Part 5

[After repeated requests Grant secured permission, February 1st, to undertake the campaign up the Tennessee. Fort Henry was captured on the 6th; Fort Donelson, eleven miles away, fell on the 16th. Fort Donelson was on high ground, one hundred feet above the Cumberland River. It was an important position for the enemy. Generals Floyd and Pillow, first and second in command at Port Donelson, escaped during the night of the 15th. General Buckner, who was forced to surrender the fort, said to Grant that if he, Buckner, had been in command Grant would never have reached Donelson as easily as he did. Grant answered, "In that case I should not have tried in the way I did; I relied upon Pillow to allow me to come up within gunshot of any entrenchments he was given to hold." Pillow had been in the Mexican War and he prided himself upon that service. Grant speaks of his own service in the Mexican War as being invaluable to him as he there came to know all the men who, later on, held conspicuous positions in both the Northern and Southern armies; he learned to know their strong points and their weaknesses, and to infer how they would act under given conditions.

To his sister Mary.]

Fort Henry, Tenn., Feb. 9th, 1862.

DEAR SISTER:

I take my pen in hand "away down in Dixie" to let you know that I am still alive and well. What the next few days may bring forth, however, I can't tell you. I intend to keep the ball moving as lively as possible, and have only been detained here from the fact that the Tennessee is very high and has been rising ever since we have been here, overflowing the back land and making it necessary to bridge it before we could move.--Before receiving this you will hear by telegraph of Fort Donelson being attacked.--Yesterday I went up the Tennessee River twenty odd miles, and to-day crossed over near the Cumberland River at Fort Donelson.--Our men had a little engagement with the enemy's pickets, killing five of them, wounding a number, and, expressively speaking, "gobbling up" some twenty-four more.

If I had your last letter at hand I would answer it. But I have not and therefore write you a very hasty and random letter, simply to let you know that I believe you still remember me. Whilst writing I am carrying on a conversation with my Staff and others.

Julia will be with you in a few days and possibly I may accompany her. This is barely possible, depending upon having full possession of the line from Fort Henry to Fort Donelson, and upon being able to quit for a few days without retarding any contemplated movement. This would not leave me free more than one day however.

You have no conception of the amount of labor I have to perform. An army of men all helpless, looking to the commanding officer for every supply. Your plain brother, however, has as yet no reason to feel himself unequal to the task, and fully believes that he will carry on a successful campaign against our rebel enemy. I do not speak boastfully but utter a presentiment. The scare and fright of the rebels up here is beyond conception. Twenty three miles above here some were drowned in their haste to retreat, thinking us such vandals that neither life nor property would be respected. G.J. Pillow commands at Fort Donelson. I hope to give him a tug before you receive this.

U.S.G.

[After the fall of Fort Donelson Grant was promoted to the grade of major-general. Had this victory been immediately followed up, he believed that the entire southwest would have offered little resistance; and had there been one general who would have taken the responsibility and been in command of all the troops west of the Alleghanies, the duration of the war would have been far briefer than it was.

Corinth was the junction of the two most important railroads in the Mississippi Valley. It was the great strategic position in the West between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers, and between Nashville and Vicksburg. If the Union troops obtained possession of Corinth the Confederates would have no railroad for transportation of armies or supplies until that running east from Vicksburg was reached.

The enemy was in force at Corinth, March 17th. He attacked Shiloh, April 6th, was defeated April 7th, and evacuated Corinth May 30th.

Up to this time, Grant had believed that the rebellion would suddenly collapse if a decisive victory could be gained. Donelson and Henry were such victories, but now that the Confederates had collected new armies and assumed the offensive, he gave up all idea of saving the Union except by complete conquest. Hitherto, he had protected the property of both Federal and Confederate. Now he began a new policy; he consumed everything that could be used to support armies, regarding supplies within reach of the Confederates as contraband as arms or ordnance stores. This policy, he says, exercised a material influence in hastening the end.

July 11th, Halleck is appointed to the command of all the armies, with headquarters at Washington. Grant now has his headquarters at Corinth in command of the District of West Tennessee. He is practically a department commander.]

Corinth, Mississippi, August 3d, 1862.

