The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-06-02

narrative. the conviction had become gen.
eral throughout the North that this crude
experimentation was seriously JeOpardlns
all hope of a successful issue of the war.
This prompted the nomination Of MaJ.-
Gen. Grant to the grade Of Lieutenant
General-in which rank he was confirmed
by the Senate on the I'd of March; and
on tho 10th, a special order of President
Lincoln assigned him to the command Of
all the ''arniies Of the United States"
The elevation of Gen. Grant to the
Lieutenant -Generalship gave perfect salts
faction throughout the North-a sentiment
arising not more from the conviction that
it put the conduct of the war on a sound
footing, than from the high estimate held
by the public of Gen. Grants military tai
ent. The country had long ago awaked
from its early dream of coming "Napo-
leOn,' and there was no danger OF its
cherisl1ng any such delusion respecting
Gen. Grant; but it saw in him steadfast,
pertinacious commander, one who faith
fully represented the practical, patient.
persevering genius Of the North AS it
was his happy fortune to reach the high
office of General-in- Chief at time when
the Administration and the people, in
structed somewhat in war and wars needs,
were prepared to give him an intelligent
support, he was at once able, with all the
resources Of the country at his call, with
a million men in the field, and a generous
and patriotic people at his back, to enter
upon a comprehensive system Of combined
opera tions. Moreover, the instrument with
which he had to work was one highly tem-
pered and brought to fine and hard edge.
The troops had become, by the experience
could march, manuver and fight. The
armies l. fact, were real armies, and
were, til ore, prepared to execute Oper-
ations ill., ut an earlier period would have
been utterly impracticable.
SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS HAMMERING.
The Lieutenant-G eneral was committed
by the whole bent of his nature to vigOr-
uuc action; and, upon taking into his hand
the baton, he resolved upon a gigantic ag-
gressive system that should embrace 81
multaneous blows throughout the whole
continental theater of war. His theory of
action looked to the employment of the
maximum of force against the armies of
the Confederates, to such direction of
this power as would engage the entire
force of the enemy at one and the same
time, and to delivering a series of heavy
and uninterrupted blows in the style of
what the Duke of Wellington used to
call "hard pounding" and of what Gen.
Grant has designated as continuous ham,
merng."
THE ARMIES OF THE SOUTH.
The armed force Of the Confederacy
was at this time mainly included in the
two great armies Of Johnston and Lee
the former occupying an intrenched posi-
ton ut Dalton, Ca, the latter ensconced
within the lines of the Raphlan. These
bodies were still almost as powerful in
numbers as any the South had ever had
in the field. Their intrinsic weakness lay in
the fact that those reservoirs Of strength
from which armies must constantly draw
to repair the never-ceashg waste of war
were well-nigh exhausted; that the sus-
tanning power of the Confederacy-th
moral energy of the people-had so de-
clined, that what remained of arms-bear
ing population in the South evaded rather
than courted service i'll the field. Still. the
existing armies presented formidable
and unabashed front, and by skillful con-
duct they might yet hope to do much.
SHERMAN CHIEF IN THE WEST, UNDER
GRANT IN THE EAST.
The immediate command of all the ar
mics west of the Allegheny Mountains,
and east Of the Mississippi River, was
committed to Maj.-Gen. w. Il. Sherman.
who was intrusted with the duty of acting
against JohnstOn,S 8 force by q campaign
having as its objective point Atlanta, the
great railroad center Of the middle zone
The Lieutenant-General then established
his headquarters with the Army Of the
Potomac. from where he designed to ex-
ercise general supervision Of the move
ments of all the armies.
This act was of itself a recognition of
that primacy of Importance which be-
isuged to that army, but which appeared,
for time, to have passed from it to its
more fortunate rival in the Western the
ater Of operations. Gen. Grant saw tina,
the task assigned the Army of the PotO-
mae was no less momentous now than
ever; for it still confronted, in Virginia, the
foremost army Of the Confederacy, under
the Confederacy's foremost military der