The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-10-24

rebel troops into Missouri. With 3, 100 mer
he attacked 1000 confederates, broke nj
and destroyed their camp, and retired to his
| transports with 200 prisoners and two pieces
of artillery. In February, 1862, at his OWE
request, he was allowed to attack Fort Hen.
| ry, on the Tennessee river, in conjunction
| with naval force. and after light engage
| ment the garrison surrendered. Without
waiting for orders General Grant moved on
to Fort Donelson, IL miles distant, on the
Cumberland river, and with 15, 600 men at
tackled the focres, which was defened by
81 900 men and heavy artillery. Here was
the turning point in the Generals career,
| and with the fall of Donelson came the
plaudits of the people and recognition from
the Government. The fight lasted three
days, and on the 18th Grant carried the
works by assault, capturing 55 cannon, II,
900 small arms, Ia, 623 soldiers and the fort.
About 1900 Confederates escaped, 2.50C
were killed and wounded, while Grants
loss was about 1000 Besides being The
first important success for the Union oi
the war.
THE CAPTURE OF FORT DoNELsoN
Contributed to the opening of the Tennes-
see, Mississippi and Cumberland Rivers, and
caused the States of Tennessee and Ken.
tuckv to fall entirely into ufpn hands.
Grant was made Major Genera at once,
and placed in command of the West Ten
nessee District. In March, the battle OF
Shiloh was fought, Grant, with force of
38, 600 being attacked by $4,000 Confeder-
ates. He fought tiercely, but was driven
back to the Tennessee River; but held his
position until the morning of the next day,
when General Bull arrived with reinforce
ments, and subsequently, upon the appear
ance of General Halleck, the rebels were
driven out of Corinth and the place taken.
In July, Halleck was made General-in-
Chief, and Grant was placed in command of
the Army of the Tennessee. During the
autumn the battles of Iuka, Hatchie and
Corinth were fought under Grants direc-
tion, all of which were victories. Imme-
diately after the repuse of the Confederates
at Corinth, Grant sent communication to
General Halleck. proposing an attack On
Vicksburg, but receiving no reply, COM
menced movement into Mississippi, that
palgn fell through, however, owing to fail
ure in executing his plans. In January,
1853, he began the memorable campaign,
which resulted in the surrender of Vicks-
burg, being opposed by Johnston and Penn
berton with over 80, 600 Confederates, while
his own army numbered but little over
$4,000
After series of fights, assaults and terri
BILE battles on the land and river, he scat
tered Johnston's army and drove Pember-
ton back into Vicksburg, and on the 23d of
May began regular siege. On the 4th of
July the place surrendered, with 81 600
men and 172 guns, the largest capture, at
that time, ever made in modern war, with
the exception of that at Ulm, by the Empe-
ror Napoleon.
THE LOSS OF THE CoNFEDERATEs
during this campaign was about 60, 900 men.
Grants entire loss is given by Badeau at
8,S73. The fall of Vicksburg opened the
Mississippi to the ocean, and closed all i'm
portant fighting in the valley. Grant was
Immediately made Major General in the reg
ular army, and given command OF the Mill
tary Division of the Mississippi, which in
cluded the armies of Ohio, Cumberland and
Tennessee. While in such command, he
defeated Bragg at Chattanooga. and extin-
guished the last hostile army west of the
Alleghanies. This series of important sue
cesses, and the public attention attracted to
them, caused Congress to create, in Febru-
ary, 1864, the rank of Iieutenant-General
for Grant, and in March he assumed COM
mand of the Federal armies of the nation.
Having defeated every other Confederate
commander, Grant Immediately prepared to
encounter in peron the army of Virginia,
under Gen. r. E. Lee, and occupy all other
important forces, so that he could get no
support. He consequently sent Sherman to
to Georgia, Butler to Richmond, Sigel into
the valley of Virginia, and began fighting
his own way from the Rapidan to the James.
Grant started with an army of ll0, 1000,
while Lee, fighting on the defensive, had
$4,000. The battles of the Wilderness,
Spottsylvania, North Anna and Cold Har-
Dor followed, in each one of which Lee was
forced back. All these engagements cost
the Union army many men, bu. they were
fought with the sole purpose of annihilating
Lee, in whose destruction Grant believed,
lay the only hope of ending the war. With
this view only, the campaign of the Wilder
ness was planned and fought. When Grant
arrived IN front of Richmond, he crossed
the James, and as Butler had failed to cab
ture the city, its siege was begun. Sher-
man was fighting his way to Atlanta Sigel
had been defeated in the valley of Virginia,
and was superseded by Hunter, who, in
turn, was repelled at Lynchburg. Hunters
retreat left road open to Washington, and
Lee sent Early to threaten the National Cap
tol. A force was quickly gathered up by
Grant, and placed in charge of Sheridan,
who, by series of brilliant successes, COM
pletely destroyed Early's army as an organ
zed force. In the meantime Grant was un-
able to cut off the supplies to Richmond,
md for several months attacked the place
without carrying it. In September Sher-
man reached Atlanta, when Grant sent him
IN his famous march to the sea, trip
which he had planned for himself several
months before. Grant then pitted Sheri-
Ian, Thomas and Sherman, against the Con-
:ederates outside of Richmond and kept Lee
occupied himself Schofeld was brought
rom the west and sent into North Carolina, |
md the four having whipped everything &C.
,essible, Grant brought the great cavalry
Sheridan, back to the James, and
;ogether they assaulted Richmond and |
lrove Lee out of the city. Lee had 1900
men behind the entrenchments of Richmond !
md Grant had 10000 on the outside. |
Richmond fell on the Sd of April, 1865. |
Lee fed to Lynchburg being fought on all
ides during his retreat, and finally, finding |
himself surrounded and beaten everywhere,
le surrendered all that remained of his army
-27, 600 men-at Appomattox Court House
N the 9th. In this ten days of fighting,
Grant had fought four or five battles, cap
ured Petersburg and Richmond, taken A.,
100 prisoners, and captured and army of
ver 1000 men. During the year the los
es under his command were, in round num-
,ers, $4,000 killed, $4,000 wounded and 20,-
troyed the armies of Lee, Early and Beau
egard, scattered the reinforcments sent to
zee from all parts of the South, and cap
ured 66, ,5l2 soldiers. His forces were never
nore than one-third greater than those op-
omattox were embraced by the remaining
~ he ohoI1, |