The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-08-13

characteristic of him not TO growl
in defeat or victory, whether ap
plauded or criticised, he was the
same unassuming, selfpossessed, un
, complaining man. Halleck wa.
soon called to Washington aud
Grant became the Commander Of
the Department of the Tennessee
The Department was much on.
} larged SO as to include Vlcksburg
and that being made the objective
point operations wero soon directed
against that "Gibraltar of the West.
The great battles preceding the
seige cannot be recounted here.
Finding that the place was too
strong to be taken by assault, on
the 18th of May 1868, the seige was
begun. The beIeagued city was rid
died by an incessant bombardment,
until the garrison and the inhabit-
ants were reduced to starvation, and
on the 4th of July, the anniversary
of American independence, General
Pemberton surrendered $4,000 pris
oners with all the stores and mu-
nItlons. The Rebels had lost more,
and the Union forces had gained
more than by any previous event
of the war. 1t was a glorious in
dependence day! The father of
waters was now open. This with
the battle of Gettysburg constituted
the turning point of the war.
Grants star rose higher and he was
made Major General OF the regular
army, and placed IN command of the
military division of the Mississippi
comprising the departments COM
manded by Generals Sherman,
Thomas, Burnside and Hooker.
He now pushed the tide of war
eastward; reinforced Gen. Sherman;
took by storm the heights of Look
out Mountain and Missionary
Ridge; received the highest official
praise from Gen. Halleck; Congress
gave him a gold medal, and passed
a resolution of thanks to him, and
his army. March 1864 a bill was
passed reviving the rank of Lieu
tenant General, and President Lin
coin at once nominated him for the
place. In the midst of these great
honors he was not unmindful of
what was due to others.
On the eve of departing for
Washington to receive his commits
sion he wrote to General Sherman
expressing his. grateful apprecia
tion of the loyalty and skill with
which he had been supported by
those under him, and adding: "But
what want to say is, that to you
and Mcpherson, above alt others, /
am indebted for whatever have
had of success" Hero is the evi.
dence of his greatness OF mind. Sell
fishness, jealousy and egotlsm be-
long to little minds, and from these
mental vices Gen. Grant was singu-
larly free. HereceiYed his commits
sion on the 9th of March, and on the
18th he issued his first General or
der as Commander of the Armies of
the United States, announcing that
headquarters would be in the field
and until further orders with the
Army of the Potomac. He was
now commander of more men than
had ever before been under the con-
troll of any one man since the lnven
ton of FIRE arms. With nearly
100000 loyal sons of the North
bearing the arms and wearing the
uniform of the Government, be at
once planned two eanfe=:gns. Gen
Meade In the East was to operate
against Richmond, and General
Sherman in the West was to 'oper-
ate against Atlanta. He at once
hurled his legions against the i'm
pregnable fortlficatlons around
Richmond. The fighting was he
roic, the loss was terrible, perhaps
never greater in the history of civil
lied warfare. General Lee and
General Grant and the brave Amer
leans under them placed the name
of our people for endurance and
valor and all that characterizes the
true soldier along side of the most
heroic IN the annals of war. Grant
was never dismayed, never dlscour
aged. The day after the success at
Spotsylvania he sent to the Govern
ment his celebrated dispatch, clos |
ing with the words: 81 intend to |
fight 1T ou. on this line if 1T takes
all summer" At last victory came,
the cost was great, the loss of life |
and treasure wero fearful to con-
template, but still it was victory, |
and without victory all was lost;
without victory the Union would
have pershed from the face of the
oarth; Government by the people
would have failed and the hopes of
the oppressed of all climes would
have sunk in the gloom of indefinite
night. 1t is therefore, that say
that the event of April 9th, 1865,
marks an epoch not only in the
history of our own country, but was
the turning point in the history OF
all civilization. On that glad day
despaired, and liberty
gave shout of victory whose loud
acclaim shall reverberate to tho end
of time. General Grant was the
hero of that grand hour. 1t Sc
cures to him a place high up in the
ranks of greatness. His name is on
the scroll of fame, and as the light
of history shall continue to shine
upon 1t, 1T will glow with increasing
brightness and splendor.
Let us dwell for a moment upon
this great event. The great civil
war involving such momentous is
sues was Eow about to close. 1t
had been waged for four years and
a half with great bitterness by the
contestants. There had
been the greatest suffering on both
sides. There had been charges and
charges of unusual cruel
ties. Up to this hour our great
leader had apparently beer reIcnt-
less. 1t was to be expected that
The conquered foe would be sub
ected to some humiliation. l am
not sure but the country demanded
It. TO have made tho leading Off
GERS prisoners would have been in
accordance with modern warfare.
In ancient times the victor dragged