The National tribune., 1906-12-27
pre.,a.u, Lrnco,.'s Thanks.

ri 3
President Lincoln sent the following
dispatch of congratulation:
Mai. Gen. Grant: n n
understanding that -Eour lodgment
at Chattanooga and Knoxville is now
secure. / wish to tender You and all
under your command my more than
thanks, my prOfoupdest gratitude. for
the skill courage and perseverance
with which you and they. over so great
difficulties, have effected that impor-
tant object. God bless you all.
"a Lincoln"
Gen. Grant published the following
order:
headquarters Military Division of
the Mississippi. In the Field, Chatta-
nOoga, Tenn, Dec. 10, 1868.
General Orders, No. 8:
1.-The General commanding takes this
opportunity of returning his sincere
thanks and congratulations to the brave
Armies of the Cumberland, the Ohio,
the Tennessee and their comrades from
the Potomac for the recent splendid and
decisive successes achieved over the
enemy. In a short time you have re-
covered from him the control of the
Tennessee River from Bridgeport to
Knoxville; you dislodged him from his
great stronghold upon Lookout Noun
tain: drove him from Chattanooga VAL
ley: wrested from his determined grasp
the possession of Missionary Ridge; re,
pelled with heavy loss to him, his re-
peated assaults upon Knoxville, lore
ing him to raise the siege there; drlv-
ing him at all points, utterly routed and
discomforted, beyond the limits of the
State. BY your noble heroism and de-
termned courage you have most Ell
fectually defeated the plans OF the enc
ms for rcgaining possession of the
States of Kentucky and Tennessee. You
have secured positions from whlcn no
rcbellious power can drive or dlslodGe
YOU. For all this the General COM
manding thanks you collectively and
individually. The loyal people OF the
United States thank and bless you.
Their hopes and prayers for your sue
cess against this unholy rebellion are
with you daily. Their :aith in you will
not be In vain. Their hopes will not
lie blasted. Their prayers to Almighty
God will be answered. You will
vet go to other fields of strife, and, with
the invincible bravery and unfiinching
LOYALTY to justice and right which have
characterized you in the past, you Wi!
prove that no enemy can Withstand
YOU. and that no defenses, however
formidable, can check your onward
march.
"By order of Maj.-Gen. q. s. Grant"
Congress adopted a joint resolution
~ turning the thanks of the country 10
Gen. Grant, his officers and soldiers,
and provided that a gold medal should
be presented to him in recognition 0f
his achievement.
New Line Of Defense.
Cleburne had made his fight against
Hooker in order TO permit Bragg TO
withdraw his routed Iarmy thru the
gorge in the Chattoogata Mountains and
reorganiZe il under the shelter of the
lofty palisades of Rocky Face Ridge.
| The position there was even stronger
| than those positions from which Bragg
| had been driven and would be consid-
| cred impregnable save for the fact that
the Union army had so recently taken
| from their enemies SO many impreg-
nable positions. In spite of all his
losses. Bragg had lyet, Including Long
| streets force, of 3s,744 infantry, 1883
artillery and nearly 5000 cavalry; In
| all, about $4,000 men,, with ia pieces
Of artillery; that is, the official report
shows this, which, ms usual, minimiZed
the effective force, of the enemy. This
was a formidable force to encounter
and Bragg Immediately began extensive
| fortihcatiOns TO render the place still
more impervious TO assault. He fixed
| his headquarters at Dalton, behind the
] mountains, within easy railroad COM
munication of Atlanta and the rich
farming region of Georgia. But ne was
not allowed to make another Stone
i River or Tullahoma of that position
Everybody except Jefferson Davis had
lost confidence in Bragg, his own higher
officers having even less confidence in
him than others, and public clamoI
against him became, so loud and vehe-
ment that even Davis could not resist It,
and Dec. he relieved Bragg, appoint
| ing Hardee as his successor Davis
however, while yielding, showed his
contempt for public opinion by appoint
ing Bragg as Military Advisor or Chief
of Staff, a position which two years be-
| fore Lee had left to take command OF
the Army of Northern Virginia. From
this time Bragg disappeared from the
field until the very end Of the war