, 1863-11-04
REHFL SKETCHES OF GEMS.
GRANT AND THO has,


| Rosecrans has been relieved from the CON
maud of the Army Of tbs Cumberland, au
command Of th.t Department and of tn
Arryof the Tennessse {Grant's old army,
the Amy of the Cumberland (Rosecrau+ Iii
asmyl and the Army of Kentucky (Baru
s'de's) 1homas, the renegade Virginiau, an
once ultra secessionist, taxes the 1mmediat
command vaca'ed By Rosecsans.
So much we learn from a New York paoer
wbich, On the strength Of the announcement
bursts into the following hyperbole: uI
now remains to the uncooquerahle horo Q
the Mississippi valley has defe4ted NOR,
arnlet, reduced more strongholds and con
qTe'eo mr. re territory than all our yankee
other generals pnt together, or than auy rem
cra1 s'nce TIE Gays OF Napoleon the First-i
remains for Major General Grant to overcom,
the rebels IoW intrenched among the noun
tainh Of tie West as he has already routei
them through the length and breadth Of ta'
| great river Of the West"
iheee ale eonndtrg sentences md not de
fcient In capital letters Let US look little
into the history of the new Ulysses. 4 rezi
mental quartermasterf In the old army, he va
ismous only for his love OF s*rong d1ink
| az d1st appearance In the present war WIS q,
Belmonf, where, in conjunction ~ith McCler
naDd, he surprised Confederate camp, aud
would have gained victory II reinforcemeuts
hsd not arrived snd whipped him hack to biz
boats. With the exception of McCiellan'a
little successes in Western Virginia, this was
the first affair in which the Yankees had not
been d1sg!acefally beaten and routed. Grant
was therefore promoted and placed In com.
Inapd Of 00c0 or 100000 men gathered in
front Of Sidney Johnston at Bowling Green,
The winter foodt enabled the enemy to cary
the Inadequate defenees near the mouth Of
the Cumberland aud Tennessee Rivers. to
bonttoa 5oa men ard d Psa'11s a,c eslGF FGst
ssssn at tSs place na "a, v:p3 sa9 s Titi1
comparison With the investing force, and the
lines Of fertilization, ia many places weak.
A heroic defence WAS made For three days
the enemy Nae repul.ed With fearful slaugn.
ter, his losses iu dead alone being nearly as
large Is our whole garrison. The place was
not carried BY assault, but cspitulated. Very
many Of the men demonstrated against the
surrender, and few now doubt that, by proper
management, the whole Of them could hive
cut their way out without serious resistance.
In thete two fghts-at Belmont and Donel-
son-the great Ulysses WIS In one instance
etfe1ted positively, and in the next gained a
victory Of which only q Yankee could Or would
beast. r. The acquisition of territory WAS
Large, 1t is true; but this Was due less to
Gian.'s generalship than to the imbeeility Of
the Confederate authorities.
Grants next appearance WAS ut Shiloh In
the first days light he was surprised and
thametully beaten; On the second day Buell.,
WHO vas Grants superior, and Ind arrived
With heavy reinforcements, took command.
and to him is due the credit, such as It is. Of
attacking d1torganized army, half the Size
Of bis own, aud Of failing signally to dn more
than Teltnquish at leisure part of the epur
nous spolls which It had won the daY before,
Here there Was no victory to any one on the
Yankee side, and certainly more to G1ant.
After sherman's failure at Vicksburg, Grant
supersedes him. With unlimited men and
means at his command, he attempts no as
eault, but waits patiently till the naval officers
have Eucceeded in runni: G both gunboats and
transports past the Confederate batteries.
Marching hfe men rapidly down the west blnk
tates them upon Grand Gu1f-a strong posi-
tfon. which, like Donelson, WIS incomplctely
to1tidtd d and feebly garrisonsd. Grants suc.
cets at this point VAS due more to the wun-
boats than to his own skill. And now oc.
CURED the only movement which entities hin
TO praise, and evlnces generalship. With
cetrity l1nexampled III The history of Yankee
warfare, h3 pushed forward his huge columns.
nPeet Pemherton without the least difficulty.
invested FtcEEbuTg, established his commu-
n1cafions with the river both above and below
the city, protected his rear from Johnston
BY formidable works, and, after a number Of
successful attempts to storm the place, sat
down leiAurtly to reduce it by siege. which
he at length did, without serious moiestation
either In front or rear.
