Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

[496] unwisely, ‘outlawed’ Butler, and Grant's trick consisted in making him ‘Commissioner for exchange of prisoners’ in hopes that we would decline to hold communication with him. When we swallowed our pride and offered exchanges, pretences were found to still refuse.

The campaign against us was practically to be one of extermination, and it was to be conducted by four separate armies and as much of the navy as could be used in the James River.

First. Grant had four corps — the 2d, 5th, 6th, and 9th — and a large force of cavalry. His returns show 102,869 present for duty with 242 guns. Besides, there was a siege-train being prepared of 106 guns and mortars, among which were six 100-Pr. rifles. This train came into service in May and June. The cavalry were all armed with Spencer carbines, the first magazine guns ever used by the army. They fully doubled the efficiency of the cavalry against ours with only muzzle-loaders. Wilder's mounted infantry had had them at Chickamauga, and their value on that occasion has been told. Brigades of them soon began to appear among the Federal infantry, as will appear hereafter. It was useless to capture these guns, as we could not supply the brass cartridges required.

Second. In the Shenandoah Valley, Sigel was preparing a force of about 15,000 men with 40 guns, which was to move upon Staunton.

Third. From W. Va., Crook also was to move upon Staunton with about 9000 men and 24 guns. When Crook and Sigel had united, they were to move upon Lynchburg and thence upon Richmond.

Fourth. Butler, at Fortress Monroe, was organizing the Army of the James, to move upon Richmond by its south bank. It would be escorted by four monitors, a fleet of gunboats, and a large collection of ferry-boats and river craft of every description. These would facilitate all movements by water. His force comprised the 10th and 18th corps and Kautz's cavalry, 30,000 men with 79 guns, of which about 5000 were cavalry. Besides these four armies, there were, near Washington, about 40,000 troops which were used for reenforcements during the