The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1885-07-25

battle fought in the west during the wal
and few exceeded it in carnage during
those four terrible years. Grant lost 12,-
600 men. Then followed the campaign
ing behind Vicksburg; ''amphibious it
has been called-through marshes. bayous
and jungles of canebrake until what JEFF.
Davis called the Gibraltar of America was
reached. Vicksburg perched upon the
bluffs of the Mississippi, strongly fortified
and garrisoned, was the Confederate
stronghold of the west. The gcneralshlp
displayed in reaching Vlcksburg had been
of the most brilliant order but the fatigues
and losses had been proportionately great
and it was a weakened army that assaulted
the stronghold on the 22d of May, 1868,
and recoiled before the decimating Con-
federate fire. Then followed a seigc OF 4C
days of constant operations, ending on the
4th of July when the anniversary OF Free
dom was celebrated by the Vicksburg
garrison stacking arms in front of Grants
victorious army. Then he was given COM
mand of all the territory lying between
the Allegheny and the Mississippi After
the memorable Chickamauga campaign
came the battles of Chattanooga, Mission
ary Ridge and Lookout Mountain-a line
covering thirteen miles Of terrific fighting
which. from the elaboration of its details,
the strictncss with which the original
plans were maintained and followed, and
the completeness of the victory has been
reckoned the most skillfully fought battle
of the war. BY act of congress the grade
of lieutenant general of the armies OF the
United States (held only by Washington
and ScotD was revived; the rank was con-
ferred upon Grant and on the 2nd OF
March, 1864, the senate confirmed ''the
most important appointment ever made IN
America" When he was ordered to
Washington to receive his commission he
met President Lincoln for the first time
in the year that followed they became very
warm personal friends and often shared
Grants quarters at City Point while Rich
mond was being invested. AS general-ln
chief of the armies in the field-ncarly a
million men--Grant's attention had now
to be directed to many different fields
though he himself assumed command OF
the army of the Potomac and set himself
down to worry Lee to death. Through
Sherman and Sheridan he devastated the
country while at the Wilderness, Spots
sylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and
many lesser engagements he ''kept peg
ging away" at the heart of the Confeder
acy. Sometimes he was repulsed but he
was ALWAYS sure that each battle whatever
its result had brought the end SO much
nearer. The North still contributed
men and supplies while the South was
exhausted and only resisted with the des
peration of undying bravery. 1twas slo"
work but Grant saw the end from the be
ginning and silently pursuing his plans
regardless of criticism and abuse ht
"fought it out on that line The winter
of 1864-65 wore away in seeming inactiv.
ity around Richmond until the end OF
March when Grant said Il wish to finish
this thing The operations OF the armies
elsewhere had prepared the way for tht
end. The desperate battles of Three Fork:
and Petersburg on the 1st and 2nd days OF
April we're the finishing blows. Lee was
prevented from joining Johnston, Rich.
mond was taken and the war was at an end
On the 18th Union army placed itsel
in front of Lees half-famishing force
and Grant sent the summons to surrender
On the 9th Lee and his staff, splendid.
attired, met Grant at Appomattox and TIN
latter. with his rusty uniform soilcd an(
travel stained, wrote out the formal term
of surrender with his own hand and receiv
ed the submission of "foeman worthy o
his steel.'' It was one of the few dates il
history when the destinies of great nation
have been decided, and the chief acto
then and there became one of the creates
characters in the worlds history.
AT the next election in 1868 Gen. Grau
was given the first place in tho nation
administration as he held it in the people
love and esteem. He was reelected il
1872, At the conclusion of his term h
| started upon a tour around the worl(
which occupied two years and which wa
an unparalleled series Of constant ovation
wherever he appeared. Civilized an
barbarous nations We'd in according hir
the highest honors Upon his return b
became the business partner of rascs
who successfully fleeced and swindle
HIM to the last cent. Over a year ag
Gen. Grant sustained crippling fall fror
which he never fully recovered. Las
winter the world was Mortified
learn that he was i'll Of cancerOu
affection of the throat. Since the
he has been constantly sinking; some
times a slight improvement woul