The Anderson intelligencer. (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, January 08, 1896, Image 1
BY CLTNKSCALES & LANGSTON.
ANDERSON, S. C, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8 1896.
i
Watch this Space Next Week.
.THINK IT OVER I
WILL. B. HTJBBABD,
That runs the JEWELRY PA.LACE,
next to Farmen and Merchants Bank,
has, beyond a doubt, the Largest Stock
oil.
Jj V1VVUHJ
This side of Charleston, Competition
ain't in it at all, as I cannot be under?
sold...
BSr I bought these Goods to SELL, and If yon fail to get your share it's not my
fenlt. Drop In and LOOK, even II you don't want to buy.
Birtbday, Wedding and Xmas Presents
IN GREAT VARIETY.
ENGRAVING FBEE?Promptes? in everything.
WILL. R. HUBS ARB, Jeweler.
HAVE YOU SEEN
We intend to make a run on Shoes
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JUST RECEIVED,
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We carry a foil line of Staple Dry Goods,
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In every department we give full value for every dollar spent with us.
D. P. SLOAN & CO,
AT
Evans' Pharmacy
No. 4 Hotel Chiquola,
X OTJ will And a nice assortment of the latest 'get up" in?
IXM-A-S GrOOIDS,
Celluloidf Aluminum and Cut Glass
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Also, nice large boxes NUVNAIXY fASDY, suitable for your best girl.
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EVANS PHARMACY.
NEW JEWELRY STORE !
JOHN M. HUBBARD,
IN HIS NEW STORE... .IN HOTEL BLOCK
LOTS OF NEW GOODS."
NOVELTIES IN PROFUSION.
JUST WHAT YOU WANT.
ONE CENT TO $100.00.
v /Bsr*No charge for Engraving.
0?r*The Prettiest Goods in the Town, and it's a pleasnre to show them.
P. Sc?If you have Accounts with J. M. HUBBARD & BBO. make settlement with
me at above pteco.
JOHN 22. HUBBARD.
Below we mention a few Goods
on which ..
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Doors, Sash and Blinds,
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iyracuse Turning* Plows,
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4?* When in tbe market for any of the above named Goods, or any?
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Yours truly,
BROCK BBOS.
LEE AND GRANT.
BT CAPT. W. P. BARLOW.
To give an authoritative decision
upon the comparative merits of these
two greatest of American soldiers, is
beyond the power of any human being.
We, poor, weak mortals, can only form
a very plausible conclusion by a com?
parison of the work done by eaoh, and
of the difficulties under which each
labored. I believe these two were not
only the greatest of all American sol?
diers, but the greatest of all in the
world since Napoleon and Wellington.
If the question were, "Which is en?
titled to the most personal credit for
his wonderful success in life?" I
should unhesitatingly concede this
credit to General Grant. For no Am?
erican has been blessed with more ad?
vantageous surroundings, from birth
to middle age, than General Lee. His
family belonged to the highest and
most genuine nobility of old Virginia.
All of his family traditions and social
surroundings encouraged moral purity
and a noble ambition to be the first
among gentlemen in all that makes
men gentle and manly. Lee was also
blessed with poverty, and, therefore,
protected from the, temptations which
so often impair the faculties of gifted
young men. And greatest of all, Prov?
idence had endowed him with that
patient fortitude, humility and sub?
limity of character which marks the
sincere Christian. In addition to all
this, his father was a Major General
in the Kevolutionary War and & per?
sonal friend of Washington, his wife
a wealthy grand-daughter of Mrs.
Washington, he had a West Point
education, personal experience in the
scientific branch'of war in Mexico, 25
years experience in the army, perfect
health and physical endurance. Is it
any wonder that he was a patriot, a
soldier and a gentleman? It would
have been a reversal of natural law
had he been anything else.
Of General Grant it is sufficient to
say that his personal experiences right
up to the beginning of the war were
precisely the reverse, except in two
points: A West Point, education and
the blessing of poverty. The son of
a poor farmer, with no social training
or accomplishments, no proud family
traditions, awkward in appearance,
diffident, afflicted with a weakness
which reduced him almost to a social
level with the vagabond?it is the
greatest wonder in all American his?
tory that he should rise from the social
gutter to be the foremost citizen of
this great nation, and to gain every
promotion by merit alone. Silent and
modest, he was an unknown quantity
to his nearest farmer neighbors in St.
Louis County, Missouri, and even to
his own family. When he re-entered
the'service in 1861 his father-in-law
derisively remarked: "Well, the Un?
ion is safe now. They've gotGrantl"
As we judge a man personally by
the personal difficlties which he sur?
mounts, I concede at the beginning
that Grant is entitled to far more
personal credit than Lee. He is the
wonder of this country.
But following the same rule, when
we attempt to judge of a General by
the military difficulties surmounted?
when we estimate his effectiveness by
the work performed?there is another
story to tell. Thi s can only be told
by a fair comparison of the work of
these military giants as related in the
ample official and historical records.
We will begin with Grant at Fort
Donelson, which was the first impor?
tant battle gained by the Federals.
Grant was a modest man, under social
tabboo from the regular army officers,
and as unconscious of his own great
genins as the infant in its nurse's
arms. The old-school officers were
under the spell of a stupid old maxim
of war that one should over rather
than under estimate the strength or
ability of his enemy, but Grant was
always free from military traditions,
and was governed by his own common
sense alone. He knew that the two
ranking Confederate Generals at Don?
elson were politicians, masked under
the plumage of Generals, and boldly
marched up to their fortified lines and
invested an enemy whose numbers
j were greater than his own, blustering
and threatening until the gunboats
and infantry re-enforcements arrived.
