loaded　with　the　stores　and　ammunition　captured　in　Pennsylvania。
  But　little　attempt　was　made　by　the　Northerners　to　interfere　with
  their　retreat。　　On　reaching　the　Potomac　they　found　that　a　sudden
  rise　had　rendered　the　fords　impassable。　　Intrenchments　and
  batteries　were　thrown　up；　and　for　a　week　the　Confederate　army
  held　the　lines；　expecting　an　attack　from　the　enemy；　who　had
  approached　within　two　miles；　but　the　Federal　generals　were　too
  well　satisfied　with　having　gained　a　success　when　acting　on　the
  defensive　in　a　strong　position　to　risk　a　defeat　in　attacking　the
  position　of　the　Confederates；　and　their　forces　remained　impassive
  until　pontoon　bridges　were　thrown　across　the　river；　and　the
  Confederate　army；　with　their　vast　baggage　train；　bad　again　crossed
  into　Virginia。　　The　campaign　had　cost　the　Northern　army　23；000
  men　in　killed；　wounded；　and　prisoners；　besides　a　considerable
  number　of　guns。　　The　Confederates　lost　only　two　guns；　left　behind
  in　the　mud；　and　1；500　prisoners；　but　their　loss　in　killed　and
  wounded　at　Gettysburg　exceeded　10；000　men。　　Even　the　most
  Sanguine　among　the　ranks　of　the　Confederacy　were　now
  con…scions　that　the　position　was　a　desperate　one。　　The　Federal
  armies　seemed　to　spring　from　the　ground。　　Strict　discipline　bad
  taken　the　place。　of　the　disorder　and　insubordination　that　had　first
  prevailed　in　their　ranks。　　The　armies　were　splendidly　equipped。
  They　were　able　to　obtain　any　amount　of　the　finest　guns；　rifles；　and
  ammunition　of　war　from　the　workshops　of　Europe；　while　the
  Confederates；　cut　off　from　the　world；　had　to　rely　solely　upon　the
  makeshift　factories　they　had　set　up；　and　upon　the　guns　and　stores
  they　captured　from　the　enemy。
  The　Northerners　had　now；　as　a　blow　to　the　power　of　the　South；
  abolished　slavery；　and　were　raising　regiments　of　negroes　from
  among　the　free　blacks　of　the　North；　and　from　the　slaves　they　took
  from　their　owners　wherever　their　armies　penetrated　the　Southern
  States。　　Most　of　the　Confederate　ports　had　been　either　captured　or
  were　so　strictly　blockaded　that　it　was　next　to　impossible　for　the
  blockade…runner　to　get　in　or　out；　while　the　capture　of　the　forts　on
  the　Mississippi　enabled　them　to　use　the　Federal　flotillas　of
  gunboats　to　the　greatest　advantage；　and　to　carry　their　armies　into
  the　center　of　the　Confederacy。
  Still；　there　was　no　talk　whatever　of　surrender　on　the　part　of　the
  South；　and；　indeed；　the　decree　abolishing　slavery；　and　still　more
  the　action　of　the　North　in　raising　black　regiments；　excited　the
  bitterest　feeling　of　animosity　and　hatred。　　The　determination　to
  fight　to　the　last；　whatever　came　of　it；　animated　every　white　man　in
  the　Southern　States；　and；　although　deeply　disappointed　with　the
  failure　of　Lee's　invasion　of　the　North；　the　only　result　was　to　incite
  them　to　greater　exertions　and　sacrifices。　　In　the　North　an　act
  authorizing　conscription　was　passed　in　1863；　but　the　attempt　to
  carry　it　into　force　caused　a　serious　riot　in　New　York；　which　was
  only　suppressed　after　many　lives　had　been　lost　and　the　city　placed
  under　martial　law。
  While　the　guns　of　Gettysburg　were　still　thundering；　a　Federal　army
  of　18；000　men　under　General　Gillmore；　assisted　by　the　fleet；　had
  laid　siege　to　Charleston。　　It　was　obstinately　attacked　and　defended。
  The　siege　continued　until　the　5th　of　September；　when　Fort　Wagner
  was　captured；　but　all　attempts　to　take　Fort　Sumter　and　the　town　of
  Charleston　itself　failed；　although　the　city　suffered　greatly　from　the
  bombardment。　　In　Tennessee　there　was　severe　fighting　in　the
  autumn；　and　two　desperate　battles　were　fought　at　Chickamauga　on
  the　19th　and　20th　of　September；　General　Bragg；　who　commanded
  the　Confederate　army　there；　being　reinforced　by　Longstreet's
  veterans　from　the　army　of　Virginia。　　After　desperate　fighting　the
  Federals　were　defeated；　and　thirty…six　guns　and　vast　quantities　of
  arms　captured　by　the　Confederates。　　The　fruits　of　the　victory；
  however；　were　very　slight；　as　General　Bragg　refused　to　allow
  Longstreet　to　pursue；　and　so　to　convert　the　Federal　retreat　into　a
  rout；　and　the　consequence　was　that　this　victory　was　more　than
  balanced　by　a　heavy　defeat　inflicted　upon　them　in　November　at
  Chattanooga　by　Sherman　and　Grant。　　At　this　battle　General
  Longstreet's　division　was　not　present。
  The　army　of　Virginia　had　a　long　rest　after　their　return　from
  Gettysburg；　and　it　was　not　until　November　that　the　campaign　was
  renewed。　　Meade　advanced；　a　few　minor　skirmishes　took　place；
  and　then；　when　he　reached　the　Wilderness；　the　scene　of　Hooker's
