 
 years since the Rebellion commenced, that I can bring it 
 to bear on nothing else. I can think of nothing else of any 
 interest except the great cause in which we are now en 
 gaged. All my strength and works I have brought to 
 bear in the proper direction, trying to do all I could to 
 
GEN. A MBit OS E E. BURXSIDE. 257 
 
 obey the constituted authorities of this government in re 
 establishing the authority which ought to be acknowledged 
 by every good citizen of the United States." 
 
 General Burnside also attended the centennial celebra 
 tion of Brown University, and was called upon for a re 
 sponse to the sentiment: "Our Honorary and Regular 
 Graduates in the Army Decus et Presidium" When 
 the applause which greeted him on rising had subsided, 
 General Burnside said, " When our Nation was in danger, 
 it became the duty of every citizen to do all in his power 
 to aid the existing authorities in their efforts to stay the 
 danger. By the fulfillment of their duty, our army I may 
 say our gallant, efficient army was created : and no unim 
 portant element of that army was constituted by the gallant 
 volunteers from this noble State, who were almost the first 
 to go to the capital for its defense ; and among them were 
 many of the distinguished graduates of this noble institu 
 tion, who have performed noble and gallant service in our 
 army, and many are now performing such service, and I, 
 as one who has been dignified and honored by the title of 
 an honorary graduate of Brown University, beg to thank 
 you for the kind remembrance in which you have held 
 those graduates on this auspicious day." 
 
 He went on to urge a cordial support to the army until 
 the Rebellion should be crushed and the authority of the 
 government sustained. " Our army," said he, " is not a 
 mercenary armv. It is composed of our own citizens. 
 Every praying man in the army, and there are a great 
 many more of them than we are apt to imagine, I say 
 every praying man in our army asks of God daily, almost 
 hourly, that peace may be reestablished ; but whilst that 
 desire is uppermost in his heart, no honest, loyal, and true 
 soldier will ever consent to a division of his countrv." 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 1864 SPEECH AT PROVIDENCE CON 
 GRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ATTACK ON PETERSBURG 
 -TESTIMONY OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT REPORT OF 
 THE COMMITTEE- CLOSE OF THE WAR RESIGNATION MILI 
 TARY CHARACTER -RETURN TO CIVIL LIFE PRESIDENT OF 
 THE CINCINNATI AND MARTINSVILLE RAILROAD. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE, relieved from military 
 cares, entered heartily into the political cam 
 paign of 1864, and participated in several political 
 demonstrations in Rhode Island. His presence always 
 awakened the enthusiastic admiration which awaits modest 
 but consummate ability, tried integrity, heroic valor, and 
 the best qualities that make the soldier and adorn the 
 man. 
 
 At a large gathering of the friends of Lincoln and 
 Johnson, held on Market Square, at Providence, General 
 Burnside told his applauding hearers that " long after this 
 Rebellion shall have been suppressed, and the names of its 
 leaders and prominent sympathizers remembered only in 
 contempt and pity, the names of Abraham Lincoln and 
 Andrew Johnson will stand out in the pages of history in 
 brilliant letters of loyalty, love of freedom and devotion to 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 250 
 
 free institutions. The great and glorious Emancipation 
 Proclamation \vill then be held up to the entire civilized 
 world as one of the wisest, noblest, and boldest edicts that 
 ever emanated from the pen of ruler or statesman. The 
 same proclamation might have been issued at an earlier 
 day by one of our uncompromising anti-slavery leaders, 
 without giving those in arms against the government who 
 held property in slaves a fair notice, and before it had 
 become apparent to any considerable portion of our people 
 that the right of protection to that class of property had 
 been forfeited by the treason of its holders ; or it might 
 have been issued by one of our leaders, who could see 
 that harm was resulting to the Union cause from the use 
 of slaves by the enemies of the government. But the 
 President gave ample warning, and delayed action much 
 longer than was thought wise by many of our patriotic 
 citizens, only taking the step when it was clear to him 
 that he owed it as a duty to the soldiers and sailors in the 
 service and to their friends at home, to give them an ad 
 ditional aid in their noble work by turning to their account 
 a force which had been used against them, either directly, 
 by building fortifications and performing other military 
 labor, or indirectly, by raising food and doing other work 
 which enabled their masters to leave their homes and take 
 up arms against their government. 
 
 "The Emancipation Proclamation," said General Burn- 
 side, "was issued as a war measure, and I will not ask 
 you, my friends, to go as far as I do in support of that 
 measure, until you are convinced of its entire wisdom, jus 
 tice, and practicability. But no harm can result from tell 
 ing you how fully and freely I support it. I have resolved 
 never to willingly do an act that will tend to enslave any 
 man, woman, or child who is made free by that procla- 
 
2 6o LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 mation, nor to fail to do all in my power as a citizen or 
 soldier, in the field or at the ballOt-box, to insure freedom 
 to all who are held in contemplation by the proclamation. 
 The obligation to keep this resolution I conceive to be as 
 binding as that which would induce me to keep a resolve 
 not to enter into an arrangement to fit out slave-ships in 
 New York or Boston harbors, for the purpose of trafficking 
 in slaves between the coast of Africa and the island of 
 Cuba ; for, if by any act I am a party to any armistice, 
 compromise, or treaty that reenslaves men made free by 
 the war measure, the responsibility of enslaving human 
 beings rests upon me." 
 
 On election-day, General Burnside heard that one of his 
 old soldiers was ill and unable to walk to the polls. Going 
 to the registry-list, he ascertained that the veteran was a 
 qualified voter, and sent his carriage for the brave fellow, 
 who was thus able to deposit his ballot to fortify the bullets he 
 had sent into the rebel ranks. While he was thus earnest 
 in encouraging the political success of the Republicans, he 
 frequently expressed his belief that those arrayed against 
 each other in hostility would be friends, and that the time 
 would come when every loyal heart would turn with kind 
 ness toward all of the Confederates who would lay down 
 their arms and recognize the authority of the government. 
 
 When Congress met, a Joint Committee on the Conduct 
 of the War was directed to inquire into and report the facts 
 concerning the attack on Petersburg. This committee met 
 in the city of Washington, at different times, from Dec. 17, 
 1864, to Jan. 16, 1865. Nearly all of those who had tes 
 tified before the court of inquiry were examined by the 
 joint committee, and their evidence was more complete 
 and clear than that which they gave before the court. 
 The questions which were put by the joint committee were 
 
GEN. AMBJtOSE E. BURNSfDE. 
 
 261 
 
 more thorough and searching in their character than those 
 put by the officers of the court to the witnesses, and they 
 expressed their opinions with greater freedom. 
 
 Lieutenant-General 
 Grant, in his testi 
 mony, showed that 
 he had permitted the 
 troops to go forward 
 under Gen. Meade s 
 orders, to crowd into 
 the crater, and to re 
 main there at least 
 three hours after the 
 time when, in his 
 opinion, the opportun 
 ity of victory was lost. 
 It was, moreover, very 
 evident that the em 
 ployment of colored 
 troops had been pre 
 sented to his mind by General Meade in an unfavorable 
 manner. To a question concerning General Burnside s 
 plan of putting his division of colored troops in the ad 
 vance, General Grant answered : 
 
 "General Burnside wanted to put his colored division in front, and I 
 believe if he had done so it would have been a success. Still, I agree 
 with General Meade in his objection to that plan. General Meade said 
 that if we put the colored troops in front (we had only that one division) 
 and it should prove a failure, it would then be said, and very properly, 
 that we were shoving those people ahead to get killed because we did not 
 care anything about them. Hut that could not be said if we put white 
 troops in front. That is the only point he changed, to my knowledge, 
 after he had given his orders to General Burnside." 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 
 
 The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, after a 
 
262 LIFE AND PL BLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 careful and impartial review of the testimony taken by 
 them, expressed their opinion in decisive terms, as will be 
 seen by the following paragraphs from their report : 
 
 Your committee cannot, from all the testimony, avoid the conclusion 
 that the first and great cause of disaster was the change made on the af 
 ternoon preceding the attack, in the arrangement of General Burnside to 
 place the division of colored troops in the advance. The reasons as 
 signed by General Burnside for not taking one of his divisions of white 
 troops for that purpose are fully justified by the result of the attack. 
 Their previous arduous labors, and peculiar position, exposed continu 
 ally to the enemy s fire, had, as it were, trained them in the habit of seek 
 ing shelter; and, true to that training, they sought shelter the first op 
 portunity that presented itself after leaving our lines. And it is but rea 
 sonable tc suppose that the immediate commander of a corps is better 
 acquainted with the condition and efficiency of particular divisions of his 
 corps than a general further removed from them. 
 
 The conduct of the colored troops, when they were put into action, 
 would seem to fully justify the confidence that General Burnside reposed 
 in them. And General Grant himself, in his testimony, expresses his be 
 lief that if they had been placed in the advance, as General Burnside 
 desired, the assault would have been successful, although at the time the 
 colored troops were ordered in the white troops already in were in con 
 fusion, and had failed in the assault upon the crest beyond the crater, and 
 the fire of the enemy had become exceedingly destructive. The colored 
 troops advanced in good order, passed through the enemy s lines and 
 beyond our disorganized troops there, and, stopping but a short time to 
 re-form, made the charge as directed. But the fire of the enemy Avas too 
 strong, and some others of our troops hurrying back through their lines, 
 they were thrown into confusion and forced to retire. 
 
 Your committee desire to say that, in the statement of facts and conclu 
 sions which they present in their report, they wish to be distinctly under 
 stood us in no degree censuring the conduct of the troops engaged in this 
 assault. While they confidently believe that the selection of the division 
 of colored troops by General Burnside to lead the assault was, under the 
 circumstances, the best that could -have been made, they do not intend, 
 thereby, to have it inferred that the white troops of the Ninth Corps are 
 behind anv troops in the service in those qualities which have placed our 
 volunteer troops before the world as equal, if not superior, to any known 
 to modern warfare. The services performed by the Ninth Corps on many 
 a well-fought battle-field, not only in this campaign but in others, have 
 been such as to prove that they are second to none in the service. Your 
 
GEN. AMBIIOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 committee believe that any other troops exposed to the same influences, 
 under the same circumstances, and for the same length of time, would 
 have been similarly affected. Xo one, upon a careful consideration of all 
 the circumstances, can be surprised that those influences should have 
 produced the effects they did upon them. 
 
 In conclusion they, your committee, must say that, in their opinion, 
 the cause of the disastrous result of the assault of the 3oth of July last 
 is mainly attributable to the fact that the plans and suggestions of the 
 general who had devoted his attention for so long a time to the subject, 
 who had carried out to a successful completion the project of mining the 
 enemy s works, and who had carefully selected and drilled his troops for 
 the purpose of securing whatever advantages might be attainable from the 
 explosion of the mine, should have been so entirely disregarded bv a gen 
 eral who had evinced no faith in the successful prosecution of that work, 
 had aided it by no countenance or open approval, and had assumed the 
 entire direction and control only when it was completed, and the time 
 had come for reaping any advantages that might be derived. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 B. F. WADE, Chairman. 
 
 While the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the Wai- 
 was pursuing its investigations, General Burnside, at their 
 request, remained in Washington. He was anxious to 
 have his own conduct criticised, but he did not seek to dis 
 parage other generals, or endeavor to detract from their 
 merits. President Lincoln sought his society and his coun 
 sel, but again refused to accept his resignation, saying that 
 he might want to entrust him with an important command 
 in the fall. But the war was virtually at an end, and on 
 the 9th of April, 1865, General Lee surrendered to Gen 
 eral Grant, at Appomattox Court House, the survivors of 
 his brave army, which had struggled gallantly against the 
 inevitable and the irrepressible. After peace had been 
 declared, General Burnside once more tendered his resig 
 nation, which was accepted by President Johnson on the 
 i5th of April. 1865. 
 
 The record of General Burnside s military career shows 
 
264 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 that he believed that " the post of honor was the post of 
 duty." As General Browne, of Indiana, remarked in his 
 eulogy, "From the day on which he accepted the com 
 mand of the Rhode Island regiment until he resigned, he 
 gave his services to the Nation that had educated him, and 
 his name was a part of its history. He was a man of in 
 trepid courage a courage unmixed with insolence or 
 brutality. 
 
 His was not the brutal force 
 Of vulgar heroes, 
 
 for in no sense of the word was "he a braggart or a bully. 
 He feared no man but himself. If there was one infirmity 
 in his nature, it was the lack of self-confidence. He did a 
 great injustice to his own powers, for he was an infinitely 
 greater and stronger man than he thought himself to be. 
 He weakened himself by his self-distrust, and sometimes 
 failed to win not because he feared for his personal 
 safety, but because he was afraid he might put in jeopardy 
 his country and its cause. Future generations will learn 
 from General Burnside s example the lesson of devotion to 
 duty and loyalty to human liberty." 
 
 While the loyal North claimed General Burnside as one 
 of the heroes of the war for the suppression of the Rebel 
 lion, he was especially dear to the people of his adopted 
 state, who had with peculiar interest and affection followed 
 the brilliant career of "the colonel of the famous old 
 Rhode Island First Regiment." The Providence Jour 
 nal, in an editorial article announcing the acceptance of 
 General Burnside s resignation, said : 
 
 Everywhere, and at all times, he has done his whole duty. In the 
 darkest hours of the Avar, when many hearts desponded, he never wav 
 ered or doubted. Full of confidence in our superior power, and full of 
 the most implicit faith in the principle that God must give us the victory, 
 
GEN. AMIUfOSE E. BL KXSIDE. 265 
 
 because our cause was just, he had the happy facultv of inspiring all 
 those around him, his friends, the audiences he addressed, and his army 
 with the same hope which lighted up his own heart. One of the first of 
 the regi lar army officers to approve heartily of Mr. Lincoln s emancipa 
 tion policy, he was also one of the first to favor the arming of black 
 troops, and one of the most successful in training them for action. 
 Utterly free from that jealousy of the fame of others which has detracted 
 from the merits and impaired the efficiency of so many officers, he was 
 quick to recognize the talent of all his comrades, and magnanimous 
 almost to a fault in judging the motives of those who attempted by 
 unworthy means to injure him. It is not strange that with these noble 
 and generous traits he has been so beloved bv all the officers and soldiers 
 under him, and by the Nation at large. We doubt if anyone of our prom 
 inent officers has more endeared himself to all who knew him than our 
 warm-hearted, large-hearted, self-sacrificing, patriotic Burnside. We 
 trust that wherever his business may call him, he will still regard Rhode 
 Island as his home. She certainly will always claim him as her adopted 
 son. 
 
 Resuming the pursuits of civil life, General Burnside 
 became identified with the construction of railroads, for 
 which he was qualified by his West Point education. The 
 stockholders of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, 
 which he had served as treasurer before the war, elected 
 him a director. In 1865 he was elected president of the 
 Cincinnati and Martinsville Railroad, from Fairland to 
 Martinsville, Indiana, a distance of forty miles. To com 
 plete the construction of this railroad, $400,000 of seven 
 per cent, first mortgage bonds were issued, guaranteed by 
 the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Railroad Com 
 pany, to which the road was leased in advance of its com 
 pletion. It required no small financial ability to negotiate 
 a sufficient amount of these bonds to pay the contractors, 
 but it was done, and the road was placed in working order. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 NOMINATED AND ELECTED GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND RAIL 
 ROAD OPERATIONS AT THE WEST SOLDIERS MONUMENT AT 
 PROVIDENCE PRESENTATION- RE-ELECTION A WEST POINT 
 COMRADE AIDED THE KINGSBURY WILL VINCENNES AND 
 CAIRO RAILROAD. 
 
 THE announcement, in the spring of 1866, that the 
 name of General Burnside would be presented to 
 the convention called to nominate a Republican 
 candidate for governor of Rhode Island, was received with 
 great enthusiasm. His pure patriotism, his large heart, 
 his noble bearing, his genial kindness, his willingness to 
 suffer unduly rather than blame others, his love of duty 
 rather than position, constituted the amplest claim to the 
 regards of his adopted state. The people of Rhode Island, 
 whose battle-flags bore the names of his victories, were 
 delighted to inscribe his name upon their state banner. 
 When the convention met, General Burnside was enthusi 
 astically nominated by acclamation, and it was felt that 
 Rhode Island, by inviting him to the chair of her chief 
 magistrate, honored herself by calling him. At the elec 
 tion, which was held on the 4th of April, 1866. General 
 Burnside received 7,725 votes: Lyman Pierce, his Demo- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 267 
 
 cratic opponent, received 2,776 votes, and there were 160 
 scattering votes. 
 
 On Tuesday, the 2pth of May, 1866, General Burnside 
 was inaugurated into his office, at Newport, amid a greater 
 amount of enthusiasm than had ever before stirred the 
 hearts of the people. On Election day the entire volunteer 
 militia of the State came to Newport to participate in the 
 pageant, and in their ranks were hundreds of veterans 
 who had served under the general. The city sergeant 
 proclaimed from the balcony of the State House, in accord 
 ance with the time-honored programme, " Hear ye ! Hear 
 ye ! Hear ye ! His Excellency Ambrose E. Burnside has 
 been duly elected Captain-General and Commander-in- 
 Chief of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plan 
 tations ! " Then the cannon roared, the bands played, the 
 assembled multitude cheered, and the governor was es 
 corted through the streets by the military, receiving, all 
 along the route, bouquets and the waving of handkerchiefs 
 from the ladies, with cheers from the men. 
 
 As chief magistrate of Rhode Island, General Burnside 
 exhibited in the strongest light those distinctive traits of 
 character for which he was so remarkable. He had 
 obeyed the commands of authority as a soldier, and he 
 expected from every subordinate official, civil or military, 
 that allegiance that alone can insure success. Independ 
 ent in his disposition, with original ideas and fearless 
 in expressing them, and jealous of the honor of his adopted 
 state, he made a useful chief magistrate. He heard what 
 was to be said on every disputed question which came 
 before him, holding his judgment in abeyance until noth 
 ing more was said on either side, and then formed his 
 opinion with inflexible firmness. The only exception was 
 when petitioners appeared before him, asking pardon for 
 
2 68 LIFE AND PUBLIC SEKTICES OF 
 
 those who were alleged to be undergoing unjust sentences. 
 On such occasions mercy predominated over justice. 
 
 While discharging the duties of governor, General 
 Burnside was also actively engaged as president of the 
 Cincinnati and Martinsville Railroad Company, as presi 
 dent of the Rhode Island Locomotive Works at Provi 
 dence, as president of the Indianapolis and Vincennes 
 Railroad Company, and as a director of the Illinois Cen 
 tral Railroad Company, and the Narragansett Steamship 
 Company. In these varied enterprises, as in the perform 
 ance of his duties as chief magistrate, personal responsi 
 bility was General Burnside s secret of success. Every 
 official, every clerk, and every engineer was made to know 
 that he must perform his duty. The acts of every one 
 were subjected to a careful supervision, and every minor 
 detail was closely looked after. Inspiring his associates 
 and subordinates with a consciousness of strength, the 
 
 O 7 
 
 spirit of energetic determination, and well-regulated habits 
 of industry, General Burnside found it an easy task to 
 secure their zealous cooperation. 
 
 General Burnside was the chairman of a committee of 
 the General Assembly, appointed in June, 1866, to invite 
 designs for a monument to the memory of the officers and 
 men in the army and navy of the United States who fell 
 in battle, and who died of their wounds or from sickness, 
 during the late Rebellion. A number of designs were sub 
 mitted, and the committee finally selected that of Mr. 
 Randolph Rogers, in which architecture and sculpture 
 combined to express public gratitude. In concluding a 
 report stating the selection which they had made, the com 
 mittee said : 
 
 The awful storm of war has passed. Peace, at least in our borders, has 
 resumed her gracious sway; but the men who called her home from the 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 269 
 
 bloody field and the stormy wave are not all here. Their resting-places 
 are on distant battle-grounds, or rebel prison-yards, or under the un 
 marked and remote soil ; but here are their empty places ; here are those 
 to whom when in life they were dear, and who now cherish their mem 
 ories with a prdud sorrow; here is the State for which they sacrificed 
 
 SOLDIERS AND SAILOKS MONUMENT, PROVIDENCE. 
 
 themselves; here, if anywhere, must the records of their deeds be 
 preserved. When the danger was imminent, the State sent forth her 
 sons ; it is no wonder that now, when that danger is past, she shpuld 
 remember their devotion, "and should resolve to erect for the coming 
 ages, a memorial of their self-sacrifice, and an incentive to imitate their 
 patriotism. To such a purpose, who would not say God-speed ? Who 
 would not open the purse of the State to honor her patriot dead? Who 
 would not invite the greatest of arts to commemorate the noblest of 
 virtues? All of which is respectfully submitted bv vour committee, 
 
 A. E. BURXSIDE, Chairman. 
 
270 
 
 LItE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 In the fall of 1866, a magnificent silver punch-bowl was 
 presented to General Burnside by the gentlemen who had 
 served on his personal staff during the war. The bowl 
 stood eighteen inches high, and was twelve inches across 
 the top. It was supported on a solid octagon base, about 
 six inches across, with a cannon at each corner. On the 
 front of the base was General Burnside s monogram, and 
 on the reverse, the badge of the Ninth Army Corps. A 
 wreath of laurel wound around the base, and swords, 
 gauntlets, regulation hats, and other military insignia were 
 artistically engraved upon the bowl. On the front was a 
 representation of the national flag, with the names of 
 twelve of the most prominent battles in which the general 
 was engaged engraved upon the stripes. 
 
 On the 28th of May, 1867, General Burnside was re- 
 elected governor of Rhode Island, receiving 7,569 votes, 
 against 3,339 votes for Lyman Pierce, his Democratic 
 opponent, and six scattering votes. An incident illus 
 trating the generous disposition of General Burnside has 
 been narrated by Gen. Harry Heth, his classmate, room 
 mate, and life-long friend. General Heth, who was a 
 Virginian, espoused the Confederate cause, and at the close 
 of the war found himself without means and with a family 
 to support. While in this condition, the following incident 
 occurred. It was narrated by General Heth himself, at 
 a meeting of West Point classmates, in the city of New 
 York. 
 
 Burnside wrote me a kind and loving letter, requesting me to meet him 
 in this city. I came here, went to his hotel, sent up my card, and in 
 reply was requested to wait a few minutes ; on reaching his room I found 
 him alone; he at once bolted the door. A few months before, we had 
 been locked in a struggle for life or death, upon many bloodv battle 
 fields. 
 
 For thirty seconds not a word was spoken Your imaginations may, 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 2 yi 
 
 possibly, picture the scene. He was first to break the silence. He said, 
 " Heth, old fello\v, what are your plans?" I answered I had formed 
 none. He replied, " I have formed them for you. Your father, during 
 his life, was a large owner and worker of coal property near Richmond. 
 Return to Virginia and find some good coal-lands, and let us work them 
 jointly; when found come and see me." 
 
 The coal-lands were found, and I again met him in New York. 
 
 He said, " We will work these lands as equal partners, on one condi 
 tion, which I will presently state. I am now governor of Rhode Island ; 
 That takes up but little of mv time; I am also president of the Provi 
 dence Locomotive Works ; that duty takes up some time, but everv spare 
 moment is occupied in superintending the building of a railroad in Illi 
 nois ; you must take entire charge of this work in Virginia, and all that 
 I promise to do is to honor your drafts to any amount you may desire to 
 draw for." 
 
 General Burnside organized a company, which was 
 chartered by the General Assembly of Rhode Island, to 
 work these "Norwood Coal Mines," but they did not prove 
 a success. General Burnside, however, in other ways 
 promoted the welfare of his friend, General Heth. 
 
 General Burnside, while he was governor, paid great 
 attention to the volunteer militia of Rhode Island, with 
 which he had been so honorably identified. In 1867 a 
 complete roster was published, which also included all 
 officers who had been commissioned in the Rhode Island 
 militia during the war for the suppression of the Re 
 bellion. 
 
 Senator Maxey, of Texas, also a classmate of General 
 Burnside at West Point who was arrayed against him dur 
 ing the war, and whose friendly relations were resumed 
 when they became members of the United States Senate, 
 narrated, in an eloquent eulogy which he delivered, the 
 following characteristic story, which he obtained from the 
 legal records of the case : 
 
 Maj. Julius J. B. Kingsbury, deceased, formerly of the army, was at 
 his death the owner of valuable real estate, principally in Chicago, worth 
 
272 
 
 LIFE AND ri HLIC SEIt VICES OF 
 
 about one million dollars. His only children and heirs were Mrs. Mary 
 K. Buckner, wife of General S. B. Buckner, a distinguished and gallant 
 officer of the Confederate Army, and Henry W. Kingsbury, a promising 
 young officer of the Union Army, who fell, mortally wounded, Sept. 17, 
 1862, at the head of his regiment, the Eleventh Connecticut Volunteers, 
 at Antietam. On the i5th of May, 1861, General Buckner and wife, then 
 living at Louisville, Kentucky, executed a conveyance, without the knowl 
 edge of Henry Kingsbury, to him of her interest in the property, of the 
 value at that time of about five hundred thousand dollars. At that time 
 Henry was a young, unmarried man. The conveyance was absolute on 
 its face, and without Henry s knowledge was recorded in the registry of 
 deeds in Chicago. The first intimation, in fact, that he had of this deed 
 was given to him by General Buckner in this city, July 7, 1861. It was 
 accepted by Henry as a sacred trust, as is shown by his reply in the con 
 versation referred to. Both knew and felt that the clouds of war were 
 
 
 
 gathering thick and fast. They instinctively felt that convictions would 
 lead them to opposing sides. Absolute confidence was felt, and justly 
 so, by each in the other. Young Kingsbury knew and felt that life in 
 the midst of war was very uncertain. He felt that, as an honorable man, 
 clothed with a sacred trust, he should make provision to preserve to his 
 sister her property in case of his death, and, to carry out his purpose, 
 wrote, on the 25th of March, 1862, at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, what he 
 intended to be a will. In that will or paper Burnside was named one of 
 the executors. He had the absolute confidence of Henry Kingsbury, and 
 also of General Buckner. He had enjoyed the friendship and confidence 
 of Henry s father in his life-time, and had that of his mother. Henry 
 Kingsbury married after the date of the conversation referred to, and a 
 child and heir was born unto him after his death. 
 
 This necessitated the settlement of the question of title to the Chicago 
 property. Was the deed to be held an absolute conveyance, or was it a 
 trust? In the investigation of this intricate and delicate question, the 
 paper designed to be a will became importa nt, not as a will, but as a 
 writing showing the character in which Henry held his sister s interest 
 in the property. 
 
 Burnside, as executor, set to work to find and possess this will or 
 paper, and found ic in possession of a Mr. Hazard, in the citv of New 
 York. Hazard refused to deliver it up, and possession was only obtained 
 through a contested application before the surrogate. Letters testamen 
 tary were issued to Burnside, and the will was admitted to probate in 
 Virginia, and an authenticated copy was soon after exhibited to the 
 county court of Cook County, in which Chicago is situated, and ordered 
 to record. 
 
 The outcome of the litigation that ensued was, that the deed from 
 
(i EX. AMBROSE /;. /U. /t.VS 
 
 273 
 
 Buckner and wife to Henry W. Kingsburv was adjudged to be a trust, 
 and Mrs. Buckner s property was rightfully restored to her. 
 
 Of voung Kingsbury, the supreme court of Illinois says : " The late 
 Henry W. Kingsbury was, as this case shows, not only a trustee of the 
 property for his sister, but was an honest trustee." What a splendid 
 monument to his memory! What an inheritance, infinitely beyond riches, 
 to leave to his child, unborn at his death ! 
 
 General Buckner, in a note to Senator Maxey in respect 
 to these proceedings, speaking of General Burnside and 
 his efforts to find, possess, and establish the will, says : 
 
 His sole object was to see full justice done between all the parties con 
 cerned, without partiality or favor to any. He preserved the esteem, I 
 feel assured, of all the parties, and certainly preserved the high regard and 
 affection in which I constantly held him (.luring our long and continued 
 association and friendship. His sole desire was to discharge fully 
 the trust reposed in him by his young friend, Henry Kingsbury, but 
 the fact that justice and equity were on my side does not lessen my 
 feeling of gratitude for his noble conduct. 
 
 In the fall of 1867 General Burnside entered into nego 
 tiations by which he became, in the spring of 1868, presi 
 dent of the Vincennes and Cairo Railroad, with entire con 
 trol of the work. He arranged for leasing the road to 
 other corporations, who guaranteed the principal and in 
 terest of bonds which he issued. This guarantee ena 
 bled him to dispose of the bonds, and to proceed with the 
 construction of the road without embarrassment. 
 
 On the 26th of May, 1868, General Burnside was for 
 the third time elected governor of .Rhode Island, receiving 
 10,054 votes, against 5,709 for Lyman Pierce, and five 
 scattering. On assuming the office of governor of Rhode 
 Island, General Burnside found a large unsettled account 
 against the general government, for expenses incurred in 
 recruiting regiments for the Union army. His military 
 training and intimate acquaintance with the use of red tape 
 
274 GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 in the various bureaus of the War Department enabled 
 him to have these accounts put into such shape as secured 
 their payment. The General Assembly of Rhode Island 
 recognized his services by the passage of the following 
 resolution : 
 
 Resolved, That the General Assembly appreciate with high satisfaction 
 the valuable services of His Excellency the Governor, in his successful 
 settlement of the claims of this State against the United States. 
 
 While o;overnor of Rhode Island, General Burnside was 
 
 O 
 
 fortunate in having as his secretary of state that ripe 
 scholar and accomplished gentleman, John Russell Bart- 
 lett, who has done so much to secure biographical sketches 
 of the Rhode Island officers who served in the war for the 
 suppression of the Rebellion. His advice strengthened 
 and dio-nified the administration of General Burnside. 
 
 3 
 
 In the spring of 1869 the surviving officers of the Ninth 
 Corps met in the city of New York, to form a permanent 
 organization in the name of the " Society of the Burnside 
 Expedition and Ninth Army Corps," and the association, 
 formed later in that vear, still exists. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 HOME AT PROVIDENCE LOVE OF THE SOLDIERS TOR "OLD BUR- 
 XEY" COURTESY TOWARDS INFERIORS -AX ACT OF KINDNESS 
 ATTACK MADE OX HIM BY SEXATOR SPR AGUE DEFENSE OF 
 HIM BY SENATORS ANTHONY, NYE, CHANDLER, ABBOTT, AND 
 MORTON TESTIMONIAL FROM CITIZENS OF RHODE ISLAND 
 NINTH ARMY CORPS ASSOCIATION. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE S home in Providence 
 was a commodious, substantially-built house on 
 Benefit Street, comfortably, although not extrava 
 gantly furnished, and containing many souvenirs of the 
 war. He had there a good library of reference, which he 
 frequently consulted, not skimming over the books to pass 
 away time, but looking into them as a man of mind, who 
 wishes to derive benefit from all that he reads. When he 
 undertook to study a question he went directly to the first 
 principles, separating that which was casual and local 
 from that which was permanent and founded on the basis 
 of moral justice. There was nothing about Jiim of that 
 bustling smartness so often seen in persons of ordinary 
 mind, striving to perform something to attract the attention 
 of those around them. He never seemed hurried or con 
 fused, in the performance of his multitudinous avocations, 
 but went about them systematically, calmly, and quietly. 
 
276 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Blessed with an iron frame that felt few or no infirmities, 
 and free from those vices which often bring down the 
 mighty intellect to a degrading enslavement, his path of 
 duty was not obstructed by any physical, moral, or mental 
 weakness. His was "a sound mind in a sound body." 
 
 General Burnside was a lover of peace, of industry, and 
 of progress. To help those who were endeavoring to help 
 themselves, was his sagacious plan, and he was eminently 
 successful. Kindness was the means to all his ends 
 and to every one, on every suitable occasion, he preached 
 kindness. The soldiers who had served under him were 
 the constant objects of his solicitude, and when the silver- 
 toned bugles had proclaimed peace, he was none the less 
 anxious to promote their welfare. 
 
 His military nature was heroic, but at the same time 
 childlike ; and in his camp deportment there was a strange 
 union of sternness and gentleness. He was loved by his 
 soldiers, not coldly, as men love men, but tenderly and in 
 tensely, as men love women. He was as perfect an em 
 bodiment as the Republic affords of the patriotism, the in 
 tegrity, the sobriety, the magnanimity, the virtue, and the 
 valor of the American citizen-soldier, bred from youth 
 up to the calling of arms, and gifted with the bravery, judg-. 
 ment, and modesty of the knights of old, who sat at King 
 Arthur s Round Table. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Woodbury, who knew him so well, speaks 
 of the love and respect, as well as confidence, entertained 
 towards General Burnside by the soldiers, especially those 
 who served in the Ninth Army Corps. As had been the 
 case when he was moving among them, in camp or on the 
 march, when they met him in civil life there was always a 
 cheer for "Old Burney," and the soldiers now love to tell 
 of the cheerful smile that brightened up his countenance 
 
(i EX. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 as he lifted his broad-brimmed felt hat and returned their 
 salute. They had no reason for calling him " old," ex 
 cept as an expression of their affection, for he was only 
 forty-one years of age when the war ended. The love 
 they had for their commander tightened the bonds of com 
 radeship throughout the corps, and united the officers and 
 men very closely together. Mr. Woodbury has also borne 
 testimony to the kind considerateness which General Burn- 
 side always showed towards others, and especially towards 
 those in humble life. 
 
 The general s faithful colored servant, who had accom 
 panied him on his ride across the plains and throughout 
 the war, was always treated by him more like a brother 
 than a domestic. Toward those w r ho were at service in 
 the families of his friends there was always the same 
 friendly courtesy. He recognized and greeted them on 
 the street, taking off his hat to them as to a lady or gentle 
 man of his acquaintance, or taking them by the hand and 
 speaking a kindly word. He seldom, if ever, left his 
 home, to be away even for a day or two, without going 
 into the kitchen to bid good-bye to those in his own employ ; 
 and they said, when he was no more, that they had lost 
 their best friend. He remembered their birthdays, and 
 certain anniversaries in their lives or his own, and had 
 some little gift or token of remembrance ready for them. 
 The kind-hearted gentleman, courted and admired by the 
 best society in the land, never forgot to be courteous and 
 helpful to the humblest dependent. It was the natural 
 expression of his generous heart. 
 
 Among many other instances of General Burnside s 
 goodness of heart, the following was narrated in the New 
 York Sun at the time : A laborer who was at work upon 
 a new pavement on the Fifth Avenue, near Twentieth 
 
278 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Street, in that city, was prostrated by heat, and fell near 
 the curb-stone. No other workmen were near at hand, 
 but General Burnside, who happened to be passing, having 
 seen him fall, hastened to his relief and aided in placing 
 him in an easier position on the sidewalk. The general 
 then stopped a passing ice-cart and obtained ice which he 
 applied to the poor man s head and hands. By this time 
 a multitude began to collect, but no policemen were in 
 sight. After putting the sufferer in an easier position and 
 requesting the throng to stand back and give him the 
 benefit of the little air there was, the general himself went 
 to the Union Club for a physician, and returned to look 
 after his charge. " Our reporter," said the newspaper 
 paragraph, " knew; the modest gentleman who was taking 
 such an interest in the laborer, but the spectators did not 
 dream that the generous stranger was the distinguished 
 citizen who led Rhode Island to the war." 
 
 Just before the expiration of General Burnside s third 
 term as governor of Rhode Island, and after he had per 
 emptorily declined a re-nomination, he was unexpectedly 
 assailed in the United States Senate, in a speech delivered 
 by ex-Governor William Sprague, then a Senator from 
 Rhode Island. Stimulated, doubtless, by financial embar 
 rassment which subsequently resulted in bankruptcy. 
 Mr. Sprague recounted, in doleful jeremiad, the financial 
 disasters which were threatening the country. These dan 
 gers, he asserted, were caused by the pernicious influence 
 .of those who control capital on legislation, society, busi 
 ness, and even the fortunes of war. Selecting the time- 
 honored house of Brown & Ives, of Providence, as an 
 illustration, he proceeded to denounce that firm, and finally 
 held it responsible for the reverses of the United States 
 forces at the first battle of Bull Run. Nor was this all. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 He arraigned the First Rhode Island Regiment as cow 
 ards, and their commander, General Burnside, as incom 
 petent, and only anxious to save the lives of the rich men 
 under him. 
 
 Senator Anthony, of Rhode Island, took the floor at the 
 earliest possible moment, and replied in scathing language 
 to the extraordinary speech of his colleague. He said that 
 he could be silent under crude theories of political economy, 
 and exploded schemes of finance ; he could be silent under 
 long extracts from history and biography, and any incon 
 sequential and unconnected comments upon them ; he 
 could remain silent under personal aspersions, but he 
 would not remain silent when men among the most re 
 spectable of his constituents are assailed, and when the 
 honor of Rhode Island is insulted. . 
 
 After paying an elaborate tribute to the business career of 
 the long-established house of Brown & Ives, Mr. Anthony 
 spoke of them as " rich without ostentation, powerful 
 without arrogance, and enjoying a political influence 
 which they use for what they deem the public good, and 
 not for their own personal ambition. Their prosperity is 
 not based upon the ruin of their neighbors." He then 
 went on to remark : 
 
 But individuals are not sufficient to gratify the vengeance of my col 
 league. He assails the whole State, by charging the First Regiment 
 with pusillanimity and Burnside with incompetency, if not with coward 
 ice. Burnside incompetent! What does Tennessee say to that? What 
 does Indiana say to that? What does Ohio sav to that? What does 
 North Carolina say to that? I know what Rhode Island will say to it 
 The First Regiment fills one of the proudest chapters in the history of 
 Rhode Island. Springing to arms at the sound of the first gun on Sum- 
 ter, it was composed of some of the finest young men in the State. They 
 came from all classes and conditions of our people. The millionaire 
 stood shoulder to shoulder with the mechanic, the student with the plow- 
 bov, each respecting the other, all animated bv a common purpose and 
 
280 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 burning with ;i common patriotism. And though the unfortunate field 
 of Bull Run was lost, it was lost by lack of discipline and military expe 
 rience, not by lack of valor on the part of the Rhode Island troops or of 
 the gallant soldier who led them. I shall not detain the Senate with any 
 defense of them or of their leader. It is not necessary here ; at home I 
 would as soon attempt to prove the multiplication table. He who has 
 assailed them is the one who needs defense. 
 
 A few days afterwards, Senator Nye, returning to 
 Washington, read the remarks made by Governor Sprague 
 in his absence, and replied to them with humorous elo 
 quence. He caused to be read, by the secretary, the 
 letter from Governor Sprague, transmitting the resolution 
 of thanks to General Burnside and to his command, and 
 said : 
 
 This letter is not only a letter of approbation, but a subsequent one, 
 which I also have, conveyed to the warrior upon the distant field an 
 emblem of his profession, purchased by the honorable Senator himself 
 by the authority of the Legislature of Rhode Island, which he commis 
 sioned a brave soldier to deliver upon the field of battle. It was a sword 
 to Burnside, and never was fitter emblem sent. His history is written in 
 blood on cverv battle-field of the Potomac; and Knoxville will forever 
 attest to the bravery of Burnside. He hurled back and kept in abeyance 
 at least three times his number headed by Longstreet, until was heard 
 the tread of coining thousands to his relief, and Knoxville was saved. 
 Sir, whatever field he attempted to save was saved, if it was in the power 
 of bravery and endurance to save it. Tell not, then, that he was unfor 
 tunate at Bull Run. He was not in command. The commander was 
 another honored name who, by that cloud, lost much of the preeminence 
 to which he was entitled as a military man of this Nation; I refer to 
 General McDowell, for he is second to none in his acquirements and 
 skill in the art of war. He was unfortunate in that battle that Almighty 
 God foreordained we should be unfortunate in. Burnside, too, was 
 unfortunate at Fredericksburg. The proudest general of this Nation, 
 and one from whose diadem even the Senator from Rhode Island would 
 not dare Attempt to pluck one jewel, was unfortunate at Vicksburg; but 
 who doubted the bravery, who doubted the patriotism, who doubted the 
 skill of the indomitable and fiery Sherman ? He was overmatched. And 
 at Fredericksburg, when Burnside hurled his columns against those 
 deadly walls, the very air was redolent with the shouts of his soldiers. 
 
Ci EX. AMU HOSE E. BURNS IDE. 28 1 
 
 Braver MICH never lived and never died; and never were men more gal- 
 luntlv led. They were overnuir.bered ; the enemy had their entrench 
 ments; and the crushing hones and the gaping wounds and the bloody 
 fields on that dav told the storv of their bravery. I was shocked, there 
 fore, when I heard the attempt, in these after years, to pluck a laurel from 
 the brow of a Burnside. 
 
 Senator Chandler, "Honest old Zach.," also bore testi 
 mony to the behavior of General Burnside as an "hon 
 orable, modest, high-toned, loyal, brave soldier." Said 
 he: 
 
 It was mv fortune three times, as a member of the Committee on the 
 Conduct of the War, to investigate three several battles in which Gen 
 eral Burnside fought; one in which he had supreme command, and two 
 others in which he had a subordinate command. I can also state that 
 General Burnside was several times before the Committee on the Con 
 duct of the War as a witness, and I but express the opinion of every mem 
 ber of that committee when I say that a braver, truer, or more patriotic 
 man than General Burnside never drew a sword. This has been the tes- 
 timonv of everv officer I have heard allude to General Burnside, from the 
 highest in command in the army down to the lowest who served under 
 him. I desire to state further, that in his armv and under his command, 
 1 believe, from and after he became a major-general, he had Michigan 
 troops always, and they all bear the self-same testimony. 
 
 Senator Abbott, of North Carolina, said that he was 
 greatly pained when a Senator, availing himself of his 
 privileges, had assailed the military character of Rhode 
 Island s troops, and that of Rhode Island s greatest officer. 
 In various service, General Burnside had maintained as 
 much, if not more than any other man, the character of a 
 patriotic, unselfish, gallant, judicial, and modest soldier. 
 He then went on to say that : 
 
 Upon his character the government has set its seal, lor from his suc 
 cessful campaign in North Carolina, where he held a territory greater 
 than that of his own state, he was transferred to Kentucky and Ten 
 nessee, and from Kentuckv to the higher command of the Armv of the 
 
282 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Potomac. Resigning that, he joined in 1864, at the head of a corps forty- 
 five thousand strong, that great army which first struck the enemy at the 
 Wilderness, and ultimately encircled Petersburg; and finally, he entered 
 Richmond on the extreme right of Grant s line. With all this, thus 
 briefly recounted, the country is familiar in detail. His name is not only 
 familiar in New England, but in the South and bevond the Alleghanies, 
 where his columns pushed the enemv, and where his kindness to the 
 people softened the rigors of war. lie did not retire from the service 
 after the first disastrous battle, nor is he now arraigning his old command 
 at Bull Run for cowardice ; but he stood through, with unsheathed sabre, 
 until the last gun was fired, and until the flag again waved undisputed. 
 Xow, the governor of a state, he is not filling the air with incoherent 
 ravings over evils which are imaginary, but stands among his people in 
 the quiet dignity of a Christian citizen. I do not know that he parades 
 his private business in state papers. Perhaps he may not employ ten 
 thousand men, nor scheme to build up his own business upon the ruin of 
 his neighbors , but we know that the hearts of ten times ten thousand 
 men beat kindly and gratefully toward him. Nature has not been nig 
 gardly to him, but she has been generous, endowing him with a full body 
 and a great heart and a comprehensive brain, so that if he indeed were 
 one of those nine davs heroes whose fame rests upon a single exploit, he 
 would not lose his small reputation by an undue exhibition of imbecilitv. 
 
 Senator Morton, one of Lincoln s " War Governors," 
 bore the following testimony to General Burnside, with 
 whom he had enjoyed a life-acquaintance : 
 
 Mr. President: Mv early association with General Burnside is sufficient 
 apology for speaking a few words. We were born within a few miles of each 
 other, in the State of Indiana, and for years lived in the same town and 
 were boyish friends and companions. " The boy was father to the man." 
 As a boy he was distinguished for courage and kindness, and was beloved 
 by all of his bovish companions. From our town he went to West Point, 
 and I followed his career from West Point into the army with interest 
 and affection. From the battle of Bull Run, from his first great triumph 
 at Roanoke to his crowning victory at Knoxville, his career was distin 
 guished by courage, skill, patriotism, and humanity. The bravest act, 
 however, of his life was after the battle of Fredericksburg. When the 
 press of the country was busy in showing that General Burnside was 
 not responsible for that disaster, was busy in laying the blame upon 
 others and showing that there had been sad blundering, if not treason, 
 in his camp, he said to the committee and to the world, " The responsi- 
 
AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 283 
 
 bility is mine." When he spoke those words the Nation forgot the dis 
 aster, and he was at once restored to the national heart and the national 
 confidence. Sir, the State of Indiana takes pride in General Burnside, 
 and high upon the national roll of honor his name is inscribed, to 
 he read with pleasure, affection, and admiration by all coming genera 
 tions. 
 
