The National tribune., 1902-02-06

strongest positions ever held by an army
had been wIcsted from them and the gar
rison defending it forced to surrender.
/ i hey had found that the vauntCd su
! periOnty of the SOutheIncr as Il lighting
man would not stand the test of actua
experience; they came to recognize the
fact that the Northern soldier was a tor
Ough believer in the righteousness Of the
cause for which he fought, and that he
was unsurpassed in endurance, fortitudC
and courage; they found him to be Il gen.
erouS foe, ever ready to divide his iasl
| crust with an unfortunate antagonist, ana
| without vaIngiOrious boast of his own
prowess was quick to recognize in The
men with whom ne had fought the high
sOldierly quality of yalOr. .a
| The history of the world will be
searched in vain for an account of IA nil.
| Itary campaign in which greater obstacles
were met and overcome; where Il higher
order of strategy was exhibited; where an
army, leaving its base, marched into the
! enemy's country, beyond the reach of re
/ lnforcementS, in the midst of a greatly
superior force, placed its enemy ON the
defensive, and by rapid movements OF
army corps kept the opposing Generals
III state of bewilderment as to the real
! point of attack, and thus were enabled u
! prevent the concentration of the opposing
forces, so that in every skirmish and in
every battle superior force was cOncen-
/ tfated at the vital point of conflict and
so that an army of twice its number was
beaten i'll detail, and the remnant of the
opposing force equal in point of numbers
to the invading army was driven to the
| shelter of strong fertilization, where II
was besIeged and captured.
1t had been found absolutely imprac-
ticable to penetrate and cross the YazOo
| Valley with an army and secure a foot
hold on high ground above Vicksburg.
The swamps, bogs, bayous and rivers
made the wide stretch of Overiowed cOun-
| try impossible.
Gen. Grant decided to operate against
Nicksbmg from below. This plan in
volved the abandonment of his base nj
Alilliken's Bend, to which point supplies
and reinfOrcements could be brought with
out interruption; and also involved the
passage of the rebel batteries by the gun
boats and transport fleets and the cross
ing of the Mississippi River by his army
in the face of the enemy.
| Not since the discovery Of gunpowder
has any other army been led through such
| trying difficulties, and ending in such splen-
did results. More men have been mar
shaled on one field, and battles have been
fought involving greater loss to the at
tacking army; but the scenes of the CON
| hicts have been more easily reached, and
line of retreat was kept open in case of
defeat.
Grant threw the Army of the Tennessee
into the midst of a veteran and valiant
army ably led; abandoned his base of sup
plies; the troops had three days ratiOns in
hayersacks, with orders to make them las.
five days. He had no line of retreat, with
the greatest river of the continent behind
him to cross in case of flight.
Success was absolutely necessary for
the safety of his army. In case of defeat
the capture of his army was certain.
These were the conditions upon which
this campaign was entered. In 20 days
from the hour when the passage of the
Mississippi River was begun five success
ful battles had been fought; the capital
of the State of Mississippi had been cap
tured, and its railroad system destroyed
Confederate army of twice his numbers
had been beaten, and a part of this de-
feated army equal in point of numbers
TO his own was driven into its defenses at
Nicksburg, where it was afterwards be-
sieged and captured.
The news of this victory reached the
North July 8, and was heralded in the
public press all over the country, The
loyal people everywhere were already in
state of mental eXhilaration over the
news of the Union victory at Gettysburg,
but when the capture of Vicksburg was
| announced the country simply went wild
GettySburg and Vicksburg were events
which eliminated on the same day, July
8; the one in Pennsylvania, the other in
Mississippi; Gettysburg, a great defensive
battle of the Union forces, led by Gen.
Meade against Gen. Lees invading hosts.
was terrible blow to the Confederate
cause, but Gen. Lee made good his retreat,
Withdrew his army from Northern soil,
returned again to Virginia, and there re-
organized his forces to renew the strug-
gle.
Nicksburg, however, ended quite differ
entity. Not only was the Confederate army
defeated; it was captured. The Govern
ment and the people in general recog-
nlzed the capture OF the garrison OF Vicks-
burg and the opening Of the Mississipni
River as the most important military
events iii the war for the Union.
The outcry Of disloyalty, that yicks-
burg could never be taken, was silenced
Ihis campaign had an inspiring effect
upon the Western army; its confidence in.
us commanders, and its confidence in
itself, fitted 1t for any emergency. n
was veteran army, schooled in all the