The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1868-06-04

Major-General Of vllunteers, no fortune
now could doom him to inactivity.
Before he was ordered to assume com
mand at Chattanooga, after the unfortu.
nate battle Of Chic1alnaugs, President
Lincoln wrote him 4 characteristic let
ter. 1t was dated July Ii. 1863, aud was
not remember that you and ever met
personally. write Wis now As a CRATE
ful acknowledgement for the almost in
estimable service yOp have done the
country. l wish to 1Ay word further,
l when you first reached the vicinity Of
Vicksburg, 1 Thought you should do
what you finally did m archthe troops
across the neck, run the batteries with
the transports, and thus go below and
never had any faith, except general
hope that you knew better than I, that
the Yazoo expedition sf,d the like could
succeed. When you got below and took
Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, and vicinity,
l thought you should go down the river
and join Gen. Banks; and when you
turned northward, east of the Big Black,
l thought it was mistake. l now
wish to make the personal acknowl.
edgement that you were right and
was wrong.
A victory which could call forth such
letter as this from President Lincoln
would produce in the mind Of the Exc
cutive the most unbounded confidence
in the capacity of the commander by
whom it was gained. 1t Is gratifying
that that confidence was never betrayed
and never disappointed. He first justi-
fed the Presidents faith, soon after he
assumed the chief command in Tenn
esse, by the brilliant victory ut Lookout
Mountain, driving the Rebel Gen.
Bragg from the Chattanooga Valley and
Mission Ridge, and opening up the way
for Sherman's Great March to the Sea.
Then the National House Of Represen-
tatives passed unanimous vote of
thanks to Gen. Grant for his victories
and ordered q medal to be struck In his
honor, while both Houses of Congress
concurred in the passage Of an act re-
viving the grade of fLieutenant General,
a rank never held by any one exccbt
Washington, and Grant was recon-
mended for the post, it being prescribed
that the Lieutenant General should
have command of the armies. Presi-
dent Lincoln fomally presented him
with his commission March 8, 1864, and
having opened up the path to the final
victory in the South West, he ut once
proceeded to pave the way to success in
the South East.
The Grand Army Of the Potomac,
smarting under its many misfortunes,
notwithstanding the bright spot Of
perishable record for heroisln, needed
the prestige of Gen. Grant to give 1t
confidence in itself. Those noble vet
Grams felt that success was secured v hen
they found him willing to join his great
fame with theirs, aud to link his desti-
nies with their fortune. He received his
commission from the hands Of the Pres
ident, with but few words, and without
indicating his purpose len tho Execu-
tive presence to begin his advance upon
Richmond. The Rapidan was crossed,
and Lee fought in the terrible battle of
the Wilderness; then he advanced to
the North Anna River, and making
flank movement upon Cold Harbor,
fought another sanguinary battle, the
assault upon the Rebel works ut that
place; and then swinging around the
inLrenched lines of the enemy, he cross
ed the James aud invested Petersburg.
Desperate engagements followed, and,
during the Investment, he mined and
blew up Fort Hell, Rebel stronghold,
with the view Of taking the town by
assault but the operation failed, with
severe punishment on our side, and
heavy losses to tie enemy. ms, to-
gether with the desperate straits to
which Lee was reduced, emboldened
him to take the offensive, and OH the
night Of the27th Of March 1865, he moved
three divisions Of his troops before Fort
Steadman, and surprised and captured
the position. Before night it had been
retaken, and at the same time the battle
of Hatcher's Run was fought, continu-
ing until evening. On tile I'd of April
the Rebel intrenchments, with 5000
men, at Big Five Forks, We're captured,
and an attack was ordered along the
whole line, under Grants direction,
which ended in driving Lee from his
works and the abandonment Of Rich
mond. Lees retreat was cut off by the
rapid movements which Grant institu-
ted and on the 9th of April, just one week
after the last great battle, the army Of
Northern Virginia captulated. Soon
after the Rebel Gen. Johnson surren-
dered to Gen. Sherman, on the same
terms granted by Grant to Lee, and the
Great Civil War was ended
If Gen. Grant was appointed to the
command of the armies with a rank
never held by any one before except
Washington, greater honor if possible
was in store for him. he is now simply
General of the United States Army,
and soon he will be President of the
United States.