 Nearly five" thousand citizens of the State of Rhode Is 
 land signed a letter addressed to General Burnside, in 
 which they denounced the remarks of Senator Sprague as 
 having wantonly and maliciously assailed the officers and 
 soldiers of Rhode Island before the whole country. " We 
 feel," said the writers, " that a great wrong has been done 
 to you and to the brave men, both the living and the dead, 
 who served with you in the army of the Republic ; and 
 also that the military honor of Rhode Island has been deeply 
 wounded, and the fair fame of the State foully traduced in 
 the national Senate at Washington by one who was bound 
 to cherish and protect them. For the purpose, therefore, 
 of rebuking these atrocious calumnies, and of renewing 
 both to you and to those who served with you the expres 
 sion of our undiminished gratitude, confidence, and respect, 
 we hereby invite you to name a day, at your own conven 
 ience, on which you will meet us and others of your fel 
 low-citizens, at a public reception in the city of Provi 
 dence." 
 
 General Burnside replied to this letter, and after declin 
 ing the invitation, he went on to show that the attack of 
 Mr. Sprague on the First Regiment was "unprovoked, 
 unjustifiable, and untruthful." "With reference to the 
 personal charges against me, I have nothing to say. My 
 conduct is well known to my comrades and to the people ; 
 my character and reputation must rest upon their testimony, 
 and not on any statement of mine." "What has induced 
 Mr. Sprague to make this outrageous attack upon me and 
 
284 GEX. AMKlfOSE E. HL RXSIDE. 
 
 my regiment I do not know. To you, my fellow-citizens 
 and comrades, I shall ever be grateful for this renewed 
 expression of friendship and support. It adds one more 
 to the many obligations due from me for your numerous 
 acts of kindness." 
 
 The Ninth Army Corps had its first annual reunion at 
 Rocky Point on the yth of July, 1869. It was largely at 
 tended, and it concluded with a banquet, at which Gen 
 eral Burnside presided. He declined, however, making a 
 speech. Those present, he said, all knew how glad he 
 was to see them, and it would be folly for him to talk to 
 them of the Ninth Corps and the Burnside Expedition. 
 They were so well known to every man within the sound 
 of his voice that he would not attempt to speak of them. 
 He cordially thanked them for the cordial manner in which 
 they received him, and begged to be excused. 
 
 Meanwhile contractors had been at work constructing 
 
 O 
 
 the Cairo and Vincennes Railroad, and up to the ist of 
 July, 1869, work amounting to upwards of half a million 
 dollars had been done. To this point General Burnside 
 had carried on the construction by the sale of bonds and 
 his individual credit, "but just when he had strained, his 
 credit to its utmost point, the railroad companies refused 
 to execute the contract agreed upon, and work was tem 
 porarily suspended. In the following November, General 
 Burnside had so arranged his business that he was able to 
 devote himself to the affairs of this road, and went to 
 London, where he hoped to negotiate a sufficient amount 
 of bonds to finish it. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 UNSUCCESSFUL VISIT TO LONDON GOES TO PARIS TO WITNESS THE 
 SIEGE OF THAT CITY IS .MADE PRISONER ATA SAXON OUT 
 POST DR. RUSSELL S ACCOUNT OF VERSAILLES AND THE GER 
 MAN LEADERS FONDNESS OF BISMARCK FOR BURNSIDE 
 VISITS PARIS UNDER A FLAG OF TRUCE -THE BESIEGED CITY 
 SECOND VISIT RETURN TO LONDON. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE was in London, negotiat 
 ing for the sale of the bonds of the Covington and 
 Vincennes Railroad, when the declaration of war 
 between France and Germany deranged the English money 
 market, and made it impossible to place American securi 
 ties. General Burnside was cordially received by the 
 leading statesmen and soldiers of Great Britain. He was 
 made an honorary member of several of the London clubs, 
 and was not only invited to the fashionable city entertain 
 ments, but to the country houses, so justly famed as " the 
 rural homes of England. As the German army defeated 
 the French and advanced on Paris, General Burnside felt 
 a strong desire to witness the hostilities between these two 
 
 O 
 
 great powers, and rinallv left for the headquarters of the 
 
2 86 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 King of Prussia, at Versailles. Mr.. Alexander Forbes, 
 celebrated as a war correspondent and as a lecturer, has 
 kindly furnished for this work the following account of 
 General Burnside s first introduction to the German Army 
 before Paris : 
 
 General Burnside and Brigadier-General Dufi". U. S. V. , who repre 
 sented the New York Herald (and who, by the way, was a brother of the 
 late Ardrew Halliday, the dramatic author), were struggling their way 
 from Lagny, the interior terminus of the Chcmin dc. fcr dc VE$t, about 
 twenty miles east of Paris, toward the front. The Saxon Army Corps 
 (Twelfth German Army) occupied that section of the environment ris 
 ing due east of Paris, from about Lc Blanc Mcsiiil south to Villicrs le 
 Bel. The two Americans, forging straight to their own front as if they 
 had been on the prairie, struck from the rear the covering flicynets of the 
 Saxon corps. They had no " laisser passer" of a kind to be accepted as 
 satisfactory ; they could speak no German ; they were eminently suspi 
 cious-looking characters, in flannel shirts, flap hats, and mud galore. So 
 they were summarily apprehended. But the Saxons are a courteous peo 
 ple, and an officer sent them on to the headquarters, in LcVert Gallant, 
 of Prince George of Saxony, who commanded the Saxon corps. They 
 looked not a little mean, as, travel-stained and embarrassed, they were 
 brought into the drawing-room of the Prince s chateau, just as the suite 
 and staff had gathered for dinner. But Prince George, a man of the world, 
 at once recognized the situation; had seats prepared for them, one on 
 either side of himself; gave them quarters for the night, and dulv for 
 warded them next day to Versailles. Bismarck, from the first, conceived 
 a curious, magnetic regard for Burnside. He was ahvavs trying to be 
 with him, and would smoke and gossip with him by the hour. There was 
 some affinitv in the straightforward, rugged bluntness of the two men, 
 apparently. If Burnside cared he could have thrown some curious side 
 lights on the story of the motives and springs of that Franco-German 
 war, derived from Bismarck s free speaking. I do believe that Generals 
 Burnside and Sheridan had more of Bismarck s confidence almost bru- 
 tallv frank and cynical as it was than any other persons who were spec 
 tators of the momentous melo-drama. 
 
 Dr. Russell (of Bull Run fame), in a letter to the 
 London Times, written soon after General Burnside s ar 
 rival at Versailles, gives the following graphic picture of 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 2 8y 
 
 the Prussian headquarters where General Burnside met 
 General Sheridan, General Hazen, and General Forsyth : 
 
 The foliage is no\v in its greatest beauty, but the slightest touch of 
 the invisible fingers of the wind scatters the leaves in showers, and thins 
 the screen of rich russet, orange, red, and brown which jet hides the 
 trunks and branches of the forest trees. There was a living margin to 
 the two parterres, clear of people, to whom the fish were an attraction, 
 and the Altec dc VOrangcrie and the Allee dcs Trot s Fontaines were 
 filled with saunterers. Another mass, tolerably compact, grew up along 
 the front of the terrace, enjoying the spectacle of their fellows below, and 
 looking out on the Tapis, Vert of the Grand Canal, in placid enjoyment 
 of a scene not often to be met with amid the realities of war. These 
 became animated and excited, particularly the French, when some great 
 people arrived, just dropping in without formality or attendance no 
 aides, or officers of ordnance, or orderlies and walked about, or stood 
 chatting with their friends. "Is that really Von Moltke?" " Where?" 
 "You see that tall, thin man, without any mustache or whiskers, his 
 hands behind his back the officer with the grayish hair, very short, 
 and a face cut with many fine lines, his head slightly stooped, the eye 
 brows pronounced, and the eyes deep set? There is the man whom the 
 Junkers of Berlin called the old schoolmaster. What a lesson he has 
 taught Austrians and French ! " " Is that the strategist who caught 
 Benedek in a vise at Kdniggriitz, mouse-trapped Bazaine at Metz, and 
 netted an emperor, a marshal of France, and 150,000 men at Sedan, and 
 who is now angling for such an enormous prize as the capital of France ?" 
 " He looks very grave." " He is always so. But there, you see, striding 
 through the crowd, is a very different-looking person." "Yes! who is 
 that frank, smiling major of dragoons? He comes this way the officer 
 in the white cap and yellow band, dark blue or nearly black double- 
 breasted frock-coat with yellow collar, taller than the tall officers around 
 him?" "That is Count Bismarck!" There is a stir wherever he goes 
 caps touched and hats raised. He makes straight for a little knot of 
 Americans General Burnside in plain clothes, General Sheridan, Gen 
 eral Hazen, and General Forsyth in uniform, but without swords. You 
 hear his laugh above the murmurs of the crowd and the wave of sound in 
 which his name, " Bismarck," is borne. How heartily he shakes hands 
 with them, buoyant and free, elated as some officer might be who had 
 just won promotion on a battle-field. All the world knows the soulless 
 likeness, out of which even photography has failed, however, to take all 
 expression; but one must have actual experience of the peculiar vivacity, 
 or rather penetration, of his glance, as it is emitted from under those 
 
2 88 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tremendous shaggy eyebrows, to measure the power of his; face the one 
 grand, overwhelming force of which is, to my mind, intrepidity an 
 immense, audacious courage, physical and mental, and a will before 
 which every obstacle must vield or be turned. 
 
 Count Bismarck invited General Burnside to his quar 
 ters, which were in a house in one of the darkest streets of 
 dismal Versailles. In the ante-rooms were a dozen clerks 
 writing or filing papers. The room in which Count Bis 
 marck received his visitors was full of tobacco-smoke, and 
 uncomfortably warm. Two candles, stuck into bottles, 
 were standing on the mantel-piece. In the middle of the 
 room was a ricketv table on which were placed a jug of 
 beer, several bottles of wine, and some silver tankards. 
 Count Bismarck spoke very freely of public affairs. " It 
 is merely the self-love of the Parisians," said he, " which 
 prevents them from surrendering. We will wait, if neces 
 sary- We will enter Paris. The king has quite made up 
 his mind, although he wants to spare the Parisians as much 
 as possible, not to sign peace except at the Tuileries. 
 Whatever may be our conditions of peace, France is too 
 vain, however, to forgive us for her defeats. She would 
 in any case make war against us as soon as she was strong 
 enough. Our policy, in the interests both of Germany 
 and of all Europe, must therefore be, to diminish the terri 
 tory of France as much as possible, so as to make her un 
 able, for a long time, to disturb the general peace. As to 
 the proposed armistice of Alsace and Lorraine, that is 
 the will of the king, which is enough. The French, ac 
 customed to be the plavthino- of adventurers, cannot under- 
 
 I ./ O 
 
 stand our respect for a monarchy. In Prussia there is no 
 will but that of the king. I am only the instrument of 
 his political will, as the generals are the instruments ol 
 his military will. When His Majesty expresses a wish it 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 2 8o 
 
 is my duty to propose the means of realizing it, and it is my 
 glory sometimes to succeed in this task. At this moment, 
 however, my actions are absolutely subordinate to those 
 of the military leaders, who are not always of my opinion." 
 
 Count Bismarck (wrote Dr. Russell to the London 
 Times ] likes Burnside. Indeed, there are few persons of 
 any nation who will not be touched by the cordial nature 
 and uprightness of the man, by his solid good sense and 
 kindliness of nature, and by his clearness of perception, 
 un marred by selfishness, or any affectation of statesman 
 ship, which is perhaps the highest diplomacy. Count 
 Bismarck has a -penchant for Americans of a certain high 
 stamp. He says, "I like self-made men. It is the best 
 sort of manufacture in our race." 
 
 The result of these interviews was a visit by General 
 Burnside to Paris, accompanied by Paul Forbes, Esq. 
 On the 2d of October, 1870, they were driven in an open 
 carriage, accompanied by a trumpeter and a flag of truce, 
 from the French outpost, at Sevres, to the bank of the 
 Seine. After a "parley" they were taken across in a boat 
 to the other side of the river, where they were met by 
 some French officers. The officer in charge of the post 
 there would not take the responsibility of permitting Gen 
 eral Burnside to enter the city, and sent a dispatch to the 
 governor of Paris, asking for instructions. After a deten 
 tion of an hour or two, the answer came that they might 
 proceed. They were blindfolded and accompanied by an 
 officer waving a white flag, while on one side rode a 
 mounted trumpeter, blowing lustily from time to time. In 
 this way they advanced to Long Champs (about five miles 
 from Paris), where they were stopped in an unpleasant 
 manner, eight shots being fired at them in rapid succession. 
 Their trumpeter sounded his trumpet, and their officer 
 
 19 
 
290 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 waved his flag. Mr. Forbes, who had seen all sorts of 
 things, "from China to Peru," as the poet says, declared 
 that the next fifteen minutes were very solemn, as they 
 waited in a death-like stillness for the answering trumpet. 
 At last it sounded, and then a French officer came out of 
 the entrenchments and escorted them into Paris. No news 
 had been received in that great city from without for a 
 whole fortnight. Everybody and anybody flocked around 
 them, and they were escorted to quarters in the villa of 
 Baron Rothschild, situated in the suburbs. 
 
 After twelve o clock that night a carriage arrived from 
 General Trochu to take them to see him, but General 
 Burnside had gone to bed, and they did not set out until 
 six o clock the next morning, when they were driven to 
 the Louvre, where the general had his quarters. They 
 then went to see Mr. Washburne, the Minister of the 
 United States, who accompanied them to the Bureau of 
 Foreign Affairs, where General Burnside had an interview 
 with Monsieur Jules Favre. The general informally pro 
 posed an armistice for the purpose of enabling the French 
 people to elect a constituent assembly. Prussia evidently 
 wanted a more substantial power to treat with than a pro 
 visional government, which then ruled Paris. Monsieur 
 Favre thought well of the proposition, and it was evident 
 that he did not wish the provisional government to take the 
 responsibility of making a treaty, but desired that any 
 treaty negotiated should emanate directly from the French 
 people, acting through a constituent assembly. Mr. 
 Washburne (who had bravely remained at his post) 
 requested General Burnside to obtain from Count Bis 
 marck permission for a number of American citizens to 
 pass out of Paris. Among those desirous of going away 
 were many who, cut oft from their communication with 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 291 
 
 home, were without funds, and had no means whatever of 
 leaving, their condition having become deplorable in the 
 extreme. 
 
 The following day General Burnside and Mr. Forbes 
 returned as they came, and while they were waiting on 
 the French side of the Seine for some necessary prelimin 
 aries, the incident occurred which has been magnified 
 into a deliberate firing on his trumpeter and flag of truce. 
 The French troops were at dinner within a crenelated wall 
 close to the river, when a random shot from the Prussian 
 outposts was heard, and a ball struck the wall so close 
 to the party that Colonel Forbes went out and picked it 
 lip. The French rushed to their arms, exclaiming, "They 
 have fired on us ! " and declared they heard balls among 
 the trees above, but General Burnside was sure it was a mis 
 take. As they were going over, the French officer on 
 duty called from the end of the broken arch of the bridge 
 to Captain Von Bissing, a most excellent officer and per 
 fect gentleman, who was sent by the Crown Prince to 
 receive General Burnside, that he would have a shot, as 
 his men had been fired upon, and as they were waiting 
 for the carriage a ball whistled by, very close to the trum 
 peter. 
 
 After having several interviews with Count Bismarck, 
 General Burnside, accompanied by Mr. Forbes, again vis 
 ited the " beleaguered city." He was this time authorized 
 to suggest to Monsieur Jules Favre that he would yield the 
 question of the forts, and would grant an absolute armis 
 tice of forty-eight hours for holding an election, and give 
 every facility for a fair election, for the distribution of tick 
 ets and circulars for the committee to go out of Paris, as 
 well as for the departure of the members elected from the 
 city of Paris, and to render passes wherever the conven- 
 
292 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tion should be held, etc. In addition, it was suggested 
 that a sort of semi-armistice might be agreed upon, to ex 
 tend over a sufficient time to permit the convention to be 
 held that is to say, that there should be no firing; but 
 that the Prussians should be permitted to bring up their 
 guns and provisions, and that everything in Paris should 
 remain in statu quo. 
 
 General Burnside had an interview of an hour with 
 Monsieur Jules Favre, who wished to consult his associates 
 before giving a decisive answer. The next day there was 
 a long interview between General Burnside, Mr. Forbes, 
 Mr. Washburne, Monsieur Jules Favre, and General 
 Trochu. The French were not disposed to enter into any 
 negotiations looking to a peace, unless assured that Prus 
 sia did not desire to seize on Alsace and Lorraine. Gen 
 eral Burnside could not, of course, give any such assur 
 ances. 
 
 While at Paris on this second visit, General Burnside 
 was impressed with the appearance of the city, invested by 
 an immense army, isolated from the rest of the world, ex 
 cept when a mail was received under a flag of truce or 
 sent away in a balloon, with its outer and inner belt of for 
 tifications, and at least 500,000 men under arms, burning 
 with protracted enthusiasm, who camped in all its open 
 spaces, exercised on its boulevards, lined its ramparts, 
 crowded its gates, paraded its streets, and thronged its res 
 taurants. The wreck of the empire had not been cleared 
 away, and the provisional government, composed of men 
 having the best intentions, was assailed by a crowd of 
 vain, crotchety, envious radicals. There were no new 
 fashion-plates, no new music, no new books, pictures, 
 bronzes, or photographs, no new jokes, no new scandal, 
 and no news, save what transpired within an area of some 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 293 
 
 thirty square miles, which was then the limit of the influ 
 ence exercised by what Frenchmen vain-gloriously termed 
 the capital of the world. The bills of fare at the principal 
 restaurants exhibited a painful informality, for Paris was 
 without fish and without game, hardly any poultry and 
 very little meat, no rare vegetables, and neither cheese nor 
 even butter. Europe no longer laid itself under contribu 
 tion that Paris might dine sumptuously. The fine equi 
 pages, prancing horses, and liveried servants had disap 
 peared with their masters and mistresses ; lawyers and 
 journalists, who were at the head of public affairs, with 
 shop-keepers, working-men, the militia, and porters, were 
 the only classes that appeared to be left in Paris. Although 
 General Burnside was unsuccessful in bringing about ne 
 gotiations for peace, he was able to obtain from Count 
 Bismarck permission for upwards of fifty Americans to 
 leave Paris. 
 
 On the 1 4th of October, General Burnside, accompanied 
 by General Sheridan and Dr. Forbes, left Versailles for 
 London. He was there an object of great curiosity, as 
 having been entrusted by the two great contending nations 
 with negotiations that required all the qualities of the diplo 
 mat and the statesman. 
 
 His personal character, his good sense, and his complete 
 neutrality had secured him great advantages on both sides. 
 True to his word, he was not willing to converse about 
 what he had seen in Paris. He even declined an invita 
 tion to breakfast from the Prince of Wales, fearing that 
 questions might be asked him concerning what he had 
 seen when admitted into Paris under a flag of truce, that 
 he could not honorably answer. It is much to be regretted 
 that he had not, for the benefit of future historians, placed 
 on record his reminiscences of these eventful visits to Paris. 
 
294 
 
 GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 His allusions in conversing, after a few years had passed, 
 on what he sa\v and heard, were always listened to with 
 marked attention, and he had hopes at one time that he 
 should be able to welcome Count Bismarck to the United 
 States. 
 

 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE ARMY REUNION S FOR 1873 DURNSIDE BROUGHT FORWARD 
 AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE UNSUC 
 CESSFUL BALLOTING VISIT TO KNOXVILLE ADDRESSES IX 
 TEXNESSEE ELECTED UNITED STATES SEXATOR. 
 
 THE army reunions for 1873 were held at New 
 Haven, the Society of the Ninth Army Corps be 
 ing the only one of the corps organizations which 
 had an oration and a banquet. The Rev. Augustus 
 Woodbury delivered the oration, which was able and 
 eloquent, and General Burnside presided over the banquet, 
 which was graced by many prominent citizens of Connec 
 ticut. General Charles Devens, Jr., was elected com- 
 mander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, who 
 presented a finely-engrossed and elegantly-framed testi 
 monial to General Burnside, as a mark of the high esteem 
 entertained for him as a comrade, and in appreciation of 
 his able, faithful, and zealous administration for two years 
 of the responsible duties of commander-in-chief, illustrat 
 ing, as a man and an officer, the cardinal principles of our 
 order Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty. 
 
 Among the pleasant incidents of the New Haven re 
 union was the greeting which General Burnside received 
 from one of his old command, who approached him, and 
 
2 o6 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 giving him a military salute, said, "God bless you, Gene 
 ral Burnside, I am glad to see you ; you don t probably 
 know me, but to you I owe my right arm. I was in the 
 Fifty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment, and in your com 
 mand. I was wounded in both arms at Fredericksburg, in 
 the right one very badly, and but for your personal kind 
 ness to me I should have lost it. I have n t seen you since 
 that time, but I have always wanted to see you, and thank 
 you, for I honestly believe that but for your kindness, I 
 should now have but one arm." It was only the- kind 
 greeting of one man, but it shows the real feelings of the 
 men who served under General Burnside, and the esteem 
 they have for him, more, perhaps, than the more noisy 
 cheers which greeted him at all points. 
 
 In the spring of 1874 tne friends of General Burnside 
 in Rhode Island presented his name as a candidate for 
 United States Senator, to succeed Governor Sprague. It 
 was urged that he possessed to a remarkable degree the 
 confidence of the people of Rhode Island, while his un 
 blemished private character, his spotless honor, his win 
 ning address, his gallantry in action, his familiarity with 
 the affairs of the State, and his knowledge of the resources 
 of the country, all combined to make him especially well 
 qualified for the position. 
 
 When the General Assembly commenced balloting, it 
 was evident that General Burnside had the largest number 
 of Republican votes, but not a majority. His opposing 
 candidate in the Republican ranks was Nathan F. Dixon, 
 a lawyer, whose father had represented Rhode Island in 
 the United States Senate, and who had himself been a 
 member of the Federal House of Representatives. It soon 
 became evident, however, that General Burnside had 
 reached his highest vote, and that a break among his sup- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 297 
 
 porters would result in his being dropped. The General 
 Assembly consequently adjourned until January. 
 
 The citizens of Knoxville, Tenn., had invited General 
 Burnside to be present at the decoration of the Federal 
 soldiers graves on the 3<Dth of May, and to deliver an ad 
 dress. He declined this invitation , but agreed to visit Knox 
 ville on the 4th of July and speak. The Knoxville Typo 
 graphical Union, composed only of practical printers, 
 solicited the cooperation of the people of all classes. No 
 sooner did the fact become generally known that General 
 Burnside would be in the city on that day, than a general 
 enthusiasm prevailed, and the citizens of all parties, ex- 
 Federal and ex-rebel soldiers, Democratic and Republican, 
 all seemed to partake of this enthusiasm, and signified 
 their intention of giving General Burnside such a reception 
 as no other general had ever before received in East Ten 
 nessee. The morning papers heralded the fact to the 
 world in double-leaded editorials, while large posters 
 were printed and distributed throughout East Tennessee. 
 During the entire following week General Burnside was 
 all the talk, and many an ex-rebel could be heard speaking 
 of a kindness shown him by the general while in com 
 mand of this post during the war, while the Union ex- 
 soldiers loved him as a father. 
 
 General Burnside arrived at Knoxville on the evening 
 of July 3, and was escorted to the residence of the Hon. 
 Perez Dickinson, where he passed the night. On the 
 morning of the " Fourth" a procession was formed, which 
 escorted General Burnside in a barouche drawn by four 
 white horses. The city was crowded, and the procession 
 marched through crowds to the grounds of the Female In 
 stitute, where a formal address of welcome was delivered 
 by the Hon. H. O. Temple. 
 
298 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 "It affords me very great pleasure/ said General Burn- 
 side in reply, "to meet so many of my old personal friends, 
 and so many of the citizens of East Tennessee, upon this 
 occasion. At Greeneville, I was met by a large number 
 of people, and welcomed by my old friend, ex-President 
 Johnson, to whom I shall always be thankful for the aid 
 he gave me in getting my army into East Tennessee. 
 Whatever differences we may now have with him politi 
 cally, we must all give him credit for his patriotic duty 
 during the war. I have always admired the people of 
 East Tennessee. I read early in the war of the conflict 
 going on here, and when I was sent to command the De 
 partment of the Ohio, I proceeded at once to organize an 
 army to come to your relief. I came here at the head of 
 the army, to restore order and good government. I am 
 glad that you feel so kindly to me for the way I exercised 
 that authority. I am glad to know that in this demonstra 
 tion to-day men of both sides are united. It shows that a 
 good feeling exists here. I have always believed that 
 there were men just as honest and conscientious in the 
 South as the North, and I always feel kindly to those who 
 gallantly and honestly discharged what they thought was 
 their duty. But when I say this, I do not wish to be under 
 stood as saying that the Rebellion was right, or that the 
 government has not the right to suppress it wherever it 
 exists." 
 
 Later in the day, General Burnside addressed the Knox- 
 ville Typographical Union, in a grove near the city. "It 
 is now eleven years ago," said he, " that I crossed one of 
 the great chains of mountains by which you are sur 
 rounded. Then I was at the head of an armed host, not 
 for invasion, but for the protection of your people. A long 
 time before I was ordered to a command in the West, my 
 
GE.\. A. \fBKOSE E BURXS1DE. 
 
 299 
 
 heart had been moved by the many grand examples of 
 their patriotism, and as soon as I assumed command of the 
 Department of the Ohio, arrangements were at once inau 
 gurated for a march into East Tennessee. At my head 
 quarters in Cincinnati, the refugees from this section were 
 constant and welcome visitors. They were of infinite ser 
 vice to the government, not only as advisers, scouts, and 
 guides, but as disciplined, gallant soldiers, making up, as 
 they did, some of the finest regiments in the army. Their 
 devotion to the cause, and their thorough cooperation with 
 me in all my work in this department, have endeared them 
 to me and their other comrades beyond measure. I am 
 glad to meet so many of them here to-day. The survivors 
 of the gallant Old Ninth and Twenty-third army corps 
 join me in friendly greetings to them. Combined, they 
 formed a command of which any general might be proud. 
 
 ; I will not attempt a detailed account of their services 
 here ; they are as fresh in your memories as in mine. We 
 have but to recall Cumberland Gap, Blue Spring, Camp 
 bell Station, and Knoxville, to have their services vividly 
 before us. But on an occasion like this, it is not meet 
 to dwell upon the details of these conflicts. We should 
 rather draw the curtain over them. Let us unite as 
 brother freemen, in thanking God that these conflicts are 
 over ; that our country is again at peace ; and although 
 some of the saddening effects of the war are still apparent, 
 let us hope and believe they are rapidly passing away, 
 and that the coming generations will only remember it as 
 a conflict between their forefathers, who were brothers, 
 and in which equal gallantry and devotion to the cause 
 for which they were fighting were shown by both sides. 
 By this I do not mean that we must forget the glorious 
 exploits on either side, nor erase from our flags the names 
 
100 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 o 
 
 of the engagements into which they were carried to vic 
 tory or defeat ; neither do I mean to say that we must look 
 upon the cause of the South as a just one. Far be it from 
 me to do anything to diminish the importance of the lesson 
 taught to us and the whole civilized world,, that the gov 
 ernment of the United States has the right and the power 
 to put down rebellion ; but I do mean to say that the 
 Southern soldiers, as a mass, fought with a courage and 
 devotion to what they thought was right, and, the contest 
 over, we should be willing to grant this." 
 
 General Burnside went on to say : "I have prepared no 
 elaborate address to you. You have here more gifted 
 speakers than I, to talk to you of your duties, and congrat 
 ulate you on your successes. Your art requires of you, in 
 order to perform your duties properly, great integrity, 
 industry, skill, and education. Your duties not only re 
 quire of you skill in your calling, but preparation, as far 
 as possible, to fill any position in the press which may 
 devolve upon you. No good printer fails to aspire to pro 
 motion in his calling, and he should strive to qualify him 
 self for a higher position. Great duties devolve upon the 
 press. It holds within its control a wonderful engine of 
 power ; more powerful is it than that held by any class or 
 profession, and it should endeavor to wield it with discre 
 tion, boldness, truthfulness, and fairness. It should battle 
 against wrong in all its phases, whether it be oppression, 
 usurpation, monopoly, bribery, corruption, unfair legisla 
 tion, or dishonesty of any kind. It should fight for truth, 
 civil and religious liberty, honesty in all the walks of pub 
 lic and private life, and protection to all the oppressed and 
 down-trodden of the world. You will grant me that some 
 agents of the press do not always use their power in 
 accordance with the above principles. But you should 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 all resolve to be governed by them. There is no truer 
 saying than that fair play is a jewel. With the special 
 objects of your Union I am not fully conversant, but take 
 it that you are joined together for purposes of protection, 
 friendly association, mutual improvement, and charitable 
 objects. So long as you follow these purposes, great good 
 will result from your work ; but no one knows better than 
 you, that often these unions fall under the control of bad 
 men, who use their power to their own advantage and to 
 the detriment of the members generally. There is another 
 thing that I have sometimes thought an objection to them. 
 Many of the members, from their connection with them, 
 become fastened to the position they occupy, and do not 
 seek advancement, but continue all their lives the tools of 
 designing leaders." 
 
 Said General Burnside, in conclusion : "This has been 
 to me a most glorious day. It has given me the oppor 
 tunity of renewing many old and valued acquaintances, 
 and receiving from them many kindly greetings and hos 
 pitalities. I was met at the railway-station, last night, by 
 your distinguished fellow-citizen, Mr. Dickinson, the same 
 good friend who first met me when I entered Knoxville 
 eleven years ago, and was taken by him to the same hos 
 pitable mansion he welcomed me to then. This morning, 
 as I was awakened from my slumbers by the sound of ar 
 tillery, I almost fancied myself again in the midst of the 
 conflicts of war ; but upon looking out upon your grand 
 mountains and noble river, and witnessing the peaceful 
 scenes before me, I realized that these were not sounds of 
 discord and conflict, which make anxious hearts, but were 
 sounds of welcome which made my heart glad. God grant 
 that the same peace which exists in all East Tennessee 
 this bright and glorious day may continue for ages, and 
 
o O 2 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 that we and future generations may continue to celebrate 
 this glorious anniversary with the same happiness and loy 
 alty that have characterized our meeting to-day." 
 
 When the General Assembly of Rhode Island met again, 
 in January, 1875, the dead-lock was renewed, but the 
 friends of General Burnside presented an unbroken front. 
 "He never goes back on his friends," said one of his en 
 thusiastic admirers, "and his friends won t do so mean a 
 thing as to go back on him." At last, on the twenty-eighth 
 ballot, Mr. Dixon withdrew his name, and his friends voted 
 for General Burnside, securing his election by 100 major 
 ity. No sooner was the result declared, than a small can 
 non in the State House yard roared forth its brazen con 
 gratulations, and was fired until it had completed a major- 
 general s salute. Meanwhile General Burnside had been 
 sent for, and on being introduced to the General Assembly, 
 he spoke as follows : 
 
 " Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Grand Commit 
 tee : I cannot find words to express the deep satisfaction 
 which I feel at this mark of your confidence. Before the 
 action of this morning I felt that I owed to the people of 
 Rhode Island, whom you represent, a debt of gratitude 
 which I could never pay, and by this action I feel placed 
 under renewed obligations to them and to you. I recog 
 nize the fact that there is among you a marked difference 
 of opinion as to the course which has been taken here this 
 morning. It shall be my endeavor in the future, as well 
 in my official capacity as in personal decorum, to cause 
 my friends to be glad of the support they have given me, 
 and my enemies, no, I will not say enemies, for I never 
 thought I had an enemy among you, and if I have, I hope 
 no one will ever tell me of it, but my political opponents, 
 - to cause them to have no regret at seeing me in the 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 303 
 
 Senate Chamber. My object shall be to look first at the 
 interests of Rhode Island, if these interests are consonant 
 with the Constitution and the laws. My first duty is to my 
 country ; my second to my constituents in Rhode Island. 
 When I cannot conscientiously represent their interests, 
 and if at any time the differences between them and me 
 cannot be reconciled, my commission will be returned to 
 this body who gave it to me. 
 
 "I may be allowed to express my deep pride and grati 
 tude to my friends for their steadfast support, and yet I 
 know I could not have been elected this morning without 
 the accessions of those who have voted for other candi 
 dates. I cannot close without thanking them for the kindly 
 manner in which they have ever met me, and spoken of 
 me in my absence, so far as I know. 
 
 " I cannot say I am surprised by the result this morn 
 ing, for I thought yesterday this would be the result ; but 
 I have not allowed myself to prepare any connected re 
 marks. I can only say that I shall give to the duties to 
 which you have called me my best efforts, and that I shall 
 never take my seat in the Senate without being prepared 
 for whatever subject may come up, so far as my abilities 
 and personal attention may enable me to prepare myself. 
 
 " It is now late in the day, gentlemen, but I may say 
 that to-morrow afternoon, from one till five o clock, I shall 
 be at my home, No. 312 Benefit Street, where I shall be 
 gratified to receive you all, together with the officers of the 
 State, judges of the courts, and such other gentlemen as I 
 may invite to be present. Again I thank you, gentlemen, 
 and wish you good-morning." 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 "EDGHILL FARM" THE HOUSE AND FURNITURE FAKM STOCK- 
 RURAL PURSUITS KINDNESS TO ANIMALS VISITS FROM VET 
 ERANS HOSPITALITIES PERSONAL POPULARITY TRAITS OF 
 CHARACTER. 
 
 ATER his election to the United States Senate, 
 General Burnside appeared to take a greater in 
 terest than ever before in the cultivation of the soil. 
 His estate near Bristol he named " Edghill Farm," after his 
 father, Edghill Burnside, and his great-grandfather, James 
 Edghill. It was neither large in area nor very valuable, 
 but he became as devotedly attached to it as did the " Iron 
 Duke " of Wellington to the large and valuable estate of 
 " Stathfieldsaye," presented to him by a grateful country. 
 Great soldiers have invariably been good farmers, as was 
 exemplified by Washington at " Mount Vernon," Jackson 
 at the " Hermitage," and Zachary Taylor at his sugar- 
 plantation at Pascagoula. The same system, skill, man 
 agement of men, and determined will which insures the 
 commander of an army success, enables him in later 
 years to subdue a stubborn soil, and to make the wilder 
 ness " blossom like the rose." 
 
 "Edghill Farm" was located about two miles from Bris- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. B URNS IDE. 305 
 
 tol, on a \vell-graded road, which afforded a delightful 
 drive in pleasant weather. Entering the estate through 
 the gate, nothing but the roof of the house could be seen, 
 as the ground on which it stands is somewhat lower than 
 the road. The house was somewhat unique in shape, 
 having grown, by gradual additions, from a small cottage 
 into a commodious structure. The principal portion, sur 
 rounded on three sides by glass windows, outside of which 
 was a covered porch, reminded one of the rear cabin of a 
 large steamer. On the other side was a large, old-fash 
 ioned fire-place, with brass andirons and a high mantel 
 shelf, over which was a stag s head with spreading antlers. 
 To describe the interior, with its many conveniences, would 
 be a difficult task. There were airy chambers above, the 
 general s own rooms below, comfortable quarters for the 
 servants, wide porches, bath-rooms, a well-ventilated 
 kitchen, and a host of conveniences which defied the 
 suggestion of more possibilities for comfort. Adjoining 
 the house and connected with it was a carriage-house, the 
 stable, the poultry-house and yard, the barns, and the 
 barn-yard. The house and farm buildings were well sup 
 plied with water brought from a well on an adjacent hill. 
 Every one of the different matters about the farm buildings 
 were placed where they were required. There was "a 
 place for everything," and the general insisted on having 
 everything kept " in its place." 
 
 The chief charm of " Edghill" was its natural beauty, 
 without any attempt at artificial ornament. Clumps of 
 shade-trees were dispersed here and there on the green 
 sward. There was a garden, with its fruit-trees and grape 
 vines, and the ground gently descended from the house to 
 the shore of Mount Hope Bay. The view on this sheet of 
 water is ever beautiful and never tiring. In the distance 
 
 L O 
 
306 LIPE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OP 
 
 was Mount Hope, where the renowned King Philip lived 
 in state and was slain, with the adjacent city of Fall River, 
 from which rise tall chimneys crested with smoke, show 
 ing that it is a city of industry. The bay itself affords 
 a constantly changing panorama of steam and sailing ves 
 sels, pleasure yachts, and small craft. On either side are 
 cultivated fields, orchards, and handsome country resi 
 dences, or neat cottages. One can never be fatigued with 
 the contemplation of this beautiful and interesting view. 
 
 In the large room of the house was a library of mili 
 tary books, history, the English poets, theology, and 
 natural history. A vote of thanks presented to him by the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, after his service as com- 
 mander-in-chief, adorned the wall ; and there was also an 
 elegantly-framed " military escutcheon," on which were 
 blazoned his services, and the various commissions which 
 he had received. When he first took possession of ; Edg- 
 hill," it was little better than a rocky pasture ; but by the 
 application of science to practical experience; by under- 
 draining, the use of fertilizers, and much hard work, he 
 was able to cut three tons of English hay to the acre in his 
 meadow, and to gather sixteen hundred bushels of corn 
 from his corn-field of twelve acres. The raising of cattle 
 was his delight, and it was a rare treat to walk with him 
 through the spacious yards adjoining his barns, or over his 
 grazing fields, and to have him point out the good points 
 of his Alderney herd, which were not surpassed in that 
 section of the country. His hogs were a mixture of the 
 native and Suffolk, having in a remarkable degree the 
 good qualities of both. The fowl were Brahmas and Leg 
 horns, without any of the hideous varieties introduced dur 
 ing the prevalence of the hen fever. Then there were rare 
 varieties of geese, ducks, and turkeys to almost unlimited 
 extent. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 307 
 
 General Burnside was never happier than when among 
 his men, directing agricultural operations. He would be 
 with them all day, although it might be necessary to de 
 vote a good portion of the following night to his correspon- 
 
 " EDGHILI.," RESIDENCE OK GENERAL BURNSIDE, HKISTOL, K. I. 
 
 dence, which he kept up, even though it required late 
 hours to do so. The rural sounds and the grand aspects 
 of nature at "Edghill Farm " ministered to the delight of 
 
 o o 
 
 General Burnside s acute sensibilities, as we are told that 
 Marshfield did to those of Mr. Webster. The smell of new- 
 mown hay and of the freshly-turned furrows of spring was 
 cordial to his spirit ; the whetting of the mower s scythe 
 and the beat of the thresher s flail were music to his soul. 
 
 The rich verdure of clover, the \vaving of the golden 
 grain, the shriek of the water-fowl on the bay, and the 
 softer sound of the land birds, all the varying aspects of 
 skv and field and water, furnished him with a distinct and 
 
ooS LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 peculiar enjoyment. The shrinking quail whistled in his 
 garden shrubbery, and fed unscared in his carriage-way. 
 General Burnside delivered several speeches at agricultu 
 ral gatherings, which were listened to with the more inter 
 est because they were conservative and practical. He 
 believed that the government should establish agricultural 
 schools and model farms everywhere, that the farmer 
 might be educated for his vocation. In law, medicine, 
 theology, and the army, schools were established for the 
 education of those who were to follow their respective pur 
 suits. General Burnside thought it equally important that 
 schools should be established for those who pursue the more 
 honorable education of tilling the soil. Physical educa 
 tion should go hand in hand with mental, and moral educa 
 tion with both. These schools, he thought, should be con 
 ducted so as to educate the whole man, morally, mentally, 
 and physically. Certain hours should be allotted each day 
 for the students to follow rural pursuits, and they should 
 be of such a nature as to benefit both the mind and the 
 body, for the great object of education should be to develop 
 a strong mind in a strong body. General Burnside be 
 lieved that physical power is as essential as mental power. 
 General Burnside s horses and cattle knew his voice, and 
 whinnied a welcome whenever he approached. His bob- 
 tailed war charger, "Major, "the gift of some unknown 
 friend, lived to the age of thirty years, and long after his 
 usefulness was over scarcely any one dared to mount him 
 but his owner. But the general, being so much attached 
 to him, saw that he was well housed and fed. At last, 
 when the animal had become so old as to make life a bur 
 den to himself, his master was obliged to give directions 
 that he should be killed; "but do not do it," said he, 
 "until next winter, after I have gone to Washington." 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 309 
 
 Alas, he never went there, and after his lifeless remains 
 had been removed from " Edghill Farm " to Providence, 
 for interment, the faithful animal was led out and shot. 
 
 " Dick," General Burnside s favorite driving horse, was 
 a noble animal, sure-footed and fast, but he would occa 
 sionally get his tail over the reins, and then run away. 
 To prevent this the general had constructed over the shafts 
 of one of his carriages a wire structure, resembling a small 
 summer-house. Beneath this " Dick " would thrash his tail 
 about madly, yet he could not trouble the reins, which 
 rested on the upper side of the trellis. A few weeks 
 before the general s death, "Dick" ran away with him, 
 and he was thrown from his carriage, receiving quite a 
 jarring. Writing him congratulations on his not having 
 been more seriously injured, a friend remarked : " Dick 
 will be the death of you yet." The return mail brought 
 one of his pleasant letters, in which he said that he was 
 recovering from the upset, and added : "It was not Dick s 
 fault." The general s generous nature always prompted 
 him to assume blame and to exculpate either men or beasts 
 from accusations. 
 
 The hospitalities at " Edghill" were unbounded. Visitors 
 came there from all parts of the country, and those who had 
 served under him were especially welcome. On several 
 occasions, large organizations came to pass the clay with 
 their old commander, telling camp-stories, recalling inci 
 dents of hard-fought fields, and invariably ending with 
 "The Ninth Corps," to the air so familiar to the graduates 
 of West Point, one stanza running as follows : 
 
 " Then we 11 drink to General Burnside. may his laurels ever grow ; 
 
 And the other generals, Parke. Foster, and Reno. 
 
 Their well-laid plans, and v, _ ll-tbught fields cause every one to know, 
 Thev went to school in early lite wit!; Benny Havens, O ! 
 With Benny Havens, O ! etc." 
 
310 LIFE AXD ITBL1C SERVICES OF 
 
 Parties from the gay throngs at Newport, friends from 
 Bristol and Providence, the farmers of the vicinage, and 
 distinguished persons from different parts of the country 
 were equally welcome at " Eclghill Farm," and the genial 
 host always seemed happy when a party of friends were 
 congregated around his large table, or before his spacious 
 fire-place. General Burnside is well described by his life 
 long friend, the Rev. Augustus Woodbury, as a good 
 talker, who had clear and decided opinions to express on 
 both the political and religious questions of the day that 
 were agitating the public mind. He did not deal much 
 in the petty gossip of the day ; but there was always an 
 under-current of seriousness, even when the conversation 
 turned upon light and playful themes. It was evident that 
 he had thought much upon the more important subjects of 
 life. He gave up the use of tobacco when comparatively a 
 young man, because he said he would not be a slave to 
 any habit. For the last five or six years of his life he 
 drank no wine nor liquors, and, in fact, had come to prac 
 tice total abstinence from intoxicating drinks, although he 
 did not deny the use of these to his guests. He would 
 not make his own conscience the judge of what was right 
 or proper to others. 
 
 Col. William Goddard, who served on General Burn- 
 side s staff during the war, and who was his cherished 
 personal friend, said of him in a memoir written for the 
 military order of the Loyal Legion : " His hospitality was 
 proverbial. Under his roof presidents and heads of de 
 partments shared with his old companions in arms, and 
 with troops of congenial friends, a hospitality at once 
 simple and profuse, and all were welcomed with the same 
 cordia} and attractive grace. His manners were unaffected 
 and genial, and his conversation was singularly attrac- 
 
GEX. A. MBit OS E E. /i[ /tXS//)K. o ir 
 
 live. He loved anecdote, and often indulged in light- 
 hearted sportiveness, but pervading all his social inter 
 course, even with familiar friends, was the sense of the 
 dignity of life, and the moral elevation of a character 
 which could never confound the distinctions of right and 
 wrong." 
 
 At Providence, and in the vicinity of " Edghill Farm," 
 General Burnside was esteemed by all classes, and he 
 enjoyed a personal popularity which it falls to the lot of 
 but few men to have among their neighbors. His was a 
 nature that was keenly alive to kindly acts. Those who 
 were able to do him a favor were sure to have in return 
 acts of kindness bestowed upon them with a lavish hand 
 by him. He was a man of his word, frank and manly in 
 his intercourse with all, never promising anything he was 
 not able to perform, and never failing to perform that 
 which he undertook. Liberal in his impulses and gener 
 ous in his feelings, his kindly nature prompted him to a 
 consistent performance of acts of kindness towards all with 
 whom he had daily intercourse. In his contributions to the 
 benevolent and charitable enterprises of the day, lie was 
 ever ready and liberal, and he was always ready to aid 
 those veterans who had perilled their lives that the Republic 
 might live ; having come up from the ranks of the people, 
 he sympathized with them, understood their views and 
 feelings, and was ever ready to promote their interests. 
 
