Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-05-12


share upon him who thus sought "a
humble a man 10 whom our nation
owed so much as it then did to Gen,
era Sherman,
When these plans oi Generals
Sherman and Johnston had been re-
jeeted. General Grant Offered to go il,
person to Raleigh and notify General
Sherman of the action taken at Wash
ington. Before he started, stanton
gave him this order: The president
desires that you proceed Immediately
TO the head quarters of General Sher.
man, and direct the operations
against the enemy" This order would
seem to take all authority from Sher.
man.
At the same time General Halleck,
at Richmond, ordered Generals Meade
Sheridan and Wright to move inro
Sherman's department, and to pay no
attention either to his orders or his
truce with Johnston. Also, General
Thomas and the officers under him
were directed not to obey Sherman.
And all this without the gallant com
mander's knowing anything about it.
In the meantime these orders were
made public throughout the north, the
yellow journals of the day making
them as sensational as they could. AS
natural consequence people every
| where We're led TO ask, why, what
has General Sherman been doing? Is
it possible that after all his splendid
service for his country he has turned
| traitor?"
We down at Raleigh heard little of
| this insulting treatment of our be-
loved commander. Stanton did not
take so much pains to publish the
matter to him and to us as he did to
the rest of the world. Had we known
it all then, and Stanton had been with
in our reach, it would surely have
gone hard with him. When we did
hear of it, the indignation of our
army went up to a white heat. never
in any other place or at any other
time saw anything like it, We thought
thousand times more of General
Joseph e. Johnson than of him.
In the meantime we waited, and
hoped that the surrender of Johnston
woald soon become am assured fact.
We went into camp in a better place
and soon had everything about ~
convenient and pleasant. But fol- all
that, We We're in a state of suspense
almost painful. We half feared that
affairs might take such a turn as 70
send US off into another long summcr
campaign. We knew well that, Ii
Johnston saw fit to undertake it, he
could lead us lively race back into
Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. we
hoped he would not do so-did not
believe he would-yet did not know.
On the oath of April we were or
dered out on grand review in the city.
We were not little surprised TO find
General Grant sitting by the side of
General Sherman at the reviewing
stand. We wondered why he should
be there. We suspected he had come
to command further operations against
the enemy, yet we wished it not to be
so.
/ used to think my bunk-mate. Eddy
Cole, could prophesy. 1t seemed to
me that when he goi to looking seri-
Gus and wise he was pretty apt to see
about what was going to be, especially
when he foretold a thing did not
wish to come to pass. As we broke
ranks aftar thfS rav;au, Corgoo,,. rolo
said, See here, my boy. we've got to
march tomorrow. you may depend up
omit. General Grant has come down
here to lead us against Johnston. Now
you just mark my word" Though |
did not at all want to take this pre-
diction of Eddy's seriously. had
learned that things were apt to turn
out pretty nearly as he said they
would And so ! really expected
marching orders. We got them that
night.
The next morning we moved out 10.
ward the MISUNDERSTANDING the camp
of General Johnston. We made pretty
good time, stopping to rest ct noon
about ten miles out General Johns
ton had been notified of the close OF
the truce. We did not at all like it.
but good soldier, like all other good
people, does duty whether he likes ii
or not. We remained all the afternoon
where we had stopped. 1t was a beau
tiful spot and the day was as rare as
one In Madison in June; so we be-
came good natured. We had sort OF
war concert there. and the echoes of
our national songs among the pine
tree was something new for the
place.
We spent the night in that same
camp. and the next day. Rebel sol
diers from Lees army were stringing
along the nearby railroad track on
their way to Raleigh, and beyond, and
our orders were not to disturb them.
All this was new to u.s.: but every
thing seemed to show that the war
was at an end. and we could not be
lieve We should have to follow John
ston any further.
When Sherman had ordered his
truce with Johnston ended, he sent to
him this significant note: 4 therefore
demand the surrender of your army
on the same terms as were given TO
General Lee at Appomatox, April 8.
instant, purely and simply" On the
he rnzas.od f,cvo