Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-09-11

him as an older if not better soldier.
Though he was at thar time senior by
commission, not one word OF complaint
came from him only the general express
sion of regret that he had been wrongly
and nDiUstiy represented to General
HaIleck, ana te advised me to give to
General Smith my most loyal support.
General Smith conducted the expedi-
tion mp the Tennessee river to Savan-
nah, Eastport and Pittsburg Landing,
and gave all orders and instructions up
to. within o few days of the battle of
Shiloh, when bis health, shattered by
the merest accident, compelled him to
relinquish command again to General
Grant, who quickly resumed 1t where
Smith had left off, accepted the situa-
ton, made few or no changes, and
fought on the ground that had been Be.
lected by General Smith the BLOODY bat
tie Of Shiloh.
During this ferceiy contested battle
he displayed the GOODNESS, personal
courage, forethought and deliberation
which afterwards made him famous
among men. Yet was he traduced, SLAM
dered, wrohged, not only by the press
universally, but by those who were in
POSITIONS of authority over him. We,
however, who were at the battles
front stood by him truly, and loyal al
ways, and to his dying day he loved the
army of the Tennessee above all others
by reason of their loyalty to him in these
darkest days of his eventful life-nor
WAS the end yet. After tt is great bat
tie three armies assembled only at the
bloody feld-Buells. Pope's ard Grants
and Gen. Halleck came IN person from
st. Louis to command the whole, with a
declared purpose to assume bold Of
fensive.
These armies were reorganized.
Buells army became the. center, Pope's
the left, and Grants was broken up,
One part under Gen. George 81. Thomas
| was styled the "right," while the other,
under Gen. McClernard, composed the
reserve. Gen. Grant was absolutely left
ont in the cold, with the title of second
in ommand-unknown to American
history. All moved forth to Corinth,
consuming the whole month of May, and
during that month became cemented
the personal friendship between us
which lasted to the end.
Not one word of complaint came from
him, no criticism on one act of his su.
perlors or the government, yet the
trembling eye lid, silent tear and avert.
ed head told that his big heart was
troubled. He knew that every officer
and soldier that had followed him with
such noble courage and simple faith al
Belmont, Henry, Donelson and Shilot
fell. for him, respected bim. and under.
stood the load of neglect-if not positive
lnsult-he was carrying. He knew and
feft that he was in the way of the com.
mandiog general, as it were, q fifty
wheel to coach, with no real authorith
no command. no possible right to or.
der or even advise his former subordi.
mates. l am sure he knew that he was
never welcome to our bivouacs, and we
understood and appreciated the entire
situation.
Then occurred the most questionable
strategy of the whole war, that magnii.
cent army, near one hundred thousand
of the best men on this continent who
could if united, have marched to Vicks-
burg or to Mobile, was deliberately scat.
Tered. General Buell. with the army of
the Cumberland, which Thomas had re-
]sined, was sent eastward towards Chat.
tanooga, and the others were scattered
defenslvely from Eastport to Memphis
Gen. Grant was sent to command the
| district of Memphis, aud Gen. Halleck
himself being summoned to Washing
ton, cast about for new commander
for the army of the Tennessee. He
offered the post to q most worthy quar-.
tefmasser, who had the good sense to de.
cline, and himself being compelled to
leave, command at once devoiyed on Gen
Grant, not by selection but by virtue
of his superior commission. Thence
forward bis career was ever onward and
| upward, and when on the fourth day OF
July, 1865, Vicksburg surrendered to
b,n. and the mighty Mississippi went
uuvexed to the sea. The whole country
arose and recognized in him general
who was destined to guide and lead us
all to final victory and triumph.
These circumstances were all known
to you at the time, were little ap.
preciated and were in the treaty first
designed by providence to test the
ablhty courage and endurance of him
was designed to hinge. Others have
told the whole story of the war, and still
others are repeating and elaborat-
ing it-even he himself, almost
in bis dying hours was engaged in
recording his experience, and We
all await its publication with
profound interest. have seen some of
the manuscript and have been told of
the rest, but prefer to await the whole
publication, certain that whatever he
has recorded of his own knowledge will
stand the test of time, and I am sure he
himself will have recognized the truth,
and will have recorded the facts that this
campaign from Belmont to V,ckshnro
was the most valuable of his whole life,
In the brief period he discovered the
power that was In him, that he in fact
lmpersonated the great mass of our
best people who abhorred war, and
only resorted to it when national honor
and safety demanded it. He knew little
and cared less about strategy, and I
doubt if he ever read "Iomini CRATES, y
or any books on the art and laws of
war, except West Point text books.
So with tactics. He never, so far as
can recall, expressed preference fo,
Hardie over Scott, Classy or Morris, still
he loved to see order and system, an6
wanted his crops divisions, brigades ano
regiments handy and well instruct.
ed when called for. He aimed TO achieve
results, caring little for the manner by
which they were accomplished. HI
possessed and always asserted the mos,
perfect faith in the justice of our cause
and always claimed sooner or latter j,
| must prevail, because, the interest
of all mankind demanded the existenct
of Just such republic as we had inherit
ed, and that by concurrence O,
political causes the conflict had faller
upon us, we had only to meet