, 1864-05-06
GEN. GRANT In TIE FIELD.
A Sketch Of Els Personal aaDlts-An"
aldcu&s In the Elel0.
lFn m the N. Y. Evening Rost.]
- 2> ss+- A.-t sSn 1EE

[Fr N the N. +. Evening fo".1
WAsuso1ox, April 50, 1851
a military friend who has just passea soms ~
days at the Headquarters ii thteppss ~
given me an account Of his Tis1t {na, ot tue
Eabits of the Lieutenant Eenefaf tuA1 W.
glad to trsEscs1be. General Gn1nl messes s
with Lis staff in house IN 1 tns V 1noG,Iisr % o1
his mi}ltury family. The e1asnaes OF tag
ness sre divided among the ten, not IN at eau;n
PRO: ort.ons exactly, but II mlnne. .aas 40
satisfactory to ali. There Is poL me snsnts
attempt at show or parade n lug aIasot, aat
and cguil age; everytbIng1s iof 1ss a..rr adG. is
omJ Of trouble and space ins ~ a 10 f,ra
tIousb sufiicient IN quantity. is just ae home
" a. that II any thrifty and carfu! meeaa1le s1
in your city. A chop with eSp " ceAse ~.
breakfast; q bit Of roast beet, Win posatocs
.ppd sshard tack,'' confronting oish OF pnih
and 'ereens," served for the2 o closA oln.
ner, which was concluded without pastf5 Q!
desert. A cup Of tea and BIZ Of bread anu
butter At 84 o'clock finished ap me gag.
The beds were simply camp co.'s, some VIII
and Others without mattfassts; ana al1 tne
toilet apparatus anywhere vla'le "sre , t1m
tn WASH b. rms, modt rate slpplY ol .o"sss
bit Of 1ookfng-glass and S'rn ag svau .u;1,, Ia
permitted. The General w!llno have eisaef
about lin, for his own or others use.
The inventors OF the Generais baggage
when he made his brilliant campaign IN tne
rear Of 'V1cksburg is, take It, Weli-femeM-
ebertd-a: briAr- wood telescope ana tooIn-
brueh., In what relatea t. persona! aaoen-
ment and, outside Of the necessity OF eating
and drinking. personal ecu,soEt, he has 8 not
greatly enlarged Lis possessions his Ln1ee
Stars Indicate his exalted RINK, put 20 sly
nothing Of the charm which, IN soldiers eyer,
theee glittering marks Of F,nk possess,
army who is IS plainly rlad Is he. His
clothes are worn tbreadbae, and despite the
steady brushing Of bis servant, they VIII
have IN .untidy look, duei NO doutt, 70 the
Generars habit Of going every where and see
ing everything for: himself The General un.
detstands the re alton ,.between cleanliness
and godlfness but fu his opinion. practically
eviDced, there is as much Of either in 0 fanncl
shirt as in one Of linen Of dsawing-E room i'm.
maculateness.
Your readers are not to suppose that am
describing careless or tndo1ent man. or one
who does not know the difference between
tie garb Of gentleman and that OF sloTen.
The, facts are pointed out only as proof that
this mans mind ia so intent upon the great
problem before him, that be has neither tho
time nor tile inclination to Consider mlRera-
bic trivolities. he holds great nation's fate
arement to know that every faculty Of bis
mind is calmly but profoundly exercised for
the national welfare. All his thought Of car
risees centers in the carriages which bear his
field pieces; his discussion Of the Question OF
eating extends no further than to the rations
of his men; and he would hate himself II he
could spend minute over the 1T ;or fashion
Of his coat
Gen Grant never swears- No man IN his
camp has ever heard him give utterance to
profanity in any of its many forms. He
rnrely laughs, either; but be has; . sort Of
grim hunor which Is not without! Its eitect:
It Is related as a part oil tho gossip OF "the
'front.'" that an officer attached to; the OUR
termaster'a department Of bis army, wanted
one wet day to consult with the Ge2eraa-tn-
| Chief. He is believer In the old regiHar,
aud practfsed what under Mcclellan he Was
taught. He had halt-a-dozcu miles to go,
siage and rs It was likely that night would
come before he could return, the lamps were
trimmed and hung out, on each side or the
drivers seat. Then, with an escort oftwelse
| dragons, he started, happy, no doubt. In the
belief that he was proof against the descend.
ing rain: Approaching culpepper, be met
passed, be recognised the Lieutensnt
| General, who, in spite of the raiu, was
+ making his usual round, In hts usual mo-
dest way. To descend from his fringe and
salute his chief vas but the work of q mo-
l
| pretensiuns Of his officer, was In no hurry to
see him gain the shelter Of his carrfaga-roof
again. HWalk along with me q litfle,n said
| the General, III want to- talk with you"
| With polished boots and nnexceptionab1e
kids, lii. Quartermaster did as ne: was bid
den; and with 3 touch Of that gTtmness to
which l have referred, The General led him
through the muddlcet parts OF the road, and
did not release him until he was vet to the
| tkin-as wet III the general himself He was
then dismissed with m admonition that will
be remembered, though It was fnteflarded
do not know that these trivial details,
which touch only the personal habits Of Gen.
| Grant, will interest the readerB Of the EpeainJ
N.f, but they were interesting to me. They
mark aud ir1isidualise the man.. upon whom
rests much Of the power to affect tor veal
or woe the future Of this campaign.l
We have one element Of, strength here il
fore. We have man conducting our opern
tIons who has never proclaimed Els trtumphs
| beforehand, but who has, nevertheless, done
The State some service, and whose practical
military mind has brough him ont victor In
every campaign be has conducted The news
papers, both loyal and rebel, have, for the
| last two weeks, been assigning Burnside to
various points. What the Lieutenant Gene
mi has actually done with Burnside, was
what no one expected, but now that 1t L
| done, all admit It TO nave peen tne HDfk OF
master Of the military art.
This is but one instance ont of many prov
ing that we hare a General, not q pRppet, 70,
commander. His mind always clenr rs tt
the course to be adopted, and fertile In re
sources for accomplishing his purposes, It II
characteristic. Of Gen. Grant to pay due
Difference to parties who feel authorized tt
give it, and then quietly carry out his ow1
plnns in LIS own way. Afrald of nojrespon
Bib1lity hlmeelf, he allows none under him tt
shlrk it, and wo unto that Gencrni who shal
! fail to obey all orders and do hls whole duty
In the coming campaign.
This man Gr1nt IL marvel. AS he mounts
in his rank and renown, the Spa1tan simple
ity Of his character is more apparent. AM
ono of these last days Of April he could have
been eecn riding gfrom point to point, attended
by single aid ana followed by two ocderlfes
| well mounted always, 1t Is true, for he ha:
d penchant for fac horses. But any one VII,
has seen the glittering and numerous st1d
and long cayalcades of cavalry nearly al
| Generals consider necessary to their aignft
WHEN taking tho air, is foTcibly struck by til
contrast between the Lieutenant General an
the new1y-nedged Brigadier. And this
but one symptom of many that he is nc
giddy with lis elevation. In his industry
his perseverance, bis plain business way {
dealing with all questions that coma befor
bin, he is the same man he was year az
and always was. With such man leadin
the Army Of the Potomac, why should
: not succeed! I believe it will. -.