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CAMP COURT AND SIEGE
CAMP COURT AND SIEGE
A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL ADVENTURE AND OBSERVATION DURING TWO WARS 1861-1865 1870-1871 By WICKHAM HOFFMAN ASSISTANT ADJ.-GEN. U. S. VOLS. AND SECRETARY U. S. LEGATION AT PARIS LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STREET. 1877 Dedication. TO The Hon. E. B. WASHBURNE, MINISTER OF THE U. S. AT PARIS, THESE PAGES ARE CORDIALLY DEDICATED, IN ADMIRATION OF THE STERLING QUALITIES OF MANHOOD DISPLAYED BY HIM DURING THE DARK DAYS OF THE SIEGE AND COMMUNE, AND
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
Hatteras.—"Black Drink."—Fortress Monroe.—General Butler.—Small-pox.—"L'Isle des Chats."—Lightning.—Farragut.—Troops land.—Surrender of Forts. In February, 1862, the writer of the following pages, an officer on the staff of Brigadier-general Thomas Williams, was stationed at Hatteras. Of all forlorn stations to which the folly and wickedness of the Rebellion condemned our officers, Hatteras was the most forlorn. It blows a gale of wind half the time. The tide runs through the inlet at the rate o
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
New Orleans.—Custom-house.—Union Prisoners.—The Calaboose.—"Them Lincolnites."—The St. Charles.—"Grape-vine Telegraph."—New Orleans Shop-keepers.—Butler and Soulé.—The Fourth Wisconsin.—A New Orleans Mob.—Yellow Fever. On the evening of the 1st of May, 1862, the leading transports anchored off the city. Butler sent for Williams, and ordered him to land at once. Williams, like the thorough soldier he was, proposed to wait till morning, when he would have daylight for the movement, and when the ot
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
Vicksburg.—River on Fire.—Baton Rouge.—Start again for Vicksburg.—The Hartford .—The Canal.—Farragut.—Captain Craven.—The Arkansas .—Major Boardman.—The Arkansas runs the Gauntlet.—Malaria. Admiral Farragut was anxious, after the capture of New Orleans, to proceed at once against Mobile. I heard him say that, in the panic excited by the capture of New Orleans, Mobile would fall an easy prey. The Government, however, for political as well as military reasons, was anxious to open the Mississippi.
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
Sickness.—Battle of Baton Rouge.—Death of Williams.—"Fix Bayonets!"—Thomas Williams.—His Body.—General T. W. Sherman.—Butler relieved.—General Orders, No. 10.—Mr. Adams and Lord Palmerston.—Butler's Style. Of the events which immediately followed the council of war referred to in the last chapter, the writer knows only by report. He was prostrated with fever, taken to a house on shore, moved back to head-quarters boat, put on board a gun-boat, and sent to New Orleans. Farragut, with his usual ki
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
T. W. Sherman.—Contrabands.—Defenses of New Orleans.—Exchange of Prisoners.—Amenities in War.—Port Hudson.—Reconnoissance in Force.—The Fleet.—Our Left.—Assault of May 27th.—Sherman wounded.—Port Hudson surrenders. The autumn of 1862 passed without any special incident. Sherman rebuilt the levees near Carrollton, repaired and shortened the Parapet, pushed his forces to the north, and occupied and fortified Manchac Pass. All these works were constructed by Captain Bailey, to whom I have already a
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
Major-general Franklin.—Sabine Pass.—Collision at Sea.—March through Louisiana.—Rebel Correspondence.—"The Gypsy's Wassail."—Rebel Women.—Rebel Poetry.—A Skirmish.—Salt Island.—Winter Climate.—Banks's Capua.—Major Joseph Bailey. Early in the fall of 1863, Major-general Franklin was put in command of the military part of an expedition which had been planned against Sabine Pass, on the coast of Texas. The arrangement was for the navy to enter the port at night, get in the rear of the work, and cap
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Mistakes.—Affair at Mansfield.—Peach Hill.—Freaks of the Imagination.—After Peach Hill.—General William Dwight.—Retreat to Pleasant Hill.—Pleasant Hill.—General Dick Taylor.—Taylor and the King of Denmark.—An Incident. I think it was on the 20th of March that we left for the Red River. We marched the whole distance, arriving at Natchitoches about the 3d of April. From Alexandria to Natchitoches we followed the Red River. Here began our mistakes. Banks arrived from New Orleans, and ordered us to