 As a politician in the highest sense of the word, General 
 Burnside was eminently successful. He did not possess 
 dazzling attainments without native good sense ; nor splen 
 did oratory without wisdom or judgment ; nor elegance 
 of manners without sinceritv of purpose ; but, instead of 
 those, he united in a very eminent degree those rare 
 qualifications of a sound common sense, practical and use- 
 
3 I2 
 
 GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR XS IDE. 
 
 ful to a public man, which are the result oi" firmness of 
 purpose, with accuracy of judgment, and strong natural 
 talents. Planning a coming election as he would have 
 prepared for a battle, he selected his aides-de-camp to 
 cany out his plans, and by careful management and at 
 tention to every minor detail, insured success. Inspiring 
 his political associates with a consciousness of strength, 
 a spirit of energetic determination, and a conviction of 
 right, he found it an easy task to stimulate their exertion 
 until victory was secured. 
 
 As a husband, son-in-law, and brother. General Burn- 
 side presented a character truly noble, and proved that his 
 heart was in the right place. When elected to the United 
 States Senate he was in his fifty-first year; but there are 
 few men who, at that age, are so free from disease, and 
 who enjoy the same mental and physical energy. His 
 was a constitution of great elasticity and vigor, capable of 
 much endurance, and of active bodily and mental exer 
 tion ; although his life had been a very active one, and his 
 energies had been taxed very heavily, he possessed all the 
 physical and mental energy of a young man. 
 
V 
 
 <-vq 
 
 s>. 
 
 rv^: 
 
 <-\ -**G-,j* v ** 1 ^r-^- 
 
 ,5? ,.^^a * / N 
 
 f< <\N xx.S^**^-^-i ^- ^~ 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 TAKES IIIS SEAT IN THE SENATE THE OLD AXD NEW SEXATORS 
 DECORATIOX DAY AT AXTIETAM NATIONAL CEMETERY 
 PATRIOTIC ADDRESS OX DECORATIOX DAY SPEECH AT THE 
 COMMENCEMENT D1XXER OF BROWN UNIVERSITY BANQUET 
 OF THE LOYAL LEGION AT BOSTON -GENERAL GRANT AT 
 "EDGHILL FARM." 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE took his seat in the United 
 States Senate on Friday, the 5th of March, 1875. 
 It was a called session, the Forty-third Congress 
 having terminated its existence on the previous day. The 
 oath was administered to the new Senators by Vice-Presi- 
 dent Henry Wilson, and it was a noteworthy fact that it 
 was taken at the same time by Hannibal Hamlin and 
 Andrew Johnson, who had been Vice-Presidents under 
 Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 Among the old Senators were General Burnside s col 
 league, Mr. Anthony, the -pater scnatus, with cordial 
 words of welcome for all new-comers ; Mr. Conkling, a 
 powerful intellectual gladiator, able to learnedly expound 
 the law or to engage in running debate with sarcasm and 
 force ; Mr. Edmunds, observant and learned in the law ; 
 Mr. Bayard, called the type of a Roman of the Augus- 
 
314 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tinian age ; General Ransom, of North Carolina, who had 
 heroically fought for the lost cause, and now sought to pro 
 mote the welfare of his constituents; Mr. Morton, one of 
 the friends of Burnside s early youth, who had subsequently 
 been war-governor of Indiana, and who was a stalwart 
 pillar of the Republican temple; Mr. Sherman, a trained 
 and able statesman, who seemed in political life like a 
 thorough-bred race-horse harnessed to a dirt-cart ; and 
 General Logan, his dark eyes glistening as though he \vere 
 about to lead his old army corps into action. 
 
 Among the new Senators were Mr. B. K. Bruce, a Mis- 
 sissippian, with courtly manners and fair education, whose 
 colored skin showed his African descent; Mr. Dawes, 
 who had just been transplanted from the lower house, 
 where he had had great experience ; Mr. Jones of Florida, 
 one of the few Senators who have been deprived by birth 
 of any chance of becoming President, and whose useful 
 ness as a legislator has thereby been greatly increased : 
 Mr. Maxey of Texas, General Burnside s old West Point 
 comrade, who had served gallantly in the Confederate 
 army ; Mr. William Pinkney Whyte, an accomplished and 
 courteous member of the Baltimore Bar ; and four old- 
 fashioned Jeffersonian Democrats Messrs. Eaton of Con 
 necticut, Kernan of New York, Thurman of Ohio, and 
 McDonald of Indiana, all of whom had unexpectedly 
 again come to the political front. General Burnside was 
 appointed on three important committees, viz. : Military 
 Affairs, of which General Logan was chairman ; Com 
 merce, of which Mr. Conklingwas chairman; and Educa 
 tion and Labor, of which Mr. Patterson was chairman. 
 
 The Senate, in the called session, ratified the reciprocity 
 treaty with the Hawaiian Islands, and confirmed the nomi 
 nations of a number of members of the preceding Congress 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 315 
 
 who had failed to secure a reelection in the political cam 
 paign of the preceding autumn. Governor Morton led off 
 in a long debate on the admission of Mr. Pinchback as a 
 Senator from Louisiana, which was finally postponed until 
 
 THE CAPITOL, AT WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 the next December ; ex-President Johnson delivered a long 
 speech, which had no strength except in the vigor of its 
 invective; and finally the Senate adjourned on the 25th of 
 March. 
 
 General Burnside made a favorable impression on his 
 brother Senators, and was regarded as a friend of kindness 
 and conciliation. He sa\v nothing alarming in the elec 
 tion of ex-Confederate officers to positions in the Federal 
 government, believing that their loyalty could be safely 
 trusted, and he wished to see the people of all the States of 
 the Union again under the supervision of their own consti 
 tuted authorities. 
 
316 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 On the 29111 of May, 1875, General Burnside attended 
 the celebration of Decoration Day at the Antietam National 
 Cemetery. An immense crowd had gathered from the 
 surrounding country, and this city of the dead was peopled 
 with the living, come to pay their yearly tribute to the 
 brave men who had struggled upon the mountains, plains, 
 and hill-sides of Maryland for the perpetuity of our com 
 mon-brotherhood, and had given the measure of their lives 
 to that which to them seemed right and best. 
 
 General Burnside arrived at Sharpsburg early in the 
 morning, and visited the stone bridge which he so gallantly 
 held on the memorable battle-day. Afterwards a proces 
 sion was formed, which escorted the general to the ceme 
 tery, where the exercises of the day took place on the 
 stand. General Burnside, after alluding to the ceremonies 
 of the day, spoke of the strong thoughts and feelings that 
 hung upon those who filled these graves thirteen years 
 before, and left their comrades in their resting-places, to go 
 to their posts of duty. Now they gladly came year after 
 year to the performance of this votive service, not in sad 
 ness but in tenderness ; not in distrust but in hope and faith 
 in the country s greatness and happiness ; not to wish de 
 parted comrades back again, nor to lament their departure, 
 but to remember their heroic virtues and sacrifices, to 
 draw lessons from them, and to again join hearts and 
 hands in pledges of fraternity, charity, and loyalty. 
 
 " Let no one," said General Burnside, " arrogate to him 
 self any extraordinary merit for his service to the country. 
 Let no one disparage the service of his fellow-soldiers who 
 served with the same integrity as he. The private who 
 fought gallantly in the ranks is entitled to the same praise 
 as the most successful general in the field. The sergeant 
 of sharp-shooters who followed his regiment on the hotly- 
 
GEN. AMBJtOSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 317 
 
 contested field unarmed, because his rifle was broken by a 
 shot, but who took the first opportunity to arm himself with 
 the musket of a fellow-soldier, with which he did good ser 
 vice, and afterward yielded his life, is entitled to as high a 
 place on the roll of honor as the gallant general who fell 
 at the head of his charging column. Neither let us boast 
 of great merit for remaining loyal to our country and its 
 government in its perilous hour of danger, but rather let 
 us be thankful for the sound wisdom and strength of pur 
 pose which led us to discover the right, and pursue it, amid 
 all discouragements and hardships. Let us remember that 
 there lie buried on this field the remains of brave and hon 
 est soldiers who met us here in deadly conflict. They 
 were our brothers, who had been led from the paths of 
 loyalty by a system of political instruction and a course of 
 events which need not be referred to on this occasion. 
 Mi<rht we not have been led in the same direction under 
 
 O 
 
 like circumstances?" 
 
 "Comrades," said General Burnside, in conclusion, 
 whilst performing this loving duty, let us banish pride, 
 exultation and hatred, if we possess any of them, and 
 unite our hearts in earnest prayer to God that differences 
 may be laid away that all breaches may be healed, and 
 that, as a united people, we may ever remain faithful to 
 our beloved country. These centennial days should in 
 spire us all with an increased patriotic desire for unity, 
 peace, and concord. Our hearts should be filled with 
 gratitude to God, that the government handed down to us 
 bv our forefathers of the Revolution is still our valued 
 inheritance. 
 
 At the dinner on Commencement day of that year, at 
 Brown University, ^ie president introduced, with compli 
 mentary remarks, as the next speaker, " General, Gov- 
 
LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 ernor. Senator Burnside. The general, thus called upon, 
 said : -I really believe that there is no man in the United 
 States who has a higher appreciation of, and who more 
 truly enjoys such reunions than I ; but I cannot be ex 
 pected to speak to you here as these scholars and instruct 
 ors speak. I am proud of the degree conferred upon 
 me by your college as anybody can be, but I did not get 
 it in a legitimate way. Circumstances threw me to the 
 front during the war, and I became identified with the 
 people of Rhode Island, and they chose to believe that I 
 did some service to the country. I certainly hope they 
 believe I did my best. This institution has chosen very 
 kindly to confer upon me honors which I cannot say I 
 shall always deserve, but I shall always conduct myself 
 in that way that the} will not be led to regret conferring 
 them upon me. I always feel a great interest in reunions 
 of this kind. It always pleases me to see such a body of 
 representative men as this assembled from all parts of the 
 country. It assures me that the safety of the country is 
 established ; that the security of the country is established. 
 I am satisfied that the late war was managed and handled 
 by the hands of those who were educated in the institutions 
 of the Xorth. I am satisfied that the New England sys 
 tem of education did more than any other power to sup 
 press the Rebellion, and I can give no better advice to 
 young men than this one thing : Keep your interest for 
 Alma Mater always alive. Always remember her with 
 affection and interest, and always be ready to do every 
 thing in your power to promote her best interest. When 
 you find yourself forgetting Alma<Mater ; when you find 
 yourself indolent in your exertions for her welfare, remem 
 ber that some power has taken possession of you that you 
 had better shake off. The influence of it is bad. The 
 
GEX. AMHROSE E. Kl KXSIDE. 
 
 moment you find your interest in that institution flagging, 
 remember that you are taking an interest in something- 
 else that is doing you no good, but which must do you 
 great harm. The annual meetings of the graduates of 
 the military academy at West Point are not of loner stand- 
 
 j */ t> 
 
 ing. They were instituted after the close of the war, and 
 have increased in interest ever since the first was held. 
 The annual reunion for this year occurs to-morrow, but 
 I shall be unable to attend, on account of a previous 
 engagement. But I feel myself in a great measure repaid 
 for the loss of the pleasure of that occasion, by the meet 
 ing I have had with you to-day, and the opportunity I 
 have had of thanking this institution for the honor it has 
 conferred upon me." 
 
 General Burnside participated in the centennial celebra 
 tion of the battle of Bunker Hill, and marched over the 
 entire route in the ranks of the Loyal Legion. There 
 were in the procession several military organizations from 
 the Southern States, and a number of officers who had 
 served in the Confederate ranks. The celebration, while 
 commemorative of the brave achievements of the past, w r as 
 intended to be productive of good feeling and fellowship 
 in the future. At a banquet given by the Loyal Legion, 
 General Burnside was called out and received with twice 
 three cheers and a tiger. He said : 
 
 "It has been my feeling ever since the conclusion of the 
 war, that I was quite, ready to do everything possible to 
 bring about reconciliation. I think it the duty of all sol 
 diers to make reconciliation the watch-word of the hour, 
 but it must always be founded upon the principle that it is 
 the duty of every soldier and citizen of this country to 
 stand by the Union and the Constitution, no matter by 
 whom assailed. I am not in the slightest degree disposed 
 
320 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 to point out specifically that particular set of persons who 
 were responsible for that mode of education, and for bring 
 ing to a crisis the events, which brought on the Rebellion ; 
 but I do say that it was a bad education which made men 
 disloyal when they ought not to have been, and that there 
 are men in the South at this clay who know that to be the 
 fact. That once acknowledged, then I shall forever blot 
 out all differences. I would give full and implicit trust in 
 every one at the South for having honest hearts, believing 
 that the Confederate troops were not maliciously bad, but 
 that their conduct was the result of bad political educa 
 tion." The general then referred to his election, and said 
 that he was not one of those who believed that because a 
 man has been in the army he is not qualified for civil ser 
 vice, and in a pleasant way said he believed he should 
 make a reasonably good and respectable Senator. 
 
 In August, 1875, President Grant was a guest of General 
 Burnside at " Edghill Farm" for two days. On the first 
 day he visited the ancient town of Bristol, which had been 
 gaily decorated for the occasion. The streets were 
 thronged with well-dressed people, the houses were decked 
 with flags, and there was attendance of veteran associa 
 tions and Grand Army posts. The next morning it rained, 
 but in the afternoon the sun shone brightly, and General 
 Grant participated in a Rhode Island clam-bake near 
 General Burnside s house, with about two hundred invited 
 guests. When they were seated at the table the host, 
 with his fine face beaming with enjoyment and pardonable 
 pride, stated that he was requested by General Grant to 
 express the pleasure this visit to Rhode Island had afford 
 ed him and his gratification at the cordial welcome extended 
 to him, and hesitating and smiling "that all he now 
 desired was to eat his dinner." General Grant had never 
 
GEN. A ^fBItOSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 321 
 
 before witnessed the process by which the mollusks of 
 Narragansett Bay were converted on the funeral pyre into 
 fit food for imperial, royal, or republican warriors. He 
 had won a great victory at Shiloh, had captured Vicksburg, 
 had flanked Lee in the Wilderness, and finally captured 
 the Confederate legions at Appomattox Court House. At 
 " Edghill Farm," supported by General Burnside, he led 
 a forlorn hope of two hundred tried and trusty friends 
 " into the breach," right over the breast-works, and on 
 through the smoke and slaughter of the biggest clam-pit 
 since King Philip fed his hungry warriors on the sandy 
 shores of Mount Hope Bay. 
 
 General Burnside was a warm admirer of General Grant, 
 and a firm supporter of his administration, although he 
 never hesitated to express his opinions at the White House 
 on the questions of the day, when they were directly at 
 variance with those of the President. He had no desire 
 to join in the scrambles for " patronage," but it was his 
 pleasure and his pride to secure civil or military appoint 
 ments for those who had served under him, especially the 
 members of his personal staff". 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE DEATH OF MRS. BURNSIDE SEN 
 ATORIAL DUTIES MODESTY EXPOSURE OF AN AMICABLE AR 
 RANGEMENTCHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE OX EDUCATION 
 AND LABOR HAYES AS PRESIDENT TRIBUTE FROM SENATOR 
 JONES HOSPITALITY AT WASHINGTON. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE was promptly in his seat at 
 the commencement of the first regular session of the 
 Forty-fourth Congress, on the 6th of December, 
 1875. He left Providence, however, with great reluctance, 
 on account of the indisposition of Mrs. Burnside, who was 
 unable to accompany him as had been projected. He was 
 re-appointed on the committees of Military Affairs, Com 
 merce, and Education and Labor, but he presented no busi 
 ness for consideration. Hastening home at the Christmas 
 vacation, he found his wife much worse, and she was 
 taken from him on the pth of March, 1876. Her death 
 was a great grief to her bereaved husband, who had 
 retained for the bride of his youth " that love which is 
 peculiar to men of strong minds whose affections are 
 not easily won, or widely diffused." A woman of great 
 strength of character and of clear judgment, she had been 
 his support and encouragement in many a trying hour, 
 while she had adorned his domestic hearth bv her virtues 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E BURNS IDE. 
 
 3 2 3 
 
 and accomplishments. During their entire married life 
 General and Mrs. Burnside furnished an interesting pic 
 ture of conjugal felicity ; united not only in affection and 
 interests, but in tastes and inclinations. Their numerous 
 friends sincerely mourned when this ripen^d^arland of 
 hymeneal intercourse was snapped ; when the devoted 
 husband was smitten with sudden gloom like the visitation 
 of an eclipse ; when this happy social picture was dashed* 
 by the Almighty hand into a portrait of premature loneli 
 ness, for "one was taken, the other left." 
 
 Politics does not, however, recognize private grief, and 
 General Burnside soon had to leave for Washington to sit 
 
 O 
 
 as a member of the high court of impeachment which tried 
 General Belknap, Secretary of War. He was sworn in as 
 a member of the court on the 1 7th of April, 1876, the second 
 day of the trial, and he participated in the proceedings 
 until early in the succeeding June, when he left for his 
 rural home at Bristol. During that summer the few who 
 saw him say that life seemed to him very dark indeed. 
 For several months he was in a state of nervous and physi 
 cal prostration, and entertained serious thoughts of retiring 
 from the office of Senator, fearing that he could not per 
 form the duties of the position to the satisfaction of the peo 
 ple of Rhode Island. While he overcame these fears, he 
 never ceased to mourn the Toss of his wife, although he 
 never obtruded his grief. He had many quiet and lonely 
 hours, a*nd he looked forward with a certain hopefulness 
 and trust to the time when he should again meet the dear 
 friend and cherished counselor to whom he had given his 
 early love. 
 
 At the second regular session, which commenced on the 
 4th of December, 1876. General Burnside took his seat, 
 determined, if possible, to attend to his senatorial duties. 
 
324 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 As a Senator, he displayed the same desire to promote the 
 power and greatness of the Republic that he had while in 
 the army and in the service of the State of Rhode Island, 
 showing continually a patriotic sympathy with the masses 
 of the people. He was a regular attendant on the meet 
 ings of the committees of which he was a member, and 
 was rarely absent at the prayer of the chaplain, prepara 
 tory to the daily opening of the Senate. During the ses 
 sion he seldom left his seat, and listened attentively to 
 everything that transpired. Occasionally he would say a 
 few words in a straightforward way, and with the unhesi 
 tating air of being irrefragably in the right. As he pro 
 ceeded every word he uttered sounded like the utterance 
 of an oracle. Occasionally he would glance around with 
 an expression of countenance which implied a doubt 
 whether his hearers thought it worth while that he should 
 say anything more in support of his proposition, nor was 
 he displeased when any other Senator interrupted him, 
 especially if he thought the interruption was made in good 
 faith. 
 
 General Burnside s modesty was remarkable. Late one 
 night, when a bill providing for the Electoral Commission 
 was being discussed, he said: "Mr. President, in the dis 
 cussion of important questions like this it becomes a Sen 
 ator, young in the service, and particularly one unskilled 
 in law and debate, to listen attentively to the arguments 
 presented by eminent members of the Senate, and then to 
 apply to the arguments and precedents his common sense, 
 patriotism, and sense of justice, with a view of casting a 
 correct vote. In that view, I had not intended to detain 
 the Senate for a moment with any word from me upon the 
 subject, until the remarks of the Senator from Indiana 
 (Mr. Morton), the other day, with reference to the intimi- 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. DURNSIDE. 
 
 3 2 5 
 
 dation, or rather fear, of the Senators on this side of the 
 house." 
 
 General Burnside then proceeded to request Senator 
 Morton to turn to a debate a year previous, upon the bill 
 introduced by him for 
 counting the electoral 
 vote, where he would 
 find himself recorded 
 in almost exact vari 
 ance with the prin 
 ciples which he was 
 then announcing. 
 The general conclud 
 ed by saying : 
 
 Now, Mr. President, I 
 will beg the honorable Sen 
 ator from Indiana to excuse 
 me from occupying a posi 
 tion on the list of Senators 
 who support this bill under 
 the influence of apprehen 
 sion. I do not mean by this 
 
 remark to imply that I believe such a list of Senators exists, nor can I 
 believe that the honorable Senator from Indiana meant to cast that reflec 
 tion upon any of the Senators on this side of the chamber, \vho have 
 fought under his leadership so many gallant political battles. I do not 
 think he meant that thev were influenced by intimidation, or by anything 
 but a high sense of duty and patriotism, as men interested in the welfare 
 of their constituents and the good of the whole country. I have faith in 
 the tribunal or commission to be appointed under this bill. I believe it 
 will be actuated by great wisdom and a pure patriotism. I thank the. 
 Senate for their attention. 
 
 PRESIDENT HAVES. 
 
 In February, 1877, a contumacious witness was brought 
 before the Senate, charged with the refusal to produce 
 certain papers. General Burnside, however, was aware 
 
326 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 that the question at issue had already been settled both by 
 a committee of the Senate and a committee of the House, 
 and he said : 
 
 Botli committees have dropped examination into the private accounts 
 of Mr. Tilden, and the private accounts of Mr. Chandler thev have 
 dropped all investigation with reference to such matters. That is a fact 
 known to everybody, at least, I have been told so. The president of Mr. 
 Tilden s bank, a friend of mine, and the cashier himself told me so. The 
 president of the bank took the accounts of Mr. Tilden out of his pocket, 
 and said he was quite ready to present those accounts whenever called 
 upon, but he had been relieved from that obligation. I was informed 
 that certain things had been agreed upon. in other words, a compromise 
 had been made between the two committees. If there was anything at 
 issue here, notwithstanding the fact that the witness is a personal friend 
 of mine, I should vote for making him answer all proper questions, and 
 I should be in favor of using all necessary force to make him answer such 
 questions ; but I see no reason why he should be placed under any re 
 straint at this time, if he will express a willingness to the president of 
 the Senate to go before the committee and answer all proper questions. 
 I submit to the Senate that it would be proper for the president of the 
 Senate to a$k him a question of this character, and if he is willing to 
 answer all proper questions before the committee, let that end the matter. 
 
 The witness could not be held after this frank statement, 
 although several of the leading Senators on different sides 
 of the chamber disclaimed all knowledge of any such com 
 promise. 
 
 The election of General Hayes as President of the 
 United States was very gratifying to General Burnside, 
 who remembered his heroism at the battle of Sharpsburg, 
 and gave his administration a cordial support. 
 
 At the special session of the Senate which began on 
 the 5th of March, 1877, General Burnside was made 
 chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor. The 
 other members of the committee were Messrs. Patterson, 
 Morrill, Bruce, Sharon, Gordon, Maxey, Bailey, and 
 Lamar. A number of important measures were soon re- 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 327 
 
 ferred to the committee, and whenever a meeting was 
 called, the chairman was always foun d seated at the head 
 of the table at the appointed hour, with the papers to be 
 considered arranged before him. 
 
 In the struggle over the admission of Governor Kellogg 
 as a Senator from Louisiana, General Burnside acted with 
 his usual impartiality. "I do honestly believe," said he, 
 "that the argument of the Senator from Indiana (Mr. 
 Morton) was a correct argument, and that Mr. Kellogg 
 was elected Senator from Louisiana according to law ; but 
 I do think, inasmuch as there is another body claiming to 
 elect, that it is due to this body, and due to the country, 
 that this case should be referred to a committee. If that 
 committee report in what I conceive to be the facts of the 
 case, Mr. Kellogg will receive my vote for admission." 
 
 The Forty-fourth Congress not having made any appro 
 priations for the support of the army, President Hayes 
 convened the two houses on the I5th of October, 1877. 
 An attempt which was made at this session to reduce the 
 number of officers in the army met with decided opposition 
 from General Burnside. "We were," said he, "called 
 together by the President of the United States for the pur 
 pose of making provisions for the payment of those 
 salaries and for the payment of the men in the field. I 
 conceive it to be my duty, and I am free to say that I 
 believe it to be the duty of the Senate, to at once proceed 
 to the fulfillment of the contract with those officers, and 
 not waste time in discussing the propriety of increasing 
 or diminishing the army. I must dissent from what has 
 been said with regard to the superfluity of officers, and 
 at the proper time I shall endeavor to give to the Senate 
 mv reasons for that dissent. I do not think this is the 
 proper time. It is a fact that the army roll shows that a 
 
328 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 given number of officers are lawfully employed by the 
 government of the* United States. They have been 
 employed at certain fixed salaries. They are entitled to. 
 those salaries. They have been kept out of those salaries 
 for months." 
 
 General Burnside was much esteemed by his associates 
 in the Senate. When, during the exciting debate on the 
 admission of Governor Kellogg as a Senator from Louis 
 iana, he asked Senator Ben. Hill some sharp questions, the 
 eloquent Georgian replied: "I will answer the Senator 
 from Rhode Island, for whom I have very great respect, 
 and I would not say anything to him that was not respect 
 ful for any consideration on earth, although my language 
 sometimes appears to these other gentlemen to be disre 
 spectful, when I do not mean it." He then answered the 
 interrogatories. 
 
 O 
 
 Senator Jones, of Florida, when the Senate was paying 
 its tribute of respect to the memory of General Burnside, 
 bore the following testimony to his senatorial popularity : 
 
 Every man who dies in his place in the Senate must have something 
 said about him, and as no one will ever be found to express anything but 
 praise on such occasions, it has been accepted as a truism that no man 
 ever died in the Senate who was not entitled to his share of senatorial 
 commendation. Mow often has it been noted here that the political ad 
 versary, who in the life-time of his antagonist could find in him nothing 
 to admire or praise, after death had ended his career was found disclos 
 ing to the country in luminous sentences the varied virtues and talents 
 which distinguished the deceased. I rejoice, Mr. President, if such a 
 word is at all permissible on such an occasion. that I am able to say over 
 the ashes of our departed friend, what it was often my pleasure to say 
 when he was living; that in n l the best qualities of manhood, in heart 
 and generous feeling, in unsullied integrity, in gentleness and courage, 
 in conscientious devotion to duty, in true patriotism, in fidelity to friend 
 ship, in contempt of everything low and ignoble, in appreciation of all 
 that was high and honorable, in charitv and love for his species, in all 
 the boundless resources of a great, manly heart, Senator Burnside has left 
 
GE.Y. AMIilfOSE E. BURNSIDE. o 2 n 
 
 no superior behind him in this chamber. In order to do justice to this 
 distinguished man it is only necessary to portray his true character. He 
 made no pretensions as a master of oratory. lie aimed at no distinction 
 for sharpness in debate, lie never, within my recollection, attempted 
 any display on this floor. The plainness and pointedness of his speech 
 was in keeping with the openness and candor of his heart, the honesty 
 of whose purposes required no richness of vocabulary to relieve it from 
 the suspicion of insincerity. 
 
 Kind Nature, in the bestowal of her gifts, both to animals and men, has 
 ever regarded the wants which their imperfections created. The lion is 
 not gifted with the activity of the deer, but he is armed with a power as 
 well adapted to his protection as the fleetness of the other. The plain, 
 open, unsuspecting heart needs not the polished phrase of oratory to give 
 effect to its convictions. The man whose character is a beacon-light of 
 truth, honor, and integrity will be felt in the simplest speech, while the 
 artful and cunning deceiver requires all the best power of expression to 
 enable him to convince the world of the honesty of his purposes and the 
 integrity of his principles. 
 
 Need I appeal to the Senate to verify this assertion? When our de 
 parted friend rose in this chamber, who, even among his political adver 
 saries, ever for a moment questioned the truth and sincerity of his state 
 ments? All felt that, whatever might be the weight of his argument, it 
 wns the emanation of a mind honestly impressed, and free from every 
 taint of deception or insincerity. Well do I remember when, during the 
 extra session, he rose in his seat and rebuked this side of the chamber 
 for what he called our want of dignity in resorting to dilatory motions ; 
 and when reminded by my friend from Kentucky that, on a previous occa 
 sion, he was himself an obstructionist by retiring to the cloak-room to 
 avoid a vote, without the slightest hesitation or effort at prevarication, 
 he admitted his delinquency, and said if God would forgive him he would 
 never do so again. Although lie took his place in the Republican ranks, 
 and was a true party man. still all could see that he was at times too 
 broad and liberal, too good and kind, to great a lover of his country and 
 his fellow-man to follow any party beyond the bounds of charitv, justice, 
 and right. While he was one of those who had drawn his sword for his 
 government when force was to be met with force, yet every one knew 
 that his countrymen of the South, in the days of sorrow and misfortune, 
 received nothing but kindness and generosity at his hands. In his inter 
 course here with men of all parties and from all sections, his conduct was 
 always that of a kind, conciliatory spirit, ever considerate of the feelings 
 and honor of others, while he was always watchful and jealous of his 
 own. No man was so humble or lowly as to be below his consideration 
 and kindness, and no man was so high as to be above his contempt and 
 
330 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 scorn, when his conduct merited his reproach. He combined the tender 
 ness and gentleness of a woman with the lofty courage, the high bearing, 
 and stern demeanor of a Roman senator. And while his great heart 
 would melt with charity for the sufferings of his fellow-man, when the 
 occasion which moved him had passed away he could resume his place 
 here with immovable firmness and decision, and exact every formal 
 right that was due to the dignity of his position. In his intercourse with 
 his brother Senators, no man knew better than he did where to draw the 
 line between overstrained dignity and haughtiness, and vulgar familiarity 
 which often destroys the charm of social life. While never forgetting 
 that he was a Senator and a gentleman, he made it easy for all to approach 
 him and converse with him, and if the sternness of integrity repelled 
 those whose motives and purposes were bad, his warm heart and sym 
 pathetic nature gave a sure passport to his presence to all who in any 
 way were deserving of recognition. 
 
 General Burnside kept house in the city of Washington, 
 having with him his faithful colored servants who were so 
 devoted to him. He was very hospitable, and it was his 
 great pleasure to gather friends around his social board. 
 Senator Maxey, who had been his classmate at West 
 Point, and who represents Texas in the Senate, said of 
 him: "When off duty he gathered his friends around 
 him for social intercourse. The most pleasant nights of 
 the few I could spare from duty in Washington have been 
 under his hospitable roof, where he delighted to gather, 
 his old-time friends without the slightest regard to whether 
 they had worn the blue or the gray. I have been in these 
 gathering s where the only man who had not been at West 
 Point or in Mexico with Burnside, would be his beloved 
 colleague, the senior Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. An 
 thony, who was always on such occasions an honored 
 guest, contributing his full share of valuable instruction 
 and interesting anecdote in a kindly, pleasant way. I 
 think Burnside would have thought any party at his house 
 incomplete without Senator Anthony. Devotion to his 
 friends was a leading trait in his character. Burnside and 
 
GEN. A MBit OS E E. BURN SIDE. 33 r 
 
 I differed in our political creeds, yet it never made the 
 slightest difference in our personal relations. Among the 
 first of the telegrams I received last winter, on my reelec 
 tion, was one from him, and not one did I prize more 
 highly." 
 
 In Washington society, General Burnside was a great 
 favorite, winning all hearts by his kindness and his cor 
 diality. One well acquainted with the American metropolis 
 wrote, after his death : " Externally, General Burnside was 
 a showy and impressive man, with a great deal of deport 
 ment ; internally he was something still better, a brave 
 and knightly and gentle heart. But a few days preceding 
 his sudden death I was at a suburban party among a little 
 knot of Washington and Georgetown old families. A 
 bright lady guest of one of these families, residing in 
 Providence, was present, and she talked to me vivaciously 
 about Rhode Island s Senators, both of whom she knew 
 very well at home. She said, merrily, that it was always a 
 treat to meet General Burnside at a party ; that he would 
 come up in his superb, soldierly way and offer a cordial 
 hand to her, saying : How do you do? How do you do, 
 my dear madam? How do you do? and without another 
 word, go on to the next acquaintance similarly, leaving 
 her with an impression of having had a very nice talk with 
 him. I know there is nothing weighty behind that grand 
 manner, she added ; I know he adds just nothing at all 
 to the intellectual wealth of the Senate ; but what a treas 
 ure he is, after all. Rhode Island likes him, and always 
 will. " 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 DEATH OF SEXATOR MORTON ENLISTMENT OF COLORED RECRUITS 
 COMMISSION FOR THE REORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY 
 MILITARY BANDS EIGHT-HOUR LAW IMPARTIAL REPORTS. 
 
 THE first session of the Forty-fifth Congress termi 
 nated and the second session commenced on the 
 3d of December, 1877, the Constitution of the 
 United States having prescribed that the two houses shall 
 meet annually, on the first Monday in December. Gen 
 eral Burnside was re-appointed chairman of the Com 
 mittee on Education and Labor, and he was placed second 
 on the Committee on Military Affairs. 
 
 The death of Senator Morton, a few weeks before the 
 commencement of the regular session, was keenly felt by 
 General Burnside. They had been friends in their boy 
 hood, and they used to pleasantly recur to the fact that 
 when they were apprentices Morton had made a hat for 
 Burnside, and Burnside had made a coat for Morton. 
 They had left their neighboring homes to enter college in 
 
CiE\. A MB R OS E E. BURXSIDE 
 
 333 
 
 the same year, Morton as a student at Miami University, 
 and Burnside as a cadet at West Point. These early re 
 lations prompted General Burnside to make some interest 
 ing remarks when the death of Senator Morton was an 
 nounced in the Senate. In the course of these remarks 
 he said : 
 
 lie never \vearied his political friends bv too much speech, and ahvavs 
 occupied his opponents. He rarely, if ever, indulged in personalities or 
 in frivolities. It is said by those who have known him verv intimately 
 that he had a hard struggle with himself in early life to break the habit 
 of indulgence in wit and ridicule which his keen sense of humor was apt 
 to lead him into. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion, Morton at 
 once sprang into still greater prominence. His great services as one 
 of the war-governors have been fullv portraved upon this occasion, and 
 I will not detain the Senate bv reiterating them. It will not be amiss, 
 however, to refer to a few of his more prominent characteristics. His 
 great care and love for the soldiers of his state, not only while they were 
 in the field but after their return to their homes, won for him their great 
 respect and affection. He was eminently patriotic. Xo sacrifice was too 
 great for him to make in the cause of his countrv. 
 
 He was a lover of law and order, and was averse to being led into an 
 arbitrary exercise of authority by the emergencies of the war. I remem 
 ber while I was in command of the Department of the Ohio, which 
 department embraced the State of Indiana, that I had occasion to issue a 
 general order with a view to reaching persons who I thought were indulg 
 ing in treasonable speeches. Under this order, some prominent citizens 
 were arrested, and among them a prominent citizen of Ohio, and one of 
 the state senators of the State of Indiana. Morton urgently argued with 
 me against the wisdom and justice of the arrest of these citizens, and 
 demanded the release of the state senator, notwithstanding the fact that 
 he was one of his most bitter political opponents. He had ambition, but 
 never allowed it to blind him to what he conceived to be the best inter 
 ests of the countrv. He was a prominent aspirant for the nomination by 
 his party at the last presidential election, and was doubtle ss sorelv disap 
 pointed at his failure to receive the nomination, but when he wrote his 
 letter of advice to his fellow-citizens as to the duty of the hour, all were 
 assured that this failure had engendered in him no ill-will toward his 
 party or to the distinguished gentleman who received the nomination, 
 but quite the reverse; he was ready and anxious to give him his full sup 
 port and encouragement. 
 
334 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 General Burnside paid great attention to military matters, 
 and introduced several measures which he believed would 
 greatly promote the efficiency of the army. One of these 
 measures was the abolition of the Ninth and Tenth cav 
 alry, and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth infantry as 
 colored regiments, under existing law, and the enactment 
 of such legislation as would give the colored citizens all 
 the rights of any citizen to enlist in any arm of the United 
 States forces, engineers, artillery, cavalry, infantry, or the 
 signal corps. In the debate on this bill General Burnside 
 said : 
 
 Mr. President, the position of an enlisted soldier in the United States 
 Army is the only position not freely open to our colored citizens, and 
 lean see no reason why they should not be as free in this respect as in 
 all others. If the colored people are fit for soldiers at all they should be 
 enlisted for any duty for which they may be personally qualified, and 
 assigned to the corps where the public interests require their services. 
 The mode of assignment should be left to the Secretary of War and the 
 officers of the army properly intrusted with such duties. It would be a 
 waste of time, after all the discussion of past years in reference to the 
 rights of the colored people, to enter into an elaborate argument to prove 
 that they have the same rights of enlistment and assignment as other 
 citizens. It is objected that the mingling of colored soldiers with white 
 ones would be a hardship to the whites. I can see no justice in this 
 argument. If it is a hardship to the white citizens of our country to 
 associate with the colored citizens in the performance of public duties, 
 and if the rights of colored men are to be restricted, then the rule should 
 apply to all public positions. The right to go to the polls, the right to 
 hold state and national offices, the right to occupy a seat upon this floor, 
 the riyht to occupy the Presidential chair, should rest jn the white man. 
 What would be thought of a statute which required that four specified 
 states should be represented by colored Senators, particularly if by im 
 plication it took from the other states the right to send colored Senators? 
 We have upon this floor an honored representative of the colored race, 
 who is respected by all of us, and with whom we are all glad to be associ 
 ated ; but he does not come here because of a law requiring that Missis 
 sippi should send a colored Senator. He is here because his fellow-citi 
 zens of that state have honored him by their free suffrages. Any other 
 state in this Union can send here a colored Senator, and if he conducts 
 himself honorably and properly he will be respected. 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. DURNSIDE. 
 
 335 
 
 The right to enlist in the naval service of the United States has ahvav.s 
 rested with the colored people, and there is no disposition on the part of 
 the naval olYicers to have that right restricted. 
 
 I grant, Mr. President, that there is a division of opinion in the armv 
 upon the question of enlisting colored men in the armv; I mean upon 
 the subject of mixing the white and colored men in the same regiment; 
 but there is no difference of opinion as to the lack of wisdom in the pres 
 ent organization of the four regiments referred to in this bill. The gen 
 eral of the army and the general officers in command of the departments 
 in which these regiments serve, agree in the opinion that the present 
 system of enlisting colored men is bad. Among the evils of the present 
 organization of these regiments is the great difficulty at times in keeping 
 their ranks filled. Just now there is great trouble in getting colored 
 recruits, so that the ranks of the colored cavalry regiment in New Mexico 
 are but half filled, and, although white recruits are abundant, they cannot 
 be assigned to this regiment. 
 
 But, Mr. President, I base my argument in this matter upon the high 
 ground that the colored man should be allowed to enlist in any arm of 
 the service he may choose, if he is found by the recruiting-officer to be a 
 suitable man, and that he should be assigned by the proper authorities 
 to the corps for which he is best suited, and in which his services will 
 most conduce to the public good. 
 
 When the army appropriation bill came before the Sen 
 ate, General Eurnside moved to strike out from the second 
 to the twenty-seventh sections, inclusive, and to insert 
 twenty-six new sections prepared by him, reducing the 
 army to a peace establishment. This was not accepted, 
 but a commission was authorized, to consist of three Sen 
 ators, three Representatives, and three officers of the army, 
 to whom the whole subject matter of reform and reorgani 
 zation of the army was referred. This commission was 
 directed to orirefully^ and thoroughly examine into the mat 
 ter, with reference to the demands of the public service, as 
 to the number and pay of men and officers, and the pro 
 portion of the several arms ; and also as to the rank, pay, 
 and duties of the several staff corps, and whether any and 
 \vhat reductions could be made, either in the line, field, or 
 staff, in numbers or in pay, by consolidation or otherwise, 
 
336 LIFE AND PUBLIC SER \ ICES OF 
 
 consistently with the public service, having in view a just 
 and reasonable economy in the expenditure of public 
 money, the actual necessities of the military service, and 
 in the capacity for rapid and effective increase in time of 
 war. 
 
 Another bill which General Burnside introduced was 
 one prohibiting bands in the United States Army from per 
 forming for private individuals, and thus going into com 
 petition with professional musicians. Some of the Sen 
 ators were disposed to ridicule this measure, and Mr. In- 
 galls, of Kansas, suggested that in order to make the bill 
 complete it should provide that any citizen of the United 
 States not in the military service, who dared to listen to a 
 military band without permission of the commander, should 
 be tried by drum-head court-martial and shot to death. 
 
 J 
 
 This humorous criticism was not acceptable to General 
 Burnside, who said in reply : 
 
 Mr. President : I take it that all subjects brought before the Senate on 
 behalf of a respectable body of citizens of the United States are entitled 
 to respectful consideration. Some Senators have a greater po\ver of 
 ridicule than others. Some Senators have a way of handling subjects 
 that are presented to them in that mode. I myself do not possess that 
 power; I do not aspire to it; .if I did I could not reach it. When any 
 subject is presented to me under a petition of a respectable body of citi 
 zens, I endeavor to give that subject my direct attention. A respectable 
 body of citizens of the city of Ne\v York presented a respectful petition, 
 which was referred to the Military Committee. There was a disagree 
 ment in that committee. A majority of the committee decided to report 
 adversely upon that petition. I was in the minority. One of the most 
 respectable Senators in this bodv. interested in the welfare of his con 
 stituents, requested me to make a minority report. I did make a minority 
 report. I drew a bill, and, by the unanimous consent of this Senate, I 
 introduced that bill, and it was placed upon the calendar. 
 
 Now. neither the Senator from Kansas nor any other Senator, no 
 matter what his power of ridicule may be. has any right whatever to 
 endeavor to drive me from a strong position. No matter how small the 
 subject is, every Senator is entitled to respectful consideration. The 
 
(,EX. AMBROSE E. KURXSIDE. 
 
 337 
 
 Senator s power of ridicule may be greater than mine ; but it has no effect 
 upon me whatever. I shall do my duty, without reference to him or to 
 any other Senator on this floor. I paid proper respect to this petition. 
 If I had had the least idea that it was going to occupy so much valuable 
 time at the close of the session I should never have moved it; I should 
 have said to the Senator from New York that it would be better not to 
 bring this subject up, because some Senator probably would be disposed 
 to ridicule it. I certainly do not want to take up the time of the Senate 
 by any such thing as that. I say it is unbecoming a Senator, I do not 
 care who he is, to use the time of the Senate in any such wav. 
 
 If Senators think this measure is not worthy of consideration, let some 
 one get up and meet the question fairly and squarelv, and move for its 
 indefinite postponement. There is no such thing as ridiculing a measure 
 of this kind. There is a body of musicians in the city of Xew York who 
 are interested in the measure. Their rights are as good as the rights of the 
 Senator from Kansas and of the Senator from Virginia. I will state to 
 the Senator from Virginia very plainly that in my estimation it would be 
 a wise provision if members of Congress were made to attend to the pub 
 lic business and look after the interests of the people, giving their whole 
 time and attention to legislative matters. We should get along better. 
 Nothing on the face of this earth, in my opinion, is so demoralizing as 
 for members of Congress to be interested in outside things. I do not 
 care whether they are lawyers, doctors, merchants, farmers, or anything 
 else, the more attention they can give to the public interests the better 
 olTthis country is. I sav to the Senator from Kansas, or to any other 
 Senator, that when he wants to drive me from any position I have taken 
 he must not attempt to do it by ridicule. 
 
 General Burnside, as a member of the Committee on 
 Education and Labor, was opposed to the act constituting 
 eight hours a legal day s work for all laborers, workmen, 
 and mechanics in the employ of the government of the 
 United States. Said he : 
 
 That the government of the United States shall pay men for eight 
 hours work the Same amount of money that is paid by private establish 
 ments outside for ten hours work is simply absurd. It is not honest and 
 right. It is unjust to the other workmen of the United States. The main 
 body of working-men in the United States do not want anv such measure 
 as this passed. They do not want a privileged class of workmen in the 
 government work-shops. No man in this Congress is more interested in 
 
338 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 the welfare of the working-man than I am ; I give that as much thought 
 almost as I do any other subject. There is nothing within reason that I 
 can be called upon to do to relieve the wants of the working-men of this 
 countrv, that I will not do ; but I will not do an unjust act. I will not do 
 a thing thnt is unjust to the working-men of the United States as a bodv. 
 for the benefit of two or three thousand employes of the government of 
 the United States. The resolution on its face is absurd and unjust and 
 wrong. 
 
 Every matter referred to General Burnside in a commit 
 tee of which he was a member, received his careful and 
 conscientious examination. Many of the cases affected 
 those with whom he had had intimate relations, either in 
 the old army or in the Union forces, yet he sat in judgment 
 on them with marked impartiality. " J never knew him," 
 said Senator Maxey, who served on the same committee, 
 " to swerve, in a report of a case submitted to him, a hair s 
 breadth from what he believed the right of the case. He 
 has frequently said to me, I am sorry I had to make that 
 report, but how could I help it? The French say, 
 noblesse oblige. In this country, thanks to a free govern 
 ment, we have no hereditary nobility ; but we have a 
 nobility far above any that earthly title can give, the no 
 bility God impresses on the honest man, and that nobil 
 ity obliged Burnside to do right as he understood right." 
 
