Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1865-01-04
LIE CLAIR. Iowa, Dec. 10, 1864.


1t would seem that the Fates are
against us. The greatest part OF the past
year-now closing, has been the timely
recorder of more than bloody events.
Never has there been such hosts of hu-
manity marshalled for deadly conflict as
in this years military campaigning.
Commencing with the early spring
time, the Administration opened out, on
Il gigantic scale heretofore unequalled-a
series of war movements, that, in effect
were to "crush out the rebellion in
three months or less time as the case tcas
erpected to be. ''Why, it is the easiest
lob in the world TO clean the Rebs out of
Richmond. and end the war, when Gen
Grant gets ready y said the croaking be-
levers in the war, and the Abolition.
To begin with Grant, (and no chief
commander in the war, had the backing
up in every way than he), made a grand
preparation, commensurate with the ex-
tent of the job on hand, and the means
which were furnished without stint =
which had " Right" made g Might" in
our case. success would have been sure
but in the sequel is the disclose made, in
which we have signslly Jinled, yes, igno-
muHolsiy failed for have we not boasted
OF our superiority in every point in men
and money; and of course superiority;
" for the Lord is on the side Of the right p
(Now, rs might makes right, sce are to
conclude that the Lord is altcay5 on the
side of the right ard of necessity He
must be with the rebels when they thun-
der down on our army, He leading in the
expulsion as He did the armies of St.
Michael against Satan and his host when
they wared in the heavens.) How is that!
Remember, right makes might As the
rebels have had their own way and in the
majority of cases, come off with the best
end Of the bargain and, to-day hold
more advantages shan ever they did since
the war began. Humph-Yes! the Lord
on the side Of the Christian and The hu-
mane and pi.ilanthropic negro-frccdom
fauaticg Of our Government = Guess
not Them fellows down ,herc are only a
handful in comparison to the force we can
muster against them, and the language
We have heard time and again from the
lips Of the " believers ard the loyal "
in our midst
E3qc,l again Grant, when fully pre-
parcd-a grand forward movement of the
whole combined armies in the East was
made direct for the Confederate capital.
Thus began the bombastic butcher, and
70 keep things highly cxpectant and
charmingly confident in the rear, he made
the immediate announcement, his deter
mination 10 " fight it out on this line" ="
That line ~ every one must be acqhaint-
10 Richmond from Washington.
How did Grant make out on that line !?
lie very scon made a GiScovcry-a "hid-
dea masked battery" 4 something that
busted under his nose which caused him
TO "smei MICE" and "retreat in
good order" to follow: discovery, which
was made and openly declared to the
nation and the world, that that @ line"
wouldn't hold water; made 20 by several
practical Generals men, who far exceed
ed the present man in sound, practical
military science rs Gen. Mcclellan does
that brag and liar Pope.
But that did moi make particle Of diff
ference: 90 Grant can do it, How he
has done it will be seen by his change of
operations from the Fredericksburg route
(Or " tigh, it out on this line y to the one
by the Peninsula and the Wilderness,
there to make double -andtwsted crook
Of the line, way around to Petersburg.
Now let us look upon the map, and it is
certainly astonishing to see what n woe
fully disappointed "linc," or something
else | think about that time there were
quite disappointed crew, consisting of
its cipals-Grant, A. Lincoln & Co. :.
and great portion of the people.
One fellow in particular seemed the
most indifferent, and not the least sign of
disappointment chased over his countenance
because he kept his end of the &" line -
all straight That was Gen. Lee.
And this is almost the last day of the
year of sorrows, of woe and suffering of
toll and danger. with a threatening tenn
pest all along our future horizon-one that
will engulph in its seething, boiling food,
thousands that comfortably sit by their
firesides with the fairest hopes and fondest
recolIections, enjoying the comfort of home
and family, at the close of the year 1864,
(ciosing as it is in scene of carnage, of
death), and e'er come around again an
other New Year, the same dark pail will
cover our ovil-stricken land and the soil
Of the sunny South" will be heaped
upon the form of thousands of brave
men whose Grave never will he known to