The fleet arrived, attacked, and was
worsted. Was^ Grant discouraged?
Not in the least. He would apparent?
ly make his raw troops assault an ap?
parently impregnable position, and
the matter of fact manner of prepara?
tion made his ignorant soldiers believe
that the thing was easily done. Just
then the enemy assaulted and broke
Grant's right wing, and in so doing
gave him a bit of priceless informa?
tion?their dead had full haversacks.
Grant at once knew they were attempt?
ing to escape, and the rest was easy.
"This must be rectified," was his quiet
comment upon his broken right wing.
The enemy was beaten back inside his
own lines. Grant's restored right be?
gan a noisy imitation of attack, his
left assaulted and carried some easy
outworkB, and the demoralized politi?
cal Generals, .communicating their
terror to their troops, were morally
and physically beaten. When all
were equally green in the art of war
Grant got the bulge," knew he had
got it, and kept it. His "I propose
to move immediately upon your works"
settled the matter, gaining a compara?
tively bloodless victory, and it was
gained by Grant's sagacity and will
power alone.
And now comes a stronger test of
character. The capture of Donelson
was so easy, so simple, so devoid of
the pomp and circumstances of war,
that it was not appreciated in "scien?
tific" military circles. The army cor?
respondents spread Grant's name in
bold headlines through the press, Hal:
leek ("Old Brains") became jealous,
and seized a childish pretext for plac?
ing the first successful General under
arrest when at the head of a victorious
army. The professional course for
Grant was to raise a howl, demand a
court of inquiry, capture a grievance,
force one's personality upon the world's
attention and threaten resignation.
The great soldier submitted without a
word.
But you cannot fight a man who
stolidly refuses to lift a hand, and
public opinion forced Old Brains to
release Grant from arrest, but not to
restore his command. Grant uncom?
plainingly remained with the army
until it reached Pittsburg Landing,
serving under his former subordinate
until the latter died, when he resumed
the direction of matters by seniority,
but was only nominally in command.
Halleck only tolerated him. and was
harsh and fault finding. The modest
soldier felt this deeply, so did not
assert himself, but kept his headquar?
ters 10 miles away, trusting to Sher?
man the encamping of the army near
Shiloh Church. No soldier can study
the great game of strategy when humil?
iated by the- insolence of ofEce, and
^ this is ample apology for the total sur?
prise and defeat of the Federal army
at the first day's battle of Shiloh.
But he held the river lauding, and
that night, with only about one-fourth
of his army remaining in line, being
joined by Buel's army, calmly gave
orders to attack and regain the lost
camps at daybreak. There was no
blunter, no theatrical appeals. Sim?
ply a few words: "Prepare to attack
at daybreak," then to sleep in the
rain, sitting at the foot of a tree, sur?
rounded by the debris of a defeated^
army, at the close of the deadliest
battle since Waterloo, and differing
from the beaten army at Waterloo only
in having an unfordable river in the
rear.
And the silent genius snatched vic?
tory out of the depths of defeat by
nest day, sweeping his enemy from
the field. Of course, he had superior
numbers, but what Federal General
ever afterwards equaled this feat with
an equal advantage of numbers? With?
out Grant's dogged common sense all
was lost. The numbers were: First
day?Federals, 37,331; Confederates,
40,335. Second day?Federals re-en?
forced by 20.000. j
Again the modest genius was thrown
into the slough of despond. Ealleck
came to the front, accumulating an
army of double the strength needed, I
shelved Grant into a sham "second in
command" and began a scientific war
against the silent forests of Mississip?
pi by a system of regular approaches
as laid down for siege works, over 30
miles from Shiloh to Corinth?a.cam?
paign which in Europe would have
been celebrated in comic opera. Grant
had the very rare firmness to look
upon this baby play without saying a
word. He declined to make an official
report of the Shiloh battle, but this
was the only indication of his unspeak- ]
able, contempt for a silly commander
in-chief. To Ealleck's attempts to
make him a scapegoat, to the frantic
abuse of the press, he replied not a
word. And there was probably but
one General in America who could
have equaled him in this great trial.
This masterful forbearance saved him,
for when the huge army was trans?
ferred to Kentucky Grant was left in
command of the outlying detachments
around Corinth and was permitted the
opportunity to slowly acquire the con?
fidence of the authorities at Washing?
ton. ;
During the following months General
Grant was slowly working out the I
problem which defied the skill of the
Engineer Corps and seemed insur?
mountable?the capture of Vicksburg.
This position was protected on its
Tight flank for 100 miles by a swamp
impassable for infantry or gunboats.
All the rules of gunnery forbade the
navy to run by the batteries. The
iron-clad navy, and even the trans
ports, finally did run the batteries
and. Grant instantly took advantage
of this by moving around Vicksburg, I
resolved to march upon Port Hudson.
But after lading on the east bank of
the Mississippi he conceived one of
the most daring campaigns in all mili- I
tary history?to cut loose from hia I
base of supplies and march to the rear
of the enemyj where the penalty of I
defeat, or even a serious check, meant
actual starvation for his army. So
apparently reckless was this move that I
he knew "Old Brains" would instant-1
ly countermand it (as in fact he did),
but Grant was out of communication
with Washington until it was too late I
to stop him. He had again trampled
upon military tradition by placing a
low estimate upon the abilities of his
opponent. And he won, as genius
always wins, when opposed by medioo-1
rity. Thus the second great success
of the Federal army was achieved by I
the quiet brain of Grant, and in op-1
position to the opinions of the best
Genera's under and over him. In his
quiet, plodding way, he was "superior I
to the occasion."
