Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-06-02

Il vosoS0uo VI tuo AGmy VI tuo xUbUmaS
The flower Of the Southern army swep
In grand marching order across the f1el
of conflict In splendid array, but the
soon crossed swords and bayonets at tn
stone wall In fearful combat. Th
Army of the Potomac, tested and true
knew no retreat. The brave men unde
Pickett fell in the harvest of war. Th
tide turned in favor Of the Union forces
The day was ours! But what was tn
price of floating the red, white and blu
over Cemetery Ridge and the ROM.
TopsP The brightest stars in our sol
der constellation were among the killet
and wounded. By the most accurate re
ports available 33,587 OF the Boys Il
Blue and the boys in Gray lay upon th
field Of battle, killed and wounded
Such was the price Of the victory tina
repealed the invader from our soil AMI
sent him In retreat across the Potomac
Gettysburg was the Golgotha OF tn!
Rebellion. Here Providence through
sacrifice redeemed the nation.
The news of the great victory wa
hardly upon the wires before the tidingl
came of the fall of Vicksburg. While
Lee was leaving Gettysburg, Pembertor
was evacuating Vicksburg on the Missis
sippi, and the evening OF July 4th, 1858
was filled with glorious celebration
throughout the land. Grant had carried
Vicksburg, and now the Mississippi from
Cairo to the Gulf was under Union con-
troll.
Now we view the greater line Of contest
In Southeastern Tennessee the battle
of Chickamauga Is fought Sept. 10 and
20, 1868, by the army under Rosecrans and
the army under Bragg, with q total array
of 10000 men equally divided. Rose.
Grams was repulsed, but Thomas saved
the day, our army still holding Chatta.
nooga. The total sacrifice was 81 ,374
killed and wounded.
On Nov. "a, 1858, Hooker carried Look
out Mountain. On Nov. rs Sherman, as
sisted by the dashing Sheridan, won
Missionary Ridge. The enemy was
routed and retreated southwark. Now
we come to the eliminating period OF
the war.
Grant had been commissioned Lieu
tenant General, and President Lincoln
had assigned him to the command of
"all the armies Of the United States"
A grand aggressive movement was at
once iuaugurated. Banks was to move
against Mobile without delay. Sherman
was to match against Joseph E. John.
ston's army in Georgia. Grant with the
main army, assisted by Butler operating
on the James River, would move against
Lee. Meade held the command of the
Army Of the Potomac, and was ready to
efficiently support the commander-in-
chief of the national forces. The plan
was by this grand movement to cut the
in twain and capture Lee.
Grants overland campaign was fairly
on. The Wilderness campaign opened
with the battle of the Wilderness, May
81, 1854, and was followed with Spott-
sylvania, North Anna, and Cold Harbor,
in which six weeks of terrific fighting,
up to June 18th, the Union losses were
not less than SO, 900 killed and wounded.
During this campaign Sheridan with his
cavalry made circuit of Lees army,
cutting off the enemy's supplies and
destroying his Communication.
At the center of the greater line of
conflict, while the battle Of the Wilder
ness was still raging, Sherman's hosts,
thousand strong, were just
starting south from the headquarters at
Chattanooga, and the famous Atlanta
was begun. The army Of
Sherman moved steadily forward. Dalton
Ia won. Resaca Is won. Then come
Kenesaw, Ezra Church, the battle OF
aud Sept. 2, 1884, Atlanta Is
ours. Then followed the brilliant march
rom Atlanta to the sea. Grant had
beseiged Petersburg. Lee tried to tempt
Grant away from his purpose Of ION to
but Grant held to his an
tagonist with an iron grip.
Sheridan's movements were crowned
with victory. Now for the death strug.
gle of the Confederacy! Sherman held
Atlanta and Savannah, while he march
I'D northward to connect with the main
army at Petersburg. Lee decided to
abandon the Confederate capital. he
planned to cut through the lines OF
Sherman and Grant to save his army.
Sheridan then won the battle of Five
Forks. Retreat was Lees last hope.
and Petersburg were evacu-
ated.
Now we see the race Of the two armies,
with Lee on the north and Grant on the
south of the Appomattox River. Sheri-
dan with his cavalry cut off the last OPP
of Lees retreat by beading of
Lee at Appomattox Station, and the
Army of the James arriving at that OPP
perfume moment, the exhausted Army
Of Northern Virginia surrendered to
rant at Appomattox Court House April
8, 1866. Johnston surrendered to Sher-
man and Mobile was evacuated. Thus
ended the history of the Grand Army Of
the Republic in the field of war.
Gen. Grant has said in the opening
sentence of his Memoirs, MAN pro.
poses but God disposes." That great
general whom God used to support
Abraham Lincoln in the fuflllment Of
the Emancipation Proclamation recog.
nized the hand of God In the progress OF
the greatest civil conflict ever waged In
the histnrv of the world