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Browsing named entities in John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana. You can also browse the collection for R. E. Lee or search for R. E. Lee in all documents.

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John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 16: Dana returns to Washington (search)
stly regarded as a great victory it was marred by the escape of the Confederate army across the Potomac into Virginia. Notwithstanding the necessity of repeating his story and of attending to such other business as pressed upon him, Dana found time to write to me in his own hand from the War Department, July 21, 1863. As this letter has never been published elsewhere, I give it in part as follows: I got here very safely, and find everybody in distress because Meade failed to capture Lee. There can be no question that a vigorous attack, seasonably made, must have resulted in the surrender of his entire army. Meade was anxious to make it, but his four principal corps commanders, Sykes, Sedgwick, Slocum, and French, all his seniors in rank, were so determinedly opposed to it, while the only one who strongly urged it, Wadsworth, was only a temporary corps commander and a volunteer to boot, that he yielded and let the critical opportunity go by. The President wrote him a letter
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 18: Dana in the War Department (search)
successful Meade. It had lavished its men and money without stint upon the Army of the Potomac, and that army had won a partial success at Antietam, and a still more substantial one at Gettysburg, but as yet it had not gained a complete victory. Lee and his veterans, with their tattered uniforms and bright bayonets, still kept the field and barred the way to Richmond. So long as this continued to be the case, and the Confederacy remained unconquered and defiant, the constant question of the ht that Grant's successes were due rather to good-fortune than to good management; many who contended that he had not yet fought either the best leaders or the best troops of the Confederacy, and many who openly expressed the fear that when he met Lee and his army he would prove unequal to the task before him. The only member of either branch of Congress who seemed confident that Grant was the man was E. B. Washburne, Republican member of Congress from the Galena district, but his advocacy
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 19: Grant's overland campaign against Richmond (search)
ad pronounced the war a failure, and so long as Lee remained unvanquished there was a show of reasohether it would not do so again. Grant had met Lee and had fought him two days without gaining a s his capacity to lead them successfully against Lee and his hitherto invincible veterans. I founof Warren and Wright to the left; the rumors of Lee's retirement; the prevalence of rain; the fatigm Fredericksburg to Richmond; the withdrawal of Lee's trains to Guiney's Station; a full statement nd tie prompt and unerring precision with which Lee interposed his army between him and Richmond, Ictory. Even our officers have ceased to regard Lee as an invincible military genius. On part of ts claimed to have gained substantial advantage, Lee still held fast to the battle-field. Fierce anefore reaching the Chickahominy to have crushed Lee's army by fair fighting and completed this workent and combination to carry it into effect. Lee's detachment of Ewell, also mentioned for the f[12 more...]
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 20: Confederate operations in Northern Virginia (search)
took his leave with the impression in his mind that Butler had in some manner cowed his commanding officer, and this impression was never effaced. It was now becoming evident at Grant's headquarters that Ewell and Early, whose detachment from Lee's army had been reported by Meade, were moving down the Shenandoah Valley. Having disposed of Hunter and forced him to withdraw in the direction of the Ohio, they were quick to perceive that there was no force in the way to stay their march towarto get the opportunity to add the salvation of Chattanooga and the victory of Missionary Ridge to his previous victories. Again, had Dana minimized Grant's merits and joined the hostile critics in denouncing his management of the campaign against Lee, instead of doing all in his power to magnify his performances, he might have seriously weakened the confidence of the government in the general's abilities and character even at that late day. Finally, had Dana proved unequal to the duties of his
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 21: administration of War Department (search)
