The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-29
GRANT.
Extracts from n New Biography OF tho
Graag HoIdfor.

from the pens Of Hon. Charles A. Dana, now
editor of the New York Sun, and formerly
Assistant Secretary Of War, and General
James II. Wilson.
HIS APPEARANCE AND MANNERS.
'tGrant is somewhat under the medium size.
though his body is closely and powerfully
built. His feet and hands are small and neatly
shaped; his dress is plain and exceedingly un-
ostentatous; his eyes are large, deep, leonine,
and very strong, equally capable Of blazing
with resolution that nothing can withstand,
and Of shining with the steady light of bene-
violence and amiability. His fibre is like that
OF steel wire, elastic, close-grained and endur-
ing; his temperament is admirably compounded
OF the sanguine, nervous, and lymphatio, but
the last in such proportion as to tone down
and hold in equilibrium the other two, perfect
ing both mental and physical organization.
His capacity for labor surpasses compre.
hension; neither mental nor physical ex-
tion seems to produce the least wear and
tear in his case. He rides at a dashing
speed for hour after hour, and day after
day, with the same ease with which he
plans a battle or issues the instructions
for campaign. There is no noise or clash or
clangor in the man. his voice is quiet and
orderly as w0man's, and his language Judi
oiously chosen. He was never heard to give
ntterance to rude word or vulgar jest; no
oath or fierce, fiery imprecaton has ever
escaped his lips. No laundering order, no un-
feeling or undigniied speech, and no thought
less or ill-Datured criticism ever fell from him.
When angry, which is rarely the case, or at
least, he rarely shows his anger he speaks
with a well-ordered but subdued vehemenoe,
displaying his passion by compressed lips
and earnest flash Of the eye. But it must be
said of him that of all men he is the slowest to
anger. He has been heard to say that even
under the severest insult he never be-
came indignant till a week after the offense
had been given and then only at himself for
not having sooner discovered that he had been
insulted or misused. This arises rather from
an unconscious self abnegation than from
any incapacity for choler.
sit is precisely this quality which has made
him so successful in the personal questions
which have arisen between him and his subor-
dinates. They have usually mistaken his
slowness for dullness or lack of spirit, and
have discovered their mistake only after be-
coming rash and committing a fatal error.
Grant is as unsuspicious and pure hearted as
child, and as free from harmful intention;
but he is stirred to the very depths of his ma
ture by an act of inhumanity or brutality of
any sort; while meanness or ingrattude, or
uncharitableness, excites him to the display of
the liveliest indignation. He is not slow in the
exhibition of contempt or disgust for whatever
is unmanly or unbecoming.
KINDNESS TO sUBoRDINATEs.
"In issuing orders to his subordinates, or
in asking service at the hands of a staff
officer, he is always scrupulously polite and
respectful in manner, and orders or requests
rather as he would ask friend to oblige him
personally than as military commander
whose word is law. His consideration for
those about him is admirably shown by the
following incident. On the night after the
battle of Mission Ridge, while returning from
the front to his headquarters at Chattanooga,
he desired to know what had become OF
heridan's division, which had been reported
at noon as engaged in building bridge across
the Chickamauga at Mission Mills; and
although it was then after midnight
he requested one OF his staff to OBJ
tain the desired information. The officer,
after long and tiresome ride, reported
at headquarters just at sunrise, and found
| the General not yet asleep. 1t seems that in
returning to Chattanooga, at about l O'Clock,
he found full explanation of the days opera
ton, and instead of going to sleep he spent the
rest of the night in thinking of the long and
| tedious ride he had required from his officer,
all for no purpose, as he expressed it. Such
solicitude for the comfort of others, it is need
less to say, was rare, even among the most
humane of our Generals. Many of them would
not have hesitated TO save themselves even the
slightest trouble at the expense of others and
not few would have given themselves scarce
= killed, much less if he had only gone on a long
and difficult ride upon wintry night.
HABITS, TASTES, AND MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
"Grant's personal habits and tastes are ex
ceedingly simple; he despises the pomp and
show of empty parade and III his severe sim
plicity and manly pride he soorns all adven
Stitious aids to popularity. He lives plainly
himself, and cannot tolerate ostentation OF
extravaganza in those about him. His mes
was never luxuriously, though always boun
tifully furnished with army rations, and sucl
supplies as could be transported readily anC
easily in the limited number of wagons tha
he permitted to follow his headquarters. Hi
appetites are all under perfect control. III
is very abstemiOus, and during his entire
western campaign the officers of his stai
were forbidden to bring wines or liquors int
camp. He has been represented as one o
the most taciturn of men, and in one respec
he is such. He never diVulges his thoughts
till they are matured, and never aspires Il
speech making; and even in private converse
tion he falls into silence if he suspects that ht
is likely to be reported. He is tn
most modest of men, and nothing annoys him
more than a loud parade of personal opinion
or personal vanity; but with his intimat
friends, either at home or around the CAM
fire, he talks upon all subjects, not only flu
entity and copiously, but in the most charm
ing and good -natured manner. His life ha
been too busy to read history or technics
works, but he has always been a close ant
careful reader of the newspapers. He has
lretentive memory, and is deeply interested il
3ail matters which concern the interests O
humanity, and particularly his own country
Tnnn all such subiects in fact. upOn all thu