The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-07-30
Grant as a Soldier.

The Proclamation of President Lin
coin, calling on the loyal States for
Is 900 men to defend Washington,
issued upon advice of the surrender of
Fort Sumter to the Rebels, found US
Grant selling leather for his father in
Galena. He Immediately volunteered,
was chosen captain of company, and
proceeded to Springfield, the capital of
his State to be mustered in. Three
years thereafter, he was Lieutenant
General in command of all the milit ary
forces of the United States, then ex-
ceeding Half a Million men.
How came he to achieve such great
and rapid elevation?
Not by political influence, for he was
no politician, had scarcely ever voted,
and never on the side of the party now
in power.
Not by personal influence or patron
age; for he had absolutely not one in
fuential friend. He never saw Presi-
dent Lincoln till he came East to take
general command. He did not even
know Mr.. E. B. Washburne, Member
of Congress from his District, though
they lived in the same city. No man
ever lived who could say, II was the
patron of General Grant, by whose
favor he rose to eminence."
Not by the favor of his military su-
periors; for Grant was volunteer, ,and
volunteer officers were not popular
with the dons of the regular service.
No one can plausibly say that Mcclellan,
or Pope, or Halleck, while in general
command, ever pushed Grants for
tunes. Nay: he was made Lieutenant
General virtually by act of Congress,
dictated by the loyal people of the
country. They had had enough of
Halleck as General-in-c chief, and insist
ed that Grant should be placed above
him.
Why did they demand this7
Because Grant had generally iron, Wlile
other Union commanders had often been de-
feated or Jafled His capture of several
thousand Rebel soldiers a Fort DON
elson had been the first great Union
success of the War. His fanking of
Vicksburg, defeating the Rebel army
of Mississippi in several battles, inter
posing between Johnston and Pember-
ton, shutting the latter up in Vicks-
burg, and there compelling him to sur
render 90, Rebels, while Johnston
idly looked on, evinced the most mas
terly strategy of the War. President
Lincoln opposed it; Gen. Sherman
disapproved iti Grant planned and
executed it.
Rosecraus having lost great battle
on the Chickamauga, and been penned
up in Chattanooga, where his men were
famishing while his animals were starv-
ing by thousands, Grant was sent to
relieve him. He found Bragg in
trenched in his front, on range of
steep mountains which he deemed i'm
pregnable. 1t looked we'll nigh impos-
sible to move him. Grant set to work
and did it; routing the Rebel army,
capturing forty of its guns and several
thousand men. Had he known the
ground, he would have gobbled up
nearly the whole fleeing army; but
night fell early, and the Rebels ran like
quarter-horses. They never threatened
Chattanooga again.
Grant was then summoned to the
East. Mcclellan, Pope, Burnside,
Hooker, Meade, had severally started
on the road to Richmond, but found it
convenient to return. Grant took the
track and kept it till Richmond was
ours and Lee had surrendered his army.
Of course, there are sundry persons
who think they could have done this
better or cheaper. Perhaps they could.
No one can positively say what untest-
ed possibilities of achievement may not
be "lying around loose" on every side.
We know that five commanders tried
and failed, and that the sixth succeeded;
and that the five lost more men in not
taking Richmond than Grant, "the
butcher" lost in taking Richmond and
Lee to boot
Grants passage of the James, with
out the loss of gun, or a man, di-
rectly after his bloody repulse at Coal
Harbor, seems to us one of the foremost
achievements OF modern strategy. His
relentless pursuit of Lee after Sheri-
dams victory at Five Forks, was one of
the best things of the War. Had like
vigor been evinced after Antietam, or
after Gettysburg, the War would have
been considerably shortened.
Said caviling courtier to Louis W.,
Marshal Villars is very lucky.
"Lucky?" retorted the Grand Mon
argue; "no sir; he is a great deal
better than that"
IF Gen. Grant has not proved him
self true soldier, it would be hopeless
to seek for one on the rolls of the
American Army.--N Y. Tribune.