iterally hurl enough flesh and blood against it to
sweep it before him--then the key of every road to Richmond was in his
hands! So, on the morning of the 3d of June, Hancock's corps rushed to
the assault.

Impetuous and fierce, the charge broke Breckinridge's line. Fresh men
poured in and, for a moment, the works were in the enemy's hands. But
it was only for a moment. They rallied, relief came--the conflict was
fierce and close--but it was short. When the smoke rose, Hancock's line
was broken and retreating. Again and again he rallied it splendidly,
only to be hurled back each time with deadlier slaughter. On the other
points Warren and Burnside had been driven back with terrible loss; and
along the whole southern line the death-dealing volley into the
retreating ranks rang the joyous notes of victory. Grant had played the
great stake of his campaign and lost it!

He had lost it completely, and in an incredibly short time. Near 30,000
men told the horrid story of that ferocious hurling of flesh and blood
against earthworks. Near one-fifth of his whole force had paid for his
last great blunder, while the Confederate loss was less than _one-tenth_
his own!

Even McClellan's line had failed the sledge-hammer strategist, and
nothing was left but to transfer his army to the south side of the
James. Lingering with dogged pertinacity on his slow retreat--turning
at every road leading to the prize he yearned for, only to be beaten
back--Grant finally crossed the river with his whole force on the 13th
of June.

The great campaign was over. It had been utterly foiled at every point;
had been four times turned into a new channel only to be more signally
broken; and had ended in a bloody and decisive defeat that left Grant
no alternative but to give up his entire plan and try a new one on a
totally different line. For the southern arms it had been one unbroken
success from the Rapidan to Cold Harbor; for though sometimes badly
hurt, the Confederates had never once been driven from an important
position; had never once failed to turn the enemy from his chosen line
of advance--and had disabled at the least calculation 120,000 of his
men at the cost of less than 17,000 of their own!

Such was the southern view, at the moment, of this campaign of
invasion; as unparalleled in the history of war, as was that of
Stonewall Jackson in the Valley. Such is the view of southern thinkers,
to-day; and it is backed by the clearest judgmen