The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-06
Who is Grant?


quartermaster in the old army, in which
position he WAS distinguished only for his
love of strong drink His first appear.
ance in the present war, in any conspicu.
GUS capacity; was at Belmont, where, in
conjunction with McClefnand, he sps.
prised Confederate camp and might
have gained a victory if Polk had aot
crossed the river in time 10 reinforce
Pillow, when the two whipped him bark
igHomiuiously aud disastrously to his
pnst, by which he was glad to make bis
escape The enterprise. however, exbib:
tied holdness, and the general absence OF
this quality a, 'he time among the Van:
kee Generals secured for !,im pinmotipb,
and gave him the cvmnand of. some
SO,OgO or more men gathered in front of
Sydney Johnston. at Bowling Green
The winter foods euabed The enemy
t" carrythe inadequate defences near tue
mouths of the Cumberland and Tennessee
rivers, to land men at pleasure below
Fort Donelson, and to attack it simulta-
neously by land and wafer. The garrison
at this place was very small 10 compari,
son with the Investing force, aud the
lines Of fortifcation, in many places,
weak A heroic defence was made
For three days the enemy was repulsed
with fearful slaughter, his losses in dead
alone being nearly as large as our w. hole
garrison. The place was not carried 10y
assault, but capiiula,ed Very many of
the men demonstrated against the surrp-
der, and few now doubt that, by proper
management, the whole Of them could
have cut their way out without serious
resistance. In these two 6ghts-at Bel.
Uont and Donelson-the great Ulysses
was in one instance defeated positively,
and, in the next, gained victory, Of
which none but Yankee would or could
boast.
Grants next appearance was a! Shiloh.
In the first days fight he was surprised
and shanfefulIy beaten; on the scensh day,
Buell., who was Grants superior, AMI
had arrived with heavy reiut'rceme"ts.
took command, and to him is due the
credit, such Us it II, otatarkiug disor.
ganlzed army, half the size Of his own,
AMI Of failing sirnally 70 make it do
more rhnn rrlinqush at leasure Il part Of
the enormous spoils which it had won
the day before. Here there was no victo.
ry to any one 90 the Yankee side, aid
certainly none to Grant
After Sherman's failure at Vicksburg.
Grant superseded him. With unlimited
men and means at his command, he at
tempted no assault. but waited patiently
til the naval tficers had succeeded in
raining both gun boats and transports
past the Confederate batteries March.
ing hi+ men rapidly down the West bank
of the river, he .ferried them nrrr and
precipi,atcd them upon Grand Gulf--a
strong position, which. like Donelson,
was iucompletely fortified and feebly
rarrisoned. Grants success at this pvint
was due more to the gun.boats than to
his own skill. Ard now occurred the
only movement which entities him to
praise and eyiuccs generalship. With
celebrity uDe1ampled in the history Of
Yankee warfare, he pushed forward his
huge columns, upset Pemberton without
the lea.t difficulty, Invested Wick. burg,
established his communications with the
river both above aud below the city. pro.
iected his rear from Johnston by formi-
dahlr works, and, after number Of up-
successful attempts to storm the place, set
down leisurcly to reduce it by siege,
which he at length did, without serious
mClestation either in front or rear.
Here he was indebted more to-tbe COM
federate Government than to his own!
genious for his SUCCESS. He showed
energy by the rapidiry of his moSements,
aud displayed skill in interposine his
army between Pembcrton and Johnston;
but II either lis courage or bis skill had
been extraordinary, he would hsye crush
ed his incompetent antagonist idks4icks-
b"rg as easily almost as he bad done at
Bakers Creck--a battle over which the
Yankees made great deal Of noise, but
in reality no battle at all; for We remem-
ber that one of the ablcst Confederate
officers engaged in it laughed at thei dear
of dignifying it with the name Of battle.
1t was not Grants generalship So much
as his opponents utter ine1perience in
field fighting, and his own overwhelming
numbers, which enabled him to carry
everything before him at "Champion's
Hill," like whirlwind.
His next appearance was at Chattax
noogs, where the discord existing betReea
the commanding general, on the Confed'
crate side, and his subordinate officers,
but more still. the detaehing of Long.
street with large body of the best troops
in the army, just as Grant himself w.s
reinforced BY many thousands under
Sherman, offered an easy but yet costly
success, What there was in victory
so gained to eutitle, its winner to the
extraordinary houorS' and aduIatiop Of
which Grant is noS the subject, can DO
apparent only to those whose ttiumphs
are rare and whose heroes essiIy;made,
He has aeser gained a battle, in an open
SIGHT, with less advantage than three
or four times 40 many men S " IS IS were op.
posed to him. He has not proved him.
ealf q ,.o.t oon.,.l h,,k 1. H. .hn.