The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-04-10

sudden rush at daybreak on the following
morning succeeded in surprising and captur-
ing that important position. Before noon of
the same day, however, it was retaken by the
Federal troops, with all its guns and 1 800
Confederate prisoners. Three CORPS were
massed under General Sheridan below Peters
burg, and on Sunday morning, April 9. they
flanked the Confederates at Big Five
Forks, capturing their intrenchments with
G,0OO men The Federal attack. under
General Grants direction, then commenced
along the whole line, and the assault was SO
successful that on the same night the Federal
forces held the Confederate intrencbments
from the Appomattox, above Petersburg. to
the river below. That same afternoon. Mt
O'clock General Lee telegraphed to President
Davis that he had been driven from his in
trenchments and that Petersburg and Rich.
mond must be abandoned, which operation
was performed that night; and on the next
day-April 3, 1S65-the Feda raj army en-
tered Petersburg and General Weitzel occu-
pied Richmond. BY rapid movements Cen
eral Grant cut off General Lees retreat to
Lynchburg and Danville, came up
with him at Appomattox Court House, and
demanded his immediate surrender, The two
chiefs met, arranged the details and on Sun
day, April 8, 1865, the army of Northern Vir-
ginia capitu!ated. The whole of General
Lees army of S7.00) officers and men
were paroled, with perm sson to return at
once to their homes General Johnstons sur
render to General Sherman on practically the
same terms speedily followed, and the war
was at an end, but at n terrible cost. Gen
eral Grants losses in 1865 alone were more
han 5000 in killed, wounded and missing.
In 1866 General Grant was promoted to the
rank of general, that homo" being created
specially for him by Congress. In
August, 1867, on the suspension OF
Mr.. Stanton by President johnson, General
mt ,t,,f1 20 flA IN ,f
tary of war I'D interim; but the Senate re-
fusing to approve the suspension, General
Grant on january 10, 1865, gave back the
Office to Mr.. Stanton.
On June 20 1868, General Grant was made
the almost unanimous presidential candidate
of the Republican national convention, and
he was elected over HOratio Seymour, receiv-
ing PA electoral votes against eighty cast for
the Democratic candidate. In 1872 he was
reelected over Horace Greeley receiving 2S6
electoral votes, against sixty-three in OPP
position
After his retirement from the presidential
chair in 1871 General Grant and family
made tour of the world. He
was everywhere received with high honors
and returned home loaded with gifts from
foreign princes and rulers.
In 1880 General Grant was again promi-
nent candidate for the presidential nomination
before the Republican national conven ton
at Chicago; and the struggle that was made
I vi MS DGllulI DN oaD ucleIaleS unuer inc lead
OF Roscoe Conkl1ng constitutes one of the most
exciting chapters in the political history OF
the country. 1t required 800 votes to choose
nominee, and from the first to the thirty
sixth and last ballot General Grant, vote
varied but little from the historic
9OG. On the thirty-siXth ballot James A
Garfield was nominated by the following
vote: Garfield, 800; Grant, 306; Blaine, ~;
WaShburne, 5 Sherman, 3.
After his journey around the world Gen.
eral Grant removed to New York city, in or
der to be near his sons, who were in business
there He became a partner in the firm OF
Hrant u Ward, whose collapse last year Gre
ated such widespread CONSERVATION in fnan-
clal circles, and was followed by the downfall
OF several prominent New York banks and
banking houses. With the bankruptcy of
Grant a. Ward General Grants large for
tune was swept away, all that remained
u nm being the annual interest derived from
the :5O, 900 which was presented to him by
friends some years ago, and which was in
vested so that it could not be touched or af-
fected by business Vicissitudes. When he
had recovered somewhat from the shock Of
his financial fall General Grant set to work
TO partly retrieve his fallen fortunes by
literary work, and at the time of his death
was engaged upon his autobiography. He
nau also written an account of the battle of
Shiloh, which was published in the Century.
But the rapid inroa1s which disease made
upon his strength compelled cessation from
literary labors.
Some time last summer, while at Long
Branch, General Grant was troubled with
what he supposed to be a cold in his head,
and at first gave little heed to the matter
But getting worse, he consulted doctors who
made thorough examination and decided
that he was suffering from cancer of the
tongue, caused, it was supposed, by excessive
smoking. Then he put himself under thor
ough course of medical treatment. Suddenly
one day n few weeks since ago the whole
country was startled by the an.
nCuncement that General Grants
end was near, that he had not six months to
live and ever since then daily bulletins
recorded the varying phases of the disease
which was fast sapping his strength and vi
talty.
A few minutes before the expiration of the
last Congress, on the 4th of March, the House
of Representatives passed bill placing him
on the retired list general of the army,
with full pay, thus ensuring an income of
about SlJ,5 year during the remainder of
his life With this action of Congress Gen
eral Grant was greatly pleased, and it was
hoped it would have a beneficial effect upon
his spirits and fast-failing health; but the
good effect was only temporary.
hen 1t was apparent that the disease would
prove fatal, cable dispatch was sent to his
daughter, Mrs. Nellie Grant SartoriS who re-
sides in England, and sha arrived at the bed
side OF her father few weeks ago The other
members of the family who have been in con-
slant attendance upon General Grant are
Mrs Grant, Colonel Fred Grant Jesse Grant
Ulysses s. Grant, Jr, Mrs Sartoris, and the
wives of his sons
PRESIDENT BARRI0S.