Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-25

TO Virginia and undertake the task IN
which many others had failed, Lees
army was wasted and tlIinned by innu-
merable battles and marches. Moreover
food and clothing, horses and ammuh'-
ton were scarce. Grants army, on the
other hand. had plenty OF men. arms OIL
the best, horses by the ten thousand, anu
food to waste. Yet, all I'm vain was
Grants attempt TO whip Lee In the VIII
dcrness. All In valn too. did Grant as
sault our lines at the second battle OF
Cold Harbor. Horace Porter, Writing re-
Gently In tho Century. said that Gran,
told him after the battle OF Cold Harpor
that that charge was tho only charge
he regretted having ordered. Ana wen
he might have regretted 1t. Lees 'e.e-
rams moved down Grants troops Ny
connanios. regiments. and brigades. II
was q charge en- masso and destruction
en- masse.
After that battle. Grant concluded that
the thing for him TO do was TO wear
Lee out by starvation and siege Ana
this he did. II the impartial judgment
~ history shall accord Grant the rank
of n great genius for doing this, let MN
have #. But the condition OF tho Con-
federacy must be considered. we had
,ou,here TO get recruits, no sugar, no
coffee. and little meat or bread; no open
norris through which to trade with the
world. and no money with when 10
nav off our soldiers. For the last year
Of the war; at least. our soldiers, prac-
,icallv speaking, served without pay
Confederate money was deprecated
from 40 TO CO for in gold, and the pay
ment of the army was also far In ar
rears.
All these things must be taken into
consideration by him who undertakes TO
place Grant in his proper rank as a sue
cessful general.
To us Grant was a several-sided man.
First. we see him cruelty and ineXoraoly
shutting down upon the exchange OF
prisoners. and ordering Sheridan to desc
late the Valley Of Virginia, and, If pos
sible. TO catch and hang Mosby and MS
men and drive out those country peo-
ple who sheltered them. Then we see
him at Appomattox, winning the good
opinion Of our soldiers Then we see
him as President Of the United States
surrounded by a set Of harpies; yet, as
sorting himself now and then, and show
ing his better nature-as he did when
he gave us Virginians liberty TO vote
down the DISTINGUISHING clauses OF the
Underwood Constitution. Again, we see
him the victim of false friends and the
protector of political rings Next, we sec
him leisurely touring around the world
and feted by emperors. kings. and princes
all the while demeaning himself credit
ably.
II was an rl-advised movement Of
self-seeking friends that made Grant
aspire 10 the presidency for the third
time. That movement brought with it
the stings Of defeat, and defeat to one
who had come to be considered "ever
victorious meant something above the
ordinary. SO. too. with Grant in the fail
,Ire of his business ventures.
However. let all those recollecuons
pass. Put them aside Tor the present.
AT this time men are recalling what was
greatest and best in Grants character
and for our part, we prefer TO think oil
him as the Confederate soldiers thought
Of him on AppomattoX day. rather than
as they thought of him before that time
or learned to know him after he had be
come enmeshed by the politicians at
Washington, or the spectators at New
York