CHAPTER LV.

HONORS TO GENERAL GRANT.-THANKS OF CONGRESS.-GOLD MEDAL.

THE intelligence of General Grant's victorious mountain campaign in Tennessee and Georgia was announced in Washington on the day of the first assembling of the United States Congress for 1863-'4. Mr. Washburne, the representative for Galena, in the House, immediately gave notice of the introduction of two bills, one "to revive the grade of Lieutenant-General of the army," and the other " to provide that a medal be struck for General Grant, and that a vote of thanks be given him and the officers of his army."

It did not require either any very acute mental penetration or a knowledge of the intimate relations of Congressman Washburne with General Grant, to understand the meaning and bearing of the above bill for the revival of the grade of Lieutenant-General. The object was nothing more nor less than the elevation of Major-General Grant to that position.

It was not the intention of those who desired the further promotion of General Grant to take him away from his command, and substitute him for the General-in-Chief. It was their conviction that he would be most useful in the field, and hence they wanted him to remain at the head of his great army, but to exercise, at the same time, from the field, the functions of a General-in-Chief.

Mr. Washburne's motion relative to the joint thanks of Congress and the Gold Medal did not require long deliberation. The members of both Houses were thoroughly con.

vinced that General Grant deserved the thanks of the nation, and when that resolution was brought up, it was passed by both Congress and Senate without opposition, and received the President's signature within ten days of its introduction. It then became the first law of the session of 1863-'4.. The following is a copy of the official document:

LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Passed at the First Session of the Thirty-eighth Congress.
[PUBLIC RESOLUTION NO. 1.]

JOINT RESOLUTION of thanks to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant and the officers and soldiers who have fought under his command during this rebellion; and providing that the President of the United States shall cause a medal to be struck, to be presented to Major-General Grant in the name of the people of the United States of America.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress be and they hereby are presented to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, and through him to the officers and soldiers who have fought under his command during this rebellion, for their gallantry and good conduct in the battles in which they have been engaged; and that the President of the United States be requested to cause a gold medal to be struck, with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be presented to Major-General Grant.

SEC. 2. And be it further resolved, That, when the said medal shall have been struck, the President shall cause a copy of this joint resolution to be engrossed on parchment, and shall transmit the same, together with the said medal, to Major-General Grant, to be presented to him in the name of the people of the United States of America.

SEC. 3. And be it further resolved, That a sufficient sum of money to carry this resolution into effect is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

The resolution having become a law of the land, it was necessary that a design should at once be made for the medal. The following by Leutze was announced* as the one selected by the committee having the matter in charge: "The obverse of the medal was to consist of a profile like ness of the hero, surrounded by a wreath of laurels; his name and the year of his victories inscribed upon it, and the whole surrounded by a galaxy of stars. The design for the reverse was original, appropriate, and beautiful. It was the figure of Fame seated in a graceful attitude on the American eagle, which, with outspread wings, seems preparing for flight. In her right hand she held the symbolical trump, and in her left a scroll on which were inscribed the names of the gallant chief's various battles, viz.: Corinth, Vicksburg, Mississippi River, and Chattanooga. On her head was a helmet, ornamented in Indian fashion, with feathers radiating from it. In front of the eagle, its breast resting against it, was the emblematical Ishield of the United States. Just underneath this group, their stems crossing each other, were single sprigs of the pine and the palm, typical of the North and South. Above the figure of fame, in a curved line, the motto, "Proclaim Liberty throughout the Land." The edge was surrounded, like the obverse, with a circle of stars of a style peculiar to the Byzantine period, and rarely seen except in illuminated MSS. of that age. These stars were more in number than the existing States-of course, including those of the South -thereby suggesting further additions in the future to the Union."

Other honors were paid him by societies, electing him honorary life member, &c. The following are selected as instances to show the manner in which he received these tokens of appreciation :

*New York Evening Post.

At the anniversary of the Missionary Society of the Cincinnati Conference held in 1863, that body elected General Grant an honorary member. Rev. J. F. Marlay communicated the fact to the General, and the following is his reply:

Rev. F. MARLAY, Secretary Society:

CHATTANOOGA, Dec. 7, 1863.

DEAR SIR:-Through you permit me to express my thanks to the society of which you are the honored secretary, for the compliment they have seen fit to pay me by electing me one of its members.

I accept the election as a token of earnest support, by members of the Methodist Missionary Society of the Cincinnati Conference, to the cause of our country in this hour of trial.

I have the honor to be, very truly, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT, Major-General U. S. A.

The following interesting correspondence explains itself: MORRISTOWN, Dec. 9, 1863.

To Major-General U. S. GRANT:

DEAR SIR:-I have the pleasure of informing you that the church of which I am pastor, the Methodist Episcopal Church of this town, highly appreciating your services for your country, and rejoicing in the victories which God has wrought out through you and your noble army, and praying that you may be spared to see the end of this accursed rebellion, have contributed one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) to constitute you a LIFE DIRECTOR of the Missionary Society of the M. E. Church. Will you please direct where we shall send your Certificate? May God Almighty bless and keep you, and continue to crown your arms with victory and triumph!

With sincere admiration and respect,

I am, dear General, yours truly,
LEWIS R. DUNN,

Pastor of the M. E. Church, Morristown, N. J.

Sia: In reply to your letter of Dec. 19th, to Maj.-Gen. U. S. Grant. he directs me to express his gratitude to the Christian people of Morris

town for their prayerful remembrance of him before the throne of the Most High, and to thank them, through you, for the honor conferred upon him. Be good enough to send his Certificate of Membership to Mrs. U S. Grant, Louisville, Kentucky.

Very resp'y, your ob't ser't,

J. H. WILSON, Brig.-Gen.

On the thirteenth day of January, 1864, the following resolution, moved by Mr. Reed, was adopted by the Legis. lature of the State of New York:

Resolved, That the thanks of the people of this State be tendered to General Grant and his Army for their glorious victories in the valley of the Mississippi, and the still more glorious victory at Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountain, and that a certified copy of this resolution be forwarded to General Grant.

The Legislature of the State of Ohio also presented him with a vote of thanks.

The following is the description of a handsome pair of revolvers in course of construction at the Colt's arm manu facturing establishment designed to be presented to General Grant:

The handles are of black horn, beautifully polished, and the barrels magazines, and other steel parts are elaborately inlaid with pure gold, which is beaten into a design previously cut out of the steel. The other ornaments, guard, &c., are of a solid gold. The pair are to be enclosed in a handsome rosewood box, lined with velvet, and accompanied by all the tools, &c., belonging to them—the cartridge-boxes, &c., being manufactured of silver. When finished these pistols will equal any pair that has ever left the establishment.*

*Hartford (Ct) Times