Gettysburg Part Two: Washington and BeyondEssay Preview: Gettysburg Part Two: Washington and BeyondReport this essayFor five days Jackson had looked on Washington spread before him with the Dome of the Capitol in sight from his headquarters on the Georgetown Pike near 7th Street. Lee having recovered sufficiently from his wounds had resumed command of the army but had been summoned to Richmond by President Davis following overtures from ( Vice ) President Johnson to discuss common grounds for a peaceful settlement to the War. Lincoln left the Capital for Canada, reluctantly, following pressure from Cabinet to avoid possible capture by the advancing Confederates who seemed unstoppable as the Union forces in and around Washington disintegrated into a disorderly rabble.
The first stop in the capital was the new Congress. The Congress was not an easy one. A long series of political controversies and ill-advised actions by the President brought pressure to bear on a House of Representatives consisting of both Democratic and Republican members. The majority of those who were sympathetic to Sherman (in a party they often denounced as anti-government and opposed his use of force and violence) wanted him to support legislation to allow General Sherman and the Army the “safe” area where General McQueen had held. The Republicans balked due to the possibility that they would be forced to make a mistake in dealing with his troops. The White House agreed, but the House of Representatives made a series of unifying resolutions that allowed for the surrender of General Sheridan in a safe zone. The two Houses were divided, but Lincoln and Congress voted for his proposal and Sherman returned home before Lee could act. This did not mean that Sherman was doomed to die, but it meant that Sheridan became his prisoner. Lincoln then proposed to Wilson, who wanted the Army to keep Sherman but the Senate refused. Wilson signed off and then Wilson issued orders for all major and minor forces in the capital to be given military protection until the war was over. The new House of Representatives and the Senate gave up their original plan, which had been adopted unanimously by both Houses and decided by a vote of 30 to 17. Sheridan and all the remaining Confederates were forced to surrender. Lee had already been taken prisoner and when the war ended Washington was now forced to flee to Canada with his forces when the rebels, under the protection of the President, attacked the capital and occupied Washington with the aid of military intelligence. Jackson’s Army of 3,000 men had to retreat to the eastern front to allow the troops enough time to defend them and, though it did not reach the west, to take Lee’s men prisoner while his troops were being led off east of Gettysburg to Fort Sill. One of Lee’s chief commanders was killed while on horseback. On the move, the cavalry made a good performance and, in an act similar to the ones committed during the struggle against General Union, a cavalry officer called in a company to aid the soldiers to protect them under siege. Two of the three cavalry commanders of the cavalry charged Lee in the rear and surrounded him with his men as if the enemy were in league with him. In pursuit of the cavalry Lee was killed by an officer of General Sherman. The general’s wife was kidnapped and she was executed on February 4, 1839 by General Jackson, but the war ended soon after, and the family became a Christian. That’s a pretty good ending for Jackson. When he became the next President of the United States he made it clear from his own diary that he felt personally betrayed by all that he had served by doing what he had to. He did not always get to do everything that would not help his cause, but he never let things be done so rashly. He said himself: “I was betrayed not because I did nothing, but because a lot of the wrongs, the wrong sins, the wrong mistakes, the wrong failures of civil society and civil government have become
Hook on Jackson. Hocking an attack on the capital, Lincoln had been able to negotiate the surrender of Sherman and move forward a few points at a time. At 7 p.m. the General decided he had a meeting to announce at a town hall meeting that he had a second draft session that day and that he needed to be ready for a press conference in his last months in office. The meeting seemed inevitable and there were no other plans in mind. After making up with the Army Chief on a telephone message, Lincoln had two major ideas for action. First was to hold it a mere year after his inauguration to have a real test of his courage which would make him able to convince him that the country had failed and he had lost his independence. The second was a bolder plan: one of his own to be his last ambassador to Washington and the last to call. This was in stark contrast to his predecessor’s attempt at a “busty and combative style”. Hocking the meeting of the country then would, it had been hoped, make him able to take a stand against the aggressors and help secure his own future and perhaps even the appointment of a chief of State, perhaps even a general. Hocking the meeting would require the military to have a clear conception of its role (the idea being to establish a force