The Passing of the Armies: An Account of the Final Campaign of the Army of the Potomac, Based upon Personal Reminiscences of the Fifth Army Corps

The Passing of the Armies: An Account of the Final Campaign of the Army of the Potomac, Based upon Personal Reminiscences of the Fifth Army Corps

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Language: English

Pages: 222

ISBN: 2:00354235

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


Written by one of the Union army’s most celebrated officers, The Passing of the Armies offers a remarkable first-hand account of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac. In his gripping memoir, first published in 1915, General Joshua Lawrence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

illustrate Seward’s diplomatic message to Napoleon that a French army cannot force an Austrian Emperor on the Mexican Republic. Crook, so familiar to our army, is not here, preferring an “engagement” elsewhere and otherwise; for love, too, bears honors to-day. Soldierly Merritt is at the head, well deserving of his place. Leading the divisions are Custer, Davies, and Devin, names known before and since in the lists of heroes. Following also, others whom we know: Gibbs, Wells, Pennington, Stagg of

with us of the 20th Maine on the transport that bore us forth in 1862 to fields and fortunes far apart, now at last united again. We remember how that splendor of equipment and loftiness of bearing made us feel very green and humble, but we are somehow equalized now! Of them was Major Henry Burrage, now proudly riding, acting assistant adjutant-general of his brigade,—foretokening his place and part in the Loyal Legion of Maine! Here comes our 31st Maine, brave Daniel White’s; consolidated with

Also Grant’s account of this battle, Memoirs, vol. ii., pp. 443-446, the details of which, however, are so erroneous as to movements, their time and place and bearing on the result, that they would not be recognized as pertaining to that battle by anyone who was there;–an observation which adds to our sorrow at the distressing circumstances under which the distinguished writer was compelled to conclude his last volume without opportunity for examining the then existing evidence in that case. But

of all, we missed our companions of the Second and Sixth Corps. They were only three miles away and were under orders to move back at once to Burkeville. It seemed strange to us that these two corps should not be allowed that little three-mile march more, to be participants of this consummation to which they perhaps more than any had contributed. Many a longer detour had they made for less cause and less good. But whatever of honor or privilege came to us of the Fifth Corps was accepted not as

I chanced to be at that moment on the summit of a very high hill, from which I could see the whole corps winding its caravan with dromedary patience. The first lightning-bolt nearly stunned me. I saw its forerunner flashing along the cannon far ahead and illuminating Crawford’s column with unearthly glare; and turning quickly towards my own I could see the whole black column struggling on and Ayres a mile behind urging and cheering his men with condensed reserve energies all alive; when this

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