 One of his reports was on the petition of an officer who 
 had become addicted to the use of intoxicating drinks, and 
 had resigned. It was accompanied by evidence showing 
 that he had from that time led a very industrious life, and 
 asked to be restored to his rank ; but General Burnside 
 felt that this would be injurious to the service, and made 
 an unfavorable report, in which he said: "Whilst the 
 individual sympathies and best wishes of the members 
 of the committee are with Captain Owen, they cannot, as 
 public officers, recommend the establishment of a prece- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. o->g 
 
 dent, which would be made by the favorable considera 
 tion of the petition." 
 
 The special military commission, of which General 
 Burnside was chairman, was in session almost continu 
 ously during the summer months of 1878, at the White Sul 
 phur Springs of Virginia. This was a cool and healthy 
 location, where the members of the commission were free 
 from the importunities of officers who might be affected 
 by the result of their deliberations. Later in the season 
 the commission adjourned to >; Edghill Farm," where its 
 industrious chairman distinguished himself as a hospitable 
 host. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 WORK OK TIU-: SPECIAL MILITARY COMMISSION ARMS TO HE MAN 
 UFACTURED IX PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS APPOINTMENT OF 
 STAFF-OFFICERS SOCIAL SCIENCE IX SCHOOLS ESTIMATE OF 
 GENERAL HURNSIDE S CHARACTER, BY SENATOR EDMUNDS. 
 
 THE third session of the Forty-fifth Congress was 
 commenced on the 2cl of December, 1878. On 
 the second day of the session General Burnside 
 offered a resolution, which was passed, directing the Com 
 mittee on Public Buildings and Grounds to inquire into the 
 expediency of directing the Secretary of the Treasury to 
 purchase so much of the lot of land upon which the old 
 custom-house at Providence stood, with the view of hav 
 ing a new custom-house erected. He was ever on the 
 alert to benefit the State of Rhode Island by the improve 
 ment of navigable waters, the building of light-houses, the 
 construction of break-waters, and the erection of public 
 buildings. 
 
 The special military commission was permitted to sit 
 while Congress was in session, that it might review and 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. JWKNSfDE. o^j 
 
 perfect its labors during the recess. In due time it per 
 fected a bill, which General Burnside reported to the Sen 
 ate on the 1 2th of December. The bill was printed, and 
 a few days afterwards General Burnside thus explained its 
 leading provisions : 
 
 Mr. President: The bill reported by the Joint Committee on the Re 
 organization of the Army is voluminous, not because an entire change 
 has been made in all the laws relative to the army and its government, 
 but because it is a combination of all the new sections proposed by the 
 committee, the unchanged sections, and certain regulations and customs 
 of service which it is now proposed to make law. 
 
 The committee deemed it wise to report a condensed code made up of 
 all laws relating to the army, and arranged in proper order. Officers of 
 the army, as a body, are law-abiding men. They will often question the 
 wisdom and propriety of regulations made by their superiors in authority, 
 but they rarely question the law. Nearly all the troubles between the 
 staff and the line and they have been numerous have arisen from 
 uncertainty as to the meaning and authority of regulations and customs 
 of service. For this reason many of the regulations and customs of ser 
 vice have been ingrafted upon this bill, and if it meets with favorable 
 action from Congress they will become law, and cease to be subjects 
 of discussion and discord. 
 
 In preparing the part of the bill which relates to reorganization, the 
 committee tried to keep in view both the efficiency and economy of the 
 service. The action of the last session of Congress in reference to the 
 size of the army was taken as a guide by the committee, and they at 
 once settled upon 25,000 soldiers as the basis of organization. It was 
 then decided that the number of general officers designated in the bill was 
 the minimum number required for a force of this size, and I believe no 
 one will contend that the bill provides for too many general officers. 
 
 It was decided, after much discussion, that the small battalion organi 
 zation, which means three or more battalions to a regiment, is better 
 adapted to modern arms and modern warfare than our old regimental or 
 large battalion organization, which is one battalion to a regiment, and 
 that system was ingrafted upon the bill. It was then decided that the 
 staff department should be so reorganized as to give to the officers of the 
 line education and experience as staff-officers, and staff-officers education 
 and experience as line-officers. 
 
 To accomplish this it was necessary to make parts of the corps of the 
 line skeleton organizations, and to make large reductions in the number 
 of officers in the staff departments. 
 
34 2 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 It was also decided to make the organization an elastic one ; so that 
 the army in a sudden emergency can be rapidly increased in rank and 
 file and company officers, without necessarily increasing the number of 
 general, field, or sta,ff-officers. 
 
 The bill proposes that the regiments be composed of four battalions, 
 three of which are to be officered permanently. It also proposes that in 
 the infantry and artillery regiments but two of the battalions shall be 
 manned, but in the cavalry regiments three battalions shall be manned 
 for the present ; and the company officers not on duf.y with battalions 
 shall be detailable for duty in the staff departments, and shall be changed 
 from time to time, as provided for in the bill. 
 
 The proportion of the different arms to each other was decided upon as 
 follows, namely: Five regiments of artillery, eight regiments ofcavalry, 
 and eighteen regiments of infantry. It is most likely that a few years 
 hence some of the cavalry regiments can be changed to infantry, and 
 thus diminish the expense of the army. The elasticity is provided for 
 by giving to the President the authority to increase the number of sol L 
 diers in each company to 100 in the cavalry and to 125 in the infantrv 
 and artillery, to transfer soldiers from one company or battalion 
 to another, and to man the unmanned third battalions, provided that 
 until otherwise ordered by Congress the number of soldiers shall not 
 exceed 25,000; but in case an emergency should arise to require Congress 
 to authorize a large increase of force, the President can at once officer 
 and man the fourth battalions, and thus place the regiments upon a war 
 footing, which will give the cavalry regiments 1,600 men each, and the 
 infantry 2,000 men each, making if necessary an aggregate force, includ 
 ing engineer soldiers, of about 60,000 men, without increasing the num 
 ber of regimental organizations. 
 
 The interchangeability between the line and the staff is established by 
 making all the officers of the staff department below the rank of major 
 detailable from the line of the army, as heretofore indicated, and reducing 
 the number of field-officers of the staff departments to the number abso 
 lutely required for the present service. Promotion among the field-offi 
 cers in these staff departments is to be made by seniority, except as to 
 the chiefs, who can be selected from the field-officers of any corps in the 
 armv. As vacancies in the lowest grade occur they are to be filled by 
 officers of the line who have shown merit and efficiency in their service 
 in said departments. The result of this reorganization will be to dimin 
 ish the number of officers on the active list by 333. 
 
 The bill explains itself fully as to the method "of taking care of the 
 officers on the retired and reserved lists, and the committee feel that its 
 provisions on this subject are liberal. None of the general officers are to 
 be thrown out of service at once, but no promotions are to be made until 
 
(;E\. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 they have been reduced to five, and thereafter the number shall not 
 exceed six. 
 
 It was decided by the committee that no more arms be manufactured by 
 the Ordnance Department, but that they should be purchased either by 
 contract or in the open market. It must be evident to every one that 
 action of this kind will stimulate the invention and manufacture of arms 
 throughout the country, and that under this system the government can 
 more readily supply itself with efficient arms in case of an emergency than 
 it could under the present system. To say that the arms procured by 
 the government in this way will not be as serviceable as if manufactured 
 by the government, is to say thnt ordnance officers will become less ex 
 pert as inspectors under the new system than the old, which I cannot 
 believe. Xo badly manufactured arms will be received by the govern 
 ment of the United States, except by the neglect, incapacity, or dishon 
 esty of the inspecting officers. 
 
 General Burnsicle, having made this general statement 
 concerning the bill, proceeded to explain in detail a con 
 siderable number of its sections. Some of these sections 
 had bee,n denounced by the opponents of the bill, as cur 
 tailing the powers of the Secretary of War. This the 
 general denied, declaring that in no way had an attempt 
 been made to abridge the secretary s powers ; but that 
 they were as full and distinct as they could be made under 
 the Constitution, and larger than they then were made by 
 statute law. 
 
 Questioned by Senator Matthews, of Ohio, as to whether 
 the bill limited the power of the Commander-in-Chief, Gen 
 eral Burnside said that a new section had been introduced 
 into the army regulations to insure efficiency in the staff 
 departments, "but it limited the President no more in this 
 respect than lie is now limited as to other appointments. 
 The President appoints a cadet to West Point, but he can 
 not appoint him under the present law or custom unless he 
 is recommended by the member of Congress from the dis 
 trict from which that cadet is to be appointed. Under this 
 bill he cannot appoint an officer in the staff departments 
 
344 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SEIfl- ICES OF 
 
 unless he is in the army. The junior officers in the staff 
 departments are from time to time to be promoted to vacan 
 cies in those departments ; and so there must be some 
 method by which the appointments can be made. Other 
 wise they will be left entirely to the will of the President, 
 and the President can make them from any part of the 
 army without reference to their service in the department 
 can make them, in other words, at the solicitation of 
 friends outside of the army, and friends who know nothing 
 about the subject." 
 
 In concluding his remarks, General Burnside said that 
 the task of framing a bill to reduce the army had not been 
 a pleasant one, and could he feel that the best interests of 
 the country and of the army would be served by the fail 
 ure of the bill, he would gladly oppose its passage, and 
 would be delighted to know that some of his old military 
 friends were not to be disturbed in their positions. "But," 
 said he, "I am satisfied that reorganization and reform is 
 necessary, and unless it is accomplished under some sys 
 tematic and considerate plan, reduction will be very soon 
 made under a hasty and inconsiderate plan. It seems to 
 me, therefore, very unwise in officers of the army, and 
 particularly in the officers of the staff departments, to re 
 sist proper legislation touching this subject." 
 
 A bill introduced by General Burnside, and referred to 
 the Committee on Education and Labor, of which he was 
 the chairman, received some humorous criticisms. It was 
 in these words : 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., That the school officers shall introduce, as a part of 
 the daily exercises of each school in their jurisdiction, instruction in the 
 elements of social and moral science, including industry, order, economv, 
 punctuality, patience, self-denial, health, purity, temperance, cleanliness, 
 honesty, truth, justice, politeness, peace, fidelity, philanthropy, patriot- 
 
GEX. AM/i/tOSE E. BURNS IDE. <* , - 
 
 o-lo 
 
 ism, self-respect, hope, perseverance, cheerfulness, courage, self-reliance, 
 gratitude, pity, mercy, kindness, conscience, reflection, and the will. 
 
 SECTION 2. That it shall be the duty of the teachers to give a short oral 
 lesson every day upon one of the topics mentioned in Section i of this 
 act, and to require each pupil to furnish a thought or other illustration 
 of the same upon the following morning. 
 
 Snx. 3. That emulation shall he cherished hetween the pupils in accu 
 mulating thoughts and facts in regard to the noble traits possible, and 
 in illustrating them by their daily conduct. 
 
 General Burnside asked the Senate to pass this bill, to 
 which he said there could be no possible objection. " I 
 am sure/ said he, "that some of the legislative bodies of 
 our country would be better behaved if some such bill as 
 this had been enforced earlier in the history of the Repub 
 lic." The Senate was not, however, disposed to pass the 
 bill, although much of it was stricken out, Senator Eaton 
 saying, "I should as soon think of striking the part of 
 Hamlet out of the play of Hamlet" The consideration 
 of the bill was postponed. 
 
 A bill to promote the education of the blind received 
 General Burnside s earnest support. " It had been the 
 policy of the government," he said, " from its earliest days, 
 to promote education of all kinds throughout the country, 
 by gifts, by grants of both lands and money. I do not see 
 why money cannot be appropriated to promote the educa 
 tion of the blind, as well as land to promote education in 
 agricultural colleges. Moneys have already been appro 
 priated by the government of the United States specially 
 for the education of the deaf and dumb 45,440 acres of 
 land and half a million of money. Why not make an 
 appropriation for the education of the blind?" 
 
 The best analysis of the character of General Burnside 
 
 J 
 
 while he was a Senator was made after his death, by his 
 able and accomplished associate, Senator Edmunds, of 
 Vermont, who said : 
 
346 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The career of General Burnside exemplifies. I think, in an eminent 
 degree the life of a warrior who does not admit craft or indirection 
 among his weapons. Whether right or wrong, he was one of the simplest 
 and most direct of men. Calculation of incidents or consequences did not 
 seem to enter into the measure of his estimation of what it was fit for him 
 to do, so far as it regarded its effects upon himself, in going forward with 
 any enterprise or measure in hand. If what was proposed appeared 
 right according to the standard that commended itself to him, he " fol 
 lowed right hecause right is right, in scorn of consequence." Invective 
 and ridicule in such a case fell upon his head without apparently dimin 
 ishing in the least degree the real enthusiasm with which he held fast to 
 and endeavored to advance whatever cause he had espoused. I have 
 often thought when I have seen him not educated in the law in its 
 technical and precise character, nor yet largely informed in the wider 
 realms of municipal and public jurisprudence stoutly maintain some 
 proposition which but for the necessary conventionalities of all systems 
 of government and all relations between nations would have been proper, 
 and was frequently in the abstract, how noble must be the character that 
 for the sake of what he believes does not hesitate to discard the force of 
 precedent and rebel against the mandates of authority. 
 
 Nor can we, I think, who act our short parts in the great drama of 
 government -a stage on which there can be, humanly speaking, no final 
 drop-scene fail to admit how valuable to the continuing interests of 
 society are the elements in legislative bodies that resist the force of prece 
 dent, that have small respect for what has been because it has been, that 
 are fettered by no technicalities, and that feel as free as if the world had 
 just begun. 
 
 The tendency to a blind obedience to forms, to precedents, and to 
 methods is thus counterbalanced, just as, reciprocally, the converse ele 
 ments in a legislative body restrain excess in the opposite direction. 
 The equation and sum of perfect government, as we on this continent 
 understand it, is thus made up. But this is not the proper occasion to 
 enlarge upon these interesting topics. Let nvj, rather, as I join his 
 colleague and successor in mourning his untimely departure, testify to 
 the charming qualities of his private character. I have known him 
 for more than ten years, but not intimately until he came to take his 
 place in this great conclave of the representatives of states. I am happy 
 to remember that since then I have enjoyed frequently his unostenta 
 tious but warm-hearted and almost exuberant hospitality, and have been 
 often honored with his apparently unreserved confidence in respect of 
 many matters of public concern with which he had to deal. In our 
 merely social intimacy, courtesy, candor, and unfailing kindness of heart 
 were his constant characte.ristics. In relation to his connection with public 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR X SIDE. 
 
 347 
 
 nflfairs and measures, he received praise without vanity or elation, and 
 criticism without annoyance. Generous and gentle, his very faults 
 seemed to attract the sympathy and touch the sensibility of his friends. 
 He has left us without warning, not as a deserter, but in obedience to the 
 power that dominates both senators and states. May his future be as 
 peaceful and happy as his past has been full of the storms of war and 
 the vicissitudes and labors of this our life. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE DEMOCRATS GAIN POSSESSION* OF THE SENATE CHANGE 
 OF OFFICERS RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC WORKS SPEECH ON 
 THE MONROE DOCTRINE FAIR PLAY AT WEST POINT SOL 
 DIERS AND SENATORS -RE-ELECTION TO THE UNITED STATES 
 SENATE. 
 
 THE Democrats, who had controlled the House of 
 Representatives for the preceding two years, had 
 also a majority in the Senate at the commence 
 ment of the Forty-sixth Congress. A knowledge of this 
 had prompted them to secure the defeat of the Legislative, 
 Executive, and Judicial Appropriation bill in the closing 
 hours of the Forty-fifth Congress, and thus to render it 
 necessary for President Hayes to convene the Forty-sixth 
 Congress on the 4th of March, 1879. The Democratic 
 majority in the Senate, which then, for the first time in 
 eighteen years, controlled that body, determined to change 
 its officers and servants, not because of any incompetency 
 
(JEX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 or neglect of duty on their part, but in obedience to the 
 inexorable decrees of political partisanship. The Repub 
 licans had retained a considerable number of Democrats 
 in office in 1861, and had afterwards appointed others, but 
 the Democrats made a clean sweep of all officials not of 
 their partv, with the exception of a very few, whose ser 
 vices could not be dispensed with. Men who had served 
 the country during the war, and whose especial knowledge 
 of their duties could not be denied, were summarily dis 
 charged, that their positions, which they had creditably 
 filled, might be given to political place-hunters belonging 
 to the Democratic party. " We are responsible," said Sen 
 ator Eaton, "and able to be responsible, for the carrying 
 on of legislation, and we intend to do it with our own ser 
 vants. That is the way to tell it and to talk it." 
 
 The standing, special, and joint committees of the Sen 
 ate were also changed, and placed under Democratic con 
 trol. General Burnside was deposed from the chairman 
 ship of the Committee on Education and Labor, which was 
 given to Mr. Bailey, of Tennessee. Then came Messrs. 
 Gordon, Maxey, and Randolph ; and after these, four Re 
 publicans, Messrs. Burnside, Merrill, Bruce, and Sharon. 
 General Burnside was also the first named of the Repub 
 lican minority on the Committee on Military Affairs, but 
 he was dropped altogether from the Committee on Post 
 Offices and Post Roads. 
 
 General Burnside was ever on the alert to promote the 
 success of some public work in the State of Rhode Island. 
 Acting in concert with his colleague, Mr. Anthony, they 
 secured the appropriation of large sums for the improve 
 ment of Providence River ; for a harbor of refuge at 
 Block Island, connected with the main land by a sub-ma 
 rine telegraph ; for additional light-houses and fog-signals 
 
350 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 in Narragansett Bay, and for increased postal facilities at 
 different places. Making no attempt at rhetorical display 
 or brilliant language, he would, on presenting a measure 
 to the Senate, state the reasons whereby it should be enac 
 ted with such brevity and clearness as would insure its 
 passage. 
 
 True to the Republican party, General Burnside always 
 sustained its principles, and on all matters of general leg 
 islation his influence and his vote were given to the most 
 meritorious national measures. Among these was the im 
 portant question of the Monroe doctrine, as applied to the 
 construction of an inter-oceanic canal. He had introduced 
 a joint resolution, in June, 1879, relating to the construction 
 of a canal across the Isthmus of Darien by European pow 
 ers. The next regular session of Congress commenced 
 on the ist of December, 1879, anc ^ on ^ iat day General 
 Burnside gave notice that he should speak on the inter- 
 oceanic canal question the next day. He did so, and was 
 listened to with marked attention, speaking as follows : 
 
 Mr. President: I have requested that the joint resolution introduced 
 by me in June last and referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign 
 Relations, might be temporarily withdrawn from the consideration of 
 that committee, that I may briefly state my reasons for introducing it, 
 especially as those reasons have been misunderstood and misstated, in 
 Europe, as well as in our own country. I will ask the secretary to read 
 the preamble and joint resolution. 
 
 The VICE-PRESIDENT. The joint resolution will be reported. 
 
 The chief clerk read as follows : 
 
 Whereas, the people of this Union have for upward of fifty years adhered to the doctrine 
 asserted by President Monroe, " as a principle in which the rights and interests of the 
 United States are involved, that the American continents, by the free and independent 
 condition which they have assumed and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered 
 as subjects for future occupation by any European power: " Therefore, 
 
 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Slates of America in 
 Congress assembled, That the people of these states would not view, without serious 
 inquietude, any attempt by the powers of Europe to establish, under their protection and 
 domination, a ship-canal across the Isthmus of Darien, and sucli action on the part of any 
 European power could not be regarded " in any other light than as the manifestation of 
 an unfriendly disposition toward the United States." 
 
GE.V. AMBROSE E. BUUXSIDE. 
 
 Mr. BfRNSiDE. This, Mr. President, is simply a Denunciation of what 
 is known as the Monroe doctrine, a cardinal principle of American 
 policy which has for upward of half a century secured us from foreign 
 interference in, or foreign control of, the affairs of the Western Continent. 
 This doctrine was embodied in the annual message of President Monroe 
 to the Eighteenth Congress, which first met in this city on the first day 
 of December, 18.23. At that time the Russians wanted to extend their 
 dominions on the Pacific Coast of North America so far southward as to 
 include California, and King Ferdinand of Spain, who had been rein 
 stated upon his throne by French bayonets, after ha\-ing been banished 
 by his disaffected subjects, was endeavoring to form an alliance with 
 other European powers which would force back to their allegiance the 
 revolted colonies of Spain in South America. Against this and similar 
 demonstrations President Monroe formally protested, declaring to the 
 potentates of the Old World that the United States would not tolerate 
 the extension of their despotic machinations and intrigues to the New. 
 
 This Monroe doctrine, Mr. President, has been the safeguard of these 
 United States, and has been appropriately designated as the club of 
 Hercules and the shield of Telamon, the former to ward off the armed 
 intervention of European powers, and the latter to protect this continent 
 from colonial encroachment. Acting upon its provisions, the United 
 States should maintain its position as the governing power on this con 
 tinent, and should carefully but positively exercise its prerogatives. 
 While we as a nation do not propose to unnecessarily interfere with the 
 course of any independent American power, or of any colonial govern 
 ment dependent upon a European power, we should bear in mind that 
 we are the dominant power on the North American continent. 
 
 Providence established our Republic in the wilderness, separated by 
 the broad Atlantic from the intrigues and the corruptions of the Old 
 World, which would have smothered the bright flames of liberty. Our 
 fathers were permitted to achieve their independence, and in our day 
 there has been an internal struggle for the perpetuity of the Union which 
 has resulted in a firmer consolidation of the national power. We have 
 not only maintained the position given us by our forefathers as against 
 foreign powers, but we have suppressed the most gigantic rebellion known 
 to history. We have also passed through a fierce struggle relating to the 
 succession to the chief office of the Nation, a struggle which in any other 
 country would have resulted in revolution, possibly anarchy. We settled 
 the trouble by legislative action on the part of the people s representatives, 
 and the people have acquiesced in and ratified that action. 
 
 Having perfected and strengthened our own existence, having attained 
 a high standard of moral and intellectual excellence, and having devel 
 oped an unequaled mechanical, agricultural, and mining prosperity, we 
 
LIFE AXD PrilLlC SERVICES OF 
 
 must not permit an v infringement of our rights on this continent, or suf 
 fer any steps to be taken on any part of it which will interfere with pro 
 gressive independence, civil or religious. Should any of the western 
 governments now dependent upon European powers successfully renounce 
 their allegiance, we should regard them as our political wards, and should 
 encourage them in maintaining their independence ; but we should not. 
 and could not, allow them to take a step backward in the march of free 
 dom and civilization. Should they attempt to establish a government 
 less free than the one which they have cast off, we should at once intervene 
 and see that they make an advance instead of a retrograde movement. 
 
 That the colonies of Great Britain on our northern frontier will take 
 any step looking to independence at present is hardly probable, but in 
 the course of time two adjacent populations, generally of the same origin, 
 speaking the same language, and having a common interest, must gravi 
 tate toward each other. Substantially, they are moving in the same 
 channel that we are, and we need give ourselves no uneasiness as to the 
 result of the problem which they are working out. With respect to Mex 
 ico and other governments near our southern border, there is an entirely 
 different state of affairs. Mexico is chronically in a distracted condition, 
 and although it was respected by the United States when our flag floated 
 in triumph over its capital, and subsequently delivered, in large part, by 
 the friendly offices of the United States from foreign intervention, it some 
 times appears incapable of self-government, and we may find it our un 
 pleasant but imperative duty to control it by some process. 
 
 In my opinion, Mr. President, the time is not far distant when this 
 government will have to take a new departure in its management of 
 contiguous or newly-acquired territory. We should not necessarily invest 
 with all the rights and immunities of citizenship people who may fall 
 under our protection or control, and who are not qualified to exercise the 
 duties of that citizenship, and some system of protection will necessarily 
 be adopted by us to meet future exigencies in the management of such 
 territories. We do not and should not desire acquisition of territory, but 
 \ve must have peace on our borders. Our right to pursue Mexican 
 marauders into their own territory, when the Mexican authorities are 
 not capable of controlling them, has about been conceded. At all events, 
 governmental armed forces have been authorized and directed to pursue 
 these marauders into Mexico. This can only be a temporary expedient. 
 The government of Mexico must acquire strength enough to control its 
 citizens, and prevent them from encroaching upon our rights, or we 
 must assume the responsibility of controlling them ourselves. The 
 herdsman never attempts to control a wild mule by seizing its hind legs. 
 lie takes him bv the head. We cannot control Mexico by handling and 
 regulating its frontier. As. for myself. Mr. President, I hope that the 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 353 
 
 day is far distant when internal dissension and inability to handle its own 
 frontier will compel us to take it by the head. If the latter emergency 
 should arise, the United States should not hesitate to meet it. There is 
 no " holy alliance " on this continent, no "balance of power "; but the 
 United States should exercise the governing and directing power. As I 
 said of governments dependent upon European powers who may throw 
 off their allegiance, that they should not be allowed to take a step back 
 ward, so I sav of independent governments on this continent; they 
 should not be allowed to take a step backward in the march of civil and 
 religious liberty. 
 
 Mr. President, one of the most impressive sermons that I ever listened 
 to was delivered by Bishop Howe, of Pennsylvania, many years ago, and 
 before he had attained the high position which he now so ably fills. His 
 text was taken from one of the Psalms, and read as follows : 
 
 Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. 
 
 In the most eloquent language he portrayed the great danger which 
 rich and prosperous communities were in of forgetting the great source 
 of nil their worldly benefits, contenting themselves with luxurious ease, 
 and allowing the very blessings which had been showered upon them to 
 make them, in their selfishness, forget God. The Good Father has en 
 abled us to establish upon this continent a great and free government. 
 He has increased our riches, our intelligence, and our strength. With 
 this he has imposed upon us certain duties, and we should not, as a peo 
 ple, wrap ourselves in the robes of luxury and ease, and declare ourselves 
 content, no matter what may be going on in other governments on this 
 continent. A duty rests upon us to see that this American land shall be 
 devoted to freedom, and if we fail in the performance of that duty, a retri 
 bution will surely fall upon us. 
 
 At the present time, Mr. President, we should bear in mind that the 
 Monroe doctrine not only declares that the American governments are 
 no: to be considered as subjects of future colonization by anv European 
 power, but that we should not view any interference, on the part of those 
 powers, for the purpose of suppressing the existing independent states of 
 America, or, to quote the exact words, controlling in anv other man 
 ner their destinv, in anv other light than as the manifestation of an un 
 friendly disposition toward the United States." 
 
 The construction of an inter-oceanic ship-canal by European capitalists, 
 under the protection of a European government or bv the authority of a 
 European charter, would not only enable that government to control the 
 destiny of the independent states through which it would pass, either 
 Panama, or Honduras, or Nicaragua, but it would be dangerous to the 
 peace and safety of the United States. An inter-oceanic canal will real .v 
 2} 
 
354 
 
 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 be a maritime highway between the numerous sea-ports on the Atlantic 
 and Pacific coasts of the United States, and it appears to me that wisdom 
 and justice require that the government of the United States should con 
 trol that highway. It should be open to our commercial marine in times 
 of peace, and to our naval vessels in times of war, without any Euro 
 pean jurisdiction. The construction of an inter-oceanic canal with 
 European capital, under the protection of a European power or under a 
 European charter, would be an obtrusive interference with our home 
 affairs, which could but justly excite resentment, and which the citizens 
 of the United States would never tolerate. 
 
 The contingency of the construction of an inter-oceanic canal, by any of 
 the governments through whose territory it may pass, need hardly be dis 
 cussed, because none of them have the financial resources necessary to 
 its construction ; vet had they the power, physically and financially, to 
 construct the work, the duty of the United States would be none the less 
 imperative to see that the control of it should rest with this government. 
 But it has been asserted, Mr. President, that, no matter who may con 
 struct an inter-oceanic canal, its control will be a question of power. In 
 other words, that the European governments will, if they see fit, control 
 by force of arms this American naval thoroughfare. 
 
 Sir, that would be an impossibility. When the Monroe doctrine was 
 originally promulgated, we were just recovering from a war which had 
 cost much blood and treasure, which had disarranged our industries, 
 checked our commerce, and increased our taxation. The European pow 
 ers at that time had large accumulations of capital, and a surplus of pop 
 ulation, from which war would relieve them, so that a declaration of hos 
 tilities would not have interrupted their ordinary pursuits or have ma 
 terially affected their national credit. Yet Mr. Monroe and his supporters 
 did not hesitate. They did not request European governments to let this 
 continent alone, but they defiantly asserted that any. such interference, 
 could not be regarded "in any other light than as the manifestation of 
 an unfriendly disposition toward the United States." The people, with 
 out distinction of party, rallied around the banner thus unfurled, on 
 which was inscribed " no foreign intervention," with a zealous confidence 
 previously unknown. How different is the condition of our country 
 now ! 
 
 Our population has been enhanced by the natural increase, as \vell as 
 by millions of the toilers of other lands who have come here to enjoy the 
 blessing of civil and religious liberty. Iron rails bind the vast area of 
 our territory, in every direction, while strong arms and honest hearts are 
 successfully toiling in the mines, in the manufactories, and in the broad 
 fields for their livelihood, and are thus augmenting our national wealth. 
 To such perfection has the inventive genius of the land carried the ma- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR XS IDE. 
 
 355 
 
 chinery used for agricultural and mechanical purposes, that it would be 
 possible for the women of America, in case of urgent need and patriotic 
 call, to produce almost every desired supply of subsistence, clothing, and 
 equipment. But few of the men would be required to do the heavy work 
 in the foundries, in the manufactories, and ir the field. The main part 
 of the work could be done by patriotic wom;n. This would enable an 
 unparalleled body of men to take the field ; and it is estimated that we 
 could raise, arm, equip, and subsist an army of 5,000,000 of men. We 
 could, by modern appliances in the way of torpedoes, floating batteries, 
 etc., render access to our harbors by foreign ships impossible. What 
 foreign power or powers could send a force to the American continent 
 and effect any lodgment, in the face of such a body of national defenders 
 and such means of national defense? It would be impossible to even 
 collect such a fleet of transports as would be required to bring over such 
 a hostile army of invasion to our shores. 
 
 I am well aware, Mr. President, that the Monroe doctrine has never 
 been enacted by Congress and placed upon the national statute-book, but 
 it has been recognized as a prominent feature of the unwritten law of the 
 land, which has governed our Nation in its international relations. It has 
 been intimated that the original author of the Monroe doctrine was Mr. 
 Canning, but there is a letter written in October, 1823, to President Mon 
 roe by ex-President Jefferson, to whom he had applied for advice, which 
 disposed of the intimation that this great American principle was adopted 
 at the suggestion of a British statesman. Mr. Jefferson wrote : 
 
 Our first and fundamental maxim should be, never to entangle ourselves in the broils of 
 Europe; our second, never to suffer Europe to interfere with cis-atlantic affairs. 
 
 Daniel Webster said in Congress, on the nth of April, 1826. speaking 
 of the promulgation of the Monroe doctrine : 
 
 I have understood from good authority that it was considered, weighed, and distinctly 
 approved by the President s advisers at mat time. 
 
 The Cabinet was then composed of John Qiiincy Adams, Secretary of 
 State; William II. Crawford, of Georgia, Secretary of the Treasury; 
 John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War ; Samuel L. Southard, Secretary of 
 the Navv, and William Wirt, Attorney-General. 
 
 Henry Clay, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, offered a 
 joint resolution, which gave a legislative indorsement to President Mon 
 roe s declarations, and the debates at either end of the Capitol show in 
 what high estimation the doctrine was held by the leading Senators and 
 Representatives. Its promulgation was regarded as a new departure for 
 our Republic. John C. Calhoun said later in life, Jan. 14, 1846, that " no 
 man can view with stronger feelings of indignation than I do the im- 
 
356 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 proper interference of European powers with the nations of this con 
 tinent." 
 
 Daniel Webster said, in his great speech, April n, 1826, on the Panama 
 congress : 
 
 I concur entirely with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Hempliill) that this declar 
 ation of Mr. Monroe was wise, seasonable, and patriotic. 
 
 James Buchanan declared that 
 
 This declaration was reechoed by millions of freemen ; it was received with enthusiasm 
 in every part of the Union ; it answered the purpose for which it was intended. 
 
 Even the liberal statesmen of England acquiesced in the principles 
 promulgated by Mr. Monroe. The prime minister of Great Britain, Mr. 
 Canning, one of the most enlightened statesmen of his age, used the fol 
 lowing language : 
 
 It concerned the United States, under aspects and interests as immediate and command 
 ing as it did or could any of the states of Europe. They were the first power on that con 
 tinent, and evidently the leading- power. They were connected with Spanish America by 
 their position, as they were with Europe by their relations; and they also stood connected 
 with those new states by political relations. Was it possible they could see witli indiffer 
 ence their fate decided only by Europe? Could Europe expect such indifference? Had no 
 new epoch arrived in the relative position of the United States toward Europe which 
 Europe must acknowledge? Were the great political and commercial interests which 
 hang upon the destinies of the new continent to be canvassed and judged in this hemi 
 sphere (Europe) without the cooperation, or even knowledge of the United States? 
 
 This Monroe doctrine, Mr. President, has never lost its hold upon the 
 pride and patriotic affections of the American people. Again and again has 
 it been cited by our Secretaries of State, in defense of our national diplo 
 matic positions, and referred to by our diplomats as defining our line of 
 duty. In 1853, when Louis Napoleon was strengthening his newly-erected 
 throne by restoring the martial glories of the French Empire, the vener 
 able General Cass, then a United States Senator, thus alluded to the feel 
 ings entertained toward the United States in Europe, as a sign of the times 
 worthy of serious consideration : 
 
 We cannot 
 Said the veteran statesman of Michigan 
 
 disguise from ourselves that our progress and prospects, while they are a reproach to many 
 of the governments of the Old World, have excited their enmity by the contrasts they 
 exhibit, and by the dangerous example they offer to the oppressed masses, inviting them 
 to do as we have done, and to become free as we are free. He who does not know that there 
 is not a government in Europe which is a friend to our institutions has much to learn of the 
 impression that our past, our present, and our probable future are producing among them. 
 Hut what we have to apprehend is, plans for arresting our extent and prosperity, the seiz 
 ure of positions by which we might be annoyed and circumscribed, and the creation of 
 an influence, of schemes of policy offering powerful obstacles to our future advancement. 
 
GEN. AMHKOSI-: /:. fit A . V.S IDE. 
 
 357 
 
 In ten years from the utterance of this prediction it was fulfilled by the 
 appearance of French troops in Mexico, to support the government 
 of the ill-starred Maximilian. The Hon. William II. Seward, then Secre 
 tary of State, protested vigorously against this armed interference in 
 the politics of our sister republic; and he also opposed a scheme for 
 establishing a colony in Mexico by Dr. William M. Gwin and associates, 
 which he asserted the United States government could not look upon 
 with satisfaction, as martial or political enemies on the opposite banks of 
 the Rio Grande." If it was true that the people of this country would not 
 tolerate a colony in Mexico, can it be possible that they will permit the 
 European powers, or any company under European protection or influ 
 ence, to construct and control an inter-oceanic canal across the Isthmus, 
 which would be so useful in times of peace, and so indispensable in times 
 of -war? The establishment of such a great public work in such a man 
 ner would be fatal to the preservation and development of those Ameri 
 can ideas on which are founded the hopes of the social welfare and the 
 enlightened progress of the entire continent of North America. 
 
 Congress should act upon this grave cpiiestion without delav, ere any 
 foreign power makes a demonstration for the control of the inter-oceanic 
 canal ; and a grave responsibility will rest upon us should we now aban 
 don to the chance of circumstances the maintenance of our .supremacy 
 on this continent. In adopting such a joint resolution as I have had the 
 honor to present, the United States government will exercise a right 
 incontestablv belonging to it, will sustain the honor of the Republic, will 
 advance the cause of progressive, civil, and religious liberty, and will re 
 ceive the support of the people. We have had enough of internal agita 
 tion and of sectional strife. Let us now reaffirm and stand by the Mon 
 roe doctrine, which can but meet the sympathy and the conviction not 
 only of the true-hearted citizens of this Republic, but of the lovers of lib 
 erty throughout the world. 
 
 I now, Mr. President, withdraw my motion to relieve the committee 
 from the further consideration of this resolution. 
 
 The VICE-PRESIDENT. The motion of the Senator from Rhode Island 
 is withdrawn. 
 
 This speech naturally created a profound sensation, 
 both at home and abroad. During the war for the sup 
 pression of the Rebellion, Louis Napoleon had invaded 
 the sister republic of Mexico, subverted her government, 
 and established a military despotism there, under the nom 
 inal rule of an Austrian prince. The National Republi- 
 
-.j-g LIFE AXI) PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 O 
 
 can Convention, and the House of Representatives, had 
 urged the re-assertion of the Monroe doctrine, and the 
 people of the United States had hailed with delight the 
 maintenance of the long-settled, well-approved diplomatic 
 policy of the revolutionary fathers. Under the Monroe 
 doctrine, the French had been forced to retire from Mex 
 ico, and a republican government had been reestablished 
 there. Now that an inter-oceanic canal was projected, it 
 was desirable that the time-honored diplomatic policy of 
 the past should be reestablished. 
 
 Although General Burnside was warmly attached to 
 West Point, he was very indignant when he learned how 
 Cadet Whittaker had been mutilated there. When a bill 
 came up providing for the appointment of colored cadets 
 by the President, he advocated giving him the power to 
 appoint. He had, he said, endeavored the preceding year 
 to have the restrictions of color in the army partially re 
 moved, and he knew that Senator Bruce, with other leading 
 colored men, agreed with him, but recent events at the 
 military academy had induced him to change his opinion. 
 West Point, he said, was a national institution, and no class 
 of citizens should be excluded. At the North, where cadets 
 are appointed by competitive examination, the small num 
 ber of colored youth have but little chance of appointment ; 
 and at the South, where there are so many colored people, 
 few, if any, of the young men possess sufficient education 
 to pass the requisite examination. It was therefore well 
 that the President should appoint some of the colored race, 
 and if they cannot be protected in their studies, he, for one, 
 would advocate abolishing the institution. He spoke as a 
 iiraduate of the military academv, attached to his Alma 
 
 o - ^ 
 
 Mater, who wished to see it removed from the obloquy 
 which rested upon it. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. O-Q 
 
 A bill providing for placing on the retired list non-com 
 missioned officers after thirty years of faithful service, 
 Deceived from General Burnside a hearty support. Sen 
 ator Beck, of Kentucky, in opposing the bill, suggested 
 that "as there is no more arduous service than to serve in 
 the Senate of the United States, it might be well to pension 
 Senators who had served faithfully for thirty years." 
 General Burnside sprang to his feet, and replied : 
 
 I will answer that a Senator who has served here for nearly thirty 
 years has had one-half of his time to attend to his own business, and can 
 have all the time he wants to attend to it. The Senator from Kentucky 
 can go before the Supreme Court of the United States and plead a case 
 to-morrow, and charge a fee of $10,000 and put it in his pocket. But the 
 cases are not parallel. Senators of the United States seek their positions. 
 During the late war, when the authority and integrity of the government 
 were in danger, we did not have to beg Senators to serve, saying, " For 
 God s sake, come and serve in the Senate of the United States, and we 
 will give you a bounty. " Far from that. Senators have always sought 
 their places of the people; but you asked and begged and implored men 
 to go to the field to fight for the life of the country. They went, and took 
 their lives in their hands, and promises were made, not only by the Na 
 tional Legislature, but by state legislatures, some of which promises have 
 not been fulfilled. 
 
 But, Mr. President, I am the last man who should make a personal 
 complaint, because I have received from the general government and 
 from the people of my state a great deal more than I have deserved. But 
 promises have been made to the soldiers which have not yet been ful 
 filled, after we had begged them to go to the field, and offered all kinds 
 of inducements to go. It is to the interest of this government to have an 
 efficient army, and what we must look to when legislating for the army 
 is not so much what their services are worth in dollars and cents, as how 
 to keep up the esprit dii corps in the army. 
 
 In committee I was in favor of putting private soldiers on, and am 
 now, but it was thought best by the committee to make this start. The 
 retired list created by this bill will be very small, as very few non-com 
 missioned officers live to serve thirty or thirty-five years. These men 
 could not have remained on duty and served as non-commissioned offi 
 cers for thirty years without being good men, faithful men, industrious 
 men, brave men; and the t-ame amount of industry, faithfulness, and 
 bravery in civil life would have given them competencies of some sort, in 
 
o(3o LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 all probability. They are unable to take care of themselves now; and here 
 we are higgling at the passage of a la\v which will put probably sixty or 
 one hundred of them on the retired list. We were not actuated by such 
 feelings when the country was in danger. We would gladly have prom 
 ised this and ten times as much, forty times as much, vea, a thousand 
 times as much, if it had been necessary, to fill up our army. 
 
 I am in favor of the bill in all its parts, and lam in favor of extending 
 it to private soldiers, and I am free to say again that the bill pensioning 
 civil employes, if reported bv a proper committee, will receive mv sup 
 port as I feel now. I shall vote for it if it is properly brought before the 
 Senate, because I think it is a just bill, and under it we would have better 
 service, more honest service, than we have now. There would be less 
 fighting for office. Men would not seek positions which are already filled 
 by competent persons ; they would go about their business on their farms, 
 in their work-shops, or in the mercantile walks of life, and allow the men 
 who have obtained clerkships in public offices to remain in their posi 
 tions until retired by old age. I know this is not the popular doctrine, 
 but it is mv doctrine. I do not mean to say absolutely that it is right, 
 but I think it is right. I would advise no friend of mine to become an 
 office-seeker. Public employment in the departments does not give so 
 much happiness as private employment. As to elective offices, the peo 
 ple will govern them wisely and rotate at pleasure. 
 
 On the 8th of June, 1880, the General Assembly of the 
 State of Rhode Island reflected General Burnside to fill 
 a second term in the United States Senate, commencing 
 on the 4th of March, iSSi. The vote of the Senate \vas : 
 A. E. Burnside, 25 ; George ,H. Browne, 7 ; Charles C. 
 Van Zandt, 2. The vote of the House was : A. E. Burn- 
 side, 54 ; George H. Browne, 9 ; Charles C. Van Zandt, 
 2 ; J. Lewis Diman, i ; William P. Sheffield, i. On the 
 following da} , the two houses met in joint assembly, and 
 it appearing that Ambrose E. Burnside had received a 
 majority of the votes of each house, he was declared duly 
 elected Senator. 
 
 Artillery salutes were fired at Bristol and at Providence 
 in honor of General Burnside s reelection, and a banquet 
 given by his friends at Providence was attended by the 
 
(,EX. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 161 
 
 members of the General Assembly and a number of prom 
 inent citizens. The general, who was at Washington, was 
 the recipient of hundreds of letters and telegrams from all 
 parts of the country, congratulating him. 
 
 The president of the Senate, pro temper c, announced on 
 the 3d of June, that he had received the credentials of 
 Ambrose E. Burnside, chosen by the General Assembly of 
 Rhode Island a Senator from that State. They were re 
 ceived and placed on rile. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE FITZ JOHN 1 PORTER CASE ENDOWMENT OF AX EDUCATIONAL 
 FUND BY THE SALES OF PUBLIC LAXDS PEXS1OX LAWS AXD 
 PENSIONERS-MONUMENTS OX REVOLUTIONARY BATTLE-FIELDS 
 MORAL AXD SOCIAL SCIEXCE IN SCHOOLS WATCHFUL AT 
 TENTION TO SENATORIAL BUSINESS. 
 
 THE third session of the Forty-sixth Congress was 
 commenced on the 6th of December, 1880. The 
 next week a bill was taken up, for consideration, 
 relieving Gen. Fitz John Porter from a disability of dis- 
 franchisement and incapacity to hold office, as imposed by 
 sentence of court-martial, and at the same time authoriz 
 ing the President to restore him to the army. On this bill 
 a long nnd animated debate ensued, which was closed by 
 General Burnside. He had presented a minority report 
 in the case, with an amendment giving General Porter a 
 new trial by court-martial. In conclusion he said : 
 
 Courts-martial, Mr. President, although sometimes harsh in their sen 
 tences, are proverbially fair. They are not confined strictly to the rules 
 of evidence. Judge-advocates are not allowed to browbeat and confuse 
 witnesses. The members of the court almost always are of sufficient in 
 telligence to determine when a witness is telling the truth, and there is no 
 necessity for the cross-questioning which lawvers resort to in civil trials. 
 They are not confined to precise rules and maxims of law in making up 
 evidence. They make their verdicts more from the equities of the case. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 363 
 
 or rather from the animus of the parties concerned in relation to the 
 points at issue. It is sometimes thought that they are led to the condem 
 nation of men upon light evidence, but you will always find behind that 
 there is something or other in the record of the man which justifies the 
 court in making the offence for which he is tried an excuse for giving 
 him what may appear to be a harsh punishment. The esprit dc corps 
 which makes a good armv makes it necessary for courts to take the daily 
 walks of a man s life into consideration in making up a sentence against 
 him. Such is not the case at all, or to any great extent, before civil courts. 
 A man s character is only considered in the mitigation of sentences. 
 Many lawyers, and eminent lawvers, too, have given an opinion as to the 
 propriety and justness of the sentence in this case, but they have given 
 their opinion in very much the same way as they would give an opinion 
 as to the violation of a contract. They have looked at all the legal points 
 in the case, and have said that in their view General. Porter fulfilled his 
 contract. 
 
