Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-04-01
Battle Fronts of Twelve Miles.

Some of the battle fronts OF the
civil war were twelve miles long, says
Harmon ". Brown, who was war sec
rotary to Gen. Grant, and no one gen
eral outside Of Grant himself knew the
reason for some of the orders Issued
AS military secretary Brown was al
ways at Grants elbow to take his or
ders or dispatches, and was therefore
in position to know more of the ac-
tual course of the various battles than
possibly any other living man. Grants
orders of course were given with
knowledge of all the circumstances
along the entire battle front knowi-
edge which of course these critics did
not possess
Private Brown now lives in Cinc1n-
natl He says he enlisted in the sum-
mer of 81 in Co. l of the 18th Ohio.
After a years service he received an
order from Gen. U. S. Grant to report
to him for special service as military
secretary.
When he reported to headquarters
he found that Gen. Grant had been do
ing all of his own correspondence ana
as he grew to know the great warrior
better, he learned that he was most
indefatigable worker, and that as 1ast
as one matter was off his mind, he
took up something else.
AS illustrating this point, private
Brown says that Grant did not even
wait to see the troops captured at APP
pomattox, but as soon as the capture
was effected he Immediately returned
to City Point, arriving there twenty
four hours after the battle, and in an
other twenty-four hours he was at
Washington, preparing to close up the
entire business and disband the army
Neither did he wait to see the men
captured at Fort Donnelson nor at
Vicksburg, as he was too busy with
his active campaign.
Brown was not a stenographer and
so was obliged to take all of Grants
orders in abbreviated longhand. This
was easy, he says, as the general used
short pithy sentences and his COM
nnunications were never very long
Brown has some interesting stories
to tell of the newspaper correspond
ents who followed Grant in his cam
paign.
The approach to Vicksburg and the
closing of the great campaign fur
nished some of the most marvellous
incidents in history. In carrying his
army across the Mississippi river
without a base of supplies and putting
his troops into the enemy's country
between the armies of Johnston and
the forces of Pemberton at Vichs-
burg. Grant did something that
evoked much criticism. says Mr.
Brown.
But, he adds, Grants plans were so
perfectly matured that instead of at
lacking Vicksburg Immediately, he
first marched due east and defeated
Johnston. then faced about and de-
feated Pemberton in the bloody bat
tie of Champions Hill. Pemberton haV-
ing been drawn out of his intrench-
nents at Vicksburg into the open
field.
Had it not been for the disobedience
of orders by Gen. McClernand. private
Brown asserts, the siege of Vicksburg
need never have been fought. Grant
bad so arranged matters that Penn
berton was entirely cut off from Vicks-
burg. McClernand was ordered to
place two divisions of his corps in the
rear of Pemberton and he neglected
to do so, for which he was relieved
OF his command by Grant, who or
dered him home. although he was APP
pointed by Lincoln.