New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-18
GEN SHERMANS ADDRESS


pooS,, Moun,ains when a brief dispatch from Gen.
avender told me that you expected me here on ths oc
easion To deliver the formal annual address ThOugh
Che tak IL one that would have avoided and Is such as
Inever attempted my life, yet feel under so many
obueations to you that 1 must venture. even at
the risk OF being misunderstood BY the out
sids world Many and many q time have you
responded to my call under far less pleasing cir
cunstances and 1t but just and fair that should
now recprocate trusting TO your charitable considera
ton should, now, be at Fort Laramie at an In
dian council but indebted to the courtesy OF my col
leagues Of Peace Commission, and more especially 10
the personal kindness of Gen. Augur who represents me
there for tho opportunity of being here this night u
ahigh privilege thus to meet my old comrades
once moro In health and comfort here at my own nome III
st. Louis IN the midst Of peace, plenty, ana al tne uAu
RES Of civilization instead Of far away In the us"'
camps of the South surrounded by all the poup III" 0
cumstance Of glorious war; and 1t Is right We s"o""
thus meet again 70 keep alive the memories OF those DAYS
and OF those events which are not only woven INTO our
very natures but into the history Of country ltse
LAT wear M Cincinnati bus read in print the ad-
dress OF our President G hi y, the societv and
Of the Army OF the Tennessee that furher atteht gu
my part would superhnous; and II now toneh on
s,a ~ Tho leading points ID will be simply 10 I'LL gap
or to Illustrate the subject Of my discourse But little
ak years ago in the mmofe year re Sd cy
war but accustomed had our people bec9ie aI tne
North especially the warlke language OF me press
that few realized the real danger Our people e0ud not
believe that any part Of them had cause 10 feDe agu
Government 80 mild ard paterna in s nature; Dut al
At once the storu-cloud burst over Fort Sumter, In
Charleston HarbOr and then our Northern masses Iose ~
majestic earestness determined 10 rescue the country
from the Threatened danger cost what 1t might. Reg-
ment regiment pouring into existence st3lg
In muscle, determined in purpose but Ignorant as 0n
ren OF the stern requirements Of Casting our eyes
to the South beed about onehird 81 our people;
Occupying nearly Onohaf of our territory, arraytd IN
open, defiant rebellion 10 the national authority ana WHO
hsa siIer 3gefs osr aseno and
forts; had deliberately organized seIaIs'e Dote5n
pendent Power among the nations of the earth Before
their purpose had been OWNED. or could De pre-
vented they had organized their people mo a rtiOHS
military order. had built continuous me Oh
forts and camps rrom the Potomac to the pi al!
OF the West barring our passage down the MIS-
sssippi south. Then in defiance they D0ldy
in words but not in dreds-were crying aloud ION to-
Rchmond," "Break the backbone o. the RcDelho';
"Crush the monster the bnd" aud other harmless gem
erai expressions Of more sound than fury, quietly with
noise confusion. Without bOastg or olusieI VIII
ns te - western mem. had assembled at Cairo and
Paducah under The leadership OF him whom we sun de-
boats and conveyed by the gallant navy under Conno
dore Fo6te tnrued their course up me IenesSee iten
and assumed the proud ttle OF me ARMY oa h .le
Tennessee Hardly the fact known before the whsle
country electrified by the glad tfding that Henry
and DOnelson had fallen that the boosted kebel me was
broken twain, and that its ends ana fragments hau
safe place Then ON 10 Shiloh where we fought the
Rebels OF those hard and bloody battles worthy 70 De
called epoch IN the itself and with the ad OF our
eOmrade Army OF the Cumberland we drove them Dack,
aud beyond their second chosen lines at COrinh Htre
the future war; parted for timethe one eastward and
the other to that es S artery vS OF
bold and gallant aiding us on lahq, ana ,.L bcd
down the Mississippi like the OF eagle had
bounced upon aud crushed at single blow the Rebel Meet
at Memphis Then 10 Vicksburg but her Gibraltar
