Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-12
THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE

~.
holds its fourteenth annual reunion in the
city Of Chicago to-day, the object Of the
gathering being a formal reception of Cen
eral U. s. Grant, the first commander of
that division Of our national army which
gave the society an existence and a name.
It was the army Of the Tennessee which
gave to General Grant his first fame as a
military leader aud it was General Grant
who gave to the army of the Tennessee its
imperishable renown as a warlike ~organiza-
tion. Therefore it seems fitting that the
society which has been constructed out Of
the invincible host which made the man
and was itself made by the man should ex-
tend to General Grant a welcome in the
metropolis of the west. From the early
days of the war of the rebellion the army of
the Tennessee dates its history. knowledge
Of its existence first went forth to the coun-
try out of the smoke and blaze of Donelson,
and then came the bloody field of Shiloh,
where its tattered banners we're again raised
in victory, dearly bought, but a victory
nevertheless. Following this event was the
capture of Corinth, and later, in the fall of
1862, a gallant defence of the positions
gained by the army of the Tennessee on the
we'll fought fields of Inka and Corinth.
Tarrying at Corinth a few weeks after it had
hurled back the columns Of Price, Van
Dorm and Lowell. the army of the Tennessee,
headed by "the silent man on horseback
started or its march through central Missis.
sippi to gain a position in the rear of Vicks'
burg. Those vino participated in that me
morable campaign of rain, mud, hard
marching and hunger will agree with Ut
that the fortitude of the army of the Ten
nessee was put to q severe test, but the record
shows that all this was borne With unainch'
ing heroism. After, their supplies were
destroyed by the rebel raid on Holly Springs
and starvation was before them, there wa,
not a mar of that army but would have
cheerfully gone forward at the order Of hi
commander. But General Grant saw ft Il
abandon the expedition and fall back o,
the line Of the Memphis & Charleston road
where his forces we're rested while he pre-
pared for the vigorous operations of tn
spring. 1t was about this time that Genera
Grant was severely criticised by norther,
statesmen and the army of the Tennesse'
shared with him in the ignominy of a lem.
porary failure.
But the spring of 1868 opened up a serie
of operations which resulted in q complet
revulsion of feeling at the north and gave I
the army Of the Tennessee and its comma1
der . lustre of fame which will n,
grow dim so long as history live
General Grant sent his forces down IL
Mississippi BY steamers, and aft.
four months of bold operations, filled vii
tolls, privations and dangers. marched b
victorious army over the bsttlements
Vicksburg and unfurled the stars az
stripes from the court house of the falle
city. With his heroic command he had q
complished his mission ia the west-tl
Mississippi river flowed "unvexsd to Il
SEA-" At this period In ito history the arm
of the Tennessee was reduced by diseal
and the enemy's bullets to q mere fragme
Of Its original strength and was placed
camp in and about Vlcksburg to await I
Inducements from the recruiting stations
the north. After q short rest, Rose
cranz's disaster at 'Chicamauga occurr,
General Grant was promoted to the co
msnd of the armies Of the west aud &c
w. 7. Sherman succeeded him In the col
mand Of the army Of the Tennessee. 7
18th army corps was hurried to Chattan'
Gu, where it participated 10 the battles
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Rid
where q glorious victory was snatched fl
the jaws Of defeat under the personal dir
ton of General Grant. Later in the win
the 18th army corps went north and ioi,
the 18th while the 18th army corps ,
Transferred to another department and