Chapter XIII

What tribute did Fitz Lee pay his dead commander?

What private and public tributes were paid by General Robert E. Lee?

How did the city of Richmond show her grief at the time of Stuart’s death?

What later tributes has she given to her hero and defender?

THE ORGANIZATION OF AN ARMY

The Federal and Confederate armies in the War of Secession were organized in practically the same way. There were a few points of difference, and in active service the numbers and arrangement of military forces varied and were changed.

INFANTRY

_Squad_: any small number of men, usually 7, under command of a corporal. _Platoon_: a subdivision, usually half, of a company under a lieutenant. _Company_: from 83 to 125 men under a captain. _Battalion_: 2 or more, usually four, companies under a major. _Regiment_: 10 companies—or 3 battalions of 4 companies each—under a colonel or a lieutenant-colonel. _Brigade_: 3 to 5 regiments under a brigadier-general. _Division_: 2 to 5 brigades under a major-general. _Army corps_: 2 or more divisions under a major-general or a lieutenant-general,—organized as a complete army and sufficient in itself for all the operations of war.

CAVALRY

_Squad_: any small number of men, usual 7, under a corporal. _Platoon_: a sub-division, usually half, of a company under a lieutenant. _Troop_: 2 to 6 platoons, 76 to 100 men, under a captain. _Squadron_: 2 to 4 troops under a senior captain or a major. _Regiment_: 10 troops—or 4 to 6 squadrons—under a colonel. _Brigade_: 3 or 4 regiments under a brigadier-general. _Division_: 2 to 4 brigades under a major-general.

ARTILLERY

_Battery_: usually 144 men with 4 guns and 2 howitzers, under a captain. _Battalion_: 3 to 4 batteries under a major. _Regiment_: 2 to 8 battalions under a colonel.

When infantry regiments are combined into brigades, brigades into divisions, and divisions into army corps,—cavalry, artillery, and certain other auxiliary troops, such as engineers, signal corps, etc., are joined with them in such proportions as are necessary. Every unit, from the company up, has its own supply and ammunition wagons, field hospitals, etc.

WORD LIST

Ab o li′tion party: a political party, founded by Garrison about 1833, the object of which was to free all slaves in the United States.

ad vănçe′: forward movement of a military force.

advance guard: troops which march in front, in order to secure a military force against surprise.

āid′-dē-cămp: an officer who assists a general by sending orders, collecting information, etc.

āide: a military or naval officer who assists a superior officer.

A pä′che: a warlike Indian tribe originally located in New Mexico and Arizona.

är′se nal: a place for the storage or manufacture of arms and military equipment.

ar tĭl′ler y: cannon, large or small; that branch of the service which handles the cannon.

as sa̤ult′: attack of a military force on the works or position of an enemy, in the effort to carry it by a single charge.

bāse: a place from which the operations of an army proceed, forward movements are made, supplies are furnished, etc.

bat tăl′ion: See page 210.

bat′ter y: See page 210.

bĭv′ouac (-wăk): a temporary encampment of soldiers, usually without tents.

bri gāde′: See page 210.

brŭnt: the shock of an attack or onset.

bṳoy′ant: cheerful, light-hearted.

cāis′ son: a strong four-wheeled wagon, consisting of two parts, the body and the limber, that carries ammunition chests or boxes.

căn′is ter: cannon shot consisting of a metal cylinder which bursts when fired, discharging the bullets with which it is filled.

cär′bine: a short, light rifle used chiefly by cavalry.

căs′ca bel: a knob or projection in the rear of the breech of a muzzle-loading cannon.

căv′al ry: that part of the army consisting of mounted soldiers.

Çheȳ ĕnne′: an Indian tribe formerly inhabiting South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nevada.

com man dänt′: the commanding officer of a place or of a body of men.

cóm′pa ny: See page 210.

corps (cōr): See page 210.

coun′ter movement: a movement by which a body of troops marches back over ground it has recently occupied or marched over.

cŭl′mi nat ed: reached a final result.

di vĭ′sion: See page 210.

en cămped: formed a camp.

en trĕnch′: fortify with defensive works as with a trench or ditch and a wall.

en trĕnch′ments: fortifications consisting of a parapet of earth and the ditch or trench from which the earth was taken.

flănk: the side of an army, either in column or in line.

grāpe′shot: a cluster of iron balls arranged in an iron framework to be discharged from a cannon. Formerly grapeshot was inclosed in a canvas bag so quilted as to look like a bunch of grapes.

guī′dons: small flags carried by cavalry and field artillery.

hăv′er sack: a bag or case in which a soldier carries provisions on a march.

