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The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The Exchange of prisoners. (search)
, they were forced into the absurd position that General Order No. 207, which recognized neither paroles or a return into captivity, should be deemed to be in force before it had any existence. As an illustration in this connection of what strange things are done in time of war, I refer to a Court of Inquiry, the official proceedings of which are found in the Army and Navy official Gazette, under date of July 14th, 1863. The court was convened on June 30th, 1863, to determine whether Major Duane and Captain Michler, who had been captured and paroled on the 28th of June, 1863, by General Stuart, should be placed on duty without exchange, or be returned to the enemy as prisoners of war. The general order then in force, in its 131st paragraph, declared that if the government does not approve of the parole, the paroled officer must return into captivity. Yet the court found that the government was free to place those officers on duty without having been exchanged, and gave as its r
Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee, Chapter 14: siege of Petersburg. (search)
flank from either side; in its rear was a deep hollow. The mining men, with the instinct of their profession, conceived the idea of blowing it up. Burnside approved it, and work was commenced on June 25th. Lee knew what was going on and directed countermining, but abandoned it and threw up intrenchments at the gorge of the salient, and established 8-and 10-inch mortar batteries to give a front and cross fire on it. It was prosecuted under many difficulties. Meade, and his chief engineer, Duane, did not believe such a mine for military purposes could be excavated. The former did not think the location selected was the proper one. The part of the line containing the works to be blown up could not be assaulted with success, because it was commanded in both flanks by the fire of the Southern troops, and could be taken in reverse from their position on the Jerusalem plank road and from their works opposite the Hare House. Pleasants deserves great credit for his perseverance. Bur
John G. Nicolay, A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln, condensed from Nicolay and Hayes' Abraham Lincoln: A History, Chapter 21. (search)
protect the opening of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and reestablish transportation to and from the West over that important route. On the evening of February 27, Secretary Stanton came to the President, and, after locking the door to prevent interruption, opened and read two despatches from McClellan, who had gone personally to superintend the crossing. The first despatch from the general described the fine spirits of the troops, and the splendid throwing of the pontoon bridge by Captain Duane and his three lieutenants, for whom he at once recommended brevets, and the immediate crossing of eighty-five hundred infantry. This despatch was dated at ten o'clock the previous night. The next is not so good, remarked the Secretary of War. It stated that the lift lock was too small to permit the canal-boats to enter the river, so that it was impossible to construct the permanent bridge. He would therefore be obliged to fall back upon the safe and slow plan of merely covering the
Philip Henry Sheridan, Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army ., Chapter XXI (search)
the duty referred to in the order for movements and changes of position to-night, a copy of which order accompanies this communication. With two divisions of your corps you will move on the morning of the 7th instant to Charlottesville and destroy the railroad bridge over the Rivanna near that town; you will then thoroughly destroy the railroad from that point to Gordonsville, and from Gordonsville toward Hanover Junction, and to the latter point, if practicable. The chief engineer, Major Duane, will finish you a canvas pontoon-train of eight boats. The chief quartermaster will supply you with such tools, implements, and materials as you may require for the destruction of the road. Upon the completion of this duty you will rejoin this army. A. A. Humphreys, Major-General, Chief-of-Staff. After Meade's instructions reached me they were somewhat modified by General Grant, who on the same evening had received information that General Hunter, commanding the troops in West V
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 4., Du Pont's attack at Charleston. (search)
rom the Navy Department, and declined the proposition they brought him. After leaving the admiral's cabin, these distinguished staff-officers sought the naval chief-of-staff and wished him to urge their proposal. He again showed them the order from the Navy Department directing the transfer of the iron-clads to the Mississippi, and asked them if any right-minded officer in his position, in the face of such an order, could urge his chief to do what they proposed. The chief-of-engineers, Colonel Duane, replying, frankly admitted he could not. The monitor Weehawken capturing the Confederate iron-clad ram Atlanta (formerly the blockade-runner Fingal ), Wassaw Sound, Georgia, June 17, 1863. Before leaving Port Royal, General Hunter had constantly insisted that with his force he could do nothing until the navy should put him in possession of Morris Island by the capture of its batteries. At that time [Spring, 1863] it was known that thirty thousand or more troops were at Charlest
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 4., The battle of the Petersburg crater. (search)