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
Low Water.—The Fleet in Danger.—We fall back upon Alexandria.—Things look Gloomy.—Bailey builds a Dam in ten Days.—Saves the Fleet.—A Skirmish.—Smith defeats Polignac.—Unpopularity of Foreign Officers.—A Novel Bridge.—Leave of Absence.—A Year in Virginia.—Am ordered again to New Orleans. The Red River had now fallen very low. The gun-boats had great difficulty in descending the stream. One chilly evening, as we stood round the head-quarters camp-fire, word was brought us that one of Porter's bes
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
Visit to Grant's Head-quarters.—His Anecdotes of Army Life.—Banks relieved.—Canby in Command.—Bailey at Mobile.—Death of Bailey.—Canby as a Civil Governor.—Confiscated Property.—Proposes to rebuild Levees.—Is stopped by Sheridan.—Canby appeals.—Is sustained, but too late.—Levees destroyed by Floods.—Conflict of Jurisdiction.—Action of President Johnson.—Sheridan abolishes Canby's Provost Marshal's Department.—Canby asks to be recalled.—Is ordered to Washington.—To Galveston.—To Richmond.—To Char
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
The Writer appointed Assistant Secretary of Legation to Paris. —Presented to the Emperor.—Court Balls.—Diplomatic Dress.—Opening of Corps Législatif.—Opening of Parliament.—King of the Belgians. —Emperor of Austria.—King of Prussia.—Queen Augusta.—Emperor Alexander.—Attempt to assassinate him.—Ball at Russian Embassy.—Resignation of General Dix. In October, 1866, at the request of General Canby, Mr. Seward appointed the writer to be Assistant Secretary of Legation at Paris. Johnson was then Pres
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
Washburne appointed Minister.—Declaration of War.—Thiers opposes it.—The United States asked to protect Germans in France.—Fish's Instructions.—Assent of French Government given.—Paris in War-paint.—The Emperor opposed to War.—Not a Free Agent.—His _Entourage_.—Marshal Le Bœuf. In the month of May, 1869, Mr. Washburne arrived in France, and entered upon the duties of his office. In the mean time I had been promoted, at the request of General Dix, to be secretary of legation. At Mr. Washburne's r
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Germans forbidden to leave Paris.—Afterward expelled.—Large Number in Paris.—Americans in Europe.—Emperor's Staff an Incumbrance.—French Generals.—Their Rivalries.—False News from the Front.—Effect in Paris.—Reaction.—Expulsion of Germans.—Sad Scenes.—Washburne's Action.—Diplomatic Service.—Battle of Sedan.—Sheridan at Sedan. And now began our labors at the Legation, increasing from day to day, until we had thirteen distinct nationalities under our charge, European and South American. Nor was th
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
Revolution of September 4th, 1870.—Paris en Fête .—Flight of the Empress.—Saved by Foreigners.—Escapes in an English Yacht.—Government of National Defense.—Trochu at its Head.—Jules Simon.—United States recognizes Republic.—Washburne's Address.—Favre's Answer.—Efforts for Peace.—John L. O'Sullivan. On Sunday, the 4th of September, 1870, Paris was en fête . The Parisians had a new revolution, and were delighted with it. The whole population had turned out, men, women, and children, in their holid
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
Belleville Demonstrates.—Radical Clubs.—Their Blasphemy and Violence.—Unreasonable Suspicion.—Outrages.—Diplomatic Corps.—Some of them leave Paris.—Meeting of the Corps.—Votes not to Leave.—Embassadors and Ministers.—Right of Correspondence in a Besieged Place.—Commencement of Siege, September 19th.—Besiegers and Besieged.—Advantages of Besieged. Belleville now began a series of patriotic demonstrations at the Legation, which soon became a nuisance. When I first heard the drum and fife coming up
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
Balloons.—Large Number dispatched.—Small Number lost.—Worth.—Carrier-pigeons.—Their Failure.—Their Instincts.— Times "Agony Column."—Correspondence.—Letters to Besieged.—Count Solms.—Our Dispatch-bag.—Moltke complains that it is abused.—Washburne's Answer.—Bismarck's Reply. At the beginning of the siege, one of the absorbing topics of discussion among the Parisians was the means of communication with the outer world. The French had always had a fancy for ballooning, and were probably in advance
