, 1864-05-16

CHARACTERISTIC ASKCDoTE OF GEN, GRANT
A sToRY not By THE PRESIDENT.
After the battle Of Pittsburs Landing and
Gen. Grants complete victory at that point,
Gen. Euel, Il thorough soldier, began CRITICS.
ing In friendly way the impoicy of his hay
lng, fought battle with the Tennessee river
behind Ills men. "Whcre, If beaten, could
,ou haye ret5eated, Gepersl2" asked BueL
.sa;a,an9 81 aldHs mean ssn TO bs 1eatep was Gsaqts
been defeated, despite all your exer ions p
swell, there were the transports to carry
the remains ofthe command across the rITer.h
"But, General urged Buel. "Your nhole
transports could not contain over ten thou
sand men; and it would have been lmpossi-
the face. ..of the enemy" "Wcu, If l had
been BEATEN" said Gen. Grant, pausiug to
light another cigar as he spoke, F." Transports
lion Tor ten thousand men would have been
abundant for all that Toald be left Of US"
The anecdote is emlnently characters tic,
the data for the proper appreciation Of it be-
ing, that Grant had about fifty thousand men
ever the river.
GRANT on THE FIELD. !:
From the PAiladalphia Eaquircr,1
Tha correspondent Of the Philadelphia H.
qutrer thus describes Gen. Grants appear
ance during the recent battles: . Lisnten-
ant General Grant had ridden out to the ield
first about u O'Clock e. n, and taken gen
era1 view Of the sftuation, and may here re-
marx that hls appearance Was peculiar to
What had seen him on many lelds before;
but Thursday was the first time ever saw
him in battle or out In full uniform. The
three stars Of his rank both adorned his
shoulders, and his cont WIS full Dress and
white gloves Eraced hia hands. These may
be trivlalitfes but this man, whose career
has been so chscksrad and SO grand, WAS en-
te1ing the crisis Of his history, and triviali-
tiss grow interesting. But there was moth
least concerned for the future. Calm and
confident he was then, and ever has been,
thro lgh the varying fortunes Of the battles in
the Wilderness
- GRANTS GOODNESS.
[From the Men York Tlmes.1
A story Is told of Gen. Grant, which Wa
devouny hope il true, and which ought to be
historical: One Of Lees tremendous flank
kttaeks had been made on his right wing.
Regiment after regiment is driven in, in dis.
order; the straggIcrs are rnshing to the rear;
aids come one after the other, hot and breath
less, to headquarters, announcing to Gen.
Gnlnt that the right Is utterly broken, that
the second line Is peaetrated, and all Is lost,
unless help be sent ut oncel Grant sits In
imperturbable caimnsss, considering the news
and at length his laconic rsply is, ~ d,n't'be-
liete III" No essential change Is made in his
dlEpositions, and the battle speedily rights
ITSELF
III that short response, III 1t be true,} was
conveyed the very spirit Of the long
enccd and indomitable General. His nerves
do no not even CULVER ut these dreadful tales
of disaster. He reasons then 1s clearly as
before the battle on just how much Ills forces
can bear, and he is sure they have not
thought Jet Of being beaten. In great bat
tic the disaster Of one pnrt may be readily
compensated By the advantages Of another,
and Grant merely swings around ono wing
In attack to bllance the falling back of anoth-
er. i cautious man would have feared to
assault then; Z nervous and excitAble man
might hare weakened other points too much
to supporttllis wing. The General trusted
to the pluck Of his troops, and 1t appears he
did not trEst in vain.