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Chapter Sixteen: “What Will Become of All These Men?” : mThe Postwar Years, 1865-1898
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267 Chapter Sixteen “What Will Become of All These Men?” The Postwar Years—1865–1898 The Army of the Potomac It was a beautiful day, and the review was a stirring sight. Mr. Lincoln, sitting there with his hat off, head bent, and seemingly meditating, suddenly turned to me and said: “General Couch, what do you suppose will become of all these men when the war is over?” And it struck me as very pleasant that somebody had an idea that the war would sometime end. —Major General Darius N. Couch, April 1863, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War The taste of victory after Appomattox was sweet for the Army of the Potomac , but the troops’ daily routine changed little. They were doing camp chores and guarding stores until a demobilization plan could be developed by Union leadership. The army marched through Petersburg where the Fifth Corps made a small detour to pass in review for General Warren, now military commander of the “Cockade City” since his removal from command of the Fifth Corps at Five Forks. The army continued on to Richmond with two remaining corps—the Second and the Fifth. The Sixth Corps was assigned to the Danville Railroad to make sure that the surrender was being honored in North Carolina. The Ninth Corps was detached from the Army of the Potomac and sent to Alexandria,Virginia. The two remaining corps of the Army 268 Your Brother in Arms of the Potomac crossed the James River on a pontoon bridge and headed toward Hanover. Some of the men caught glimpses of the infamous Libby and Belle Isle Prisons as they passed through Richmond. Traveling rapidly through the Virginia countryside on their forced march, the men covered some of the same ground they had fought over the year before . At one bivouac, the soldiers discovered remnants of gear, clothing, and bones of both Rebel and Federal soldiers hastily buried after battles during the Overland campaign. Their march took them past Hanover Court House, across the Pamunkey River, and on to a camp not far from the North Anna battlefield. As they passed Fredericksburg, some of the men took quick side trips to visit Marye’s Heights where many had stormed the Rebel line two and a half years earlier. They trudged on, crossing the Rappahannock River and on to Aquia Creek, then finally to Dumfries where they camped for the night. The next day they continued their march over rough roads despite a driving rain. Some aspects of marching through Virginia, the men were reminded, did not change, war or peace. Many of the troops questioned why the army was being driven at such a punishing pace now that the hostilities were over. Some claimed that there was an economic reason for the haste; their commanding officers wanted to push them forward to muster out so that the expense of maintaining the army could be quickly reduced. By the morning of May 12, the army marched over Columbia Pike outside of Washington City and went into camp at Arlington Heights, the location of their encampment just prior to their march to Antietam in September 1862. For a week and a half, the troops whiled away their time in camp waiting for the victory celebration—a Grand Review down Pennsylvania Avenue before Washington’s political leadership, high-ranking military officers, and enthusiastic civilians.During this waiting period,resentment flared between the Army of the Potomac and Sherman’s Western Army. Geographic differences and perceived slights by soldiers in both armies resulted in barroom brawls and rancor at all levels in the two organizations. Recognizing that the resentments could turn a joyous occasion into an ugly display of petty rivalries, Grant made sure that the two armies camped on opposite sides of the Potomac and marched through the streets of Washington on separate days: the Army of the Potomac on May 23; the Western Army on May 24. Grant’s Solomon-like solution seemed to dampen even the most virulent antagonisms. Tuesday, May 23, was a clear, sunny day in the nation’s capital. The Army of the Potomac, marched, twelve men abreast, down Pennsylvania Avenue from the capitol under a cloudless, bright blue sky to the cheers of the citizens who lined the street. Flags flew at full staff, and black crepe was removed from public buildings for the first time since Lincoln’s death six weeks earlier. [54.152.5.73] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 20:50...