The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-07-01

led the enemy back when he consid-
cred that the victory was in his
hand. Why General Grant did not
have number of boats at Pittsb urg
Landing Is not understood, as it was
a most favorable position for their
use, and the 5000 Confederates
spread over large area Of ground
would have offered many opportn-
mites fer them to throw In an ei-
feetive fire.
THE yICKsBURG COUNCIL Or WAX.
This historian gives the following
sketch of council OF war on which
hung the fate of the Union Army
investing Vicksburg, the grit and
determined will and final decision
of the general Of that army being
opposed to every one Of his eoun-
sellers:
Having consulted with Admiral
Porter regarding the possibility OF
passing the batteries at Vieksburg
with sufficient force, point on
which bis mind was made be
lIGrantl called a council OF war at
(which all the division command ers,
except Sherman and NcClernand,
were present. The plan proposed
to the council was 10 send the gun
boats below Vieksburg with sufii-
eient number OF transports, well
| packed with cotton, to protect the
boiler and machinery, to march the
army over to Carthage, and thence
transport it TO the ViessbGrg side,
as circumstances warranted
! This proposition was respectfully
but strongly opposed by all the
generals present Sherman sent his
objections-which were good ones
in writing.an MeClernand. to whom
Grant had spoken on the eubject,
wrote a letter and proposed the plan
of going below as originating from
himself, which was 3 habit this gen
eral had when anything of lmpor-
tanee was about to be undertaken.
This plan of Grants seemed TO
those around him to be full OF dan
ger, and they left no eloquence un-
tried to persuade him not 20 under
take a move risking such peril to
his army. They urged that 10 move
his army below Vicksburg was to
cut himself on from his base OF sup
plies at the north, to cut his own
communication and do exactly what
his enemy most desired him to do,
TO place himself in a position where
if defeated his defeat would be over
whelming. The inundated state of
the country was pointed out to him,
and the difficulty of moving an ar
my and supplies over such roads as
there were. Some of the most ae-
complishsd soldiers In his army,
men who had won their way TO
fame, urged him with all the power
OF elOquence, not TO undertake this
rash movement.
Grant listened to them respectful
1 ly, and when the last had spoken
he said:
II am sorry to differ with you all,
but nv mind is made up; the army
will move tomorrow at 10 o'clock !"
When Grant was asked how he
would get the transports past the
batteries, ne replied:
That's the Admirals affair.
Where the Queen Of the West and
Switzerland can go in broad day
light, the transports can pass at
night
THE MONITOR AND MERsIMAC.
Admiral Porter describes the
transformation Of the hull OF the
Merrimac, saved from the general
destruction of the Norfolk Navy
Yard. into an irorclad which, thus
equipped, ofiicered and manned,
represented at that moment the
most pawerful fighting ship in the
world; adding. -the Federal Gov
ernment might well feel uneasy at
the tidings which threatened to car
~ destruction all along the north
ern coast Of her commander he
saws:
She was placed under the com
mand of Flag Officer Franklin Bu-
chauan, who resigned from the US.
Navy where he had reaped the high
est reward that could be bestowed
in time Of peace He was man Of
undoubted courage and his profes-
sional ability was of the first order.
Buchanan was fortunate in sur
rounding himself with excellent Of
ficers, men capable of performing
any naval duty, and il NAV be re-
marked that no commander was
ever better seconded by his subor-
dinates. We had several large
steam frigates which might have been
cut down and covered with iron in
better fashion than was done in the
case of the Merrimae. The depart
ment, it Is true. contracted for IRON
clad vessels, but two OF them were
far behind in buildingand the other
was a little nondescript" that no
one in the Navy Department with
the exception Of Commodore Joseph
Smith had any confidence in. This
vessel designed oy John Ericsson,
was to be paid for only in case it
proved successful against the enc
myis batteries, but had the steam
frigates been cut down and plated
we need have given little anxiety to
the appearance of the Merrimsc or
any other vessel, and would have
been first in the field with this new
factor in war which was TO revolu-
tionize naval warfare.
But there are many things We can
not account for-we received hu-
initiation at first to teach Us not TO
underrate an enemy. Providence
came to our assistance IN an emer-
gency with "Ericssonis nondescript"
to show what skill and enterprise
could do in behalf Of the Union.
As the Monitor Of Ericsson ap-
preached completion the Navy De-
partment hurried the work, on find
ing that the Merrimac was further
advanced than they had supposed
This was in consequence Of the
fact that Commander David d. Por-
ter haG been sent to New York to
examine the vessel and report as to