The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-08

cannon, 20, 900 small arms, and large
amount of army stores. Gen. Buckner
also fell into bis hands prisoner As a !
reward for his services at Fort DOnelson,
den. Grant was promoted to major gen.
eral OF volunteers The effect of his vic.
tory was to break up the basis of rebel OPP
erations on the Tennessee and Cumber-
land rivers, and redeem Kentucky from
rebel rule. On the goth of February
GAINESVILLE fell into the hands of the I'm
ion forces, and on the 23d of the same
month, Nashville
The battle OF Pittsburg Landing or Shi-
lob, fought April 6 and 7, followed. Here
General Grant was closely pressed. The
rebel army having LETT Corinth. under the
command of Albert Sydney Johnston and
Beauregard, moved upon his forces, with
the view of overpowering them before
General Buell. could arrive, who, accord
ing to arrangement, was to form a junction
with General Grant at that point, in order
to attack Johnston and Beauregard at CO.
rinth. Grants forces were greatly inte-
rior to theirs. But such was his strategy
and conspicuous bravery, that on the 4th
and 9th he held the enemy in check by
skirmishers. On the 9Th he fought great
battle, falling back, however, to the river
as base, before overwhelming numbers
of the enemy. On the evening of that day
a portion of Buell's men got up, and the
residue during the night and next morn
ing. On the 7th the fight became general
and desperate, but the hero of Donelson
led the united forces to victory By four
O'Clock in the afternoon the rebels were in
full retreat towards Corinth, leaving four
thousand dead on the field. Among 9TH
ers, General Johnston was slain. Thus
General Grant gained another triumph for
the Union cause and added another chap
ter to his fame.
Passing over intermediate details and
events, for this is not intended to be his
tory, only an unpretending and brief biog-
raphy, OH the Sd of October, Corinth, then
occupied by Grants army, was attacked
by the rebel general Van Born, who, after
three days. fighting, was repulsed and
withdrew his forces. After the battle at
Pittsburg Landing, General Grant more
Immediately contemplated the reduction of
Vicksburg and the release of the Missis-
sippi. The rebels early discovered the
self-reliant and wary character OF the VIC
torious general, and dreaded his approach.
They knew that where Grant went there
was no childs play-that when he gained
a foothold on the soil of Mississippi there
would be no dislodging him consequent
ly, on the Goth of October, 1862, they be-
gan to concentrate heavy force at Ripley,
in that state, with the intention of assailing
him il his positions near that place. He,
however, completely out-generaled them.
On the 9th of October a portion of the
forces occupied Lagrange west of Grand
Junction, and thus were enabled to hold
the lines leading south from Tennessee
To prevent his receiving reinforcements
from New Orleans the rebels fortified Port
Hudson. General HOvey was ordered
down to Grenada, which he occupied, the
rebels retreating. The next day they
abandoned their Notifications at Shelby
vile upon the advance of General Grant.
His next move was to cut the railroad COM
munioatiOn with Vicksburg, which purpose
he effected, while General Sherman, COM
manding the right wing of the army, was
directed to make demonstration upon the
defences of that stronghold. This he did,
and drove in the outer lines of the enemy,
but they receiving reinforcements from
Grenada, he was compelled to abandon the
enterprise.
General Grant did not, however, des-
pond. Being convinced that the north
line of the enemyis works could not be
carried without great loss of life he re-
fho IF In Al
around Vicksburg, which had been COM
menced the year before, but soon became
satisfied that it was impracticable, and de-
termined to move his army down the west
bank of the Mississippi river to point be-
low Vioksburg, while transports, laden
with arms and stores, should run by the
batteries there and at Grand Gulf. This,
although difficult and hazardous under
taking, seemed the only alternative, and
to most hopeless one. Colonel Grier-
son, commanding the First cavalry brig
ade, was ordered to pass from Lagrange,
through Mississippi, to Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. The object of this expedition
was two-fold--6rst, to cut eff rebel COM
munications with Vicksburg; and, second
to ascertain whether the interior of Missis-
sippi and louisiana were defended. 1t
proved decided success, and az soon as
Colonel Grierson had proceeded sufficient
ly far to justify the measure, Gen. Grant
commenced crossing bis forces over the
river at Bruinsburg, April the 3Oth, on the
transports which had run by the batteries.
Then commenced that trinmphal march
and wonderful succession OF victories
which have shed SO much lustre on our
arms.
General Grant found himself in hostile
country with an inferior force, scantily
supplied with military stores, without pri-
vate baggage, and with q danger and re-
sponsibility resting upon him greater than
has rested upon any other officer during
the war. The President, under date Of
July 10, 1868, wrote him: "When you
got below and took Port Gibson, Grand
Gulf and vicinity, / thought you should 90
down the river and join General Banks;
and when you turned northward, east of
the Big Black, feared it was mistake.
have now to make personal acknowledg-
ment that you were right and I was
wrong" What is the inference IfGen.
Grant had gone south, it would have been
an easy task for him to join Gen. Banks
but he knew that woo not the work for