"I come before the House to do a great act of justice to a soldier in the field, and to vindicate him from the obloquy and misrepresentation so persistently and cruelly thrust before the country. I refer to a distinguished General, who has recently fought the bloodiest and hardest battle ever fought on this continent, and won one of the most brilliant victories. I mean the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and Major-General Ulysses S. Grant. Though but forty years old, he has been oftener under fire, and been in more battles, than any other man living on this continent, excepting that great chieftain now reposing on his laurels and on the affections of his countrymen, Lieutenant-General Scott. He was in every battle in Mexico that was possible for any one man to be in. He has received the baptismal of fire. No young officer came out of the Mexican war with more distinction than Grant, and the records of the War Department bear official testimony to his gallant and noble deeds. He resigned in 1855, and afterward settled in Galena, in the district I have the honor to represent on this floor.

"I came here to speak as an Illinoisian, proud of his noble and patriotic State; proud of its great history now being made up; proud, above all earthly things, of her brave soldiers, who are shedding their blood upon all the battle fields of the Republic. If the laurels of Grant shall ever be withered, it will not be done by the Illinois soldiers who have followed his victorious banner.

"But to the victory at Pittsburg Landing, which has

called forth such a flood of denunciation upon General Grant. When we consider the charges of bad generalship, incompetency, and surprise, do we not feel that 'even the joy of the people is cruel'? As to the question whether there was, or not, what might be called a surprise, I will not argue it; but even if there had been, General Grant is nowise responsible for it, for he was not surprised. He was at his headquarters at Savannah when the fight commenced. Those headquarters were established there, as being the most convenient point for all parts of his command. Some of the troops were at Crump's Landing, between Savannah and Pittsburg, and all the new arrivals were coming to Savannah., That was the proper place for the headquarters of the Commanding General at that time. The General visited Pittsburg Landing and all the important points every day. The attack was made Sunday morning by a vastly superior' force. In five minutes after the first firing was heard, General Grant and staff were on the way to the bat tle field; and, instead of not reaching the field till ten o'clock, or, as has been still more falsely represented, till noon, I have a letter before me from one of his aids who was with him, and who says he arrived there at eight o'clock in the morning, and immediately assumed command. There he directed the movements, and was always on that part of the field where his presence was most required, exposing his life, and evincing, in his dispositions, the genius of the greatest commanders

With what desperate bravery that battle of Sunday was fought! what display. of prowess and courage! what prodigies of valor! Our troops, less than forty thousand, attacked by more than eighty thousand of the picked men of the rebels, led by their most distinguished generals!

"There is no more temperate man in the army than General Grant. He never indulges in the use of intoxi cating liquors at all. He is an example of courage, honor, fortitude, activity, temperance, and modesty, for he is as modest as he is brave and incorruptible. To the bravery and fortitude of Lannes, he adds the stern republican simplicity of Guvion St. Cyr. It is almost vain to hope that full justice will ever be done to men who have been thus attacked. Truth is slow upon the heels of falsehood. It has been well said, that 'Falsehood will travel from Maine to Georgia while Truth is putting on its boots.'

"Let no gentleman have any fears of General Grant. He is no candidate for the Presidency. He is no politician. Inspired by the noblest patriotism, he only desires. to do his whole duty to his country. When the war shall be over, he will return to his home, and sink the soldier in the simple citizen."

The tribute was just and appropriate. History gives no account of a war in which there was so much to learn by the combatants, and in regard to which. in the command of troops, so frequent changes were made as in the Union army. Washington held his position at the head of the Revolutionary forces through all the