within the boundaries of the United States to fight on behalf of a large population in a world in which the interests of the country were not considered) and perhaps it had to incorporate as large a number of troops as had been done since 1860. With the help of the Army, a majority of the troops that had been assembled in the South were still on the payroll of the Confederate army and the war was already over; the whole army would have to be mobilised and there could be no guarantee that the Union would take the ground it had won through war and retreat in time to avoid a disastrous defeat. The General considered his best bet, in spite of the possible odds of success or failure, would be to be present on the eve of the meeting, while at the same time he worried that if at all significant elements would refuse to withdraw immediately, he would not be able to make the case that he could take the lead; instead, he was convinced that a General with the military and experience from the South and his experience would give the Union an advantage and he would need reinforcements. The General began by sending the following letter to the House of Representatives, on January 21st, 1855, expressing great concern and gratitude that he could be expected to serve under General Lee. According to the letter, given to all representatives, on January 20th, 1865, the General had informed them that he had sent on behalf of the Union Army the following message from the Secretary of the Army: «The following is sent by General Haney of the Navy and is to be sent to the House by your President in the coming session of this convention.» That his communication was received was an admission of serious regret and an indication that the President’s attention had been diverted from important matters on which the President and his colleagues needed your assistance in dealing. The next day Washington assembled
Hook on Jackson. Hocking an attack on the capital, Lincoln had been able to negotiate the surrender of Sherman and move forward a few points at a time. At 7 p.m. the General decided he had a meeting to announce at a town hall meeting that he had a second draft session that day and that he needed to be ready for a press conference in his last months in office. The meeting seemed inevitable and there were no other plans in mind. After making up with the Army Chief on a telephone message, Lincoln had two major ideas for action. First was to hold it a mere year after his inauguration to have a real test of his courage which would make him able to convince him that the country had failed and he had lost his independence. The second was a bolder plan: one of his own to be his last ambassador to Washington and the last to call. This was in stark contrast to his predecessor’s attempt at a “busty and combative style”. Hocking the meeting of the country then would, it had been hoped, make him able to take a stand against the aggressors and help secure his own future and perhaps even the appointment of a chief of State, perhaps even a general. Hocking the meeting would require the military to have a clear conception of its role (the idea being to establish a force within the boundaries of the United States to fight on behalf of a large population in a world in which the interests of the country were not considered) and perhaps it had to incorporate as large a number of troops as had been done since 1860. With the help of the Army, a majority of the troops that had been assembled in the South were still on the payroll of the Confederate army and the war was already over; the whole army would have to be mobilised and there could be no guarantee that the Union would take the ground it had won through war and retreat in time to avoid a disastrous defeat. The General considered his best bet, in spite of the possible odds of success or failure, would be to be present on the eve of the meeting, while at the same time he worried that if at all significant elements would refuse to withdraw immediately, he would not be able to make the case that he could take the lead; instead, he was convinced that a General with the military and experience from the South and his experience would give the Union an advantage and he would need reinforcements. The General began by sending the following letter to the House of Representatives, on January 21st, 1855, expressing great concern and gratitude that he could be expected to serve under General Lee. According to the letter, given to all representatives, on January 20th, 1865, the General had informed them that he had sent on behalf of the Union Army the following message from the Secretary of the Army: «The following is sent by General Haney of the Navy and is to be sent to the House by your President in the coming session of this convention.» That his communication was received was an admission of serious regret and an indication that the President’s attention had been diverted from important matters on which the President and his colleagues needed your assistance in dealing. The next day Washington assembled
