The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1868-12-10

He knew that We could better lose u
hundred lives than the. rebellion could
lose fifty; and he knew also that terrible
sacrifice was the least bloody road to
= peace. Breaking up oAthe Rapidan in
early May, he forcsd his fiery way
through the Wilderness, and was called
= butcher. BY terrible blows he drove
the enemy. by swift and silent snsrche.
he flanked him, and was called blum
derer. BY one of the most mastery and
daring of military movements his re-
sistless will threw his Whole army over
the James, and forced the enemy into
his capital, and he was called incapa.
BILE. The roses OF peace faded and the
victory waS not won. The bells Of the
4th of July died away, and the victory
was not won. The auxiliary operations
in the Shenandoah failed., Those to the
south Of Richmond nistArried; public
impatience grew, and passionate doubt
and dependency clouded the sum mer.
"Will he do il? ?" asked in whispers the
lovers Of liberty. Hell do no more"
/ shouted the exuitant friends Of the re =
belIion. They did not know the man.
They did not remember Vicksburg
they did not remember Chattanooga
II shall fight it out on this line if it
takes all summer was the only reply.
1t did take all summer. 1t took all
winter. But he fought it out, and fol-
lowed up that line to victory. Undis-
mayed by the delay, undisturbed by
impotence, holding Richmond in both
hands, he ordered Thomas to annihi!ate
Hood-and he did it. He ordered Ter
ry to take Fort Fisher--and he took it.
He ordered Sheridan to sweep the
Shenandoah-and he secured it clean.
And where was he? Sud
denly the thick cloud of loyal doul Is
and fears and of rebel rumors parted,
and revealed Sherman sauntering
through Georgia eating turkeys and
sweet potatoes. Like gnat Wade
Hampton lowered upon his path, trying
to sting, and WAS brushed away. 4
gust of Wheeler's cavalry blew Oft Kill
patrick Is hat. Fort McAIlister crumbled
at Sherman's touch. Hardee stole from
Savannah like a thief in the night. The
terror of Sherman presence q hundred
miles away emptied Charleston Of rebel
troops, as when huge craft pas.es in
the river, the waters Yecede from the
distant lands. Across Georgia, across
South Carolina into North Carolina, he
moved unopposed, spreading his terri
bile wings, and scourging the land with
fire. Then with the accumulated force
of fragments, Johnston dashed against
one Of his arms at Bentonville. Sher-
man threw him PROSTATE in the dust
with one hand, and stretched out tho
other to grasp that of his greatcomman-
der on the James. The silent captain
by the river, still holding his antax-
onist fast in his capital, had now shown,
by the end Of March, that the army of
that an tagonist was the rebellion, and
he prepared to strike. At the extreme
left of his line the sting of the swift and
fiery sheridan struck the enemy first
He WINGED and sullenly recoiled. But
sharper grew the sting; swifter and
more tiery-un til the word came, "sher
idan is sweeping all before him from the
West" Then the genius OF the great
captain, seconded by the tireless valor
Of his soldiers, lighted all along the
line, struck everywhere at once, burst
over the enemy's works, crushed his
ranks, forced his retreat, and at the
same moment loosening his victorious
columns in pursuit, choied the rebel
flight and overwhelmed Lee and his
armies, as the Red Sea engulphed Pha-
raoh and his host. So opened and closed
the campaign. So the Army of the Po.
tomac, often bafiied, struck an immortal
blow, and gave the right hand Of fellow
ship to their brethren in tho West. So
the silent captain, when all his leuten-
ants had secured their seperate fame,
put on the crown of victory and ended
the civil war; But, with what mourn
full and plying eyes did Liberty survey
her triumph, bought rs all her great
triumphs have been, with tears, and
blood, and heart-breaks. How truly
sang her poet amid the ghasly tempest
of battle:
ave wait beneath the furnace hlast,
The pangs of Transformations;
Not painless doth God recast
And mold anew the nation"