Identifier: lifepublicservic01phelps (find matches)
Title: Life and public services of General Ulysses S. Grant, from his boyhood to the present time. And a biographical sketch of Hon. Schuyler Colfax
Year: 1868 (1860s)
Authors: Phelps, Charles A
Subjects: Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885 Colfax, Schuyler, 1823-1885
Publisher: Boston, Lee and Shepard
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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the Southernarmies, and commanded by the ablest of the rebelgenerals. Its bastions were mountains, its trenches werevalleys, its moats were rivers, its embrasures weremountain-gorges. Its natural features offered in everydirection the most formidable obstacles to our advance,and, at the same time, were easily defended. Richmond was one hundred and seventeen milesfrom Washington on the James River, and ordinarilycontained a population of sixty thousand. Beauregardand the engineers of the rebel army had exhausted theirskill and resources upon its fortifications, until it hadbecome one of the strongest citadels in the world.Culpeper Court House, ten miles north of the Rapidanand seventy-five miles south of Washington, was theheadquarters of Gen. Grant. Lee with his veteranswas at Orange Court House, ten miles south of theRapidan. The two armies were twenty miles distantfrom each other. Grant now issued the death-warrant of the Rebellionin giving orders for a general advance of the army.
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o CHAPTER XXVI. CAMPAIGN IN THE WILDERNESS. ON the afternoon of the 3d of May, 1864, the tentsof the Union army were struck; and that night,beneath the starhght, troops began crossing the Rapidanat Germania and Elys Fords. The crossing was con-tinued during the next day. The force numbered ahundred thousand men. The day was warm, the sunwas bright; and as cohimn after column wound its waydown the rivers bank, over the bridges, and spread outin marching order on the opposite side, banners andbayonets disappearing in the distance, the scene, bothas a picture and for its moral associations, was deeplyimpressive. Grant said, This is a Avonderfully-fineappearing army; but it has seemed to me it neverfought its battles through. They marched tOAvard the Wilderness. This is awild, desolate tract of country in Spottsylvania County,about five miles wide, and twelve miles long. It is animmense jungle. The wood has been burned off forminers: its surface is uneven, and covered with stumps,bushes,

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