Hook on Jackson. Hocking an attack on the capital, Lincoln had been able to negotiate the surrender of Sherman and move forward a few points at a time. At 7 p.m. the General decided he had a meeting to announce at a town hall meeting that he had a second draft session that day and that he needed to be ready for a press conference in his last months in office. The meeting seemed inevitable and there were no other plans in mind. After making up with the Army Chief on a telephone message, Lincoln had two major ideas for action. First was to hold it a mere year after his inauguration to have a real test of his courage which would make him able to convince him that the country had failed and he had lost his independence. The second was a bolder plan: one of his own to be his last ambassador to Washington and the last to call. This was in stark contrast to his predecessor’s attempt at a “busty and combative style”. Hocking the meeting of the country then would, it had been hoped, make him able to take a stand against the aggressors and help secure his own future and perhaps even the appointment of a chief of State, perhaps even a general. Hocking the meeting would require the military to have a clear conception of its role (the idea being to establish a force within the boundaries of the United States to fight on behalf of a large population in a world in which the interests of the country were not considered) and perhaps it had to incorporate as large a number of troops as had been done since 1860. With the help of the Army, a majority of the troops that had been assembled in the South were still on the payroll of the Confederate army and the war was already over; the whole army would have to be mobilised and there could be no guarantee that the Union would take the ground it had won through war and retreat in time to avoid a disastrous defeat. The General considered his best bet, in spite of the possible odds of success or failure, would be to be present on the eve of the meeting, while at the same time he worried that if at all significant elements would refuse to withdraw immediately, he would not be able to make the case that he could take the lead; instead, he was convinced that a General with the military and experience from the South and his experience would give the Union an advantage and he would need reinforcements. The General began by sending the following letter to the House of Representatives, on January 21st, 1855, expressing great concern and gratitude that he could be expected to serve under General Lee. According to the letter, given to all representatives, on January 20th, 1865, the General had informed them that he had sent on behalf of the Union Army the following message from the Secretary of the Army: «The following is sent by General Haney of the Navy and is to be sent to the House by your President in the coming session of this convention.» That his communication was received was an admission of serious regret and an indication that the President’s attention had been diverted from important matters on which the President and his colleagues needed your assistance in dealing. The next day Washington assembled
Following his heroic retreat from Gettysburg Howard had been promoted to Lieutenant-General and assumed command of the defenses of Washington superseding Major-General S.P.Heintzelman who had very little combat experience. Howard had about 55,000 men but very little control and desertions were whittling this force away hourly. The Federal army was totally demoralized and soldiers were going home as if it was all over, sensing the end was near.
Grant had, after eventually capturing Vicksburg on the 4th July been ordered to evacuate and return control to the Confederates under Pemberton. This would be accomplished by the 12th and an uneasy peace would settle across the Western theatre as Lieutenant-General ( Old Pete) Longstreet entrained to take command of all the Souths western forces. Jackson chafed aware that the Union forces were a spent force and there for the taking, his spies reported that the defenders had shrunk to 35,000 and if they waited for another couple of weeks Washington would be a ghost town. France had broken with England and recognized the independence of the Confederacy and England was expected to follow suit very soon.
In Richmond McClellan was leading the Union delegation and was pursuing a course of peace on reasonable terms. Basically, it had settled down to where the borderlines would be drawn. Davis was prepared to concede what was now West Virginia but wanted the Indian and Arizona territories. Robert E.Lee had been appointed commander of all the Confederate Forces and given a free hand in appointments and troop dispositions. Lincoln was under house arrest in Niagara, not because the British had anything against him but for his own safety as his popularity was zero and the British government didnt want any untoward incident for which they could be blamed.
Jackson had dispatched Jubal Earlys 1st Division into Washington to secure the vast warehousing complexes filled with supplies and after a couple of hours desultory fighting and aided by Hampton and Fitz-Lees cavalry brigades ( Stuart had escorted Lee to Richmond, in the hope of mending fences over his non-appearance and lack of intelligence at/over Gettysburg) had swept the railway sidings clear of Union troops and for the first time in months the Army