Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-11-19
ARMY OF The TENNESSEE BANQUET
Eloquent Speech of Col. w. F. Villas, Of
Madison.

Eicquent speech OF Col. w. T. Villas, o.
Madison.
There seems to be such unanimous
verdict that Col. Villas made the speech
of the great banquet of the Army of the
Tennessee, that we reproduce it.:
Your call invites me, sir, 1 am conscious, to
give expression to the profound feeling with
which every heart of our assembled COM
panions responds to the stirring sentiment.
But how shall I attempt to choose, in the
brief compass the occasion allows, from the
multitudinous thoughts that crowd the
mind? Our first comman der, the illustri.
Gus general whose fame has grown to fill
the world--nay more, our band of the Ten
nessee, was his first army. What honorable
memories of old association you, compan.
ions, may now recall. Applause
How splendid was your entrance on the
scene of armies. The anxious eye of the
north had long been fixed intentiy on the
eastern theater, almost unconscious of the
new-formed Army of the Tennessee and it's
unknown general. Suddenly there fell on
the startled ear the roar of your fight at
Doneson and your chieftain's cry, which
walked the country's heart to ecstacy, and
rung, like prophetic knell, the doom our
army of salvation bore to rebels-nothing
but unconditional surrender. [Applauge.l
Then, but few days later, there burst, at
Shiloah, upon his Army of the Tennessee,
the flame aud fury of "the first great field
fight of the war" In desperate doubt the
night fall Of the bloody day closed on the
unequal struggle. Higher, then, rose the
iron resolution of that great commander.
Urged by cautious counsel to prepare the
way for retreat, with trust in your valor he
gave the characteristic answer: 81 have
not despaired of whipping them yet" And
Loyalty, on the morrow, was he indicated
in that reliance, as he rode before his
soldiery, driving the enemy over the victo-
rious field Prolonged applause
How darkly comes back in recollection
the long and dismal toll in the pestilentia]
swamps before impregnable Vicksburg. The
sky was overhung with gloom and the
soaked earth sunk under the foot. Unlt by
the flash of powder, uDheralded by the
noise of arms, in miserable darkness, the
changing the river levees-where only was
solid ground for burial into tombs for our
trebly deoimated ranks. Then, again, new
light broke from his troubled genius on the
scene, aud displayed the possible path for
valor. Breaking past the rebel battlements
and across the great river he flung our army
into the midst of the hostile host, like a
mighty gladiator surrounded by his foes,
choosing no escape but in victory. There,
with fiery zest in fierce rapidity, he smote
the foe the crushing strokes of Port Gibson,
Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hills and
Black River, and seized the doomed city
with the unrelenting grasp of his Army of
the Tennessee. And when, on the
new birthday of the republic, her
flag shook out its beautiful folds above the
ramparts of that boosted citadel, the terri
70 Of Ivy 81 49,
backbone Of REBELLION was broken. [Great
enthusiasm Such, in glance, your splen.
did story, companions, under our first conn.,
mander. He and his Army of the Tennessee
entered on the page of history together.
Together they achieved the first great pro.
phetic triumphs for the Union; together
they followed and fought her enemies from
field to field, pushing our advancing arms
in steady career toward the Gulf; nor were
having dismembered the vast rebellion, the
beginning of its utter downfall had been
seen.
Guided by his genius, your army had
learned to fight only to conquer. Parted
from him, it forgot not the teaching. Its
march and war struck every revolving
state save two, but never general anywhere
lamented over its retreat from the field of
arms. Joyfully may we point to that ex.
the Alps, breaks through the armament
above to carry up the name of the uncon-
guered Grant, for it is our felicity, that on
the solid base from which il lifts, history
has written the proud legend of the Army of
the Tennessee, which never stunned, and
never lost. a battle with its foes.
Joined to it by such story, and espe.
cially when so assembled, his old associates
and soldiers in war, we may rightfuliy,
Ir,la%
claim and speak the just measure of his
merit aod renown. Nor shall his presence
deny that satisfaction to us. His reputa-
ton is not his, nor even his country's alone.
l. is, in fact, our peculiar posse ssion. We
who fought to aid its rising, may well re-
joice in it's meridian splendor.
The foundations of his title are deep-laid
and safe. There was reaction in the minds
of our people after the intense strain of the
war, and many distracting subj ects for atten-
ton. But with regained composure and
reflection, his reputation augments, and its
foundations appear more and more IRE
movably fixed for lasting duration. They
spring not from merely having enjoyed pos
session of the honors Of place and power
which his cOuntrymen have bestowed;
others have had them, too. They lie not
specially on his shining courage and per-
sonal conduct before the enemy, who was
never outdone in calm intrepidity, nor In
the splendid daring with which he ever
urged the battle ne Immediately ordered.
though long these will live in song and
story. Beyond the warriors distinction,
which was his earlier glory, his is the true
genius of the general
The stragetic learning of the military art
was to him simple implement, like colors
and brush to Raphael, not letters to the
mind. How like a weapon in a giants
hand did he WELD the vast aggregations of
soldiery whose immensity oppressed so
many minds How easily moved his di.
visions, yet how firm the place of all.
How every soldier came to feel his partici-
patton direct contribution to the general
success
And when, at length, his merit won the
government of the entire military power of
the north how nerfect became without