Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-06-02
INCIDENT OF GRANTS MILITIA
BY CAREER.

$500 - =
His courage and soldierly vanity in
action first struck me, and his entire
willingness to fight. He never talked
before action, as if be had any person
al sorebodiug, but grew more cheerful
and concentrated az the time Of battle
approached, His indisposition to leave
any position he had taken was often
uncomfortable. I remember at Pitts
burg Landing that he, Rawlings, myself
and some other staff officers, were in
place where the artillery of the enemy
was concentrated. Their fire was terri
BE, and every instant [ expected to
have nv head shot off. Grant sat on
horseback, straight and cheerful, as you
have sometimes seen a man ola lot day
70 ont to be rained on rather enjoying
it. He kept Us all in half-agony
One officer said to me;
go tel the Old Man to leave here,
for Gods cake =
"No! Tell him yourself. He'll
think me afraid, and SO I am, bat he
shan's think SO"
There we sat, the ire crossing upon
us. At last one Of the green members
Of the staff rode up TO Grant, SAYING
General, we must leave this place
1t isn't necessary 10 stay right here. II
we do, we shall all be dead in Eve min
utes."
i guess that's SOL said Grant, and
bn rode oprav 10 nur r,iief
Another thing that struck me with
Grant vas his own attempt frequently
to sapersede his own good luck, At
Donelsan he went to Commodore Foote
and begged him to run past the rebel
guns '5it : = ganboator Two. Foote re-
piled, saying that he would he shot to
pieces Grant maintained that lie would
suffer no more than ordinary lombard
ment. This took pace before Farragut
made pratical demons :raticn Grants
theory. Now, if Foote had done this,
the rebels would have evacuated Fort
Donelson; and the battle and capture
which made Grant historic would never
have happened.
| was at City Point in 1865, and sit
ting close by Grant l saw him break
the seal Of letter. Then he smiled.
good-naturedly.
w hats that, General Grant p
IA letter from Sherman. Read it y
read the letter and it said that
Sherman could no longer hold Atlanta,
his line being too long. He asked per-
mission to destroy the town and move to
the sen, subsisting upon the country
and turning at bay to fight Hood when
ever the latter pursued him too closely.
All this seemed brilliant aud soldierly
to NE, and [ asked Grant what in it
made made him laugh.
why" he said, 81 was wondering
what Hood could find to subsist upon if
be followed in the rear of Sherman"
This was the General supplying an
error Of genius Sherman supposed
that Hood would follow him. Grant
knew that Hood could not eat off the
barren and devastated country. So he
sent this word to Sherman You have
my permission to destroy Atlanta and
merch to the sea, after you detach
Schofeld and---to go to Tennessee.
Hocd will not follow you He viii
march upon Nashville Now see! Had
Sherman carried off the whole force
seward, installing the effect of his
movement upon Hood, Nashville would
have fallen, Indiana and Ohio been IN,
7aded, and the Southern gonfederacy
been an accomplished fact"
There is no finer story Of two stern
men than Grant and Geo. Fl. Thomas
before the battle Of Nashville Thomas
has dislike OF being whipped, and he
is cautious and sedate to the last degree
till TIE time for decision has come.
Grant sent word to Thomas to move
out of his works and attack Hood
Thomas was not ready, and he went on
deliberately with MS preparations.
Grant -telegraphed again 1.-The coun-
try is excited.-Attack p
Thomas was not yet quite ready.
Then Grant sent john A. Logan to
louisville to be ready to take command
and telcgraphed ''If you do not at
tack Hood before-date, I shall be
under the painful necessity of relieving
you" Just at that time Thomas was
ready not by necessity, but by the
completion Of his affairs, and the happy
collision Of events made the battle Of
Nashville an honor to both.
TITLES LIVING AGE, No. 1904.
for the week ending May Goth, con-
taius the Edinburgh Reviews article
on American Finance an article from