AAsAe "ka4ns a. ~ 1Ouel5out Nc Was lndtbt-
ed more 10 the Confederate government than
to his own gentua for his success Ue sho wed
eEerEE by the rapiaity OF Lis movements. and
displayed skill In ihterposing his army bs.
tween Pembertcn and johnston; but II either
his courage or bis skill had been extraordl-
nary, be Would hare crushed hts Incompetent
antagonist In Vlcksburg, as easily almost as
be had done at Bakers Creek-a battle oger
which the Yankees made great deal OF noise.
but In reality none It all for We remember
ttat one Of the ahlest Confederate officers ep-
gagged In 1t, laughed at the idea Of dIgnifyiog
II WIN ne nsne Of battle. It was not Grants
geberalship 50 much Is bis opponents utter
inexperfencc In field fighting which enabled
him TO carry everything before hin ut Cham
pion's Hill like whirlw1nd.
Such Ia the man to whom the mighty In
te1ests involved ct Chattanooga are entrnst-
At Shiloh, AID whipped in repeated assaults
at Rene]son and Vicksbarg. He has not
proved himself great General, but he has
proved his ability to take advantage Of Con
1ede1ate folly and want Of preparation. When
adequate means are at bis disposal he hns
kaown that he Knows how to nsc them when
occasion offers. BE is quick, and that ID more
tann can be said Of very many Confederate
Generals. He has 1ow three hrge armies
concentrated under him, embracing,
In The aggregate, probably tWice as many
men as he has ever before commanded. These
1QCQHDELGGG
hce1s to great extent. His government,
apPrectat1ng the tremendous r1sk Of failure
at Chattanooga, las eelected him Us its most
successful General to command ut thst point
has given him hall, If not more than half, Its
elective force In the field, and staked in him
literally every thing; tor.lt he Is bea.en the
: Iaa ou2 Government done IS much for our
cau1e? Has it selected It's most successful
General, md the one who most esjoys the
confidence sf both the soldiers and 1he p.o-
der himg Has 1t sent out its Secretary Of
War and Quartermas!er General to confer
with him? stsnton and Metgs are now in
Nashville with Grant. President Davis has
BEEN to Bragg's headquarters, D. q. ELL has
e1pedlent to accept POLK place. Forrest Is
lost to Bragg's army, and 80 Is Polk. Who
will succeed them? In fine, are ne prepared
to give Grant q reception unlike that he met
at Done1son and Shiloh, or are ne again en-
com son,sEipg q 9.1 bis lnek BY our oEn tollye We
under the supervision Of ths heroic Bragg;a
but does this meetthe case fully?
REBEL SKETCH or GEN. THOMAS.
from the Memphis Daily Appeal, Oct al
George Thomas, who Was put In command
OF Rosec1ans' army proper, is q VirgluIan, and |
comes from the neighb orhood Of LYnchburg.. |
He Is fat, beety mar Of forty, aud In the old |
army vas considered as little better than |
Dumsku}l. In Texas, before the war, be was
Lieutenant Colonel tf the regiment Of which |
Gen. Lee was Colonel and Van Dorm Major.
Gen. Tw3ggr, who commanded the Depart |
ment, thought 50 little Of him that, having |
occasion to divide the regiment to meet the |
exigencies Of the service, be gaye Van Dom
command Of four companies, to the exclusion
IF Thomas
The most remarkable thing about the man
is that, after being the most 1abid aud loud
nouthed secessfonist betore the 'war-so
much 20 that BY his great zeal he actually.
made some officers who are now Ia the South
an army feel ashamed Of thcmseiyes-he
:hould have taken up arms for the praserya.
.lcn Of the Union. His conduct can only be
explained BY the fact that he married Yam
zee woman, old enough to be his mother,and
Rhose money has great influence over hin.
His first feat Of arms WAS Victory over |
Cr1ttenden, at Fishing Creek, Ky where fell
he valiant Zollicoffsr, which was Rnined By
heer force Of NUMBER. He never attracts
he attention Of the Northern newspapers
nd the Yankee Government by the heroic
manner in which, with his one corps, he is
aid to hare saved Rosecsans' army fiom des-
sGctton at Chtckamauga.
4 GENERAL INVITATION.