thousands of Democrats to join the party in power, and to enter the ranks of the Union Army, or at home to aid the cause by all means in their power; but a very large party throughout the Free States, known as "Peace Democrats," "Anti-Coercionists" and "Conservatives," not only did not aid nor sympathize with the war party, but by all means at their disposal offered every opposition in and out of office, to thwart the Administration and the army in the field; indeed the whole Democratic party which did not affiliate with the people in putting down the Rebellion, and they formed the mass of the Democrats North, and all the Democrats South, were active in denouncing the war as an "Abolition Crusade," in opposing the enlistment of soldiers, in calling for Conventions, and declaring the war a "miserable failure;" in writing the most bitter articles against the Administration, appealing to the prejudices and passions of their party-and when a draft was necessary-in openly defying and violating the law.

Throughout the whole North, public meetings were held, at which leading Democrats took the most radical grounds against the war carried on for the Union. Private organizations were instituted, and, in order to accomplish their object, conspiracies were entered into for the destruction of the civil and military officers of the Government. As early as June 12th, 1861, one of their agents had been arrested in the City of Washington for poisoning water and supplying it to Union soldiers. They made agreements among themselves to poison the reservoirs of water for the use of Northern cities, entered into incendiary projects to burn all the cities of the North; and to the close of the war, they carried these fiendish schemes into operation. The plot

for burning New York City, on the 25th of November, 1864, will be somewhat illustrated by the following extract from the confession of Robert Kennedy, made immediately before his execution:

6

"After my escape from Johnson's Island, I went to Canada, where I met a number of Confederates. They asked me if I was willing to go on an expedition. I replied: Yes, if it is in the service of my country.' They said: 'It is all right,' but gave me no intimation of its nature, nor did I ask for any. I was then sent to New York, where I stayed for some time. There were eight men in our party, of whom two fled to Canada. After we had been in New York three weeks, we were told that the object of the expedition was to retaliate on the North for the atrocities in the Shenandoah Valley. It was designed to set fire to the city on the night of the Presidential election; but the phosphorus was not ready, and it was put off until the 25th of November. I was stopping at the Belmont House, but moved into Prince Street. I set fire to four places-Barnum's Museum, Lovejoy's Hotel, Tammany Hotel, and the New England House. The others only started fires where each was lodging, and then ran off. Had they all done as I did, we would have had thirtytwo fires, and played a huge joke on the Fire Department. I know that I am to be hung for setting fire to Barnum's Museum, but that was only a joke. I had no idea of doing it. I had been drinking, and went in there with a friend; and, just to scare the people, I emptied a bottle of phosphorus on the floor. We knew it wouldn't set fire to the wood, for we had tried it before, and at one time had concluded to give the whole thing up.

"There was no fiendishness about it. After setting fire to my four places, I walked the streets all night, and went to the Exchange Hotel early in the morning. We all met there that morning and the next night. My friend and I had rooms there, but we sat in the office nearly all the time, reading the papers, while we were watched by the detectives, of whom the hotel was full. I expected to die then, and if I had, it would have been all right; but now it seems rather hard. I escaped to Canada, and was glad enough when I crossed the bridge in safety.

"I desired, however, to return to my command, and started with my friend for the Confederacy via Detroit. Just before entering the city he received an intimation that the detectives

were on the lookout for us, and, giving me a signal, he jumped from the cars. I didn't notice the signal, but kept on, and was arrested in the depot.

"I wish to say that killing women and children was the last thing thought of. We wanted to let the people of the North understand that there are two sides to this war, and that they can't be rolling in wealth and comfort while we at the South are bearing all the hardships and privations.

"In retaliation for Sheridan's atrocities in the Shenandoah Valley, we desired to destroy property, not the lives of women and children, although that would of course have followed in its train.

"Done in the presence of Lieut.-Col. Martin Burke, March 24th, 10:30 F. M.”

The conspirators had also sent skillful agents to the West India Islands to procure the virus of small-pox and yellow fever, which they did, and packing it among clothing and blankets, had it shipped through the British Provinces and by way of the New England States, and sent to the camps of the soldiers in the field, and to the hospitals. There is nothing so revolting and cruel as these acts in the history of warfare in civilized nations. Even the most barbarous nations had never stooped to such brutality.

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СПАРТЕR XVII.

GRANT TAKES COMMAND OF THE ARMIES OF THE REPUBLIC.-HIS ADDRESS TO HIS SOLDIERS.- HIS LETTER TO HON. E. B. WASHBURNE.-JEFFERSON DAVIS STILL HOPEFUL OF SUCCESS.-A. H. STEPHENS' VIEWS OF PEACE.GEN. SHERMAN'S FIELD ORDER NO. 68. HIS LETTER TO GEN. BURBRIDGE.-MAKES PRESIDENT LINCOLN A CHRISTMAS GIFT OF SAVANNAH. -HIS LETTER TO MAJ. R. M. SAWYER.-MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.— SHERIDAN'S VICTORY AT WINCHESTER.-HAVOC OF THE WAR IN 1864.ENGLAND SUPPLIES THE REBELS WITH SHIPS.-EFFECTS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1864.-TREASONABLE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE DEMOCRATS OF THE FREE STATES.-" KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE." -THEIR PLANS.

THE year 1863 ended with the armic3 in strong force upon either side, and 1864 found them pitching their tents for the winter. With the With the opening of spring came increased activity. A new impetus had been lent to the whole forces of the Union. Congress had, by Act of March 3d, created U. S. Grant Lieutenant-General of the Armies of the United States. He was summoned from the field to the Capital, where he received his commission, relieving Major-General H. W. Halleck, a faithful soldier and true patriot, who received the thanks and congratulations of the President on his leaving the head of the army. On the second day after his appointment, the Lieutenant-General left for the battle field, announcing that the head-quarters of the Armies of the United States would be at Washington and at his head-quarters in the field. And from the day that Grant assumed command, the faith of the whole country was that the end of the Rebellion, by a victory of the Union Armies and complete Federal authority, was certain.

The President and Congress left the entire directory

of the operations in the field to Grant, who fully understood that to carry the war with a vigorous hand into the extreme Southern States, cut off communication by land and water, and destroy the fountains of supply, was the surest policy of success, which course was pursued. The several calls for soldiers during the year 1864 amounted to 1,500,000, which were as follows: February 1st, 500,000; March 14th, 200,000; July 18th, 500,000; December 20th, 300,000.

The destruction of life and property during the summer of 1864 and spring of 1865, was perhaps never equaled in the history of any war. The leaders on both sides were determined upon victory. The North knew its strength, and the South knew its own weakness. The people of the South cried for peace-peace on any terms. The leaders said there could be no peace without the independence of the South; and the people of the Free States, the Congress and the President, declared that no terms looking to a cessation of the war could be entertained unless they were accompanied with the conditions of submission to Federal authority. But this was spurned by the South, the leaders of which resorted to all devices to rally the drooping spirits of the people, and the sorely depleted ranks of the army.

The following address of General Grant to his soldiers at the close of the year 1863, (December 10th,) will show how hopeful prospects were of further operations of the Union Army:

"HEAD-QUARTERS MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD, }

"Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dec. 10th, 1863.

"The General Commanding takes this opportunity of returning his sincere thanks and congratulations to the brave Armies of the Cumberland, the Ohio, the Tennessee, and their comrades