DEAR FATHER:

Your letter of the 25th of July is just received. I do not remember receiving the letters, however, of which you speak. One came from Mary speaking of the secessionist Holt who was said to be employed in the Memphis post office. I at once wrote to General Sherman who is in command there about it and he is no doubt turned out before this.

You must not expect me to write in my own defence nor to permit it from any one about me. I know that the feeling of the troops under my command is favorable to me and so long as I continue to do my duty faithfully it will remain so. Your uneasiness about the influences surrounding the children here is unnecessary. On the contrary it is good. They are not running around camp among all sorts of people, but we are keeping house, on the property of a truly loyal secessionist who has been furnished free lodging and board at Alton, Illinois; here the children see nothing but the greatest propriety.

They will not, however, remain here long. Julia will probably pay her father a short visit and then go to Galena or Covington in time to have the children commence school in September.

I expect General Hitchcock to command the Department of the West. Have no fears of General Pope or any one junior to me being sent.

I do not expect nor want the support of the Cincinnati press on my side. Their course has been so remarkable from the beginning that should I be endorsed by them I should fear that the public would mistrust my patriotism. I am sure that I have but one desire in this war, and that is to put down the rebellion. I have no hobby of my own with regard to the negro, either to effect his freedom or to continue his bondage. If Congress pass any law and the President approves, I am willing to execute it. Laws are certainly as binding on the minority as the majority. I do not believe even in the discussion of the propriety of laws and official orders by the army. One enemy at a time is enough and when he is subdued it will be time enough to settle personal differences.

I do not want to command a department because I believe I can do better service in the field. I do not expect to be overslaughed by a junior and should feel exceedingly mortified should such a thing occur, but would keep quiet as I have ever done heretofore.

I have just received a letter from Captain Foley about this same Holt said to be in the Memphis post office. You may say that I shall refer it to General Sherman with the direction to expel him if it is not already done.

Julia and the children are well. I do not expect to remain here long but when I will go I can't say now.

U.S. GRANT.

[In referring to this period, Grant says that it was the most anxious time of the war when the Army of the Tennessee was guarding the territory acquired by Corinth and Memphis, and before he was sufficiently reinforced to take the offensive.

To his sister Mary.]

Corinth, Mississippi, August 19th, 1862.

DEAR SISTER:

Julia and the children left here on Saturday last for St. Louis where they will remain on a visit until about the last of the month. At the end of that time they must be some place where the children can go to school.--Mrs. Hillyer has a nice house in the city and is all alone whilst her husband is on my staff, and it may be that she and Julia will keep house together. If they do she would be very much pleased to have you make her a long visit. Julia says that she is satisfied that the best place for the children is in Covington. But there are so many of them that she sometimes feels as if they were not wanted. Their visit down here in Dixie was very pleasant and they were very loth to leave. Things however began to look so threatening that I thought it was best for them to leave. I am now in a situation where it is impossible for me to do more than to protect my long lines of defence. I have the Mississippi to Memphis, the railroad from Columbus to Corinth, from Jackson to Bolivar, from Corinth to Decatur, and the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers to keep open. Guerillas are hovering around in every direction, getting whipped every day some place by some of my command, but keeping us busy. The war is evidently growing oppressive to the Southern people. Their _institution_[2] are beginning to have ideas of their own; every time an expedition goes out many of them follow in the wake of the army and come into camp. I am using them as teamsters, hospital attendants, company cooks and so forth, thus saving soldiers to carry the musket. I don't know what is to become of these poor people in the end, but it weakens the enemy to take them from them. If the new levies are sent in soon the rebels will have a good time getting in their crops this Fall.

I have abandoned all hope of being able to make a visit home till the close of the war. A few weeks' recreation would be very grateful however. It is one constant strain now and has been for a year. If I do get through I think I will take a few months of pure and undefiled rest. I stand it well, however, having gained some fifteen pounds in weight since leaving Cairo. Give my love to all at home.

ULYS.

[Footnote 2: Slaves.]

[During the two months just past there has been much fighting between small bodies of the opposing armies.]

Corinth, Mississippi, September 17th, 1862.

DEAR FATHER:

A letter from you and one from Mary were received some time ago, which I commenced to answer in a letter addressed to Mary, but being frequently interrupted by matters of business it was laid aside for some days, and finally torn up. I now have all my time taxed. Although occupying a position attracting but little attention at this time there is probably no garrison more threatened to-day than this.

