The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-29

men who were fighting the battles for tn
Union, gave expression to his sentiment
in the following telegram, which was i'm
''Washington, Dec. 8. 1868.
Maj. Grant Understanding tina
your lodgment at Chattanooga and knox
vile is now secure. l wish to tender yol
and all under your command my more
than thanks. my profouhdest gratitude, fol
the skill, courage and perseverance witt
which you and they. over SO great diff
culties. have effected that important OBJ
"a. LINCOLN"
Two days later Gen. Grant issued an or
der to the army in his brief, clear, forcible
style. which is a classic in military litera
ture, and was a great inspiration to his
entire command. Here is the order:
''Dec. 10, 1868.
sThe General commanding takes this
opportunity of returning his sincere thanks
and congratulations to the brave armies
of the Cumberland. the Ohio, the Tennes-
see and their comrades from the Potomac
for the recent splendid and decisive sue
cesses achieved over the enemy. In a
short time you have recovered from him
Bridgeport to Knoxville: YOU dislodged
him from his great stronghold upon Look
out Mountain; driven him from Chatta-
nooga Valley; wrested from his determined
grasp the possession of Missionary Ridge;
fepelled. with heavy loss to him, his re-
peated assaults upon Knoxville, forcing
him to raise the siege there; driving him
at all points, utterly routed and discom-
flied. beyond the limits of the State. By
L. i
age you have most effectuaily defeated the
plans of the enemy for regaining posses
sion of the States of Kentucky and Ten
nessee. You have secured positions from
which no rebellious power can drive or
dislodge you. For all this the General
commanding thanks you collectively and
Individually. The loyal people of the Unit
ed States thank and bless you. Their
hopes and prayers for your success against
this unholy rebellion are with you daily.
Their faith in you will not be in vain.
Their hopes will not be blasted. Their
prayers to Almighty God will be answered.
You will yet go to other fields of strife,
and. with the invincible bravery and I'M
finching loyalty to justice and right which
have characterized you in the past, yon
will prove that no enemy can Withstand
you, and that no defenSeS, however for
midable, can check your onward march.
by order of Maj.-Gen. q. S. Grant
THANKED BY CONGRESS.
AT the time of the battle of Chatta-
nooga. Congress was not in session, but
met Monday, Dec. 2, while Gen. Sherman
was marching to the relief of Knoxville.
During that week definite information was
sent North that Longstreet had abandoned
the siege of Knoxville, that Sherman had
communicated with Burnside, and that all
was well Congress was not slow to show
its appreciation of the great ability of Gen.
Grant and of the armies which had fought
under him.
A resolution of thanks was passed by
the two Houses, and on Dec II was ap-
proved by the President. This resolution
was promulgated in the following order by
the War Department:
''The following joint resolution by the SEN
ate and House of Representatives of
the United States is published to the
Army:
"Joint resolution of thanks to Maj.-Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant and the officers and
soldiers who have fought under his COM
mand during this rebellion, and provid-
= ing that the President of the United
States shall cause a medal to be struck,
III.
the name of the people of the United
States of America.
''Be it resolved by the Senate and House
OF Representatives of the United States of
America iii Congress assembled, That the
thanks of Congress be, and they hereby
are, presented to Maj.-Gen. Ulysses s.
Grant, and through him to the officers and
soldiers who have fought under his COM
mand during this rebellion, for their gal
lantry and good conduct in the battles in
which they have been engaged. and that
the President of the United States be re-
Quested to cause gold medal to be
struck, with suitable emblems. devices and
inscriptions, to be presented to Maj.-Gen
Grant.
Sec. 2. And be it further resolved, That
when the said medal shall have been
struck. the President shall cause a COPY
OF this JOINT resolution to be engrossed on
parchment, and shall transmit the same.
together with the said medal to Maj
Gen. Grant. TO be presented to him in the
name of the people of the United States of
''Sec. 3. And be it further resolved.
That sufficient sum of money to carry
this resolution into effect is hereby appro-
prlated out of any money in the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated.
SCHUYLER COLFAX.
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives.
H. HAMLIN.
''EIce-President of the United States and
President Of the Senate
Approved Dec. II, 1863.
Avn "a. LINCOLN.
BY order Of the Secretary of War.
"E. ID. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant- General"
In addition to these official documents
the newspapers Of the North were rnstint-
ed in their praises of the army. The Ioyal
people throughout the country felt that
the victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg
during the Summer, supplemented by this |
great victory at Chattanooga in November. |
mac given the Confederate cause stag
gerng blow, and they now looked forward
with confidence TO the early and successful
of the war;
THE GREwsoME COST.
But these great campaigns of 1862 had
brought sorrow to many hearthstone
Many patriotic men had fallen to rise no
more, while Others, grievously wounded.
Tell into the hands of the Medical Depart-
nent of the Army.
The Fifteenth Corps had splendid set
OF men in its Medical Department: they
were skillful physicians and Surgeons.
ana, besides, We're kind and considerable in
dealing with the rask and file of the army.
Dn Nov. "A the Medical Director estab-
lisheG Field Hospital on the bank of
the tennessee River, near the pontoon
bridge.
few wounded soldiers were SEPT there
on the afternoon of that day. but the next
Jay, Nov. -, the work for the Surgeons
fr cod