The operations of the
fall and winter, on the lines around Petersburg were a great series of
marches and counter-marches to and fro, suddenly bursting into battles.
Grant massed his army heavily in front of the works in Charles City
opposite the left of Lee; attempted to draw in that direction his
adversary's main force; then suddenly the blue lines vanished; they
were rushed by railroad toward Petersburg, and Grant hastened to thrust
his columns still farther beyond Lee's right, in order to turn it and
seize the Southside road.
That was not the conception of a great soldier, it may be, reader; but
it was ingenious. General Grant was not a man of great military
brain--but he was patient, watchful, and persevering. To defeat Lee,
what was wanted was genius, or obstinacy--Napoleon or Grant. In the
long run, perseverance was going to achieve the results of genius. The
tortoise was going to reach the same goal with the hare. It was a
question of time--that was all.
So, throughout October, as throughout September, and August, and July,
General Grant thundered everywhere along his forty miles of
earth-works, but his object was to raise a smoke dense enough to hide
the blue columns moving westward. "Hurrah! we have got Fort Harrison!"
exclaimed his enthusiastic subordinates.
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