I expect to hold it and have never had any other feeling either here or elsewhere but that of success. I would write you many particulars but you are so imprudent that I dare not trust you with them; and while on this subject let me say a word. I have not an enemy in the world who has done me so much injury as you in your efforts in my defence. I require no defenders and for my sake let me alone. I have heard this from various sources and persons who have returned to this Army and did not know that I had parents living near Cincinnati have said that they found the best feeling existing towards me in every place except there.

You are constantly denouncing other general officers and the inference with people naturally is that you get your impressions from me. Do nothing to correct what you have already done but for the future keep quiet on this subject.

Mary wrote to me about an appointment for Mr. Nixon. I have nothing in the world to do with any appointments, no power to make and nothing to do with recommending except for my own staff. That is now already full.

If I can do anything in the shape of lending any influence I may possess in Mr. Nixon's behalf I will be most happy to do so on the strength of what Mary says in commendation, and should be most happy if it could so be that our lot would cast us near each other.

I do not know what Julia is going to do. I want her to go to Detroit and board. She has many pleasant acquaintances there and she would find good schools for the children.

I have no time for writing and scarcely any for looking over the telegraphic columns of the newspapers.

My love to all at home.

ULYS.

[In late September, Grant went from Corinth to Jackson, Tennessee, "to superintend the movements of the troops to whatever point a threatened attack upon Bolivia might be made." Bolivia was then their most advanced position on the Mississippi Central Railroad. The troops from Corinth were brought up in time to repel the threatened movement without a battle.

Iuka was a town twenty miles east of Corinth. It was entered by General Price of the Confederate army on September 13th. On the 19th he was defeated by Generals Rosecrans and Ord. The battle of Corinth was won October 4th; Van Dorn was the leader of the Confederate forces, while Rosecrans commanded the Union troops. Grant was now assured as to the safety of the territory that he had won.

To his sister Mary.]

Jackson, Tenn., October 16th, 1862.

DEAR SISTER:

I received your letter by due course of mail and expected before this to have answered one of your questions in the shape of an official report; that is the one where you ask me the part I played at the battle of Iuka. When the reports of subalterns come in I will make my report which no doubt will be published and will be a full answer to your question. I had no more to do with troops under General Ord than I had with those under Rosecrans, but gave the orders to both. The plan was admirably laid for catching Price and his whole army, but owing to the nature of the ground, direction of the wind, and General Rosecrans having been so far behind where he was expected to be on the morning before the attack, it failed. In the late battles we have gained such a moral advantage over them however, with Van Dorn and Lovell added, that I do not know but it may have all been for the best.

I have written to Julia to come down here to spend a short time. It will probably be but a short time that she can stay, but so long as I remain here this will be a pleasant place for her.--If the children have not already been sent to Covington I told her to bring them with her. In the last letter I received she said she was about sending them to Covington.

I believe you have now got it all quiet on the Ohio. I hope it will soon be so every place else. It does look to me that we now have such an advantage over the rebels that there should be but little more hard fighting.

Give my love to all at home. Write often and without expecting either very prompt or very long replies.

ULYS.

[October 25th, Grant was placed in command of the Department of the Tennessee and headquarters were established at Oxford, Miss. Reinforcements continued to come from the North, and by November 2d, he was prepared to take the initiative. This, he said, was a great relief after two and a half months of continued defence over a large district where every citizen was an enemy. On November 3d, Grant left Jackson for the campaign against Vicksburg, which did not end until July 4, 1863.

Vicksburg was very important to the enemy on account of its position. It was the only link connecting the parts of the Confederacy separated by the Mississippi. While held by the enemy, free navigation of the river was impossible. During the winter of '62 to '63 there were exceptionally heavy rains and continuous high water on the Mississippi.

To his sister Mary.]

Oxford, Mississippi, Dec. 15th, 1862.

DEAR SISTER:

Yesterday I received a letter from you and the children and one from Uncle Samuel. To day I learned by telegraph that Father is at Holly Springs, thirty miles north of here. Julia is there and as I expect the railroad to be completed to this point by to-morrow I look for them down. I shall only remain here to-morrow, or next day at farthest; so that Julia will go immediately back to Holly Springs. It is a pleasant place and she may as well stay there as elsewhere.

