, 1863-05-28
QDitaqo Grlbn11t.


GRANTS RANK AND FILE.
while The Eastern Journals are justly
1o,,a in their praises Of Gen. Grant, for the
hr;,,;ant and memorable successes that have
attended his recent operations, VIC may say
= word for the brave men and namelcss Of
tlcers By whose hardihood, devotion and
heroism victory was made possible. We
detrsct nothing from the praise Que TO
Gen. Grant, for he organized, disciplined
and drilled them, when we say that the
c,,neriors of the - thousand troops
whom he chose as tie share1s Of his dan
ccrs and the partners Of his rcnown, never
stood on this Continent 4 gentleman
well known in this State, who set ont with
C;rant from Milliken's Bend, and &C.
companied the army on its march
to Perkins plantation and New Car
thagc, thence by boat to Br11insburg,
and over the flercely contested ground Of
Thompson's Hill, near Port Gibson, and
then to Raymond, from which place he
set out on his return, tells Us that he had,
knowing personally hundreds OF the men
and d large number Of the reg mental Off
Gers, unusually good opportunities for es-
,imating tie power OF endurance and the
fighting qualities Of the individuals Of the
amy and he declares that every man is
hero! lie heard no complaint, SOW no
hesitation or faltering, Toll and danger
are accounted nothing. The men went
with joyful hearts to look for the enemy,
to fight him, and to win from his hands
memorable victory. And whenever the
presence Of that enemy was announced,
cheers which were the premonitons Of tn
umph came swelling up and would not be
rcpressed. When commanded to move,
every file, company and regiment went to
the fierce attack with the proud tread Of
yetc,ans-cyeIy mans brow lighted with
the assurance Of the glory that awaited the
result.
Composed exclusively Of Western troops,
the force was originally Is good as can be
mustered in the harvest fields and work
shops in this country; but the regiments,
mainly old, have been thoroughly Wecded
cut, and tue poor material that every volun-
1cer army, in its earlier days, carries along
with it, has been got rid Of By process that
never ceases. Those ren1aining arc hence
men Of iron; and the chronicle Of their Ia
bors shows that they have done what
iron men only could have accomplished.
Our informant, who, in favor at head
quarters, was permitted to 60 where he
pleased, mingled freely with the men both
on the march and in camp; and he tells
us that he was astcnished at the perfec.
unaninity Of opinion upon the merits ol
the war, and the necessity of conqucEng
the rebels by force Of arms, that private:
and officers entertained. He heard nj
doubt On these points, and certainly saw nj
hesitation in the most unreseryed expires
sion Of opinion. Patriotism, and that o
the intensest and most feryent sort, has be
come d passion-not sentiment tha
maunders and mumb1es in poetical quota
lions; but passion that Is the parent q
the great deeds like these that these yer
soldiers have just enacted They war
tue war TO 60 On until the enemy is pu
down; and our encomiast believes thu
were the question, whether they are to Ia
down their lives or permit the South
succeed, left to them for decision, tbs
little army would find Curtius in ever
second private in the ranks. And we bt
lieyc it too; the splendor Of their achieve
mcnts is in earnest Of the great faith b,
which they arc animated And shoul'
they fail to wrcst from The v1gilant AMI
well cntrencLed foe, the crown Of thei
here}sm, in the occupation Of Vicksburg
they have already won immortal renown
There is not q Copperhead among them
We are told, too, that among the differ
cnt regiments, though hailing as they d
from the different Western States, there
no sectional jealousy; but On the contra1
pc,fect martial accord. Illinois, Indian;
Iowa and Wisconsin, Kansas and 3lisso1
ri, know, on the battle field, no sue
things as State lines And this instance
mentioned us proof: At Raymond, = din
cult job was to be attempted, and &C
tain Illinois and Indiana reg
ments were ordered to undertake
Illinois went in to the music Of the O
battle cry immortalizcd by Hardin at Blu
ID Vista" Illinois,! Illinois! illinois
and from the other end Of the line car
The answering shout, 'Indiana! 1ndtunt
Indiana!" and, with the thunder Of t
voices drowning the thunder Of the {
cmy's cannon, On swept misrepresentation
of the two States, and in half an hour,
which Indiana and Illinois lost many
gallant son, the foe was flying and the fie
won! And Of Iowa it is said that, where
cr her banners appear, they are heart
and chiya]rously saluted in compliment
the glory with which heroism and victt
have crowned them
These men believe that they cannot
beaten. And the record that they
making will convert the country to til
opinion.
W. xtr. A