oper place, the explosion would have no practical effect. Therefore I wanted an accurate instrument with which to make the necessary triangulations. I had to make them on the farthest front line, where the enemy's sharp-shooters could reach me. I could not get the instrument I wanted, although there was one at army headquarters, and General Burnside had to send to Washington and get an old-fashioned theodolite, which was given to me. . . . General Burnside told me that General Meade and Major Duane, chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, said the thing could not be done — that it was all clap-trap and nonsense; that such a length of mine had never been excavated in military operations, and could not be; that I would either get the men smothered, for want of air, or crushed by the falling of the earth; or the enemy would find it out and it would amount to nothing. I could get no boards or lumber supplied to me for my operations. I had to get a pass and send two companies of my
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 66 (search)
usetts infantry, the One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania infantry, and the Thirty-third Massachusetts infantry, were ordered to report to me for duty. These regiments were stationed as follows: The Second Massachusetts infantry, Captain R. B. Brown commanding, at the City Hall Park; the One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas M. Walker commanding, at the City Park; and the Thirty-third Massachusetts infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Ryder, afterward Lieutenant-Colonel Duane, commanding, on McDonough street, near the City Hall. The duties of this command were to protect and guard all public and private property in the city, and to patrol the streets for the purpose of maintaining order, and arresting all offenders and unauthorized persons in the city. Lieutenant-Colonel C. F. Morse, Second Massachusetts infantry, was detailed as Provost-Marshal of the post; Captain James M. Wells, One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania infantry, as commandant of co
The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 5: Forts and Artillery. (ed. Francis Trevelyan Miller), Engineer corps of the Federal army (search)
pation of this order, pontoons had been sent from Fort Monroe, and the work was started under Major Duane. General Benham reported to General Meade at the position selected, and was directed to proceederates across the Chickahominy. Colonel Michler, with his officers, was directed to assist Major Duane, chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, in making a reconnaissance of the Confederate pose mettle of each had been felt and keenly appreciated by its opponent. Colonel Michler and Major Duane made a careful examination of the location of the two lines, and reported to General Grant aners, and until the 9th of June it lay confronting the Confederates. On that date, Michler and Duane were ordered to select a line in rear of that occupied by the army, to be held temporarily by tw this order, pontoons had been sent from Fort Monroe, and work was started under direction of Major Duane. General Benham was at Fort Monroe when he received the order, but arrived at the site of the
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 2. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), chapter 6.34 (search)
the military engineers regarded the scheme from the first with ill-concealed derision. Meade and his Chief of Engineers, Duane, declared that it was all clap trap and nonsense --that the Confederates were certain to discover the enterprise — that wade, having assured himself that the Confederates had no second line on Cemetery Hill, as he had formerly supposed and as Duane had positively reported, Ib., pp. 43, 44. was now sanguine of success, and made these preparations to meet the contingening a mechanical cheer, slowly mounts the crest, passes unmolested across the intervening space, Grant, Meade, Potter, Duane and others testify to this effect.--Ib., pp. 36, 87, 110, 116. and true to the instinct fostered by long service in the tecially statement of General Warren--Report on the Conduct of the War (1865), vol. i, p. 166; General Hunt, pp. 98, 184; Duane, p. 100; and others. For general efficiency of the artillery fire, see Meade's Report, August 16th, 1864--Ib., p. 31; Co
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 7. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), The Gettysburg campaign--full report of General J. E. B. Stuart. (search)
ve lost much time from my march to join General Lee, without the probability of compensating results. I, therefore, determined, after getting the wagons under way, to proceed directly north so as to cut the Baltimore and Ohio railroad (now becoming the enemy's main war artery) that night. I found myself encumbered by about four hundred prisoners, many of whom were officers. I paroled nearly all at Brookeville that night, and the remainder next day at Cookesville. Among the number were Major Duane and Captain Michler, Engineers, United States army. At Cookesville our advance encountered and put to flight a small party of the enemy, and among the prisoners taken there were some who said they belonged to the Seven hundred loyal Eastern shoremen. Brigadier-General Fitz. Lee reached the railroad soon after daylight, the march having continued all night. The bridge was burnt at Sykesville, and the track torn up at Hood's mill, where the main body crossed it. Measures were taken to
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