The sun., 1870-10-21
Resignation from III e Army.

Resignation from tn e Army.
A correspondent from Washington an.
nounces in another column the resignation
from tho army of Drevct Major-Gen. ]. II.
WILSON. The rart which this high-spiritcd
and allc young officer played during the re-
bcllion was TOO important to allow his pas
SAGE from military TO civil life 10 pass with.
out notice. In tue beginning of the war he
was Lieutenant Of Engineers, and served
nt Charleston under Gen. SEYMOUR and Gen.
GILMORE, and was aiterward Temporarily
attached TO tho staff Of Gen. MCCLELLAN,
md took part In tho baltic Of hntictam
Next he was transferred TO the staff of Gen
GRANT, with whom he served from the be-
ginning Of 1868 until after the hattie of
Missionary Ridge With the exception of
Gen. RAwLINs. there Is no man TO whose
clear mind, disintercsted and unselfish spirit
and upfaltcrng courage Gen. GRANT is 81
much indebted ms TO WILSON.
We shall not attempt to detail his services
while ho held the post Of Inspector Goneral
of GRANTS army. One Of tho most con.
spicuous features. however, of his unprctcnd.
| ing yet useful career In that capacity. is the
authorship OF the remarkable plan Of cam.
raign which resulted in the capture OF Vicks.
burg and the opening Of tho NJ ss.ssippi
river. This plan was conceived In Wilson'S
mind, and was cordially adopted by RAW.
LINs nnd by GRANT, notwithstanding tho
| powerful opposition Of Gen. SHERMAN, who
did not approve Of it, and was executed by
GRANT with Lis wonted steadincs, and with
signal success.
After tho battle of Missionary Ridge, VIII
| son was made Brigndicr General of volun.
tcers and when GRANT became Commander
| in.Clief and joined the Army Of the Poto-
mac, lie assigned WILSON TO the command
| ol q div sion Of cavalry in tlnt army. When
SHERIDAN was sent TO conduct the campaign
against EARLY in the Valley Of Virginia, he
took with Lin WILSON and his cavalry divi-
sion and when alter the capture Of Atlanta
Gen. SHERMAN organized his forces prepara-
tory to the march to the sea, lac asked that
| WILSON should he sent to him TO take charge
Of the cavalry Of the Military Division OF the
| Mississippi In tn 6 service WILSON gained
his orders about forty thousand mounted
men, q single division Of whom under Kill.
PATRICK followed SHERMAN into the Caro-
| linns.
WILSON remained with THOMAS at the
head Of die cavalry, and took q prominent
part in the battle of Nashville and inflicted
most serious injury upon HOOPS retreat
ing forces ly his pursuit of them in their
fight. As coon atterwari ms his troop 8
could bo got ready. Ee was sent out by THO
MAS ON his memorable campaign into Ala
bama and Georgia. lie had three divisions
Of cavalry, about fourteen thousand strong
in all. The campaign lasted some six works,
and but for the final collapse of the rebel
lion, which took place during this period, ii
would have been everywhere regarded as
one Of the most interesting aud successful
Of tho whole war. Tho rcdoubtablo FoR.
REsT, tho ablcst cavalry commander of tho
rebellion, was now for the first time out.
| g,norallcd aud outlousht and the capturl of
| Selma, Ala, in which n ioIce OF less than two
thousand dismoUntcd cavalrymcn stormcd
and carr cd two lines OF strong intrcnch-
mcnis, and captur, d twenty.scycn hundred
prisoners, with thrty.two guns and vast
quantity Of military stores, was an achieve
mcnt unprecedented in warfare Equally
remarkable was the attack upon Columbus,
Ga, whcro threo huudrcd disInOantcd men
Of tho Third Iowa Cavalry, commanded by
ca NOZZLE, acting under the immcditr
orders Of Gen. CrToN, thc.r division rrrt.
mandcr, aud Of WILSON in person ne a
fort feat ops after dark and c'4.... ..cIn,
capturing orc thousand two huuur,d prs.
on rs aud Gyo guns. These exploits excited
at that TIN, much less attention than their
military character dcscIvcd, owing to tic
Gr N,oT inter. b. Of tho final battles with
LgE's army, nid tic occupation Of Eicdmonl
) the national iOTccs but thoy will bc OK.
,u.Incd W ia the greatest Interest IS every
student 6 military fcicucr, md will receive
due ho"or rom all wr,ers who attempt to
n'rrste Ito history Of the rebellion.
sincc the war Gen WHO'S las b,..n On.
fnecd In orginc,riIG lalors OF great macni.
tudo aud lmI IOrtnnco. As lao bore promi.
nent part nj Vicksburg in clcarinU out the
military Instructions to tho navigation OF
the Mississippi IL was very appropriate that
h should now be appointed to tho duty OF
clearing out the natural distractions that
lie In that river between the States Of Iowa
and Illinois IInyu: brought that work to
| such state Of forvarlpcss that its compile