National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-05
GEN. GRANT AS A SOLDIER
RuIEW OF GEN CRAMPS MIL
IT6RY SERVICES AND CAREER.


TuR wAR-vICKsBURe AND MISSION
nv RIpsE-THE INVESTMENT OF Pc
TERsBURG AND RICHBIoND-GRANr's
MILITARY CHARACTERIsTIos-Hls
TREATMENT OF HIS GENERALS.
u has been usual with . certain class OF men 70
upeak Of Gen, Grant as q man Of mere luoki ns
sort OF faVorIle Of fortunes IS not only oeFolo o.
-eniur butasa dull, stolid man. Fortunately
IN cen Grant he is so constituted, 30 selfPoised
and sslfpossessed 90 seIf-cogniEant Of the hereo-
lean labors he has had 70 perform that NJ eau,
with ecmpIaeeney, smile at the criticisms "
thoss who could, in their own estimation, have
49, his vorE 90 much better than he did 1t.
mere are men who attempted to show thar Ma
polsol was deficient In many Of TIE eieneas Oh
8 great commander.
lcoordinR 70 the received and well recognized
deoisiou Of mankind in all ages and amoag all
nations, the standard BY which fitness aad great
mesa n q military man has always beer awarded
a that Of success. Judged By this standard,
where & there man in all history who aeoom-
piiIhsd more in The same length Of tiDe. with the
s.ne resources and the same dlncultieS to over
cone than Gen. Grant, True, be hAA received
military eduea.ion, but his pursuits had oeen
mainly those Of private life. II is admitted thA.
greatness Is the result Of opportunity iot "lsho.s
4 theatre N which 10 sct, without held In "hieh
20 labor thu greatest powers may remain forever
updeysloped. But the capacity Tor selEng tne
opportunity, the stalking at the hood" the aespl-
@oas slide IN the affairs" Of hhe-thls q u which
shows trus greatness.
the surrounding circumstances were not propt
tioug 10 General Grant. He had no host Of friends
20 push his fortunes He had no favor or infu-
ence ct court 20 stimulate his exertons or eneour
age his hopes But, selErelisnt and determined
N purpose, hts soul was fred with enthusiasn In
defence Of the Union, which he saw WEs In dan
ger. Instead Of hieing to Warrington and dane
ing attendance around those who had honors ana
patronage ct their disposal, he appealed 70 Ms
friends and nsighbors, and called on them TO
come to the rescue OF their country. He raised .
regiment, OF which he was appointed colonel He
WaS soon heard from where blows fell thlekest
and danger was to be confronted. He was soon
raised to the rank Of brigadler general, as due
70 his energy and seal IN the cause Of the
Union.
The frst test and trial Of General Grants
capacity as . military man was At the battle oil
Belmont In the early part Of tho action the
victory inclined decidedly in favor Of the Conied-
crates; but General Grant, by his eoolnefs, In
burryinV up his reinforcements at the opportune
moment and at the proper point brought OF his
forces 10 safety and thus avoided what threat
enOd to be defeat In Q moral point Of view,
this sharply contested fight was victory TO the
Union cause Intended q surprise by the Con-
federates, It ended in failure, and the Confed-
crates finally owed their safety 10 their boats,
This battle Of Belmont first opened the eyes Of the
country to the military capacity Of General
Grant 1t is the trying moment Of threatened
defeat that tests the metal OF q military man In
all the battles which he fought during the war
General Grant seemed TO rise In his mental re-
sources as dangers threatened. The greater the
danger the more threatening the crisis, the cooler
he showed himself
When placed in command Of the Southern
army he seemed to fully appreciate the mAgnl'
tude Of the task before him. he had TO penetrate
the enemy's country with no other objective point
before him but the restoration Of the Union and
the supremacy Of the laws. He found on the two
great rivers penetrating the SOIth-the Tennes-
see and CumberIEnd-FOrtS DonelsOn and Henry,
which had been erected and strengthened with
the greatest care and engineering skill. With
these theyWers threatening his communications
boosted Of By the ConfedeTstes as being impreg.
pable. He did not think proper to leave them
behind him, as nuclei Of annoyance and disturb
Anee TO his communications ard as rallytng points
OF encouragement to the rebellion. He did not
inquire whether they could be taken, but he de-
eided that they must be taken. His decision once
made, he did not resort to the slow and tedious
system Of REORGANIZATION" and regular Ap.
proacnes" He resolved TO do the work BY the
dint Of hard hghting. He thought It best to lose
heavily, and thus save time, (which was precious,
and strike terror into tbs disuniOn cause, than t.
