If it is too much too say that three months ago darkness and gloom shrouded the Union cause, that at home the National credit was tottering, and abroad we were treated with a scarcely disguised contempt, it is, at least, true that with the opening of the year some distrust and much despondency pervaded the public mind. But in these three months a change as cheering has come over our affairs as the events are remarkable by which it has been accomplished. Let us briefly review them:
Order No. 1 of President Lincoln marked the inauguration of a new era, illustrated in the East by the gallant Burnside and Shields, and in the West by a succession of victories hardly surpassed in the history of any campaign on record. On the 19th of January last occurred the affair at Mill Spring, the harbinger of a new day. In that fight the right wing of the rebel army in Kentucky was destroyed, the position at Bowling Green was flanked, and Tennessee opened to invasion. February 6th, Fort Henry was taken, and we were enabled to command the communication of the rebel strongholds at Bowling Green and at Columbus. Nine days later the rebels evacuated Bowling Green, and it was occupied by Gen. Mitchell without firing off a gun. February 16th, Fort Donelson fell; on the 25th of the same month Nashville was occupied by Union troops. March 4th, the evacuation of Columbus afforded us another bloodless but most important victory. On the 13th New Madrid was evacuated by the rebels, whose retreating footsteps were pressed upon so closely that vast quantities of camp equipage and supplies of all kinds fell into our hands. March 10th, came the news of the hard fought field of Pea Ridge, in which the combined forces of McCulloch, Price and Van Dorn, sustained a final defeat, and Missouri was redeemed. Up all this comes the news of the reduction of Island No. 10, and the victory at Pittsburg, which though it may have been well night missed by the delays of a dilatory General, will prove, let us trust, in the end a signal advantage.
In contemplating the series of events, of which this is only the merest outline, it seems more like a skillfully arranged drama than like a campaign prosecuted under great difficulties, so rapid and harmonious have been the movements, undisturbed by a single serious reverse. It is only when we reckon up its visible, tangible results, and attempt to form some idea of the consequences sure speedily to follow, that we can at all realize the real nature of the stupendous game that has been played before our eyes. In brief, the result of the campaign thus far are Some 25,000 prisoners; untold amounts of military stores and equipments; hundreds of guns; innumerable flags and every species of trophy, the loss of which inspires discouragement, and the gain, elation in the minds of soldiers; the complete demoralization and partial dispersion of armies, which must number in the aggregate at least 200,000 men; the final liberation from the rebel occupancy of Missouri, Kentucky and Ten – [sic] We have no definite figures yet, but five hundred, I should think, would cover the whole number. We have, however, a large number of their wounded, who are doubtless regarded as prisoners of war, though not included in this estimate. They carried off what wounded they could on Sunday, but on Monday they were forced to leave many to fall into our hands.
Our tents, too, are badly damaged, and much of the camp equipage is destroyed. The rebels occupied all our camps but one, on Monday [sic] night. Trunks were plundered, and private property was mostly destroyed; much however, was left uninjured, especially the camps were not burned, as would certainly have been done if the rebels had not expected to hold what they had gained, and to use at their leisure the spoils they had gained. But on both Sunday and Monday the battle raged through the camps, and of course the tents were riddled with balls. Many of those exposed are thus rendered worthless.
– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862, p. 3
Order No. 1 of President Lincoln marked the inauguration of a new era, illustrated in the East by the gallant Burnside and Shields, and in the West by a succession of victories hardly surpassed in the history of any campaign on record. On the 19th of January last occurred the affair at Mill Spring, the harbinger of a new day. In that fight the right wing of the rebel army in Kentucky was destroyed, the position at Bowling Green was flanked, and Tennessee opened to invasion. February 6th, Fort Henry was taken, and we were enabled to command the communication of the rebel strongholds at Bowling Green and at Columbus. Nine days later the rebels evacuated Bowling Green, and it was occupied by Gen. Mitchell without firing off a gun. February 16th, Fort Donelson fell; on the 25th of the same month Nashville was occupied by Union troops. March 4th, the evacuation of Columbus afforded us another bloodless but most important victory. On the 13th New Madrid was evacuated by the rebels, whose retreating footsteps were pressed upon so closely that vast quantities of camp equipage and supplies of all kinds fell into our hands. March 10th, came the news of the hard fought field of Pea Ridge, in which the combined forces of McCulloch, Price and Van Dorn, sustained a final defeat, and Missouri was redeemed. Up all this comes the news of the reduction of Island No. 10, and the victory at Pittsburg, which though it may have been well night missed by the delays of a dilatory General, will prove, let us trust, in the end a signal advantage.
In contemplating the series of events, of which this is only the merest outline, it seems more like a skillfully arranged drama than like a campaign prosecuted under great difficulties, so rapid and harmonious have been the movements, undisturbed by a single serious reverse. It is only when we reckon up its visible, tangible results, and attempt to form some idea of the consequences sure speedily to follow, that we can at all realize the real nature of the stupendous game that has been played before our eyes. In brief, the result of the campaign thus far are Some 25,000 prisoners; untold amounts of military stores and equipments; hundreds of guns; innumerable flags and every species of trophy, the loss of which inspires discouragement, and the gain, elation in the minds of soldiers; the complete demoralization and partial dispersion of armies, which must number in the aggregate at least 200,000 men; the final liberation from the rebel occupancy of Missouri, Kentucky and Ten – [sic] We have no definite figures yet, but five hundred, I should think, would cover the whole number. We have, however, a large number of their wounded, who are doubtless regarded as prisoners of war, though not included in this estimate. They carried off what wounded they could on Sunday, but on Monday they were forced to leave many to fall into our hands.
Our tents, too, are badly damaged, and much of the camp equipage is destroyed. The rebels occupied all our camps but one, on Monday [sic] night. Trunks were plundered, and private property was mostly destroyed; much however, was left uninjured, especially the camps were not burned, as would certainly have been done if the rebels had not expected to hold what they had gained, and to use at their leisure the spoils they had gained. But on both Sunday and Monday the battle raged through the camps, and of course the tents were riddled with balls. Many of those exposed are thus rendered worthless.
– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862, p. 3
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