The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-03-25
GRANT AT
4 CHATTANOOGA

Candy Post g. A. r., by Comrade
Fred Deitz:
The snbject which have selected
this evening at the foundation for a
few remarks Is that portion of the
life of III. S.Grant which Ia embraced
between Octoter 10. 1863, and Novem-
bsr rs of the same year.
On the tenth day of October Grant
received telegram from Washington
dated the third, saying, "lt is the
wish Of the secretary of war that as
soon as Gen. Grant is able hs will
come to Cairo and report by tele-
graph"
At the time of the receipt of this
dispatch Gen. Grant was still suffer
ing from the effects of fall received
from a runaway while reviewing the
troops under Gen. N. P. Banks, then
stationed at New Orleans.
In compliance with this dispatch he
left Vicksburg for Cairo the same day,
and upon his arrival there found a
dispatch from the secretary of war
directing him to report at tine Gait
House, Louisville, kentuckys With
in two hour she WAS upon his way,
going via Indianapolis, were he met
the secretary of war, Mr.. Stanton,
who accom- anjed him to Louisville.
Up to this time Grant bad received
no intimation as to the object of his
being called north.
Before reaching Louisville Mr..
Stanton handed Gen. Grant two Or
ders, remai king at the same time that
1t was optional with himself as to
whiuh to choose. The two we're
identical in ali but one particular.
Both created the military division
the Mississippi, placing him In CON-
maud. One left the department COM
members es they we're, while the other
relieved Gen. RosecIans and assign
ed Gen. Thomas to his place. Gen.
eral Grant accepted the latter.
That evening Stanton received a
dispatch from g. A. Dana, a special
agent of the war department and then
with Rosecrans at Chattanooga, THAT
Rosecrans unless prevented would
retreat" and advising peremptroy
orders against his doing so.
Upon receiving this dispatch the
secretary sent for Gen. Grant, showed
him the dispatch and said quite
excitedly that the retreat must be
prevented. Grant Immediately wrote
an order assuming command OF the
Military Division OF the Mississippi
and telegraphed it to Gen. Rosecrans.
He then sent him the order from
Washington, Assigning Gen. Thomas
to the command OF the department
aud to Thomas that he must hold
Chattanooga at all hazard, adding
that be would be at the front as soon
as possible. prompt reply was re-
ceived from Thomas saying "We will
hold the town until we starve."
Grant says he appreciated the force
of the dispatch later when he witness
ed the condition of affairs that
prompted it.
Is In order to understand the condi-
tion In which Rosecrans' army was at
this time it will be necessary for US
to go back to the spring CT 1868.
Rosecrans was then at MuTfreesboro,
Tenn, with large and we'll equipped
army, Gen. Bragg opposing him
with strong confederate force and
acting on the defensive.
Rosecrans began his campaign on
the twenty fourth day Of June and by
skilltul maneuveling succeeded In
forcing Bragg south of the Tennessee
river, through aud beyond Chata-
nooga, and believing Bragg still re-
treating, pursued with his forces very
much scattered. &
After thu surrender of Vicksburg,
Jolly 4, 1869, Bragg's. army was very
heavily reinforced by troops from
Mississippi which had been employed
under johnson in trying to force
Grant TO raise the seige of that place.
Ibis enabled him to assume the often
sive and forced Rosecrans to fall back
and Concenti ate his scattered forces
which was finally done at Chickamau-
ga. The battle was fought on the
nineteenth and twentieth OF Septem-
Der and Rosecrans was badly defeated
With heavy loss in artillery and 10000
men.
Gen. Thomas is accredited with
the honor of saving the Amy from
total destruction and we'll earned the
name which was bestowed upon hin
as fhe "Rock OF Chickamauga.
Kosecrans defeated army returned
to Chattanooga and were followed By
Bragg. who took possession OF Misei'
onary Ridge, overlooking Chattanooga,
also Lookout mountain west OF the
town. with a strong line OF works
across the valley and connecting ths
two.
About this time the authorities al
Washington discovered that Rose
Grams was In trouble and Grant was
ordered north as we have seen. A
retreat at this time would have beer
a terrible disaster. It would not only
have been the loss OF an important
positioo. but would have resulted II
the Ioss of all the artillery still lef
and the aunihilation OF the army 1t
self hy capture and decentralization
All suprlies for Rosecrans' army
had to be brought from Nashville b!
rail- to Bridgeport on the leDnesset
where the railroad crosses to th'
south eide Bragg holding k.t u
and Lookout mountains west OF Chht
tauoopa. commanded the railroad, th'
rjgar aud the shortest and best Wagon
roads. both north and south OF th'
Tennessee river between Chattanooga
aud Bridgeport. The distance be
tween the two places is but twenty 81
miles by rail, but owing to the posi-
tim ct Bragg's troops, all snppiie
for the army had to be carted !.
eitcu tous route and over mountain
ons cou1try distance OF sixty miles
The county afforded but little foot
for auinals and nearly 10000 horse
had already succumbed to starvation
The men had been on half ration'
of hard bread for long time, WIN ou
few other supplies except baet driver
from Nashville. which upon it, al
rival wss 40 poor that the soldier
used to gay they we're living uro'
half ratiops of hard bread aud bet
dried upon the hoof. Nothing eoul' Il
be transported but food, aud to
troops we're suffering Tor shoes en-
sufficient clothing.
Fuel was completely exhausted esel
to the stnmps There we're no 'eHu
to draw it from the opposite BAN