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
Burnside's Peace Mission.—Sent in by Bismarck.—Interview with Trochu.—The Sympathetic Tear.—Question of Revictualment.—Failure of Negotiations.—Point of Vanity.—Flags of Truce.—French accused of Violation of Parole.—Question of the Francs-Tireurs.—Foreigners refused Permission to leave Paris.—Washburne insists.—Permission granted.—Departure of Americans.—Scenes at Créteil. Early in the month of October we were surprised by a visit from General Burnside. He happened to be at Versailles, more from
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
Mob seize Hôtel de Ville.—"Thanksgiving" in Paris.—Prices of Food.—Paris Rats.—Menagerie Meat.—Horse-meat.—Eatable only as Mince.—Government Interference.—Sorties.—Are Failures.—Le Bourget taken by French.—Retaken by Prussians.—French Naval Officers.—Belleville National Guard.—Their Poetry.—Blundering.—Sheridan's Opinion of German Army. Late in October, M. Thiers came into Paris on a peace mission, but met with no success. He brought the news of the fall of Metz. There was great excitement in Pa
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The National Guard.—Its Composition.—The American Ambulance.—Its Organization.—Its Success.—Dr. Swinburne, Chief Surgeon.—The Tent System.—Small Mortality.—Poor Germans in Paris.—Bombardment by Germans.—Wantonness of Artillery-men.—Bad News from the Loire.—"Le Plan Trochu."—St. Genevieve to appear.—Vinoy takes Command.—Paris surrenders.—Bourbaki defeated.—Attempts Suicide. A gentleman of rank and great historic name, of approved bravery, and who had seen service as an officer in the French army,
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CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XIX.
Election in France.—Terms of Peace.—Germans enter Paris.—Their Martial Appearance.—American Apartments occupied.—Washburne remonstrates.—Attitude of Parisians.—The Germans evacuate Paris.—Victualing the City.—Aid from England and the United States.—Its Distribution.—Sisters of Charity. On the 1st of March I was awakened by military music. I had not heard any for a long time, the French bands having been broken up. I hurried out, and found that the Germans were entering Paris. First came the trad
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CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XX.
The Commune.—Murder of French Generals.—The National Guard of Order.—It disbands.—The Reasons.—Flight of the Government to Versailles.—Thiers.—Attempts to reorganize National Guard.—An American arrested by Commune.—Legation intervenes.—His Discharge.—His Treatment.—Reign of King Mob.—" Démonstrations Pacifiques. "—Absurd Decrees of the Commune.—Destruction of the Vendôme Column. But it has rarely been my lot, in the course of my official life, to enjoy an uninterrupted leave of absence. The pres
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CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXI.
As soon as the Government had moved to Versailles, the diplomatic corps followed. Mr. Washburne hired a large room in the Rue de Mademoiselle (the sister of Louis XIV.—all Versailles bears the impress of the reign of that monarch). This room had to do for office, bedroom, and sitting-room; for Versailles was crowded, and we were lucky to get any thing so comfortable. As we had far more to do at Paris than at Versailles, and Paris was then, as always, the seat of attraction, Mr. Washburne spent f
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CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXII.
Reign of Terror.—Family Quarrels.—The Alsacians, etc., claim German Nationality.—They leave Paris on our Passes.—Prisoners of Commune.—Priests and Nuns.—Fragments of Shells.—"Articles de Paris."—Fearful Bombardment of "Point du Jour."—Arrest of Cluseret.—Commune Proclamations.—Capture of Paris.—Troops enter by Undefended Gate.—Their Slow Advance.—Fight at the Tuileries Gardens.—Communist Women.—Capture of Barricades.—Cruelties of the Troops.—"Pétroleuses."—Absurd Stories about them.—Public Build
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