Lose still more heavily by the slow process o.
siege. He sWooped down FIRST upon Fort Donel
son, then upon Fort Henry, both BY land anC
water, and rested not day or night until he had
taken both. The Confederates were eonfounded
They could hardly believe It. Nothing that 90
CURED during the war went further towards dc
stroying the faith Of the Confederates in thei
InVineIblity than the capture Of these two strong
holds Of which they we're 90 proud, at so small |
cost oflifs and Of time. General Grants capaeit!
as military commander was no longer problem
aticdl The people Of the North were surprised
The hearts Of those who had INDUCED in fear 70
the cause Of the Union were revived ald en-
Outraged.
THB BATTLE OF sEILoH
VA a turning point In the progress Of the wal
The Ooufederatea there mGrshaled their bes
nrny Of the West, under their Rblest eommAr
derE. They fought on their chosen ground, q
their own selected time. Their onset was terri
bic. Never did troops fight better. There was
Etrikipg similarity between General Grants sitU
alton SD his course in the battle and that c
wellington at Waterloo. General Grant did nc
undsrrsts his enemy. He thought &c best to fgh
and RELY upon the coming up on time Of Genera
BusL rather than 70 decline battle. He had de
liberately calculated 10 the hour The possibilit
Of BnslI arrival; and the result showed the clos
ness ana correctness Of his calculation. He me-
the successive and heroic charges Of the COnfs'
crates through the first day, but still be pr
served his lines sgGinst all disorder and confusion
umust be confessed that in the FIRST days hgl
the Onion army got decidedly the worst Of {
General Grant fought sn DAY on the defensiT
he did 20 BY design and calculation. BE Wants
70 make the victory thorough and complete
which be knew the arrival Of Buel would do.
one respect be Was less fortunate than Wellin
ton At waterloo. At Waterloo, Butcher came
before might At Shiloh, with his army bad
blown, General Grant remained on the nsid, b
he passed q sleeplesS night. Those who observe
him on that occasion say he was perfectly cal
and eoIIeoted. In due time, next day, Busl vi
At hand. The tide CT battle was turned, and Il
result was eroWning victory for the Union eaus
This battle Of Shiloh-hrst heralded abroad 81
Ooufsderate victory, and Afterwards confessed
4 dsfsat-did more 70 weaken the faith Of q
Confsdsrstss 10 their final triumph than an
thing that had occurred. The silly boast, 9TH
one Southern man Was q match for four Northel
men" Whs no more heard Of.
When General Grant undertook the seige
VIcKsburR. It was doubted BY most perso
whether be must necessarily fail. There new
was perhaps on the continent any extemporiz
fortihcatlonS made stronger than Yieksburg.
possession was regarded By the ConfederAtes
Indispensable to their vigorous prosecution Of 9
war. 1t was the key 70 the navigation Of {
Mississippi When General Grant formed
lines around the place his enemies predicted tn
the day Of bis glory was past; his friends hi
serious fears OF the result. Without Respondent
expressing doubts OF the practieability Of !
dueinr the place, or without Talnly Soasting
his ability 10 perform the task, be went az {
cali OF duty 10 do his best. It WsS predicted, .
with some appearances Of probability, that, In
annce Of al human power, the seige must nee
seriIy be protTaotsd TIL battle and disease EoU
either destroy or render insfnclent his arm
Never was seigo prosecuted more vigorous
never ,Eas there more unnsgging DISCRIMINATE
Of purpose, more daring yet quiet energy
played. Every foot Of ground be gained ne b
to the last Finally Vieksburg suecumoed TO !
mastery generaIsbip OF General Grant. 7
Ceufederates we're astounded-the friends Of
Union were frantic with joy. twas u.ought u
with the loss Of the Mississippi throughout It's
tire length TIE Confsderates would see the nut
" Of further resistance, and would propose ter
Of accommodation and O return 70 within the {
Of the Union. But destiny had not yet seeC
plsshed its purpose.
N1hsn the waning fortune OF the Union cal
IN the battle Of Chiokamsuga caused . thrill
anxiety through the heart Of the nation pull
opinion called for General Grant to take comm