The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-02-05


General Billver lived in st. Louis when
Grant left his little farm near by to enter the
Arm of Boggs g. Grant, real estate agents
houses to rent. In those days he had desk
I believe, in Hillyer's law office
WAS the General silent then as now2"
"No. We considered him more than com.
monty laxative. So he is now: bnt he won't
talk for effect, nor before strangers freeIV-r
This resicence OF Grant, so much made Of is
party discrimination, and partly the form of an
ola bashfulness he had when bow. Anvbodu
time. 1''n 'pe"A "' any
In st. Louis liked Grant. He was enter
taining, and was attracted toward him by
what hardly knew at that time. AfterwarI
knew 1t to be Manhood, the same that he de-
veloped in battle so WELL Twas in New York
when L heard of his appointment, and soon af-
ter came telegraph message to join his staff.
was at the Planters House in st. Louis, ON
business afterward, and, wishing to see Grant,
he rode up daring the day with some of his
stan officers, and they had one empty horse.
Here, Hillyer," said Grant, "Here is your
horse. The boat has been waiting for me
three-quarters of an hour. Stir yourself"
II am not gong, Grant, l never entertained
the notion minute in earnest"
Gone along! l can't listen to that. Time
presses
But have not written to my wife"
well! that you had better DO. After this
HeAo dClloH dul going INTO you can come
home-if you don't get your head knocked off
hrst-and fix up your business"
In brief, Hillyer found himself going down
the river; III ten minutes, to his own bewilder-
ment, wondering greatly whether he could
stand up i'll action. Perhaps in this way
Grant will impress into his Cabinet some un-
willing talent, if there be any talent unwilling
to so into the Cabinet l have not seen any
Of this latter sort.
Did you notice any strong traits of charac-
ter in Grant soon afterward?"
his courage and soldiery bearing in action
first struck me, and his entire WILLINGNESS to
nght He never talked before action, as if he
nad any personal fOrebodingS but grew more
cheerful and concentrated as the time of the
battle approached His indisposition to leave
any position ne mad taken was often uncom-
Portable | remember at Pittsburg Landing
that ne, Rawlings, myself, and some other
stan omcers, were IN place where the artil-
lery OF the enemy was concentrated. Their
hIe was terrible, and every instant expected
to have my head shot off. Grant sat on horse
PACK PACK, straight and cheerful, as you have some
times seen man of a hot day go out to be
ralned on, rather enjoying it. He kept US all
in half-agony. One officer said to me-:
saker'
No! Tell him yourself He'll think me
AFRAID, and so am, but he shan't think 500
There we sat, the fire crossing upon u.s. AT
last one OF the green members of the staff rode
up to Grant, saying:
General, we must leave this place. 1t is
not necessary to stay right here. If we do,
we shall all be dead in five minutes"
Il guess that's sop said Grant, and he rode
away, to our relief
las to fear,' continued Hillyer, "Grant used
to say that he had seen men who said thew
never knew what it was, but he had never
seen anybody who said it of them. Another
thing that struck me with Grant was his own
attempt frequently to supercede his own good
luck. AT Donelson he went to Commodore
Foote and begged him to run past the rebel
guns with a gunboat or two. Foote replied,
saying that he would be shot to pieces Grant
maintained that he would suffer no more
than in ordinary bombardment. This took
place before Farragut made a practical demon
stration of Grants theory. Now, if Foote had
done this, the rebels would have evacuated
Fort Donelson, and the battle and capture
there. which made Grant historic, would never
have happened.
Grant developed wonderfully in the war,
and though as Democrat opposed his cleo
ton, had no doubt that he was the safe,
strong man, worthest to head the army. There
is needed no better instance or proof to this
effect than the following: was at City Point
in 1865, and sitting close by Grant saw him
break the seal of a letter. Then he smiled,
enthusiastically
So What's that, General Grant?
IA letter from Sherman. Read itr
could no longer hold Atlanta, his line being
too long. He asked permission to destroy the
town and move to the sea, Subsisting upon the
country and turning by to fight Hood when
ever the latter pursued him too closely. All
this seemed brilliant and soldierly to me, and
and asked Grant what in it made him laugh
why he said, L was wondering what
Hood could lind to subsist upon if he followed
in the rear FISHERMAN
Thus was the General supplying an error of
genius. Sherman supposed that Hood would
follow him. Grant knew that Hood could not
eat OIL the barren and devastated country. So
he sent this word to Shermou: You have my
PERMISSION to destroy Atlanta and march to
the sea after you detach Schofield and--to go
to Tennessee. Hood will not follow you; he
will march upon Nashville" Now, see! Had
Sherman carried off his whole force seward
mlstaklng the effect of his movement upon
Hood, Nashville would have fallen, Ohio and
Indiana been invaded and the Southern Con-
federacy been an accomplished fact
Grant" said Hillyer, is stern as Jupiter
There is no finer story of two stern men than
Grant and George I'll. Thomas before the bat
tile OF Nashville Thomas has dislike of be-
ing whipped, and he is cautious and sedate to
the last degree till the time for decision has
come. Grant sent word to Thomas to move
out OF bis works and attack Hood Thomas
was not ready, and he went on deliberately
with his preparations. Grant telegraphed
again: THE country is excited. Attacks"
Thomas was not yet quite ready. Then Grant
sent John A. Logan to Louisville to be ready to
take command and telegraphed again: IF you
do not attack Hood before-date, L shall
be under the painful necessity of relieving
you. just at the time Thomas was ready, not
by necessity, but the completion of his affairs,
and the happy collision of events made the
battle of Nashville an honor to both.'