Mr. YATES. Mr. President, the war through which the country has just passed developed many great military men whose names are as sociated with this or that particular campai n, or this or that particular field of battle. but viewing the war from its commencement to its close, what man is there whose name, like that of Grant, is connected with almost every really effective military movement which marked its progress? What a record is his. How marvelous are the ways of Providence in the alfairs of nations and of individunls. What changes, surpassing the enchuutments of romance, may be seen in 4 short years. Is it acts matter of profound wonder that a man of such stoic simplicity of character and of such surpassing mo esty; that the plain, unassuming, quiet citizen of llliuois, who 5 years ago sought the humblest service in the armies of the Union, should prove to be the only man whose rare genius and energy rose in proportion to the colossal demands of the war; who should rise from the humblest clerkship and step by step ascend every grade of promotion to the exalted rank of Lieutenant General? Is it not strange that such should be the man who has conducted the most gigantic of all wars to ssuccessful conclusion, and whose name, glory crowned with shining victories, shall fill 1000s ofhistory’s brightest pages and live in freedom’s anthems to the end of time? it would be nffectstion in me not to acknowl edge a personal as well as State pride in aidinv the bill before the Senate with my voice and my vote. As a Senfrom the State where General Grunt resides, which claims not only an interest in common with other States, but also a special and particular interest in the fame of her illustrious son, I feel it my duty to advocate this measure. Some remarks from me also may not be inappropriate on account of certain personal and oihcial relations in which I stood to him at the commencement of the war. In April, 1861, I 1st saw GenlGrant. I knew nothing of him. I did not then know that he had seen service in Mexico; that he had foughtat I’alo Alto, Resaca dein Palma, and at onterey under General Taylor; or that he had served under General Scott in his memorable campaign from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico; or that he had been made 1st lieutenant on the field for gallantry at Moline del Rey and brevetted a captain or the gallant and skillful manner in which he had served a mountain howitzer upon the heights of ChapuRepec under the observation of his regimental, brigade, and division commanders, as appears from the official reports of the battle by General Worth and other officers. In presenting himself to e be made no reference to any merits, but simply said he had been the recipient of a military education at WestPoint, and now that the country was assailed he thought it his duty to offer his services, and that he would esteem it a privilege to be as si nod to any pesition where he could be use fui. I cannot new claim to myself the credit of having discerned in him the promise of great achievements or the qualities “ which minister to the making of great names" more than in many others who proposed to enter the Military service. His op earan'ce at 1st sight is not striking. He ha no grand airs, no imosing appearance, and I confess it could not c sa“id that his was a form Where everygoddid seemto sethis seal To give the world assuranceof a.man." He was plain, vcry lain; but still, sir, something, perbaps his p ain, straightforward mod esty and earnestness, induced me to assign him a desk in the executive office. In a short time I found him to be an invaluable asst in my office and in that of the adjutant general. He was soon after assigned to the command of the 6 camps of organization and instruction which I had established in the State. Early in June, 1861, I tele ra hed him at Covington, Kentucky, (where 10 md one on a brief visit to his father,) tendering imthe colonelcy of the 21st regiment of Illinois infantry, which be promptly accepted, and on the 15th ofJunc he assumed the command. The regiment had become much demoralized from lack of discipline and contentions in regard to promotions. On this account Colonel Grunt, being under marching orders, declined railroad transportation, and for the sake of discipline marched them on foot toward the scene of operations in Missouri, and in a short time he had his regiment under perfect control. He was assigned to the protection of the Quincy and Palmyra and the Hannibal and StJoseph railroads, and his success in organizing the tree 5 under his command, and his vigorous on successful prosecution of the cam sign in north Missouri, soon procured for imthe rank of brigadier general. He was transferred to Cairo, the most important strategic point in the Mississippi valley, and, after organizing his army with marvelous ce lerity and infusing into these suddenly raised troops the proper esprit de cor a, he marched upon faducah and fought the csperate battle of Belmont. And here commenced that series of splendid victories, from Belmont to Look out Mountain, which turned the tide of our national fortunes, dispelled the gloom and despondency which defeat, poor strategy, irresolution, inaction, and blunders had brought upon the country, lifted the ved and revealed to the Republic at last the man so much needed to lead her armies to complete and final victory. At Belmont, at Donelson, and at Shiloh, he broke the shell in which secession sought to shelter itself and dissipated the dream of fan cied southern invincibilit. At Vicksburg be probed its very vitals an destroyed the mom ster in the Mississippi valley, never more to rise. Its importance as an objective point and as affecting the destinies of the War was fully seen by the leaders of both the contending pow ers. etf. Davis aforetime fully