We are now having wet weather. I have a big army in front of me as well as bad roads. I shall probably give a good account of myself however notwithstanding all obstacles. My plans are all complete for weeks to come and I hope to have them all work out just as planned.

For a conscientious person, and I profess to be one, this is a most slavish life. I may be envied by ambitious persons, but I in turn envy the person who can transact his daily business and retire to a quiet home without a feeling of responsibility for the morrow. Taking my whole department, there are an immense number of lives staked upon my judgment and acts. I am extended now like a peninsula into an enemy's country, with a large army depending for their daily bread upon keeping open a line of railroad running one hundred and ninety miles through an enemy's country, or, at least, through territory occupied by a people terribly embittered and hostile to us. With all this I suffer the mortification of seeing myself attacked right and left by people at home professing patriotism and love of country, who never heard the whistle of a hostile bullet. I pity them and a nation dependent upon such for its existence. I am thankful however that, although such people make a great noise, the masses are not like them.

To all the other trials that I have to contend against, is added that of speculators whose patriotism is measured by dollars and cents. Country has no value with them compared with money. To elucidate this would take quires of paper. So I will reserve this for an evening's conversation, if I should be so fortunate as to again get home where I can have a day to myself.

Tell the children to learn their lessons, mind their Grandma and be good children. I should like very much to see them. To me they are all obedient and good. I may be partial but they seem to me to be children to be proud of.

Remember me to all at home,

Your brother

ULYS.

[Walnut Hills is a little north of Vicksburg. The position of Vicksburg on high bluffs overlooking the river was inaccessible. After five months of exposure and labor Grant at last attained his preliminary object, getting his troops to the rear of the city. During this time he would not communicate his plans to the public--this movement to a point below Vicksburg from which to operate. The North was much discouraged over the situation; voluntary enlistment ceased. It was important to gain a decisive victory. In January, he assumed command himself of the expedition. The siege lasted from May 10th to July 4th. Johnston was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate forces and was east of the troops besieging Vicksburg. Pemberton was in command at Vicksburg.]

Walnut Hills, Miss., June 15th, 1863.

DEAR FATHER:

I have received several letters from Mary and yourself, but as I have to deal with nineteen-twentieths of those received, have neglected to answer them.

All I can say is that I am well. I have the enemy closely hemmed in all round. My position is naturally strong and fortified against an attack from outside. I have been so strongly reinforced that Johnston will have to come with a mighty host to drive me away.--I do not look upon the fall of Vicksburg as in the least doubtful. If, however, I could have carried the place on the 22nd of last month, I could by this time have made a campaign that would have made the State of Mississippi almost safe for a solitary horseman to ride over. As it is, the enemy have a large army in it, and the season has so far advanced that water will be difficult to find for an army marching, besides the dust and heat that must be encountered. The fall of Vicksburg now will only result in the opening of the Mississippi River and demoralization of the enemy. I intended more from it. I did my best, however, and looking back can see no blunder committed.

ULYSSES.

[After Vicksburg, Grant began a tour of observation among the important parts of his military rule. In October, 1863, the "Military Division of the Mississippi" was created and Grant given the command. This was composed of the Departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Tennessee. Headquarters were established at Nashville, which was the most central point from which to communicate with his entire military division. The winter was quiet, preparing for the campaign against Atlanta. He says in this letter, "I am not a candidate for any office." This refers, doubtless, to a proposal that he become a candidate for the Presidency.]

Nashville, Tenn., Feby. 20th, 1864.

DEAR FATHER:

I have received your letter and those accompanying, to wit, Mr. Newton's and I.N. Morris'. I may write to Mr. Newton but it will be different from what he expects. I am not a candidate for any office. All I want is to be left alone to fight this war out; fight all rebel opposition and restore a happy Union in the shortest possible time. You know, or ought to know, that the public prints are not the proper mediums through which to let a personal feeling pass. I know that I feel that nothing personal to myself could ever induce me to accept a political office.

From your letter you seem to have taken an active feeling, to say the least, in this matter, that I would like to talk to you about. I could write, but do not want to do so. Why not come down here and see me?

I did tell Julia to make a visit to Cincinnati, Batavia, Bethel and Georgetown.

ULYSSES.