The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-31

Lincoln with belief in social equality
and recall the latter's remarkable re-
ply: "The negro may not be my
physical equal. perhaps not my equal
in mental, or spiritual equipment, but
in the right to eat the bread, without
leave of anyone else, which his own
hands earn, he is my equal, and Judge
Douglas equal and the equal Of any
living man." And then came Lincoln's
election and his first inaugural, at
moment when treason was rampant.
And how he pleaded for the union and
for peace. We can never forget the
closing words OF his inaugural: 4 am
10th to close. We are not enemies,
but friends. We must not be enc
mics. The fires OF passion may strain
but must not break our bonds OF AZ
lection. The mystic cords OF memory
stretching from every battlefield anG
patriot grave to every loyal heart
and hearthstone in this broad land
will yet. swell the chorus Of the union
when touched, as surely they will be
by the better angels of our nature"
Then came the presidents call for
volunteers in April. 81. And how
quickly you answered.
Here, to Keokuk, you came, by the
hundreds and thousands, we're sworn
in, received your commissions. learned
to command and to obey, and sailed
of down the Mississippi to soldiers
life, its honors. its dangers, its.
.triumphs and its defeats.
Brave boys were they,
Gone at their country's call"
Months Of Waiting.
Then came the long months OF wait
ing. the tedious railroad guard duty,
the endless preparation. the plans and
counter plans, the citation OF the
south, the anxiety OF Lincoln, the
evaporation Of the north. Wilson's
Creek had been fought in which the
valor OF Iowa boys helped to save
Missouri to the union but no decisive
victory had been achieved for the
cause of the north. At this juncture
on Jan. 10, 1862, when Lincoln was
trying so hard to secure cooperation
between HaIleck, and Buell., Halleck
had written the president on January
9Th, mentioning the many dEficulties
that existed. On this letter Lincoln
made the following endorsement:
This is a copy Of letter just re-
ceived from General Halleck. It is
exceedingly discouraging. AS every
where else, nothing can be done. Jan.
10, 1862. A. Lincoln"
Late In January, 1852, General
Grant conceived the plan Of cutting
the confederacy in two, making Nash
vile no longer tenable for Johnston.
by the capture of Forts Henry and
Donnelson. These forts we're locat-
ed, the former on the Tennessee river
not far from the Kentucky line, and
the later on the Cumberland river,
twelve miles distance from Fort
Henry. Grant asked leave to take
Fort Henry. February LIST. consent
was given. February I'd the advance
began
The Story Of Donneison.
On February 5th, Grant landed fif-
teen thousand troops and on the 9Th
invested Fort Henry on the land side
while Foote engaged the batteries
from the water front. On February
9Th, Fort Henry was abandoned. The
confederates under Buckner, Floyd
and Pillow retreated eastward to For.
Donnelson, VIII sre were extensive for
tifcations. Grant followed with near
ly all of his forces which were soon
reinforced, and on the 18th laid siege
to the confederate position at Fort
Donnelson
General Grant wrote Gsneral Gull
lum Feb. IA, 1862, as follows:
Appearances indicate now that we
will have prortacted siege here.
The ground is very broken and the
fallen limb sr extending far out from
the breastworks, / fear the result Of
an attempt to carry the place by storm
with raw troops. l feel great conf
dence, however, Of ultimately reduc-
ing the plaza"
On February 1s, 1862, unaware OF
the previous days fshting). Lincoln
wired Halleck as follows.
"You have Fort Donnelson safe un-
less Grant be overwhelmed from the
outside, to prevent which. VIII, ! think
require all the vigilance, energy ana
skill of yourself and Buell. acting IN
full cooperation Our success OF
failure at Fort Donnelson Is vastly
important and beg you to put your
soul into the effort"
Here the speaker described the en-
gagem mt at Fort Donneison' the
charge on the afternoon OF FEBRUARY
18th in which the Second, seventh
and Fourteenth Iowa were engaseo
anf, the surrender on the morning OF
thu 10th.
Results Of This Victory.
This splendid victory with its sur
render OF $4,000 confederates, thrill
-, a. nortb 0aye hone to Lincoln,