realizing the importance of Vicksburg as a strategic point, in a s eech to the Mississippi Legislature, on the (it December, 1862, declared " That the fall of Vicksburg would cut olf their communicationswit the transmississippi dept, whence they drew vast cu plies, and would permanentlyseverthe easternon westernportions of the confederacy." The enthusiastic Sherman with rare foresight, which has been verified by subsequent events, declared in a speech at StLouis, “The possession of Vicksbur is the possession 6fAmer ice.” Grant, as evidenced yall his plans and movements, was of the some 0 inion. NewOrleans was already ours, and ort Hudson, as a consequence of our cs ture of Vicksburg, soon fell into our hands. ‘rom Cairo to NewOrleans the great river had been held by the enemy, and the black banner of secession had flsuuted defiantly from all its stron holds; but now, thanks to GenlGrant an his invin cible armies, every foot on either shore wa's wrested from him, and in some 15 battles, with no serious reverse to our arms, the shut tered and dismayed legions of the enemy were driven from their supposed impregnable fort resses to new snd‘mterior positions remote from the river, and millions of loyal hearts re joiced that this great artery of the continent unvexed by treason’s barriers was once more, and as we hope forever, free. Scarcely less important were the csmpai us of GenlGrant, terminating in the bril iunt victories of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, and securing to us the permanent POSSESSIOD of Chattanooga, which was regarded by military men of both armies as the nextmost important strategic point in the rebel States, an it was made the base of that magnificent military movement which is without a parallel in the annals of war, when Sherman and his veteran warriors swept like an avalanche from Atlanta to the sea through the very heart and home of treason. These successes of Grant in the West filled the nation’s cup of joy, and President Lincoln wisely read the nation’s will in committing to him the command of all our armies, and articularly of the unlucky but heroic army of the Potomac which, bafiiod but not beaten, had stood for long years like a wall of fire against the assaults of treason. And here, again, vic tor followed the invincible Grant and in a series of battles more bloody than Waterloo, more brilliant than Ansterlitz, he displayed the sterling qualities of the great commander. Those 40 ays of hand to hand fighting in the battles of the Wilderness, which carried the army of the Potomac from the Itapidan to the James, amid the fearful shock of brigades and divisions and the onset of arm against army along their whole lines, through scenes of fearful slaughter, while the mar air resounded with the thunders of artil cry and crash of ninsketry, and the night was forced to disclose by the lurid light of continued confiict horrid sights beyond all power to tell, bring to the memory the traditions of the fierce wars of the ancients, remindingus of old Marathon: "As on thatmornto distant glory dear. thccanip, the host, the ffizlit.tlrc conucror's career, The flyingMedc. his shaftle ss, broIteiihow. The fiery Greek his red inrsuing spear: Mountains nbovc. cart 's.occana plain! below: Death in the front. Destruction in the rear." Now is not the time, nor this the place, but it is for the historian in ample pagesfo follow the shining record of Grant, written in the triumphs of Henry, Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Vic 'sburg, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, and the siege of Richmon; written in the blood and sacrifices of our living and slaughtered braves, and upon the hearts and memories of the loyal milions who, amid alternate hope and fear, have watched our leader as with res olute front, step by ste, he has led the nation through the night of comand despondence to the day of final antiglorious deliverance. GenlGrant possesses personal courage to a high degree. Amidst the most horrid carnage and the wildest tumult of battle, he was imperturbably quiet, his mind clear, scanning critically all movements on the field, and never giving a thought to danger or to death. At the same time if he saw a weak point in his line of battle or a column wavering, where his personal presence might inspire courage, he would fly to that point or dash like a Medonald to the head of that column, plunge into the thickest of the fight, and hold up the standard upon the last outpost of danger and death. 0 general can command the entire confidence and bring out the full fighting strength who himself.has not personal courage, and whose headquarters are not in the field. Men will fight and brave the highest feats of lofty daring, scale the heights, or face the most frowning batteries, when they seetheir beloved commanders sharing their fortunes in the dread hour of conflict. Understanding this, Grant dashed along the lines at Belmont and had his horse shot under him while rallyin his men, who were confounded by the COnble fury of their foes, suddenly reienforced by fresh bat talions, and a terrible storm of projectiles from their artillery at Belmont and Columbus. On the 1st day at Pittsburg Landing a black and terrible day all day he rode along his decimated lines and inspired the weary troops to stay the stormy tide of disaster which was)eating them back through Shiloh’s dark and bloody woods to the water’s edge. I sat on my horse near him at Port Gibson, upon an emi nence where our artillery was poste and where he was exposed to a most terrible fire of the enemy’s musketry and artillery. While he was surveyin the field and patiently waiting for the assau tof Osterhaus's division as it moved upon the main force of the enemy, who had massed themselves in their full strength upon the Grand Gulf