 Well, now there is no such condition of affairs as that existing in the 
 life of TI soldier. A soldier is not only bound to obey all the orders that 
 are given to him, but he is bound to use his best efforts to promote the 
 cause for which he is fighting. He is bound at all times to show 
 alacritv, to show cooperation, and to smother any feeling -of distrust 
 which he may have of his superior officers. He is certainly bound at 
 all events to speak of them in respectful terms, and to yield to them a 
 respectful and loyal obedience. When he undertakes to disobey an order, 
 or undertakes to judge for himself as to how far he shall carry out an 
 order, then he subjects himself surely to criticism, possibly to punish 
 ment, and the animus of his conduct becomes a legitimate subject of ex 
 amination, not only by the people and the country for which he i> fight 
 ing, but by any court which mav be ordered to try him ; and if the ser 
 vice in which he is engaged is of sufficient importance to stir the hearts 
 of a great people, then if he fails in doing what they consider to be a 
 loyal service, he must expect to receive the punishment which the hearts 
 of that loyal people say he ought to receive at that time, and it is not 
 fair that he should in time of profound peace, when the excitement of 
 the people has cooled off, and their patriotism is t.o a certain extent at 
 rest, ask them in their leniency to forgive him for what he did in a time 
 when his Avhole heart should have been in their service. Therefore, Mr. 
 President, I do not regard the opinion of these lawyers -and I say this 
 with all due respect to them and to their course -I do not regard their 
 opinion as worth anything to me in making up my mind as to whether 
 this sentence was just or unjust. As I have said before, I would be glad 
 to have General Porter tried now by thirteen intelligent officers of the 
 armv. That is surely the most that he can ask. I will say again. Mr. 
 
364 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 President, that there is a great difference between fulfilling contracts of 
 a civil nature in times of profound peace, when it is understood that all 
 business men have the right to look to their own interests, and when they 
 have a right to take all fair legitimate mercantile advantage of each other 
 in order to make gain in trade or to make advancement in politics, and 
 the contract which a soldier makes with the country to do his duty in the 
 field, when the liberties or the safety of that country are in jeopardy. 
 
 Ask me, Mr. President, to believe that men who had been educated by 
 the government of the United States, and were officers in the regular 
 army at the breaking out of the Rebellion, threw up their commissions 
 and went with the armies of the South because they believed that their 
 allegiance to their states was paramount to their allegiance to the Union 
 ask me to believe that they have come back into this Union with up 
 right intention and with loyalty in which we can be confident ask me 
 to believe that all the officers and soldiers of the Confederate army felt 
 that they were fighting for a just cause but ask me not to believe that 
 General Porter, during the last days of August, 1862, did not think more 
 of the interests and the advancement of one man than he did of the wel 
 fare of the Republic. 
 
 The Senate voted down the proposition of General 
 Burnside that General Porter have a new trial by court- 
 martial, and passed a bill authorizing the President to re- 
 appoint him to the army. For want of time, no action was 
 taken on the bill by the House of Representatives at that 
 session. 
 
 On the 1 5th of December, 1880, General Burnside called 
 up in the Senate the bill which he had reported from the 
 Committee on Education and Labor, which consecrated 
 the proceeds of sales of public lands to the education of the 
 people. In a few introductory remarks he said : 
 
 Mr. President, it is not claimed by the friends of this bill that it is of 
 great magnitude, or that the results of its passage will be very great in 
 the direction of aid to the educational interests of the country; but we 
 claim that it is a step in the right direction. We believe it to be for the 
 best interests of tlie country that government should aid in the education 
 of the people to the fullest possible extent that the Constitution will 
 allow. Congress certainly has the right to give to the States the pro 
 ceeds of the sales of public lands and the surplus revenue of the Patent 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. og- 
 
 \j o 
 
 Office in such manner as it may deem wise. This bill contemplates the 
 distribution of these funds according to the numbers of residents of the 
 states, of ten years old and upwards, who cannot read and write; that is, 
 two-thirds of the amount to be so distributed, and one-third for the more 
 complete endowment and support of colleges. 
 
 The bill provides proper methods to insure the safe and equitable dis 
 tribution of the funds, all of which will be discussed and explained by 
 friends of the bill. As I said, we believe that it is the duty of the govern 
 ment to provide in everv possible constitutional way for the education of 
 the people, particularly as to the elementary branches. I am in favor of 
 going much further in that direction than this bill contemplates, and it 
 is my belief that at no distant day it will be deemed proper by Congress 
 to take more advanced steps in this direction. 
 
 I believe that after the public debt shall have been reduced to a sum 
 which would seem to warrant the reduction of internal taxes, they should 
 still be continued on spirits and tobacco, and the proceeds of these taxes 
 devoted to educational purposes, and I believe it will be found that as the 
 people advance in education thev will be better able to reason themselves 
 into the belief that the use of these products is detrimental to themselves 
 individually, and to the community at large. A very striking illustration 
 of what can be done for a community by education is portrayed by 
 Macaulev, in a speech delivered bv him in the House of Commons in 
 April. 1847. ^ r - President. I believe that the passage of this bill will 
 result in great good to the countrv. The people that it will aid in 
 learning to read will find companions in books instead of going to grog 
 shops and saloons for them. 
 
 The bill was earnestly debated, some of the Senators, 
 some of whom regarded the proceeds of the sales of land 
 as public property, not being willing that they should be 
 used up for the purposes of a single generation. Others 
 said that if the fund was given directly to the states, as an 
 amendment proposed, it would enter into their local poli 
 tics, ascending or descending with their political barome 
 ters, and proving an evil, instead of a benefit. General 
 Burnside " engineered" the bill with great discretion, and 
 finally secured its passage, without obnoxious amendments, 
 bv the decisive vote of forty-one yeas against six nays 
 twenty-nine Senators being absent or paired. Just before 
 
^66 . LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 the final vote was taken, Senator McDonald, of Indiana, 
 expressed his regret that he could not vote for the distri 
 bution of the proceeds of the public lands for educational 
 purposes, as he did not approve of some of the features 
 of the bill. "Mr. President, "said General Burnside, "the 
 friends of this bill can very well afford to wait until the time 
 elapses to let it demonstrate itself. If the Senator from 
 Indiana lives as long as I hope he will live, he will feel 
 very proud of the action of Congress in the adoption of 
 this bill, if it passes both houses." 
 
 When the annual bill making appropriations for the 
 payment of pensions during the ensuing fiscal year came 
 before the Senate, an amendment was proposed, creating 
 boards for. the detection of fraud. Objections were raised 
 against this additional power, especially by General 
 Logan, who asserted that there were but few dishonest 
 pensioners, and that the Commissioner of Pensions already 
 possessed ample power for the detection of frauds. 
 
 General Burnside dissented, and said that the commis 
 sioner possessed no power to detect originally. "There 
 is," he went on to say, "a great aversion on the part of 
 every fair man to giving information. I have had my at 
 tention called, and the Senator no doubt has had his atten 
 tion called, to people who were dead-beats, who were 
 not entitled to pensions. I never wrote to the Commis 
 sioner of Pensions about such a case ; but on two or three 
 occasions I told the people to write the commissioner. 
 There is great aversion to giving information of that kind. 
 If the Commissioner of Pensions had men identified with 
 these communities who felt it to be their duty to see that 
 honest soldiers were protected by the punishment of dis 
 honest ones, there would be much more probability of the 
 Commissioner of Pensions being able to do his duty by 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR XS IDE. 367 
 
 seeking out the fraudulent pensioners." Quite an excited 
 discussion ensued, in which some sharp words were used, 
 each general protesting that he had not lost his temper, 
 but was in perfectly good humor. 
 
 General Burnside was especially interested in the pas 
 sage of a bill under which any association, having in view 
 the commemoration of a Revolutionary battle-field, would 
 be authorized, under well-guarded provisions, to apply 
 directly for a sum of money from the treasury equal to the 
 amount which such patriotic association had itself raised 
 and paid in. Opposition was made by Mr. Cockrell, of 
 Missouri, to the bill, as a direct reflection on the living and 
 the dead. " It was," he said, " a reflection upon the intel 
 ligence and patriotism of the illustrious men who have 
 filled the halls of Congress since 1800, and a reflection on 
 the American people to-day, as so unpatriotic and void of 
 intelligence that they cannot cherish the memory of the 
 battle-fields of the Revolution unless Congress taxes them 
 to build senseless, feelingless monuments of marble, or 
 statues of bronze, to remind them of those thrilling scenes 
 and events." General Burnside said in reply : 
 
 I will say in answer to the Senator from Missouri that we are doing a 
 great many things at this centennial period that Clay and Webster and 
 Calhoun and Benton never thought of doing, and that there was no occa 
 sion for doing while they were in public service. At this particular pe 
 riod of our history, the centennial period, we should be moved to take a 
 great many patriotic steps. Sir, I feel it my duty to do something to 
 make Americans feel that they have a government, and therefore I do 
 not feel that I am showing any disrespect whatever to Clay, Calhoun, 
 Webster, and Benton by offering at this centennial period my humble 
 service in the direction in which this bill points. 
 
 Now, in regard to the disrespect to the living bv indicating by this bill 
 that there is a lack of patriotism in this country at this time, I will say 
 that I am willing to take my share of the responsibility of making that 
 indication. I think if we can by any means stimulate and increase the 
 patriotism of our people it is our duty to do so. I think it is at a low 
 
368 
 
 LIFE AND J L BL/C SERVICES OF 
 
 ebb; 1 believe we are thinking too much of the affairs of every-day life, 
 too much of ourselves, and if we can think a little more of the public 
 good, it will be better for the country and for all of us. I speak for my 
 self, the temptation is to think only of what immediately surrounds us, 
 what is best for our personal interests, what most conserves our comfort, 
 and I fliink if I can be inspired with more patriotism than I have had, it 
 will be a very fortunate thing for me, and a fortunate thing for the work 
 I am trying to do as a public servant. I think if we say to anv com 
 munity that will raise $10,000, "We will give you $10,000 to enable you 
 to erect a Revolutionary monument," we shall have done a very wise 
 thing. There are probably not over half a dozen places in the United 
 States Avhere monuments will be erected. 
 
 I differ in toto with the Senator from Missouri on all the points he 
 makes. It is no disrespect to men of the past for us to do things they 
 were not called upon to do. On the semi-centennial anniversary of the 
 birth of our Nation, men and communities were moved to great rejoicing ; 
 and at this centennial period it becomes doubly our duty to interest our 
 selves in all the pageants, displays, and patriotic enactments and work 
 which tend to inspire patriotism. I do not think the patriotism of the 
 country is of such high type as to make it entirely unnecessary for us to 
 stimulate it by all legitimate methods. 
 
 General Burnsicle was very careful in looking after bills 
 entrusted to him in committee for the relief of private 
 claimants, and never failed to have a written report on each 
 case prepared for presentation to the committee in season 
 to have it reported by the committee to Congress. He was 
 equally attentive to the business of his constituents, and 
 many who resided in other states, in the executive de 
 partments. Every Saturday morning, when the Senate 
 had adjourned over from Friday until Monday, he would 
 (as he used to remark) "go the grand rounds" of the de 
 partments, with a large bundle of papers. When he had 
 once presented a claim, he used to follow it up, supply 
 ing new evidence when it was necessary, and insisting 
 upon its being promptly examined. 
 
 Late in the session, the bill providing for the introduc 
 tion of moral and social science into the public schools of 
 
GEX. AMBROSE E. BCJtXSIDE. ^ 
 
 the District of Columbia (see chapter xxxiv.) , was reached 
 on the calendar. Senator Whyte, of Maryland, asked 
 for an explanation of the bill, and General Burnside 
 promptly gave it, saying : 
 
 The necessity arises, in mv opinion, from the lack of that sort of teach 
 ing in the public schools which is contemplated by the bill. I have had 
 letters from a great many teachers who conduct the most important 
 private schools in the country, stating that this mode of instruction has 
 been adopted with great success. It certainly can do no harm to the 
 teachers and pupils to devote five or ten minutes a day to instruction of 
 this kind. The committee thought that once a week would do to start 
 with. I think once a dav would be better. If children can be taught 
 that it is much better to be cleanly than not so ; much better to be honest 
 than dishonest ; much better to be truthful than untruthful, and if such 
 virtues can be impressed upon them once a week, or once a day, for five 
 or ten minutes, great good will result in time to both the children and 
 teachers. 
 
 The provisions of the bill applv to the District of Colmr.bia, and no 
 further, because we have no right to go further. I think ii is an experi 
 ment we can well trv, and, if found not to be useful in future, the meas 
 ure can be very easily repealed. 
 
 I think none of us have ever suffered from any such teaching received 
 in our youth, but manv of us have suffered from a lack of such teaching. 
 It can do voung people no harm to have the social and moral virtues ex 
 plained and impressed upon them by their teachers, and it will do the 
 teachers no harm to train themselves in exercises of that kind; in fact, I 
 think it will be a great benefit to both teachers and pupils. 
 
 Senator Whyte asked why the fourth section of the bill 
 had been stricken out? That section provided: "That 
 emulation shall be cherished between the pupils in accu 
 mulating thoughts and facts in regard to the noble traits 
 possible, and in illustrating them by their daily conduct," 
 and Senator Whyte said that " if there was anything in 
 the world that ought to be encouraged it should be emula 
 tion among the pupils at a school/ General Burnside 
 replied: "So I think, but it was thought best by the 
 committee to strike it out ; but all the essential features of 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURN SIDE. 
 
 the bill are retained. I think the committee were a little 
 afraid it would excite the ridicule of the people. Now, I 
 am not afraid of ridicule. As long as I feel that I am 
 right, it is a matter of no consequence to me how much 
 people may laugh at anything I may do. If I am satisfied 
 that I am right and moving in the right direction, and try 
 ing to do something to benefit my friends and neighbors, 
 people can laugh as much as they please. I am not afraid 
 of that paragraph of the bill myself. It does not affect 
 the duties that the bill imposes on teachers or on children, 
 and therefore I did not strenuously object to having it 
 struck out as long as the principle of the bill was retained." 
 The Senate refused to strike out the amendment, and the 
 bill was passed. 
 
 General Burnside scrutinized every bill that came before 
 the Senate, especially those which disposed of the public 
 domain. At the close of the last session of the Forty- 
 sixth Congress, a bill granting a railroad company the 
 right of way through the Indian Territory was opposed by 
 him, because he regarded it, as he said, " an unwise thing 
 to be compelled to vote on such an important bill, without 
 having had time to examine it." 
 
\ 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 THE EXECUTIVE SESSION TURN" OF THE POLITICAL WHEEL OF 
 
 FORTUNE COMMITTEE SERVICE ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE IN 
 
 THE SENATE RESTORATION OF HARMONY SUFFRAGE IN 
 RHODE ISLAND REPORT ON THE MONROE DOCTRINE. 
 
 THE Senate of the United States was called together 
 in executive session on Friday, the 4th of March, 
 1 88 1. The President-elect, General Garfield, the 
 retiring President, Mr. Hayes, the Diplomatic Corps, the 
 Supreme Court, officers of the army and navy, and other 
 distinguished personages were on the floor of the Senate 
 Chamber. Prominent among the ladies in the galleries, 
 were General Garfield s wife and his mother, whose faces 
 beamed with pride and enjoyment so soon, alas! to be 
 changed to mourning and grief. 
 
 General Burnside, with sixteen other Senators, took 
 the "iron-clad oath," as administered by Vice-President 
 Arthur, while six Senators who had served in the Confed 
 erate army took the "modified oath." General Burnside 
 never appeared in better health, or to greater advantage. 
 
372 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 than on this occasion. Tall, erect, elegantly yet strongly 
 made, his aspect was commanding; the expression of his 
 eyes indicating resolution, while he would occasionally 
 glance at persons with whom he was conversing, as if 
 anxious to read what was passing in their minds ; a gen 
 eral look of good-temper and fairness pervaded his feat 
 ures, and his whiskers, then snow-white, but of the same 
 cut that he adopted before he entered the academy at West 
 Point, gave him a paternal, if not patriarchal air. 
 
 It was to him a great source of satisfaction that the 
 wheel of political fortune had so far revolved as to enable 
 the Republican Senators to again control the committees, 
 which had been taken from them by the Democrats with a 
 flourish of trumpets two years previous. 
 
 But the change had to be postponed. General Garfield 
 having appointed Senators Elaine, Windom, and Kirk- 
 \vood as members of his Cabinet, it became necessary for 
 them to resign their seats in the Senate, and the Republi 
 cans were consequently deprived of a majority until their 
 successors were elected or appointed. This was done at 
 the earliest day, and on the iSth of March, some stormy 
 debates having meanwhile occurred, the Republicans were 
 again placed in possession of the committees of the Senate 
 after a tie vote, by a casting vote of Vice-President Arthur. 
 
 General Burnside was made chairman of the Committee 
 on Foreign Relations, one of the most responsible and im 
 portant on the long list, and he had associated with him 
 Senators Conkling, Edmunds, Miller, Ferry, Johnston. 
 Morgan, Hill of Georgia, and Pendletpn. He was also 
 second on the Committee on Military Affairs, and third 
 on the Committee on Education and Labor. 
 
 The contest then arose on the election of secretary, 
 sergeant-at-arms, and several of the principal clerks, the 
 
GEN. AM/UfOSE E. 
 
 J73 
 
 offices being filled by Democrats, elected when that party 
 had an effective preponderance of votes in the Senate. 
 Senator Mahone, of Virginia, elected as a " Readjuster," 
 had nominated a personal and political friend of his, Mr. 
 Riddelberger (afterwards 
 elected U. S. Senator), for 
 the office of sergeant-at- 
 arms, but the Democrats 
 refused -to permit the elec 
 tion, intimating that there 
 had been a fraudulent bar 
 gain. This charge, Gen 
 eral Burnside vigorously 
 denied. When he felt he 
 could no longer refrain 
 from taking the floor, he 
 said : 
 
 Mr. President, I have been si 
 lent during this debate, but when 
 I noticed in the papers of this 
 morning a statement that I \vas 
 one of the conservatives- who 
 
 rather advocated in the Republican caucus yesterday that we should back 
 down, I thought I would take occasion to say that I have no right to tell 
 what I did say in caucus, but I have a right to tell what I did not say, 
 and I now tell vou, Mr. President, that I have no disposition to back any 
 on the present issue, nor have I ever had any. As long as I live I will 
 never, by any act of mine, consent to the adoption of any act or rule 
 which recognizes the theorv that the majoritv does not rule in this 
 country. The principle that the majority must rule lies at the very foun 
 dation of the theory of our government. 
 
 The duty which we are trying to do now is a constitutional duty. The 
 Constitution of the United States says we shall elect our officers. I 
 would have been glad, had the present officers been left in their places. 
 I would be glad, indeed, if the other side would admit the right of the 
 majority to rule, to yield them the chairmanship of my committee. Mr. 
 President, I would not hold the chairmanship of my committee if I felt 
 that I held it in an improper wav. 
 
 PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
!74 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Mr President, I have not thirsted for this fight, and I have never felt 
 like going for the scalps of the present officers of the Senate. I felt, 
 very impressivelv, the mistake made by the majority of the Senate two 
 years ago, when they made a clean sweep of the elective officers of this 
 body, and I resisted it as long as I thought it right and proper to resist. 
 and then I not only gave in myself, but I counseled others to give in, 
 because I felt that the majority should rule, and the.y became responsible 
 for the results. I do not claim that the majority then inflicted any great 
 wrong upon us, or upon the public service. They gave us officers who 
 have performed their duties honestly and intelligently. These officers 
 have kept many of the Republican employes in the service of the Senate 
 whose appointment or retention depended on them. I think they were 
 wise in pursuing this course. But it is a fact that the Democratic major 
 ity removed every elective officer of this body. I have felt no disposition 
 to dismiss those officers. But, Mr. President, a precedent was established 
 then which I shall observe as long as I am in the Senate, unless by com 
 mon consent it shall be reversed. It was decided then that the majority 
 had a right to change the chairmen of committees and the officers of the 
 Senate whenever they desired to. To that precedent I shall bow, as long 
 as I am a member of the Senate, until some other course of action is 
 taken by general consent of the two parties. When it shall be agreed 
 that all efficient officers shall remain in our service during good behavior, 
 I will hail the decision with great delight. 
 
 Mr. President, -when the committees were turned over to the Republi 
 cans, they received them from the hands of the Democrats, and with their 
 acquiescence. If ^ve secured the committees by fraud, the Democrats are 
 guilty of fraud, because they were participants, they were accessories to 
 the fraudulent-act by which we obtained possession. They have no right 
 to shield themselves in the position they are in now and say they are not 
 guilty of fraud. If we obtained these committees by fraud they are guilty 
 of fraud, because they could have kept us from getting them, just as they 
 are now preventing the election of officers by the majority. There is no 
 getting behind that. 
 
 The debate waxed warm. General Burnside declared 
 that no fraud had been committed, and for one, he would 
 sit in his seat for the remainder of his term without tran 
 sacting one particle of public business, before he would 
 consent to any fraudulent bargain in the election of officers ; 
 neither would he consent to the obstruction of business by 
 gentlemen on the other side. I say for myself," said he, 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 " that I will sit here to the end of my term, before I will con 
 sent to be governed by a minority, and I believe, as much 
 as I believe there is a God, that we are fairly in the major 
 ity." He proceeded to question Senator Hill, of Georgia. 
 "Does he," said General Burnside, "believe there is a 
 single Senator on this side of the chamber who would 
 accept a chairmanship of a committee that had been as 
 signed to him by fraud, or would engage in a fraudulent 
 transaction of that kind? Now, sir, I want to know that; 
 and if there is such an one, I want to know who he is." 
 Mr. Hill, after some parleying, evaded a reply, saying that 
 he would not ask General Burnside whether he in his .con 
 science believed that there was any Senator on the Demo 
 cratic side who would be a party to a bargain, or would 
 accept the profits of a bargain. He went on to intimate 
 that if the matter should be brought before a jury he felt 
 confident that the Democrats would get a verdict of guilty. 
 " The Senator s great powers before a jury," said Gen 
 eral Burnside, " are well known to the whole country, and 
 I am not disposed in the least degree to depreciate them. 
 I will venture to say that he can get a verdict of a jury that 
 I cannot. He possesses great skill and power before a 
 jury, and he has experience in pleading causes. I am 
 not arguing on that position ; I am not a lawyer ; I am 
 arguing as a plain citizen of the United States, and as a 
 Senator, and as such I say that I would make no such charge 
 in reference to that side of the chamber, unless I felt that 
 I could prove it. It is a grave charge, and if true, we on 
 this side are in the position of felons, occupying chairman 
 ships of committees which do not belong to us." As the 
 debate went on, and the Democrats began to "filibuster," 
 it was intimated by their speakers that they were following 
 the example set them by the Republicans at the end of the 
 
076 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 last session of Congress. This General Burnside denied, 
 stating that he did not propose 1 to sit under an imputation 
 of that kind without contradicting it. Said he : 
 
 The Senator from Kentucky knows very well that there were Democratic 
 votes withheld at that time, and it was simply for the purpose of aiding 
 some friends on this side of the chamber to defeat certain nominations 
 which were distasteful to them. The conntrv had just as well know that. 
 It was not a partisan matter at all. Some of our friends here desired to 
 defeat certain nominations made bv the late President, because they were 
 not in accord with their views. They solicited aid from both sides of the 
 chamber, and they received aid from both sides of the chamber. I my 
 self left the chamber once or twice, because I felt bad to sit here and not 
 vote. It seems the Senator from Massachusetts acted in perfect good 
 faith with himself, and either was absent or paired all the time. So we 
 did not vote as a party, and Aye did not pair in that matter as Republicans 
 and Democrats ; we paired as friends to those appointments and as opposed 
 to them, and I now say here that to my absolute knowledge Democrats 
 on that side of the chamber withheld their votes. 
 
 This is a partisan affair, and we arc voting every man or pairing every 
 man. and we clearly stand before the country in that light. I announce 
 that I am going with my party, and you announce that you are going 
 with your party. I say distinctly and positively that the action to Avhich 
 the Senator from Kentucky refers, and which has been so often quoted 
 on this floor, was not a partisan affair in any sense. Xo man thought it 
 was a partisan affair at that time. It was simply a question as to whether 
 we would aid some of our friends on this side of the chamber to defeat 
 some nominations which President Hayes sent to the Senate. That was 
 the question and the only question. 
 
 As the debate proceeded it grew warmer, and finally, 
 when Mr. Butler, of South Carolina, said that the real 
 question was whether there had been "a disgraceful bar 
 gain in the Senate, by which the offices of the Senate are 
 proposed to be turned over to somebody else," the gen 
 eral could stand it no longer, and the following sharp col 
 loquy ensued : 
 
 Mr. RTRXSIDK. It is as to whether a majority shall rule or not. 
 Mr. Bi n.KK. Xo, sir. 
 
AMBROSE E. BURN SIDE. 
 
 377 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. That is the question. That is it to a clot. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. That lias nothing to do with it. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. I sav there has been no bargain ; and any man who 
 says there has been says what is false. That is the doctrine. I say any 
 man who says that savs what is false. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. The Senator from Rhode Island of course may charac 
 terize it as false as much as he pleases. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. I do, distinctly and positively. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. I say, inasmuch as the Senator has seen fit to say that 
 no I will not say it in this chamber 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. Say anything. I declare that any man who says there 
 has been a bargain says what is false. That is the argument exactly. 
 Xow the Senator from South Carolina can say what he likes. 
 , Mr. BUTLER. Xo, sir. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. He can say just what he likes. I sav it is false, false, 
 false, in every word and every letter, I have heard this thing long 
 enough, Mr. President, and I do not as an honorable man propose to sit 
 here and listen to it any longer. I declare that any man who says there 
 lias been a bargain on this side of the chamber with anybody, a corrupt 
 bargain, tells a falsehood. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. Of course the Senator from Rhode Island has a perfect 
 right to say what he pleases. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. I will sav what I know to be the fact. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. I shall not be betrayed into any excitement. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. Not a bit; I am not the least bit excited. I am just 
 giving emphasis to what I propose to say. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. I see that the Senator is uncommonly equable. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. I am in perfect good humor and perfectly calm. Mr. 
 President, I beg pardon for talking in mv seat. 
 
 The PRESIDIXG OFFICER, (Mr. Ferry in the chair.) The Chair will 
 remind Senators that they must address the Chair. The Chair cannot 
 recognize Senators unless they address the Chair. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. I shall do so in the future. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. I congratulate the Senator from Rhode Island for being 
 cool. I am delighted to see him so cool. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. I did not talk quite so loud as the Senator from South 
 Carolina I simply wanted to~dro\vn his voice but I reiterate my state 
 ment that any man who savs there has been a bargain on this side of the 
 chamber savs what is false. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. That is another case of coolness which I shall not dis 
 cuss with the Senator here. I have not the slightest idea of doing it. I 
 shall not be betrayed upon this floor into any language which is unpar 
 liamentary to begin with. I hope, but I want to say to the Senator from 
 
378 
 
 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Rhode Island, and I want to say to all the other Senators upon that side of 
 the chamber who adopt the tactics which the Senator has adopted, if he 
 supposes bv the use of such language as that he can deter me from the 
 full, complete, unqualified discussion of a public act, the Senator is sini- 
 plv mistaken. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIDE. Will the Senator allow me to say that I do not think 
 there is a member on this floor who would say for one moment that I de 
 sire to deter any man from anything like a fair, discussion ? I merely 
 mean to meet this charge that has been so often made on that side of the 
 chamber, and that has stirred me to the very bottom of my soul every 
 time it has been made, and which I know to be false. I merely mean to 
 sav that anv man who makes that statement states what is false; that is 
 all. I do not want to check discussion; I am delighted to hear all Sen 
 ators on that side of the chamber, and every man knows it. There is not 
 a man on that side of the chamber who does not know that I am de 
 lighted to have him get up and indulge in fair debate; but not on a little 
 suspicion that is running around through the air, for one Senator to get 
 up and talk about a corrupt bargain. Does the Senator suppose that 
 there is anv man on this side of the chamber who would engage in a cor 
 rupt bargain? Does any one on that side of the chamber suppose there 
 is a man on this side of the chamber who would engage in a corrupt bar 
 gain? If we would not engage in a corrupt bargain, how can there be 
 such a bargain? As I said the other day, I do not think there is a man 
 on that side of the chamber who would be guilty of going into a corrupt 
 bargain. Not one ; not a single man of you would be guilty of corrup 
 tion. I do not like to hear such things. 
 
 My friend knows the high regard I have for him. There is no man in 
 the Senate Chamber for whom I have a higher personal regard on either 
 side than I have for the Senator; but I do say this thing ought to 
 stop. I do not say it must stop, because I cannot stop it, but I say it 
 ought to stop; that in all decency, in all propriety, in all honesty, in all 
 fair dealing, the thing ought to stop. If you can bring the evidence, 
 bring it and I will vote to expel any member of the Senate who has been 
 guilty of anv such thing. If the Senator from South Carolina, or any 
 other Senator on that side, will move for the raising of a committee to 
 investigate and put every Senator on this floor upon oath, I will vote for 
 the resolution, and so will every member on this side vote to call every 
 single Senator before a committee and place him under oath. Mr. Pres 
 ident, I do not say this thing must be stopped; I say it ought to be 
 stopped, in all decency and fairness. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. I am verv much afraid the Senator from Rhode Island 
 will lose his temper if he keeps on. 
 
 Mr. BURXSIUE. No, I am perfectly cool ; I do not think I talked quite 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 370 
 
 so loudly as the Senator from South Carolina ; I certainly did not talk as 
 loudly as I have heard him talk on this floor. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. Precisely; but I hope if my voice jars upon the ears of 
 my brother Senators they will bear with me. 
 
 Mr. BURNSIDE. Not at all ; I am always delighted to hear it. 
 
 Mr. BUTLER. I am glad to hear that the Senator from Rhode Island 
 is not shocked by what I have said. 
 
 Mr. BURNSIDE. Not at all ; I never was. 
 
 A day or two afterwards, Senator Beck, of Kentucky, 
 referred to this debate, and intimated in a jocular way that 
 if he took exceptions to anything that General Burnside 
 might say, he might be shot. The general said in reply : 
 
 I am perfectly willing the Senator shall indulge in any jocose remarks 
 in reference to me whenever he likes; I know they are alwavs in good 
 temper; but I want to say to him, and I want to say to the Senate, that it 
 has never crossed my mind for one moment to charge upon anv Senator 
 upon this floor any personal dishonor or any personal bad intent toward 
 me or any member on this side. All my remarks in debate were made 
 in reference to general charges made on the other side of the chamber. 
 I desired on that day to give, in the most emphatic way possible, a denial 
 to the charge which had been made or insinuated upon that side, that 
 there was a corrupt bargain on this side, and I desired to make the denial 
 just as emphatic as the charge had been made, and I desired to impress 
 on the country and on my constituents that that was an incorrect and 
 false charge. 
 
 It was very far from my mind as far as anything could be to impute 
 personal untruthfulness to anybody on that side of the chamber, much 
 less the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Butler), with whom mv 
 relations have been always of the most friendly nature, peculiarly so ; and 
 I would be the last man on this floor to impute to him any personal dis 
 honor or any personal untruthfulness. Anybody, no matter who he is, 
 anywhere in this country, who draws any other inference from what I then 
 said, draws a wrong inference, and I do not think he is borne out by the 
 language I used. My language was emphatic, and I intended it to be so ; I 
 meant it to be so. I was replying to a general charge made on that side of 
 the chamber; and unfortunately for the Senator from South Carolina and 
 myself, who are such good friends and who had never been in collision in 
 debate before, we happened to be the two Senators to meet. It would have 
 been as unfortunate in the case of any other Senator, because I have no 
 disposition to get into an altercation with any Senator on that side of 
 
o$ LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 the chamber or on this. When I want to bulldoze anybody, I will not 
 take any Senator on either side of this chamber; I cannot put my mind 
 on any Senator on either side of the chamber who would submit to it. 
 
 Another thing: when I want to make a personal imputation, I will go 
 to the Senator or the man. whoever he is, anr tell him personally that I 
 do not think he is speaking the truth ; or that I think he is making a 
 false charge. I did not mean to create anvsuch impression on anybody s 
 mir.c. ; but if I did it, I hope it will be removed. 
 
 Mr. Butler handsomely expressed his satisfaction with 
 this disclaimer. "My relations," said he, " with the Sena 
 tor from Rhode Island have always been friendly and 
 kind. I know his kindness of heart is so pronounced that 
 he is incapable of making a reflection on a brother Sena 
 tor. Mr. Beck at once declared that if he had made a 
 little blunder in making any suggestion about the Senator 
 from Rhode Island, the feelings expressed by himself to 
 the Senator from South Carolina had fully vindicated any 
 mistake he might have made, by the restoration of entire 
 harmony. Later in the debate General Burnside had a 
 long running debate with Mr. Brown, of Georgia, who 
 undertook to assert that some Republican newspapers had 
 said that a corrupt or improper contract, or bargain, had 
 been made to secure the offices of the Senate. Mr. Brown 
 read successively extracts from a number of newspapers 
 to prove his assertion, General Burnside insisting, as he 
 proceeded, that not one of these journals was a Republi 
 can newspaper. Subsequently he remarked : 
 
 I said the other day that I did not think the Senator could produce any 
 Republican papers that called this a corrupt bargain. I should not have 
 been surprised if he had produced half a dozen, or ten, but he has not. I 
 should not have been at all surprised if he could have produced a dozen 
 or twenty that said this was a corrupt bargain, out of all the 3,000 Repub 
 lican newspapers in the United States; but he has not produced one that 
 calls it a corrupt bargain. He has produced articles from independent 
 papers that squint that way, that say it looks like a corrupt bargain, and 
 Democrats have a right to think it is a corrupt bargain, and all that. 
 
AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 3 8l 
 
 That is not a very bold way of -talking, and it is indulged in a little too 
 much in all parts of the country. We should all be better oft" if we did 
 less of it. Now, I maintain that I was quite right in what I stated the 
 other day that the Senator cannot show that the Republican press of this 
 country thinks in the least degree that we have been guilty of a corrupt 
 bargain. 
 
 In the course of this debate allusions were made to the 
 elective franchise in Rhode Island, and General Burnside 
 replied to those who had criticised the institutions of his 
 state. He said : 
 
 Mr. President, within a very few days Rhode Island has received a vin 
 dication in this chamber from the senior Senator from the State (Mr. 
 Anthony), which we are all willing to rest upon. We propose to manage 
 our own affairs in our own way. We pass laws and obey them. The 
 Republican party in Rhode Island is very largely in the majority, and as 
 a rule all the contests in the State are between Republicans. We have 
 bad men in our State in both parties, as is the case in all the states of the 
 Union. Often when two Republicans get into a political contest each 
 strives to win Democratic votes. Doubtless votes of corrupt men have 
 been purchased. It was given in evidence before one of the committees 
 referred to by the Senator from Kentucky that the principal part of the 
 purchasable element of the State of Rhode Island is in the Democratic 
 party. I make no such charge. In fact. I deny that any considerable 
 portion of our citizens are corrupt in the exercise of the elective franchise. 
 We are an old community, and, like all such, we have our native political 
 excrescences. The proportion of foreign population to native-born is 
 greater than in any other state in the Union; and while I desire to say 
 nothing against that portion of our people, it is but fair to say that they 
 do not equal the natives of the State in their knowledge and appreciation 
 of our institutions, for the simple reason that they are not familiar with 
 them. Many of them are possessed of great intelligence and skill in their 
 callings. They are with us, and are growing very rapidly in knowledge 
 of our institutions, their children going to our schools, and are making 
 good citizens. But I will say to the Senator from Kentucky that I be 
 lieve our suffrage laws are good, as applied to our State with all attending 
 circumstances. I was at one time a free-suffrage man ; I disbelieved in 
 the propriety of having a registry-tax for all non-tax-payers ; I disbelieved 
 in the propriety of having a real-estate qualification for foreign-born citi 
 zens; but I believe now that our present system is the wisest possible 
 one for us to pursue, in view of all our surroundings. I would be glad to 
 
382 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 see all foreign-born citizens who belonged to the Union army fullv en 
 franchised in our State. 
 
 The resignations of the Senators from New York, 
 Messrs. Ccnkling and Platt, having deprived the Repub 
 licans of their majority in the Senate, nothing remained 
 but to consider the nominations made by the President, 
 and adjourn. Before permitting the Senate to close, how 
 ever, Senator Burnside, from the Committee on Foreign 
 Relations, of which he was chairman, reported back a 
 resolution by Senator Morgan which had been referred to 
 it, with a written report. This report was read in the Sen 
 ate, and listened to with marked attention, although it did 
 not probably occur to any one that it would be the last 
 document written by the junior Senator from Rhode Island. 
 The report was as follows : 
 
 The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the reso 
 lution on the construction of ship-canals across the Isthmus of Darien, 
 having had the same under consideration, report : 
 
 That the subject embraced in the resolution is one of great national 
 importance, and worthy of the most careful consideration. The resolu 
 tion is as follows : 
 
 Refolved, That the interests of the people of the United States of America, and the 
 welfare and security of their government, are so involved in the subject of the construction 
 of ship-canals and others ways for the transportation of sea-going vessels across the isth- 
 nius connecting North and South America, that the government of the United States, with 
 the frankness which is due to all other peoples and governments, hereby asserts that it 
 will insist thr-t its consent is a necessary condition precedent to the execution of any such 
 project; and also as to the rules and regulations under which other nations shall partici 
 pate in the use of such canals or other ways, either in peace or in \var. 
 
 This resolution was unanimously reported from the Committee on For 
 eign Relations by Hon. William W. Eaton, its chairman, at the last ses 
 sion of the Senate, but was not acted upon, for want of time, and was 
 again brought before the Senate, at this session, by the Senator from Ala 
 bama (Mr. Morgan). 
 
 Certainly the United States cannot remain silent and acquiescing spec 
 tators and see any European government or corporation monopolize the 
 control of a great route for the transportation of ships across the Isth 
 mus of Darien. It is an affair of vital importance to those who dwell on. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 383 
 
 the Atlantic and on the Pacific coasts, as well as to the people of our 
 whole country. 
 
 President Monroe, a wise and discreet man, announced, in a public 
 message to Congress, in December, 1823, that " the American continents, 
 by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and 
 maintained, are henceforth not to be considered subjects for future colo 
 nization by any European power." This declaration has since been 
 known as the " Monroe doctrine," and while it does not directly apply to 
 the construction of an inter-oceanic canal, the principle underlying it, 
 which principle lies at the very foundation of our public welfare and 
 safety, leads us tp the announcement of the doctrine contained in this 
 resolution. 
 
 This "Monroe doctrine" has received the public and official sanction 
 of subsequent Presidents, as well as of a very large majority of the Amer 
 ican people. At different times Great Britain has attempted to secure a 
 foothold on the Isthmus of Darien, which it is now proposed to pierce 
 with a canal, and each time she has been forced to abandon the project, 
 so earnest and firm was the resistance offered by the government of the 
 United States. Hon. Reverdy Johnson, who was the Attorney-General 
 of President Taylor, thus alludes to one of these attempts to found a Brit 
 ish colony on the isthmus, in a letter addressed to Hon. JohnM. Clayton, 
 Dec. 30, 1853. " President Taylor," wrote Mr. Johnson, " had firmly re 
 solved, by all constitutional measures in his power, to prevent such ag 
 gression, if any should be attempted, considering, as he did, that all the 
 passages through the isthmus should be kept free, to enable us to retain 
 our possessions in the Pacific." 
 
 By the passage of this resolution we simply serve a notice to the world 
 that, in the opinion of the Senate of the United States, the peace, safety, 
 and general welfare of this Republic require that it should be consulted 
 concerning, and should have a voice in, the management of any canal or 
 other way for the transportation of sea-going vessels across the Isthmus 
 of Darien. 
 
 We do not express any doubts as to our rights, or suggest any refer 
 ence of the subject to an international tribunal, because in this matter 
 we are absolutely in the right. We simply ask nations who may directly 
 or indirectly send their subjects, citizens, or capital to the isthmus, that 
 they obtain the consent of the United States, as the power most directly 
 interested, and that the rules and regulations for the government of this 
 inter-oceanic highway be made acceptable to us, whose interests, in 
 peace as in war, they will so materially affect. 
 
 Another reason for the passage of this resolution is, that companies 
 have been and others may be formed for the construction of projected 
 routes, which it is well known can never be successfully operated under 
 
384 
 
 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 their present plans, and in which the money subscribed will be totally 
 lost. Yet many of the subscribers have undoubtedly been led to be 
 lieve that the United States government approved indirectly, if not 
 directly the scheme in which they have invested. This should not be. 
 No one, at home or abroad, should be beguiled into the investment of 
 accumulated property or of hard earnings by the belief that the govern 
 ment of the United States approved the project. A declaration by the 
 Senate that the government would insist that its consent is a necessary 
 condition-precedent to the execution of any such scheme, would be a 
 warning to investors not to take any stock in an unauthorized enterprise. 
 The honor of the country will thus be protected against accusations that 
 its name led individuals, in this and other lands, to make investments 
 which were to them total losses. 
 
 However we may be divided on political questions, and however we 
 may wrangle on matters of domestic interest, the United States Senate 
 has never failed, when a matter relating to foreign complications came 
 before it, involving the general welfare and peace of the country, to stand 
 shoulder to shoulder, and to assert what the public interests demanded. 
 
 We therefore recommend the passage of the resolution already pub 
 lished in this report. 
 
 There was a difference of opinion among Senators as to 
 the propriety of acting on a question of this kind. The 
 Constitution says that all legislative powers shall be vested . 
 in a Senate and a House of Representatives, the whole of 
 them, not a part of them, and the same Constitution pre 
 vents either house from adjourning for a longer period 
 than three days, and acting separately from the others. 
 Congress alone has power to declare war, and Congress 
 is composed of two houses. For that reason many Sen 
 ators felt that such a resolution should not be passed with 
 out the concurrence of the House of Representatives, and 
 it was consequently postponed until the first Monday in 
 December. Before that day arrived, the Senator who 
 had presented it lay still in death. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 RETURN TO RHODE ISLAND ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GAR- 
 FIELD ACCIDENT LAST HOURS DEATH RHODE ISLAND S 
 MOURNING DEMONSTRATIONS OF RESPF.CT FAREWELL TO 
 "EDGHILL" SERVICES AT BRISTOL THE REMAINS LYING IX 
 STATE AT PROVIDENCE. 
 
 GENERAL BURNSIDE, contrary to his usual cus 
 tom, remained at Washington a few days after the 
 adjournment of the Senate. He then went to 
 "Edghill Farm," where he enjoyed the comforts and at 
 tractions of his rural home. His herd of Alderney cattle 
 was increasing, land which he had reclaimed was bearing 
 large crops ; trees which he had planted were growing, and 
 he greatly enjoyed being out with his workmen, especially 
 when he was superintending some new improvement. He 
 paid frequent visits to Providence, and would occasionally 
 go to Newport, where he was a welcome guest. Some 
 times he would enjoy a short excursion on Narragansett 
 Bay in a beautiful steam-yacht, which was always placed 
 at his disposal by Mr. Herreshoflf, the celebrated blind 
 constructor of these beautiful and fast craft. 
 
 He was greatly disturbed by the terrible news of Gen 
 eral Garfield s assassination, and had at first hopes that 
 the President might recover. The career of the two men 
 had not been unlike. Each had known poverty when 
 
386 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 young, and had earned his daily bread ; each had served 
 his country honorably during the war for the suppression 
 of the Rebellion ; and each one had received high civil 
 honors from the people of his state. It was not strange 
 that the two became intimate friends, and General Burn- 
 side was saddened by the news that the President, who 
 had passed through battles unharmed, had fallen by the 
 assassin s bullet. Little did he think that he would be the 
 first of the two to pass away. Riding out one day in the 
 vicinity of his farm, General Burnside s horse ran away, 
 and he was thrown from his carnage with some force, jar 
 ring him and injuring one of his feet. This prevented his 
 delivering the annual address, as he had expected, before 
 the Aquidneck Agricultural Society, but he recovered his 
 health sufficiently to enable him to accompany his friends, 
 Senator Anthony and Judge Burges, of Providence, on a 
 visit to Saratoga Springs. The water appeared to benefit 
 him, and he returned to " Edghill Farm" in improved 
 health, although occasionally he would complain. 
 
