FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570   571   572   573   574   575   576   577   578   579   580   581   582  
583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603   604   605   606   607   >>   >|  
respect of other nations. Our experience ought to teach us the necessity of the first; our power secures the latter. I feel that we are on the eve of a new era, when there is to be great harmony between the Federal and Confederate. I cannot stay to be a living witness to the correctness of this prophecy; but I feel it within me that it is to be so. The universally kind feeling expressed for me at a time when it was supposed that each day would prove my last, seemed to me the beginning of the answer to "Let us have peace." The expression of these kindly feelings were not restricted to a section of the country, nor to a division of the people. They came from individual citizens of all nationalities; from all denominations--the Protestant, the Catholic, and the Jew; and from the various societies of the land--scientific, educational, religious or otherwise. Politics did not enter into the matter at all. I am not egotist enough to suppose all this significance should be given because I was the object of it. But the war between the States was a very bloody and a very costly war. One side or the other had to yield principles they deemed dearer than life before it could be brought to an end. I commanded the whole of the mighty host engaged on the victorious side. I was, no matter whether deservedly so or not, a representative of that side of the controversy. It is a significant and gratifying fact that Confederates should have joined heartily in this spontaneous move. I hope the good feeling inaugurated may continue to the end. APPENDIX. REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL U. S. GRANT, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMIES 1864-65. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 22, 1865. HON. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Armies of the United States from the date of my appointment to command the same. From an early period in the rebellion I had been impressed with the idea that active and continuous operations of all the troops that could be brought into the field, regardless of season and weather, were necessary to a speedy termination of the war. The resources of the enemy and his numerical strength were far inferior to ours; but as an offset to this, we had a vast territory, with a population hostile to the government, to garrison, and long lines of river and railroad communications to protect, to enable
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570   571   572   573   574   575   576   577   578   579   580   581   582  
583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603   604   605   606   607   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

matter

 
feeling
 
brought
 

operations

 
ARMIES
 
STATES
 
UNITED
 

States

 

gratifying

 

spontaneous


deservedly
 
heartily
 

WASHINGTON

 
HEADQUARTERS
 
Confederates
 

inaugurated

 
joined
 

REPORT

 

APPENDIX

 

controversy


continue

 

LIEUTENANT

 

representative

 

GENERAL

 

significant

 

appointment

 

strength

 
inferior
 
numerical
 

speedy


termination

 

resources

 
offset
 

railroad

 

communications

 

protect

 

enable

 

population

 

territory

 
hostile

government

 

garrison

 

weather

 

season

 
Armies
 

report

 

United

 

submit

 

Secretary

 

STANTON