The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-23

you and Mcpherson. as the men to whom,
above all others, feel indebted for what
ever have had of success" Grant ar
rived at Washington on March Q,
received his commission at the hands of
the president, and on the 18th issued his
first general order, dated at Nashville,
assuming command of the armies of the
United States. and announcing that head
quarters would be in the field, and until
further orders with the army of the Poto>
mac. Not before, during the civil war, had
any one general in the field commanded
all the national armies Grant, with
nearly 20 900 men in the field, at once
planned two campaigns, to be directed
simultaneously against vital points of.the
confederacy By the two chief armies un>
| der his command: the one under Gen
Mead, to operate against Richmond, de-
Tended BIZ Lee; the other under Gen
| Sherman, against Atlanta, defended By
Johnston At midnight on May 8, Grant
| began the movement against Richmond,
crossing the Rapidan with the army of
the Potomac, which was Joined two days
later By the 9th corps under Burnside and
with an aggregate force of 40, 900 men,
pushing through the wilderness By the
| right OF Lees position, in the eudeavor to
| place himself between the confederate
army and the confederate capital. Lee
was apprlsed OF the movement on the
morning of the 4th, and boldly took the
offensive, pushing eastward to strike the
federal columns on the march. The I'M
mediate result was the bloody battle Of
the wilderness which foiled Grants first at
| tempt to interpose his army between Lees
and Richmond. Then followed some of
the most terrible battles Of the war, with
the union side generally successful, but
{ not without large loss Of life. From
/ May = T. June Is Grants losses were 81.
/ jJ1 killed wounded and missing, and
/ Lees about 530tu Meanwhile Sherman
! commenced Li, famous march to the
! sea The 1lal surrender of the cOnfed
crate army took place 8, App3mattOx
( court house, April 9, 1866.
After the WAY Grant fixed his head
quarters at Washington, and on July %,
1866 he was commissioned general OF
the United States arms. ;ne rank having
been created for Inn. On August Z,
1851 when President Johnson suspended
I Secretary Stanton from office, Gen.
Grant was made secretary Of
war al iuterluW, and held the posi-,
ton until January a. 1855, whel he re-
returned il 10 Mr.. Stanton, whose remoT-
al the senate had refused 70 sanction
Al the republican national convention
held in Chicago, Nav -, 1873. General
Grant. al tie first ballot was nominated
for president. With SCHUYLER C1IfaX for
vice president He carried IS states and
received 2l4 electoral votes, against So
for Seymour and Blair At the national
republican convention held in Philtdel-
plia. June >. 1872, President Grant was
renomiuatea bv acclamsji0n. and Henry
wilson Of Massachusetts,. received the
nomination tyg wee president, Grants
ms i0gitv over Greeley was 1G2, 99l He
was defeated for third nomination after
stubborn fight il 1876, and dropped
from public view Until his financial fail
ure Of last year made him consplCuously
prominent as a victim of his partner
Ward. \ break down in his physical
condition followed the announcement Of
. his failure. The symptoms of cancer
were uoticed about nine months ago. and
during the period of his sickness his life
was despaired of several times The first
official act of President Cleveland was to
, sign the retirement bill of General Grant
. on full pay-a salary of about $4,000.
! He was taken to Mt McGregor a few
weeks ago in the vain hope that the
mountain air would restore him to health.