The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-18

Donelson, when Sherman forwarded troops
and supplies to Grant with extraordin-
airy dispatch After the fall of Fort
| Donelson, Sherman congratulated Grant
warmly on his success. At Shiloh he
did splendid service. Rousseau, in speak
| ing of his conduct there, said: ono man
| living could surpass him." and General
Nelson remarked few hours before his
death: During eight hours the fate of
the army on the field of Shiloh depended
on the life of one man. If General Sher-
! man had fallen the army would have been
! captured or destroyed" General Grant
added "To his individual efforts ! am in
! debted for the success of that battle" And
he also wrote in his memoirs, " A casualty
| to Sherman that would have taken him
! from the field that day would have been
| sad one for the troops engaged at Shiloh.
! And how near we came to thisl On the 9th
! Sherman was shot twice, once in the hand,
once in the shoulder, the ball cutting his
| coat and making slight wound, and
! third ball passed through his hat. In addi-
| ton to this he had several horses shot dur
ing the day" During the remainder of the
year, or until Grant was left free again, the
military career of Sherman was uneventful.
! He was constantly on duty, and his faith
! fulness and ability were acknowledged.
While in command of the department of
the Tennessee, he effectualy suppressed
guerilla warfare in that vicinity.
The next step in Sherman's career was in
connection with the famous Vicksburg
campaign of 1868 Grant had thought ont
| the splendid strategic movement, and it
was too big an idea for Sherman. Grant
had moved his headquarters to Memphis,
and it was understood that Vicksburg was
being besieged. He determined to get his
army below Vicksburg by going down on
the west side of the river, crossing and com
ing up from below or from the east Sher
man had another plan, and did not believe
Grants was practicable, or even possible.
So certain was he that it would be a failure
that he protested against it and offered his
own plan as substitute. But Grant held
on to his idea, and the result was one of the
most brilliant and successful campaigns in
history. Grant was with Sherman when
| the latter's column struck the Walnut hills.
| AS they rode together up the farthest
height where it looks down on the Yazoo
river, and stood upon the very bluff from
which Sherman had been repulsed six
months before, the two soldiers gazed for
moment on the long -wished.for goal of the
campagn--the high, dry ground on the
north of Vicksburg, and the base for their
supplies Sherman at last turned abruptly
around and exclaimed to Grant: Until
this moment never thought your expedi-
ton a success. | never could see the end
clearly until now. But this is campaign;
this is a success, if we never take the town"
The other, as usual, smoked his cigar and
made no reply
Shei mans services in the Chattanooga
campaign were acknowledged by congress
in vote of thanks. On the 10th of April
1861 he received his final instructions from
Grant to move on Atlanta. That campaign
again demonstrated his wonderful foresight
and activity. 1t was followed by a still
more important movement. the Georgia
campaign and march to the sea. Of that
event it has been written He cut loose
from all that was behind him, burned his
bridges threw aside supertluous baggage,
and marched without provisions into the
heart of the enemy's country" He set at de-
fiance many of the old and established
maxims of warfare, and when his daring
project was first u ade public the world
was astonished. Military critics and war;
riors in this country and in Europe pre-
dicted the destruction of his army. They
said: 1.-THE people of the South and on the
line of his proposed march would hang
about his army as lightning plays along the
thunder clouds" These same critics de-
clared " that people would remove all pro-
visions beyond his reach, so that his sol
diers must perish by starvation" The Brit
ISL AIny and Nary Gazette said: :" He has
done either one of the most brilliant or most
foolish things ever performed by military
leader" Sherman, however, trusting in
Thomas and Grant, his own army, his own
genius and favoring Providence, set duly
out on his march. He drove before him the
troops of the enemy, and in a short time es-
tablished his headquarters in the executive
mansion at Macon. The great column
swept splendidly on through cities villages
and forests. All opposition melted before
them. Savannah was the next point to be
gained and Sherman was soon able to send
the following dispatch to the president of
the United States: "I beg to present to
you as a Christmas gift the city of Sa-
vannah with 100 guns and plenty of ammu-
milton and about $4,000 bales of cotton -
Then followed the successful campaign
in the CarOlinas, which ended in the sur
render of Johnston. The terms of this sur
render were somewhat curtlV iiSapDrOVpu
by Secretary Stanton, who considered them
too lenient and exceeding his powers,
Sherman felt aggrieved by this act, but be-
fore Stanton's death he and the secretary
had become friends.
Upon the appointment of Grant as gen.
eral of the army, on July 90, 1866 Sherman
became acknowledgement, aud when Grant
became president in 1869 Sherman succeeded
him as general. In 1912 he spent year
in Europe and was received with the con-
sideration due his rank and service. AT his
own request and in order to make Sheridan
general of the army, he was placed on the
retired list on February 5, 1884. He has
since spent most of his time in New York,
where he was very popular socially. Gen
eral Sherman leaves six children-Rev. L.
f. Sherman, who is in the Catholic priest
hood and is now studying in Europe, Philo-
mel Tecumseh Sherman, VINO is a lawyer of
New York, Mrs. A. NJ. Thackara of Rose
mont, Penn. Mrs T. w. Fitch of Pittshurg,
Penn, Miss Lizzie Sherman and Miss
Rachael Sherman All but the first named
were present at their fathers death,
ADMIRAL DAVID d. PORTER.
1t was curious coincidence that on the
dar before the death of General Sherman
one of the most distinguished naval officers
of the civil war also died Admiral David
b. Porter had been i'll with fatty degenera-
ton of the heart since last summer, when,