New-York tribune., 1868-11-05
DIR NEXT PRESIDENT.

NAL advantages were of the most ordinary KIND, Dut
he was enabled to educate himself sufficiently 10 enter
the Military Academy at West Point lie gradua.eu
i'm 1913 and was brev eted I'd Lieutenant III 'he f'
Infantry He served through the Mexican . ":.'
receiving brevets of First Lieutenant anu U"f ~
for meritorious conduct at the Dattes VI D.V' 10
Rev and Chapultepec. After the war Win "oA. -
continued in the army for few years, """ a,,
serving in Oregon in 1852, was proinoUou hrs;.
taincy The next year he resigned gums CaIono
oos ~ 81 Iouis and in 1859 he removed 10 u'ion'''
| ~ IN ~ 10 ,os conducting an extensive tanheIy
| -har tbo late war broke out Capt ofah' "''
o, tLe first 10 offer his services 10 the "o'e,n
go. I'D vas oiye,r- command OK regimen. W
| A.. co,orror of illinois, withwhich ne "en1 ii,'o
oct;ve service in Missouri 1t was not ios "i'.li ~
wos anpointed q Brigadier General OF foiu"'eo.o' %
mc IsGIt and assigned TO the command OF the us
Tbe nSfortnato battle Of Bui Run and the vary
inc fortunes in the Southwest had depressing ehect
nnon the country, and the people were Wiling "
take leader on trust if he would only come heIaueo
with a victory however insignificant. Klch Mouii-
tain cave Mcclellan command OF the Armies Oh tho
United States the unfortunate expedition 10 Del
mont doomed Grant to comparative ooscui.y a'
Cairo until near the close of the hISt year VI 'no
war Then the brilliant victories of Fort Donelson
poucd by the Union army eoHld do little Tor hlm'
and while the former made him MaJof-Ueher"''
the latter deprived him of command All eyes were
turned toward the Grand Army of the Potomac, IN
onticnaton of the great things it would accomplish
when its leader chose to move upon Lee at ManaSSs'
! and decisive actions upon the Cumberland ana the
Tennessee were not considered, while people were
amused with promises never to be realized
| and kent in constant expectation by assurances
| that all WAS ouiet along lines little nearer h0me
II were useless to attempt description OF these ac-
tions now but when Grant completed victory that
had begun as a defeat. by leading IN person charge
of six regiments he showed that General might
nromise little and vet accomplish much. Soon after
Grant had worsted tho ablest Rebel leader in the
South. who was killed i'll that fierce engagement at
Shiloh Church, Halleck assumed command in the
SluthW West and the victor was rewarded for his TWO
successes by subsequent neglect until September ioo'
He was then appointed to the command OF the ARMY
of West Tennessee his forces constituting the 18TH
! Army Corps, and fixed his headquarters at jackson
in that State. In the mean time Mcclellan had peeh
driven from before Richmond, Pope had been de-
feated at the second battle of Bull Rum and an un-
certain victory at Antietam had closed the career of
! a General who was called to the head OF the army
in the fervor of popular enthusiasm. and had been
restored TO command in moment of popular despair.
DurinC the dark and terrible Winter that followed,
the Army of the Potomac under its successive com
manders Law on the banks of the Rappahannock and
fought the illfated battles of Fredericksburg and
| Charlottesville, while Grant and Sherman were
quietly working out their plans on the MISSISSIPPI
| and the Yazoo. When Lee moved northward IN
the Spring and Summer of 1868, and Meade was ena-
bed TO gain his great victory at Gettysburg the
captulaton of PembertOn added Vicksburg to Get
tysburg in the associations connected with the ever
glorious Fourth of July. In detailing the appoint
ments of Major Generals which had been made III
the Regular army, Grant once modesty SAID Alter
the capitulatiOn of Vcksburg, was added"
One who was within the Rebel lines during the
invasion of Pennsylvania Ill 1865 was told by an
arrogant SOuthemer, whose deserted home was near
the spot where Grants army lay. that the dark and
| fetd waters of the lazOo would destroy his men
even if there were no intrenched enemy IN front TO
pick them off in detail But the same Hash OF the
lightning that brought the news OF leades victory
| at Gettysburg brought word of Pemberton's defeat
at Vicksburg AS reward for this. Grant was added
| to the MajoT-Generals already appointed for the
| Regular army Before he ordered 10 assume com
mand at Chattanooga, after the unfortunate battle
of Chickamauga, President Lincoln wrote him
Characteristic letter 1t dated July 49, 1863 aud
was as follows: "My Dear General: do not re-
member that yOu and ever met personally. l write
this now as a grateful acknowledgment Tor the
almost nestmable service you have done the coun-
try wish to say word further When you first
reached the vicinity of Yicksburg. Thought you
should do what you finally dld-march the troops
across the neck. the batteries with the trans
ports aud thus 90 below: and never had any faith.
except general hope that you knew better than !,
that the Yazoo expedition and the like could sue
ceed When you got below and took Port Gibson.
Grand Gulf, and vicinity thonght you should go
down the river and join Gen. Banks; and when you
tnrned northward east of the Big Black, thought
il was mistake. now wish to make the personal
acknowledgment that you were night anu was
Victory which could call forth such letter as
tins from President Lincoln would produce III the
mind of the Executive the most unboundcd conf
in fhe o commander
was gained Ii is gratifying that that confidence
was never betrayed ndnever disappointed He first
justified the Presidents faith after he assumed
the chief command in Tennessee, by the brilliant
victory at lookout Mountain. driving the Rebel
Gen. Bragg from the Chattanooga Valley and Mission
Ridge. and opening the way for Shermans Great
March to the Sea. Then the National House of Repre-
sentatives passed unanimous vote OF thanks to
Gen. Grant for his victories, and ordered medal TO
be struck in his honor, while both Houses OF Con-
gress cOncurTed III the passage OF an act revynR the
grade of Lieutenant General, rank never held by
any one except Washington. and Grant was recon-
mended for the post II being prescribed that the Lieu
tenant General should have command OF the armies.
President Lincoln formally presented him with his
commission March 9, 1864, and having opened the
path to the final victory in the Southwest he at
| proceeded TO pave the way to success in the East
The Rapldan was crossed, and Lee fought in the
terrible battle OF the Wilderness then he advanced
to the North Anna River, and making flank move
| ment upon Cold Harbor. fought another sangunary
battle. the assault upon the Rebel wor ks at that
| place and then swinging around the ntrenched
| lines of the enemy, he crossed the James, and
invested Petersburg. Desperate engagements fol-
| lowed. and. during the investment. he mined and
blew up Fort He'll 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 the enemy. On the I'd of April the
Rebel intrenchments, with 5000 men, at Big Five
Forks, were captured, and an attack was ordered
along the whole line, under Grants direction, which
ended in driving Lee from his works. and the aban-
dOnment of Richmond. Lees retreat cut of by
the rapid movements which Grant instituted and on
the 9th Of April just one week after the last great
battle the army of Northern Virginia capitulated.
Soon after the Rebel Gen. Johnston surrendered TO
Gen. Sherman the same terms granted by Grant
70 4 90 and the Great Civil War NTls ended.