The National tribune., 1903-05-21

expected; but fully approaching your
kindness and friendship for me, and be
lieving from your long experience in, and
knowledge of, military service and its du
ties, you would not have offered ME the
position were you not satisfied it was one
could fill, gladly and with pleasure ac
cept it; and whatever duties and respon
sibilities may devolve upon me by virtue
of the same, will, with the help of God
discharge to the best Of my ability. Wish
ing you success in the cause of cOnstitu
tional freedom. for which you are fighting
l remain, Yours obediently.
"JoHN A. RAwLINS."
His first rank was that of Abide
Camp of the staff. When, soon after
Grant was made Brigadier-General,R Raw.
Inns was made Captain and Assistant Ad
jutant-General. to date from Aug. 30
1861. He Joined his chief at Cairo, ILL.,
Sept. IS. 1861. and from that time was
constantly with him till the end of the
war, except from Aug. 1 to Oct. ], 1864
when he was absent on sick leave. He
was promoted Major April IA, 1862, Lieu
tenant Colonel Nov. /, 1862. Brigadier
vet Ma jor-General of Volunteers Feb. "a
1865, Chief of Staff to Lieut.. Gen. Gran,
with rank of Brigadier-General United
States Army March 3. 1865. and Brevet
Major General. United States Army
March 13, 1865.
Up to the time of his entry into the
army as above stated, Gen. Rawlins had
no military experience whatever. He
seemed TO have, however, n natural mar.
such executive ability and efficiency as
iwere felt to be a perpetual inspiration to
the command. whether it was brigade
all army corps, or a grand army.
RAwLINs's INTIMATE RELATIONS WITH
GRANT.
Rawlins Immediately acquired great
influence with his commander, which, as
the field of operations enlarged, gradually
intensified, until the tie between them be
came very strong. lie was exceedingly
resolute and outspoken, and never hest
taxed to speak his mind upon all matters
which came within his cognizance. He
could act. too, and upon occasion with ex,
ceeding force. And the stalwart honesty
practical good sense, and robust menta
vigor of the man was such as secured the
admiration and respect of even those who
may have conceived themselves more than
his peers in rank and ability.
The functions of Chief of Staff to M
army commander are always important
and confidential. But RawIins's relation.
tO were Dl aI
and cooperation such as in no other re
corded instance has grown so intimate oil
endured so long. He was friend and {
mentor, tender and true. He was, in ad
ditiOn, the necessary supplement to n grea
military genius. He reduced to concrete
and practical arrangement the inspira
tiOns Of that spacious intelligence. Ht
was the interpreter of the oracles of ag
gressiveness. He formulated battle plans
atAI 10 i'm t,tyf fhntr tVtat ar
chitect and arranged the details of theil
execution. He gave his views, ever
sometimes unasked. as to men and strate
gies. but would have been the first to dis
| ayow any claim to those intuitions of un
varying success which have made Gran
easily foremost among the worlds great
captains.
| RAwLINs PRACTICALLY SECOND IN
COMMAND"
The position of Rawlins grew to re
semble more nearly that of a second il
command than n staff officer. He was
miracle Of intelligent discernment AM
ceaseless work. What Grant would hav,
been without Rawlins it is useless to spec
ulate; there was no Grant without Raw
| lins: il was not so to be. The brightnes.
of our grand leaders name suffers no tar
nish from just mention of one who loyal,
merged his own deeds in the exaltatiOn Il
which he contributed. Grant towers abov,
all other martial figures of the epoch, bu
he used and needed all his helpers. H
needed Rawlins as he needed Sherman
and Meade and Sheridan, as he needed al
the patriot soldiers of the war. But h,
needed Rawlins in a special and peculiar
sense. and always found him ready. II
all the complicated matters submitted t.
the jurisdiction of the subordinate, tn,
solution was sought that would best pro
mote the cause and support his General
Gen. James II. Wilson, Grants trusted
friend, the young cavalry leader of 1865
who survived to reap new laurels In oul
recent war, and still survives, says in &
biographical contribution to a STANDARD
encyclopedia: "Rawlins's relations witt
Grant were closer than those of any othel
man; and SO highly did the latter value