ness with his father, dealing in leather. When the news of
the fall of Fort Sumter reached Galena he immediately raised a company
and marched to Springfield where they tendered their services to the
governor. Grant acted as mustering officer until, being commissioned
colonel of the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, he took the field. His
first great victory was the capture of Fort Donelson with 15,000
prisoners. When asked by the Confederate general what terms of surrender
was expected his answer was, "No terms other than an unconditional and
immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move upon your works
at once." The fall of Fort Donelson and the capture of its garrison
being the first substantial victory that had crowned the Union cause,
together with the above described answer to General Buckner, brought the
name of General Grant prominently before the country.

Pittsburgh Landing followed and then Grant determined to take Vicksburg.
All his generals declared the plan he proposed unmilitary and
impossible, but after several unsuccessful attempts the Gibraltar of the
Mississippi was captured, and this time 27,000 prisoners taken. Now came
the battle of Chattanooga. General Halleck in speaking of this battle
said:

"Considering the strength of the rebel position, and the difficulty of
storming his intrenchments, the battle of Chattanooga must be considered
the most remarkable in history. Indeed it is so. After Grant had turned
the Confederate right flank, Sherman was intercepted between Longstreet
and Bragg, thus cutting Longstreet entirely out, and preventing another
junction being possible. Resolutions of thanks were passed in Ohio and
New York, and Congress created Grant a Lieutenant-General, a commission
which had been held by no one since General Scott resigned. Indeed, if
ever a General deserved honor, Grant had won it; he had opened the
Mississippi to navigation, and had captured nearly 100,000 prisoners and
arms."

He was now commander of all the Federal forces. He at once inaugurated
two campaigns to be carried on at once. One under Sherman, against
Atlanta commanded by the skillful rebel General Johnson; the other under
Meade, directed against Lee and the Confederate capitol. Sherman
advanced upon Atlanta, and the success of his famous march to the sea is
well-known.

The capture of Lee was a far more difficult undertaking. After various
flanking movements and costly assaults, the problem of takin