like walls crowned by battery battery, barred their
passage and dehed assault Again the Army OF the Ten,
and battle varied in adventure that would I'll volume;
that renowned fortress succumhed at last TO The army ana
navy, led by two heroes That nave no superior IN any
country, and both OF whom still hive oreap the rewards
isss thus became don5y glorious la our counys
dar for all Of Us 10 celebrate that day In wine
with water taken from those dirty ponds about jackson,
poisoned by the dead carcasses of fleeing army but
Court House in yicksburg which had 80 long been the
target OF our arry ana n Se svs am eame
pouring out nom nook and cave above and from the
waters Of the deadly Yaz0o. and hurried down TO that
levee where for so long time they had been strangers
have often thought in my dreams OF the lumnary bright
"a fairy, decked of with her hags, ana streaming
down the turbld waters Of the Mississippi procainlng
10 the world that that great nyer was again gan ire ree
You nor I, any OF Us, will again experience the
oy of that day. and the Army OF the Tennessee had
then gone out OF existence the people OF TINS county
would debt OF gratitude hard to repay But the
far away Id the mountains OF East Tennessee called for
help. and had to go. Through forests. over rivers
Lookout Mountain. with Its Rebel batteries frowned
down nPOi us ana upon our CsesgerTG aes nf
you to meet Cen Grant In Chattanooga, and recall my
Wood he pointed ont to me the circing Rebel camps,
with their pickets walking their posts in ardayght,
were closely besieged and tnat General. unaccns,
toned TO such close quarers only awaited your arrival
&c cut the GOran knot and let bis army free so impa
tent he that after receiving his orders FASTENED
oSsf 70 es ySg a oW Sos mes Of
and, without allowing you moments rest hureu you
tSose hills sSd aS that ponon bridge below chrRS
manga at night and hastily marched TO the top OF Mis-
ment-ceary there not room there for us both and
one had to quitwe had not the remotes intention
md nrun fell MT
our General had set for him. He drew from his
center as against US 70 the suR S bnrs t oSt
of his ntrenchmentS aud swept the Rebel hosts
fragments escaped beyond RInggod Gap leaving us
masters in the Tennessee Valley. We too, took part IN
reysve and knowing the poverty Of tie storehoases
Chattanooga got leave to conduct you up to the III
awassee the very garden OF the old Cherokees where
hoped find meal for you and at least eornsalks Tor
horses. But we had hardly reached the rver when
Wilson the evermeSsencer OF hard work. came bearing
letters from Cen Grant, saying that he hated TO
call on us for more marching put there was no sterna
tive We were already 20 miles IN me drsction OF hn0x
VILE Burnside closely besieged by the Rebei
IOngstreet and needed help AT the time were in
decidedly light marching order Our haHersaeks WIN
the old "thTee days ratOns 10 last 1ye, had already
been drawn out TO but this no time for hes
tatOu, and we went on to KNOXVILLE ana relieved burn
from his pressing danger IT, on that occasion, we
see hope they appreciated the fact that they had as
much interest in the result as we; and as to our
engaged in national work, ought not
70 SITTER for food long as they had l., any
II will not do for to dwell on those interest
ing times but there Is po.ut Of history 80 often mis-
stated that Will venture correction. You all fcnem
Der that the Winter OF 1904 left the Fifteenth Corps
and part Of the Sixteenth encamped along the railroad
from Huntsville 10 Stevenson, while l. almost alone, re-
turned by river TO Memphis and Vicksbnrg, whence.
with Mcpherson and iIuribut, made that Meridian
excursion The and exclusive object Of that Winter
march TO prepare the coming grand campaign Of
1854 to drive back the Rebel army Of Gen Polk out Of
Mssissipp and 10 break up all railroads there,
pecay the Mobile and Ohio roads, so that the Rebels
could not again hreaNn the safety OF the mississippi
River which deemed vital 10 our cause, by anything
but mere cavalry dashe such Forrest was accustomed
in heir uufu