Of his next great success, the battle
of Missionary Ridge, it is unnecessary I
to occupy time, for the battle was won I
by an accident?Sheridan's infantry I
assaulting without orders. But it is I
only the skilled fighting General who
puts himself in the way of profiting
by such ace'dents. j
In the spring of 1864 we find Gen-1
eral Grant intrusted with a giant's
task?Commander-in-Chief of all the j
armies of the United States, and Gen
eral commanding the Army of the
Potomac, which was to grapple with j
an army and General who had never
known defeat. In the three years of
war Grant's new command had never j
been cheered by victory and had se-1
cured but two drawn battles?Antie
tam and Gettysburg. In these two I
alone had the Union troops retained
their original position at the close.
Although they were claimed as victo-1
ries for the U?ion cause, and were
"strategical successes," to the men in
fighting line they were only drawn I
battles, while all others had been de- j
cisive defeats.
General Grant has been much cen?
sured for sacrificing his men?"trad?
ing off " three for one?in this cam?
paign against Lee, but what else could
he do? Tens of thousands of the vet?
erans had gone home at the expiration
of their three years' service; their
places largely taken by boys, ignorant I
foreigners, bounty men and "bounty
jumpers." Their discipline, drill and
equipment was superb, and the result
proved that their courage was equal to
every demand, but the enthusiasm of
success was all upon the other side.
Lee's veterans habitually marched
four miles to their three, and on a
rush would easily make three miles to
their two. In Lee's army every bri?
gade was commanded by a Brigadier
General, divisions by Major Generals,
corps by Lieutenant Generals, and the
army by a full General?all tried sol?
diers. In Grant's army half of the
Brigadiers were at home, their brigades
commanded by Colonels, Brigadiers
commanded divisions, and Meade, a
Major General only, commanded the
whole under Grant. These Generals
had neither the confidence of the
Government over them or of the men
under them. The army was simply a
splendid military machine, devoid of
life.
In numbers, Grant's army was about
double the strength of Lee's, but i?
actual "fighting strength" it would be
unfair to rate him at above four to
three, and had he attempted to man?
euver with his slow-moviDg troops
againts Lee's trained racers?had he
opposed his own admirable common
sense methodic tactics against- the
matchless skill of Lee, the odds would
have been even, and it is probable that
he would have met the fate of all of
his predecessors in command. At
least Grant seemed to feel this, for he
remarked at the beginning: "Oh, no;
I never maneuver." The resultR,
while detracting somewhat from his
military laurels, gave success, which,
after all, is the sure test of merit.
With a slow-moving army, splendidly
disciplined, but devoid of enthusiasm,
1 capable of standing punishment to an
extent never before known jq war,'
General Grant took no chances, hut
adopted the slow and sure means of
success. And he was right. He had
slowly but thoroughly learned his
trade.
When we turn to General Lee every?
thing is different. He had no chance
to serve an apprenticeship, like Grant,
in the subordinate grades, but began
as a full General. From his first great
battle to his last?from the beginning
of the war to the end?always con
fronted by an army numbering three
to his two, and sometimes nearer two
to one?a single decisive defeat meant
the loss of Richmond and destruction
to his Government. Under similar
responsibilities all Generals except
Frederick and Napoleon have been
prudent and cautious, but Lee could
never afford to be cautious. In h
first battle ("seven days" in front of
Richmond), with odds of 11 to 9 against
him, leaving one-third of his forces to
cover Riohmond, with two-thirds he
marched across an unfordable river
around McClelland's right flank, broke
the line of provision supplies, and by
this daring strategy alone defeated
the Cnemy. I say in strategy alone
for in the aotual fighting Lee's losses
exceeded McClelland's, and the Fed
erals held their positions in every
battle except the second at Gaine'
Mill.
Then Lee fell back to Richmond
leaving one division of about 12,000
men to watch McClelland's 90,000
when Pope, with a new army occupied
Culpepper, a point in the opposite
direction from McClelland's position
Reasoning that the fear of losing
Washington was sufficient protcctio
for Richmond, Lee marched after
Pope, who, with odds in his favor of
about 4 to 3, retreated behind the
Rappahannock. A delay of two week
would have given Pope three to one
but Lee did not delay. Like Grant
he placed a low estimate upon his op
ponent's ability, and almost contempt
uously sent Stonewall Jackson around
by Manasses Gap, to Pope's rear, ex
posing three men to the attack of
eight. Holding Pope on the Rappa
hannock by a noisy demonstration
with Longstreet's corps until Stone
wall got 24 hours' start, we have the
strange position of 54,000 men sur
rounding 63,000, the lesser number
divided into two massess, one day'
march apart, and a mountain gap be
tween, which could be (and was) occu
pied by the enemy. The methodic
selfish General, who wants a "sure
thing" in war, prefers being beaten
according to regular rules to taking
such chances. But the born genius
foresees what his opponent will do in
an unforeseen emergency and moves
with confidence. Pope, with his con
founded masses, made a rush for Ma
nasses, where Stonewall stood them
off for one day, until Lee could arrive
Lee then placed Longstreet's corps in
such a position that the battle of
Second Manasses was won before the
opening gun was fired. When Pope
at last concentrated, again attacked
Stonewall, Longstreet's batteries en?
filaded the attacking Federals, Long
street's infantry charged and repulsed
Pope's left flank, and the battle was
won.
