The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-05-18
General Grant Among His Soldiers.

! Washington correspondent gives the follow
| ing sketch of Gen. Grants personal habits in
| camp, founded ON information furnished by
military officer at Culpepper
/ "Gen. Grant messes with his staff in a house
in the village; and at his table sits Familiarity
every member of his military family. The ex-
! penses OF the mess are divided among the ten,
not In equal proportions exactly, but in man.
ner that is satisfactory to all. There is not the
slightest attempt at show or parade in the fur
niture or equippage; everything is for use and
| economy of trouble and space. The croclery is
scanty and of the plainest, and the fare, though
sufficient in quantity, is just as homely as that
| of any thrifty and cheerful mechanic in your
| city. A chop with cup of coffee for breakfast;
a bit of roast beef, with potatoes and shard
| TACK" confronting dish of pork and green's"
served for the 5o'clock dinner, which
Guided without pastry dessert. A cup of tea
and bit of bread and butter at o'clock fin
ished up the day. The beds were simply camp
cots, some with and others without mattresses;
and all the toilet apparatus anywhere visible
were few tin wash basins, moderate supply
| of towels, bit of looking glass; and a horn
comb. At the table neither distilled liquor nor
wine is permitted. The General will not have
either about him. for his others use.
| The inventory of the Generals baggage when
Vicksburg is, take it, we'll remembered-a
briarwood telescope and tooth brush. In what
relates to personal adornment and outside of
the necessity of eating and drinking, personal
comfort, he has not greatly enlarged his possess
slons. His three stars indicates his exalted rank
but to say nothing of the charm which, in sol
d1ers' eyes, these glittering marks of rank pos
sess, doubt if there is commssiariat officer in
his army who is plainly clad as he. His
clothes are worn threadbare, and, despite the
steady brushing of his servant, they will have
| an untidy look, due, no doubt, to the Generals
habit of going every everywhere and seeing
everything himself. The General understands
the relation between cleanliness and godliness
but in his opinion, practically evinced, there is
as much of either in a flannel shirt as in one of
linen of drawing immaculateness All his
thoughts of carriages centers in the carriages
which bear his field pieces his discussion of the
question of eating extends no further than to the
ratons of his men; and he would hate himself
if he could spend minute over the fit fashion
of his coat.
"Gen. Grant never swears. No man in his
| camp has ever heard him give utterance to pro-
family in any of his many forms. He rarely
laughs, either; but he has a sort of grim humor
which is not without it's effect 1t is related as
part of the gossip of "the front" that an Off
Ger attached to the quartermaster S department
Of his army wanted, one wet day, to consult with
the General-in-chef He had half dozen miles
| to CO. more or less, SO he ordered out his close
carriage and as it was likely that night would
come before he could return the lamps
trimmed and hung out each side of the dri-
ver's seat. Then, with escort of twelve
dragroons, he started-happy doubt, in the
belief that he was proof against the descending