Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-10

Grant had been appointed commander-in-
chief of all the armies of the United States,
east, west, north and south. This meant
that he was at the head Of an army of nearly
a million men. 1t had been gathered up by
four years of education and development of
the energies of the north About 700, 900
were actually available for service. OF all
these Grant from his headquarters was to di-
rect the movements Sherman had sue
ceeded him in the west at Chattanooga with
the fine army with which Grant had won his
victories hitherto. Grant himself took per-
sonal command of the army of the Potomac,
the forces that were to move against Rich
mond May 4, 1864, this army, under their
new commander, marched out of Wash
ington, with their faces to the foe,
10000 strong 1T was an army" says
Lawrence, that has scarcely been surpassed
in efficiency by that Of any commander in
history" Grant was not an accident any
more than the trained army he led was.
The military genius that was in him had been
naturally developed by his four years cx-
perience of war. enhancement came to
him slowly, naturally and regularly"
The plan of his Richmond campaign was
to gradually close in on and worry and
starve out Lees army. At the outset, In the
Wilderness, the Confederate general struck
on to Spottsylvania-
His idea was not to drive Lee into Rich
mond, but to keep him out of it. He said:
SIT will be better to keep the enemy out OF
the intrenchments of Richmond than to have
them go back there" He gave orders mean
time for Sheridan to keep the Valley of Vir-
GINA barren waste till the end of the war.
1t was there Lee drew much of his army
supplies. To permit Sheridan to do this,
Grant meant to keep the army OF Lee con-
SANITY engaged and worried at the front, so
that none could be spared 10 go against
Sheridan.
Before Spottsylvania the general sent this
dispatch back to Washington:
''The enemy hold our front in very strong
force, and evince strong determination to
last l shall take no backward steps. y +
We can maintain ourselves at least, and in
the end beat Lees army believe
"Send to Belle Plain all tie infantry you
can rake and scrape. With present position
Of the armies, 10, 600 men can be spared from
the defences of Washington, besides all the
troops that have reached there since Burn
sides departure. Some may also be brought
from Wallaces department.. We want no
more wagons or artillery.
~. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General"
1t is characteristic. No society soldiers
were left dawdling about Washington after
Grant took hold. Every man he could "rake
and scrape" was forced to go on duty. At no
time does the general appear to have worried
himself greatly about the safety of the noble
army of Office holders in Washington.
At Spottsylvania there was another bloody
fight between Federal and Confederate.
Grant sought here to turn the enemy's flank
on the road to Richmond. He failed to do so.
Apparently he gained no advantage. But
after that encounter he sat down and wrote
with compressed lips that dispatch which has
become historic: %
II purpose to fight it out on this line if it
takes all summer"
1t was at Spottsylvania that Gen. Hancock
made one of his most famous and brilliant
charges. Only stopping to take time to pull
his army into fighting trim Grant pushed on
to North Anna He was stopped again by
the skillful movements of Lee. The man
whom nothing could discourage changed his
direction again and marched his army t.
Gold Harbor. Lee was already intrenched
there in readiness. Grant made an assault
on his works. 1t was unsuccessful. The
reader who remembers the newspapers of the
time will recall that wise editors made some
times this remark: Grant does not know
when ne Is whipped" Some, too, VINO had
yet faith in him, quoted saying of the Gen
erals wife on one occasion early in the
war. That saying, along with SO many OF
her husbands, has also become historic.
Said she: "Mr. Grant is very obstinate
man."
Again no advantage had apparently been
gained at Cold Harbor The assault was
made ON the 30th of June; the splendid army
Of the Potomac had now had so days of in.
cessant fighting. AT Cold Harbor Grant LOST
more men than Lee did.