Of course, we oan charge up all lost
batteries to the imbecility of the los?
ing General. But what causes the
brain power of an educated profession?
al soldier to stampede but the skill of
his opponent? Had Pope been attack?
ed according to the rules of war, as he
understood, those rules, he would not
have lost his mental balance and his
campaign.
The next move into Maryland and
the battle of Antietam offers little of
a strategical or tactical nature for
comment. It only shows Lcc's hardi?
hood in refusing to retreat without a
battle and in defensively engaging
more than double his own forces in
that stubborn contest. The offensive
campaign failed, and the capture of
11,000 Federal prisoners at Harper's
Ferry, while making the enemies' far
greater than his own, did not com pen
sate, for their losses could be easily
replaced, while Lee'B could not. An
tietam was a drawn battle, but was
strategically a defeat for the Confed
erates. I fear we must score one error
against Lee.
But Lee's maneuvering during the
next three months?a sealed book to
the general public?was little short of
marvelous. When he fell back from
the Antietam field his army was actu?
ally reduced by losses in battle, star?
vation and straggling to about 45,000
men. Yet he boldly confronted Mc
Clellan with over 100,000 men just
across the Potomac, and seemed anx?
ious for a fight, even sending Stuart
with his cavalry on a raid clear around
McClellan. Lee so thoroughly bluffed
the Federal commander that when the
latter finally advanced he entered Vir
ginia east of the Blue Ridge, using
those mountains to protect his right
from Lee with only half his own mem?
bers. Then was exhibited a daring
strategy which was almost comical.
Lee's sick and stragglers had returned,
increasing his force to 60,000, equally
divided into the two corps of Jackson
and Longtreet, while McClellan had
120,000. When the Federals moved
south along the eastern slope of the
mountains Lee moved south along the
western slope, leaving Jackson behind
near Front Royal, and with Long
street's 30,000 crossed the mountains
into Culpepper and confronted his
enemy. Here was another strange
military spectacle. An army 60,000
strong divided into two corps 60 miles
apart, with a mountain range inter?
vening, actually threatening the front
and right flank of an army of 120,000,
fully concentrated and commanded by
a professional soldier of experience,
who knew all the art of war which
could be learned from books. When
McClellan seemed ready to advance
against Longstreet, Jackson sent a
small division through the gap in Mc
Clellan's rear and threatened his line
of supplies from Washington. And
should McClellan poke his head of
column trough the gap to the west?
ward to attack Jackson, Longstreet
was ready on the southward to bite a
chuck out of his tail. McClellan was
paralyzed and would not move at all.
Lee's quiet comment to Longstreet
was: "I am sorry they have releaved
your friend McClellan. If they con?
tinue changing I fear they will get a
General whom I do not understand so
well." The great soldier showed no
exultation over his own superior skill.
Not a line in all his correspondence
shows the quiet gratification he must
have felt over this duccess in the fine
art of strategy.
When Burnside took command of
the Federal Army he also inherited
the prevailing fear of Lee. Instead
of advancing directly southward to
the front, where he could have engaged
an enemy of only one-half his strength
in the open, he preferred to move by
his left eastward, interposing a navi
eable river to protect that enemy from
his own attack. What strange hyp?
notic power is ifc whioh enabled Grant
to addle the brain of Peraherton at
Vicksburg, and how oould Lee succes?
sively paralyze the faculties of Mc
Clellan, of Pope and now of Burn
! side ?
As the bird falls helpless into the
jaws of the charming serpent, so fin?
ally Burnside crossed the river at
Fredericksburg and gave his magnifi?
cent army up to useless slaughter.
And that is all there is to be said of
this battle. The only comment is that
Lee did not wish to fight there. Cer?
tain of success, he preferred engaging
two day's march further south, where
the open country would enable him to
follow up the anticipated victory, as
his letters written before the battle
to President Davis explained. But
his dislike to giving the country in
rear up to the devastation of the Fed?
eral Army prevented this move.
After the battle of Federicksburg
both armies were tied up by the mud?
dy roads and remained in winter quar?
ters until the spring of 1864. General
Burnside joined his unsuccessful pre?
decessors in retirement, and^General
Hooker assumed command of the
Array of the Potomac. General Lee
detached Longstreet with two divisions
for service in Southeastern Virginia,
leaving 52,000 Confederates to oppose
120,000 Federals.
And now we will see a campaign
which for simplicity and daring auda?
city surpasses anything in Napoleon's
career. It can be told in few words.
When Hooker had reorganized and
completed what he called "the finest
army on this plant" he sent Sedgwick
across the river with 30,000 men to
threaten Lee's front. Sedgwick was
protected by heavy batteries on the
heights in rear. Then Honker with
80,000 mftn made a night's march to
the west and crossed, taking position
at Chancellorsville, some 15 miles be?
yond Lee's left flank, and solidly in?
trenched. Lee's letters, written pre?
viously, show that he expected pre?
cisely this move, but from the difficul?
ty of feeding his army had not recalled
Longstreet. He felt fully able to
meet Hooker with the astonishing odds
against him of over 12 to 5.
