The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-04-09
LET US RECALL:
To-day is the 9th of April.
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.


To-day is the 9th of April.
What were we doing on other 9ths of
April, more than quarter of a century
ago?
On the 9th of April, 1861, we were
waitingain anxious suspense the issue of
matters around Charleston. South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Lou
isiana had seeded, the conspirators
were trying to drag North Carolina,
Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas after
them, and there was grave doubt as to
the course that Missouri, Kentucky, and
Maryland would take. The rebel Gov
eminent had been organized at Mont
gomery, Ala, and was on the point of
/" shrinking blood in the faces of the
people," in order to begin the san
culinary contest. "The sprinkling"
came three days later with the open
ing of the batteries on Fort Sumter.
On the 9th of April, 1852, we had
passed through year of vivid and
varied experiences. The war was then
II months old. We had been encour-
aged by the tremendous uprising of 10y
atty, by the hundreds of thousands of
young men who had enlisted to defend
the flag, by the substantial successes
gained In Missouri and West Virginia,
by the victories at Forts Henry and
Denelson, and by the perfection and
strength to which our armies had been
brought. We had been saddened and
Inundated by the defeat at Bull Run,
and the slaughter at Balls Bluff, and
the carnage at Shiloh had sobered us,
but 1--WE felt that we had learned the
trade. of war, and we're now in shape to
serush,the rebellion, and that the coming
Summer tEonld see it done.
The 9th of April, 1863, saw us still
more sober, with much of our conf
denee gone, but we were still hopeful.
The year had brought us the terrible
fighting on the Peninsula and at the
Second Bull Run, the fruitless victories
at Antietam and Perryville, the disas-
trons end Of the first campaign against
Vicksburg, the murderous battle of
Stone River, the important capture of
New Orleans, the brilliant victory at
Prairie Grove, and the awful defeat at
Fredericksburg. But the Army of the
Potomac had been reorganized under
Joe Hooker, and hope swelled high as
to what it would accomplish, and Grant
was already on his way to the highlands
inthe rear Of Vicksburg.
The 9th of April, 1864, brought US
the-retrospect of the defeat at Chancel-
louisville more than atoned for by the
glorious victory at Gettysburg, Vicks-
burg taken, and the" Father of Waters
flowing unyexed to the sea-" the bitter
struggle at Chickamauga, and the decis-
i've victories around Chattanooga, and
more than half of the original territory
of the so-called Southern Confederacy.
in our possession. AT Chattanooga and.
on the Rappahannock our armies were
gathered in stronger force than ever,
under the war-tried chieftains Grant
and Sherman, for a crushing campaign
IN which we felt success was certain.
On the 9th of April, 1865, with Lees
army as prisoners of war, we could look
baekrover the Unprecedented fighting in
the Wilderness, the long siege of Peters
burg, the brilliant victories in the Shen-
andoah Valley, the triumphant campaign
against Atlanta, and the Marches to the
Sea and Through the Carolinas, the
crushing defeat Of Hood before Nash