and Port Gibson road, suddenly the batteries and musketry of the enemy opened and poured showers of shot and shell and hissing minie balls on the point at which we were posted. I noticed that while a regiment of ours held in reserve at that point, and which was much exposed, was ordered to seek shelterin a ravine close by, Grant, seemingly insensible to danger, quietly smoked his pipe and coolly watched the movements of the contending forces. Only once he said to me jocosely, “ Governor, it’s too late to dodge after the ball has ssed.” I watched him narrowly, and the t ought of personal danger did not seem once to have entered his mind. As for myself I felt much relieved when after a short interview with General ltawlins, his chief of staff, he said, “Governor, we will go and order Logan up.” Was not his a courageous spirit who, with fame already secure by the'bright record of 100victories, dared to accept the crushing responsibility of commanding the army of the Potomac, where so many generals had been sacrificed, and where so many bloody reverses had almost dispirited the Army and shrouded the land in mourning? Here he was to confront the flower of the rebel army, led by their great est commander, who, in their estimation, wore the charm of invincibility. Here he must contend with a foe which, up to this time, had cour ageously maintained his position, elated by the success of several victories and dashin raids and who now to the pride of victory ha added the fierce courage which des ir inspires in men fighting for the last rampart cft them by adverse fate. But with the same unselfish spirit which had animated his whole life he did not pause to count the consequences to himself, buteame at the call of his countr. He accepted the heretofore fatal comman, and his watchword “was “On to Richmond!" as before it had been “On to Vicksburg!” Self reliant, he formed his own plans and started out on a route which had already been condemned by our military men. His 1st battle in the Wilderness appalled the world at the sight of its sanguinary slaughter. I think it almost safe to say that no general living save Grant himself would, after such dreadful slaughter and in the face of so many frowning obstacles, have persevered in the plan which he had marked out for himself. But Grant did persevere. From the beginning his method had been to move on the enemy’s works wherever he could find them, and if he did not utterly overwhelm and destroy him in ever instance, he yet considered himself success ul if he maintained his ground and as much loss was inflicted upon the enemy as he himself received. Grant’s intuition taught him that it was a question of endurance, a contest between the patient, stubborn courage of the North and the enthusiastic dash of the South, and that victory would necessarily reward that part which with greatest loss could yet continue tic contest. To him it was the two handed sword of Coeurde Lion against the flashing cimeter of the Paladin; it was the ax of the Norseman thundering on the light shield of the Saxon or the Celt. I cannot better illustrate his idea than by quoting from his official report, in which, with great clearness, he indicates part of his plan: “To hammer continually against the armedforce of the enemy and his resourcesuntil by moreattrition, if in no other way. thereshould be nothing left to him but an equalsubmissionWith the loyal por pion of our commoncountry to the Constitution and am. And so, though the 1st battle of the will derness may have been a drawn battle, and though in the 2nd our loss was counted by 1000s upon 1000s of our slaughtered heroes, though nature seemed in league with treason against us, and frowning batteries, impregnable fortifications, impenetrable swamps, and tangled thickets confronted him at every step of his chosen path, while from the cover of ever shrub, tree, and rock an unseen foe nssaile him with storms of bullets, and 100s of cannon poured their murderous fire upon his arm, still relying upon himself and his plans with I a confidence that was sublime, he pressed forward, and coolly telegraphed to the SecyWar, “I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes a l summer.” Sir, he did fight it out on that line, for though Lee, in his blasphemous order of May 14, said, “The heroic valor of this army, with the blessing of Almighty God. has thus far claimed the principal army of the enemy and inflicted upon it terrible losses, ” yet, sir, day by day Lee was driven back toward Richmond, an unwillin witness to the skill, strategy, and tenacity of his unconquerable antagonist. His tenacit of will is wonderful. He is never whipped. It his losses are greater than the enemy, or if he has drawn back, still he is not whipped. He will not admit that there is any obstacle. While the great Lincoln with long strides nervously paced his executive clianiberat midnight and mourned as unpropitious to the plans of Grant the storm which beat in mad fury upon the roof and alon the corridors and upon the window panes of the White House, yet Grant accepts the sit uation, and uses the storms of heaven as his appliances, as he did most effectually on the 3rd day of the battles of the Wilderness. It never could be said of him, as of the great Na oleou at Waterloo, that a shower of rain ha lost him a battle. Mr. President, while GenlGrant is possessed of extraordinary courage and tenacity of purpose, it must not for a moment he supposed that these constitute his chicf claim to greatness. I am here to claim for him Military strategy of the highest order; what facts and results have established and what history will proudly vindicatethat wonderful power which so few men have exhibited in the great contests of nations the genius which with comprehensive glance sweeps over vast fields of conflict, perceives