Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-07-29
Death of Gen. Grant.
PROCLAMATION OF THE PREsIDENT-BIO
GRAPHICAL SKETCH OF GEN. GRANT.

Gregor, New York, whittier he had been
taken few weeks since, at little after s
O'Clock last Thursday morning, the 23rd
inst.
Shortly after his death the President was
informed by his private wire of the death
OF Gen. Grant. He Immediately directed
that the flag on the White House should
be placed at half mast. The lowering of
the flag was the first intimation that the
citizens of Washington had of the death
of the distinguished man, although they
had been anticipating it throughout the
night. A few minutes after the White
House flag was placed at half mast the
flags on all the public buildings and on
many private ones were placed in like DO
sitions.
TOLLING THE BELLS.
The bells of the city were tolled and
citizens who heard them readily recognized
their meaning. Business men Immediately
began draping their houses with mourning
and residences in similar manner showed
esteem for the deceased. While the bells
tolled, President Cleveland sent the follow
ing dispatch to Mrs. Grant at Mount Nc
Gregor:-
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON,
July 23.-Accept an expression of my
heartfelt sympathy in this hour of your
great affection. The people of the nation
mourn with you, and would reach, if they
could, with kindly comfort the depths of
your sorrow, which is yours alone, and
which only the pity of God can heal.
THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.
The following proclamation was issued
by the President
"The President of the United States has
just received the tidings of the death of
that illustrious citizen and ex-President Of
the United States, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant,
at Mt. McGregor, in the State of New
York, to which place he had lately been
removed in the endeavor to prolong his
life.
In making this announcement to the
people of the United States, the President
is impressed with the magnitude of the
public loss in the death of the great mill
| tary leader, who was in the hour of victory
magnanimous amid disaster serene and
whether as soldier or Chief Magistrate
twice called to power by his fellow country
men, trod unswervingly the pathway of
| duty, undeterred by doubts, single-minded.
and straightforward. The entire country
| has witnessed with deep emotion his pro-
longed and patient struggle with painful
disease, and has watched by his couch of
suffering with fearful sympathy. The des-
| tined end has come at last, and his spirit
has returned to the Creator WHO sent it
| forth.
The great heart of the nation that fol-
lowed him when living with love and pride,
bows now in sorrow above him dead, ten
derby mindful of his virtues, his great
patriotic services, and of the loss occasioned
by his death.
| In testimony of respect to the memory
of Gen. Grant, it is ordered that the Ex-
ecutive Mansion and the several depart
ments at Washington be draped in mourn
ing for period of thirty days, and that
all public business shall on the day of the
funeral be suspended; and the secretaries
of War and of Navy will cause orders to be
issued for the appropriate military and
naval honors to be rendered on that day.
| In witness whereof have hsreunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the United
| III.
| Washington this 23rd day of July, A. d.
| 1885, and of the independence of the
| United States the one hundred and TENTH
[Signed]
GROVER CLEVELAND.
By the President: T. F. Bayard, Secretary
of State.
The President also issued an order di-
| recting that all the executive departments
of the Government be closed at l O'Clock
that afternoon as mark of respect to the
memory of Gen. Grant.
GEOGRAPHIC SKETCH.
Ulysses s. Grant was born at Mt. Pleas
ant, Ohio, (on the Ohio river above Cincin-
nati) April 81, 1922. He was sent to Prof.
w. W. Richeson's academic school at Mays
vile, KY, and after two years at that insti-
tuition entered West Point Military Acad-
envy, graduating in 1S43. He received a
commission in the regular Army in 1915
and served under Gems. Taylor and Scott in
Mexico. In 1862 he was ordered to Oregon,
and in August, 1858, became full captain.
| He resigned his commission in 1854 and
soon after settled in business at Galena, H.
| From this privacy he was drawn out by the
civil war, and having acted first as aide-de-
camp to the Governor of his State in 1861
and afterwards as Colonel of the Twenty
| first Illinois volunteers was appointed a
brigadier general in July of the same year.
| While in command at Cairo, he secured
| Paducah, and with it the State of Kentucky
| November, 1861, he fought and gained the
battle of Belmont, and in January of the
| following year conducted a reconnaissance
to the rear of Columbus. After capturing
Folt Henry on the Tennessee, Gen. Grant
pursued the Condederates to Fort Donelson.
| There severe battle ragged almost without
| interruption for three days and three nights
| wher, February 10, the fort was surrender
| ed. This feat elevated Grant to the rank
of Major- General. Having been appointed
| to the command of the District of West
| Tennessee, Grant advanced up the river to
| Pittsburg Landing, where he had to contend
| again st q force variously estimated at from
| sixty to seventy thousand men. The Union
| lines were overwhelmed, crushed, and dis
persed." but Gen. Grant undismayed form
ed new lines, planted new batteries, and
| thus held the Confederates in check till
dark, when the long expected arrival of his
rear guard of 30, goo men under Buell., en-
abled him to fight April and the memoir
able battle of Shiloh, whence the Confed-
crates abandoning the field, reiterated to
| Corinth. Gen. Grant was second in COM
| mand to Halleck at the siege Of Corinth,
| and when the latter was ordered to Wash
| ington he was appointed to take command
of the Department Of Tennessee, in which
| capacity he marched against Vicksburg,
known as the Gibraltar of the Mississippi
| After a long and memorable siege, Vicks-
burg was surrendered and over 80, 900 pri-
soners, $50 cannon, with an immense amount
of military stores, fell into the hands of the
victors. Upon the defeat of Gen. Rosecrans
at Chickamauga, Grant was sent to repair
the disaster, and on November 3d. 1868, he
defeated Gen. Bragg at Lookout Mountain
This victory, by which Tennessee was re-
duced and Kentucky saved" was regarded
as one of the most brilliant strategic and
| tactical movements of the war, and made
! Grant the hero of the Union side. On March
list, 1854 Gen. Grant was raised to the full
command of the "armes of the United
States" with herank oflieutenant- general
Invested with this authority, Grants plan
was to destroy Lees army. Grant arrived
in Washington on Marcn 9th, received his
commission at the hands of the President,
and on the 18th issued his first general
orders, dated at Nashville, assuming com.