Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-05-26
Gen. Grant---Personal Habits, etc.

sketch of the habits and personal char
acter of the Lieutenant General We
copy a few of the more interesting
paragraphs:
Gen. Grant messes with his staff in a
house in the village and at his table
sits Familiarity every member Of his mil
itary family. The expenses Of the
mess are divided among the ten, not in
equal proportions exactly, butin man
ner that is satisfactory to all. There is
not the slightest attempt at show or pa
rade in the furniture and equipage !;
everything is for use and economy of
trouble and space The crockery is
scanty and of the plainest, and the fare,
though sufficient in quantity, is just as
homely as that of any thrifty and care
full mechanic in your city. A chop with
cup of coffee for breakfast; a bit of
roast beef, with potatoes and "hard
tack" confronting a dish Of pork and
Ngreens, y served for the 5 O'Clock din
i, ner, which was concluded without pas
| try or desert. A cup Of tea and bit
of bread and butter at 81 o'clock fin
ished up the day. The beds were sim
ply camp cots, some with and others
without mattresses; and all the toilet
apparatus anywhere visible were a few
tin wash basins, a moderate supply of
towels, bit Of looking glass. and a
horn comb. At the table neither dis
titled liquor nor wine is permitted. The
General will not have either about him,
for his own or others use.
The inventory Of the Generals bag
gage when he made his brilliant cam
paign in the rear Of Vicksburg is, [ take
it, we'll remembered briar wood tele-
scope and tooth brush. In what re-
lates to personal adornmont and, outside
Of the necessity of eating and drinking
and personal comfort, he has not great
ly enlarged his possessions. His three
stars indicate his exalted rank, but to
say nothing of the charm which, in sol
diers eyes, these glittering marks of
rank possess, | doubt if there is a
commissariat officer in his army who is
as plainly clad as he. His clothes are
worn threadbare, and spite the steady
brushing Of his servant, they will have
an untidy look, due, no doubt, to the
Generals habit Of going everywhere
and seeing everything for himself
x X x He holds great ma
TONS fate in the palm of his hands
and it is an encouragement to know that
every faculty Of his mind is calmly but
profoundly for the national welfare. All
his thoughts of carriage centre 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 a minute over the fit or
fashion of his coat
Gen. Grant never swears. No man in
his camp has ever heard him give utter
ance to profanity in any Of its many
forms. He rarely laughs, either; but
has grim humor which is not without
its effect It is related as a part of the
gossip of "the 'front.' that an officer at
tached to the Quartermaster's depart
ment Of his army, wanted one wet day
to consult with the General in Chief
He is believer in the old regime, and
practiced what under Mcclellan he was
taught He had half dozen miles to
90, more or less, so he ordered out his
close carriage and as it was likely that
night would come before he could re-
turn, the lamps were trimmed and hung
out, on each side Of the drivers seat
Then, with an escort Of twelve dragons
he started, happy, no doubt, in the be-
lief that he was proof against the de-
scendant rain. Approaching Culpep-
per, he met an ordinary looking man on
horseback, attended only by an orderly
AS he passed, he recognized the Lieut.
General, who, in spite of the rain, was
making his usual round, in his usual
modest way. To descend from his car
riage and salute his chief was bat the
work of moment; but Grant, irritated
by the style and pretensions Of his off
Ger, was in no hurry to see him gain the
shelter of his carriage roof again "Walk
along with me little said the Gen
eral, 81 want to talk with you" With
polished boots and unexceptlonable kids,
Mr.. Quartermaster did as he was bid
den; and with a touch Of that grim
ness to which [ have referred, the Gen
eral led him through the muddiest parts
Of the road, and did not release him
until he was wet to the skin-as wet as
the General himself. He was then dis
missed with an admonition that will be
remembered, though it was interlarded
with no oath.
This man Grant is marvel. AS he
mounts in his rank and renown, the
simplicity of his character is more ap-
parent Any one of these last days OF
April he could have been seen riding
from point to point, attended by a sin
gle aid and followed by two orderlies,
well mounted always, it is true, for he
has penc 4ant for fine horses. But any
one who has seen the glittering aud nu-
merous stats and long cavalcades Of
cavalry, nearly all Generals consider
necessary to their dignity when taking