Leaving Ewell with 8,000 men in
his old intrenchments to confront
Sedgwick's 30,000, Lee marched
straight into the wilderness which
"protected" Hooker's masses. And
here we have another of those astound?
ing strategical positions, so far beyond
the ken of the careless general reader:
Hooker had about 60,000 men in line,
intrenched, with 20,000 in reserve.
Lee deployed 14,000 men oppositp
Hooker's left wing and threatened
instant battle by a noisy skirmish
while screened from observation by
this wilderness, which Hooker had
chosen for his battlefield. Then Lee
detached Jackson with 28,000 men to
march around Hooker's right?the ob
jective point nearly 20 miles away?
42,000 men surrounding 80,000 of
"the best soldiers on this planet."
To contemplate the mental resources
of a General capable of taking such
risks is like studying the immensity
<?f space. And we must always bear
in mind that the entire Confederate
cause depended upon the success of
Lee's army. One overwhelming defeat
meant the loss of his cause.
Jackson's corps, at 6 p. m., was in
position, and the great battle of Chan?
cellorsville was won before his skir?
mishers fired their first shot.
Such are the boundless results of
military strategy in a master hand.
This is the pith of Napoleon's remark
?read by millions but only understood
by dozens?"In war men are nothing;
a man is everything."
In studying these magical flights of
genius the average writer searches in
his'own uninformed brained for the
?solution. The victory of Chancellors
ville is attributed to stonewall Jack?
son's daring and precision, and to the
paralyzing of Hooker's brain at the
critical time. Of course, to do skill?
ed worked the skilled workman requir
es the best of tools, and Stonewall
was matchless in execution. But of
what avail the best tempered tools
when bunglingly used*?
Of course such success as this re
quires a paralyzed opponent. But
what mysterious power is this which
enables the quiet mind of one man to
overcome the thinking faculty of a
brave veteran soldier, the hero of
many battles, his entire life spent in
studying the details of his profession,
and ready to give his life for success ?
We may confuse the record with side
issues to infinity and find no light.
Week mortals may say that tall oaks
are created by a happy combination of
soil," water and air; plain common
sense says that tall oaks were needed
by God in his plan of nature, and He
created them for a wise purpose.
We may rest our claim of Lee's
great superiority as a general right
here. But a brief remark upon Get?
tysburg, the turning point of the war,
seem necessary.
The invasion of Pennsylvania was
a desperate move in "grand strategy"
to relieve Vicksburg by threatening
Baltimore and Washington. It failed
through poverty of resources. Lee
has been censured for "losing" the
battle of Gettysburg. He did not
lose that battle, for it was "drawn,"
both armies retaining their original
position for 24 hours after, and each
inviting attack.. Picket made his
grand charge with 8,000 men, and 240
of them with General Armistead broke
through the Federal lines. Lee ex?
pected and ordered 18,000 men to do
the work. The problematical effect
of 10,000 more men, reduced one
third by natural losses, rushing into
the gap opened by those 240 heroes,
will cause the military student to
reflect that perhaps Lee was right,
and at least that the desperate national
emergency which Lee saw so plainly
justified a desperate attempt.
From Gettysburg to the coming of
Grant nothing decisive occurred. The
only item of interest is that the
Federal Government at last found in
Meade a General who could maneuver
in Lee's fearful presence and preserve
his own mental equilibrium. But a
greater man than Meade, and a larger
army than he commanded, was requir- j
ed to finish the task. President Lin?
coln wisely sent for Grant, for the
first time conferred adequate rank on
the responsible head, and also for the
first time placed the soward and purse
of the nation at his disposal.
You cannot fence with a man who
receives your deadliest thrusts with
indifference, and rushes in for a bear
hug.
Grant's success had mostly been
won by the skillful handling of super?
ior numbers, and plain, hard fighting.
He had too much sense to venture
with his solid, slowmoving army into
the inexhaustible realm of military
maneuvers, but closed in for a death
grapple, which was certain to win.
Henceforth Lee was deprived of the
use of his magical strategic powers
and was forced to become a mere
tactician and fighter in presence of
another who was his equal in these
minor points, In this commercial
way of making war the capitalist
wins. But Grant was the only Fed?
eral General capable of forcing the
war into his own channel and holding
it there.
Both Generals were great in success
and in reverses. Grant was especially
great in his generous magnanimity
toward the conquered after the war.
Neither boasted of his achievements.
Each was unselfish and forgiving.
Grant might have developed un?
known powers of strategy had he been
put to the test. A man never does
"better than his best," except under
compulsion.
Lee was under this compulsion from
the very beginning. He was always
forced to be superior to all opponents,
always foroed to conquer any odds.
One defeat meant destruction, and he
was never defeated. Grant was the
equal, perhaps the superior of Well?
ington, but to find Lee's equal we
must look to Napoleon alone.?Saint
Louis Republic.
Raw Material.
We very little dream of what the
purposes of God are toward us. We
are the clay, he is the Potter. The
way of man is not in himself; it is
not in man that walketh to direct his
steps. The business of life is the
preparation of the raw material for the
use of God in His wise and all com?
prehensive providence. And what we
call our trials and tribulations is only
the fnrnace that rids the metal of its
dross and fits it for a vessel of honor
or sterling coinage?for our part in the
great design. If we wilt and lie down
in the trial we are simply passed by as
condemned. If we stand the trial,
show pluck, courage and essential
character and value, we are used ; we
may be subjected to still greater tests,
but the trial shows of what kind we
are, and whether we can be promoted
and used. Faith and self-reliance are
identical. Self-reliance is faith in
God. He that trusteth in his own
heart is a fool. Our own part is of the
earth earthy. The divine part of us is
the Spirit of the living God, and on
that we are to rely, our best selves.
