The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-05-05
General Grant a Creature of Ac-
cident.

who died about twelve years ago.
1t has been the history OF the
world from time immemorlal that |
the successful military cEleftaln
not only receives the piauilts OF
grateful people while living, oul
bis name is imperlshably recorded
upon the pages of history after he
'sshui1les off this mortal coil" ln-
deed, in some instances, they are
actually deihed, as has been the
case with General Grant. While
"a nation honors his memory aud
paws tribute to his transcendent
military genius twelve years after
his death, contemporaneous msto
ry, read in the incandescent light
of actual reality, shows that he
was the creature OF accident anu
that his unparalleled success was
due to fortuitons circumstances
alone, over which he had no con
troll and which was not the reSul
Of any military strategy or tactl
cal genius displayed by him III the
four years operations OF the civil
conflict. While he WAS not ali
Alaric applying the torch III his
triumphal march through u con
uaered country, as did General
Sherman in his Infamous aud ney-
er to be forgotten march to the
sea, he yet never possessed, nor
exhibited one 1.-THE of the genius
which that erratic and brutal com
mander displayed, although he
had the reputation in both armies
of being crazy.
| General Grant graduated from
the United States Military Acadc-
I my in l3&3, about the seventeenth
in class of thirty. He served IN
the Mexican war, but if he ever
distinguished himself in single
instance, history has not recorded
the incident. Jefferson Davis, See
rotary of War under President
Pierce, permitted him to resign hls
commission iu the United States
. army, rather than subject him t,
the ignoniny Of being court mar
tailed and caslieretl for violation
of the rules of war. On Sunday
5 morning, April 9Th, 1862, he wa'
surprised by the Confederate cav
t airy rushing in upon him atShl
lob, while his troops were cookln!
breakfast, notwithstanding he va
/ cognizant Of the fact that Genera
/ Johnston had been conctntratln;
+ his troops ut Colinth for scvera
= weeks, With tue iateutisn Of =.
! lacking and capturing his army
before General Buell., who hat
been following the Confederate re
/ treat from Bowling Greer, coul
come to his assistance.
His army, surprised and throw
into a panic at the initial move
meut, was repalse1, with grea
slaughter, throughout the entlI
day on Sunday. Fortunately fc
him and the great name which h
subsequently achieved, the al
proach Of night terminated the III
equal contest. The combatan,
= slept upon their arms during til
! night. Under cover OF darkness
General Buell., whose army la
! reached the opposite shore of til
Tennessee river during the afte
noon, crossed his troops over, +
inforced the decimated and demo
allied battalions of Grant, rene,
: ed the conflict Monday mornil
= and retrieved the unfortunate Ii.
. of battle of the previous da
General Grant was in such di
grace at the tins with the War d
partmeut, that General Iiallc'
was.sent out to supersede llll
The credit of this doubtful yicto
is due to General Don Carlos s
ell and not to General Grallt.
General Johnston had not be-
prevented from making the fl
- ward movement by bad wealth
:. several days beyond his calcuI
tions, he would have put into G
GRAFTON the favorite tactics of \
poleon Bonaparte and captnr
the armies of Grant and Buell.
10 detail. Indeed, we have SO ma
~ confidence in he superior militia
IL genius of Albert Sidney Jolnsto
!, being a participant in that bait