The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-08-13
OUR THREE GENERALS.
Z BY- CHARLES ADAMS, d. d.

OUR THREE GENERALS.
BY CHARLES ADAMS, D. d.
The late army gathering at tn
Opera House, Chicago, gave us tn
opportunity of looking for the frs
time at several of the prominent esp
tains OF the war. Upon the from
seats of the rostTum we're Grant
Sherman. Thomas, Schofield and Lo
gan, while In the rear of these sa
several hundred other officers of diff
ferent grades. A vast audience o
two or three thousand, comprising
soldiers and civilians, with a moder
ate sprinkling of ladies, filed the
auditorium from floor to ceiling
The great generals were, of course
the observed of all observers, and
the Impressions of one of these OBJ
servers were something like what
follows: : - : 49, s.e@
The first thought that arose was
the eminent services rendered by
them to their country, There sit
those, thought We, who with lie in
hand, faced the enemies Of their
country, and who thus destroyed
forever the great crime of American
slavery, oyerpowered the armies of
the enemy, and exalted their imper-
iiled country to victory and peace
What sights of terror and of blood
those eyes have looked upon! What
rattling of musketry-what boom
ings of artillery--what trampings Of
rushing armies-what shouts of vic
tory--wliat screams of wounded and
dying men, have assailed the ears of
those heroes so quietly seated there!
Were these countenances always so
tranquil, benignsnt and peaceful? ?
Or have they not often grown dark
and stern and terrible, as the battle
grew hot and danger was imminent,
and strong men were falling, and
victory was doubtful, and great
nation s lie and death were hanging
in even balance?
GENERAL GRANT.
First and foremost, sits General
Grant. AS he entered with tremen-
dous cheering, they appropriately
placed him in the midst, tor he must
needs be the central figure. He seats
quietly amid the stormy
salutation, and his eye glances Sc
renely and kindly over the vast null
titude. As he looks Off upon the
gazing throDg, he exchanges some
words of pleasant talk with General
Schoiield on his right--then present
ly, he ceases, and sits still-very
still, save now and then, slight
change of position, bringing his
placid and sober countenance in full
view of each division of the audi
ence. His mild, modest eye rests
upon the crowd below, and lifts itself
to the first and second galleries as
well, and surveys and appreciates
each flag and motto, adorning the
amphitheatre His sitting
and attitude are entirely quiet but
not graceful. IT is as if there were
some oppressive weight resting YER
tically down upon his shoulders
urging his head and the upper region
of his chest partially forward, and
giving him, in connection with his
sober cast of countenance, all aspect
Of weariness. This feature, joined
with that unfortunately so common,
of resting one leg upon the other as
he sits, presents him as apparently
too much gathered up together, and
deprives him somewhat of that air
of ease and freedom so pleasant to
contemplate.
The whole aspect, otherwise, of
Grant, is without offens e--is positive
ly decorOus, dignified, and pleasing.
And if, in those keen and observant
eyes, may be detected a certain
degree of conscionspess, it is what
every one would expect. Being what
he is, and knowing what he knows,
he would be more than human were
he capable, amid world of applause.
of osing himself in utter self-for-
getfulness. He is, doubtless, keenly
sensitive to the abundant honors
heaped upon him, while in his mod
est silence and quiet, be is equally
grateful for their bestOwal. as
Passing Grant, there sits his sec
ond in rank - S--~~- -
LIEUTENANT-GENERA SHERMAN.
Here we are decidedly and very
pleasantly disappointed. We have
seen no portrait that does Sherman
Justice. rAll of these that have met
our eye, depict him as stern and cold
of aspect. They are all harmonious
with that terrible response of his to
the people of Atlanta; a response
that sent home the conviction that
there was acar and not peace, and that
their beautiful city must perish
Perhaps harmonious, too, were these
portraits will, the yisage OF the great
as, with his mighty army,
he cast OFF, from the smoking and
blackened RUNS of Atlanta, to cut
that magnificent military path thro'
Georgia and the Carolinas, which
eliminated ia the capture of John
sons army, and in the consummation
of The tremendous struggle.
But Sherman in peace--Sherman as
he appeared the other evening,
among bis comrades, We never saw