The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-08-04
WAR HISTORY.
General sherman in Saint Louis.
A Public Speech and a Dinner.

4 I uUliC kpeoCu duu Dluu6f,
Gen. SHERMAN was entertained at q pub
lie dinner given him by the citizens Of st.
Louis last week. He made long speech,
in the course of which be said: ~
feel tonight more than usually hon.
ored, for am in the presence Of many
with whom have been associated In years
gone by in business, and in the social Cir
Gle, and in public affairs. To receive the
warm commendations I have just heard
from the gentlemen preceding me-, affords
me the greatest pleasure, and I'weuld l
were as gifted as my friend who has just
taken his seat so that might interest you.
/ would travel all over the world to find
topics to suit the occasion. Gladly would
/ talk of Greece and Rome (but I fear they
are gone by), or better still, point to the
history Of our own great country, that is
teeming with recollections- -recollections
that are to me doubly, trebly dear, from
associations: to the history Of the Span
lard on the lone river, or still more to old
Colonel Bonneville, who is yet living among
you, and whom I saw yesterday. But the
world sweeps on, and I will not pause, and
I see by the paper before me, that you
bring me before you as an actor in the
scenes just past, and classify me as one of
those men who have simply waited our
country past a dangerous abyss, and placed
it on a firm ground, where it may sally
forth again on new career of prosperity
and glory. [Cheers.l l admit that the
four past years seem even to me dream
now; l can hardly realize the part / have
taken, although step by step rises up when
my memory retraces them; but yet it
seems as dream that men reared under
our laws-anen who were enjoying the
prosperity, which they themselves admit
ted never was surpassed, should rise up in
rebellion against the land aud government
of Washington. 1t seems to me an impos-
sibility-yet it was a possibility; but it is
now past, thank God. COheers.1 We have
right as citizens and historians to cast our
eyes and memory back, and see if in the
past events we can learn lessons of wis
dom that will make us better men, better
citizens, and better patriots in the future;
and if can trace anything in the past
calculated to effect this object, I will ac-
count myself repaid. Here, in St. Louis,
probably, began the great centre move
ment which terminated the war; bat
tle-feld such as never before was seen, ex-
tending from ocean to ocean almost with
the right wing and the left wing, and from
the centre here, remember one evening,
up in the old Planters House, sitting with
General Halleck and General Cullum and
we were talking about this, that and the
other; map was on the table, and / was
explaining the position of the troops of the
enemy in Kentucky, when came to this
State; General Halleck knew well the po-
sition here, and l remember well the ques-
ton he asked me-the question of the
school-teacher to his child" Sherman,
here is the line how will you break that
line ?" physically, by perpendicular
force" "Where is the perpendicular P"
"The line of the Tennessee river" Gen.
Halleck is the author of that first beginn-
ing, and give him credit for it with
pleasure. [Oheers.l Laying down his
pencil upon the map, he said "There is
the line, and we must take it," The cap
ture of the fort on the Tennessee river by
the troope led by Grant followed. [Cheers. !
These were the grand strategic features OF
that first movement, and it succeeded per-
fectly. General Hallecks plan went fur
ther-not to stop at this first line which
run through Columbus, Bowling Green,
crossing the river at Henry and Donel-
son but to push on to the second line
which rur through Memphis and Charles
ton; but troubles intervened at Nashville,
and delays followed; opposition to the
last movement was made, and ! myself was
brought an actor on the scene. / remem-
ber our ascent on the Tennessee river:
have seen tonight captains of steamboats,
who first went with Us there; storms
came, and we did not reach the point we
desired At that time, General G. F.
Smith was in command; he was a man
indeed; all the old officers remember him
as gallant and elegant officer, and, had
he lived, probably some of US younger fel-
lows would not have attained our present
position. But that is now past. We fol-
lowed lines-the second line-and then
came the landing of forces at Pittsburc
landing. Whether it was a mistake in
landing them on the west instead of the
east bank, it is not necessary now to dis.
cuss. I think it was not mistake: there
was gathered in the first great army of
the west-commencing with only twelve
thousand, then twenty, and then
thirty thousand, and we had about
thirty-eight thousand in that battle !;
and all I claim for that ia that it
was a contest for manhood; there was
no strategy. Grant was there, and Others
Of us, al young At that time, and unknown