The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-08-13
Remarks Of S. II. Bright.

F., world. He was not cradled IL lace
bathed in wine, nor soothcd wit
nectar.
In the county of CIermont, on tn
banks of the ma jestic Ohio, ye
stands the cabin where, on Apr
9th, 1928, our hero first saw tn
light. His ancestors came from oil
Scotland and be, no doubt, inherit
ed from them some of the sterlin,
character and indomitable pcrse
verance which he displayed through
, out his eventful life. His you'll
was like that of the average Amer
lean boy; he attended the common
school, he wrestled with reading
writing and arithmetic nights ant
mornings, and during vacation h
worked with his hands. We nat
urally wonder: Did he sometime
dream of wars and battles, of POM
and power, of fiattery and Office ane
greatness? What American boy
has not at times felt yelling VI
within him the throbblngs of oul
Democratic Republican possibilities
He read of Washington, Adams and
Franklin, of Marion, Green anc
Warren, of Lexington, Bunker Hill
and Concord He knew something
of the capabilities of a free people
He had heard of tho training schoo
for soldiers. A Member of Congress;
secured his appointment to a cadet
ship, and thus he sat out upon his
career. At the age of 21 he grad.
uated from West Point, ranking
2lst in class of 80, and was at
tached as Supernumerary Lieuten-
ant to tho 4th U. S. Infantry.
That was the day of small things!
i
He was in fact Lieutenant by brevet
and supernumerary at that. This
simply means that he began at the
lowest possible step for one holding
a commission from the United
States Government. Soon howev-
er he was called to join General
Taylor on the Mexican frontier.
This was followed by active war
with Mexico. He was now commits
stoned as full Lieutenant. First
saw blood at Palo Alto. Col. Gar
land in his report of the battle of
Chapultepec uses this language: "I
must not forget to call attention to
Lieut.. Grant, 4th Infantry, who ac-
quilted himself most nobly on sew
eral occasions under my own obser-
vation." For this conduct he was
breveted Captain to date from the
battle. In 1854 ho resigned his
commission to engage in civil pur-
suits but it can not be said that he
was eminently successful. Nature
or circumstances or education had
designed him for a wider field of
action than mere bargain and sale.
The opening of the civil war found
him tanner at Galena IN the State
of Illinois. Having been educated
by the Government he at once rec
ognlzed her claims upon HIM in the
time of trouble and accordingly
promptly rendered his services to
the War Department at Washing
ton, June 18th, 1861. Ho was COM
missloned Col. of the 21st Illinois
regiment. He was soon at the front
and in August he was commissioned
Brlgadler General of Volunteers.
Having been placed in command at
Cairo he at once commenced ag
gressive measures, taking posses
sion Of important places. In a proc
lamation to the citizens of Pahdu-
cab he said: II have nothing to do
with opinions and shall deal only
with armed rebellion and it's aiders
and abettors.
The war had now assumed gigan-
tic proportions. 1'o suppress the
rebellion was no longer regarded as
breakfast job. Ten months of
preparation and effort had left the
Confederate lines close on our Dor
ders. We had called to the field
nearly 100000 soldiers, and 1t was
quito evident that all our resources,
military and financial, would suffer
the severest strain. We had had
no decided success anywhere, and
the country was becoming restless.
In July, 1861, we had not only been
defeated at Bull Run, but routed
and our army ran back to Wash
;ngton in the greatest disorder.
Gloom spread throughout the
North. 1t was left to Gen. Grant
to achieve for US the first signal vic
tory. The Confederates were strong
ly intrenched at Fort Donelson on
the Tennessee river. Gen. Buck
ncr had more than 10000 troops.
On the 10Th of February 1862, the
whole rebel force with all the arms,
stores and munitions of war fell in:
to the hands of our victorious army
under Grant. When Gen. Buckner
sent out a flag of truce and asked
for terms, Gen. Grant made his eel
ebrated reply that has since become
historic: "No other terms than I'M
mediate and unconditional surren-
der can be accepted. l propose to
move Immediately upon your
works" At once the heart Of the
Nation turned toward tho hero of |
Fort Donelson. Here at last was a
man who could bring victory to the
Union cause. And at once U. S.
Grant became Unconditional Sur. |
render Grant. 81 propose to move
Immediately upon your works. be-