Forty-Six Years in the Army

Years in the Army, by John M.
Schofield

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Title: Forty-Six Years in the Army
Author: John M. Schofield
Release Date: May 11, 2007 [EBook #21417]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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FORTY-SIX YEARS IN THE ARMY ***

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Transcriber's note:
Footnotes are at the end of the chapter.
Right-hand-page heads are set right-justified before the appropriate

paragraphs.
Small caps have been transcribed as upper-and-lower-case, except the
page heads.
The dieresis is transcribed by a preceding hyphen.
Non-standard spellings: partizan, despatch, Kenesaw, skilful, practised,
intrenchments, brevetted, reconnoissance, Chili, envelop.
LoC call number: E467.1.S35 A2
Submitted May 11th, 2007
FORTY-SIX YEARS IN THE ARMY
[Frontispiece] FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY FALK. [Facsimile
Signature] J.M.Schofield
THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED TO THE YOUNG CITIZENS
WHOSE PATRIOTISM, VALOR AND MILITARY SKILL MUST
BE THE SAFEGUARD OF THE INTERESTS, THE HONOR AND
THE GLORY OF THE AMERICAN UNION
FORTY-SIX YEARS IN THE ARMY
BY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL JOHN M. SCHOFIELD
NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1897
Copyright, 1897 by The Century Co.
The De Vinne Press.
PREFACE
Most of the chapters constituting the contents of this volume, were
written, from time to time, as soon as practicable after the events
referred to, or after the publication of historical writings which seemed

to me to require comment from the point of view of my personal
knowledge. They were written entirely without reserve, and with the
sole purpose of telling exactly what I thought and believed, not with
any purpose of publication in my lifetime, but as my contribution to the
materials which may be useful to the impartial historian of some future
generation. These writings had been put away for safe-keeping with
"instructions for the guidance of my executors," in which I said:
"All the papers must be carefully revised, errors corrected if any are
found, unimportant matter eliminated, and everything omitted which
may seem, to a cool and impartial judge, to be unjust or unnecessarily
harsh or severe toward the memory of any individual. I have aimed to
be just, and not unkind. If I have failed in any case, it is my wish that
my mistakes may be corrected, as far as possible. I have not attempted
to write history, but simply to make a record of events personally
known to me, and of my opinion upon such acts of others, and upon
such important subjects, as have come under my special notice. It is my
contribution to the materials from which the future historian must draw
for his data for a truthful history of our time."
Now, in the winter of 1896-97, I have endeavored to discharge, as far
as I am able, the duty which I had imposed on my executors, and have
decided to publish what I had written in past years, with corrections
and comments, while many of the actors in the great drama of the Civil
War are still living and can assist in correcting any errors into which I
may have fallen.
After my chapters relating to the campaign of 1864 in Tennessee were
in type, the monograph by General J. D. Cox, entitled "Franklin," was
issued from the press of Charles Scribner's Sons. His work and mine
are the results of independent analysis of the records, made without
consultation with each other.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter I.
Parentage and Early Life--Appointment to West Point-- Virginian

Room-Mates--Acquaintance with General Winfield Scott--Character of
the West Point Training--Importance of Learning how to Obey--A trip
to New York on a Wager--The West Point Bible-class--Dismissed from
the Academy Without Trial--Intercession of Stephen A. Douglas
--Restoration to Cadet Duty--James B. McPherson--John B. Hood--
Robert E. Lee.
Chapter II.
On Graduating Leave--Brevet Second Lieutenant in the 2d Artillery at
Fort Moultrie--An Officer's Credit Before the War-- Second Lieutenant
in the 1st Artillery--Journey to Fort Capron, Florida--A Reservation as
to Whisky--A Trip to Charleston and a Troublesome Money-Bag--An
"Affair of Honor"--A Few Law-books--An Extemporized "Map and
Itinerary"--Yellow Fever--At A. P. Hill's Home in Virginia--Assigned
to Duty in the Department of Philosophy at West Point--Interest in
Astronomy--Marriage--A Hint from Jefferson Davis--Leave of
Absence--Professor of Physics in Washington University.
Chapter III.
Return to Duty--General Harney's Attitude--Nathaniel Lyon in
Command--Defense of the St. Louis Arsenal--Service as Mustering
Officer--Major of the First Missouri--Surrender of Camp
Jackson--Adjutant-general on Lyon's Staff--A Missing Letter from
Frémont to Lyon--Lyon's Reply--Battle of Wilson's Creek--Death of
Lyon--A Question of Command During the Retreat--Origin of the
Opposition of the Blairs to Frémont--Affair at Fredericktown.
Chapter