The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-11 00:00:00

Anecdotes of Farragut and Grant.

A Northe
cront csl
agentlemanh
ed-w htoo has
the
St
aatsv eml laend
inthe
ftohl e-
lowing anecdotet:—
Mr. Osborn (President pf the Illinois Central Railroad)
told me a story of Admiral Farragut and his son. They
were on the Mississippi, and Farragut's fleet was about to.
pass Port Hudson, which was then held by the Confede-
rates. Farragut's son, a lad of about 12, had been impor-
tuning his father that he might be sent to West Point,
where the military cadets are educated. Old Farragut.
said, " I don't know how that would do ; I am not sure
whether you would stand fire." "Oh, yes, father, I could,
do that." "Very well, my boy, we'll try; come up with
fld in
flinched
while
they
the
shot
here." The admiral and his son went up together into
the maintop, the old man had himself and the boy lashed
to it, an
inhed his
hil wayttaoss eatshell were
d Port Hudson.l
flying 'lh
The lad
never past
him. " Very well, my boy, that will do ; you shall go to
West Point."

mt Grant,o n
commanded,d ,he thool dmo w
hise this
troops:
commands
—ln
before
nt
which
RGiraOchnf
advan-
tage over the Confederates. They began to plunder the
Confederate camp in spite of all that Grant could do to
stop them. At last Grant, who knew that Confederate re-
inforcements were coming up, got some of his friends to
set fire to the camp, so as to stop the plundering. Then
he got his troops together as well as he could and retreated ;
but in the meantime the Confederate reinforcements.
came up, attacked Grant, and defeated him. There'
were five colonels under Grant who had not by any
means supported him efficiently in his attempts to stop'
the plundering and collect his troops. Mr. Osborn
saw Grant a day or two afterwards, when he expected to
be deprived of his command on account of the defeat. He
said, " Why do you not report these colonels ? They are
the men to blame for not carrying out your orders." ,cwhy,,,-
said Grant, " these officers had never been under fire before
—they did not know how serious an affair it was—they
have had a lesson which they will not forget. I will answcr
for it, they will never make the same mistake again. I can
see by the way they behaved in the subsequent action they
are of the right stuff, and it is better that I should lose my
command, if that must be, than that the country should lose
the services of five such officers when good men are scarce."
Grant did not lose his command, and three out of the five
officers have since greatly distinguished themselves.
The day before Grant attacked Fort Dounelson
the troops had had a march of twenty miles, part.'
of it during a bitter cold night. Grant called a.
council of war to consider whether they should attack the.
fort at once, or should give the troops a day or two's rest.,
The officers were in favour of resting. Grant said nothing
till they had all given their opinion ; then he said, " There
is a deserter come in this morning ; let us see him and hear
what he has to say." When he came in, Grant looked into
his knapsack. " Where are you from ?" "Fort Donnel-
son." "Six days' rations in your knapsack have you not,
my man ?" " Yes, sir." " When were they served out ?"
" Yesterday morning." " Were the same rations served out
to all the troops ?" " Yes, sir." " Gentlemen," said Grant,
" troops do not have six days' rations served out to them in
a fort if they mean to stay there. These men mean to re-
treat, not to fight—we will attack at once." He did attack
the Confederates, defeated them, and took a large number.
of prisoners.