The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-05
Major General Ulysses 8. Grant,
the Hero OF Belmont, Fort Done
olson, Shiloh and OF the Battles
In Front Of VlckSbufg.

eloOns Shiloh ana OF the battles
In Front Of vicksburg.
It cannot reasonably be doubted that
Vicksburg will soon fall, and in anticipa-
ton of that event, we regard it's proper
occasion to review the military history of
the General, whose skill and energy will
have brought to the country such splendid
benefits.
Major General U. s. GRANT was grad
uated at West Point about 1910; and at
the commencement of the Mexican war,
was Lieutenant of the regular cavalry.
In the course of the war he rose to tho
rank of Captain. Soon after the CLOSE of
the war, he resigned his commission, and
settled at St. Louis among his wifes rela-
tons. After few years residence there,
he removed to Galena, Illinois, and en-
gagged in the mercantile profession.
At the breaking out of the present war,
in 1861, he reported himself ready for
duty, and received commission as Colo
mel of, we think, the 18th Illinois Volun-
teers. After rendering much important
service in Missouri, he was appointed
Brigadier General and placed in charge of
the district of Cairo, which had previously
been in charge of General PRENrlss.
There he spent the autumn and winter of
1862, in organizing the army which was
then expected to take Columbus, Ken
lucky, and resist rebel encroachments on
Western Kentucky and Southeastern Mis-
souri,.
On the 9TH of November, 1861, he
fought the battle of Belmont, Immediately
under the rebel guns of Columbus, in
which he accomplished everything that
he purposed. For this he was severely
censured, and charged with having wan
tonly sacrificed his men for no object.
On coming to understand the purpose of
the attack, however, we believe the public
mind became generally satisfied; though
we think it has rendered him but tardy
justice. Gen. FREMONT, then in st. Louis,
had ordered him to throw out brigade
in Southeastern Missouri to prevent rebel
troops from going west from Columbus to
reinforce PRICE, who was in the western
part of the State. Accordingly, Colonel
OGLEsBY had been sent out with four reg
iments, small force of cavalry, and one
battery of light artillery, to resist any
westward movement from Columbus. He
left the town of Commerce, some forty
miles above Cairo, on Sunday evening, the
third of November. Tuesday evening
following, General GRANTS spies reported
that strong rebel force was being fitted
out to cut off OGIEsBY's command; and
it was to prevent this, and thus protect
OGLEsBY, that the Belmont expedition was
undertaken. The prisoners taken at Bel
mont confirmed the report of the spies,
stating that five thousand men would have
started in pursuit of OGLEsBY the next
morning, had not the attack on Belmont
been made. This was, certainly, enough
to Justify the Belmont expedition. The
result was, that no troops were sent west
from Columbus. Belmont camp was ia
ken and destroyed, and some two hundred
prisoners brought away, with several val
liable pieces of artillery. We lost seventy
seven men, killed on the field, and about
two hundred wounded and prisoners. Gen.
Polk afterwards admitted to Col. DoUGH-
ERrY, of the Twenty-Second Illinois,
(wounded and prisoner with the rebels,)
that their loss was about twelve hundred.
Gen. GRANTS next movement was
on Fort Henry, on the Tennessee River;
but the wonderful energy of Commodore
FoorE, with his iron-clads, prevented the
land forces from participating in the ac-
ton. For this, GRANT was censured.
Immediately after this, he moved across
from Fort Henry to Fort Donelson, on the
Cumberland River, and, simultaneously
with the gunboats, began an attack on the
rebel works. After four days of desper-
ate fighting, the works were carried, and
all the rebel force, amounting to over four
teen thousand, surrendered. This was the
first great victory which had been achieved
by our forces. For time the whole land
resounded with acclamations of joy; but
in due time, the green eye of jealousy saw
in Gen. GRANT something to censure. He
had let FLOYD and Pillow escape, with
three steamboat loads of men. 1t was
also a. certained that at one time, in the
course of the action, he was found to be
absent from his headquarters. This was
enough! Of course he was coward, or
something worse! On hearing of this,
Commodore FoOTE, with his usual gener-
osity, came forward and stated that Gen.
GRANT was on his boat, WHITTIER he had
summoned him for consultation and that
if any one WAS to be blamed, it was him
self