The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-08-27
Grants Last Camnaign.

The rebels and their Copperhead allies
are fond of calling Grant a butcher. >
The rebels insist that he is vastly inferior
to Lee that Lee whipped him so badly
when he crossed the Rapidan that, if he
had any regard for the lives of his coun
trymen-instead Of being butcher =
he would have retreated to Washington
and told the Lincoln Government that il
was useless to subdue the South. The
Northern Copperheads, who measure al
men by their subserviency or non sub
serviency to the South, and tolerate nc
one who is under the Southern band
take up the same cry and join the rebels
In calling Grant butcher, and in laudine
! Lee as the hero of the war, Their NAL
Ice runs to the extent of denouncine
| Grant and his subordinate Generals, and
| the lack of courage and fidelity among
| men of the Union army, as compared
with those of the rebels, and they under
take to demonstrate that Lee and the
rebels with small force, whipped the
Union boys every time. This story,
originally invented by copperheads is
doing active service on the stump. Lest
some honest man may be deceived, we
reproduce the facts and figures of Grants
last campaign. obtained from the official
record
Lees field return for April 20, 1864
showed force present for duty of 81, S91
not including Longstreet's corps which
joined him few days later. The field
return of that corps on March 81 showed
1887 men present for duty. The ag-
gregate then was -, 2S7 present foI duty
Including the sick, those under arrest and
extra duty men. the whole force under
Lee according to the official papers, when
Grant crossed the Rapidan, was Sc, 643-
Lees return on April 20th states that
Hokes division was not reported, and
Hoke' S division papers show 1864 en-
of $3.50 present. The force in the val
ley is returned in the same papers as
mot reported.
The field return of the Army of the
Potomac of the same date, Aprl 20 1864
shows y. 1T present for duty and 9,747
cavalry. Besides these, Burnside corps
l9, $50 strong Joined Grant. Ferrero, S
| division of this corps, 3, O95, was with
drawn from the field and used exclusive
ly as guards for trains With this de-
duction, Grants whole force including
cavalry was 9S,0l9.
| the exception of the first collision after
crossing the Rapidan, he had in every
| case to attack an enemy posted behind
| breastworks. This advantage was equal
| to double the number of men, Grant
had to protect a supply train sixty miles
while Lee was falling back through 9
friendly country towards his base ofoper-
alton.
Grants losses up to the crossing of the
James, including all the fights, were
! Killed, $3.50 /; wounded, 26, 047 mis-
sing, 6,626-tctal, 39'259. OF the
wounded many were only slightly touched
and probably 10000, returned 20 duty.
| The missing were mostly prisoners. The
actual loss then from the Rapidan to the
James was not over 600 During that
same march Grant took 10. 462, prisoners
There are no official data to show Lees
other losses but in the battle of the
wilderness and other battles his losses
must haye been heavy AT all events Lee
never attacked Grant, but was content
to wait behind breastworks and repel as
saults. The Democrats insist that Lee S
army was not recruited. and that he was
able with mere remnant to bid def
ence to Grant and the Union force. But
Lee s field returns for FEBRUARY %, 1865,
show that he had 10, $40 under him, of
whom 59.O94 were present for duty.
this number did not include the Rich
mond Malta, which did duty in the
trenches, or the crews of the gunbeats
Of that army 27,4l6 surrendered and
were paro ed at Appomattox; 1909 wore
captured in battle, and 5000 others, in
the assault upon Fort Sedwick 10000
it is estimated as killed or wounded, and
10000 deserted in the flight from Rich
mond to hppomattox But as Lee never
made any report of the closing acts of
the war, the exact figures will never be
known
Thus 1t appears that Grants last cam
paIgn was commenced with 90, Il9 effect
I'VE men, against -, 27S under Lee that
Lee fought all the time from within en-
! trenchments, falling back from one line
OF breaStworks to another; that for nine
| months he never made an assault; that
! his hines of supply were short and within
a friendly country that the losses Teach
army north of the James were about
equal that Lee had been so heavily re-
intorced that, on the eve Of the close d
the war, he had as many men as he hao