The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-09-28
WAS HE DRUNK OR SOBER
The Question IL Settled by a Distingu.
ished Indianian.
From the Omaha Triburc]

From the Omaha Triburc1.
CRAwFoRDsvILLE, IND, Aug 80, '72.
Editor Omaha Tribune and Re-
publican:
| an in receipt Of your letter Of
the 23d inst, asking if General
Grant was drunk at the battle Of
Donaldson and Shiloh, and re-
questiug full particulars.
| 1t was my fortune 10 be one of
a council of war, assembled on
General Grants boat at Fort
Henry, the day before the army
moved on Fort Donaldson. The
council was in session the greater
i part of the afternoon. General
/ Grant presided in person, and was
| perfectly sober. There was box
Of cigars on the table, but no
liquor was seen OR drank.
The army marched next morn
ing February II. / shook hands
with General Grant when he
mounted his horse and took his
place in the column. He was per-
fectly sober then.
The general left me behind, but
BY order ! rejoined him On the
14th at noon. He was at his head
quarters close in the rear of C.
F. Smiths line Of investments.
, There were crackers, coffee and
cigars, but no liquor. In my pres
ence General Grant wrote an order
constituting the third division of
his army, specifying precisely the
regiment-your noble first Nebras-
, ka among the rcst-and assigning
,, me to the command. have the
. original order yet. 1t is lengthy,
, and in General Grants own hand
E as were nearly all the orders that
came from him in that campaign.
= The guns we're pounding away
d while he wrote. A drunken man
{ could not have written it.
! The division was organized as it
marched past on the road. Then
e General Grant rode with me to
: designate my position in the
Il centre. He showed not a sign oi
$ intoxication.
d Next day about noon, while the
). first division was assembled and
l. recognized, General Grant came
:. where General McCiernand and !
le were, and after hearing an ex
J. planation OF the misfortunes of the
"a "a night, he ordered the lost position
9, to be reta1en. History tells what
is ensued. The interview lasted abou,
~ twenty minutes. rememb bel
i General Grants appearance and
N manner we'll, for the moment was
,e of great interest, in fact it was the
< crisis of the battle. He was mount
\. ne ed and held telegram just feceiv
re ed. He heard the story calmly
be and without interruption; then hi
u flushed up, and crushing the dis
'y atch ordered the assault. Til
u flushing Of the face was not fron
gu liquor, it was the visible emotion
Gu natural to man in a position O
ou vast responsibility resolving eud
&C. denly upon decisive action. Th
el- draft upon his will ca, be appre
" ciatcti by his enemies even, whe,
on they are told that the telegram h
nj uriped so hard WAS from Gener,
m ast Haileck directing him to retiy
' "t and thiow up defensive work.
and wait for endorsements. Ha
he, failing the inspiration of his ow
oe genius, obeJed shat order, Dor
in alison would have been to our arm
ave the empty success that Co,in'
'an was later. He was perfect
ort sober throughout the in erview, an
&C. left US to direct simultleous .
DRY sault by General c. T. Smith.
nm. The morning Of the surrende
'wn after occupying the rebel worl
tes on the left of their line, l brea
M W. tasted with General Buc kner
the his headquarters in Dover. A
hour or two thereafter Gencr
Grant appeared. l was with hi
itor some time. He wrote en- ord
fed directing me to return to Hen
VIII with my division. He was pc
ths fectly sober.
,ese Next, as to Pittsburg Landin,
'wn Sunday morning, the FIRST day
the battle, General Grant haste
;ov. ing to the field, as fast as stes
ling could carry him, stopped his be
s 'n along side of mine to ask sor
,wn questions. A conv ersation to
'rly place between US across the guar
ing Of the steamers. Had he been
the slightest degree intoxicated,
would have observed it. He v
'ore perfectly sober. -
one r1..+sse
Pine AT ten O'CLOCK from the field,
,uld | spnt ma an n, or fn ,nerol, - D:x