CHAPTER XXII. The Advance-Richmond-The path to the Rebel Capital-The "Wilderness"-The opening of Battle-The Days of Carnage-The Death of Sedgwick-Of General Rice-General Grant's Strategy-General Butler-Sheridan-Sherman-The grand Flanking March to North AnnaChickahominy-James River-What the Rebels think. LANCE over capital of the "Old Dominion," and of the new Confederacy of slaveholders. Its population, ordinarily, did not exceed sixty thousand. The situation is pleasant, on the James River. As a war centre, it has become a great hospital and Sodom. The sick and wounded in body, and the corrupt in heart, are the ruling majority in the high place of treason, second only to. Charleston in this distinction. Under the accomplished engineer, Beauregard, who, since the first year of the conflict, has multiplied defences, exhausting his skill and resources, it presents circles and angles of fortifications, perhaps unsurpassed by any city in the world. Below Richmond is Fort Darling; and on the same side, to guard an approach, is Petersburg, also strongly fortified and garrisoned. Between the National capital and Richmond lies Lee's veteran army, waiting for Generals Grant and Meade to move. The former has the general direction of the grand campaign, while General Meade is commander of the Potomac Army. Culpepper Court House, ten miles north of the Rapidan, between it and the Rappahannock, and about seventy-five miles from Washington, is the headquarters of General Grant. Ten miles on the other, or south side of the river, at Orange Court House, is the Confederate host. The two vast armies are, therefore, twenty miles apart. Their pickets come to the banks of the stream, and sometimes joke across it, and pass papers and tobacco to each other. General Lee has for several months been anticipating another attempt to cut a way to Richmond, whose Libby Prison-worse than death to our captive heroes-had awakened the strongest indignation at the North. May 3d, 1864, the order is issued by General Grant to march. The myriad tents disappear in the night like frostwork before the sun; the knapsacks are packed, the rations secured, and the arms seized. Horses stand by thousands in the darkness, prancing for the fray, or harnessed to the heavy wagons. The next day dawns upon a sadly magnificent array. Freedom's battalions, two hundred thousand strong, cover. ing miles of scarred and desolate ground, are pressing forward to the bugle's blast, into the bloodiest contest of the war. General Grant's military capacity and strategy appear in this greatest campaign of the age. It extends over a vast field of movements, from Mobile, which he intends General Banks to look after, to Richmond, including Sigel's and Sherman's expeditions. Failure anywhere must affect, more or less, the success of the whole. Trusting his generals and Providence in the stupendous plan, the time for action has come. He does not hurl his battalions against those of Lee, protected by the strongest intrenchments, but moves round to the eastward. His plan is, to get past the right wing, and between the enemy and Richmond. Then, Lee must come out of his war den, and try to stop his adver sary, or fall back on his capital. Right across General Grant's path lies the "Wilderness. This is a tract of land a dozen miles or more long, and about five in width, in Spottsylvania County, Va. It runs nearly along the bank of the Rapidan. Oh, what a place for an advancing army! See the tangled scrub-oak bushes, deep, ragged gullies, ravines with steep sides, and, scattered on every hand, patches of swamp. No roads invite the steps of the martial host. A few narrow paths, called roads, cross the sterile woods; . and an occasional clearing, with a tavern and a few rough habitations, relieve the desolation. On the skirt of this forest is Chan cellorsville, where Hooker fought his disastrous battle. May 4th, the Union columns cross the Rapidan with pontoon bridges. The youthful Warren leads the Fifth Corps, the lion-hearted Sedgwick the Sixth-both crossing at the Germania Ford. The Second Corps, under the gallant, splendid Hancock, makes the passage at Ely's Ford; the Ninth, under the noble Burnside, remaining as reserve on the north bank of the river. Wednesday night the troops sleep on the quiet shore toward the foe. May 5th pours its light over the uprisen, marshalled ranks of the Union. Forward into the "Wilderness " they are led by their bravely confident chief. May 5th, just as they are turning to sweep along and around the enemy's lines, aids from General Sheridan's horsemen, who had been pushing southeastward, come back with despatches. General Meade, a tall, thin man, a little stooping in the shoulders, breaks the seal, and reads. The next moment he turns to General Grant, remarking: "They say that Lee intends to fight us here." Then they step aside, and talk. The Lieutenant-General smokes, and whittles in musing mood while he converses. He now changes the direction of the cutting from him, and with quicker motion. He has matured his plan. Action will swiftly follow. Like the collision of rushing engines will be the shock. Lee is determined to crush through, and break the equally resolute ranks of our unshrinking "boys." Again and again Ewell's and Hills's corps dash upon the columns of |