Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-01-08


posts the possession Of which Was necessary
10 maintain tho integrity Of tl'e Confedcracy
General Grants least merit was the taking OF
Vicksburg. The operations through the sue
cess Of which he was enabled TO shut up
large force Of brave men In Vi.ksburg, and
to cut them of FROM all hope Of being rS-
licvcd, were Of the highest order OF military
excellence, and justly entitled him to Be call.
ed great soldier ;csnd no man can DO only
a great soldler, for that intellectual rank i'm.
plies in its possessor qualities that tit him
for any department. of his country s,.aesviee.
General Grant was admirably seconded and
supported by his lieutenants aud their subof.
dinates and men, or he must have failed before
such courageous and stubborn foes. lie was
also supported by the naval forco commanded
by Admiral Porter, whose heroic exploits
and scientific services added new lustsr TO .
name that already stood most high in our
naval history lie commanded men worthy
of himself and the service, and whose deeds
must be ever remembered. General Banks
and his associates were not less successful in
their unde, taking, and had been as well SEE
onded Us General Grant. The Mississippi
was placed at cur control, and the enemy
were deprived OF those supplies, both domcs-
tic and foreign, which they had drawn in 30
large quantities from the trans Mississippi
territory. Through Texas, which had con.
trived to keep up great commerce, the sup
plies Of foreign mdteriel had been very large;
and from the same rich and extensive State
came thousands of becSes, sheep, and hogs,
that were consumed hy Southern soldiers i'll
Virginia and the Carolinas. Generals Grant
aud Banks put an end to this mode Of sup
plying the Rebels with food and other articles;
and at later period the success Of General
Banks near the Rio drandc was hardly less
useful in putting an end TO much OF the Tex
an foreign trade, whereby the rebels beyond
the Mississippi must find their powers to do
mischief very materially lessened.
In the meantime, Charleston, whence re.
belllon had spread over the South, had boon
assailed by large force, military and naval,
commanded by General Gilluorc and Rear
Admiral Dahiyren General Gilmore had
become farnous as the captcr OF Fort Pulas.
XII, and under circumstances that had seemed
| to render success impossible; and hence il
was expected that he would quickly tako
Charleston 1t is not believed that that very
able and modest officer ever said word to
give rise to the popular expectation. He knew
the gravity of the task ho had under taken,
and we believe that, il all the facts connect.
found that he has accomplished all that no
ever promised to do or expected to do. lie
has done much, and done it admirably and
not the least of the effects of his deeds Is
this, that the report Of his guns reached to
/ Europe, aud caused the intelligent military
men of that dominating quarter OF the world
| to doubt whether their respective countries
were militarily prepared to support interven-
tion, even if to intervention there existed no
moral or political objections lio has demol.
ished Sumter, and that fortress which was
! the scene Of our first failure has ceased to
exist He has completed the blockade OF
Charleston, which was almost daily violated
before he brought his batteries into pluy.--
| We have the authority of no less parsonage
than Mr. Jefferson Davis himself, "A gentle.
man who never speaks out" when anything
il to be made by retieencc, that Whining.
! ton is now tho only port left to the Confeds'
racy aud this is the highest possible COM
pliment that could be paid to tho cxccllencs
OF General Gillmore's operations, and to tho
value Of his services. Since ho arrived near
Charleston, that port has been as hermetical.
ly sealed as Cronstaat in Decombcr; whereas,
until lie beganhis scientific and most useful
/ labors, Charleston was one OF tho most
! Hourshng seaports in the whole circle Of com,
merce. AS TO the taking OF Charleston, our
opinion is, and has been from the FIRST, that
the history Of tho War Of the American Rev.
olution demonstrates that the Carolina city
can be had only as tho result OF extensive
Interpretations, carried on by power which
has command Of the sea- Sir Henry Clinton
failed before the place IN l1T6, his attack be.
ing naval in its character; and he succeeded in
taking it in 1880, whcn be had control ofths
main land, and made his approaches regular.
ly. Even after he had obtained command Of
the harbor, and Fort Moultrie. had been firss
passed and then taken, and no American
aiaritimc force remained TO oppose his feet,
he had to depend upon the action OF his ar
my Cor success. We fear that the event will
prove that we can succeed at Charleston only
by following Sir Henrys wise,course. Tho
things which have been are the thing which
shall be-"
i Late in the summer, General Rosecrans ro-
s,mel operations, and marched upon Chat
tanooga, while General Burnside moved irto
East Tennessee, and obtained possession OF
Knoxville. General Burnside's march was
one Of the most difficult ever made in war,
and taskcd the powers Of his men to the ut
most but oil difficulties were sirmounted,
and the loyal people Of the county which he
entered and reganed were gladdoned by see.
ing the nationsI flag flying over their heads.
Both these movements were at first brilliant
! ly successful but tho enemy were Impress.
!. ed with the importance Of the points taken or
threatened by our forces, md they conccn.
iratcd great masses Of troops, in the hopo OF
being able TO defeat our armies, regain tia
territory lost, and transfer the seat Of the
war into tho north. The battle Of Chcka-
nauga was fought, and a portion of General
Rosecrans' army was defeated, while smother
portion, under General Thomas, stubbornly
maintained its ground, and inflicted great
damage on tbs enemy The effect Of Gener-
al Thomas .heroic resistance was, that the
enemy's grand purpose was bafiled. Their
loss was SO severe, and their men had been
40 roughly handled, that they could not sd-
vance farther, and the time thus gained was
promptly ,Gfned to account, BY General Ro.
secIans in the first instance, and by Govern
ment. The Union army was soon re organ. i.
izcd by its energetic leader, and placed in
condition 10 make eifectual resistance to tho
enemy. should they cndcayor to advance.
The Governments action WAS rapid and use
. fol. General Grant was placed in immediate
command Of the army. which was largely 70.
inforced, and preparations were quickly made
for the resumption of offensive operations
In tho meantime, General Bragg had sent
General Longstreet TO attack General Burn.
side; and as Longstreet has been locke up.
!. on, since the death Of jackson, a. the best ol
the Rc5cl fighting generals, great hopes we're
entertained Of his success. Apparently tak-
ing advantage Of the absence Of so large q
body OF Rebel troops, under so good leader,
General Grant resumed the offensive on the
twenty third Of November, and during three
days hard fighting inflicted upon General
Bragg series Of defeats, 10 which Gencrals
Thomas, Hooker, and Sherman werc the act.