The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-13

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tnnooga, and. finally. to that Of Nashville.
The abilities and the performances OF all the
principal Generals on both sides are carefully
considered, but We shall here exeinplify the value
Of the book by combining ourselves TO the an-
thor's sober and discriminating, yet apprecla-
tive. m upon Grants achievements
Grant first appears in this volume when
the author IL describing the excitement pro-
duced In st. Louis by the news OF the capture
Of Camp Jackson by the Union forces under
Lyon. We are told that the scene in the streets
Of the chief city Of Missouri was witnessed
BY n quiet and modest looking man, who forth
with stepped upon a street car headed toward
the Arsenal, whittier he was going to congra,-
ulate Lyon and Francis p, Blair. A dapper
youth, volublo with rage and scorn. and crav-
ing sympathy, came on board and addressed
this quiet person: Things have come TO n
ID pretty pass when a free people cant
choose their own flag. Where ] came from II
a man dares TO say a word in favor Of the Union
We hang him 10 the limb Of the first tree we
come to- The quiet man replied. After all,
We are not so intolerant in ~, Louis ns we
might be, | have not .een n single rebel hung
yet, nor heard Of one there are plenty OF them
who ought to be, however Al this unexpected
retort the dapper young man collapsed The
modest person who uttered it was q middle
aged man quito unknown to fame, a leather
dealer named Ulysses Simpson Grant.
On page a. We hnd a reference TO Grants
early life. He was the eldest son OF n leather
dealer Of Scottish descent, and was born AZ
Point Pleasant in Ohio. on April p, is22' lie
was educated at West Point. and was present in
every battle OF the Mexican War, except Buena
Vista. In his humble rank Of Lieutenant. he
had been distinguished for personal gallantry
so far as 20 attract the attention for a moment OF
Gen. Scott, the Commandcr-in-Chi ef, and oil the
~lstter's staff officer. Robert Edward Lee. In 1854.
having reached the grade OF Captain. he gave
I'D his commission. and engaged thereafter
In business as wool dealer, auctoneer ana real
estate agent. achieving little success until the
outbreak Of hostilities, in 1851, found him at
Galena in Illinois, earning a scanty subsistence
in the leather trade. Al that time. he was
regarded az a broken and disappointed man
for whom no one would have dreamed OF pre-
dieting a brilliant future" Mr.. Fiske goes on
TO remind us that, when President lincoln's
call for troops came in April, Grant assembled
and drilled a company OF volunteers AT Galena,
and presently led 1t TO Springfield. the capital
of Illinois. He then wrote a very modest let
ter TO the War Department al Washington
saving that. since he had been educated at
the EXPENSE OF the Federal Government, he
felt it his duty to offer his services, and he ac-
cordingly, asked for a commission. No notice
wns taken Of this letter. Disappointed in that
quarter, Grant went TO Cincinnati. where Nc
Clellan was in command of the Ohio volunteers.
hoping tibet he might obtain a place on that
Generals stan. After calling twice at head
quarters and not finding the General, he re-
turned. baficd, but not disheartened. TO Illinois
There his zeal and skill in organization soon
become so conspicuous that the Governor OF
his State placed him in OF a regiment
with which he marched to northern Missouri.
Not long after ward. members Of Congress
from Illinois who had observed his
efficiency recommended him to President
Lincoln for promotion, and he was, accord
insiy, made Brigadier General OF Nolun-
| teers. His first exploit was to seize Padncah.
in order 10 blockade the lower Ohio, and COM
mand the mouths of the Tennessee and Cum
berland A little later. he fought a battle
at Belmont. which, at one time, provoked
much discussion. Both sides claimed a VIC
torv. although, as a matter Of fact, the Federal
loss was only 4s5 against Gal on the part OF
the Confederatss Grant himself in his Menu
oirs, dismlsses the subject with the remark that
II the battle had not been fought, Col. Oglesby
would probably have been captured or de-
stroyed with his three thousand men. Then
l should have been culpable indeed"
or Grants capture Of Fort Donolson on Feb,
10. 1852. a capture which involved the surrender
OF nearly 1900 prisoners, with 65 cannon and
1900 muskets, Mr.. Fiskc observ YES on page "a
For physical dimensions. 1t was the greatest
military achievement THAT tho American Con-
tinent had yet witnessed but its strategical
value was not TO be mea by its physical
dimensions. Two great rivers were laid open
for hundreds of miles, so that Union gunboats
sailed far into Alabama, The first
Confederate line of defence was shattered
throughout its whole length. and the silent
man who dealt such a blow stepped at once
from obscurity into a national fame. .
Grant had now won a foothold In the confidence
Of the people which did him and the country
good service in the trying time TO come, when
at Nicksburg he was confronted with q problem
immeasurably more complicated and dlnlcult
than that which he had now solved nj FCrt
Donelson. In the gloomy record II The anxious
and impatient year which had Just passed.
this great victory was the, one bright spot.
The victor became a popular hero, and the
phrase Unconditional surrender hunlorously
associated with the initials Of Grants name.
became the w~atchword Of the Northern people
and the index OF the policy. which was 10 be
pursued until tho spectre Of secession should
be exercised, and the work of the men who
founded this nation guaranteed forever"
II.
We have intimated that Mr.. Fiske IL no in
discriminate admirer OF Grant He seems TO
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