Our Standard-Bearer; Or, The Life of General Uysses S. GrantOptic, Oliver
History
Our Standard-Bearer; Or, The Life of General Uysses S. Grant
Optic, Oliver
Generals -- United States -- Biography -- Juvenile literature; Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885 -- Juvenile literature
Grant, having made his arrangements to meet Buell at Savannah on the
6th of April, went up to the camp. He rode to the front with Sherman,
and both of them agreed that there was no danger of an immediate
attack, though there had been a heavy reconnoissance by the enemy. As
Grant was riding back to the Landing, his horse stumbled and fell,
throwing his rider beneath him, and severely injuring him. He suffered
great pain for several days, and was partially disabled for a week.
On Saturday, April 5, the cavalry of the rebels was very bold, but
still it was not believed that a battle was imminent. The advance
of Buell's army, in command of Nelson, arrived at Savannah on this
day, and was sent up the river by General Grant, to a position five
miles from Pittsburg Landing, on the other side of the Tennessee, in
readiness to reënforce the army at the front. Grant was all ready to
go to the scene of the expected battle, and only waited to keep his
engagement with Buell.
CHAPTER XVI.
_Wherein Captain Galligasken views the illustrious Soldier in the
Battle of Shiloh, and corrects some popular Errors in regard to
that savage Fight._
In approaching the battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, I find
myself coming to a point which envy, jealousy, and misrepresentation
have battered against with the utmost fury. No action of the war
has been so little understood, none so grossly misstated, none so
thoroughly and maliciously criticised. It was one of the severest,
if not the severest conflict of the whole war; but more doubt and
uncertainty seem to hang over it than over any other event connected
with the history of the national arms during the rebellion. There is no
good reason that its facts should be so grossly perverted, nor that any
of its details should be concealed, or apologized for.
Viewing General Grant as the central figure in this tremendous
conflict, every word he spoke was the right word, every movement he
made was the right one. I find nothing in his conduct that needs to
be excused, nothing to be explained, and nothing to be undone. As in
every other battle of the war in which he was engaged, he was heroic,
self-possessed, skilful, and, by his personal influence and exertions,
saved the hard-fought field on the first day. I do not mean to say
that no mistakes were made; only that Grant did not make them. It is
one of his crowning triumphs that he counteracted the errors of others,
that he saved the army from the full consequences of the blunders,
disobedience, and tardiness of subordinates, and of the partial
demoralization among the raw troops. I am only surprised that we were
not overwhelmed and driven into the Tennessee, instead of holding the
ground at the end of that awful fight, which began at daylight and
continued until night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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