Enthusiasm is God within. The fire
is to try every man's work. Tbewood,
hay and stubble, the lights parts, are
consumed. The true metal gleams
brighter for separation from ths dross,
from the corruptible, The spirit re?
lieved from the burden and pressure
of sense, enjoys its best freedom.
And the flesh absolutely subordinated
to the spirit fills its most dignified of?
fice. Nisiparct, imperat: Unless it
obeys it governs. The contest between
flesh and soul makes the battle of life.
It is the highest manhood not to
know when we are beat. If we fall it
must be with the back to the field and
the face to the foe. If we are to sink
let us go dowD, all in order. If we
are to die let it be in Harness.
When Xenophon found himself in
the heart of Persia, in the midst of the
enemy with his little band of Greeks,
and was given the command he ap?
peared before them in his very best
array. If he was to triumph he would
triumph handsomely, if he was to be
a sacrifice he would be a worthy one.
He gave a splendid key note of bravery
to his followers.
The pudding of the metal, the per?
fection and test of the raw material,
is the great business of the gre at God,
the Master Workman. Individuals,
families and nations are worked, are
melted, are stirred, are turned over,
are subjected to heat and cold, to wet
and dry, to darkness and light. They
are wrought: they are seasoned for the
designs of Heaven.
* We start life with one set of ideas,
and ere we are under way, everything ;
is changed. God's purposes towards
us were established before we were
conceived in the womb, and this pre?
paration of us begins with our con
ception, goes on through infancy, and
continues on forever. The efforts of
our parents, our teachers and ourselves
are merely working the raw material,
helping its quality, its character. The
best education generates power and
tempers our metal. Practically it is
very important to know how to take
and make the best use of adversity and
hard dines and real sufferings and pain
and trial?to be wrought. It is not
only to know how to bear, to be patient
to submit and meekly say, Thy will
be done. But it is to accept them as
kindly, wisely as positive and unmis
takeable blessings what seems to the
common eye quite the reverse. It is
to be bright, vigorous, plucky, even
joyous, in sustaining, in contending,
in planning, in making the very best
of the least and most hopeless things I
and conditions as most valuable and
important. It is to go right on with
our work adjusting and designing it
for the best conditions of prosperity.
It is pointing in the right direction.
It is designing under the worst cir-1
cumstances exactly as if everything
were going well. ? It is ploughing in
spite of the cold. It is not observing
the'clouds or regarding the rain, but
sowing and reaping as good sense sug?
gests and waiting upon God, as the
eyes of servants looking to the hand
of the master or of a maid to the hand
of her mistress; consulting only for
duty and honor and manhood ; keeping
innocency and taking heed to the thing
that is right, assured that that shall
bring a man peace at the last; as liv?
ing sacrifices for the great High Priest,
as wrought material for the Master's
hand.?Greenville News.
? One of the most remarkable pro?
ducts of Nevada is a species of wood
known as mountain mahogany, which
when dry is as hard as boxwood, very
fine grained, of a rich red color, and
in weight very heavy. It has been
used for boxes for shafting, and in
some instances for slides and dies in
quartz batteries. It burns with a
blaze as long lasting as ordinary wood,
and it is then found almost unchanged
in form, converted to a charcoal that
lasts about twice as long as ordinary
wood, giving also an intense heat,
greater than coal gives. Another no?
table species of wood, having extraor?
dinary durability, is said to be the
quebrache wood, of Argentina. Posts
that have been in the ground 150
years, in soil alternately sodden by
tropical rains or parched by intense
heat, are found to be in sound condi?
tion. The wood is also described as
free from attacks of insects, does not
decay, and is not compressible, and
weighs nearly 80 pounds per cubic foot.
How's This.
Wo offer Oae Eusdrtd Dollars reward for any
case ' f Catarrh that cannot be cared by Hall's
Catarrh Cure.
F. J. CHENEY 4 CO . Toledo, 0.
We, the undersigned hare known F. J. Cheney
for the ast 15 yean, and hellere him perfectly
honorable In all business transactions and finan?
cial ly able to carry out any obligations trade by
their firm.
West & Trua.t, Wholesale Drugrists, Toledo, 0.
Walwnq. Kisnan & Mahvix, Wholesale Drug,
gists, Toledo. O.
Ha'I's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting
di.-ectiy upon the blood and mucous surfaces o?
tbx system. Tnatlmonlals sent *"
00? by Delate, 7*.
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
He Doesn't Believe There Will be Any
War .With England.
Atlanta Constitution.
They told me of various things they
would like to have for Christmas pres?
ents for friends and posterity. They
wanted seventeen I think. Of course
I listened in a subdued manner, but
an elephant had trod on my pocket
book and it was so fiat I couldent see
through this business. My wife said
that handkerchiefs were a good thing
?nice handkerchiefs were always in
order. She had some in her trunk to
send to the boys. There are various
things in that trunk. It is a sort of
subtreasury, a cache, but it won't
hold enough things for the grandchil?
dren. Dolls and baby carriages and
jumping jacks and picture books had
to be bought and some nice linen
handkerchiefs. Well, as I was turn?
ing the Norcross corner I heard a
squealer squealing handkerchiefs.
