The Washington times., 1902-10-05
GEN. U. s. GRANT.

tell the fate OF that magnificent friRate.
The gloom felt among the Unionists that
| saturday evening it would be impossible
TO magnify; how much depended upon
the strange engine that steamed into
the waters of the Roads,
The result OF the duel between the
| ironclads the ensuing Sunday morning
caused consequent elation which can
not be described. Neither vessel was
disabled. but the "Merrimac' had met
her match, and was baked in her career
Of destruction.
| In three instances the Union arms met
with so-calfed reyerses on Sunday that
| have been. in two cases at least. II has
| been contended worth more to the cause
than a dozen victories And. indeed. in
the third instance, the supposed reverse
! or defeat has been shown to have been
OF vast benefit to the Union cause
On Sunday. April II. 1861. the Ameri-
can flag was furled. and the Federal
! troops. under Major Anderson, evacuated
| Fort Sumter
| The world has probably never yet wit
| messed such spectacle as that of the
| uprising of the great North when word
| came that the flag had been furled and
Sumter evacuated in consequence OF
the Confederate bombardment Party
lines all over the North were shattered
in single day. and the North arose in
its might as enc man and resolved that
the Union should be preserved In a
single day. faltering and undecided
people had been changed, by blow, into
one nation with firm intention.
Effect of Bull Run.
The first battle of Bull Run. fought on
Sunday. July q, 1861, was, it has been
we'll said, worth more to the Union
cause than dozen victories Victories.
at the beginning of the war. would have
thrown the North off its guard, and
would have led to disasters later on.
Says an old soldier. in treating OF the
situation at this time:
Politicians and newspapers promptly
assumed control at the outset. and as
sumed to command armies and dictate
what should be done. whereas they were
totally ignorant OF the first rudiments
of war. 1t was assumed that it was only
necessary to push forward to Manassas,
fight battle, destroy the Confederate
army, and the work was done. 1t was
absolutely necessary that some SEEM
ingly great disaster should occur TO ei-
able the people of the North to realize
that they had a great war on their
hands, and that war must be fought
out gu military, instead of political.
lines. Members of Congress, even. az
well as people in all departments of life.
the highest and the lowest. talked wisely
Of the situa ton. and there were none SO
dull but could tel! just how the rebel
lion could be put down.
Chickamauga, an apparent reverse,
was, according 10 the Judgment of some
of the ablest historians. in reality con-
ducive to future victory.
The bloody and important battle Of
Shiloh. or Pitts6urg Landing. was fought
Sunday, April I. 1862. This was Grants
second great victory, and one of ths
most momeutous engagements of the
war
On Sunday, April 2, 1865. the last great
battle of the rebellion was fought south
of Petersburg. Va. the result being the
total defeat and retreat of the Confed-
crate army. the downfall of Richmond
and Petersburg. virtually ending hostili-
ties.
II was on Sunday. April .. 1866, that
the Confederate army, under Robert e.
Lee, surrendered 20 General Grant at
Appomattox Court House, Va. and thus
the day marks the fall OF the Coz
federacy