Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-21

l
D Grant.
THE FALL OF vICKsBURG,
J. Which occurred on July 4, 1868, con
vulsed the Northern States with tn
widest demonstration Of delight, ant
General Grant from that moment wa
recognized as a great military commando
: The seige of Vicksburg was wonderful
n struggle. The town is situated on bolG
9 bluffs about 250 feet high, scanned ant
furrowed with precipitous cafions ant
/, fortified by an educated and competen
: engineer, and the works half surrounded
by water and morasses, and garrisoneG
with nearly So 600 fighting men. While
, Grant was planting his eighty.nine bat
teries of seige guns and digging twelve
miles of trenches, General j. X. johnson
with large Confederate force was hang
I ing on his rear. requiring great vigilance
ON the part of the commander OF the I'm
ion forces to protect himself from an
enemy in front and in the rear, armed
with 800 cannon. The conqueror OF
Vicksburg remained there till October,
when he was placed in command of all
the armies of the west, and ordered to
: Chattanooga. Soon after his arrival
G neral Bragg was driven from Mission
Ridge and Lookout Mountain. Bragg's
army was driven into the interior and
never did much work thereafter.
The capture of 81, 900 Confederates at
Vicksburg and 5000 at Chattanooga re-
duced the Confederate forces of much of
the flower of the army Of the west.
GRANT THANKED BY LINCOLN.
| President Lincoln, on receipt of the
news from Chattanooga, telegraphed his
thanks to General Grant, and ordered n
day Of thanksgiving. Congress passed q
vote of thanks and ordered gold medal
struck for the hero. In February fol.
lowing, in 1864, Congress restored the
Office of Lieutenant General, and the
President nominated Grantfor that office,
when he was unanimously confirmed.
On March 18th, 1854 Grant was appoint
ed to the command of all the armies of
the United States, soon after which he
developed his plan to
ATTACK THE ARMY OF GEN. LEE
And capture Richmond, which seemed
to be impregnable.. The commander ap-
pointed Hancock, Sedgwick and Warren
to the cammand of the three corps, and
Sheridan to the command of the cavalry.
On the Sd of May the army commenc.
ed its march towards the veteran army
of Gen. Lee.
BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS.
On the 5th of May Gen. Lees troops
attacked the Union forces in the Wilder.
ness in Spottsylvania county, Virginia,
and for ten days almost a contin uous
battle ragged. The loss on both sides
was about $4,000 each, while Grant cap.
tured abont 10000 prisoners. He then
flanked Lee aud marched to the outer |
Notifications of Richmond, where Lee |
had retired within his strong intrench-
ments. The two
GREATEST SOLDIERS IN AMERICA
Were then matched against each other
for the final issue of the war. Through
all the summer there was fighting and
maneuvering for position. While Grants
forces were steadily increasing in num-
bers those of Lee did not increase, but
were being slowly and steadily surround.
ed. All through the winter and the
month of March these giants watched
each other and prepared for the final
battle. On the last day of March the
great fight began and continued, increas.
ing in desperation through the first and
second OF April. Fort after fort, and in
trenchment after intrenchment were oc-
cupied by the Union troops. On the Sd
of April Lee marched out of Richmond
and made the north bank of the Appo.
mattox via dolorosa. General Grant
followed on the south bank and on the
9th the armies came together for the last
struggle. Lee retired and opened nego.
tiations by which he surrendered on the ,
Sth of April, 1865, the whole army of
Northern Virginia. The great captains
met and shook hands and rejoiced that
there was no more strife between them.
GEN. LEES OPINION OF GRANT.
After the war, some person in the pres.
ence of General Lee referred to General
Grant as military accident, who had
no distinguishing merit, but had achiev-
ed success through combination of for
tunate circumstances. General Lee look
ed into the critics eye steadily, and said:
Sir, your opinion is very poor com
pliment to me. We all thought Rich.
mond, protected as it was by our splendid
and defended by our army
veterans, could not be taken. Yet Grant
turned his face to our capital and never
turned it away until we had surrender.
ed. Now, have carefully searched the
military records of both ancient and
modern history, and have never found
irants superior as general. I doubt if
his superior can be found in all history"
After the capitulation of Lee General
Grant returned to Washington. As the
var was then virtually ended, he made a
Jour through the Eastern and Northern
States and was warmly welcomed on all
Iides. In 1866 the rank of General of
Army was created by Congress and Cen
,ral Grant was appointed to that position
July 25th of that year. August IL, 1877, T
,e was appointed Secretary of War, and
aeld that position till February follow.
ng in 1868.
In 1868 he was elected President of the !:
United States by the Republican party
n opposition to Horatio Seymour, nomi-
lated by the Democrats, and in 1872 re.
elected to that Office in opposition to
Horace Greedy. the Peoples candidate.
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.
At the close of his second Presidential
term, in 1877, he began his tour around
The world, which occupied about two
md quarter years.
Wherever he went his fame had pre-.
,eded him, and he was accorded more
honors while passing round the girdle of
he earth then were ever before shown
70 any other man. All nations seem to
have We'd with one another in honoring
The great Captain, all round the world.
In 1880 he was brought out as Presi-
ieutial candidate for third term, but
allied of.a nomination.
After his return from his tour aro t,nd
he world he settled in the city of New
ork. After the severe financial reverses
which the house with which he was con-
lected met in 1884, Congress with most
nagnanimous spirit restored him to the