Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-09

Independence. Holding out for better
Terms as he did, he defeated his aim in the
IdVtel particular. On the Attn OF July at the
appointed hour the garrison Of Vicksburg
marched out of their works and formed Il
line IN front of stacked arms and marched
pack IN good order. Our whole army
present witnessed this scene without
cheering, and without a single offensive
remark that | ever heard Of LOgan's
division, which had approached nearest
the rebel works, was the first to march in
ana the nag Of one of the regiments of his
division was soon floating over the court
house.
The campaign of Vicksburg was sug-
gested and developed by circumstances.
Inc elections Of 1862 had gone against the
prosecution or the war. Voluntary en-
ilstments had nearly ceased, and the draft
naQ Deen resOrted to. This was resisted,
and defeat or a backward movement
would have made its execution impOssi-
pie. A forward movement to decisive
victory was necessary. Accordingly, |
resolved to get below ViCksburg, unite
with Gen. Banks against Port Hudson,
make New Orleans the base, and with
that base and Grand Gulf as the starting
point, move our combined forces against
Vicksburg.
Upon reaching Grand Gulf, after run
nIng its batteries and fighting a battle, l
received letter from Gen. Banks in
forming me that he could not be at Port
hudson under 10 days, and then with
only 10000 men. Time was worth more
than renlorcements, !, therefore, deter
mined to push into the interior and open
the enemy's country. With large river
behind us, held above and below
by the enemy, rapid movements We're
essential to success. Gen. Jackson was
captured the day after the new COM
mander had arrived, and when large re-
Inducements were daily expected a rapid
movement West was made, and the garri-
son OF Vicksburg was met in five battles
and badly defeated. The city was then
successfully beseiged."
No reminiscence of the war history will
be read with greater interest than Gen.
Gran1s account of his first meeting with
President Lincoln and Lincoln's charge
to him:S
Although hailing from Illinois myself,
the State of the President" SAYS Gen,
Grant, Il had never met Mr.. Lincoln until
called to the capitol to receive
my commission as Lieutenant
General. knew him, however,
very well and favorably from accounts
given by the officers under me at the Vest,
who had known him all their lives. | had
also read remarkable course of debate
between Lincoln and Douglass a few
years before, when they were rival cand-
dates for the United States Senate. |
was then resident OF Missouri, and by no
means Lincoln man in that contest,
but | recognized his great ability.
I'm my first interview with Mr.. Lin
coin alone he stated to me that he had
never professed TO be a military man or to
know how campaigns should be con-
Quoted, and never wanted TO interfere in
them, but that procrastination on the
part OF commanders and the pressure of
the people at the North and of Congress,
which, like the poor, he had always
with him. had forced him into
issuing his well known series of 'eXecu-
tive Orders.' He did not know but they
were all wrong, and did know that some
of them were. All he wanted or had ever
wanted, he said. was that some one would
take the responsibility aud act and call
on him for ali the assistance needed
Speaking of his first battle in the civil
war, Gen. Grant says: Gas soon as the
enemy saw us they decamped as fast as
their horses would carry them. / kept
M men in the ranks and forbade their
entering any of the deserted houses or
taking anything from them. We halted
at night on the road and proceeded next
morning at an early hour. The horses
had been encamped in creek bottom
for the sake of being near the water.
The hills on either side of the creek
extend to a considerable height, possibly
more than 100 feet. AS we approached
the brow Of the hill from which il was ex-
pected we could see Harris camp, and
possibly find his men ready formed TO
meet us, my heart kept getting higher and
higher, until it felt to me as though it was
in my throat. | would have given any
thing then 10 have been back in Illinois,
but ! bad not moral courage 10 halt and
consider what 10 do. | kept right On.
When we reached a point from which the
valley below was in fun view | halted.
The place where Harris had been en-
camped a few days before was still there,
and marks of a recent encampment were
plainly visible, but the troops were gone.
My 81 resumed ITS place.
1t 400 ftd TO me a. once that
Harri, a.,d been as much .traid Of me as
/ had becu of him. This was view of
the question | had never taken before,
but it was one ] never forgot atterward.
From that event 10 the close of the war |
never experienced trepedati0n upon con-
fronting an enemy"