The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-12-31
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euhsuusd IL inasress fels19 the u41icipas9d
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volume befSre - - - Ah1B 70 ja1brm OR
readers a. y tho ajilses ths hDolh snd g
tarsn . pretty fai& oanimaee - to the historical
valne ths, will NJ atscted to it@-wheu con-
pieted.
The first paragraph Of the authors pre-
fare sets forth very clearly aud foeeibly the
grounds on which Ms book IL entitled TO the
attention ard confidence Of the public. lie
says:
"1he fact that became = member Of
General Grant personal stad before he ae-
-umed command Of the srmles Of the United
States, and. that have eince remained with
him, is the.voncher that cffer for the cor
rectness Of this history. ] have not meant
10 Stair one fact, uai~ss II came under my
own personA observation, OF has been told
meby ~ sGeSafs5ss u The army, OF. one Of
his in SstAf1S o4txfs, Of nnless knew it
from sl4efaf Tsfesss u Nhen- devia,s from
this rule, make the lewiston known
1t is matter OF course that whatever doc
umentery infot nation could be available TO
snybly has beea open to Colonel Badean's
inspection; that be has had the oral views Of
the best officers in the army; that, in the
pre- oAfxtion, OF his maps. he had the best us
distance to be procured in the Engineer de-
partment of the service. and. in word, that
he has bad all the aids and facilities tina. any
one eonld havefor his work. Under. srch
circumstances hs would be stupid, indeed.
werebe not able 70 prepare book of Frea.
historic value. That he has been trusted so
thoroughly by so excellent a judge of men
~ General Grant, Is the best pviuta facae
evidence that he had an artness for his task.
GRANTS Lifts sEroHE THE WAR.
Born on the 27th Of April. 1922, at Poin,
Pleasant, in Ohio, Hiram Ulysses Grant en>
tered the military academy at West Point, in
his seventeenth year. where be received
through the error OF the Congressman who
nominated him, the name of Ulysses ).
Grant the young cadet in vain tried TO get
his bapiismal initials restored, hnt the omi.
nous AZ. ). could not lie shaken off as If
there WIS an irreverSible destiny nbont even
so small matter ~ this. His military ca
reer before the war is briefly disposed Of bs
Colonel Badeau in single page. In 1850 he
was ia the leather business. with his brother
and father, in Gateua, Illinois. Colonel Bs-
deau says:
Thus. when the civil war broke out
Grant Was a private citizen, earring his bread
in an Insignificant inland town. lie was OF
simple habits and tastes, without influence,
and unambiious. Having never been brought
in contact with men OF erninence he had no
al t.34, ,,.T. 1 Ii
never commanded more than company OF
soldiers and ei,hoagh he had served under
both Scott and Taylor il was >uhaltern, and
without airy opportunity OF intercourse with
those commanders. He hal never voted for
President but tEce: he knew no politicians
for his aequainianc. WINS limited to army OH
GERS and Western traders: even n the town
where he lived he had not ME, the member
oil Congress who represented The district fer
nine successive wears. and who afterwards
became one al las most intimate personal
friends. OF his loar children. The eldest was
eleven years old. lie lived in little house.
at the top Of one OF the picturesque hills on
which GaIena il built. and zen, daily 10 the
warehouse Of his father and brother, where
leather was sold hy the wholesale and retail
de was thirty min. Years OF age before his
conntr,m4n became acquainted with his
name.
HIS FIRST COMMISSION.
When the war broke ont lie offered hi.
services as an educated soldier 10 the gov
ernment, but no notice was taken of the Of.
fer. \ singular fact. which We do not re
member to have heard before, j.. hat when
Mcclellan, rs Major General OF Ohio tolan,
teers, was organizing troops in that State,
Grant went to Cincinnati in the hone that
Mcclellan. az an old army acquaintance.
might offer him place on his staff. The
modest ex-tapaAn went twice to see the
Major General, but the latter was mot ir, =
aud the former returned to Illinois, where o
GoloneTs commission was given HIN by Gov
ernor Yates, who had been aware of Grant 5
qualities, while assisting him in the orgAniza-
ton OF volunteers. First assigned to Gene
raj Pope. commanding the district of North
Missouri, he received his com nissiou rs brig
alter general of volunteers on the .rh oi An
gust. ls9'. For this promotion he was main
ly indebted to Mr. i. b. Washbarne, towns
man who bad never exchanged a word WITH
him until the fail of Fort sumter From that
tune, as afterwards with that OF sherman the
names OF Grant and Washburne became as
aoeiated, until the last and hiebes, rank in
the army was bestowed on the former at the
urgent request OF the latter We mention
this merely as showing how firmly two men
q
other u soldier, ard both men of abihty md
judgment-adhered to him through every
phase OF a careerwhich had some pretty dark
experiences.
MS FIRST COMMAND,
Grants first command Of Importance was
the military district of Southeastern Nilsson
ri, which Included what little foothold he
might get in Western Kentucky and Tennes-
see, as well as his headquarters at the central
station al Cairo. II comprised the junction
OF four great rivers, the Tennessee Cumber-
land, Ohio and Mississippi. The strategic
importance OF this then obscure command
was but little appreciated ut The time: bn,
Grant saw i, and began to work out the fpi
hilment oil Logan angry threat that the
men OF The Northwest would hew their wav
with their swords down the Mississippi &c the
guilt. Yet nearly all but the ardent zeal aud
determined purpose of these impro.isel
troops was lacking 10 the fulfllmeut OF this
threat. lnexpeiience and lack Of discipline
we're but two of the many difficulties in the
way of the achievement. Then, however, as
aterwArd, Grant appreciated at once the ma
ture of war, and did not let the grass grow
under his feet to perfect his men in drill, or
to teach them the use of the spade. He frs,
disturbs the mischievous Neutrality OF zen.
lucky BY the seizure of Palucah, command.
ing the navigation OF the Ohio and of the
Tennessee. lie simply notifies Gen. FIRE.
mont, his immediate SUPERIOR at st. Louis
that he is going TO move, "should no telegra n
arrive preventing the movement Then, as
aherwasd, he seems to make his own plans
and strsightway TO execute them, provided
no superior officers restraints him from ENJOY
ing on the enemys works" which he gener
ally did. There is consisting rather singular
and Suggestive in this taess
MIST SpKRsTooD BATTLE
The only exception to this was occasionet
by the criticisms made on bis correspondence
with the Legislature Of kentucky, inst aftel
the seizure Of Paducah. Sull he kept max
ing suggestions Of active operations. Earl,
in November, 1861, however, Grant was or
dered TO make demonstrations on the ives
side Of the Mississippi, from Columbus, Il
prevent the movement Of rebel troops frou
the east side TO the help Of Price. then con
fronting Fremont in Missouri. Thus orisina
ted the much. misunderstood battle Of Bel