There was a stack of them on a box
and a crowd around and he was pass?
ing handkerchiefs along for examina?
tion. "Genuine linen, pure Irish
linen, all guaranteed, only 5 cents
apiece. Examine them, gentlemen.
These are Exposition exhibit goods
that we are obliged to sell out, for we
are going home. Home, sweet home,"
etc. Never heard a man squeal more
sweetly. I was shy at first but took
hold of the handkerchief. It was good
size and nicely bordered and looked
like linen and felt like linen, and I
heard a man say "This is linen,
shore." So I thought I had found
the very thing my wife wanted and 1
! told him I would take ten. "Thank
' you, sir," he said politely, and he
j took them off the folded pile and
wrapped thorn up and I put them in
my little grip and handed him a dol?
lar?a silver dollar. He dident Iband
back the change, but leaned up close
to me and whispered, "You are a
family man, I reckon." "Yes," said
I. "Well, I will give you twenty
more for the other half dollar," said
he. So I took them and put them all
in my satchel. Good gracious ! Thirty
linen handkerchiefs for a dollar.
Enough to keepall the grandchildren's
noses clean and leave some for me.
I was proud.
When my wife opened the package
she was horrified. "Why they are all
cotton and the veriest, thinnest, slazi
est cotton at that. You have been,
cheated again as usual." That ras
cally squealer had handed round a
nice linen handkerchief as a sample
and wrapped up poor thin cotton ones
so quick we dident suspect anything
wrong. But they will do for the
noses. I reckon. In fact, I rather
like them for my grip, and I carry two
all the time?one for each side. And
I bought a beautiful little doll car
riage with a parasol over it for 9,0
cents and a lunch basket and a mice
that runs around on the floor and a
spool case and some other little tricks
and came home happy, for Christmas
is a season to make others happy. On
earth peace, good will to men, and
especially to the children. Yes,
that's it 1 On earth peace! We are
not going to have any war with Eng?
land. But I'll be dogond if Johnny
Bull shall step over here and take
land that don't belong to him?land
and water, for there is the mouth of
the Orinoco that ought to be opes and
free to our commerce. War is a hor?
rible, devilish business and it ought
not to be considered seriously. No,
sir ! We are not going to have any
war, but I'll be dad blasted if Johnny
Bull shall have anything over here
that don't rightfully belong to him?
the greedy old rascal. The fact is, I
don't believe thoso English know
where Venezuela is or who Mr. Mon?
roe was, but they have got a big map
and stake out the earth and olaim to
the stakes. Fifty years ago they put
down their stakes on an island in the
Caribbean sea and the island sank in
an earthquake and went down and
England is still guarding the hole and
waiting for the island to rise again.
That's what a man told me.
But the idea of war with our old
mother. God bless her and blesa her
noble Queen, who for over fifty years
has been a model woman?a noble
hearted lady of the olden times?an
illustrious example of good, old-fash?
ioned, honest motherhood ; had nine
children right straight along and
nursed them in the old-fashioned way
and give them castor oil and salts and
sung to them at night just like we do.
I have great respect for any woman
who has raised nine children, and I
have 10 per cent, more respect for a
woman who has raised up ten, like my
wife has: but I'll be ding-donged if
Johnny Bull, or any other bull, shall
put a chip on our hat. We are going
to investigate. Our committee will go
over there and report and maybe by
the Fourth of July we will know some?
thing about this business, and then
we will let it fret along for a year or
two and fix up an arbitration, and by
the year 1900 the dispute will be set?
tled. That's the way we did the
Alabama claim and the Bering seal
fisheries. We needent be in any hurry
about fighting. In fact, it looks like
sacrilege for Christian nations to talk
war during Christmas times. We
ought to have waited until the Fourth
of July?that's the time to crow?but
old Johnny Bull had better mind how
he steps over our hemisphere. The
old rebs have had their disabilities re?
moved and they havent forgotten how
England treated us thirty-three years
ago. I predicted that Congress would
turn our boys loose just as soon as war
was threatened. That was nice, was
ent it ? So generous, so magnani?
mous. After waiting thirty long years
they did it in a day without debate.
We dident ask it and they shoved it on
us. Sherman, Tom Reed & Co. got
together the night after Mr. Cleve?
land's war message and said if we
should have war with England, where
are we going to get our mercenaries
from. We can't get any more from
England or Ireland or Germany or
Spain, where we got them during the
last, and we will need those rebels
down South. The fact is, they are
the best fighters the nation has got.
We had five to their one in the field
and then it took four years to subdue
them and they have put 900.000 o:f our
men on the pension rolls, besides what
they killed. The fact is we are just
obliged to have them and now is a
good time to tender the olive branch.
That's what a man told me they 3aid.
Now if they will put our one.le^ged,
one-armed and one-eyed and diss.bled
veterans on the pension rolls too, we
will have some faith in their magnani?
mity, but not until then. It wouldent
be any very big drain on the treasury,
for we havent but about 100,000 vet?
erans left, all told, and not more than
one-fourth of them would bo pension?
ers. Our boys have been dying for
thirty years,bqt somehow pr other
theirs don't die but keep on multiply-*
ing. There is another thing, about it.
That resolution was too short and too'
stingy of language. It ought to have
had a preamble and some words -that
indicated, regret for the long delay, j
In fact they should have apologized 9
and begged our^pardon and done the I
clean thing while they were at it. ?
