The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-23

6tASy &SsA40Ass&
Guard, the Second Wisconsin, and Captain
Ayres battery Of the Fifth artillery. His of3cial
report Of this battle sets down hin cnsualties -
Of coz This, ont ii possible Also men, shows
that in his first experience in gigantic war he
bore his full share In the brunt Of the
banquet Of blood. Special order No. ia, issued
tenant General Winfield Scott on August "A,
1861, aseigns Brigadier- General Robert Andcf-
SON 70 the command Of the department Of the
7. sherman and George II. Thomas Is his imme-
diate lieutenantx. We may say that this assign
ment is the real beginning Of the career Of Gen
s,al sherman. Here + was slso thst General
OF military commander In country such -
our own. Let US look at the situation hastily.
The Eastern, or Army of the Potomac, nearly or
The hesdqnarters Of the Western army was Sat ii
St Louis, with the somewhat Don Quixotic Gem
eral Fremont as its commander. Into these two
were Ssns po%sInsd tie
be vieing with each other in contest Of who
could make the more startling calls upon the
government.
der on the west to the foothills Of the Ale
ghenlet on the east--with Eastern Illinois. In
diana, Michigan, Ohio and Western Pennsyl-
line to Be guarded BY the Army Of the cumber.
land. To do this, according to Official reports.
there were about 5000 combatants. 1t was at
this juncturc that the secretary Of war visited
General Sherman at Louisville, Ky. And in q
conversation between them the foundation for
CRUEL and malignant persecution of Sherman
was laid. Honestly he laid before the secretary
the situation, and said that In bis judgment It
would require 10000 men to put down the re-
bcllion, and that 1000 were needed immediately
In the department of the Cumberland. Not to
falsify history, we should say that Sherman did
not expect this conversation TO be other than
confidential. In weeks time the newspapers
were tecming with the report that Sherman was
crazy. The gentlemen of the press are among
the e Character . ann y tbeg
know OF nothing in. heaven above, or earth
around, or hell beneath, that they do not believe
themselves fully competent to crfticise. In
this case they succeeded In wringing the heart
OF Q faithful soldier almost to breaking In cre-
ating distrust which was only overcome by
service on the part Of him whom they perse-
cuted. Also, they demonstrated that even the
gentlemen OF the press were not all wise, and that
the soldier in the field, with the strain and
about the business In hand than did the knights
of the pencil-for future events demonstrated
the soundness of the opinions Of Sherman
Once again Sherman's sensitive nature writhed
under the lash Of the pencil point and that, too,
when his brilliant services should have been his
defense against snch treatment When Sher-
man had thrown his flank against the. sea, and
the Southern armies were gasping for their
breath, he visited General Grant at City Point,
and while there had an interview with President
Lincoln, General Grant being present, and went
looked upon Az Instructions, and in keeping
with these instructions he prepared to receive
the surrender OF General Joe Johnston. Mean.
supervencd. ABRAHAM Lincoln, the idoi}sed
president, the peerless American statesman, the
great hearted patriot, lay dead by the hand of
an assassin Staggered for a moment, the loyal
hosts OF the North woke to day Of hate, whose
lightnings threatened to make the rivers run
with blood until the seas that wash our shores
were crimson dyed with traitor life currents
sherman were in command. and stood with the
seasoned veterans OF four-years' war between
the reyengeful North and the bleeding
aud helpless South. Soldiers had seen
until, In their opinion, suficient atonement
had been made for nations sins, and with uu-
sheathed swords they called halt-and we were
free to say that believe that Sherman was right
and Stanton and the politicians wrong. II you
will study well the Sherman-J Johnston cartel you
will learn that the soldier to whom we owe so
much never dreamed OF twothings which after
ward came to pass-frst, the restoration to citi-
zenship in the country they had sought to de-
stroy, and under the flag against which they
fought of active traitors; second, the indiScrim-
mate enfranchisement of the ignorant slave
population of the South
Unpurchased pardon makes impudent the for
given scctionalisn, which was the aggravating
excuse for resenting the temerity OF the North
manifested by the election of Mr. Lincoln, was
whipped into the road to death between 81 and
the saddle by the politicians In their reconstruc
ton scheme involving the removal of the politi-
cal disabilities of traitors. Israel came out of
Egypt slaves and God had to keep them in school
In the wilderness for forty years. and unit! the
generation OF slaves were dead, ere he could en-
trust them with the duties Of citizenship. am
afraid this country will never have another such
aff
she threw away in 1866, when by constitutional
amendment she could have guarded the ballot
for future generations by an educational test.
ing ute tas
drink the bitter cup OF the results of their own
mistakes. On the. 2ist Of March, the
day after Shermans last battle at Bentonville,
broke Johnston's line, Sherman ordered him
back. He says himself that had he followed
Mowers lead Johnston's army would in
then for . good a sns .ss
would have been nothing over which
a controversy such as did arise between Sher-
man and Stanton could have occurred. But
press that which, deep craven on the pages of
his 1ory. forms one Of the worlds great lessons
in the progress toward the ideal? Why are we
here today? For the reason that for Sherman,
army,
"The muffled drums sad roll has beat
The soldiers last tattoo
and he has joined those who
ION flames eternal camping ground
Their silent tents have spread,
And glory guards with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead"
He who taught the world new lesson in war
one that cannot be outfianked; neither will he
give over the struggle, though you march by
him and strike him in the rear.
have said that Sherman was the strategist
mar f,f e. th>.
and say he has by his genius revolutionized mil
The old tactics said: Keep between your
your forces in the presence of a foe. Never leave
q foe behind you; push him along, roll him up
in your path like the flood carries the debris
which obstructs its channel.
What does Sherman do? BuzZard Roost and
Rocky Face are before him. To have taken
them according to the books would have cost
him third of his army. He divides his forces,
rebel works and amuses bis foe with lively skir-
mishing, swings Mcpherson across Snake creek,
and Johnston lets go of Buzzard Roost Rocky
Face and Dalton and falls back to Resaca At
Atlanta the same thing is repeated aud the gate
way of the South falls open.
Then comes further division of the army
Thomas goes back with orders to take care of
that reckless fighter, General Hood, and "Uncle
Billy" swings away and begins Marching
Through Georgia." cutting the heart out OF
rebeldom in his passage.
mere mas Deen out one great war fought
since sherman made his campaign to the sea.
and that by that prince of strategists-
Moltke. Follow the armies of Germany from
Berlin to Paris and beyond, and Sherman's great
campaign is duplicated as far IS the circum-
stances permit. You perceive then it is no
common man who lies dead today OF him we
may well say:
''Nor shall your glory be forgot
While Fame her record keeps,
Or Honor points the hallowed spot
Where Valor proudly sleeps"
l hope the glance which i have given you of
this man whom We mourn today, this last of the
great captains of our supremeet hour of trial,
has convinced you that he was one who is
worthy in greatest measure of this outpouring