ettysburg.
Sheridan, besides earning his commission by his brilliant success in
the valley of Virginia, had been personally and most impressively
commended by President Lincoln: his success was in fact political as
well as military, for it totally destroyed General McClellan as a
candidate for the Presidency. Thomas had received his promotion on
account of the great victory at Nashville, without which Sherman might
have been seriously embarrassed in his march to the sea. General
Hancock was commissioned after the war for general efficiency as a
soldier and for heroism on many battle-fields. No task could be more
invidious than to decide between officers of merit so marked. If Mr.
Johnson could have had the opportunity, it was well known that he would
appoint Thomas to succeed General Sherman; not so much from love as
Thomas as from hatred of Sheridan,--a hatred which did honor to
Sheridan. It was the fixed purpose of General Grant to defeat this;
not from unfriendliness towards Thomas, but from a profound admiration
of the military genius of Sheridan, quickened by a very strong personal
attachment to him.

There was little discussion as to the relative claims of Sheridan and
Thomas. Sheridan undoubtedly ranked Thomas in command, while Meade
outranked both. General Meade however was not put in rivalry with
these two distinguished officers. Not rated so high in military skill
as at least four other commanders of the Army, it had happened to
General Meade to meet the chief commander of the rebel army on the most
critical battle-field of the war, and to win a victory which may well
be termed the turning-point in the civil struggle. The only battle
fought on the soil of a Northern State, it was quite natural that an
extraneous interest should attach to Gettysburg, and it is almost the
only field of the war which steadily attracts the visits of tourists
and patriots alike.

In the end there was no doubt complete satisfaction in the Army and
among the people at large with the promotion of Sheridan, which was
ordered by President Grant the very day of his inauguration, directly
after Sherman had been gazetted as General. There was at the same time
a strong popular desire that the heroic achievements of Meade and
Thomas should be marked by some form of National recognition; not,
however, in any way to interfere with the just reward of Sheridan.
The proposition to make three Lieutenant-Generals was canvassed in
milit