 On the 6th of September, iSSi, General Burnside felt 
 quite indisposed, and complained at times during the fol 
 lowing days of that week, but it was Saturday night be 
 fore he summoned his family physician, Dr. Barnes. On 
 Sunday his nieces passed the day with him at " Edghill 
 Farm," and Dr. Barnes paid him a visit. He did not 
 appear seriously ill, or in any way alarmed about his con 
 dition, and those who saw him little dreamed that " the 
 silver cord was soon to be loosed." 
 
 On Monday, Sept. 12, General Burnside escorted his 
 nieces to Providence, where he visited Senator Anthony, 
 at the Senator s house. He remarked that he had been 
 somewhat "under the weather," and had consulted his phy 
 sician, but felt better. When he was about to leave, Senator 
 
3 88 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Anthony proposed sending for a carriage to take him to 
 the railway-station, but he declined, saying that it would 
 do him good to walk, and started off with his firm, military 
 stride. On his arrival at Bristol, Robbie, the son of his 
 faithful colored servant, Robert Hollowav, met him at the 
 railway-station with a carriage, and he drove himself 
 home, exchanging cordial greetings with his friends and 
 acquaintances as he passed through the streets of Bristol* 
 and out to " Edghill Farm." 
 
 On entering his house he went to his room, as was his 
 custom, took off his coat and boots, and put on his dressing- 
 gown and slippers. He complained to his servants several 
 times in the evening of severe pains in the region of his 
 heart, but declined to follow their suggestion that he 
 should send for his physician. In the morning the ser 
 vants found him walking about the house dressed, as they 
 had left him the night before. He said that he had suf 
 fered a great deal of pain throughout the night, and had 
 not been to bed. The pain appeared to increase, and 
 about nine o clock he consented to 1iave Robbie sent for 
 Doctor Barnes. Before the doctor could arrive the pain 
 had become very intense, and he threw himself on his 
 bed in great agony. When the doctor entered his room, 
 General Burnside, recognizing him, remarked that some 
 thing must be done at once, and asked that morphine be 
 given him. These were the last audible words that lie 
 uttered. His pulse became erratic, and his spirit soon 
 passed away. 
 
 No one was present when General Burnside s eyes were 
 closed for the sleep that knows no waking, except his ser 
 vants and Dr. Barnes. Mr. Alexander Perry, an intimate 
 friend and neighbor, soon arrived, and in a few hours 
 Governor Littlefield, Senator Anthony, Representatives 
 
388 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Anthony proposed sending for a carriage to take him to 
 the railway-station, but he declined, saying that it would 
 do him good to walk, and started off with his firm, military 
 
 :. stride. On his arrival at Bristol, Robbie, the son of his 
 faithful colored servant, Robert Hollow ay, met him at the 
 railway-station with a carriage, and he drove himself 
 home, exchanging cordial greetings with his friends and 
 acquaintances as he passed through the streets of Bristol, 
 and out to " Edghill Farm." 
 
 On entering his house he went to his room, as was his 
 custom, took off his coat and boots, and put on his dressing- 
 
 - gown and slippers. He complained to his servants several 
 times in the evening of severe pains in the region of his 
 heart, but declined to follow their suggestion that he 
 should send for his physician. In the morning the ser 
 vants found him walking about the house dressed, as they 
 had left him the night before. He said that he had suf 
 fered a great deal of pain throughout the night, and had 
 not been to bed. The pain appeared to increase, and 
 about nine o clock he consented to 1iave Robbie sent for 
 > Doctor Barnes. Before the doctor could arrive the pain 
 had become very intense, and he threw himself on his 
 bed in great agony. When the doctor entered his room, 
 General Burnside, recognizing him, remarked that some 
 thing must be done at once, and asked that morphine be 
 given him. These were the last audible words that he 
 uttered. His pulse became erratic, and his spirit soon 
 passed away. 
 
 No one was present when General Burnside s eyes were 
 closed for the sleep that knows no waking, except his ser 
 vants and Dr. Barnes. 1 Mr. Alexander Perry, an intimate 
 friend and neighbor, soon arrived, and in a few hours 
 Governor Littlefield, Senator Anthony, Representatives 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 389 
 
 Chase and Aldrich, and other personal friends, came from 
 Providence. Instead of the usual greeting from the hos 
 pitable general, they found him cold in death. The im 
 mediate cause of his decease was angina factor is, or neu 
 ralgia of the heart. 
 
 Rhode Island was soon informed that her distinguished 
 adopted son, of whose fame she was so justly proud, had 
 ceased to exist, and it was promptly decided that his ob 
 sequies should be of the most impressive description, that 
 contemporaries and posterity might know how deeply he 
 was loved and honored at his home. The following pro 
 clamation was issued by the governor : 
 
 STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, ) 
 PROVIDENCE. Sept. 13, 1881. j 
 
 It is my painful duty to announce officially to the people of the State 
 that the Hon. Ambrose E. Burnside, the junior Senator from this State 
 in the Congress of the United States, died suddenly at his residence in 
 Bristol this day at 10.55 o clock, A. M. His eminent services to the State 
 and to the country, his noble traits of character, and the universal es 
 teem in which he has been held, combine to make the loss a public 
 calamity. His funeral services will take place on Friday next at 12 
 o clock, noon, and I request that between the hours of i^ o clock, noon, 
 and 2 o clock, p. M., on that day, all public offices be closed; and that 
 as a tribute of respect to the memorv of our deceased fellow-citizen, all 
 business be, so far as practicable, suspended. 
 
 ALFRED 11. LITTLEFIELD, Governor. 
 
 The city of Providence, which was the legal residence 
 of the deceased hero, wished to show its respect and love 
 for him, and the mayor issued his proclamation, as fol 
 lows : 
 
 CITY OK PROVIDENCE. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, ) 
 CITY HALL. Sept. 14. iSSi. ) 
 
 The sudden death of General Ambrose E. Burnside, officially announced 
 by His Excellency Governor Littlefield. awakens feelings of universal 
 sorrow in the hearts of the people of this city. 
 
39 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 As a citizen, as general in the army, as governor of the State, as Sen 
 ator in the United States Senate, lie has brought honor and distinction 
 to our city, to our commonwealth, and to our country. 
 
 The City Council having by resolution taken action in relation to the 
 observance of his obsequies, and ordered the offices of the various 
 municipal departments closed for the transaction of business from Thurs 
 day, Sept. 15. at 9 o clock, A. M.. to the following Saturday, at 9 o clock, 
 A. M., I have deemed it especially appropriate to add my request to that 
 of the governor of this State, that out of respect to the memory of the 
 dead citizen and soldier, all places of business be closed, so far as practi 
 cable, between the hours of 9 A. M. and 2 r. M., on Friday next, the day 
 
 of the funeral. 
 
 WILLIAM IIAYWARD, Mayor. 
 
 As the sad news of General Burnside s death reached 
 other sections of the Republic, it prompted expressions of 
 regret ; and action was taken by the numerous associations 
 to which he belonged, declaring their regard for him, and 
 in many instances making arrangements for an attendance 
 at his funeral. 
 
 The Hon. Chester A. Arthur, Vice-President, and pres 
 ident of the Senate, directed the sergeant-at-arms of that 
 body to invite by telegraph such Senators as were accessi 
 ble, to attend General Burnside s funeral. . The Senate 
 Chamber was draped in mourning, and the flag on the 
 Senate wing of the Capitol was displayed at half-mast, 
 in respect to the memory of the late Senator. The mem 
 bers of the Ninth Army Corps, who served under General 
 Burnside. met in Boston and passed resolutions bearing 
 testimony to the many virtues of their late commanding 
 general : his loyalty to the government, which never per 
 mitted him to hesitate as to his duty ; his brave conspicu- 
 ousness upon every field of battle ; his generous love for 
 his soldiers ; his cheerful confidence in his lieutenants ; 
 his zeal, which impelled him to push for victory against 
 the most formidable obstacles ; his goodness of heart, 
 purity of life, and honesty of purpose ; and a personal 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 301 
 
 modesty that attached him in most cordial love and esteem 
 to all who shared with him the glory and danger of battle, 
 from the first Bull Run to the final surrender at Appo- 
 mattox. 
 
 The Providence Board of Trade, which did not custom 
 arily take public notice of the death of its members, met 
 and passed resolutions on the death of General Burnside, 
 which concluded by stating that "the open countenance, 
 manly figure, and great heart of Burnside endeared him 
 to the people of his adopted state ; poor as well as rich, 
 weak as well as strong, have felt the warm grasp of his 
 hand, benefited by his assistance and encouragement, and 
 all alike will mourn his loss." 
 
 The quaint old town of Bristol, with its atmosphere of 
 peaceful life, was saddened by the death of its esteemed 
 townsman, and even the gentle breeze which was wafted 
 over Narragansett Bay, on which he used to love to sail, 
 appeared softened and saddened by the desolation which 
 filled the hearts of his neighbors and friends, especially 
 the children, by whom he was deeply loved. The whole 
 town was in mourning, as if for a beloved relative, and the 
 public ceremonies, if they did not prefigure the pomp and 
 elaboration which characterized the official obsequies at 
 Providence on the following day, were as affecting as 
 they were sincere and heartfelt. 
 
 Early on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 15, 1881, the 
 relatives and friends of General Burnside gazed for the 
 last time on his placid features at "Edghill Farm." The 
 remains lay in a casket covered with black broadcloth, 
 with silver handles, and a plate bearing the inscription : 
 
 AMBROSE E. BUKNSIDE, 
 
 I?ORN MAY 23 iS2(, 
 DIED SEPTEMBER 13, iSSi. 
 
392 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 In the casket were rosebuds and smilax, and in his hand 
 . was a bunch of his favorite roses. On the casket was the 
 magnificent sword presented to "Major-General Burnside 
 through the award of the Metropolitan Fair, United States 
 Sanitary Commission, New York, April 22, 1864," and 
 bearing the motto, " Courage and Truth." Near by, on 
 a table, were three exquisite floral pieces an anchor, a 
 cross, and a shield the tributes of the town. After a 
 simple, yet impressive religious service by the Rev. Geo. 
 L. Locke, the relatives and domestics of the deceased took 
 their farewell look at their departed friend, and the remains 
 were then taken to the hearse, drawn by four black horses, 
 and escorted by the Bristol Veteran Association, Col. 
 Charles A. Waldron, commanding. The pall-bearers, 
 relatives, and mourning friends followed in carriages, and 
 all that \vas mortal of the deceased cultivator of " Edghill 
 Farm" was borne from his beautiful home, along the ave 
 nue which had echoed his manly tread during its improve 
 ment, and where the tones of his voice had not yet utterly 
 died away. 
 
 The mournful procession moved along the ferry road, 
 hundreds of citizens meeting it and forming in the rear, 
 while on the sidewalks were throngs of people, many a 
 bowed head and moistened eye testifying to the love and 
 esteem in which the departed was held. 
 
 St. Michael s Church, where the deceased had wor 
 shiped, was attended by an immense congregation. The 
 pulpit, reading-desk, and chancel rail, were heavily 
 draped with the emblems of mourning. Upon the font 
 rested a large floral anchor, and the drapery of the pulpit 
 and desk were looped up with white flowers. General 
 Burnside s pew, on the north aisle, was also draped and 
 decked with flowers, and at the central loop in the drapery 
 were placed two small American flags with crossed staves. 
 
GEX. AMKHOSE E. Bl ltNSIDE. ->go 
 
 The remains were met in the vestibule of the church 
 by the Rev. Mr. Locke, who preceded them up the broad 
 aisle, reading the opening sentences of the burial-service, 
 the muffled roll of the drum and the soft strains from the 
 organ making an impressive accompaniment to the clergy 
 man s voice. The members of the Veteran Association, 
 with the state and local officials, followed the casket, 
 which was set down on the chancel platform. The servi 
 ces commenced with the burial psalm, read and chanted 
 alternately, by the rector and the male choir of Trinity 
 Church. The hymn, " Thy will be done," was next 
 chanted by the choir, and then followed the prayers, in 
 cluding the several collects for Congress, for the Presi 
 dent of the United States, and for a family in affliction. 
 At the conclusion of the prayers, the choir chanted the 
 DC Profundis. The Rev. Mr. Locke, standing at the 
 side of the casket, then said : 
 
 While the whole Nation to-day mourns the loss of that gift which God, 
 having given to the Nation, has reclaimed the gift of a brave, skillful, 
 and chivalric soldier; of an honest, pure-minded statesman we mourn 
 with the Nation. And while to-day this Commonwealth mourns the re 
 moval of one, who for many years past it has delighted to honor, we 
 mourn, as a portion of this Commonwealth. But we have our special 
 and private grief to-day. We came here especially to honor one whom 
 we have known not only in these relations, but as the fellow-citizen, as 
 the noble, generous man, whom every one, young and old, in this com 
 munity claimed to know, and of whom the claim of every one, young 
 and old, was acknowledged. We have come to take, as it were, in some 
 sort, our farewell of this familiar and majestic form that we shall see no 
 more amongst us henceforth, forever. The occasion is not so much to 
 anticipate the burial services which will be held to-morrow in the div 
 ot" Providence, at the church with which, more closely perhaps than this 
 in which we are assembled, our noble friend was related. We are not 
 here, moreover, as on an occasion of funeral eulogies. That which is in 
 the hearts of this great assembly would require a long time for utter 
 ance, and the time available is quile inadequate to anything more than 
 brief, simple words. But that which it is designed that this should be 
 
394 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 especially, is that all of you ma} have the opportunity of coming forward 
 to take a last farewell view of this beloved and honored face. 
 
 The lid of the casket was then removed, and all present 
 had an opportunity to take a parting look at the well- 
 known features of their deceased townsman and friend. 
 At half-past ten o clock, the casket was closed and again 
 placed in the hearse. The procession was re-formed, and 
 marched to the railroad-station, the church-bells tolling 
 continuously a mournful farewell. On reaching the sta 
 tion, the remains were placed on a special train, on which 
 the Veteran Association, the pall-bearers, and the state 
 and local authorities also embarked. The trip to Provi 
 dence was made in twenty minutes, and at the way- 
 stations crowds of people stood in quiet and respectful 
 curiosity as the train swept by. 
 
 On the arrival of the train at the railroad-depot in 
 Providence, the remains with their escort were received by 
 the general committee of citizens. Before proceeding 
 to the City Hall, however, the cortege marched up Benefit 
 Street, to the residence of Mrs. Bishop, the venerable 
 mother-in-law of the deceased. Here there was a halt, 
 and the casket was carried into the house to permit the 
 aged lady and invalid to gaze for the last time upon the 
 well-loved features of him so devoted to her. With her 
 were her nieces and other relatives of his. As the sound 
 of suppressed lamentation reached the ears of the Veteran 
 Corps without, the twitching of eyelids and grizzled 
 mustaches, and the settled grimness which came over the 
 countenances of many, gave evidence that the grief of 
 the stricken family found a response in their own hearts. 
 In a few moments the casket was replaced in the hearse, 
 and the column marched to the City Hall, in front of which 
 it was halted. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 The City Hall, a new and elegant structure, was elabor 
 ately decorated, and on either side of the main entrance 
 were bodies of the state militia, and of the Grand Army 
 
 HALL, I KOVIDENCK, K. I. 
 
 of the Republic, who presented arms as the casket was 
 borne up the broad staircase into the rotunda. Col. Sam 
 uel Norris, of the Bristol town committee, stepped forward 
 and thus addressed the chairman of the Providence general 
 committee of arrangements : 
 
306 GEX. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 Mr. Chairman : In behalf of the committee appointed by the citizens 
 of Bristol, I have the sad honor of delivering to you the beloved remains 
 of our distinguished fellow-townsman, Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. We 
 all loved him, and part with him with the profoundest grief. 
 
 Col. William Goddard, chairman of the Providence 
 general committee, then made the following response : 
 
 Rhode Island commissions us to receive these mortal remains of her 
 illustrious and beloved son from the citizens of the town in which he 
 dwelt and died. Reverently guarded by his own veteran soldiers, his 
 lifeless form will lie beneath these solemn arches, that all who loved him 
 in life may, even through blinding tears, once more behold that dear and 
 gracious face. On the morrow all that was mortal of Ambrose Everett 
 Burnside will be buried from human eyes. But the precious memory of 
 his peerless honor, his inspiring patriotism, his glowing devotion to duty, 
 his heroic courage, and of his knightly deeds, will abide forever in the 
 hearts of the people of Rhode Island. 
 
 Comrades : The State commands you to guard well the ashes of the 
 hero whose fame has now become her own inheritance. 
 
 Throughout the afternoon, and until late in the evening, 
 a sad procession of visitors passed the open casket, as 
 the remains lay in state. Men, women, and children, the 
 old and the young, flocked in crowds to see once more 
 those well-known features, 
 
 " And gaze upon the great, 
 
 Where neither guilty glory glows 
 Xor despicable state." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 FUN EUAL AT PROVIDENCE THE MILITARY DISPLAY THE VETER 
 ANSTHE PROCESSION SERVICES IN THE CHURCH EULOGY 
 HY THE REV. MR. WOODBURY THE LAST MARCH THE INTER 
 MENT. 
 
 THE last funeral rites over the remains of General 
 Burnside were celebrated on Friday, Sept. 16, 
 iSSi, at the city of Providence. The public hon 
 ors decreed by the state authorities in honor of Rhode 
 Island s illustrious citizen were duly rendered, and truly 
 may it be added that no obsequies ever before celebrated 
 there had more sincerely expressed the public sorrow. Of 
 the many distinguished citizens of Rhode Island who had 
 ended their lives within her limits, and whose stations 
 and virtues had claimed for their ashes every mark of 
 respect, there had never been one at whose obsequies the 
 public heart had been so deeply affected. The feeling of 
 every one seemed to be as though he had lost a personal 
 friend, and this sentiment of affection was universally 
 blended with admiration. 
 
 Providence was tilled, early on the morning of the 
 funeral, with a flood of people, like a harbor of the sea 
 swollen to its brim at the sea-tide. Business was sus 
 pended, the public offices and many of the private dwell 
 ing-houses were shrouded in mourning, the national colors 
 
GEN. AMBILOSE -E. ii-URNSIDE. 
 
 were displayed at half-mast, and on every hand were 
 evidences of a calamity as unlocked for as it was great. 
 Men in uniform were everywhere visible, the music of 
 military bands was heard, and the sharp rattle of the 
 drums still more unfailingly impressed the fact upon the 
 heart. 
 
 The doors of the City Hall were opened at six o clock 
 in the morning, and the public were admitted to view the 
 mortal remains of the dead hero. There he lay, whose 
 estimate of duty was, to obey, to command and to be 
 obeyed, pallid, lifeless, and still. 
 
 " Can this be death? then -what is life or death? 
 
 Speak! hut he spoke not ; Wake ! but still he slept. 
 But vesterdav, and who had mightier breath? 
 
 A thousand warriors by his word were kept 
 In awe; he said, as the centurion saith, 
 
 Go, and he goeth ; come, and forth he stepp d. 
 The trump and bugle till he spake were dumb; 
 And now, naught left him but the muffled drum." 
 
 It was noticed that the expression on no two faces was 
 alike, as the passing throng gazed on the features of the 
 deceased. Mothers brought their children to see the face 
 of their fathers beloved commander, and veterans who 
 had honorably filled various grades in the army, took a 
 last look at him whom they had loved so well. Delega 
 tions from distant cities brought rare floral devices, and 
 other floral tributes were contributed by the people of 
 Rhode Island. It was estimated that during five hours 
 over one hundred persons a minute walked past and 
 viewed the remains. 
 
 Promptly at eleven o clock the casket was closed and 
 borne out from the City Hall to the hearse by a detach 
 ment of veterans, and followed by the pall-bearers : Hon. 
 John P. Sanborn, Hon. W. W. Hoppin, T. P. I. Goddard, 
 
! 
 
^00 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Hon. Le B. B. Colt, the Rev. E. G. Robinson, D. D., 
 Hon. George H. Browne, Hon. Charles S. Bradley, Hon. 
 L. W. Ballou, Col. George R. Fearing, and Maj.-Gen. J. 
 G. Parke, U. S. A. They were followed by the Congres 
 sional Committee, composed of Senators Anthony of Rhode 
 Island, Blair of New Hampshire, Cameron of Pennsyl 
 vania, Hale of Maine, Hoar of Massachusetts, Jonas of 
 Louisiana, Jones of Florida, Logan of Illinois, Pugh of 
 Alabama, and Vest of Missouri ; Representatives Aldrich 
 of Rhode Island, Rice of Massachusetts, and Thomas of 
 Illinois; Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, Richard J. 
 Bright, Assistant Sergeants-at-Arms and Door-keepers, 
 Isaac Bassett and James I. Christie. 
 
 The remains, as they were borne out from the City Hall, 
 were received with militarv honors. Then the short, 
 sharp words of command were heard, as the column was 
 formed, and then moved forward at the order " March !" 
 Minute-guns were fired ; the bands played funeral marches, 
 sounding in the distance like a low wail and then burst 
 ing upon the ear w r ith heavy notes of sadness, mingled 
 with bursts of hope ; and a requiem of passing-bells added 
 solemnity to the scene. 
 
 The procession was headed by Adjt.-Gen. C. H. Bar 
 ney, with a full suite of aides-de-camp. Then came the 
 active militia of the State of Rhode Island, commanded by 
 Brig.-Gen. E. H. Rhodes. The Grand Army of the Re 
 public followed, under the command of Brig.-Gen. W. H. 
 P. Steere, escorting the commander-in-chief of the order, 
 Maj. George S. Merrill, and staff , and the military order of 
 the Loyal Legion. Last in the column ware the veteran 
 associations, Brig.-Gen. Nelson Viall commanding. This 
 escort presented an imposing appearance, the infantry 
 marching with reversed arms, and the veterans moving 
 with the swinging step of old campaigners. 
 
400 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 Hon. Le B. B. Colt, the Rev. E. G. Robinson, D. D., 
 Hon. George II. Browne, Hon. Charles S. Bradley, Hon. 
 L. W. Ballon, Col. George R. Fearing, and Ma] . -Gen. J. 
 G. Parke, U. S. A. They were followed by the Congres 
 sional Committee, composed of Senators Anthony of Rhode 
 Island. Blair of New Hampshire. Cameron of Pennsyl 
 vania. Hale of Maine, Hoar of Massachusetts, Jonas of 
 Louisiana, Jones of Florida, Logan of Illinois, Pugh of 
 Alabama, and Vest of Missouri ; Representatives Aldrich 
 of Rhode Island, Rice of Massachusetts, and Thomas of 
 Illinois: Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, Richard J. 
 Bright, Assistant Sergeants-at-Arms and Door-keepers, 
 Isaac Bassett and James I. Christie. 
 
 The remains, as they were borne out from the City Hall, 
 were received with military honors. Then the short, 
 sharp words of command were heard, as the column was 
 formed, and then moved forward at the order " March !" 
 Minute-guns were fired ; the bands played funeral marches, 
 sounding in the distance like a low wail and then burst 
 ing upon the ear with heavy notes of sadness, mingled 
 with bursts of hope ; and a requiem of passing-bells added 
 solemnity to the scene. 
 
 The procession was headed by Adjt.-Gen. C. H. Bar 
 ney, with a full suite of aides-de-camp. Then came the 
 active militia of the State of Rhode Island, commanded by 
 Brig.-Gen. E. H. Rhodes. The Grand Army of the Re 
 public followed, under the command of Brig.-Gen. W. H. 
 P. Steere, escorting the commander-in-chief of the order, 
 Maj. George S. Merrill, and staff , and the military order of 
 the Loyal Legion. Last in the column were the veteran 
 associations, Brig.-Gen. Nelson Viall commanding. This 
 escort presented an imposing appearance, the infantry 
 marching with reversed arms, and the veterans moving 
 with the swinging step of old campaigners. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 As the procession slowly moved through the streets, to 
 the music of bands, and with muffled drums beating "fun 
 eral marches to the grave," it presented a most impressive 
 spectacle. Many houses and stores were decorated with 
 sombre emblems, but the presence of the countless multi 
 tude at the doors and windows, and ranged on the side 
 walks, was more solemn and impressive than the most 
 extravagant decoration. Senator Jones, of Florida, who 
 was one of the Congressional Committee, was deeply im 
 pressed by the scene. " Never," said he, " shall I forget 
 the impression made upon my mind the day I followed his 
 remains to the grave. It seemed that every inhabitant, 
 high and low, of that State he loved and served so well, 
 thronged the public highways to pay homage to his mem 
 ory and manifest their grief. The aspect of mourning was 
 neither stately, cold, nor formal. In each face could be 
 seen the sure indications of genuine sorrow, and such was 
 the estimate in which he was held that thousands who had 
 never seen him while living, lamented his departure as 
 that of a father or bosom friend. Great, indeed, must that 
 man be, who, when elevated above his fellow-men, and 
 known only to them through his public conduct, impresses 
 the public heart with nothing but sentiments of the warm 
 est love and devotion." 
 
 Meanwhile the First Congregational Church, at which 
 the general worshiped, was filled with ladies and gentlemen, 
 seats having been reserved for those who were going in 
 the procession. The galleries reserved for the ladies were 
 filled an hour before the services were commenced. The 
 pulpit was simply and tastefully draped with emblems of 
 mourning, and General Burnside s pew, No. 116, was cov 
 ered with black cloth, and held vacant. The casket was 
 brought into the church about ten minutes before one 
 
402 
 
 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 o clock, accompanied by the general committee, the Con 
 gressional committee, and the guard of honor. It was 
 preceded by the Rev. Mr. Slicer, pastor of the church, 
 the Rev. Carlton Staples, and the Rev. Augustus Wood- 
 bury. As the solemn procession moved through the aisle, 
 the Rev. Mr. Slicer read the opening sentence of the 
 King s Chapel burial-service, and the organist gently 
 played the " Dead March in Saul." At the head of the 
 aisle the casket was placed upon standards, and the 
 accompanying committees and the guard of honor took 
 seats in the pews assigned to them. On the casket was 
 the flag of the Union, surmounted by crossed swords. 
 
 The choir chanted in low tones " The Angels of Grief," 
 a hymn by Johri G. Whittier, which was followed by the 
 reading of selections from the Scriptures, by the Rev. Mr. 
 Staples. The Rev. Mr. Woodbury then announced the 
 hymn beginning 
 
 " Forever \vith the Lord, 
 Amen ; so let it be," 
 
 which was sung to a familiar tune, the congregation join 
 ing the choir in the singing. 
 
 The funeral oration, which was delivered by the Rev. 
 Augustus Woodbury, followed. Mr. Woodbury (who had 
 served on the staff of General Burnside as chaplain early 
 in the war. who was the historiographer of the Ninth 
 Army Corps, and who was a beloved friend of the de 
 ceased) spoke with deep feeling. When he referred to 
 the social virtues of the fallen leader in eloquent words, 
 many in that distinguished audience were visibly affected, 
 as the characteristics of their noble-hearted friend were 
 vividly brought before them. The address was as follows : 
 
 It is natural that we should sometimes be very painfully troubled by 
 the fact that the most beautiful and most promising, the wisest and 
 
GEJ\T. A^fHROSE E. IWRNSIDE. 
 
 403 
 
 the best, the bravest and most useful lives are cut short by the power of 
 death, at the very moment when it appears to us they are proving them 
 selves to be most effective. Their promise seems doomed to utter disap 
 pointment. Their beauty fades awav. Their force is vainly spent. 
 More than once has the sorrowful fact in human experience come home 
 to our community in a verv grievous way, and we have been called upon 
 to mourn the death of those whose departure from among us has left a 
 void which we know not how to fill. Our hearts have ached with the sense 
 of our unsolaced bereavement. Our spirits have been depressed beneath 
 the heavy burden of our woe. As the gloom has settled down upon us 
 darkening even the brightest dav we have vainly sought our consola 
 tion in human philosophv. We have turned for comfort to the truth of 
 that divine religion which assures us that no good or worthy life, how 
 ever incomplete it may appear to human judgment, can ever be lost, or 
 fail in its fruitful work for human good. In the long seasons of Divine 
 Providence no such life can be incomplete. It is complemented in the 
 better and nobler life of the humanity it has helped to elevate and bless. 
 It is complemented in the immortality to which it has attained not to 
 spend an eternity of selfish enjoyment, but in the bliss of ever-enlarging 
 powers for good, and of ever-increasing growth in the best and holiest life. 
 We cannot say that anv promise of usefulness and good is ever allowed 
 to go unfulfilled. We cannot say that any true and earnest life fails of 
 its object. The power of death does not destroy the opportunity. Shall 
 we not rather say that it enlarges it in glorifying the memory of virtue, 
 and investing goodness and fidelity to duty with immortal charms? 
 "The memorial of virtue is immortal, because it is known with God and 
 with men. When it is present, men take example of it; and when it is 
 gone they desire it. Itweareth a crown and triumpheth forever, having 
 gotten the victory, striving for undefiled rewards." 
 
 It is with some such thoughts as these that we have come to this ser 
 vice of remembrance and love. Our dear friend, stricken down in the 
 prime of his manhood, has ended his life on earth when that life seemed 
 most needful to his friends and to the State, and in the midst of a career 
 which was every day growing more honorable to himself and more use 
 ful to his fellow-citizens. To those who admired and loved him and 
 they are to be counted bv tens of thousands his life was very beautiful 
 and precious. It had in it the most attractive qualities of a noble man 
 hood. Well known throughout the land, his name was the synonym of 
 generosity and honor. A patriotic citizen, a brave soldier, a remarkably 
 successful chief magistrate of our State, a dignified, honest, just, and use 
 ful Senator of the Republic, he has adorned every station which he has 
 filled, and found in it not so much the reward of ambition as the oppor 
 tunity for serving the land he loved with a passionate devotion! That 
 
44 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 opportunity was becoming wider and larger as the years of his public 
 service went on, and we could safely predict of him. had his life been 
 spared, a career and influence in the councils of the Nation second to 
 none. 
 
 It is not necessary to repeat the story which is already so familiar to 
 the public mind. It suffices for us now to recall a few of the more prom 
 inent characteristics which that story illustrates. Chief among these was 
 an unswerving faithfulness to duty for duty s sake. Of course he had the 
 desire for appreciation and an honorable ambition to excel. Every man 
 who achieves any fame or success in the world, or who does any efficient 
 work among his fellow-men, must have some feeling of this kind. But 
 in General Burnside s case I am sure, from the careful and intimite 
 knowledge of him which it has been my privilege to have, this feeling 
 was subordinate to his spirit of conscientious fidelity. The dtitv which 
 was revealed to him he did to the utmost of his ability, and with a sin 
 gle-handedness which was especially remarkable. In his thought there 
 was nothing ulterior, nothing of the low desire for effect or the selfish 
 wish to gain a personal profit for his faithfulness. He could waive his 
 rank in the service without a pang, if he thought the good of the service 
 demanded it. lie could turn over his command to another without a re 
 gret, if he deemed that that other could exercise it better than himself 
 in promoting his country s cause. lie could even consent to remain un 
 known and allow others to take the credit and reward of his own fidelity. 
 Free from professional jealousy, he could unite in praising even those 
 who reaped the fruits of his own unselfish labors. i- Why do you not 
 claim what is your own?" his friends would sometimes impatiently ask. 
 " I have simply to do my duty," was his reply. " I can safely leave any 
 claim that I have to the judgment of future years and the justice of my 
 fellow-countrymen." 
 
 To this sense of public duty was joined the sense of personal responsi 
 bility. They are not always found together in official life. Public station 
 is too often sought for the honors and emoluments which it offers, and 
 when once gained, the sense of responsibility does not seem to have much 
 weight. But if I read the character of our friend aright, public station 
 became to him more a solemn trust to be discharged as best it could, than 
 an honor to be enjoyed. This sense of responsibility was marked in his 
 care for his men when in command of the First Regiment, in those early 
 days when we were learning the first rudiments of war. The regiment 
 was required to do everything which it had to do, and was not spared in 
 the hour of extremity. But in all the details of its life, in camp and field, 
 its colonel was very particular in his personal supervision and knowledge 
 of every officer and man. "-How does the First Rhode Island succeed in 
 getting transportation, food and shelter so easily?" was sometimes asked 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 45 
 
 by members of other regiments who were left on the road without forage, 
 rations and tents. The reply at the department headquarters was : " Be 
 cause the First Rhode Island has a colonel who knows how to take 
 care of his men." It was so everywhere. This sense of personal respon 
 sibility was very strong in his leadership of the Ninth Corps, in his com 
 mand of the Army of the Potomac, in his office of governor of the State, 
 in his chair as a Senator in Congress. Whether it was in the obtainment 
 of a pension for the poor widowed mother of a deceased spldier, or in the 
 furtherance of great public measures, it was to him a personal matter, 
 demanding a conscientious and faithful attention. With a persistence 
 which was always commendable, and a painstaking fidelity which bade 
 defiance to personal loss, he pushed forward his plan of operations, or his 
 measures for the public welfare, until the end was reached. He could 
 never rest until his work was done. 
 
 An added charm was given to this faithfulness to duty bv a rare and 
 generous magnanimity. How very marked and conspicuous this feature 
 of his character was, all men knew. In all his conduct there was an abso 
 lute absence of pettiness of thought or action. He did not know the 
 meaning of intrigue, and he could never be made to believe that there 
 was any double-dealing in any man s deed or word. This over-confidence 
 in others made him liable to be deceived, and he doubtless sometimes 
 suffered both pecuniarily and in good repute, but no amount of such suffer 
 ing and loss ever caused him to lose his faith in human nature or his trust in 
 those around him. Believing that others understood his plans as clearly 
 as he did himself, he sometimes took too much for granted. But rather 
 than look upon others with distrust, he would bear with a generous 
 patience whatever failure they may have brought upon him. All this was 
 an amiable trait of character. In the language of the world it might be 
 called by some a sign of weakness, but out of such generosity and faith 
 in mankind are born some of the finest and best qualities of manhood, 
 and our friend, without them, would never have attracted the admiration 
 and love which he secured. 
 
 Were this the proper time and place, I could give instances of this 
 magnanimity bv the score. Those who knew him well can recall them 
 now without my aid, but I may be permitted to pause a moment upon 
 one of these which, perhaps more than all, won for him the grateful 
 svmpathv of his countrymen after the disastrous issue of the battle of 
 Fredericksburg. 
 
 There were manv whether rightly or wrongly I do not now say 
 who attributed that failure to other causes than the want of skill on the 
 part of the commanding general. Some blamed the administration for 
 wishing to hurrv on an engagement with an enemy most strongly 
 posted. Others censured what they thought a lack of vigorous coopera- 
 
406 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tion on the part of subordinate officers. Not so Burnside. " For the fail 
 ure of the attack," he says in his report, " I am responsible, as the ex 
 treme gallantry, courage, and endurance shown by my officers and men 
 was never exceeded." 
 
 In commending his successor, he said to the President, " Neither you 
 nor General Hooker will be a happier man than myself if he shall gain a 
 victory on the Rappahannock." And in his order transferring his com 
 mand to that distinguished officer, he wrote, " Give to the brave and skill 
 ful general who has so long been identified with your organization, and 
 who is now to command you. your full and cordial support and coopera 
 tion, and you will deserve success." The words came directly and sin 
 cerely from his great and generous heart. 
 
 This high characteristic at once secured for him the cordial esteem of 
 his associates in the Senate of the United States. It was a new and un 
 tried scene of public duty, and the early davs of his service were sadlv 
 clouded over by the severest domestic affliction and his own serious sick 
 ness. 
 
 It was natural that he should enter the Senate with diffidence. Not 
 only the traditions of that bodv, but its own character have made it the 
 finest legislative council in the world. If Burnside could not carry to it 
 a surpassing intellectual power and a long legislative experience, he could 
 carry to it the truest patriotism and the sincerest devotion to the public 
 weal. lie was content to learn of others. He was frank to acknowledge 
 an error of judgment. 
 
 He refused to take an unworthv advantage of an opponent. He was 
 the manliest of men, in debate or in a political contest. When an ac 
 customed service gave him increased confidence, he introduced and ad 
 vanced measures of prime importance, and took part in the leading de 
 bates of the body. 
 
 The cause of national education received his warm support, and to all 
 measures tending to improve the militarv department and service, and to 
 those for the relief of widows and orphans of our dead soldiers, he 
 brought an intelligent understanding and the interest of a comrade. 
 
 The State of Rhode Island may be considered fortunate, indeed, if she 
 shall, in vears to come, find so faithful, just, manly, and patriotic a 
 representative. 
 
 How warm and constant in friendship was this great heart that has 
 now ceased to beat. It never harbored an ungenerous feeling. It never 
 felt that it had an injury to forgive. There were a thousand acts of kind 
 ness of which it was the source. Thoughtful and considerate of others 
 to the last degree, there was not a man or woman who rendered him ser 
 vice or who ministered to his wants, or a guest that enjoyed his affluent 
 hospitality, but had occasion to be grateful for the friendship which 
 
AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 407 
 
 Burnside offered him. That friendship embraced all ranks, from the 
 highest in the land to the lowest. It reached across the sea and touched 
 the hearts of men and nations whose differences he attempted to compose. 
 It followed those whom he loved to distant lands, and placed them under 
 renewed obligations for his considerate kindness. I dare not trust my 
 self to say what it was to those who were nearest to him ; nor can I speak 
 of the love that survived death and went out with inarticulate longings 
 to the life beyond the grave longings that are now satisfied forever. 
 That friendship and that love had their root in the exceeding truthful 
 ness of spirit which lay at the heart of our friend s character. Clear and 
 guileless as was his nature, he had no room for any but the best and 
 truest impulses, and constancy and steadfastness became thus the habit of 
 his soul. 
 
 It was as though he heard the voice : 
 
 " To thine own self be true, 
 And it must follow as the ni^lit the day 
 Thou canst not then be false to any man." 
 
 There was withal, in General Burnside s character, a deep religious ele 
 ment. It may not have often come to the surface, certainly not in any 
 ostentatious way. but it lay within him, his safeguard from many an ill, 
 his encouragement in many a difficult dutv, and his support in many a 
 sore and trying experience. 
 
 It was my privilege to see somewhat of this innermost life of his, 
 whether more than others or not, I do not now say, but we have had in 
 former days many a conversation while in camp, beneath the light of the 
 stars and in the early dawn, on very high themes, and I was instructed 
 and helped by the clearness of his thought and the purity of his spirit. 
 Many a time has he kneeled in prayer beside me in our quarters before 
 entering to rest at night, and in later years, I doubt not there have been 
 hours of secret, silent devotion, when he humbly and sincerely sought the 
 help of God. 
 
 In a letter which he wrote to me, on assuming command of the Army 
 of the Potomac, I find these words: "You know how much I feel any 
 responsibility placed upon me, and can readily imagine how much of my 
 time is occupied with this enormous command. You will remember that 
 when I was with vou in the field, with a comparatively small command, I 
 felt that I could do nothing of myself, and I then felt more than ever in 
 my life the need of entire reliance upon an all-wise Creator. But now, 
 the responsibility is so great that at times I tremble at the thought of 
 assuming that I am able to exercise so large a command. Yet when I 
 think that I have made no such assumption; that I have shunned the 
 responsibility, and only accepted it when I was ordered to do it, and when 
 it would have been disloyal and unfriendly to our government not to do 
 
408 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 it, then I take courage, and approach our Heavenly Father with freedom 
 and trustfulness, confident that if I can act honestly and industriously, 
 constantly asking His protection and assistance, all will be well, no 
 matter how dark everything now seems to me." 
 
 We can safely leave him with that Father whom he trusted, and be as 
 sured that all is well with him forever. 
 
 So we bid farewell to our brother, counselor, friend. 
 
 The soldier s battles are over. The strifes of the forum are hushed. 
 The labors and car^s of life are ended. The lonely heart has found its 
 home, its rest, its peace. 
 
 At the close of the eulogy, prayer was offered by the 
 Rev. Mr. Slicer, and this was followed by the singing of 
 the beautiful hymn, " Beyond the smiling and the weep 
 ing." The benediction was then pronounced by the Rev. 
 Mr. Slicer, and the remains were borne from the -church, 
 the congregation remaining in the pews until the casket, 
 and those who were to join the procession to the grave, 
 had passed along into the church-yard. 
 
 A long array of carriages conveyed many of those who 
 had attended the services in the church to the grave. In 
 the first one was His Excellency A. H. Littlefield, gov 
 ernor of Rhode Island, as chief mourner, and in others 
 were the members of the family of the deceased, the state 
 judiciary, the state and county officials, the members of the 
 General Assembly, the city government of Providence, 
 representatives of the Providence Board of Trade, the Fac 
 ulty of Brown University, the officers of the Rhode Island 
 Historical Society, the officers of the Providence Associa 
 tion of Mechanics and Manufacturers, and a large number 
 of distinguished gentlemen. 
 
 The procession resumed its march at half-past two 
 o clock, passing up Benefit Street to Olney Street, and up 
 Olney Street to Swan Point Cemetery. As the column 
 moved slowly along, escorted by the stalwart veterans with 
 steady tramp, a mournful but significant silence prevailed, 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 409 
 
 and the most affectionate and sympathetic regret was very 
 manifest on every hand. The discharge of minute-guns, 
 the solemn tolling of bells, the wailing notes of the bands, 
 and the rattle of muffled drums were echoed in the bruised 
 hearts of the people of Rhode Island. All along the 
 route to the cemetery people were gathered together on the 
 stone walls, and on the lawns in front of private residences, 
 while pastures and side-lanes were filled with vehicles of 
 every description. 
 
 It was nearly four o clock when the head of the column 
 entered Swan Point Cemetery. On arriving at the grave, 
 the escort halted and wheeled into line on one side of the 
 pathway, while the Grand Army coming up, wheeled into 
 line on the other side, forming living walls. The ranks of 
 each body were opened, the colors were drooped, and as 
 the hearse, with its precious freight, came into this " path 
 of glory" leading "to the grave," between the serried 
 ranks, the word of command was given " Present arms !" 
 It was the last word of command, ordering the last salute 
 to the deceased commander. The bands played their last 
 notes of respect, and the drums beat their last tribute. No 
 more martial strains for him, until the last trumpet shall 
 sound. 
 
 Governor Littlefield, the mourners, the clergy, and the 
 Loyal Legion followed the remains to the grave, which 
 was tastefully decorated. The American Band performed 
 "Peace, troubled soul." The Rev. Augustus Woodbury, 
 standing by the grave-side, then read the impressive 
 King s Chapel burial-service, followed by an eloquent and 
 touching prayer. Then, at quarter-past five o clock, just 
 as the sun began to sink towards the western horizon, all 
 that was mortal of Ambrose E. Burnside was lowered to 
 its last resting-place by the faithful hands of his war-worn 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 veterans, while many were endeavoring, with eyes blinded 
 with tears, to pierce the dark chasm into which had 
 descended that loved and honored form, there to rest 
 in peace. A benediction was pronounced by the Rev. 
 George L. Locke, of Bristol. The American Band played 
 " Nearer, my God, to Thee," and a farewell artillery 
 salute was fired from the guns of Battery A. This closed 
 the sad rites, and the military and citizens slowly dis 
 persed, leaving behind them their beloved Senator 
 General friend. 
 
 His triumphs are o er he s gone to his rest 
 To the throne of his Maker, the home of the blest. 
 The hero, the statesman, his journey is done. 
 All his cares now are over, his last battle won : 
 Now sweetlv he rests from his sorrows and fears, 
 And leaves a proud nation in sadness and tears. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 ANNOUNCEMENT OK GENERAL HUKNSIDE S DEATH IN THE UNITED 
 STATES SENATE FORMAL PRESENTATION OF RESOLUTIONS 
 EULOGY BY SENATOR ANTHONY, OF RHODE ISLAND. 
 
 ^ M~[E announcement that funereal honors were to be 
 paid to the deceased Senator from Rhode Island, 
 
 JL on Monday, the 23d of January, 1882, attracted 
 crowds to the galleries of the United States Senate Cham 
 ber, with a number of distinguished persons entitled to 
 admission on the floor. On the desk which the deceased 
 Senator had occupied was a beautiful floral tribute, and 
 his curule chair was draped in mourning. 
 
 No business was transacted, and after the reading of the 
 usual resolutions, eloquent addresses were successively 
 delivered by Senators Anthony of Rhode Island, Hampton 
 of South Carolina, Edmunds of Vermont, Maxey of 
 Texas, Harrison of Indiana, Ransom of North Carolina, 
 Hawley of Connecticut, Jones of Florida, Hale of Maine, 
 and (the successor of the deceased) Aldrich of Rhode 
 Island. Copious extracts from several of these eulogies 
 have already been given in this work. 
 
 After the reading of the journal, Mr. Anthony asked 
 
A 12 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 permission to present a series of resolutions, which he 
 offered, and which were read : 
 
 Resolved, That from an earnest desire to show every mark of respect 
 to the memory of Hon. Ambrose E. Burnside, late a Senator of the 
 United States from the State of Rhode Island, and to manifest the high 
 estimate entertained of his eminent public services and his distinguished 
 patriotism, the business of the Senate be now suspended, that his friends 
 and associates mav pay fitting tribute to his public and private virtues. 
 
 Resolved, That a widespread and public sorrow on the announcement 
 of his death attested the profound sense of the loss which the whole 
 countrv has sustained. 
 
