Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-02
YOU in the grand army meetings.

you In the grand army meetings You
meet him daily on the streets. He is
a good citizen. and he was good
soldier When dead. cover his grave
with flowers. and write above it,
Here lies one who served his country
---rll On the field of glory and never
shirkcd a duty
While the private soldier was the
principal figure OF that war. yet mis-
magnificent courage and endurance
would have failed had he not been led
BY the greatest of commanders. The
COLOSSAL character and pre-eminent
abilities Of Abraham Lincoln tower
over those OF all others. He was the
controlling power behind the cabinet.
the congress and the generals in the
ield; who. without appearing to do
so really directed the policy and al
most the maneuvres in the field. Dis
-ance adds grandeur and strength to
his memory. tones down the rugged
less OF his body and mind and throws
about his once grotesque personality
he halo which the Greek poets gave
TO their demigods.
Not one of the great commanders
alive. The four greatest are placed
by this view in this order: Grant.
Thomas, Sherman and Sheridan. None
If them had any special standing as
military men before the war. None
II the four had graduated from West
Point with very high honors
THE whole country. and perhaps
the verdict of the whole world. will
give Grant the first place as a gen
rial in the conflict He was really
= great man. But no man except one
ever thought so prior to the taking of
/ Fort Donelson. That single exception
vas mis- own father, who had to use
some authority to induce Grant to go
TO West Point when the opportunity
was offered. Our distant view of the
Civil war pictures Grant rising from
1ois volunteers to the command of all
he armies in the field.
General George II Thomas was
! the Washington of the army both in
| appearance and ability. He was new
| er uuprepared and never taken by
surprise. In my Judgment he had no
| superior in ability to command
troops on the field of battle He
never lost battle in which he had
entire command. and all his battles
can be studied as models of tactics
Perhaps his controlling trait was mod
esty. He died at the early age of
aFtv-four bowed down with grief at
the ungratefulness of those in power
above him.
Sheridan was a great fighter. a
| romaptic character that a poet has
seized upon. Sheridan's popular
| 'ame win rest largely on the fight at
| Winchester; but to military students
his greatest qualities were shown in
he army of the Potomac. in final cam
paiEn of Appomattox.
Sherman was tireless worker
ever on the move Though not al
ways winning his battles. he did
enough in the two campaigns of Allan.
| tG and the March to the Sea to es.
| tpblish his greatness, to immortalize
| him and to atone for every error.
How quickly the war terminated in
| triumph to the Union side when these
four commanders gained control OF
all the armies, ordered the grand
strategy and the grand tactics. In
! less than year the war was ended
the armies melted away and were re
! absorbed into the body of the people.
! Their deeds will always abide in the
minds of men. True history will al
ways treat that war as epoch-making.
The further away Time places It, the
! rrander will rise the essential char.
acteristics. the more obscure will be-
come its petty and unimportant de
ails, and the greater will appear the
heroic qualities of it's true rank and
ale"