Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-05-01
GEN. SHERMAN.

columns of the TRIBUNE, a faint out
| line only, can be sketched Of the life
and services Of the greatest sold
ier of modern times Preceding the
late war, Gen. Sherman was president
OF the Military college at Baton
Rouge, in the state Of louisiana.
The attitude of the Southern
leaders in the states Of Louisiana and
Mississippi towards the government,
caused Gen. Sherman to resign his
position, proceed to Washington with
the view Of placing his services at the
disposal Of the government. It has
been long since conceded that the
grim, determined leader is very posit-
i've in his opinions. When the call
was made for $4,000 volunteers from
the several states to suppress the re-
| lb7ellIIief4 GGeB Sherman considered 500
900 more approximate number, but
! Sherman was considered to be off.
| Events followed thick and fast, and
congress and the country, the press
and the army, came to the conclusion
that Sherman was about right. He
had recently come from the South
knew the preparations going on IN
that section, and the temper OF the
people. He was besides, a graduate
of West Point, and while yet very
young man had served with distinc-
ton II years in the army. In the
second year Of the war the opportu-
nifty Sherman sought fell to him, and
he lost no time in showing those great
qualities which subsequently, distin-
guished him on SO many hard fought
battle fields
At Shiloh, be bore the terrible on
slaught with tenacity, skill and the
most undaunted courage and frmness
Gen. Grant in his report of the fight
ing on the 9th says: "a casualty to
Sherman that would have taken him
from the field that day, would have
been a sad one for the troops engag-
ed at Shiloh. And how near we came
to this! On the 9th Sherman was
shot twice, once in the hand, once in
shoulder, the bassl cutting his coat and
making a slight wound, and third
ball passed through his hat The
blunt Of the battle fell on Mcclellan
and Sherman the first day; the timely
arrival of Gen. Buell. changed the tide
of battle on the second day and result
ed in the defeat of the Confederates.
History is too often perverted The
contradictions in reports Of comman-
ders fully attest this. Gen. Buell. is
everywhere recognized as most able
and we'll trained soldier, and most
certainly deserved better treatment
than he received at the hands Of our
| government. In all the battles Of the
Southwest, Sherman participated, and
by the sheer force of genius and great
abilities fought his way up to the
greatest and most important com
mands. His great march from Vicks-
burg to Chattanooga, thence to Allan
ia, to Savannah and northward to the
Potomac, is one of the largest and
most successful ever made by an army.
From Atlanta to the sea is the great
est military movement ever complet-
ed, and surprised at the time the
world in it's grand conception, execu-
ton and completion.
Cutting loose from his base OF sup
plies and sustaining his army in the
country through which he passed
fighting his way, and driving before
him the ablest General of the Con-
federacy, is, in itself, feat without
parallel in the annals of war. Sher-
mans Banners have become subject
for song and story. The system of
foraging adopted in Sherman's line of
march has no precedent. So extern
sive in its operations, and is project
| in every detail"
Sherman was especially open and
outspoken in giving his views, wheth-
er asked for or not, but having once
freed his mind, verbally or by letter,
as in the case of the Vicksburg cam
paign in opposition to the turning
movement as it was finally made, he
dropped his contention there, and
Loyalty, and cheerfully without grum-
bling or criticism, set vigorously about
performing the duty assigned to him.
It is but fair to add that Sherman al
ways had decided views. He was
then as now, man Of great abilities
and great attainments, not only in the
art of war, but in nearly everything
else; inshort, to use his own words,
he was "a great deal smarter man
than Grant, could see things quicker
and more clearly. Knew more OF war
history, law and new it, and perhaps
Grant knew it also, and yet there was
never any rivalry or jealousy between
them. On the contrary feeling OF
friendship and confidence existed.