 Resolved, That the secretary of the Senate communicate these resolu 
 tions to the House of Representatives. 
 
 Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect for the memory of the 
 Senator, the Senate do now adjourn. 
 
 Mr. Anthony then eloquently, and with deep feeling, 
 paid the following tribute to the memory of his departed 
 colleague. For upwards of twenty years a Senator from 
 Rhode Island, and during the past seven years the col 
 league and friend of General Burnside, he could speak 
 from a personal knowledge of many events in the career 
 of the illustrious deceased. He said, impressively : 
 
 " No bugle must sound, 
 Ye bright waving- banners, stoop low! 
 Let your lances with cypress be bound, 
 I-et the drums be all silent in woe." 
 
 Mr. President: I have risen to perform the very saddest office that has 
 fallen to me, in all my public service. 
 
 The sudden death of General Burnside, in the full vigor and strength 
 of his manhood, sent, through the State of Rhode Island, a shock that 
 was echoed back, in messages of sympathy and condolence, from every 
 part of the country and from foreign lands. The Nation, which was 
 watching, in alternate hope and fear, the ebbing life of its elected chief, 
 turned for a moment from the bedside of the dying Garfield, to lament 
 fhe dead Burnside. In this body, the death of no one among us could 
 have moved the Senate to a profounder sense of sorrow. His bier has 
 been moistened by the tears of a state; his tomb is garlanded by the 
 admiration of a Nation. 
 
<;EN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 4*3 
 
 It is not my purpose to enter upon a sketch of the life of General Burn- 
 side; scarcely even of his character. The most important part of that 
 life was passed in the service of his country, and his deeds are a part of 
 his country s history; and so long as Newbern and Roanoke Island, and 
 
 HON. HENRY H. ANTHONY, 
 
 [ General Burnside s Colleague in the Senate,} 
 
 South Mountain, and Antietam, and Knoxville are remembered, his ser 
 vices and his fame will not be forgotten. 
 
 General Burnside was born at Liberty, Union County. Indiana, May 
 23, 1824. His family \vas_of Scotch descent. His great-grandfather, 
 Robert Burnside, with two brothers, had espoused the cause of Charles 
 Edward, and after the triumph of the British arms, and the overthrow of 
 the Pretender, at Culloden, sought an asylum in South Carolina. The 
 general s grandfather, James Burnside, married a daughter of James Edg- 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 hill, an Englishman, by birth. His son, the father of the general, bore 
 his mother s paternal name, Edghill Burnside. He was born in South 
 Carolina, but removed to the Territory of Indiana. He appears to have 
 sympathized with the conscientious repugnance to slavery, which, even 
 at that early day, had been aroused in the Carolinas, for he freed his 
 slaves, and accompanied the " Quaker Emigration" to the West, which 
 was dedicated to freedom, by the ordinance of 1787. In his new home, 
 he maintained a character of high respectability and influence ; was for 
 a long time clerk of the county court, an associate justice of the same, 
 and a senator in the Legislature of the State. Ambrose was his youngest 
 son. He gave him a good English education in the schools of the 
 neighborhood; and in 1843 he entered, as a cadet, at West Point. At 
 the academy, he was not a hard student. With exuberant animal spirits, 
 of vigorous bodily strength, he became expert in military and athletic 
 exercises, while his aptitude in mathematics, then, as now, ranking high 
 in the curriculum of studies, compensated for his deficiency of literary 
 application, and gave him an excellent average standing; and he gradu 
 ated eighteen in a class of thirty-eight. 
 
 Among his classmates and fellow-students were many who subsequently 
 rose to distinction, on one side or the other, in the late unhappy war. 
 Of his own class were Generals Willcox, Fry, Gibson, Long, Griffin, 
 Viele, and Hunt on the Union side, and A. P. Hill and Heth on the other. 
 This class furnished twenty-eight officers who adhered to the flag, and 
 four who took up arms against it. Six had previously died or resigned, 
 Among his fellow-students were Generals McClellan, Hancock, Pleasan- 
 ton, Fitz Joh n Porter, Gilmore, Parke, Reno, Foster, William F. Smith, 
 C. P. Stone, Hatch. Sackett, Granger, Stoneman, Russell, Pitcher, Gibbs, 
 Gordon, Michler, Duane, Tidball, Benet, Bond, McKeever, and Buford, 
 who supported the Union, and Jackson (Stonewall), Maxey (Senator), 
 Buckner, Rhett, E. K. Smith, Bee. W. D. Smith, D. R.Jones, Willcox, 
 Pickett, Ben Robinson, T. A. Washington, Thomas K. Jackson, G. H. 
 Steuart, and Withers, who opposed it. Immediately upon his graduation, 
 Burnside joined the army, and was sent to Mexico, with which the United 
 States were at war. Active negotiations for peace had commenced be 
 fore he reached the seat of war, in which he took no part, except to es 
 cort a baggage-train from Vera Cruz to the capital city, through a hostile 
 country, filled with guerillas, a service which he performed with such 
 skill and discretion, as gave promise of future distinction, and received 
 the commendation of his superiors. After that, as first lieutenant in 
 Bragg s Battery, organized as cavalry, he was employed in the difficult 
 and perilous duty of escorting the mails across the plains infested by hos 
 tile savages. 
 
 In 1853, having invented a breech-loading rifle, which, although since 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 superseded by later inventions, was a great improvement over any then 
 in use, he resigned his commission, and engaged in the manufacture of 
 this new weapon, at Bristol. The enterprise proved unfortunate. He 
 failed to secure a contract with the government, not from the lack of merit 
 in the invention, but from his indignant refusal to employ the interven 
 tion of a lobbyist, or middle man, who enjoyed the favor of the War De 
 partment. Leaving Bristol, for which he always retained the strongest 
 attachment, and where he afterwards returned and set up his household 
 gods, he entered the service of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, 
 of which his friend and fellow-student, General McClellan, was vice-pres 
 ident, and where he soon rose to the important position of treasurer. 
 
 At this time, General Burnside was a Democrat in his politics. He 
 had run as the Democratic candidate for Congress, in his district, in 
 Rhode Island. During the agitation that preceded the outbreak of the 
 Rebellion he strongly urged the restoration of harmony and the preserva 
 tion of the Union by peaceful means, to avoid the conflict of arms. 
 
 To this end he was ready to make important concessions, to allay the 
 southern discontent. But when the first gun upon Fort Sumter fired 
 alike the Southern and the Northern heart, he promptly, and without a 
 moment s hesitation, offered to his country the sword that she had taught 
 him to use. He was selected for the command of the First Rhode Island 
 Regiment. In reply to a dispatch from Governor Sprague, inquiring 
 how soon he could leave for his command, he answered, " at once" ; and, 
 the next morning, he was in Providence, busily engaged in organizing 
 and preparing it. In an incredibly short time, the regiment was raised 
 and equipped; and in two days after the first man was enlisted, a battery 
 of six rifled guns, with 500 men, was on its way to Washington; and in 
 two days more, the rest of the regiment followed. Notwithstanding this 
 promptness, such was the vigor of the colonel, seconded by his subor 
 dinate officers, and such his valuable military experience, that the 
 regiment left fully armed, equipped, and provisioned; and gained the 
 highest praise by its appearance of discipline, efficiency, and soldierly 
 bearing. None of the new and hastily organized regiments came into 
 the service better prepared for their duties. Its evening parade was a 
 favorite resort of Mr. Lincoln, who, accompanied by high dignitaries, 
 civil and military, often came to witness and to admire its evolutions. 
 
 In the battle of Bull Run, which followed, Colonel Burnside com 
 manded a brigade, and as was justly said, in a memoir read before the 
 Loyal Legion, by Col. William Goddard, who served under him, " no 
 share in the disasters of that conflict can be assigned to him or to his 
 troops." In the autumn of 1861, General Burnside, raised to the rank of 
 brigadier-general, took command of the "Burnside Expedition" to the 
 coast of North Carolina. The conception, the plan, and the execution 
 
416 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OP" 
 
 of that important enterprise attest the uncommon military ability of its 
 originator and leader. The secret of the expedition was -well kept, 
 kept even from the penetrating investigation of the newspapers. It 
 .sailed in January, 1862, the objective point being known only to the com 
 mander and the few confidential officers whom it was necessary to intrust 
 with the information. A violent storm struck the fleet, off Hatteras, and 
 dispersed the vessels, so that more than a week elapsed before they 
 reached the rendezvous. There, they encountered a succession of gales, 
 which threatened them with destruction. The ships, crowded into a nar 
 row space, with insufficient holding ground, beaten about by the winds 
 and waves, entangling their hawsers, running foul of each other, and 
 filled to overflowing with discouraged and sea-sick men, the expedition 
 seemed to be predestined to failure, by force of the elements, without the 
 opportunity to fire a gun. In the midst of all this disastrous confusion, 
 the calm features and striking figure of Burnside appeared conspicuous, 
 meeting every emergency, providing against every calamity, confident, 
 imparting to his men his own indomitable cheerfulness, and inspiring them 
 with his own unfailing hopefulness. The gallant and able defenders of 
 the position flattered themselves with the easy repulse of any assault that 
 could be made against it, bv land or bv water, even unaided by the ele 
 ments, which seemed to have conspired in their favor. They were 
 strongly fortified, naturally, and by artificial works, skillfully constructed, 
 and of great strength. 
 A not over friendly pen thus describes the situation : 
 
 When a generation shall arrive that has. time to read the romance of the four years we 
 call the Rebellion, none of its episodes will stand out more picturesquely than Burnside s 
 audacious assault upon the rebel seaboard at its most defensible point. Newbern was 
 the knot of a ganglia of railway systems. An army of one hundred thousand men could 
 have beer! concentrated on its circumvallating land and water lines long before Burnside 
 felt justified in attacking. The rebels were content with confronting the expedition with 
 equal or but slightly superior numbers, and though. they had much in their favor, the ad 
 mirable courage and intrepid combinations of the Union commanders wrested lines and 
 defenses from well-organized defenders that in any other war or at any other time would 
 have given the victors an imperishable fame. Landing his little army below Xewbern, 
 on the Xeuse River, Burnside deployed his lines with a simple failh in the Army Regula 
 tions that would have given joy to such a martinet as Von Moltke or Frederick. The 
 rebels were admirably protected, and hud not anticipated serious peril to disturb the serenity 
 of their confidence. Great fields of yellow fur/.e, with a thin growth of pines, separated 
 their works from the river. These works, beginning with an enormous railway embank 
 ment that reached the dimensions of bastions at certain points, were calculated to hold an 
 army in check until field-guns and regular approaches should demolish them. Burnside, 
 though timid in peace and diffident in war, was never cautious in battle. He believed 
 that armies nearly equal in numbers could find no better business than fighting a situation 
 out on the first opportunity. Heckmann, the dashing commander of the Ninth New Jersey 
 infantry, took the lead, and the regiment tore across the field on a run. They found the 
 men behind the works as full of ardor as themselves. The (Ian of the Jcrseyinen, how- 
 ever, had caught the Connecticut troops and Xew Yorkers, and the line, though mowed 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 down and almost annihilated, reached the railway, surmounted, crossed the ditch on the 
 side, and in a few minutes the astonished and confident rebels were prisoners. This is 
 not the place, however, to relate this admirably complete military diversion. 
 
 This was the earliest important Union success in the East. The grum 
 blers, a class always numerous, and noisy in proportion to their igno 
 rance of the purposes, or even of the destination of the expedition, had 
 been loud in their predictions of its failure, in which they were stren^th- 
 ened by vague reports of disaster and shipwreck. When the news of 
 victory was flashed across the wires, one exultant shout rose throughout 
 the North, and the name of Burnside was in every mouth. 
 
 General Burnside then joined the Army of the Potomac, where he or 
 ganized the Ninth Corps, which rendered so important services, and won 
 for itself and its commander so high renown. On the i-fth of September, 
 1862, General Burnside achieved the victory of South Mountain. At the 
 battle of Antietam, he commanded the left wing of the army. Returning 
 to the Army of the Potomac, he resumed command of his favorite Ninth 
 Corps. Here he was offered the command of the army. He declined it, 
 with unaffected diffidence, as he had twice before; but it was pressed upon 
 him by positive orders, and he could not. longer, without insubordina 
 tion, refuse it. The battle of Fredericksburg followed. I do not pro 
 pose to enter upon any discussion of that conflict, so disastrous to the 
 L nion arms. I wish to arouse no animosities, by bringing up disputed 
 points ; but I should not render justice to the occasion, did I not say that, 
 in the judgment of men infinitely better instructed than I. in military 
 affairs, had the general been seconded by the loyal and cordial coopera 
 tion of all his chief subordinates, and had he received promised appli 
 ances, victory would have perched on the Union banners. Such, I have 
 no doubt, was his own opinion, although I never heard him declare it. 
 
 As magnanimous in disaster as he was modest in success, he assumed 
 the whole responsibility of the defeat, and made no complaint. He simply 
 demanded the removal of certain officers as the condition on which alone 
 he could efficiently and satisfactorily remain at the head of the army. 
 This condition not complied with, he resigned, and turned over the com 
 mand to General Hooker. When urged to make public his grievances, 
 he replied that it would embarrass General Hooker, whose success he sin 
 cerely desired, and, with his hopeful disposition, believed in. Time and 
 history, he said, would vindicate him, and if they failed to do so, it was 
 better that he should remain under a cloud of undeserved reproach, than 
 that a word should be added to the dissensions already too prevalent in 
 the army. An appeal to the popular feeling in a matter of this kind 
 was abhorrent to his ideas of military discipline. In the order transfer 
 ring his command, he said, after praising the courage, patience, and en 
 durance of the men, " Continue to exercise these virtues; be true in your 
 
4i 8 LIFE AXD PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 devotion to vour country, and to the principles you have sworn to main 
 tain ; give to the brave and skillful general who has so long been identi 
 fied with vour organization, and who is now to command vou, your full 
 and cordial support and cooperation, and vou will deserve success." 
 
 The President refused to accept General Burnside s resignation of his 
 commission, and appointed him to the command of the Department of 
 the Ohio, where he rendered eminent and conspicuous service, clearing 
 the countrv of guerillas, and affording protection to the loyal population. 
 Attacked by Longstreet, with vastly superior forces, he retired, after 
 repulsing the enemv, which outnumbered him nearly three to one, at 
 Campbell s Station, to Knoxville, which he occupied and fortified, and 
 where he successfully resisted the siege which that able general laid to 
 it. A terrific assault was made upon his fortifications, and was repulsed 
 with equal impetuosity; and the enemv was driven back, with the loss 
 of 1,400 men. Encouraged bv dispatches from General Grant, urging 
 the importance of maintaining the position which he occupied, General 
 Burnside held out, by the fertility of his resources, bv his patience, per 
 sistence, and unfailing hopefulness, with all which qualities he had the 
 happy faculty of inspiring his men, till Longstreet, warned by the ap 
 proaching relief of Sherman, was obliged to raise the siege. 
 
 Again assigned to the command of his own Ninth Corps, General 
 Burnside participated actively in the closing operations of the war, 
 under General Grant. In front of Petersburg, he undertook the mine 
 about which so much has been said and written. I have not time to go 
 into an account of this work ; but I do not hesitate to say that, had he 
 been permitted to carry out that enterprise on his own plans, and with 
 troops of his own selection, it would have been a success. The whole 
 matter was investigated by the Congressional Committee on the Conduct 
 of the \Yar, which said in its report: 
 
 The cause of the disastrous result of the assault of the 3Oth of July last is mainly attribu 
 table to the fact, that the plans and suggestions of the general (Burnside) who devoted 
 his attention for so long a time to the subject, who had carried out to so successful com 
 pletion the project of mining the enemy s works, and who had so carefully selected and 
 drilled his troops, for the purpose of securing whatever advantages might be attainable 
 from the explosion of the mine, should have been so entirely disregarded by a general who 
 had evinced no faith in the successful prosecution of that work, had aided it by no coun 
 tenance or open approval, and had assumed the entire direction and control, only when it 
 was completed, and the time had come for reaping any advantage that might be derived 
 from it. 
 
 And General Grant, in his testimony before the Committee on the 
 Conduct of the War, frankly said, " General Burnside wanted to put his 
 colored division in front, and I believe if he had done so, it ivould have 
 been a success." Surely, if human testimony avails anything, this is a 
 sufficient vindication of General Burnside. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BUR X SIDE. 41 9 
 
 At the close of the Rebellion, General Burnside resigned his commis 
 sion, and retired to private life. In 1866 he was elected governor of 
 Rhode Island ; he was twice reelected, when he declined further service. 
 In 1875, he entered this body, where his honorable and useful course is 
 well known to us all. On the expiration of his term of office he was 
 reelected. 
 
 In 1870, during the Franco-German war, General Burnside was in 
 Europe. At Versailles, the headquarters of the invading army, he made 
 the acquaintance of the German Emperor, the Crown Prince, Bismarck, 
 and Von Moltke, on all of whom he made a favorable impression, and 
 especially on Bismarck. Dr. Russell wrote to the London Times: "Bis 
 marck likes him (Burnside). Indeed there are few persons of any nation 
 who will not be touched by the cordial nature and uprightness of the 
 man, by his solid good sense and kindliness of nature, and by his clear 
 ness of perception, unmarred by show, selfishness, or any affectation 
 of statesmanship, which is, perhaps, the highest diplomacy. Count Bis 
 marck has a penchant for Americans of a certain high stamp. He says, 
 I like self-made men. It is the best sort of manufacture in our race. " 
 In the interest of peace General Burnside went, under a flag of truce, 
 twice to Paris, where he had interviews with Jules Favre, General Trochu, 
 and other members of the government. The visit was attended with con 
 siderable personal danger, as there was no communication permitted be 
 tween the hostile lines, and the general and his partv were fired on, at 
 their approach, their flag of truce being misunderstood. 
 
 lie went in no official capacity, but was the bearer of certain suggestions 
 from Count Bismarck to Monsieur Jules Favre, in relation to an armis 
 tice, for the purpose of enabling the French people to elect a constituent 
 assembly, to replace the fallen Empire, and to enter into negotiations for 
 peace. Count Bismarck authorized General Burnside to say that he 
 would grant an absolute armistice of forty-eight hours for holding an 
 election, and give every facility for a fair election, as well as for the sub 
 sequent departure of the members elected for the city of Paris for the 
 place where the constituent assembly might meet. The government of 
 Paris was not, however, disposed to permit the election of a constituent 
 assembly, which might deprive it of power, and General Burnside s 
 mission simply opened the door for future negotiations. The general, 
 after his second visit to Paris, obtained from Count Bismarck permis 
 sion for about one hundred Americans to leave Paris, many of them 
 without funds and in a deplorable condition. 
 
 The general was impressed with the appearance of Paris, invested by 
 an immense army; isolated from the rest of the world, except when a 
 mail was received under a flag of truce, or sent away by a balloon ; with 
 500,000 troops in the city, and 10,000 sailors manning the heavy guns on 
 
420 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 the outer forts; with its theatres closed, its gas-lights extinguished, and 
 its markets destitute of meat, poultry, fish, and game. He was not at the 
 time communicative respecting his visit, but he expressed his opinion 
 that Paris could not be successfully defended, and that it could not be 
 taken by assault. 
 
 In 1852, General Burnside married Mary Richmond Bishop, a most ex 
 cellent and accomplished woman, graced with every virtue that adorns 
 her sex. After a most happy union, she died in 1876. During the five 
 vears that he survived her he did not cease to lament her. 
 
 General Burnside united as many excellencies with as few failings as 
 often meet in one character. Brave, manly, generous, he joined to the 
 rugged masculine virtues and "all that may become a man" a softness 
 and gentleness of disposition that became a woman. Quick in his con 
 ceptions, rapid in his processes, he was sometimes hasty in his judgments ; 
 but he always held them open to evidence, and subject to argument, and 
 with a singular absence of the pride of opinion, he changed them frankly, 
 on conviction. He believed in general laws, to the test of whose princi 
 ples he brought particular cases. Incapable of guile, liberal in his esti 
 mate of men, he was, occasionally, too little suspicious of the guileful- 
 ness of others. Yet he was no mean judge of character, and no man long 
 deceived him; nor ever twice. He had an instinctive horror of injustice, 
 and a genuine contempt for meanness; yet his horror of the one and his 
 contempt for the other were, to a certain extent, modified by his charita 
 bleness ; and after strongly denouncing a wrong, he would interpose some 
 palliation for the wrong-doer, would find some generous mitigation of 
 the offence which he could not defend and could not overlook. No man 
 was firmer in his friendships or more faithful in his convictions. Noth 
 ing could tempt him to an act which his conscience condemned. No 
 sophistry, no personal appeal could move him from his fixed idea of 
 right. 
 
 General Burnside was a man of profound religious beliefs. He held 
 firmlv to the truths of religion, natural and revealed, and had full confi 
 dence in a superintending Providence, which, whether working by gen 
 eral laws, or by special interposition, he cared not to inquire, ruled in the 
 affairs of men. He had a faith, almost superstitious in its force, that 
 men were rewarded for their good, and were punished, for their evil deeds, 
 even in this world; that, in the long run a man did not suffer from an 
 honest conduct, or profit from a dishonest one. Often, when under a 
 sense of injustice toward himself, or lamenting it in others, he has said 
 to me, " Well, there is a good Father above, who watches over us, and 
 who will bring all this out right, in the end;" and while holding, with 
 the tenacity of conviction, to his own deliberate judgments, he was most 
 generous in his estimate of others, never seeking or, save in the plainest 
 
GEX. AMIilfOSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 4 2I 
 
 cases, accepting an unworthy motive when a worth v one could be found 
 applicable. 
 
 He had, also, an undouhting faith in elective institutions, and that the 
 people, however they might be misled in the beginning, would ultimately 
 decide, correctly and patriotically, every question on which they were 
 called upon to act. That sanguine temperament, which enters so largely 
 into the elements of success, made him always confident of the final tri 
 umph of the political principles in which he firmly believed. He had 
 what seemed to me an exaggerated estimate of the rights and just powers 
 and duties of our government toward the other American states ; and 
 looked forward to the supremacy of our flag over almost the entire con 
 tinent, a consummation, however, which, as he fully believed it would 
 come in God s good time, he would not hasten by act of violent aggres 
 sion, although, as the Senate knows, he was strongly in favor of assert 
 ing our rights, bv declaratory legislation. 
 
 Need I speak, in this presence, of General Burnside s hospitality, so 
 cordial ! so elegant! yet so simple and so unostentatious ! Who that has 
 enjoyed it, who that has seen his genial countenance and his commanding 
 form, at the head of his table, can forget them? 
 
 General Burnside was strongly attached to rural pleasures and addicted 
 to agricultural pursuits. His little estate, of fifty-seven acres, near Bris 
 tol, and named " Edghill Farm," after his father and his paternal grand 
 mother, was a model farm, and, by the application of science to practical 
 experience, had be*n brought to a high state of cultivation ; and prouder 
 than of all his successes in the field, and in the forum, he seemingly was 
 of his meadow that cut three tons to the acre, and of his corn-field that 
 yielded sixteen hundred bushels to twelve acres. His herd of Alderneys, 
 of the purest blood, and of the finest character, was the admiration of the 
 neighborhood. He was very fond of his horses and his cattle, which 
 such is the effect of steady kindness even upon the brute creation knew 
 his voice, and always welcomed his approaching steps. His favorite 
 horse the gift of some unknown friend that had borne him on many 
 a hard-fought field, lived to the age of nigh thirty years, and, long past 
 service to his owner, became bv reason of age and infirmity, a burden to 
 himself, till life was nothing but a prolonged suffering. Yet the general , 
 was reluctant, even at the dictate of humanity, to have him killed. At 
 last, he yielded, and ordered the animal to be shot, but not till he should 
 have departed for Washington. The time of that departure never came. 
 The day when the lifeless body of the Senator was borne from the farm 
 that he loved so well, the faithful beast was shot. 
 
 General Burnside delivered several speeches and addresses at agricul 
 tural meetings. These were replete with sound doctrine, practical sug 
 gestions, and sturdy common sense. Among his papers was an address 
 
422 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 that he had prepared, to he delivered before the Aquidneck Agricultural 
 Society of Rhode Island, whose fair a slight indisposition, just before the 
 fatal attack, had prevented him from attending. In the cultivation and 
 improvement of his farm, he took the greatest delight. He loved to 
 watch the ripening fruit, the young trees putting forth their tender leaves 
 and extending their growing branches, the yellow field, tremulous with 
 the waving harvest. Always, on the adjournment of the Senate, he 
 turned, with eager steps, to his chosen acres. They are situated on a 
 ridge of land gently sloping to Mount Hope Bay, an indentation of the 
 broader Narragansett, and navigable to the shore of the farm, command 
 ing a view seldom equaled, by land and water, including a portion of the 
 island that gives its name to the State, the beautiful rural town of Bristol, 
 the white roofs of Fall River, whose tall chimneys continually darken the 
 sky with the smoke of toil, and Mount Hope, the ancient seat of King 
 Philip, and the place where that renowned warrior was slain. The house 
 is of a quaint and peculiar construction, built after the General s own fancy, 
 and from his own designs, and, in its architecture and appointments, sug 
 gesting the idea of a maritime structure. Here, he dispensed an elegant 
 and profuse, yet simple and inexpensive hospitality. The highest person 
 ages in the land and the humblest soldier that ever fought by his side met 
 the same cordial reception, the same frank and unaffected welcome. The 
 great dining-room, around whose table many who listen to me have sat, 
 is inclosed with broad piazzas, having curious and original arrangements, 
 the fruit of the general s mechanical tastes, for protection from the fer 
 vid heats of summer and the chilling blasts of winter, and is distinguished 
 by an enormous fire-place, over which rise the huge antlers of a great 
 deer or caribou. Ah ! the genial hospitality of that famous room ! In 
 my mind s eye, the picture is before me! The farm is a lovely spot, 
 never lovelier than on the sad day when I saw it last, bathed in the soft 
 light of early November, bending beneath the golden weight of autumn, 
 resplendent with the hues of the.dying year. 
 
 General Burnside s death was very sudden. The afternoon before, he 
 was at my house, in Providence. He had been a little ill, for a fesv days 
 previous, but with nothing that caused apprehension. He left me gaily, 
 promising to return the next morning. He insisted upon walking to the 
 railroad-station, half a mile distant, saying that the exercise would do 
 him good. On the following morning I received a telephonic message 
 that he was very ill, and requesting me to come to him. Before a car 
 riage could be brought to the door, a second message came, saying that 
 he was dead. He had been alarmingly ill, scarcely an hour. Of all 
 those who loved him. only his faithful and attached servants stood by 
 his dying bed. Shall we lament the manner of such a death? Is it not 
 better than the slow decay, the wasted form, the failing mind of age? To 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 423 
 
 him whom a life of usefulness and of goodness has prepared for his com 
 ing, death, when he comes unannounced, comes robbed of half his terrors. 
 Let us find consolation for that portion of him which has died, in the 
 contemplation of that portion which could not die, in the memory of his 
 services to his country, his great achievements, his unselfish generosity, 
 his patriotism, his public and his private virtues. 
 
 General Burnside was of fine address, of a commanding stature, a strik 
 ingly handsome man. The frankness of his expression and the sweetness 
 of his smile, at once won upon the observer, and prepared him for that 
 favorable judgment which a fuller acquaintance never failed to confirm. 
 His age was fifty-seven. I think that no man survives him whose form and 
 features are known to a greater number of persons. They were calculated 
 to attract attention, and once seen were not likelv to be forgotten. His 
 acquaintance in the army, where he had held large commands, his fre 
 quent journeyings at home, and his foreign travel; his entrance into 
 Paris, at a time and under circumstances that rendered him the observed 
 of all observers, made him familiar to hundreds of thousands who did not 
 have his personal acquaintance. 
 
 Upon my personal relations with General Burnside I do not dwell; I 
 scarce venture to speak of them. As you know, Senators, they were of 
 the most intimate and tender character. During our whole service to 
 gether, they were never disturbed bv differences or clouded by doubt or 
 distrust. Not always agreeing upon public measures, we differed, on 
 those rare occasions when .we did differ, with mutual respect and confi 
 dence. He was the most lovable man that I ever knew ; and I loved him, 
 I love him still, with a love which will find no successor to him, in my 
 affection. Not a day has passed, since I last looked upon him, scarcely 
 a waking hour, when he has not been in my mind. And even if I could 
 have forgotten him, I should have been reminded of him by the expres 
 sions of sympathy which have continually met me. 
 
 "Ah! Jonathan! my brother! lorne 
 
 And friendless 1 must looke to be! 
 That harte whose woe thou oft has borne 
 
 Is sore and strickene nowe for thee ! 
 Younge bridegroome s love on brydal morne 
 
 Oh it was lyghte to tliyne for me. 
 Thy tymeless lolte I now must plaync, 
 
 Even on thyne own highe places slayne." 
 
 Friend, companion, brother! hail and farewell! The memory of thy 
 virtues and of thy services, and that thou did st deem me worthy of thy 
 friendship and thy confidence are my chief consolation, in the irrepara 
 ble loss that I have suffered. 
 
CHAPTER XLl. 
 
 CONTINUATION OF THE EULOGIES IX THE SENATE ADDRESSES BY 
 SENATOR HARRISON, OF INDIANA; SENATOR WADE HAMPTON, 
 OF SOUTH CAROLINA; AND SENATOR ALDRICH, OF RHODE 
 
 ISLAND. 
 
 SENATOR HARRISON, who is a grandson of 
 President Harrison, and who served honorably in 
 the war for the suppression of the Rebellion, paid 
 the following tribute to General Burnside, as a son of the 
 State which he represented in the Senate : 
 
 Mr. President: Senator Burnside was a native of Indiana, from which 
 State he entered the Military Academy in the year 1842. Since that time 
 he has never resided in our State, but his affectionate interest in the place 
 of his birth, and in his relatives who continued to reside there, was 
 always manifest. In asking a little time to-day, in which to present an 
 unpretentious but very sincere tribute to the memory of Senator Burn- 
 side, I am not responding merely to a formal duty which might seem to 
 be imposed upon me as a representative of the State in which he was born, 
 but also to the promptings of a friendship which, though brief, had in it 
 the element of endurance, for it was founded on a verv high respect for 
 his character. 
 
 I shall always count it a pleasant incident of my introduction to the 
 Senate that I was so placed as to be much in his company during the last 
 session of his service here. His greeting each morning was like a bene 
 diction so much of grace and kindness was there in it. In the light of 
 a short intimate acquaintance I find no difficulty in understanding the 
 
GE\. AMRJtOSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 4 2 5 
 
 secret of that strong affection which existed between General Burnside 
 and all of those who were brought much in contact with him, both in 
 military and civil life. 
 
 He was a bold, frank, friendlv, generous man. There are men, and 
 not a few, who selfishly absorb the lives and achievements of others ; who 
 deck themselves with laurels they have not won, and strut in pilfered 
 greatness. Such was not our friend. He did reverence to merit and to 
 high achievement wherever he saw it. lie applauded the heroic acts of 
 others with no half-hearted cheer, nor ever admitted to his generous soul 
 the base suggestion tlVnt when others were praised the world s thoughts 
 turned from him. 
 
 Speaking of the Ninth Army Corps, which General Burnside com 
 manded so long, his biographer says: "Jealousy, that bane of military 
 life, was unknown." I can accept this record with implicit faith, for jeal 
 ousy never found harbor or hiding-place in the heart of the commanding 
 general. There was no room in that well-lighted breast for this black 
 angel. As a subordinate, he never failed to yield a quick and loyal obedi 
 ence to his superior; nor ever sought to justify his own judgment in the 
 council by a hesitating support of the plan of battle which his superior 
 had chosen. He was a true soldier one who had not only a master but 
 a cause, into the fellowship of which he received all who made that cause 
 common. He might join in the high rivalry of those who would give 
 most to this sacred cause, or win most honor to the Hag; but if he might 
 not be the first to plant the flag on the enemy s battlements, he would at 
 least be found among those who hailed with cheers both the flag and the 
 victor. He never minified the deeds of others to make his own more con 
 spicuous. He was no egotist, but always rated himself below the value at 
 which others appraised him. The modest way in which he often spoke 
 to me of his deficiencies as a contestant in the debates of this chamber, I 
 well remember. These were not the self-depreciating utterances of one 
 seeking flattery. His sincerity was as conspicuous as his modesty. Nor 
 was his noble soul hurt or embittered by the confession_ that others sur 
 passed him. And here, I think, Mr. President, we have the secret of that 
 enduring summer which wanned the heart and lighted the face of our be 
 loved friend. 
 
 He was a man who kept the shield of his personal honor bright and 
 unspotted. Dishonesty, meanness, subterfuge, deception roused his 
 nature into flame, and always received his unstinted denunciation. He 
 was not content to disapprove of wrong; he assailed it. All who knew 
 him have witnessed how his soul kindled and his words grew hot at any 
 recital of oppression or injustice. 
 
 He was a man of great purity and delicacy of feelings. Coarseness 
 and vulgarity seemed peculiarly offensive to him. He was always a re- 
 
426 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 fined and courtly gentleman, full of sweet sympathies and kindly 
 deeds. 
 
 At the wide fireside of Burnside s heart many guests have received 
 \varmth and light; and coming again, after rears of separation, have 
 found that no old friend was ever crowded out of that hospitable soul. 
 
 Humble men and common interests had his sympathies. Several 
 times, as he opened his mail at his desk, he has turned to read aloud to 
 me the letters of the farmer who had in charge the little farm at Bristol. 
 The news of the herd and the dairy, couched in homely phrase, seemed 
 greatly to please him, and the kindly words he spoke of those who had 
 these small interests in charge opened to me a pleasant glimpse of a 
 happy home. 
 
 The duty of bringing to our memory to-day the striking incidents in 
 the honorable life of Senator Burnside belongs to the Senators from 
 Rhode Island, and I would not intrude upon it. I have alluded, to some 
 of those traits of the deceased which were so conspicuous as to be easily 
 marked by every one who knew him. Beneath these outcroppings of a 
 great heart and life there were doubtless beds of gold which time and in 
 timacy only could reveal. The senior Senator of this body, the colleague 
 and close friend of the deceased, has done tenderly and eloquently this 
 last office of an affection which even the youngest of us had time to notice 
 and admire. 
 
 But I will be excused, I am sure, if I allude to a few incidents in the life 
 of General Burnside which seem to me to illustrate the observations of 
 his character made during the few months of our close acquaintance 
 here. 
 
 When the Civil War broke out, he had already achieved honorable pro 
 motion in the service of one of the great railroad corporations of the West. 
 Before him the avenues of wealth and honorable distinction in civil life 
 opened alluringly. But when the call of his country came, the enticements 
 of wealth and ease did not for a moment enthrall his patriotic spirit. 
 Suddenly inquired of by wire when he could take command of the First 
 Rhode Island Regiment, his answer was, " at once." And from that 
 April day till peace came again to a restored country, he gave his time, 
 his heart, his life to the Nation s service with an unselfish patriotism that 
 was never excelled. He had no days of sulking, but was always ready for 
 any honorable service to which a soldier might be called. We may truth 
 fully say of him what, in orders to his corps after Antietam, he said of 
 the commander of its third division (General Rodman), who fell in that 
 fight: " He has left a bright example of unselfish patriotism, undimmed 
 by one thought of self." 
 
 The command of the Armv of the Potomac did not come to him as the 
 result of ambitious self-seeking. He had loyally supported those who 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 427 
 
 preceded him in this responsible trust. In addressing General Halleck 
 after his appointment he said : " Had I been asked to take it I should have 
 declined, but being ordered, I cheerfully obey." Most bitterly did this 
 modest soldier feel the jealousy which his appointment developed in his 
 army. This is not the place to apportion the praise or blame of. Freder- 
 icksburg. But against the background of that bloody repulse some of the 
 noblest traits of General Burnside are made conspicuous. lie did not in 
 dulge in whimpering complaints of others, but, with a courage higher- 
 than that of battle, assumed the just responsibility of the fight he had 
 ordered. 
 
 The press of the country severely criticised the overburdened President, 
 and charged that he had forced Burnside to fight, against his judgment. 
 Mr. Raymond, the veteran editor of the New York Times, who was at the 
 headquarters of the army shortly after the battle of Fredericksburg, tells 
 us that the President was greatly depressed by these charges, and that 
 Burnside, hearing of it, said : " Mr. President, I will at once relieve you 
 on that score. I will not allow ahv one to suffer for acts the entire re 
 sponsibility of which belongs to me." This purpose he nobly fulfilled in 
 his report. 
 
 When he was relieved from the command of the army he said to the 
 President : " Neither you nor General Hooker will be a happier man than 
 myself if he shall gain a victory on the Rappahannock ; " and in his re 
 port of the movements of the army while under his command, written 
 long afterwards, he said : " I am not disposed to complain of my lack of 
 success in the exercise of the command, and in view of the glorious re 
 sults which have since attended the movements of that gallant army, I 
 am quite willing to believe that mv removal was for the best." 
 
 If unfriendly criticism shall deny to him some of the qualities of the 
 perfect military leader, only base souls will refuse to do reverence to the 
 nobility of his character. The black setting of disaster only makes these 
 gems of the spirit shine more lustrously. But we must not forget that 
 Fredericksburg was not Burnside s only fight. In the campaign on the 
 Carolina coast, at Antietam, and in East Tennessee, he gave high proof 
 of most conspicuous ability as a commander. 
 
 When we separated last spring there was no token of the near approach 
 of death. He seemed to be in the perfection of physical health. Once 
 afterward I saw him in Indiana, and as he rode with me that quiet sum 
 mer evening. I little thought I should see him no more in life. We 
 talked of the time when we should assemble here again. But, alas! when 
 I came, not my friend but the emblems of death were beside me. His 
 death was sudden, and yet there was not denied him a brief time in which 
 to adjust the draperies of his gentle and reverent spirit ere he stepped 
 into the presence of the Great King. 
 
 Mr. President, in the death of General Burnside we have lost one who 
 
4- 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 never denied his country or his friend ; one whose name was never 
 tainted by the flavor of a mean or corrupt act; one who filled usefully 
 high and exacting public trusts; one whose spirit was never soured by 
 disappointment or poisoned by envy; one who could be glad if upon the 
 background of his own disaster another might display a triumph for the 
 cause he loved; one who was always a dispenser of hope and gladness. 
 Surely these are traits which we must not only admire but covet for our 
 selves. And as our thoughts bring to the resurrection these qualities of 
 our friend, and clothe them with a beauty to the expression of which our 
 words are inadequate, may AVC not hope that the white-winged throng 
 will find new life in living hearts. 
 
 To the State of his adoption, where his active life was spent, I bring 
 to-day a sorrowful greeting from the State of his nativity. Indiana mourns 
 a son whose high career she followed with affection. 
 
 Senator Wade Hampton, of South Carolina, the dashing 
 cavalry leader of the Confederate army, thus bore tribute 
 to the deceased Union general : 
 
 Mr. President : It was the good fortune of the honorable Senator from 
 Rhode Island, the father of the Senate, who has just spoken so feelingly 
 of his distinguished colleague, whose untimely death we deplore, to have 
 known him long and intimately, and to have thus known him was to 
 love him. Bound to him, as he was, by the strong tie of the closest 
 friendship and the most intimate party affiliation, it is natural that in 
 speaking of him his language is that of eulogy, for the words he has 
 uttered came warm and direct from his heart. So, sir, do mine, though 
 my personal acquaintance with General Burnside dated only from my 
 entrance as a Senator into this chamber. But my association with him 
 upon this floor, in the committee-room, and in social intercourse soon 
 impressed me with his many high and attractive qualities, and taught me 
 not only to admire him, but to regard him as a personal friend. In the 
 dark days of the Civil War, when we stood in opposing ranks, I learned 
 to respect him as a true, brave, and gallant soldier one who followed 
 his convictions of right with earnest singleness of purpose; who fought 
 not from ambition or a desire of glory, but from a deep sense of duty, 
 and who in every act of his honorable military career subordinated all 
 private considerations to the public good. When he sheathed his sword, 
 which had never been tarnished by dishonor nor stained bv cruelty, he 
 promptly extended the hand which had so resolutely grasped that sword 
 in war to those who had been his enemies. Magnanimous as he was 
 brave, his heart was large enough and generous enough to recognize, 
 when peace came to our distracted country, everv American citizen as his 
 fellow-countryman, and no act of his since the war was inspired by sec- 
 
(i EN. AMR HOSE E. BURNSIDE. 420 
 
 tional hate or political animosity. War, with all its attendant, inevitable 
 horrors, could not change his gentle and noble nature, for he seemed to 
 be absolutely free from all the bitterness it might naturally have engen 
 dered, and his highest aim, his constant efforts were directed always 
 toward the reconciliation, the harmony, and the enduring peace of the 
 country. It was the recognition of his patriotic efforts in this direction, 
 together with the charm of his kind and genial manner, that won for him 
 the respect, the esteem, and the affection of his colleagues from the 
 South, and I feel assured that I give utterance to the universal feeling 
 prevailing among them when I express the profoundest sorrow at his 
 death. 
 
 It is no disparagement to the distinguished gentleman who has suc 
 ceeded him, or to any one who may hereafter do so, to assert that Rhode 
 Island, however prolific she may be of able and patriotic sons, will never 
 send to this chamber one who can fill the place made vacant by his death 
 more worthily that he did, nor pass from among us amid deeper and 
 more general sorrow than is felt at his loss. This sorrow is as sincere as 
 it is general; it is felt as keenly on this side of the chamber as on the 
 other; as deeply by Southern men who fought in the Confederate 
 ranks as by Northern who supported the cause of the Union. It seems, 
 therefore, not inappropriate that I, who during the war stood under the 
 folds of the starry cross, should pay a tribute, however feeble, to that gal 
 lant soldier who, amid all trials and vicissitudes, in disaster as in success, 
 bravely upheld the flag of the Union. " Would that it were worthier"; 
 but it is at least sincere, for it comes from one who was his enemy in war 
 and in peace his political opponent. Other Senators will doubtless tell 
 of his distinguished services to his State and to the country ; of his high 
 qualities and his noble nature; of his gracious manner and magnetic 
 presence, which gained for him everywhere, in all the walks of life, troops 
 of friends. I, too, sir, would fain dwell on these grateful themes, but 
 others have a higher right than myself to do so. Mine is the humbler 
 but not less grateful duty to pay a simple but heartfelt tribute to the 
 memory of a friend one who could alwavs be trusted, and whose con 
 duct was uniformly marked by dignity, courtesy, and kindness. His life 
 long friends, his party associates, his comrades in arms, the whole peo 
 ple of the State that he loved and served so well, have joined in bewail 
 ing his death and in honoring his memory. They have worthily be 
 decked his tomb with wreaths of immortelles; I bring but a single 
 sprav of Southern cypress, to lay it tenderly and reverently on his grave. 
 Peace to his ashes ; for of him it mav with truth be said, that throughout 
 his long, varied, and honorable career, 
 
 " He bore without abuse 
 The grand old name of gentleman." 
 
430 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 The last Senator who spoke, in accordance with the 
 usage," was the Hon. Nelson W. Aldrich, of Rhode 
 Island, who had been as a Representative, the colleague 
 of the deceased Senator, and who had been elected as his 
 successor in the Senate. He said : 
 
 Mr. President: Other Senators, better qualified by long and familiar 
 association during years of common service here, or of common peril in 
 the field, have faithfully told the story of General Burnside s life and 
 public services. I cannot hope to add anything to their graceful words 
 of eulogy and eloquent tributes of affection, and I should not venture to 
 detain the Senate bevond a simple declaration of concurrence in their 
 kindly expressions if the obligations of my position did not require that 
 I should confirm the testimony so feelingly and beautifully given by 
 my colleague of the estimation in which Senator Burnside was held by 
 the people of my native State. No man stood higher in the regard of the 
 people of Rhode Island, and the loss of none in all her history has been 
 so universally mourned. His sudden death touched our hearts with sad 
 ness and sorrow at a time when all were watching with anxious solicitude 
 at the bedside of our dying Chief Magistrate. 
 
 The dark shadows of impending calamity which then filled every house 
 hold in the land with gloom, deepened the grief which overwhelmed our 
 people when the announcement was made that their neighbor had been 
 stricken down, lie had been the trusted and familiar friend of all classes, 
 and all felt that they had suffered in his death an irreparable loss. There 
 was something phenomenal in the attachment of our entire community to 
 General Burnside. It was the affection of a people, proud of their history 
 and traditions, clinging with peculiar tenacity to their conservative insti 
 tutions, slow to change or to give their confidence, for a man who came to 
 them in mature years, a stranger from a distant State. To this son of 
 Indiana, who left behind him the unequaled opportunities for develop 
 ment and the broad fields of usefulness and power of the great West, and 
 boldly stemmed the tide of emigration to enter in New England lists 
 already crowded with competitors, they gave abundant evidences of their 
 confidence and freely accorded their highest political honors. No man 
 can say that these distinctions were not fairly won by honorable service. 
 
