Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-07-04
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ST. CLAIRSvILLE, OHIO:
lTHunspAY MORNING, july 4, 1867.
Aneodo.s OF General Grant.

an anecdote of General Grant, which is
too good to be lost. .,e 60.
Such of our readers as served in East
Tennessee during the winter campaign
of i663-'6l--and no doubt we have q
large number OF them--will remember
that the soldiers were very scantily sup
piled with clothing, and IL was q COM
mon thing to issue corn in the ear as
Grations both to men and mules, each man
receiving from one to three ears per day.
1, IA the oontendipg armies were lying
near each other, each desirous of obtain
ing the mastery of the country, there
wa, skirmishing, and, in fact, such en-
gagenlents, as in the early part OF the
war, would havebeen considered respect
able battles, were of frequent occurrence.
On sudden emergencies the soldiers
woufl be ordered into'linc, leaving their
baggage in camp, to which they might
noflreturn for days, and when they did
return they. frequently found that the
enemy had been there In the meantime,
and carried of OF destroyed everything
of value. This wac especially true of
brigade of Indiana six months men,
known rs the aPersimmon Brigade, "
because, not relishing corn in the ear,
they chose to subsist on persimmons. So
much were the men kept on the alert
that, though Major Ballard, a Paymas-
ter, was present, the commanding officers
could not allow him to pay off some of
the regiments for more than month.
Such was the state of affairs when
General Grant, having been appointed
TO the supreme command of the army,
paid n flying visit to the forces occupy
ing the country to the northeast Of the
Clinch river, on his way to Washington
in the winter of 1864. A few days before,
the main body of the enemy had retired
toward Southwestern Virginia, and Gen.
Wilcox, who commanded the district of
the Clinch, had fixed his headquarters
at one of the County towns in the north
ern part of East Tennessee. Grant ar
rived, unannounced and unexpected, at
the place, on bitter cold day, and for
batle the firing of n salute or making any
other @tiernonstratiou. Even the senti-
mel in front of Gen. Wilcox's quarters,
who was one of tho "Persimmon Brig
ade," was not aware Of his presence
After spending some time with Gen.
Wilcox, Gen. Grant went out and mount
ed his horse. The sentinel who was an
'uncouth specimen of the -Ho0sier, was
trying to Keep himself warm by walking
to and fro, alternately striking the butt
OF bis musket ON the pavement, and test
ing the solidity of the frozen earth by
trying to thrust his bayonet into it,
Gen. Grant appeared to be amused at
tho performance, and addressing the sol
der, said, "Well, my man, to what COM
! mand do you belongP"
his bayonet, and twirling it in the air,
the man replied, "I belong to the wun
hundred and ---th Injianny;-Col
-, the d--d old rip"
"You do MT seem to like Col. -"
said Gen. Grant.
"Now, look here, Mister" replied the
soldier, ~ do MT wish you any harm,
but I wish you had to take l my place un-
"Why, what is the matter with himW
inquired the General.
.nGCd Cdelatter!--why dod rot his old soul!
he g starvin' us to death!"
Starving you?" .......
"Yes, sir, starvin' us! do Mt expect
you III bleeve me, for II 's q tough story
10 tell n white man; but it 's q gospM
truth, / haint had thing to eat now for
moren eight days except few Sim
"Well, said Grant, that is pretty
tough story"
on q stack of Bibles as high as that house
that 1t g every word the gospW TRUTH
Mister, can you give me chaw OF to-
backer?"
~ have no tobacco about me-" said
the General "but | can get you some;"
and turning to one of his escort he got q
plug Of tobacco and handed 1t over to
"Injianny."
He took out his knife as II to cut 1t,
aud looking up said, "Please, mister,
may take two chaws? haint had
taste Of tobacker for more'n four weeks!
bod rot the sutlersw
40, yes, said Grant, "you may keep
the whole plug If you choose. We have
Now, mister, thank you very much.
III give you ten pounds of tobacker
some time. This III be meat, and coffee
and blankets for Jim and me-"
why, do MT you have blankets
"Bl n ,ets!-thunder! Mister, I 'spose
you III think I I'M an ungodly liar; but
hnint had no blanket nor no overcoat
alnt 1t cold Of nights? l wish you had
TO try it as we dol No!-that s lie!-
do MT wish 1t neither"
How camo you to bo without an over
coat and blanket?" the General inquired.
"Why, SIR" said the Hoosier, "Col.
-, the d-d old rip,--took US out Of
camp over here at the Clinch Gap, and
while we were gone, the Johnnies-dod
rot their thiovin', rebel hearts! wish l
had about six Of 'om here noW!-they
made raid on our camp, and stole all
our overcoats and blankets! bod darn
'em!n
"Well," said Grant, "you do seem to
have hard time of 1t. y
~ rawther guess we do, said the sol,
der; (" and that amt all hain't never
had no p,.y neither! Darn me, Of 'vo
had o dollar now for niore'n' four
months!" I" 'e- ".' 81. D..ltl
What Is the reason Of that?n queried
thss General. "Do MT the Paymaster
sver come around here?p -
SuHYes, = said tho soldier, "the Pay
master came around here two months
ago; and he was lousy with greenbacks. "
well, then, said Grant, "why did
ut you get your pay?"
"Why jist this reason, Mister. Aftor
We d signed the pay rolls, and the Pay
master had the ready John DdUis count
cd out In piles for US, Col. -, the
d-d old rip, marched us Off over the
Clinch, Gap; and L haipt, seen no Pay
master, since. And, ! 'lltellyoa, Mister,
when this tobacker's gone, III be dod
rotted to thunder, Of me and the boys DO
MT make raid on one OF the sutiers, Of
we re hung for 1t in Ave minutes! Darn
'eIr. they re as bad as the rebsi they
won't trust a fellow TO cent!U