The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-09

y.
battle proper. and. with the exception OF
Reynolds. were hit when outside OF their
own lines. Reynolds had but a single line
of men between him and the enemy when
be fell, and that line was fighting almost
hand to hand
OF these four choice spirits in war Mo
| Pherson was undoubtedly the ablest COM
mander, judged by what he had accom-
plished. Kearny was good at the head OF
q division; Reynolds had distinguished
himself as division and corps commander,
and fell in his first essay as commander-in-
chief on the field, while jackson, who start
led the world as a lieutenant to Lee, achiev-
ed very little whenever he was brought in
contact with his peers, as he was in two or
three important occasions. Mcpherson was
a military success from the very start, and
he started almost at the lowest round OF
the ladder-captain in the regular army.
While Gen. Halleck was organizing the
western forces in the winter Of 1S61-62 Nc
Pherson served on his staff. and in May,
1862, was promoted to be brigadier general
ofvolunteers He was on Gen. Grant staff
and served as his chief engineer at Fort
Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth and
Iuka- He was always DESTROYS Of active field
v,
applied for such service On Oct. 2, 1852, he
was given command of a brigade of troops,
and after the battle be led the column in
pursuit with his own five regiments and
battery Inanother week he was made ma
jor general Of volunteers, and given divis-
ion in Grants army When Grant attempt
ed to reach Vicksburg in the rear by march
ing overland through Northern Mississippi
n IL 4 -
the army After that movement was aban-
doned Grant reorganized his army, and Nc
Pherson was assigned TO the command Of
the Seventeenth army corps This was in
January 1863, and was but little over q
year from the time OF his promotion from
the rank of captain.
In the second campaign against Nicks-
burg from the rear Mcpherson exercised
a command equal to Sherman's and showed
the stuff that was in Inn AT Port Gibson
Just after the army crC ,sed, he led two of
his brigades in person ~ Il flank attack,
and the enemy wis forced from his posi-
ton. In front OF raymond, on the march
toward Jackson, in the Confederate rear,
Mcpherson had the RI mt wing, and was
met by about 5000 CoL ederates with two
batteries favorab.y pos ci Beyond "A creek.
Logan's division was o-.rre-i up. and with
out awaiting supports Mcpherson made a
vigorous attack, SendI the enemy dying
with II loss more than double his own.
From Raymond Mcp.er9Ou moved east
ward in conjunction Wj.h Sherman, and
soon came up with tn-euemy's pickets two
miles outside the Miss s-ippi state capital.
jackson, where the Confederate general-in-
chief in the west Gen Ioseph f.. Johnston,
- l. 4
Grants rear while attacking Vicksburg
from the east Both Sherman and Nc
Pherson put their troops in readiness 10
assault, but McPherson's advance division
bore the brunt of the attack, sustaining so
per cent. Of the loss, and pushing on to the
very intrenchiHeut> ut the first bound,
finally carrying them before the enemy
could remove or destroy their cannon, then
hosting the Stars and stripes over the Con
federate state house while the hostile tread
yet resounded in the streets
When Grant advanced frofn jackson TO
Vicksburg, closing in on the rear Of the
Confederate army cf defense under Gen.
J. e. Pemberton, Mcpherson commanded
the right wing, and his advance division,
under Logan, held for some time the only
road by which the C0ufcdcrates could re-
LIcdI anu una ~ bi bllN utA fiilLf4-sD
of McPhersou's, shifted the line 80 as 10
uncover the road when the enemy retired
toward Vicksburg. An eye witness relates
that McPherson's men were for time en-
gagged in a conflict on this road 50 terrific
that Grant stood listening in wonder and
admiration, finally sending an aid eK-
pressly to tell his generals that they were
making history today The battle Of /
L.
Pherson doing about all the work. When /
the army settled down 20 the regular siege 1
OF Vicksburg McPhersons command had /
the center. a year had rolled by since be 4
was doing duty on Grants staff, a newly /
fedged officer Of volunteers. Now be was
firm in his high position. was the compeer
Of Sherman. and a lieutenant trusted and
honored by the ge0eraI-in-chieE When
Vicksburg was surrendered he became one
Of the commissioners 70 arrange the terms,
and as q recognition Of his skill and per