CHAPTER XXXI

Grant and Lee and The Civil War

Grant a Man for the Occasion--Lincoln's Opinion--"Wherever Grant is Things Move"--"Unconditional Surrender"--"Not a Retreating Man"--Lee a Man of Acknowledged Greatness--His Devotion to Virginia--Great Influence--Simplicity of Habits--Shares the Fare of His Soldiers--Lee's Superior Skill--Gratitude and Affection of the South--Great Influence in Restoring Good Feeling--The War--Secession Not Exclusively a Southern Idea--An Irrepressible Conflict--Coming Events--Lincoln--A Nation in Arms-- Sumter--Anderson--McClellan--Victory and Defeat--"Monitor" and "Merrimac"--Antietam--Shiloh--Buell--Grant--George H. Thomas--Rosecrans--Porter--Sherman--Sheridan--Lee-- Gettysburg--A Great Fight--Sherman's March--The Confederates Weakening--More Victories--Appomattox--Lee's Surrender--From War to Peace 449