Ho rā′tius: a hero of ancient Rome who with two others defended the bridge across the Tiber against an advancing army. Read Lord Macaulay’s poem “Horatius.”

how′itz er: a cannon for throwing shells.

ĭm′ mi nent: threatening; dangerous and close at hand.

in dŏm′i ta ble: unyielding; unconquerable.

ĭn′fan try: foot soldiers armed with rifles and bayonets; one of the three chief divisions of an army, the other two being cavalry and artillery.

in vĕst′ing: surrounding with troops; laying siege to.

ir rĕp′a ra ble: not capable of being repaired or remedied.

lăr′i at: a long, small rope used for catching or for picketing cattle or horses.

lĭm′ber: the fore part of a gun carriage, consisting of a chest mounted on two wheels and having a pole for the horses. See _caisson_.

ma neū′vers: movements or changes of position of troops or war-vessels for tactical purposes or for display.

ma rïnes′: naval troops; soldiers serving on war-vessels.

mär′tial law: the military administration which when proclaimed takes the place of civil law in time of war or disorder.

mĭl′i ta ry law: the laws by which an army and its affairs are governed. Military law differs from martial law in that the former is a permanent code for the government of the army and the latter is the application of the laws of war to all the people in a certain district.

mīne: an explosive charge, sunken in the earth or under water, for the purpose of destroying an enemy passing over it,—formerly exploded by contact or by a fuse, but now usually exploded by electricity.

ôrd′nance: military supplies.

ŏr′i flămme: a standard or ensign in battle, especially the ancient royal banner of France.

out′post: a post or station outside the limits of a camp, for observation or to guard against surprise.

pa rōled′: set at liberty on parole, or word of honor not to bear arms against the captors.

pĕr′emp to ry: authoritative; not admitting of debate or question.

pĭck′ets: soldiers stationed on the outskirts of a camp to warn against the enemy’s approach.

pīkes: soldiers’ weapons, consisting of wooden staves with steel points. In recent warfare, pikes have been superceded by bayonets.

pla tōōn′: See page 210.

pon tōōn′: a vessel, such as a flat-bottomed boat or a canvas-covered frame, used in the construction of a floating bridge.

pre dĭc′a ment: a difficult or trying condition or situation.

prō′vost (vō) guard: a body of soldiers detailed for police duties.

qua̤r′ter master: a staff officer of a regiment or other body of troops, whose duty it is to provide quarters, arrange transportation, and provide and issue food, clothing, and other supplies.

rănk: grade of official standing in the army or navy.

rēar guard: troops which march in the rear of a body of forces in order to protect it.

re᷵ cŏn′na᷵is sănçe: an examination of territory or of an enemy’s position for the purpose of gaining information,—sometimes involving an attack for the purpose of discovering the enemy’s position and strength.

rĕg′i ment: See page 210.

re trēat′: the withdrawal, especially in an orderly manner, of troops from an exposed or dangerous position.

rī′fled: having the bore rifled, or grooved spirally, in order to give a rotary motion to the bullet.

shĕll: a hollow projectile for cannon, which contains an explosive charge.

sīde arms: weapons worn at the side or in the belt, as sword, pistol, bayonet, etc., especially sword.

Sĭd′ney, Sir Philip: a famous English soldier and author of the sixteenth century, the model of unselfish courage. He was mortally wounded in battle of Zulphen, in 1586.

sī mul tā′ne ous: happening at the same time.

spȳ: a soldier not in uniform who penetrates the enemy’s camp or zone of operations, for the purpose of gaining information.

tăl′ma: a style of long cape or cloak worn by men and women during the first half of the nineteenth century.

un lĭm′ber ed: removed from the limber. See _limber_ and _caisson_.

Zoṳ äves̝′: infantry wearing a brilliant oriental uniform, consisting of leggins, baggy trousers, short jacket, and tasselled cap or turban.

Transcriber’s Notes

--Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.

--Created cover and spine images based on elements of the printed book.

--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)

--This book contains unusual diacritical marks: diaeresis below; and uptack both above and below. These UTF characters are omitted from the Latin-1 versions and may not be supported by some UTF fonts.

--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.

End of Project Gutenberg's Life of J. E. B. Stuart, by Mary L. Williamson