Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-06-06
SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 6, 1868.

letter as this from President Lincoln would
produce In the mind of the Executive the
most unbounded confidence in the capacity
of the commander by whom 1t was gained.
It Is gratifying that that confidence was
never betrayed and never disappointed.
He first justified tho Presidents faith, soon
after he assumed the chief command in Ten
nessee, by the brilliant victory at Lookout
Mountain, driving the Rebel General Bragg
from the Chattanooga Valley and Mission
Ridge, and opened up the way for Sher-
mans great march to the sea. Then the
National House of Representatives passed a
unanimous vote of thanks to General Grant
for his victories, and ordered medal to be
struck in his honor, while both Houses of
Congress concurred in the passage of an act
reviving the grade of Lieutenant General, q
rank never held by any one except Wash
ington, aud Grant was recommended for the
post, 1t being prescribed that the Lieutenant
General should have command of the ar.
mics. President Lincoln formally presented
him with his commission March 8, 1864, and
having opened up the path to the final VIC
tory in the Southwest, he at once proceeded
to pave the way to success in the Southeast.
The Grand Army of the Potomac, smart
ing under its many misfortunes, notwith.
its banners, and its imperishable record for
heroism, needed the prestige of Gen. Grant
to give 1t confidence in itself. Those noble
veterans felt that success was assured when
they found him willing to join his great
fame with theirs, and to link his destinies
with their fortune. He received his COM
mission from the hands of the President
with but few words, and without indicating
his purpose, left the Executive 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 Har-
Dor, fought another sanguinary battle, the
assault upon the Rebel works at that place ;
and then swinging around the trenched
lines of the enemy, he crossed the James and
invested Petersburg.
Desperate engagements followed, aud du.
ring the investment, he mined and blew up
Fort He'll, q 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. This,
together with the desperate straits to which
Lee was reduced, emboldened him to take
the offensive. and on the night of the 27th
of March, 1865, he moved three divisions Of
his troops before Fort Stcadman, and eur
prisod and captured the position. Before
night i: had bcon retaken, and at the same
time the battle of IIatcher's Run was fought,
continuing until evening. On the I'd of
April the Rebel intrenchmcnts, with 6,000
men, at Big Five Forks, were captured, and
an attack was ordered along the whole line,
under General Grants direction, which end.
cd in driving Lee from his works and the
abandonment of Richmond. Lees retreat
was cut off by the rapid movements which
Grant instituted, and on the 9th of April,
just one week after the last great battle, tho
Army of Northern Virginia capitulated.
Soon after the Rebel General Johnston sur
rendered to General Sherman on the same
terms granted by General Grant to Lee, and
the great civil war was ended.
lfGeneral Grant was appointed to the
command of the armies with rank never,
held by any one before except Washington.
a greater honor if possible was in store for
him. He is now simply General of the Uni
ted States Army, and soon he will be Presi-
dent of the United States.
THE HON. SCHUYLER coLFAX.
Schuyler Colfax, the popular candidate
of the National Union Republican party for
the Office of Vice President, is native of
street. March %, 1928, his father having
died but short time previous. With but
limited means, his widowed mother could
afford to keep him at school but short
time, and at the age of ten he was placed
in a mercantile establishment where he re.
maincd for three years, contributing ma
terially from his small salary to the support
of both himself and mother. In 1886, he
and his mother, in company with others,
left their home in that city and settled in
St. Joseph county, Indiana. Shortly after
his arrival in the West, he was appointed
Deputy County Auditor for St. Joseph
county, and employed his leisure hours in
the study of State law, in which he is said
soon to have become an acknowledged
expounder.
He read law pretty thoroughly during
these leisure hours, but not with view to
adopting it as a profession. He had but
little idea of what great benefit the informa-
tion he was then gaining would prove to
him in after years In lS45 he started week
ly journal at South Bend, the county seat
of St. Joseph county, called The 50. Joseph
Valley Register, becoming its sole proprietor
and editor. A writer in The Indianapolis
Journal corrects o mistake into which the
public has fallen relative to Mr.. Colfaxs
connection with the printing business. Mr..
Lanman, in his Dictionary of Congress, says:
ale was bred printer" He never was
apprenticed to the printing business, and
knew nothing of the practical part of the
art preservatiye of all arts" until after he
had commenced the publication of The Re
gister. With his ready tact and quick per-
ception, however, and great anxiety to econ
omise, for his means were yet very limited,
he soon mastered the art sufficiently to "help
out of the drag" but he never attained to
any great proficiency in the business, his
editorial labors, the business of the office,
and other duties soon claiming his entire
attention.
The Register prospered, and soon became
a source of profit to the proprietor. It.was
ably edited, and was q model of courtesy
and dignity. Every paragraph, however
small, seemed to have passed under the su-
peryision of and to reflect the mind and ele-
vated thoughts of its editor. He continued
his connection with this paper until three
or four years ago, writing regular weekly
letter for its columns during his first two
terms in Congress. 1t was during the early
days of The Register that Mr.. Colfax was
LAYING the foundation for the reputation he
has since attained as n debater. debating