The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-26
CEN. SHERMAN AT ST. LOUIS.
HIS SPEECH AT THE LINDELL No.
TEL BANQUET.
His History Of the Campaign Ia Inc
West. sSA

West. II II
TIL. citizens of St. Louis gave grand
Complimentary banques to Gen. Sherman, a.
tn. Lindell Hotel, on Thursday evening, the
Gosh. The Democrat reports Gen. Shsrman's
speech as follows:
The president read the third regular toast,
ssTo the distinguished guest OF the evening
Tina was hailed with boundless enthusiasm
and calls for the general, who, in rising. was
greeted with storm of fresh pisuoits.-
When these had subsided, the general pro
cesded in a speech wnicn was nsson1o
with profound assention. interrupted only ny
irrepres.ible bursts of approval. Below Is
the address in full:
SPEECH OF GEN. SHERMAN.
feel tonight more than usually honored,
for am in she presence OF many With whom
I have been associated IN years gone by, In
bu.iness. and in the social circles, and IN
public AFFAIRS To receiye the warm COM
mendstions have just heard from the gen
tlsman preceding me. Affords me the greatest
Measure. and would were as gifted as my
friend who has just taken his seat, so that l
might interest you. 1 would travel all over
the world to find topics to suit the occasion.
Gladly would talk of Greece or Rome. but
lear they are gone by,) or, better still,
point TO the history of our own great country,
that ia teeming with recOliections-recOllec
tions that TO me are doubly, trebiy dear. from
associations; to the history of the Spaniard
on the lone river, or still more to old Col.
Bonneville, who is yet living among you, and
whom l saw on yesterday. But the world
sweeps on, and / will not pause, and l see by
the paper before me that you bring me before
Won "a an actor in the scenes just east, and
classify me as one of those men who have
simply waited our country past a dangerous
sbyss, and placed 1t on firm ground, where
il may sally forth again on a new career of
prosperity and glory. [Chesrs, l admit
that the four years past seem even to me
dream now; / can hardly realize the part
have taken, although step by step rises up
where my memory retraces them but yet 1t
seems as q dream that men reared under our
laws-men who were enjoying the prosperi-
ty. whish they themselves admitted never
was surpassed. should rise up in rebellion
against che land and government of Wash
ington. 1t seems 10 me an impossibility, yet
il Was a possibility but it is now past,
thank G d. Cheers. We have right as
eitlzens and historians to cast eyes and
memory back, and see ii IN the past events
we can Learn lessons-lessOns of wisdom that
will make US better men, better citIzsns and
better patriots in the future and if can
trace anything in. the past calculated to etfeot
this object, | will count myself repaid.
Here in St. LOUIS, probably, began the
great centre movement which terminated the
war; q battle field such never before was
seen, extending from ocean 10 ocean almost
with the right wing and the left wing, and
from the ceatre here, | remember one eve
ming, up in the old planters house, sitting
with Gen. Halleck and Gen. Cullum and we
were talking about this. that and the other
9 map was on the table, and | was explain
ing the position of the troops of the enemy in
Kentucky, when came to this state; Gen
Halleck knew we'll the position here, and
remember we'll the question he asked me-
the question of the school teacher to his
chiid-''Sherman. here is the line; how will
you break that line ?" Physically, by a
perpendicular force" "Where is the per
psndicular ?" The line of the Tennessee riv-
er." Gen. Halleck is the author of that first
beginning, and | give him credit for it with
pleasure. Cheers Laying down his pen
ell upon the map he said, There is
the line, and we must take it." The capture
of the fort ON the Tennessee river by the
troops led by Grant followed. Cheers /
These were the grand strategic features of
that first movement, and it succeeded per
fectly. Gan HaIieck's plan went further
not TO stop at his first line, which ran thro'
Columbus, Bowling Greer, crossing the river
at Forts Henry AID Donelson, but to push on
to the second lin. which ran through Mem.
phls and Charleston but troubles interviewed
at Nashville. and delays followed opposition
to the last movement was made, and myself
was brought an actor ON the scene. / re-
member our ascent on the Tennessee river |
have seen tonight captains of steam boats who
first went with Us there; storms came and
we did not reach the point We desired. At
that time, Gen. C. F. Smith was in command;
he was q man indeed all the old officers re
member him as gallant and elegant officer,
and, had he lived. probably some of US youn-
ger fellows would not have attained our pres
ent positions. But that is now past We
followed the line-tbe seconi line-and then
came the landing of forces at Pittsburgh
Landing. Whether it was mistake in
landing them on the west instead of the east
bank, it 10 not necessary now to discuss
think it was not mistake; there was the
first great army of the west-commencing
with only twelve thousand. then twenty.
then thirty thousand, and we had about thir-
ty eight thousand in that battle; and all
manhood; there was no strategy. Grant
was there, and others of us, all young at that
time, and unknown men, but our enemy was
old, and Sidney johnson. whom all the eff
GERS remembered as power among the old
officers, high above Grant, myself or any body
else, led the enemy on that battle field, and
/ almost wonder how we conquered. But, as
remarked, it was q contest for manhood