The National tribune., 1902-02-06
WASHINGToN,nD c., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY G. 100

arts of war. Ii hadtneyer met defeat, ant
now, i'll fact, felt that it was inyinclbie.
The troops of the great army were th,
pride of the States from which they came
and were accorded 'unbnuuded praise fol
| their patriotism, foftitutle and yalor; fur
! ioughed soldiers visiting their homes from
| that victorious field were recognized as
heroes. This campaign raised Gen. Gran
/ IN the estimation of. the people far above
| all the other Generals of the army
The opinion now became general thai
he was the proper officer to lead the UyiOI
forces to final victory. 7
The grade of Major General OF thu
United States Army was conferred upoT
| Gen. Grant, and upon his recommenda
ton Gen. w. L. Shermpn and Gen. Jane,
| Il. McI'hcTsOn were made Brigadier- zen
erals OF the Regular Army.
Gen. HailCck, then Chief OF
the Army, fully recognizing the Impor
tance and splcndor of this campaign
wrote Gen. Grant as follows:
Your report, dated July 6. of YOU
campaign in Mississippi, ending III tht
caritulation of Nicksbug, was received
last evening Your l.-.rauon OF the cam
ralgn, like the operations themselves, Is
brief, SoldicIly and in every respect cred
liable and satisfactory In holiness of
plan, rapldity of execution. and brilliancy
Of routes, these operations will cumpaIe {
most favorably with those of Napoleon
about Ulm.
You and your army have well de-
served the gratitude OF your country, and
it will be the boast of your children that
their fathers were of the heroic army
which reOpCncd the Mississippi River"
Under date Of July Is President Lin
coin wrote to Gen. Grant as follows:
My Dear General: | do not remember
that yOu and / ever met personally.
ment for the almost ineStimable service
you have done the country. | wish to say
Il word further When you first reached
the vicinity of NickSburg | thought you
should do what you finally did-march the
tDOps across the neck, run the batteries
with the transports, and thus go below
and | never had any faith, except a gen.
elal hope, that you knew better than /,
that the faZoo Pass expedition and the
like could succeed.
When you got below and took Port
Gibson, Grand Gulf and vicinity,
thought You should 90 down the river and
Join Gen. Banks, and when you turned
nOrthward, east of the Big Black, | feared
it was mistake. | now wish to make Il
personal acknowledgment that you were
right and | was wrong"
This fully demonstrates the noble char
acter of Abraham Lincoln. Could the
President have reached Gen. Grant by tel
egraph when he crossed the Mississippi
River and fought the battle of Port Glib
son. orders would no doubt have been is
sued directing Gen. Grant to march to the
support Of Gen. Banks at Port Hudson.
But when Gen. Grant pursued another
policy, and by brilliant campaign cap
tured Nicksburg and its garrison, the
President thought that it was fitting to
publicly state that Grant was right in ;l;n-
suing the course he did. But this letter
shows further that President Lincoln had
a true conception of what was necessary
for success in that campaign; namely, 10
get below Ficksbtlrg, cross the Missis-
sippi River and attack the Confederate
forces from the south.
(To be cOntinued)