Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-09-18
sHERMAN's EULOGY OF GRANT.
An Eloquent and SoidierIy Tribute.

Sherman spoke of General Grant as fol
lows
Hundreds, yea, thousands of
busy brains and pens are now trying to
comprehend and describe this man, who
did so much in so short Il time. To trace
the mysterious causes of his most won
derful career and to account for known
results they look to us, who were his early
associates in that critical epoch, to aid
them in their commendable work, and as
your president must, on this occasion,
contribute II share. In the year 1889, |
was first-class man in the United States
military academy mt West Pont-a posi-
ton of eXaltation never reached since
though reasonably successful in life-and
there appeared on the wall of the hall in
"old north barracks" a list of new cadets,
among which was "U. :. Grant" A
crowd Of lockers on read United States
Grant" "Unclc Sam Grant" sam
Grant and sam Grant he is to-day III the
traditions of the old fourth United States
infantry. 1t afterward TRANSFERRED that
his name was actually Ulysses Hiram
Grant, and the mistake had been made by
Gen Haner, the member of Congress
who nominated him as the cadet from his
district. Cadet Grant tried to correct the
mistak Ike at the beginning and end of his
cadet life, without success, and to history
= MS nttlHe llUSl ever ne Y. -. hrHllI. ]
| remember his personal appearance ut the
time, but the gulf of separation between
Il tirSt-ClaSS man and "plebeN ut West
Point was and still is deeper and wider
than between the general-in -chlef and Il
private soldier i'll the army, SO that hard
ly noticed him. His reputation in the
fourth infantry, in which he served
through the Mexican war and until he
resigned his commission of captain in
Oregon July 81, 1s5i, was OF Il good, will
ing officer, always ready for duty eX-
tremely social and friendly with his fell
lows but in no sense conspicuous, bril-
liant or manitesting the wonderful quail
ties afterward developed in him. | recall
an instance when met him in st. Louis
in 1871, when he was farmer in the
country, and |, too, was out of the mill
tury service The only impression left ON
my memory is that then concluded West
Point and the regular army were not good
schools for farmers, bankers, merchants
and mechanics, did not meet him again
TIL the civil war broke out, when chaos
seemed let loose and the gates of hell
wide open in every direction. Then came
d the news of General Grants attack on
the enemy's camp at Belmont, on the 9TH
of November, lNGl, soon followed 10y the
events of Columbus, PaduCah, Henry and
DOnelSOn, all 50 simple, so direct, so com
prehensible that their effect on my mind
was magical. They raised the dark cur
tain which before had almost hidden all
hope for the future and displayed the
policy and course of action necessary only
to be followed with persistence to achieve
success. Great as were his after achieve
mentS, shall ever rate those of Henry
= and Donelson among the best ; yet, by
, one OF those accidents so common in war.
he had incurred the displcasurc OF his SUI
perlOr. Gen. llalleck, whom ] then es-
eemed as the master mind, ruling and
directing the several armies subject to
his orders from his headquarters in st.
Louis, so that when, in March, 1852, |
was permitted to take the field from
Paducah with new division, found
Gen. Grant mt Fort Henry, under orders
from Gen. Halleck to remain there and
to turn over the command of his army
then flushed with victory under his lead
ership, to Gen. c. +. Smith, his next in
rank. 1t so happened that Gen. Smith
had been adjutant and commandant when
Grant and | We're cadets at West Point
and he was universally esteemed us the
model soldier of his day. He had also ac-
qulred large fame in the Utah expedition
and in the then recent capture of Fort
DonelsOn, SO that Gen. Grant actually
looked up to him as the older If not the
better soldier, though he was ut that time
the senior by commission. Not one word
of complaint came from him, only Il gen
eral expression of regret that he had been
wrongly and unjuStly represented to Gen.
llallcck, and he advised me to give Gen.
Smith my most loyal support. General
Smith conducted the expedition up the
Tennessee river to savannah, PASSPORT and
Pittsburg Landing. and gave all the or
ders and instructions up to within IA few
days of the battle of Shiloh, when his
health, shattered by the mrreot accident,
compelled him to rclinquish the command
again to General Grant, who quietly re
sumed it where Smith lett OF, accepted
the situation, made few or no changes and
fought on the ground which had been
selected by Gen Smith, the bloody battle
of shiloh. During this tiercely -contested
fight he displayed the GOODNESS, the per-
sonal courage, forethought and deliber-
, alton which atterWard made him famous
among men; yet he was traduced, Sian
dercu and wrOngcd not only by the press
universally, but by those who We're in
position of authority over him. You, how
ever, who were at the battles front, stood
by him, true and loyal always, and to his
dying day he loved the army of the Ten
nessee above all others, by reason of their
loyalty to him III these, the darkest days of
his wonderful life,
Nor was the end yet, After this great
battle three armies were assembled ON
, that bloody tield-Buell's, Pope's and
Grants, and Gen. lialleck came in person
. from ST. Louis TO command the whole,
with the declared purpose to assume the
: bold offensive. These armies were re-
p organized. Buell's army became the cen
ire, Pope's the left, and Grants was bro
ken up, One part under Gen. George II.
Thomas, was styled the right, while the
other under Gen McClernand, composed
the reserve. Gen. Grant was absolutely
left ont in the cold with title, Second
i'll command, " unknown to American law
or history All moved forth to Corinth,
, consuming the whole month of May, and
t during that month became cemented the
1 personal friendship between us which
lasted till the end. Not one word of COM
plant came from him, no criticism on
the acts of his superiors or the govern
ment. Yet the trembling eyelid, the
silent tear and ayerted head cold that his
, big heart was troubled. He knew that
. every officer and soldier that had follow
| ed him with such noble courage and sim
pie faith at Belmont, Henry, DOnelson
| and Shiloh felt for him, respected him,
1 and understood the load of neglect if not
, of positive insult, he was carrying. He
I knew and felt he was in the way of the
E commanding general with no real author
} ity, no command, no positive right to
order or even advise his former suburdi-
= Mates but am sure he knew he was ever