  defeat；　where　Lee　was　prepared　to　give　battle；　he　fell　back　again
  across　the　Rappahannock。
  The　year　had　been　an　unfortunate　one　for　the　Confederates。　　They
  had　lost　Vicksburg；'　and　the　defeat　at　Chattanooga　had　led　to　the
  whole　State　of　Tennessee　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　Federals；
  while　against　these　losses　there　was　no　counterbalancing　success
  to　be　reckoned。
  In　the　spring　of　1864　both　parties　prepared　to　the　utmost　for　the
  struggle。　　General　Grant；　an　officer　who　had　shown　in　the
  campaign　in　the　West　that　he　possessed　considerable　military
  ability；　united　with　immense　firmness　and　determination　of
  purpose；　was　chosen　as　the　new　commander…in…chief　of　the　whole
  military　force　of　the　North。　　It　was　a　mighty　army；　vast　in　numbers；
  lavishly　provided　with　all　materials　of　war。　　The　official
  documents　show　that　on　the　1st　of　May　the　total　military　forces　of
  the　North　amounted　to　662；000　men。　　Of　these　the　force　available
  for　the　advance　against　Richmond　numbered　284；630　men。　This
  included　the　army　of　the　Potomac；　that　of　the　James　River；　and　the
  army　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley…the　whole　of　whom　were　in
  readiness　to　move　forward　against　Richmond　at　the　orders　of
  Grant。
  To　oppose　these　General　Lee　had　less　than　53；000　men；　including
  the　garrison　of　Richmond　and　the　troops　in　North　Carolina。　　Those
  stationed　in　the　seaport　towns　numbered　in　all　another　20；000；　so
  that　if　every　available　soldier　had　been　brought　up　Lee　could　have
  opposed　a　total　of　but　83；000　men　against　the　284；000　invaders。
  In　the　West　the　numbers　were　more　equally　balanced。　General
  Sherman；　who　commanded　the　army　of　invasion　there；　had　under
  his　orders　230；000　men；　but　as　more　than　half　this　force　was
  required　to　protect　the　long　lines　of　communication　and　to　keep
  down　the　conquered　States；　he　was　able　to　bring　into　the　field　for
  offensive　operations　99；000　men；　who　were　faced　by　the
  Confederate　army　under　Johnston　of　58；000　men。　　Grant's　scheme
  was；　that　while　the　armies　of　the　North　were；　under　his　own
  command；　to　march　against　Richmond；　the　army　of　the　West　was
  to　invade　Georgia　and　march　upon　Atlanta。
  His　plan　of　action　was　simple；　and　was　afterward　stated　by　himself
  to　be　as　follows：　〃I　determined　first　to　use　the　greatest　number　of
  troops　practicable　against　the　main　force　of　the　enemy；　preventing
  him　from　using　the　same　force　at　different　seasons　against　first　one
  and　then　another　of　our　armies；　and　the　possibility　of　repose　for
  refitting　and　producing　necessary　supplies　for　carrying　on
  resistance。　Second；　to　hammer　continuously　against　the　armed
  force　of　the　enemy　and　his　resources　until；　by　mere　attrition　if　in
  no　other　way；　there　should　be　nothing　left　to　him　but　submission。〃
  This　was　a　terrible　programme；　and　involved　an　expenditure　of　life
  far　beyond　anything　that　had　taken　place。　Grant's　plan；　in　fact；　was
  to　fight　and　to　keep　on　fighting；　regardless　of　his　own　losses；　until
  at　last　the　Confederate　army；　whose　losses　could　not　be　replaced；
  melted　away。　　It　was　a　strategy　that　few　generals　have　dared　to
  practice；　fewer　still　to　acknowledge。
  On　the　4th　of　May　the　great　army　of　the　Potomac　crossed　the
  Rapidan　and　advanced　toward　Chancellorsville。　Lee　moved　two
  divisions　of　his　army　to　oppose　them。　Next　morning　the　battle
  began　at　daybreak　on　the　old　ground　where　Lee　had　defeated
  Hooker　the　year　before。　All　day　long　tho　division　of　Ewell
  supported　the　attack　of　the　army　corps　of　Sedgwick　and　Hancock。
  Along　a　front　of　six　miles；　in　the　midst　of　the　thick　forest；　the
  battle　raged　the　whole　of　the　day。　　The　Confederates；　in　spite　of
  the　utmost　efforts　of　the　Northerners；　although　reinforced　in　the
  afternoon　by　the　army　corps　of　General　Burnside；　held　their
  position；　and　when　night　put　an　end　to　the　conflict　the　invaders
  had　not　gained　a　foot　of　ground。
  As　soon　as　the　first　gleam　of　light　appeared　in　the　morning　the
  battle　recommenced。　　The　Federal　generals；　Sedgwick；　Warren；
  and　Hancock；　with　Burnside　in　reserve；　fell　upon　Hill　and　Ewell。
  Both　sides　had　thrown　up　earthworks　and　felled　trees　as　a
  protection　during　the　night。　　At　first　the　Confederates　gained　the
  advantage；　but　a　portion　of　Burnside's　corps　was　brought　up　and
  restored　the　battle；　while　on　the　left　flank　of　the　Federals　Hancock
  had　attacked　with　such　vigor　that　the　Confederates　opposed　to　him
  were　driven　back。
  At　the　crisis　of　the　battle；　L