 It is not necessary that I should recall the familiar facts of his eventful 
 career. As a brave, faithful, and efficient soldier, he deserved the grati 
 tude of his countrymen for his important services. It may not be possi 
 ble for his contemporaries to assign to him the place he will occupy in 
 history as a military commander, but we can say with confidence that no 
 man entered our great conflict with a nobler purpose, or was actuated 
 
GEX. AMJJJtOSE E. BURXSIDE. 
 
 at all times by a more devoted patriotism, or had a keener appreciation 
 of the importance of the duties he was called upon to discharge. The 
 brightness of his military record was never tarnished by exhibitions of 
 petty jealousy, or by unscemlv strife for personal preferment. He had 
 courage, a resolute, steadfast determination which was superior to all ob 
 stacles, and an unwavering faith in the justice of his cause. His famil 
 iarity with the personnel of his command, and his painstaking care over 
 everything which would contribute to their convenience and comfort, kept 
 them at all times in sympathy with their commander and his purposes. 
 He never complained of any injustice or neglect, but was always readv to 
 serve whenever and wherever he was ordered. It has been well said bv 
 one who knew him well, that he "was never discouraged by disaster or 
 soured by a sense of injury." He never sought to evade the full measure 
 of accountability for his acts and opinions, and his exceptional magnan 
 imity often led him to assume the responsibility for failures and faults 
 properly chargeable to others. 
 
 \Ve find his characteristic honesty of purpose and devotion to duty 
 manifested in his life at the capital. He did not look upon his position 
 here as an honor to be lightly worn, but as a great public trust, with 
 grave responsibilities. He was ambitious to be a useful servant of the 
 people who had honored him with a seat in the Senate, and was always 
 readv to respond to demands made upon him by his constituents, no mat 
 ter how exacting thev might be. His conclusions as to the line of public 
 duty to be followed were r.eached not as the result of profound study, but 
 by accepting the promptings of his own generous and manly nature, and 
 these seemed to lead him instinctively to correct decisions. 
 
 We may not claim for him great genius or brilliant achievements as a 
 soldier or statesman. He had neither the arrogant pretensions, the im 
 practicable theories, nor the infirmities of temper which are sometimes 
 accepted as the evidences of genius, but he had an intelligent compre 
 hension of the important duties of American citizenship, and a sincere 
 desire and honest intention to advance the interests and improve the con 
 dition of his fellow-countrymen. No man ever dared to attempt to in 
 fluence or control his action by appeals to purely selfish motives. He was 
 always sanguine of the success of any cause which he advocated, as he 
 believed in the ultimate supremacy of moral forces and the final triumph 
 of right. 
 
 In emergencies, and whenever uncertain of methods or results, he confi 
 dently asked for Divine guidance, with the firmest belief in the efHcacy 
 of earnest praver. His unaffected simplicity of manner, his kindness of 
 heart, and his spirit of broad, catholic charity for the unfortunate and 
 the suffering endeared him to all. 
 
 I should do an injustice to the general s memory if I should fail to 
 
432 GEA r . AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 allude to his attractive social qualities. These were best understood and 
 appreciated by the wide circle of friends who were permitted to enjoy the 
 delightful companionship of his home, with its warmth of welcome and 
 genial intercourse, and with its bountiful and gracious hospitality; but a 
 much wider circle will remember the cordial grasp of the hand, and the 
 kind words with which he invariably greeted those with whom he was 
 brought in contact. 
 
 The hour dedicated to the memory and worth of our dear friend, who 
 was so recently full of vitality and hope, and now has left the scenes of 
 his earthlv pleasures and friendships forever, is drawing to a close, and 
 as we speak the final words we realize how powerless is human agency to 
 mitigate our sorrow. 
 
 We mav hereafter find much consolation in contemplating the record 
 made to-day of his useful and honorable life. That his good name and 
 example will be cherished by those who knew him best, is amply attested 
 by many instances of their devotion to his memory. On the day preced 
 ing his funeral half of our population crowded through the portals of the 
 Citv Hall, in Providence, with bowed heads and tearful eyes, to look for 
 the last time on his familiar features. His own loved and trusted vet 
 erans, the bravest and best of Rhode Island s sons, who tenderly guarded 
 his mortal remains from the hour of his death until the earth closed over 
 them, have taken steps to have his manly presence reproduced in endur 
 ing bronze, to adorn the busy streets of our principal city. He was lov 
 ingly borne, with imposing honors, to his last resting-place by the State 
 of his adoption, who now proudly claims his fame and his ashes as her 
 own. 
 
 I move the adoption of the pending resolutions. 
 
 The PRESIDENT, pro tempore. The question is on the adoption of the 
 resolutions presented bv the senior Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. 
 Anthony). 
 
 The resolutions were agreed to unanimouslv ; and (at two o clock and 
 twenty-one minutes, p. M.) the Senate adjourned. 
 
CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 EULOGIES DELIVERED ON GENERAL BURNSIDE IX THE HOUSE OF 
 REPRESENTATIVES, BY THE HON. JONATHAN CHACE AND 
 THE HON. HENRY J. SPOONER, OF RHODE ISLAND. 
 
 IN the House of Representatives, on the 24th of Janu 
 ary, 1882, the resolutions passed by the Senate on the 
 death of Ambrose E. Burnside, late a Senator from 
 Rhode Island, were received and read. The Hon. Jona 
 than Chace, senior member of the House from Rhode 
 Island, then submitted the following resolutions, which 
 were read from the clerk s desk : 
 
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives has received with pro 
 found sorrow the announcement of the death of Hon. Ambrose E. Burn- 
 side, late a United States Senator from the State of Rhode Island. 
 
 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, that op 
 portunity may be given for fitting tributes to the memory of the deceased 
 and to his eminent public and private virtues ; and that, as a further mark 
 of respect, the House, at the conclusion of such remarks, shall adjourn. 
 
 Mr. Chace then addressed the House as follows : 
 
 Mr. Speaker : Recognizing the eminent fitness of Congress placing upon 
 record some memorial of those whose names have been stricken from the 
 roll of either house by the hand of death ; in deference to the common 
 sentiment of the people of the State of Rhode Island ; and impelled also by 
 my own feelings of personal loss, I submit these resolutions. Few men 
 have been more fortunate than was Ambrose E. Burnside ; few more hon- 
 28 
 
434 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 ored. Few have bound to themselves their friends with stronger ties than 
 he ; to few have come greater opportunities. Upon few have rested greater 
 responsibilities in life, and rarely has any public man discharged the trust 
 laid upon him more happily or more successfully. It was my privilege 
 to know Senator Burnside for many years, never without respect and es 
 teem ; of latter time it grew into a sincere feeling of friendship and regard. 
 Widely separated as we were in sentiment and belief in regard to some 
 points, there was always in him a gentle forbearance of feeling, a kindlv 
 consideration towards those who differed from him, that could not fail to 
 challenge the warmest response. It is a pleasure, therefore, to emulate 
 the broad charity, of which he set us so eminent an example, and in niv 
 feeble way pay a few brief words of honest tribute to the many noble 
 qualities of his head and heart. He was a soldier, and I opposed to all 
 war; yet we were friends, for well we knew that 
 
 " Dimly in the present view 
 We see the truth." 
 
 Much of General Burnside s fame rests upon his military achievements, 
 upon his command of the Ninth Army Corps and of the Army of the 
 Potomac, during the Rebellion. It will not be expected that I shall speak 
 of his military career. That I shall pass over, holding, as he knew I did, 
 that war is unjustifiable; that under the teachings of the New Testament 
 it is not right to take human life under any circumstances; that "peace 
 unweaponed conquers every wrong." 
 
 Had Burnside died under ordinarv circumstances, the feelings of the 
 people would have found much greater expression. His death came when 
 the Nation was holding sad vigil at the bedside of its stricken President; 
 while hope was struggling with fear; while all hearts were deeply touched 
 with the noble courage and heroic patience with which our Chief Magis 
 trate battled for life. The Nation was in anguish. In the midst of this 
 season, so full of sorrow and grief, while the hands of fifty millions would 
 fain have been put forth to wrestle with the angel of death and avert 
 the impending sorrow, Rhode Island was called upon to part with her 
 favorite son. 
 
 Death found him alone, with no loving hands save those of trusted 
 and faithful servants, to soothe his last moments. Although the ties 
 of kinship brought no mourner, his was not a tearless funeral. The State, 
 in the person of its governor, -was his chief mourner, and thousands, with 
 unfeigned sorrow, followed his bier to the grave. 
 
 In person he was large of stature, commanding in form, with a face, 
 blending manly beauty and rugged strength, surmounted by a noble brow. 
 With a most contagious smile, nature lent a graceful charm to every lin 
 eament. " His eye, turned even on empty space, beamed keen with 
 
GEiV. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 435 
 
 honor." Physically his was a rare combination of that which is noble 
 and lovable. With the voice of a stentor, that could compass the largest 
 audience, yet finely modulated to the gentlest emotion; open, frank, and 
 genial in manner; industrious, patient, and forceful; with a rare self-con 
 trol; bold as a lion, yet gentle as a woman, and kindly thoughtful ot 
 others, what wonder that men loved him. Rising from an humble posi 
 tion and trained for a military life, he attained eminence as a civilian. 
 Thrice elected governor of the State and twice to the United States Sen 
 ate, honoring himself and his constituents in each position, his life is 
 another illustration of the blessings of our form of government and the 
 great opportunities of American citizenship. 
 
 He was a wise and successful legislator. Making no pretensions to 
 the arts of oratory, he had a straightforward manner of expressing him 
 self, unadorned with rhetorical ornament, which reached the judgment of 
 his hearers. His distinguishing characteristics were a faithfulness to 
 trusts and an exalted sense of honor. This was nobly shown by his as 
 suming the responsibility of the failure at Fredericksburg. The defeat 
 of the Union army had depressed the spirits of the loyal men in the North, 
 encouraging and emboldening those who sought the overthrow of the 
 government to redouble their outcries against the administration, {hat 
 the President was improperly interfering with the command of the army. 
 The dark shadows around Lincoln s eyes, those furrowed lines on his 
 sad and careworn face, increased in depth. Discontent was heard on 
 every side. It was a time when a little soul would hide itself to escape 
 blame. Not so Burnside. " For the failure I am responsible," wrote 
 he. That was moral heroism. Men who would face physical danger 
 without blanching would hesitate here. Men will brave danger, will 
 patiently endure suffering for the plaudits of the public, but few rise to 
 the noble self-renunciation which lie displayed by taking to himself dis 
 credit for his country s good. Holding strong convictions on questions 
 of public policy, believing in party organization for the promotion of 
 the public weal, he yet sunk the partisan in the patriot. As a legislator, 
 urging with earnestness such measures as commended themselves to his 
 judgment, the differences of view which are inevitable among men did 
 not with him abate the warmth of personal friendship. 
 
 "He cherished large faith in humankind." He rose above the strife of 
 political campaigns, the contests of party cabal, and with cheerful greet 
 ing for opponents and supporters, pressed on with those measures which 
 he believed would promote the material interests of the country, 
 strengthen that which is pure, educate and enlighten the people and 
 lead them up to higher aspirations for the promotion of peace, for the 
 extinguishment of sectionalism, the strengthening of friendship among 
 states and peoples, for a pure administration of justice and the preserva- 
 
436 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 tion forever of the liberties of the people. Such was Burnside. Great, 
 because he was faithful and true according to his light. 
 
 " His strength was as the strength of ten, 
 Because his heart was pure." 
 
 A warrior who gloried less in feats of arms than in the substantial tri 
 umphs of the arts of peace. A legislator imbued with a high apprecia 
 tion of the value of the institutions handed down to us by our fathers; 
 inspired with a lofty sense of the responsibility AVC are under to preserve 
 and transmit them unimpaired to posteritv. A faithful friend, a loving 
 husband, the charm of the social circle, cut down at the commencement 
 of a senatorial term, and in the full tide of a splendid manhood. 
 
 Life is not measured by years, but by acts. It is not the rolling seasons, 
 but entries by the recording angel of great and noble deeds; not the daily 
 returning sun, but the repetition of those graceful ministrations which 
 bring light to many hearts, that tale the life of man. Measured by this 
 standard, the life of our friend was a full one. The body has perished 
 as " a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when shaken of a mighty wind ; " 
 
 but 
 
 "All that is real now remaineth, 
 And fadeth never." 
 
 The last speaker in the House of Representatives was 
 the junior member from Rhode Island, Col. Henry J. 
 Spooner, who had served under General Burnside in the 
 gallant "Ninth Corps." Said he : 
 
 Mr. Speaker: The sudden death of Senator Burnside, which has been 
 so properly recognized as a national affliction, overwhelmed the people 
 of Rhode Island in a great common sorrow. 
 
 Burnside was of the foremost of our most eminent men, and held the 
 largest share in the affections of our people. His commanding form 
 was the most familiar figure in our State; his presence in any public 
 gathering always evoked the heartiest greeting; his name was a " house 
 hold word," mentioned with respect in every Rhode Island home. Thou 
 sands of my fellow-citizens had followed him through the varying for 
 tunes of his campaigns, from Bull Run to Petersburg, and had learned 
 to appreciate his manly virtues where, in fidelity to a common cause, 
 friendships were welded in the fierce fire of battle. We all loved and 
 honored him, not less for the noble and endearing traits of his character 
 than for his illustrious public services and achievements, and mourned 
 his loss as the saddest bereavement. 
 
 We had recognized no indications of the approach of the dread mes- 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNS IDE. 
 
 437 
 
 senger: he came unheralded and unannounced. But the day before his 
 death Senator Burnside was mingling with our people, engaged in his 
 ordinary occupations, in the apparent enjoyment of his usual health, and 
 in the full maturity of his powers. Neither age nor disease had impaired 
 his faculties nor seemingly diminished the vigor of his robust manhood, 
 and a long career of increasing usefulness to the Nation and his State 
 seemed open before him. Secure in the confidence and affections of our 
 people; adorned with all the dignities and honors which they could be 
 stow; just entering, at their repeated call, upon his second term as 
 United States Senator; trusted, honored, and beloved by the Nation as 
 few other men ever have been, his future seemed radiant with brilliant 
 promise and honorable possibilities. Yet the insidious destroyer, unsus 
 pected and unrecognized, had crept within the portals of his life; and 
 even preceding the knowledge of his illness came the shocking tidings 
 Burnside is dead! - 
 
 Although a native of another State. Senator Burnside had long been a 
 citizen of Rhode Island and largely concerned in her affairs in both pri 
 vate and public capacities. Educated at West Point and serving with 
 gallantry in the United States Army, he had, prior to the war of the Re 
 bellion, been a distinguished citizen of our State, and had been identified 
 with and in command of our State militia, and at the outbreak of the war 
 in 1861 was naturally selected as the colonel of our " First Rhode Island," 
 that regiment, composed of the best of our patriotic sons, which, rushing 
 to the defense of the Union cause, was among the first to report for duty 
 at the Nation s capital. 
 
 I refrain from unnecessary reference to that great struggle; for the 
 record and the results, familiar to all, illumine the pages of our country s 
 history, and live and are perpetuated in our customs and our institutions, 
 in our Constitution and our laws. And I scarcely need to recall how 
 prominent a part in the historic events of that critical period in our 
 national existence was enacted by our late Senator. 
 
 The war for the Union, involving, as it did, issues of greater magni 
 tude and importance than had ever before been submitted to the arbitra 
 ment of arms the supremacy of law, the honor of our flag, the very 
 life of the Republic aroused, as no less cause could, all that earnest 
 patriotism, fidelity, and devotion to country and to duty which were 
 among the stronger traits of Burnside s character. 
 
 His allegiance and his best services, during those unhappy years of civil 
 strife, were constant, zealous, and unquestioning. 
 
 He fully recognized the necessity of that most positive of military 
 laws, that to the superior belongs command, to the subordinate unhesitat 
 ing obedience, and cheerfully submitted to its requirements. It was for 
 the government to command his service, as and where it should be re- 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 quired; it was for him to serve, irrespective of personal preferences; 
 and so we find him all through his military career and in every field of 
 duty, whether as a subordinate or in high or independent command, ever 
 the same conscientious, faithful, patriot-soldier, forgetful of self and re 
 gardless of personal advantage, bending his best ability and energy 
 toward the successful prosecution of the great cause in which he was 
 enlisted. 
 
 I do not wish to be understood to say that Burnside was without ambi 
 tion, for I believe he was unusually imbued with that loftiest of all 
 ambitions a determination to perform his duty thoroughly and well; 
 and that he highly valued the appreciative and just approbation of his 
 fellow-men, and the rank and station which are the insignia of its recog 
 nition. It might perhaps have saved the country from years of desolat 
 ing war. with the attendant expenditure of treasure and of blood, had 
 more of our general officers possessed in like degree a similar unselfish 
 ambition. 
 
 I will not at this time, and upon this, perhaps, unfitting occasion, pause 
 to argue or consider the comparative position which should be assigned 
 to Burnside among the great generals of our times. I apprehend that 
 the calm, dispassionate investigation of history will accord to him the 
 high position to which he is entitled in the temple of fame, and will 
 point the moral of his heroic life, his lofty purposes, and of his dis 
 tinguished and honorable achievements. Yet, with the vivid recollections 
 which these thoughts recall of that service which I had the honor to 
 share under his command, I would unfaithfully represent my comrades of 
 the " Old Ninth Army Corps " did I fail to testify to the mutual confi 
 dence, affection, and esteem which alwavs existed between them and their 
 commanding general. No officer could have been more thoughtful and 
 considerate for those of every rank and station under his command than 
 was General Burnside, and none, I believe, ever inspired his officers and 
 men with such universal devotion and veneration for their commanding 
 general. I know of no other general in the Union army who so com 
 pletely held the unquestioning confidence and affection of his men. 
 To them his presence was an inspiration ; his smile almost a benediction. 
 Wherever they may have served under him, whether in his regiment, his 
 brigade, or his illustrious " Old Ninth Army Corps," his surviving com 
 rades, while dropping bitter tears over his grave, recall with just pride 
 the recollection and the record of their service with Major-General 
 Burnside. 
 
 At the conclusion of the war, modestly wearing the honors he had won, 
 General Burnside resumed his residence in Rhode Island, where, in the 
 following year, he was elected governor of the State, an office which he 
 filled during three successive years, by as many successive elections, to his 
 own honor and the high satisfaction of our people. 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 439 
 
 In 1874 he was the choice of Rhode Island for United States Senator; 
 and, having completed his first term with credit and distinction, and won 
 the just commendation of our State for the earnestness, care, and dis 
 crimination with which he performed the duties of his office and dis 
 charged every trust committed to his care, was, in iSSo, reelected to his 
 seat in the United States Senate, and had scarcely entered upon his second 
 term at the time of his sudden and seemingly untimely death. 
 
 He fell in the ripeness of his fame, adorned with the honors showered 
 upon him by a grateful people, leaving them the legacy of a noble life, 
 an illustrious career, and an honorable example. 
 
 His comrades of the war, the people, his State, and the Nation mourn 
 his loss, and will vainly seek to fill the place in their councils and their 
 hearts left vacant by his death. 
 
 If he had faults or weaknesses, they were in his excessive generosity, 
 his open-hearted frankness, his amiability of temper, his wonderful un 
 selfishness, his splendid magnanimity. 
 
 I think I may justly assert his only faults sprang from the development 
 of his illustrious virtues. 
 
 He has gone to his reward, and I feel sure that the Great Arbiter of 
 the universe will deal tenderly with that great spirit in which those who 
 knew him most intimately could find no guile. 
 
 Although, in proportion to her small population and limited territory, 
 Rhode Island has furnished many names of great men and distinguished 
 heroes to decorate the pages of our country s history, there is no name 
 upon that illustrious roll which she more affectionately and confidently 
 commits to the appreciative consideration of posterity than that of her 
 favorite and honored son, Ambrose Everett Burnside. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, I move the adoption of the resolutions. 
 
 The resolutions were unanimously adopted ; and accordingly, at four 
 o clock and fifteen minutes, P. M., the House adjourned. 
 
* J * 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 CONCLUDING ESTIMATE OF GENERAL BURXSIDE S MILITARY CA 
 REER, LEGISLATIVE ABILITY, PUBLIC SPEECHES, AND PRIVATE 
 LIFE. 
 
 IT has been a difficult task to comprise within limited 
 bounds the story of General Burnside s eventful life. 
 An industrious mechanic, a gallant soldier, a wise 
 governor, and a useful Senator, he was a glorious type of 
 a citizen of the United States. Endowed by nature with 
 a gracious presence, an indomitable will, great tenacity of 
 purpose, and an indefatigable industry, he was always 
 ready to perform any assigned duty. 
 
 His military career has been severely criticised, but a 
 close examination of it will show that, when not obstructed 
 by others, and when cordially supported by his subordi 
 nates, he was entitled to rank with the great generals of 
 the war for the suppression of the Rebellion. Had he 
 found, on his arrival at Fredericksburg, the pontoons which 
 had been promised him, and had he received a loyal sup 
 port when he moved on the enemy s works there, he would 
 have redeemed the Army of the Potomac from the rep 
 utation fof inaction which it had received ; in his North 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 Carolina campaign, organized and carried on without in 
 terference from Washington, he displayed great energy 
 and good generalship ; his occupation of East Tennessee, 
 culminating in his gallant defense of Knoxville against the 
 dashing attacks of Longstreet s corps, displayed remark 
 able intrepidity, intelligence, and military skill ; the ad 
 vance of his command up the slope of South Mountain, 
 fighting as they went, was. unquestionably one of the most 
 brilliant events of the war ; had he been permitted to direct 
 the assault at Petersburg, after the explosion of the mine, 
 there is the high opinion of General Grant that " it would 
 have been a success." But, above all, with a courage 
 higher than that of battle, he assumed responsibilities 
 which belonged to others, and he displayed a soldierly 
 subordination, and an absence of selfish ambition, by serv 
 ing, without murmuring, under a commander whom he 
 ranked. 
 
 As a legislator, General Burnside exercised a greater 
 influence on the work of the Senate, through his earnest 
 ness, integrity, and good sense, than many others whose 
 remarks occupy a far greater space than his in the Con 
 gressional Record. When he spoke, he \vent, as was 
 said of Wellington in the British House of Peers, straight 
 at his mark, and never missed a bull s-eye. His oratory 
 was, indeed, deficient in the higher flights of rhetoric, but 
 it accurately reflected the practical character of his mind, 
 and if some of his sentences were rough hewn from the 
 block of his common sense, his auditors forgot their un 
 polished aspect in their deep sense of the value of the 
 quarry. When forced into a debate by any of the numer 
 ous lawyers in the Senate Chamber, a Spartan defending 
 himself and his country against Athenian orators could 
 not have developed a more strongly-marked idiosyncrasy 
 
442 
 
 LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF 
 
 or a more signal difference of culture, thought, and lan 
 guage. Mistaken at first "for a blunt soldier, and no more," 
 it was not supposed that he could sustain himself against 
 those " learned in the law "arrayed against him, but in those 
 displays of dialectics which occupy so many pages of con 
 gressional debate, the results belie these expectations. 
 The general (like another great soldier of old), settled 
 the affair by cutting the knot, and carried the day against 
 the most refined oratorical art, and the most inquisitive of 
 cross-examinations, by simply saying his say and mean 
 ing what he said. 
 
 In his speeches before public assemblages, many speci 
 mens of which are given in the preceding pages, his 
 thoughts took the shape of axioms, maxims, ascertained 
 principles, and fixed conclusions. The utter absence of 
 all oratorical display or desire for exhibition lent an ad 
 ditional force to what he said. His thorough personal 
 identity with the people was his chief source of success. 
 There was a vigorousness common to both thoughts and 
 words, with an abruptness and positiveness, which was 
 admired as " pluck," yet he was no master in the arts of 
 the cunning demagogue. As a servant of the State of 
 Rhode Island, in peace or in war, the meed of his am 
 bition was full ; and her praise or her blame stirred his 
 heart more than the opinion of all the world beside. 
 
 It is difficult to speak of the private life of one who had 
 so entirely become public property, but he had a domestic 
 character wholly distinct from that which he externally 
 presented to the world. As a soldier, and as a statesman, 
 no other American was so well known, and he received 
 and responded to the admiration and even the curiosity of 
 the public, with great good nature. Whenever he passed 
 through a crowd his path might be traced by the turned 
 
GEN. AMBROSE E. BURN SIDE. 
 
 443 
 
 faces and gazing eyes of men, women, and children. The 
 wealthy and the poor the highest class of society and the 
 lowest made public obeisance to him as he passed, 
 while occasionally a veteran who had served under him 
 would step up to grasp his hand. Courtly in his manners, 
 scrupulously neat in his attire, and somewhat punctilious in 
 matters of etiquette, he was a favorite in what is known as 
 " society," but the mechanics and farmers of his neighbor 
 hood found him cordial, friendly, and at times jocular in 
 his intercourse with them. Always fond of children, the 
 " little people " paid him an involuntary tribute by being 
 fond of him. He was the very soul of grace, of gentle 
 ness, and of hope ; and kindness was the means to his ends. 
 His consideration for other people the proudest and the 
 humblest was courteous and charitable, with an excuse 
 for every fault, and forgiveness for almost every wrong. 
 No sacrifice of time, labor, thought, money, or responsi 
 bility seemed too great when he could make it in promot 
 ing the happiness of others. 
 
 " Twin column of the State, 
 In fight Achilles, Nestor in debate, 
 Whose mind was virtue s poise, whom no success 
 Might dazzle, no adversity depress, 
 No bribe allure, no artifice betray, 
 No labor tire, when duty showed the way, 
 No danger daunt and no renown elate; 
 His fate soared high, his soul outsoared his fate. 
 A youth as fresh as his first laurels were 
 He gave his country; and his silver hair 
 Honored the brows of service, brows that caught 
 Thro near an age no shade of selfish thought: 
 The earliest beam that on his pathway crossed 
 Beheld him where night found him, at his post. 
 Death but promotes him ; all that could decline 
 Of his most honored being was its dust ; 
 He never dies who holds his life a trust." 
 
444 
 
 GEN. AMBROSE E. BURN SIDE. 
 
 General Burnside s name and fame will live while the 
 recollection of the great historic events in which he was so 
 prominent an actor remain. The country cannot forget 
 him, and the people whom he so devotedly served will 
 cherish the memory of his labors in their behalf while life 
 shall last. Gallant Soldier ! Honored Patriot ! True 
 Statesman ! Generous Friend ! Farewell ! 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abbott, Senator, 281. 
 Altlrich, Senator Xelson \V., 430. 
 Alleghanies, crossing the, 47. 
 Americans in Mexico, 54. 
 Ancestry, 18-25. 
 Andrew Burnside, 21. 
 Annapolis, 96, 123, 226, 230. 
 Anthony, Senator, 313,388. 
 Antietam, 169, 171. 177,316. 
 Apaches, The, 60. 64. 69. 
 Appomattox Court House, 263. 
 Apprenticeship, 28, 29. 
 Acquia Creek, 158. 
 Armstrong s Dragoons, 119. 
 Army, German, 285-294. 
 Army Reunion, 295. 
 Arnold s Battery, 119. 
 Arthur, President, 390. 
 
 Balch, Major, 114. 
 
 Ballon, Major, 115. 
 
 Balloon Observations, 106. 
 
 Bands, Military, 336. 
 
 Barber, The Cadet, 39, 40. 
 
 Bargain, Political. 373-381. 
 
 Barnes, Dr., 386. 388. 
 
 Barney, General C. II., 400. 
 
 Barrv, Major, 117. 
 
 Bartfett, John Russell, 67, 274. 
 
 Bartow, Fort, 130. 
 
 Base, Change of, 333. 
 
 Battle-fields, Revolutionary, 367, 368. 
 
 Bayard, Senator, 313. 
 
 Beaufort. 144, 145. 
 
 Beauregard, General, 105, 116. 
 
 Beck, Senator, 379. 
 
 Belknap, General. 323. 
 
 Benny Havens at West Point, 41. 
 
 Bereavement, Domestic, 322, 323. 
 
 Bishop, Mary Richmond, 77. 
 
 Bishop, Mrs., 394. 
 
 Bismarck, Count, 287, 288, 289. 
 
 Blackboard, Demonstrations on the, 44, 45. 
 
 Blind, Education of the, 345. 
 
 Bragg. General, 216. 
 
 Bragg s Batterv, 57, 59, 60. 
 
 Bramard, Dr. Daniel, 226. 
 
 Bramlett, Governor. 313. 
 
 Breech-loading Rifle, 72, 73, 76, 78, 83-87, 
 102. 
 
 Bribe Demanded, 87. 
 
 Bristol, 305, 391. 
 
 Bristol Rifle NVorks, 78, 87. 
 
 Brooks, General, 200. 
 
 Brown & Ives, 379. 
 
 Brown University, 122, 257, 317. 
 
 Bruce, Senator, 314. 
 
 Buchanan, President, 90. 
 
 Buckingham, General, 178. 
 
 Buckner, General, 216, 272, 273. 
 
 Buell. General, 124. 
 
 Bull Run, 104, nt. 
 
 Bunker Hill Celeoration, 319. 
 
 Burns, General. 178. 
 
 Burnside, Acceptance of Cadet Appoint 
 ment, 34. 
 
 Burnside Apprenticed as a Tailor, 28. 
 
 Burnside Landed at VeraCruz, 53. 
 
 Burnside, Mrs., 77, 323. 
 
 Butler, General B. F., 124. 
 
 Butler, Senator, 377, 380. 
 
 Cadets, Colored, 358. 
 Campbell Station, 218. 
 Cemetery Hill, 237. 
 Cemetery, Swan Point, 409. 
 Centreville, 109. 
 Chace. Jonathan, 433. 
 Chandler, Senator. 281. 
 Character, Analysis of, 346. 
 Charge Columns, 196. 
 Chicago, 88. 
 
44 6 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Chickamauga, 216. 
 
 Cincinnati, 204, 209, 222. 
 
 City Hall, Providence, 394. 
 
 Claims, War, 273. 
 
 Clam-bakes, Rhode Island, 59, 320. 
 
 Clark, Right Reverend Bishop, 96. 
 
 Class of 1847, at West Point, 35-45. 
 
 Coast Division, 123. 
 
 Coatzocoalcos, Steamer, 96. 
 
 Cochrane, General John, zoo. 
 
 Cold Harbor, 229. 
 
 Cold Harbor, Battle of, 232, 233. 
 
 Committee Service, 314. 
 
 Compromise Exposed, 326. 
 
 Conde, Gen. P. D., 67. 
 
 Congressional Committee, Report of, 261- 
 
 263. 
 
 Connections, Family, 18-25. 
 Constituents, Attention to, 368. 
 Cooking. Nocturnal, at West Point, 42. 
 Couch, General, 163. 
 Court-martial, 78, 79. 
 Cox, General, 165, 167. 
 Crawford, George W., 22. 
 Crawford, Peter, 22. 
 Crossan, Jane, 21. 
 Cub Run, 119. 
 Cumberland Gap, 217. 
 Cumberland Mountains, 214. 
 Curtis, Ceorge William, 250. 
 
 Darien, Inter-oceanic Canal, 350. 
 
 Davis, Jefferson, 118, 148. 
 
 Dawes, Senator, 314. 
 
 Decoration Day, 297, 316. 
 
 Defeat for Congress. 82. 
 
 Demonstrations, Political, 258. 
 
 Deportment, 331. 
 
 Desert Ride, 70. 
 
 Devens, General Charles, 295. 
 
 Dixon, Nathan F., 296. 
 
 Duel between Burnside and Crawford, 22. 
 
 Edenton, 136. 
 
 Edghill Farm, 304-311, 320, 385, 386. 
 Edghill, Col. James, 19. 
 Edmunds, Senator, 313. 
 Eight-hour Law, 337. 
 Eighth Massachusetts Volunteers, 96. 
 Electioneering Address, Si, 82. 
 Elizabeth City, 136. 
 Ellsworth, Colonel, SS, 100. 
 El Paso. 67, 69. 
 Emigration, Quaker, 23. 
 Everts, Dr. Sylvanus, Family Physician, 
 26. 
 
 Fairfax Court House, 109. 
 
 Farm Life, 256. 
 
 Favre, Jules, 292. 
 
 Ferrero, Gen. Edward, zoo, 230, 240. 
 
 First Rhode Island Regiment, The, 93-122, 
 
 279-284,415,417,418, 438. 
 Flag Presentation, 94, 95. 
 Forbes, Alexander, 286. 
 Forbes, Paul, 289. 
 
 Foreign Relations, Committee on, 372. 
 Forest, Fort, 130. 
 Forsyth, General, 287. 
 Fort Adams, 58, 59, 61, 75. 
 
 Fort Adams, Burnside stationed at, 58. 
 
 Fort Leavenworth, 71. 
 
 Fort Sumter, Attack on, 92. 
 
 Foster, Gen. John G., 124, 132, 139, 151, 152, 
 
 220. 
 Franklin, Gen. W. B., 163, 183, 187, 192, 
 
 196, 200. 
 
 Frazer, General, 217. 
 Frederick City, 163. 
 Fredericksburg, 156, 183-199. 
 Freedom of the Press, 66. 
 
 Gamblers on Steamboats, 48, 50. 
 
 Gambling-Houses, Mexican, 57. 
 
 Garfield, President, 371, 372. 
 
 Garfield, President, Assassination of, 385. 
 
 Gibbon, General, 166. 
 
 Goddard, Col. William, oo, 310, 396. 
 
 Gold-mines, Norwood, 271. 
 
 Goldsborough, Commodore L. M., 122, 126. 
 
 Grand Army of the Republic, 295, 306, 320. 
 
 Grant, General, 211, 218, 229, 231, 236, 237, 
 
 239. 261, 320. 
 Greene, Capt. Joe, 146. 
 Griffin s Battery, 117, 120. 
 Guadaloupe Hidalgo, Treaty of, 67. 
 
 Halleck, General, 155, 161, 183. 
 
 Hamilton. Ohio, 73,74, 208. 
 
 Hamlin, Hannibal, 313. 
 
 Hampton Roads, 126. 
 
 Hampton, Senator Wade, 428. 
 
 Haraldson, Hugh A., 43. 
 
 Harper s Ferry, 101. 
 
 Harrison, Senator, 235, 424. 
 
 Hatteras Inlet, 127. 
 
 Hayes, Lieut. -Col. R. B., 165. 
 
 Hayes, President, 325. 
 
 Hayward, Mayor William, 389. 
 
 Hazard, Samuel F., Commander, 126. 
 
 Hazen. General, 287. 
 
 Heth, Gen. Harry, 36, 39. 270, 271. 
 
 Hill. Senator Ben., 328, 375. 
 
 Holloway, Robert, 70, 136. 
 
 Honors, "Military Funeral, 400-409. 
 
 Hooker, General, 163, 183. 190, 191, 199. 
 
 Horses. Favorite, 308, 309. 
 
 Humphreys, General, 189. 
 
 Hunter, General David, 107, 114. 
 
 Illinois Central Railroad, 89. 
 Impeachment, Court of, 323. 
 Inquiry, Court of, 251. 
 Investigation, Congressional, 260. 
 
 ackson, (Stonewall) T. J.. 37, 117. 
 amaica, Burnside Plantations in, 20. 
 amaica, Tory Refugees in, 20, 21. 
 ames Burnside, 19. 
 ohnston, Gen. Joe., 116. 
 ohnson. President, 265, 313. 
 ones, Senator, 328. 
 oseph Burnside, 19. 
 udges. Side, 24. 
 unction, The, 97. 
 
 Kentucky, 211-214. 
 Kimball, Major, 133. 
 Kingsbury, Major J. J. B., 271-273. 
 Kingsbury, II. W., 272, 273. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 447 
 
 Knnxville, 205, 217. 297-302. 
 Knoxville, Siege of, 219, 220. 
 
 Lands, Public, 364, 365. 
 
 Led ley. General, 254. 
 
 Lee, General, 164, 175, 184, 231, 234. 
 
 Legislative Career, 441, 442. 
 
 Lenoir, 218. 
 
 Lewis, Dixon H.,43. 
 
 Lexington, Kentucky, 211. 
 
 Liberty, Academy at, 27. 
 
 Liberty, Burnside commences business at, 
 
 29. 
 
 Liberty, first settlement of, 23. 
 Liberty made a county seat, 24. 
 Lincoln, President, 97, 122, 136, 154, 160, 162, 
 
 168, 186, 196, 197, 198, 203, 224, 230, 261. 
 Littlefield, Governor A. 11., 389, 408. 
 Locke, Rev. George L., 392, 410. 
 London, Visit to, 285. 
 Longstreet, General, no, 217, 218, 220. 
 Louisville, Kentucky, 51. 53. 
 Loyalists in South Carolina, 19. 
 Loyal Legion, The, 310, 319. 
 
 McCarty, Chaplain, 55. 
 
 McClellan, General, 123, 148, 155, 159, 160, 
 
 167, 169, 173, 175, 180. 
 McClellan, George B., S3. 
 McDowell, General, 93, 107, 113. 
 Macon, Fort, 144-147. 
 Manassas, 103. 
 Marine Artillery Corps, 76. 
 Marriage at Providence, 77. 
 Marston, General Oilman, 116. 
 Martin, Colonel, 115. 
 Massachusetts, Eighth, 96. 
 Maxey, Senator, 271, 314, 330. 
 Meade, General, 196, 238, 239, 250, 251. 
 Merrill, Major George S., 400. 
 Mexican Society, 56, 57. 
 Mexico, Marcli in, 54, 55. 
 Military Career, 440, 441. 
 Mine, Explosion of the, 243. 
 Monroe Doctrine, The, 350-358. 
 Morgan, General, 211. 
 Morton, Senator, 281, 314, 332, 333. 
 Mount Hope Bay, 305. 
 Myers, John M., 73. 
 Mytrs i: Burnside commence business at 
 
 Liberty, 26, 29. 
 
 Xewbern, 136-142. 
 
 New Mexico, 60. 
 
 New Orleans, 53, 89. 
 
 Newport, Visits of Burnside to, 59. 
 
 Newton, General John, 200. 
 
 New York Seventh Regiment, 96. 
 
 Ninth Corps, The, 152-163, 284, 309, 390. 
 
 Nomination to Congress, So 82. 
 
 Norris, Colonel Samuel, 395. 
 
 Noycs, Samuel B.. 225. 
 
 Nye, Senator, 280. 
 
 Officers. Non-Commissioned, 350. 
 Ohio River, Traveling on the, 48". 
 Oliver, Gn. II. K-, Secretary of the West 
 Point Board of Visitors, 43. 
 
 Pall-bearers, 397. 
 Pamlico Souna, 127. 
 
 Parke, General John G., 124, 132, 139, 209, 
 
 211. 
 
 Paris Besieged, 292. 
 Paris, Visit to, 289, 293. 
 Patent Office, The, 97. 
 Patronage, 321. 
 Patterson, General, 100, 105. 
 Pegram, General, 207. 
 Pensions, Payment of, 366, 367. 
 Petersburg, 233, 236-256. 
 Pettibone, A. H., 223. 
 Pleasanton, General. 178. 
 Pleasants, Lieutenant-Colonel H., 337. 
 Plymouth, 136. 
 Palfrey, General, 189. 
 Polk. President, as organizer of victories 
 
 in Mexico, 47. 
 Pope, General, 155, 159. 
 Porter, Fitz John, 160, 172, 362-364. 
 Potter, General, 230, 254. 
 Practical Joke at West Point, 39. 
 Presentation, Sword, 150, 151. 
 Press, Duties of the, 300. 
 Prince of Wales, The, 293. 
 Private Life of, 442, 443. 
 Proclamation calling out troops, 93. 
 Proclamation, Emancipation, 259. 
 Profanity Cured, 77. 
 
 Providence, Locomotive Works at, 268. 
 Providence, Soldiers Monument at, 268, 269. 
 Public Assemblages, Speeches before, 442. 
 Punch-Bowl Presentation, 270. 
 
 Quaker Emigration to Indiana, 20. 
 
 Radziminski, Charles, 69. 
 
 Railroad, Illinois Central, 88, 89, 265, 268. 
 
 Railroad, Martinsville, 265. 
 
 Railroad, Vincennes, 268, 273, 284, 2Sj. 
 
 Ransom, Senator, 314. 
 
 Rebecca Dodson, 18. 
 
 Relatives. 18-35. 
 
 Reno General Jesse L., 124, 132, 1:9, 163 
 
 165, 168. 
 
 Report on Breech-loaders, 85, 86. 
 Reynolds Battery , 119. 
 Rhode Island, Elective Franchise in, 381. 
 Rhode Island, Governor of, 266-274. 
 Rhode Island Militia, 78. 79. 
 Rhodes, General E. H.. 400. 
 Ricketts Battery, 117. 120. 
 Rites, Official funeral, 397-410. 
 Roanoke Island, 130, 132-137. 
 Robert Burnside. iS, 19. 
 Rodman, General, 139. 174. 
 Rogers, Randolph, 268. 
 Ro.-ecrans. General, 217. 
 Rowan, Commander, 138, 139. 
 Russell, Doctor, 286. 
 
 Saint Louis, 65, 71. 
 
 San Antonio, 68. 
 
 Santa Rita Del Cobre. 6- ( . 
 
 Schools, Social Science in the. 368-370. 
 
 Scotch Immigration to South Carolina, iS, 28. 
 
 Scott, Lieutenant-General, 90, 107. 
 
 Saxony, Prince George of. 286. 
 
 Senate, Election to, 296, 302, 360. 
 
 Services, Funeral, 391-396. 
 
 Seward, Secretary, 97, 122. 
 
448 
 
 Sharpsburg, 169,316. 
 Sheridan, General, 287. 
 
 Sherman, General W. T., 124. 
 
 Sherman, Senator, 314. 
 
 Ship-Canals. Inter-oceanic, 352-384. 
 
 Sickness. Final, 388. 
 
 Sigel, General, 183. 
 
 Slicer, Rev. Mr., 402, 408. 
 
 Slocum, Colonel, 114, 115. 
 
 Smith. Caleb B., suggests appointment to 
 
 Military Academy, 31. 
 Smith, General W. F., 200. 
 South Mountain, 165-168. 
 Spies, 207. 
 
 Spooner, Col. Henry J.. 436. 
 Spottsylvania Court House, 225. 232. 
 Sprague, \Villiam, 76, 90, 278, 280. 
 Springs, Saratoga, 386. 
 Standing at West Point, 38,42, 43, 45. 
 Stanley, Governor, 149. 
 Stanton, Secretary, 179. 
 Staples, Rev. Carl ton. 402. 
 Steamship Company, Xarragansett, 2 / VS. 
 Steere, General W. II. P., 400. 
 Stevens, General Isaac I., 156. 
 Stevenson General, 230. 
 Stone Bridge at Antietam, 171. 
 Stoneman. "General, 178. 
 Sturges, Gen. S. D., 178. 200. 
 Sumner, General 183. iSS, 191, 192. 
 Sword Presentation, 392. 
 Sykes, General, 163. 
 
 Tavlor, President. 67. 
 Telegraphic Summons, 93. 
 Test, C. II., obtains appointment to Mili 
 tary Academy, 32. 
 Tests of Breech-loaders, 83, 87. 
 Thomas Burnside, 22. 
 Thomas, General, 98. 
 Thompson, Dr. J. H., 143. 
 
 Times, Chicago, 210. 
 Traveling, Stage, 47, 48. 
 Trochu, General, 290, 292. 
 Troops, Colored. 240, 241, 242. 
 Turner s Gap, 164. 
 
 Tyler, John, appoints Burnside to West 
 Point, 32. 
 
 Uniform of the First Rhode Island, 93. 
 Uniform, The West Point, 38. 
 Utahs, The, 60. 
 
 Yallandigham. C. L,.. 208-211. 
 
 Yera Cruz, General Burnside at, 53, 57. 
 
 Viall. Gen. Nelson, 400. 
 
 Virginia, Advance into, loS. 
 
 Visitor to West Point, 79 So. 
 
 Von Moltke, General, 289. 
 
 Wade, Senator, 262. 263. 
 
 Wallace, Major-General, 204. 
 
 Warren, Fitz Henry, 105. 
 
 Warren, Fort, 210. 
 
 Warren, General. 256. 
 
 Washburne, Minister. 290, 202. 
 
 Whcaton, Lieutenant-Colonel, 115. 
 
 Whig, Knoxvillc. 219. 
 
 \Vhipple, General 178. 
 
 Wilderness. Battle of the, 232. 
 
 Willcox, General, 230. 
 
 Wilson. Senator, 110. 
 
 Wise. Capt. O. J., 134. 
 
 Witness, Contumacious. 325. 
 
 Woodlniry, General. 187. 
 
 Woodbury, Rev. Augustus, 30, 97, 105, 182, 
 
 276, 295. 310. 402, 409. 
 World, New York, 210. 
 
 Yacht, Herreshofif s, 385. 
 Zouaves, New York, 117. 
 

 
 

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