The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-30

PICKED army of aixty Thousand veterans
Sherman was enoamped at Atlanta. he nae
uraaped and matsrialixed the factors OF
success In the dream of his youth. he
bomhnrded the president and the COM
manding general with letters and tele-
grams: II can divide the oonfsderacy. de-
its fertile regions and starye it's armies
.(iva mo the word go /" hurdened the
wires and the dispatch boxes, The cahi-
net said: Your army will he lost honnuer-
ing in the heart Of the enemyss country.
and cut off from your base OF suppiies. !
back upon the oourse you have traveraed
and destroy Hoods army which thraatens
your communications and your rear, ana
then we will discuss the question with yon..
Sherman detached that most remarkan!e
general. Thomas, with = force sufnolent. II
that superb officer indicated the trnat
repoaad in him by pulverizinR the rebel
army.
At last the president gave IN approval
SO reluctant that it threw the responslblilty
upon Gen. Sherman. and Grant gave his
OF the condolences 80 characteristic or ms
candid mind: 81 believed that this psrmis-
sion would be withdrawn, and sent lmms-
diately u detachment to destroy the wires
for sixty miles. ! never felt so free and SO
sure as when the officer returned and re-
ported the work done. Years afterwards
/ discovered an official memorandum that,
loving to the sudden interruption by the
rebels of communications with Atlanta, a
message oountermandlng the assent TO
Gen. Sherman to march across the country
to Savannah could not be delivered" Upon
such slender threads hang the fate of cam-
pnipns and the fame of illnstrious men.
Ia April, 1861, Capt. Sherman had IN
formed the president in the White house,
that .he might as we'll attempt to put out
the f1ames of q burning house with q sqa nha
gun as to put down the rebellion with 5000
men, and that tho whole military power OF
the north should be organized at once tor
q desperate struggle."-to be laughed out
of Warrington as q lunntic. -Four years
had passed. Two millions of men had been
mustered in; 100000 had been killed III bat
tie, or died in the hospital or had been dis
abled for life, and in March. 1865, Gen.
Sherman stood in the presence Of the presl-
dent.
Though declining political preferment
for himself. he rejoiced in the honors be-
slowed upon any member of his old army.
II am proud,' he said, that Ben Harrison
is our president; that Foraker, Hovey, Fifer
and Humphreys are governors Of the great
states of Ohio. Indiana, Illinois and kan
sas, all my boys,'o and he would have
been wild with delight if he could have
added Slocum. governor OF New York.
His daily walks were a series of triumphal
processions. The multitudes never OBJ
truded upon his privacy, but separated as
he approached, and united, when he passed.
to express their individual and collective
affection and gratitude. Tha e~ncampments
OF the Grand Army were tame in his ABB
ssnce, but his presence called together from
fifty to a hundred Thousand comrades to
greet "uncle Billy" and read the heavens
with the chorus of s.Marching Through
Georgia. His versatile genius met in
stantly and instinctively the exacting re-
vuirsments of an impromptu address before
q miscellaneous audience. lie posse sed
the occasion, the seriousness and hnmor.
the fervor and story. the crisp argument
and delicacy of touch, which makes the
successful after-dinner speech. He was
the most charmingly unconscious Of con-
v~ersationalists. In his placement OF him
self. and cordial recognition OF others, plo~
turesque narrative of adventure, and Keen
analysis OF character, dry humor. and hot
defence or eulogy of a friend, his talk was
both a panorama and q play. He was
always a boy, with a boys love of fun, keen
interest in current events, and transparent
honesty of thought and expression. ,.
This soldier. citizen and patriot, this
model husband, father and friend, held a
place in every heart, and q seat by every
freside in the land. His death carried a
sense of personal bereavement to every
household, and. plunged the country in
mourning. The imposing catafalque has
attracted the curiosity of thousands as it
has borne to tho tomb eminent citizen OF
soldier, but the simple caisson rumbline
over the pavement, and carrying Gen. Sher.
man to the side of his beloved wife anc
adored boy in the cemetery, drew tears
from millions. His name md his fame
his life and his deeds are among the
choicest gifts Of God to this richly en-
dowed republic. and & precious legacy fol-
the example and inspiration of coming gen
erations.