Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-08-14


this period, aud until March, 1864, being
confined to the departments in the south
west. Chatting with impatienco OF the slow
and tardy movements Of those who Outranked
him In the service, on more than one occa-
sion he moved his command and engaged the
enemy upon his own responsibility, winning
important and unexpected victories TO the
nation. Smarting under the false and scan
dalous reports az 10 his ineflioiency, incom-
potency and drunkenness forwarded to WASH
ington by officers Jealous Of his Successes
stung to the quick by the base ingralitude of
General Halleck, his chief in command, he
never replied but silently bore IL all without
murmur Of complaint waiting patiently for
that vindication which was sure 10 come.
From the capture Of Paducah--his first
military eIplot--up TO and including his
capture of VioksbuTg, July g. 1868 his had
been q continuous and uninterrupted series
Of important victories and in the surrender
Of that all-impOrtant stronghold Of the Miss
issippi its waters for the first time In period
Of over two years rolled on uninterruptedly
from it's source 'unveKed 10 the sea-" His
bad now become the bright star Of promise,
radiant with hope and in brilliancy out
shining the MONDAY sun, giving renewed
strength and courage 10 q loyal aud liberty
loving people brAvely struggling for the pres.
ervation Of the honor and life of the nation.
The fall Of Vioksburg, like the no less i'm
porlant victory at Gettysburg, was heThlded
over the wirea and gave iise to the widest
enthusiasm, and the grand chorus OF human
voices chanting peans Of praise and thanks
giving could be heard from the Atlantic 10
the golden shores Of the Pacific ocean, far
above the joyful sound Of pealing bells and
the roar Of cannon. Congratulations and
thanks poured In upon him from men In all
stations of life, and President Lincoln, who
had been urged and entreated, upon one pre-
text or another, by men high in the councils
Of the government to dismiss General Grant
from the army In letter written 10 him
July 10, 1863, said
81 do not know that ever met you per
sOnally. l write this now Rs a grateful ao-
acknowledgement for the almost ineHimabe
service You have done the country. wish
| TO say q word further. | never bad
any faith except general hope that you
knew better than l, that the Yazoo Pass OK.
pedition and the like could succeed. When
| you got below and took Port Gibson, Grand
Gulf and vicinity thought you should go
down the river and join General Banks and
when you turned nOrthwhrd east OF the Big
Black feared it was q mistake. nov wish
TO make the personal aoknov ledgment that
yOu mere right and 1 ods t0rOng." And Cen
eTal Halleok, In his enthuaiasm and anxious
to make amends for the past, wrote him
"In boldneas Of plan, rapidity Of execution,
and brillancy OF routes, these operations
will compare most favorAbly with those Of
Napoleon at Ulm. You and your army have
we'll deserved the gratitude of your country"
In October, 1868, by direction Of the Pred-
dent, the Department OF the Ohio, OF the
Cumberland and OF the Tennessee we're con.
solidated under the name of the Military Di-
vision OF the Mssissippi, and Gen Gran. was
assigned 10 the command. lie found the
| large bulk of that gallant army hemmed in at
| Chattanooga, by the rebel General Bragg. But
| his very presence upon the field WAS inapira-
tion 10 officers and men, alike, and filed their
hearts with dauntless courage, and transfOrm-
| ed them into fiery colnmns OF attack. Under
| his direction General sherman moved ont and
stormed Missionary Ridge, and General Hook
er scaled the craggy sides md dizzy heights
of Lookout Mountain until lost 10 view above
the clouds the beleagured army at ChAttAnoo-
ga was relieved, and thus did he snatch from
| out Of the very jaws OF disaster and anticipa-
| ted ruin another immortal victory. General
Bragg and his veteran army, demoralized and
discouraged, hastily reiterated into Georgia,
| opening up the way for that subsequent
| grand march Of Sherman and his oonquering
| legions from Atlanta to the sea. Quartermas-
ter General Meigs, who was present and wit
messed the battle, on November 26th, 1868,
forwarded full and detailed report TO the
Hon. Edwin NJ. Stanton, secretary Of war, in
| which he said The battle of Chattanooga, Rf-
ter days Of mAneuverng and fighting was
| won. Probably not 10 we'll directed, 80 we'll
ordered battle has taken place during the
war. The strength of the rebellion in the
centre is broken. Burnside IL relieved from
/ danger in East Tennessee. Kentucky and
| Tennessee are rescued. Georgia and the
Southeast ere threatened in the rear, and an
other victory is added to the chapter Of 'Un.
conditional Surrender Grant"
Congress met in December, and on the 18th
inst that ever memorable joint resolution was
adopted and approved, rendering to Gen.
Grant, his officers and soldiers the thanks of
Congress for their gallant conduct in the bat
| ties In which they hal been engaged, and
providing that the President cause q gold
| medal to he struck with suitable emblems,
devices and inscriptions, which, together with
Q copy OF the resolutions engrossed on paroh-
ment, be presented to Gen. Grant in the
name OF the people Of the United States.
| February 20, 1864, the act passed by Con-
| gress, entitled "An act reviving the grade of
Lieutenant General in the United States AR.
my" WAS approved by the President, and ON
the "a day OF March General Grant WAS ap-
pointed TO that office, and promptly confirm
cd by the Senate, and was ordered to report
to the President for duty. This distinguished
l
ington in 1923, but was discontinued at his
death, and had never been conferred upon
any other man, except that II was conferred
upon General Scott, by brevet, some years
after the close of the Mexican war. .a.
The evening before his departure for Wash
ington he wrote to Gen. Sherman, modestly
informing him of the action of Congress and
the President In this regard, sincerely thank.
ing him and the other brave officers and sol
| al yho kal xyfkh naar
him, generously remarking that TO them,
above all others, he felt most indebted for
whatever Of success he had achieved. General
Sherman, who could as accurately measure
the strength and ability of a soldier ~ any
other man, Immediately replied by letter, in
which he said, ''You do yourself injustice, and
us too much honor, in assigning TO us too
large a share Of merits which have led TO your
high advancement. You are now Washing
toms legitimate successor, and occupy posi-
ton OF almost dangerous elevation. But II
you can continue, as heretofore, to be your
self-simple honest and unpretending-
will enjoy through life the respect and love of
friends, and the homage Of millions OF human
beings, that will award you large share in
securing to them aud their deoendants gov
ernment Of law and stability. believe yon
are as brave patriotic and just as the great
prototype Washington, as unselish, kind.
| u
your chief characteristic is the simple faith in
success you have always manifested, which
can liken 10 nothing else than the faith a
Christian has In his Saviour"
General Grant arrived in Washington March
9Th, was received by the President and Oabi-
net the following day, and the day after he
visited the army Of the Potomac where he
found AZ brave aud noble body Of veteran
soldiers as ever fought battle, who only re-
quired leader Rs brave and determined as
themselves, and in whom they had confidence,
aud for whom they entertained admiration
and love. Such AN one they found in Gener.
al Grant lie commenced at once, and soon
completed an entire reorganization OF the
armies of the union, preparatory for gener.
al movement along the entire line on the 3rd
Of May, the day designated for that purpose
in general orders. The grand old army Of
the Potomac which had become thoroughly
inspired with confidence in their own ValoI
and ability 10 win golden victories under the
leadership of their new commander, rolled up
their tsnts and started at midnight, marching
by the light Of the stars along what subse.
quently proved to be the bloody yet vi0tori
, GUS highway 10 Richmond. '' n
Then followed in rapid sucoessiOn series
OF rebel defeats and union victories In every
, military department Acting under the di-