My fear now is that if the war blows
over the Grand Army will raise a rum-1
pus about that resolution and have it|
rescinded, just like they did the order
for the restoration of the rebel flags.
They have had all the offices and-afti
the pensions so long. They don't
want us to have anything. But we'll
get even with them in the long run.
See if we don't. Lots of their best
people are moving down South and in
a few years will become as clevergen
tlemen and Christiantf'a^'lJfftriots^a
we are and can raise their children in
a moral atmosphere. Our climate and .1
our society has a wonderful effect on
Northern men.
"Well, of course, about half of this
is a joke, and I don't want to make I
anybody mad this'Cnristmas, but the
other - half is in earnest. The best
thing General Grant ever said was :
"Let us have peace," and he wouldent
have said it if ho hadent -been a gen- -
tleman.
I have had a hard time of it to-day.
My wife said^that I must "pnt*in^that
pane of glass upstairs before. the chil?
dren come. Jessie was" coming home
to stay awhile and, of course,*would
bring her baby, and Lreckon her hus?
band would be apt to follow'along. ,
Well, of course, the pane,mustlje put
in, for if there is any bad sign abosfc.;
a house it is a broken panje.-wjfch a bag
or some rag!hsta?k"i'n the hole. : It is
a sigu that the inanfof the house ain't
much account. -It's as bad as a front
gate that won't open or shut easy or a
front door with a knob off.
This pane was out in'thc upper sash
and I never realized what a critical
job it was until I got at it. I came
very near falling out of the two-story"
window, for the work had to be done
from the outside. I?had to hold on
with one hand and work with the
other and at last had to give it up.
So I got the step ladder and took out -
all the stops and pulled the sash inside j
the room hanging by the cords, and j
my wife she helped me and the ladder/;
cracked and creaked amazingly, but
we finally got the glass in and tacked,
and puttied all right, and ths sash put
back, and the stops replaced, and I.
thought I was done, but she wanteu^
the old shades taken downaadrsome
new ones put up, and I h?atft mount
the old step ladder~again. She never
lets me know all that she wants me to
do for fear of alarming'me,^and that's
why she kept the new "shades hid out
until I had put in the window pane.
But I got through safely at (las^aad^
received several benignant ?nilc?.
By this time I was so nervcjss that
when I tried to write I couldent hardly
hold the pen and that's what is the
matter with this manuscript.. I can't
read it myself and will excuse any
mistakes your typo makes. Oh, these
women who are always fixing up some?
thing. They make me so tired. T:.t'?;
I gave her a nice work basket for
Christmas, ?I did, and another was
sent to her from Florida, and she is
happy too.; the fact is, we are all
happy right now. Bill Abp.
All Sorts of Paragrtp^sT^
? The average man counts time by
pay days..
? Never fail to be punctual at the
time appointed.
? They say now that the Spanish.
soldiers in Cuba sell their arms and
ammunition to the insurgents. ^ -
? The Gutenberg Bible in the
Brinley collection at London cost a.
sum equal to $10,000 in United States
currency.
? What is gossip ?", reflected,,
preacher; and then he ansf^
"It's putting two and two
and making them five." >
? A Wisconsin man whose"
serted him forty-two times in
two years lost patience with^
she lit out the forty-third 1
entered suit for divorce.
? When Mile. Christine,'
derful two-headed colorec
rides on the European ra
has "heaps of trouble" witfi conduc?
tors who try to levy-two fares from the
fteak.
? At a recent family reunion in
Kentucky there was one man 98yeaaJ
old that weighed but 63 pcms^BBSf
lady 2 years old that weigliea^W
pounds, and women with 12 toes and
14 fingers.
? For a pain in1 tho chest a piece of
flannel dampened with Chamberlain's
Pain Balm and bound on over the
scat of the pain, and another on the
back between the shoulders, will afford
prompt relief. This is especially."
valuable in cases where the pain it
caused by a cold and there is a
dency toward pneumonia. Forss
Hill Bros.
? At a church festival in Michigan
a fellow who was to have a hatchet
stuck in his back in some private the?
atricals allowed the board which was
concealed under his coat to slip, and,
when, the fellow chopped him with the
hatchet he gave a.yell like aCoi
manche Indian and sunk 1H3eTiiHg""on"
the floor. Several ladies in the cast
fainted, and the melodrama had both
a melancholy and dramatic climax. ^
? The months may-speed as they,
will. The days may come and go like
lightning flashes. Age may creep on
apace and youth hasten to middle life.
November blasts may chill and Decem?
ber snows cover the sod like a shroud.
It matters little. There will be other'
years in other climes, and the wori we
leave unfinished will be brought to
completion when the grass has grown
on our graves.
? Among the South Carolina ex?
hibits at the Atlanta Exposition is a
silver vase with a history. It was
given by the ladies of South Carolina
to General Andrew Jackson, in timst^
to be presented to the bravest,
of the Palmetto Jlef
ican war. general
ble to dedide^whicL
of that heroic ban07^_
eluded that the vase shouloTgo
last survivor. There are still 25 mexnT
bers of the regiment, including one
negro, in the competition.
? Many merchants are well aware
that their customers are their bdsd
friends and take pleasure, in supi
them with the best goods obtaf
As an instance we menti'c
Cameron, prominent dr
Flushing, Michigan.
"We have no hesit
mending Chamberlain'
dy to our customers,
cough medicine we have ?
always gives satisfaction." ?
at 25 and 50 cents per bottle
Bros,