The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-09

history. Lieut.. F. V. Greene, in his Cam
paigns of the Mississippi" thus briefly sum-
marizes Grants operations: 1t was now 10
davs since Grant had secured footing on
the east bank of the Mississippi by the battle
of Port Gibson. In that time he had marched
about 200 miles, and by keeping his army
together had defeated the enemy's scattered
detachments in four engagennents-at Ray
mond. Jackson. Champion Hills, and Big
Black, all fought within six days; he had
inflicted a loss upon them Of 5000 in killed,
wounded and missing, had captured S8
pieces of their artillery, and finally had
driven them into the narrow defenses OF
Vicksburg, causing their outworks at
Haines's Bluff Warrenton and Grand Gulf
to be abandoned. and establishing his own
base on the Yazoo River in easy and safe
reach of his gunboats and transports. He
had not only prevented the junction of the
enemy's detacbments, but had still further
scattered their forces, so that they had fully
1.4OO less men available in Vicksburg at the
close of this period than at the beginning
During these Is days Grants men had but
five days' rations. having lived for the rest
on the country; their own losses had been
little less than $500 We must 60 back to
the campaigns of Napoleon to find equally
brilliant results accomplished in the same
space of time with such small loss"
THE SIEGE OF yICKsBURG.
From the time Pemberton and his army
were Gagged in VicksbuTg there followed the
regular details of a siege, Grant himself ex-
ercising the closest supervision OF all the
commandments, parallels, mines, and ap-
proaches. The siege continued until July ),
when Pemberton sent flag Of truce with
letter to Grant, proposing that commissioners
be appointed TO arrange terms for capltula-
ton. Grant declined to appoint commits
sioners. and said his terms were an uncondI-
tional surrender Pemberton asked for an
interview, which was granted, but nothing
resulted save that Grant said he would
formulate his terms and send them by 10
o'clock that night. Grant modified his
terms somewhat, and finally agreed to parole
the entire rebel army, allowing 1t to march
out with its colors and stack its arms, pro
yided the troops marched back again and
remained within the lines until duly paroled
These terms were accepted by PembertOn,
and at 10 a. m. on July T. 1863, Gen. Grant
rode into Vicksburg and took possession Of
the city. Mcpherson and Logan rode with
him. and Logan's Division was marched IN
to occupy the place.
While Grant was accused Of undue lenity
by some the capture of Vicksburg-after so
long a struggle; after SO many disastrous
failures. and with such brilliant campaign
Just preceding the formal investment of the
city-raised the successful General to the
very highest point in the estimation Of the
Government authorities and the people.
LINCoLN's THANKS.
President Lincoln addressed him letter
of thanks, in grateful acknowledgment for
the almost ineStimable service you have
done the country" He added: ." wish to
say a word further. When you first reached
the vicinity of EickSburg, / thought you
should do what you finally did-march the
troops across the neck, run the batteries with
the transports, and thus 60 below; and /
never had any faith, except general hope
that you knew better than /, that the YaZoo
Pass expedition, and the like, could succeed.
When you got below and took Port Gibson,
Grand Gulf and vicinity, / thought you
should go down the river and join Gen.
Banks; and when you turned northward,
east of the Big Black, 1 feared it was mis-
take. I now wish to make personal ac
acknowledgement that you were right and l
was wrong"
Grants head was not turned by the praise
that was heaped upon him and he kept right
On with his work, sending Sherman, On the
Johnston at Jackson, which he did effect
ually and forced that General to retreat.
Grant then had a season of rest, and received
a visit from his wife at his headquarters,
seeing her for the first time since the out
break Of the war.
ORDERED To CHATTANOOGA.
Grant was not in active service again I'M
til he was ordered to Chattanooga in 0cto-
hor apd u1xap command of oil he t-on,,c irI
the Departments of the Ohio, Cumberland,
and Tennessee. This was after the battle of
Chickamauga and while Rosecrans was be-
sieged by Bragg in Chattanooga, and Grant
WAS instructed TO relieve Rosecrans. Grant
arrived at Chattanooga On Oct %, and at once
took command of what he designated as the
military Division of the Mississippi He
Immediately ordered Sherman to bring his
force to his assistance and prepared to attack
Bragg and drive him. He was induced to
expedite this movement from the belief that
Burnside was In sore need Of assistance, be-
ing hemmed in at Knoxville by Longstreet
! Whether the plan of the brilliant campaign
which followed-including the battle of
Missionary Ridge and the utter rout of
Bragg, the march upon Knoxville and the
relief of Burnside, which was afterwards
3 learned was never in the direful straits that
had been represented, together with the de-
feat Of Longstreet and the sending him in
retreat back into Virginia-was the concep-
tion of Grant, or had been partly formed by
RosecTans and was utilized and elaborated
by Grant, has been question of dispute. At
any rate, it was executed by Grant, and he
reaped the benefit of its success.
A GRAND CAMPAIGN
The incidents of the engagement about
Chattanooga were SO dramatic that they have
been described most graphically by all who
have written Of the war, and have been i'm
mortalized by the beautiful diction of poetry
Hooker's glorious charge along the slopes of
Lookout Mountain. known as the battle
above the clouds: Thomas's splendid advance
on Bragg's center up the nights of Mission
Ridge and the grand work Of Sherman, are
events that stand out prominently in the his
tory of the war, and are not surpassed, if
equalied, by any achievements of The army
sf the East.
PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL.
Quartermaster-General Meigs, in an elab-
crate dispatch describing the engagement,
declared that perhaps not so weIl-directed,
well-ordered battle had taken place during
the war" Grants fame was now at its
highest. Congress voted him a gold medal.
the Legislatures of several States passed
resolutions of thanks, and the grade of Lieu
IL. uyhf.I, orIy