. A personal history of Ulysses S. Grant, and sketch of Schuyler Colfax. dhe abandoned Culpepper and gone around to the mouth of .the James, it would have left the capital open to Lee for amonth, and even if no disaster had followed, the seemingretreat could not have failed to dispirit his troops. Still,he was not altogether sanguine of success, and told hisstaff and Meade and Butler that in case of failure he shouldultimately cross the James and attack Richmond from thesouth. On the evening of Tuesdaj, May third, Meade issued or-ders to strike tents, and sent forward the pontoon trains tolay
. A personal history of Ulysses S. Grant, and sketch of Schuyler Colfax. dhe abandoned Culpepper and gone around to the mouth of .the James, it would have left the capital open to Lee for amonth, and even if no disaster had followed, the seemingretreat could not have failed to dispirit his troops. Still,he was not altogether sanguine of success, and told hisstaff and Meade and Butler that in case of failure he shouldultimately cross the James and attack Richmond from thesouth. On the evening of Tuesdaj, May third, Meade issued or-ders to strike tents, and sent forward the pontoon trains tolay bridges at Elys Ford and Germania Ford. While 1864.] The Army once more in Motion. 393 Culpepper was noisy with rumbling wheels, clattering hoofs,and tramping feet, Grant, Rawlins, and Washburne sat inthe head-quarters tent until two in the morning, talking ofhistory, literature, and politics. Then they rolled them-selves in their blankets. The troops started at midnight,marching silently by the light of the stars. Next morning, the citizens were surprised to find the. THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN OP 1864. army gone. The General and his staff breakfasted, and gal-loped away from the deserted village. At Germania theyfound the splendid soldiers of Warren and Sedgwickstreaming over the Rapidan, in long lines of blue, tippedwith shining bayonets and garlanded with starry flags. AtElys, Hancocks men were crossing, followed by the enor-mous supply train of four thousand wagons. Before night 394 Battle of the Wilderness Begins. [1864. the army was south of the river, encamped on the historicfield of Chancellorville and around the house to whichStonewall Jackson was borne, mortally wounded. At nine oclock, all lights were put out. Grant, who hadfeared that the enemy might dispute his passage or fall uponhis train, regarded the safe crossing as a great success, andnow hoped to find a clear road. His immediate design wasto get between the rebel capital and the rebel army, and hehad hopes even
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