“bulldog grip”

General U. S. Grant, City Point, Va., August, 1864

Things are a bit slower up here in the country, especially when you publish a non-daily paper. Here’s a digest of some recent operations on two major fronts.

From a Seneca County, New York newspaper on September 1, 1864:

War News.

Grant still holds the Weldon Railroad. On Thursday last Lee made the fourth attempt to drive him off, but he successfully resisted the attack and holds his position with a determination and power most encouraging for our ultimate success. The fight was severe, hand to hand, and the enemy withdrew from the field after sustaining fearful loss, leaving their dead and wounded behind them. The battle lasted until dark. It is reported by Gen. Hancock to be one of the most desperate battles of the war. Official dispatches from Gen. Grant indicate that Lee has given up the attempt to regain possession of the road, which is in our possession. Our total loss in the fight Thursday will not, it is said, exceed 2,000, while that of the enemy is supposed to be about 5,000.

From Gen. Sherman we have details of Gen. Kilpatrick’s late raid in the vicinity of Atlanta, around which he has made a complete circuit, reaching Decatur with one hundred men, burning a train of supplies foe Atlanta, destroying fourteen miles of the Macon railroad, taking two hundred prisoners, six cannon and four stand of colors. – On his return it appears that he was hard pressed by a large force of the enemy, and was compelled to abandon four of the guns and many of his prisoners.

Some of the details in this report were wrong, especially in wildly overestimating the rebel loss at Reams Station. Nevertheless, that Grant “holds his position with a determination and power most encouraging for our ultimate success” would seem a valid analysis. And it reminded me of a telegram from President Lincoln to his general a couple weeks ago. From The Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln, Volume Seven:

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL U. S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 17, 1864.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT, City Point, Va.:

I have seen your despatch expressing your unwillingness to break your hold where you are. Neither am I willing. Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew and choke as much as possible.

A. LINCOLN.

chewing and choking

To read what all the speech balloons contained in this Currier & Ives cartoon, just browse over to the Library of Congress