Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-10-02

and heavy fiwhting, the whole rigbl
wing had been pushed back by the fur
ious and luBg-e0nnnued assaults OF the
rebel columns.
Until Iflis time. Grant had been il
consultation with Foute, on the gun
boat, three or four miles distant. He
was now returning 10 inform him oi
1.-THE state of affairs. Soon alter, he met
Gen. c. F. Smith, snd decided that the
rebels had probably massed almost
their whole force for the attack against
AIcCIernan3 and WalIacs- The battle
was thought to be lost. So it was al
Marengo. 81 see the battle is lost, .
said Dessaix to Napoleon as he arrived
on the field. 81 suppose I can do 30
more than secure your retreat. BY
no means, " replied Napoleon .'the bat
tile is gained. Charge with your col
umns. The disabled troops will rally
in yOurrear."
Grant Immediately ordered General
Smith on our left, who had not been en-
gagged, to hold himself ready 20 advance
with his whole force against the rebel
right. He also sent back she following
note to FDote, who had advised him to
foriify, and wait until the fleet could be
repaired and return: g A terrible con-
tIct eusued in my abseuce, which has
! deuIoFsAlized a portion of my command
/ think Ehe. enemy is much more so. Ii
the gunboats do not appear, ib will re-
7 7 sET1T sTflz5 our TF0pPss Must order q
/ charge 10 save appearances I 90 not
i expect the gunboats to go into action"
The men we're getting weary and ex-
/ hausted with the fatigue and Prodigious
] efforts Of the last few days and nights.
Grant always had a theory, that there
ieomes time like this ili every hard
fought battle, when tired nature begins
/ to yield, and that which ever party rail-
lies and attacks at this time wins
! But for two or three days to look over
! a field of hundred Thousand men, and
amid the din, roar, and confusion of =
/ battle. 70 weigh as in the hollow Of the
| hand the rising and falling enthusiasm
/ of the c0ntanding hosts, and then, with
uHerrfng judgment, to select the one
auspicious moment which leads to vic
tOry,-thls is given only TO the few
great soldiers in the worlds history.-
And then the fixed purpose, tho uncOn-
qeTable viii to do or die, to scorn the
weakness of the flesh, must always be
there; and they we're there.
1t was noticed that the rebels had put
on their Kuapsacks and haversaeks,
some of our troops near Grant spoke OF
this, and said, t'fhey have come out to
stay for battle of several days.
s'Are the baversacks filed, or emp
tv % said Grant. No one could an
''Examind some of the prisoners
said he.
"They are filled they have three
days rations," ," was the report.
'tNothing is little in the world, !" said
DR.. Johnson, ito him who properly un-
derstands it."
AS soon as the report was made,
Grant said, 'tTheu they are trying to
cut there way out: they do not mean
to stay and fight. Whoever attacks
now wins. They'll be quick il they
beat me-"
And, dashing his spurs into his
horses TANKS, he gallOped off to
Smiths division on the lett, occasional
iy explaining to the officers and men
as he passed, "They are whipped they
are ightiug to be allowed to retreat. -
He explained briefly, that he wished to
attack them on their weakened right
It was thus Napoleon on the morning
of Austerlitz, in almost the only in
stance in his life, explained to the
French soldiers his plan of attacking
the Russian centre on the Heights OF
Prutzen.
Grant knew well that his bayonets
reasoned that American soldiers could
think as well as fight, and would nnder-
stand aud appreciate this confidence
He knew the war was war of ideas,
and that the serious, intelligent con-
victiOns of men would carry them
through a foTlorn hope, or into dead
mere martial ardor of 2 military ma
chine would quail to follow. Hamlet
said, "Consclenee makes towards of us
all :" but "c0Dseience also makes heroes
of Us all" (Celeridge.)
Grant now ordered Smith to advance,
at the same time sending word to Nc
Clernand and Wallace to close up aud
be ready to attack. The men rallied;
the weary and laggaTd in the rear came
forward ; wounds were forgotten; all
canght the spirit of their leader.
Gen. Smith was a veteran soldier: he
bad followed the stars and stripes
through the battles of Mexico to 'Ethe
halls of the MOntezumas." He was Il
man sixty years old, his hair white as
the snow on the gronnd. As he rode
down hls line. forming his division for
the attack, he was a fine target for the
rebel rifles; but the bullets showered
unnotic6d about him. His column
was formed of Lauman's brigade; the
| Second Iowa Infantry having the front,
| followed by the Seventh, Fourteenth,
and Twenty-ffth Indiana. He also
| told the soldiers what was 70 be done.
This reciprocal confidence between the
general and his soldiers was like that
of n father and his sons and the en-
thusiasTn of the soldiers was unbound
ed. AS he took his place to lead the ad.
vance, his colors by his side, years
| seemed to drop from him like a mantle.
4
/ biazed with the fire Of youth he was
| young again. Putting his cap on the
| point of his sword, he flung it toward
| the rebel intrenchmenis, and dashed
/ forward into the thickest of the fight
/ So Marlborough, with a soldiers ardur
| flung his marshal's baton over the
| French lines, sure of recovering it
| again.
Nothing could stand the onset
/ Without firing a gun, they charged di-
rectly on the inIreBchneEts, carried
/ them at the point of the bayonet, and
| forced their way TO the summit of a
/ hill, where artillery could be planted,
and which was the key TO the fort
| (McPherson's report.) Wallace, too,
1 had regained his lost ground, and driv-
/ en- Buckner back to within a hundred
and fifty yards of his intrenchments.
/ Night now settled down on the field,
with battle undecided. Smith, main
/ tanning his commanding position, iu
vain protested that one half hour more of
| Daylight would give US the victory.
How many men, on how many bat
! tle-fields, have coveted the power OF
Joshua of old,-tO stay the the sun in
the heavens!
Both parties had now been nearly
| four days aud nights under arms. and
with almost continuous fighting. So ue
| even had slept as they stood in line OF
| battle, as Mcdowell, completely over
ting in the telegraph Office his dispatch
TO Washington after the first battle OF
Bull Run.
And now tn" living lay down with
the wounded, he dying, and the dead.
Smith, wFap;s, in his cloak, rested
anon his men on the frozen ground.
Grant found sh, tier ih q ,segrO hut
Here, during the night, fugitive sla We
who had scaIrvd through the rebel
lines nade his way t" him to al II Ia
that the en- my were lei1ealing acr Ss
the river, at,d ,iesired to give | un AN
account at their eonditIon and the posi- :
tiDn OF their forces. Grant was sill uu-
der Halifax. Orders No. ami No. I3,
were his military law; ''Unauthorizeu
persuns must not be admitted within
our lines" Should Grant admit the
man, aud talk with him, or read
EOrder No 3, call the guard. and havt
, him arrested and sent back Co his own
err One thing was not then, and it is moi
now ,generallY known. When the wal
opened, Mrs. Grant, through her father
= owned three slaves inMissouri. GRAM
= kprivateiy without talk in his own right