Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-05-31

Gen Grant through the war and to the
highest niche in military and civic Kfe-
| In January, 1862, he had conceived the
idea Of attacking Fort Henry on the
Tennessee, land in person submitted
the proposition to Gen. Halleek. Hal
| leck received it with Impotence and
refusal. On Jan. % he telegraphed
to Halleck, IF permitted I could take
and hold Fort Henry on the Tennes-
see."
The comparative inactivity Of the
Union armies was wearing on him, and
was manifest in this insistence. Not
till Feb did Gen. Halleck give that
permission. Grant moved the next
day, and on Feb. received the surren.
der of Fort Henry. Ten days later Fort
Donelson was occupied by him, and in
the brief, concise answer to Gen. Buck
ner's proposal for an armistice he had
set the mark of his determination to
wage war in the war spirit:
SNO terms other than an unconditiOn-
| al and immediate surrender can be ac-
cepted. l propose to move Immediately
/ upon your works.
| Responsibility, such as Gen. Grant
| had seemed to shrink from in the be-
ginning, had been accepted, and in
campaign of dlatory tactics he had
pushed forward. almost against the
will of his superiors.
| '"rhis was the first success of any i'm
| portance since the beginning of the
war;" writes Gen. Adam Badeau. IAN
| inferior force had marched boldly up to
| strongly fortified post and for three
| days besieged an army larger than it.
self; then, after being reinforced it had
not only defeated the enemy in the open
| field, converting what had nearly been
| disaster into brilliant victory, but COM
| PEELED the unconditional surrender OF
one of the largest garrisons ever cap
| tured in war. These were consdera-
| tions which naturally enough elated
and cheered the country and absolutely
inspired the army depressed before by
long delays and defeat on many fields.
The gratitude felt toward Grant was
commensurate with the success. He
stepped at once into national fame"
Yet almost Immediately some OF
Grants military superiors undertook to
cast shadow upon that fame. Fault
was found with Gen. Grant for going
to Nashville without leave, though
Nashville was in his military territory,
and he had telegraphed to Gen. Halleck
that he intended to go unless ordered
to do otherwise. Halleck complained
to Washington. OF this treatment Cen
Grant in his memoirs says:
"Gen. Mcclellan on this informatio1E
ordered that should be relieved from
duty and that an investigation should
be made into any charges against me.
He even authorized my arrest. Thus
in less than two weeks after the victory
at Donelson the two leading generals in
the army were in correspondence as to-
what disposition should be made of me
and in less than three weeks | was vir-
tually in arrest and without COM
mand."
On March 13, however, Grant was re-
instated The field of Shiloh was ahead
of him-Shiloh, Corinth, the great siege
of Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain and
Missionary Ridge, the Wilderness cam.
paign, Petersburg, and, at last, Appo~
mattox. Volumes would not cover the.
history of these victories leading to the
end of the war of secession. The world
knows them. 1t knows the great mill
tary figure which dominated ALL OF
the man it has a glimpse when, writing
of the surrender of Gen. Lee, he says:
what Gen. Lees feelings were I do
not know AS he was man Of much
dignity, with an impassive face, it was.
impossible to say whether he felt in
wardly glad that the end had finally
come or felt sad over the result and
was too manly to show it. Whatever
his feelings they were entirely con-
cealed from my observation, but my
own feelings, which had been quite
jubilant on the receipt of his letter,
were sad and depressed. l felt like
anything rather than rejoicing at the
downfall of foe who had fought so
long and valiantly and had suffered so
much tor cause, though that cause
was, / believe, one of the worst for
which a people ever fought and one for
which there was the least excuse. / do
AVe 4uCSplOh, HOWCFCI, tuC SlACCIlty Ol
the great mass of those who were OPP
posed to u.s.
This was the unconditional Surren-
DER Grant of the war; the militant
spirit which had written from the field
of Spottsylvania, Il propose to fight it
out on this line if it takes all summer
Indifference to his overtures to serve
his country had not discouraged him;
enmities and sights and indignities had
not soured him; the long, terrible con-
flicts of the war had not embittered
him.
Bishop Newman has written Of him.
1.-THE story of such a life will throw
it's charms over the oncoming ages and
future generations will read it with
wonder and admiration. AS they read
49, Il T. Tn