public mind, and the pertinacity with which Grant holds the Weldon road against Lee's frantic efforts to retake it is of equal, if not greater, value. I am also exerman's divergent or eccentric movement made it practicable for Johnston to join Lee before Showman's army could possibly form a junction with Grant's. This was a sterwhelming. With all they could do, they were forced to yield, though not till Lee's surrender made Johnston's inevitable. Even then they bore themselves with suc. The battles of Dinwiddie Court-House and Five Forks crowned it with success. Lee's right flank had been finally turned, his line of intrenchments had been brokenPresident, on the ground to see for themselves, and with Grant in hot pursuit of Lee some sixty or seventy miles to the southwest, there was but little of importancece where any of them might meet the civil officers of the government. Grant and Lee now occupied the centre of the stage, while the Secretary of War, the Assistant
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 22: beginning of a New era (search)
rtly after his return to Chicago, he acknowledged the receipt of a letter from me written at Richmond, intimating that while in Washington a few days before I had discovered signs of a change of feeling towards him at General Grant's headquarters. This appeared to give him great concern, as it made him think there might be much less sense there than he would like to believe. He added: As for my being unfriendly to the general, that is too absurd to be thought by any but a fool. About Lee's surrender I had my own judgment, and when it was necessary for me I expressed it. So of the bill to make Grant a general. That bill is a dreadful mistake. It exhibits a desire for rank and money that detracts from the general's greatness in a fatal way. I have never been more afflicted by any public measure than by that bill. But I refrained from saying anything against it until I was compelled to. And I tell you that it would be much better for the general's future that it should not pa
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 23: period of reconstruction (search)
ing the presidential campaign various newspapers, notably the New York World, assailed Grant's character as a general with great vehemence and pertinacity. It charged him with poor strategy and worse battle tactics, alleging that his victory over Lee was due solely to superiority of numbers and resources, and not to superior generalship. It claimed that he had won by the policy of mere attrition, and pointed to his final report to sustain this view. It quoted the returns of casualties in thes to capture the Confederate capital and overthrow the Confederate government, than did the armies operating in Virginia under General Grant from the time he began his campaign on May 4, 1864, till April 9, 1865, when Richmond was in his hands and Lee and his army were prisoners of war. For the first period the aggregate was 143,925; for the second, 124,390. The difference was something more than two years in time and 19,535 in casualties; and while the larger part of the latter was in capture
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Chapter 24: Grant's first administration (search)
There can be no doubt that this article expressed the real sentiments of Dana; but without reference to his feelings, or to those of the public at the time, the preference given to Grinnell over Dana must from every point of view be regarded as a political mistake, no matter who may have been responsible for it. Grinnell served 1869-70, and was succeeded by Thomas Murphy. It will be recalled that Dana had been charged with unfriendliness to Grant because he had criticised the terms of Lee's capitulation, and had opposed Washburne's bill, passed in 1866, reviving the grade of general for Grant's special benefit. It will also be proper to recall that in taking charge of the Sun, some eighteen months later, he had given fair notice to the country that it was to be an independent newspaper, that it would wear no party's collar, that it would discuss both men and measures solely on their merits, and that Grant's first official act as President — the announcement of his cabinet — w
John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana, Index (search)
, staff surgeon, 276. Know-nothingism, 128, 131. Knoxville, rides to, 286-288, 294, 296, 297, 299-301, 339. Kossuth, 96. Ku-Klux Klan, 424. L. Lafayette station, 257. Laidly, Major, 351. Lake Providence Canal, 207, 209, 210. Lamartine, 72, 73. Lancaster, New Hampshire, 20. Land reform, 103. Languages, 3-7, 15, 20, 24, 36, 42, 62, 500, 501. Lawler, General, 223, 246, 253. Lecompton constitution, 151. Lectures on journalism, 512. Ledru-Rollin, 76, 96. Lee, R. E., 249, 310, 316, 318, 320, 321, 325, 326, 329, 330, 336, 343, 355, 356-358, 373, 386, 387, 409. Leggett, General, 246. Lenoir's Station, 286. Lexington to Louisville, 301. Liberty of the press, 400. Lincoln, 102, 110, 127, 130, 162, 165, 168, 178, 181-183, 190, 197, 198,--200, 203, 210, 219, 227, 238, 245, 249, 277, 285, 290, 296, 300, 303, 309, 311-317, 332, 337, 351, 354, 356-359, 383, 396, 488; assassination of, 358, 359. Little River, 322. Logan, General, 223, 246. Logan,