the grand objective points, arranges and combines the proper forces, provides against the contingencies which make up so much of war, carries out every detail of the most complicated plan, and with certain prescience commands all needfnl agencies to move in synchronous march upon the enemy. The success of his Mississippi campaign is not to be' attributed to coura 0 alone, but to that grand strategy displaye in a thorough understanding of the plans, positions, and move ments of the enemy, and in. mQring such a disposition of his own forces as to employ and thwart the enemy at every goint, and yet to keep pressing inevitably an irresistibly for ward npon his own line toward Vicksburg, the objective point of all his operations. It was not simply to drive the enem from Belmont, Island No. 10, Fort Henry, hlcmphis, and to fight his way straight down the Mississippi by stormin him in every stronghold thishc could do withhis invincible legions of the Northwest, and this he did do in a series of shining vic tories which blaze on the annals of historyhut he had also to take in his lans a vastterritory of hostile States; the ‘umberland, the Tennessee, and the Arkansas, from their mouths to their licadlands; and to cut off the enemy in all lateral directions upon his interior lines, keep up his own baselines, and leave no enemy in his rear to overrun Illinois, Missouri, and southern Kentucky; and be dislayed the great est military genius by such a isposition of his forces and such timely movements as not only to carry victory along the banks of the Missis sippi, but to carry it in a broad belt on either side, until finally he could and did concentrate all the divisions of his army in the overthrow of the rebel Gibraltar Vicksburg. His decisions were rapid and quick; he laid the whole field before him clear as a map, and turned the severest reverses and most formidable obstacles to advantage by instant and rapid combinations. It was my good fortune to witness his operations before the capture of Vicksburg. Having succeeded with great labor and difficulty in transporting his troops through intricate bayous and swam y roa Is to a point below Vicksburg, be conceived the bold strat egy of suppl 'ing them with stores and heavy ordnance and with transportation of the tree 5 by running his unboats and transports by tfiJo batteries at night. The precipitous cliffs for miles above and below the city were lined with tiers of heavy artillery and ridepllS swarming with infantry down the water’s we go. Every preparation had been made for the perilous enterprise. Night closed in with ray ess darkness. I stood with Grant upon the deck of a small steamer in the middle of the Mississippi, from which he kept an eye to the movements of his fleet. It was then I saw sights men rarely see. 8 nboats and 3 transports dropped quietly into the chan nel and floated down the current. Suddenly the batteries and rifle pits opened their simul taneous fire, while the gunhoats returned from heavy as broadside after broadside upon the devote city. The whole bluffs were ablaze of fire. Indeed, sir, it looked as if a mighty wall of lightning from earth to sky stood still and motionless, while deep thunders rolled, reminding one of the scene" Whcn Jove from Ida’s top his horror s reads; Thick lightningzsflash: the muttering t undersroll Wide o'er the field, high blazing to the sky; And o'er the forestrolls the floodof tire; And 'dreadfulglcamed the faceof iron warf" Our boats, contrary to my expectations, safely passed below, arid so far Grant’s strat egy had not failed. But still great obstacles confronted him, and he must resort to new strategy. Before he could attack Vicksburg from below, Grand Gulf must be taken. Grand Gulf was a stron ly fortified position at the mouth of the Big B'iack river, and here Grant re a striking display of his strategic skill, which attracted the attention of military men everywhere, and which proved to be a pivot upon which turned the mightiest events, results and destinies of the war. On the morning of April 29, the 6 gun boats moved down the river to the assault, while the transports with the troops on board followed, ready to debark and storm the heights as soon as the batteries should be silenced. Our guuboats, under the command of that great naval commander. Porter, mu close in shore under the enemy's guns within pistol shot and poured their broadsides upon his works, lo which the enemy res onde with a terrific fire from the throats of iis heavy guns on the heights above. From a tug boat in the middle of the stream we witnessed the scene. All around, distinctly visible to the naked eye, we could see the cannon balls fl 'ing through the air and skipping in wild leaps along the surface of the river, while' " Howling and screeching and whining The bomb shellsarchedon high; And then.like fiery Droppedswiftly meteors. from the sky." But the batteries could not be silenced, and Grand Gulf could not be stormed. After 4 hours' bombardment we boarded the fiag ship Benton, and Grant, aftera short interview with I Admiral Porter, seemingly on the instant decided upon a coup demain, which proved his power as a strategist, and from the jaws of defeat he snatched the standard of victory. He ordered his troops to debark and marched them to a oint below Grand Gulf, ran the batteries with is boats, embarked his troops again, crossed the river, and fought the battle of Port Gibson, gainin the 1st of that splendid series of victories which terminated in the fall of Vicksburg. Here again Grant adapted himselfto the circumstances of the case, and made a plan of his own contrary to that which had been laid down for him at Washington. I presume GenlGrant never received ahigher compliment or one that he so much prized as one contained in a letter of Mr. Lincoln of July 3, 1863.