The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-09-27
GRANTS HABITS.
Letter from General lew. Wallace, Of
Indiana.

. was drunk at the battles of DOnnel
. son and Shiloh, and reqesting iuI
particulars
. 1t was my fortune 10 be one of
council of war, assembled on Ger
Grants boat at Ft. Henry, the da
before the army moved on FIT. Don
nelson. The council was in session
the greater part of the afternoon
General Grant presided in person
and was perfectly sober. Their
was a box of cigars on the tabl
and no liquor of any kind was seeI
or drank.
The army marched next morning
February l2th.) l shook hands
with General Grant when he mount
ed his horse and took his place il
the column. He was perfectly so
Der then.
The General left me behind il
command of Fort Henry; but, b,
order, rejoined him on the l4th a
noon. He was at his headquarters
close in rear of Gen. G. F. Smith
line of Investments. There weF'
crack III and cigars, but nC
liquo. IL 10y presence Genera
Grant wrote a letter constituting
the third division of his army, spec
flying precisely the regiments-yOul
noble LIST Nebraska among, the res
and assigned me to the command
! have the original order yet. 1t is
lengthy, and in General Grants OWL
hand, as were nearly all the order;
that came from him in that cam
paign. The guns were pounding
away while he wrote, A drunken
man could not have written it.
The division was organized as il
marched past the road. Then Gen,
Grant rode with me to designate
my position in the center. lie
showed no sign of intOxication.
Next day about noon, while the
first division was being assembled
and recognized, Gen. Grant came
to where General McClernand and
were, and, after hearing an expla-
nation of the misfortunes of the
night, he ordered the lost position
to be retaken. History tells what
ensued. The interview lasted about
twenty minutes. l remember Gen.
Grants manner and appearance
well, for the moment was of great
interest; in fact, it was the crisis OF
the battle. He was mounted, and
held a telegram just received. He
heard the story calmly and without
interruption then he flushed up,
and, crushing the dispatch, ordered
the assault. The flushing of the
face was not from liquor; it was
the visible emotion natural to man
in position of vast responsibility,
resolving suddenly upon decisive
action. Tie drstt upon his will can
be appreciated by his enemies even,
when they are told that the telegram
he griped SO hard was from General
Halleck, directing him to "retire,
throw up defensive works, and wait
for reinforcements." Had he, fail
ing the inspiration of his own gen.
ius, obeyed that order, Donelson
would haye been to our arms the
empty success that Corinth was q
little later. lie was perfectly sober
throughout the interview, and left US
to direct similar assault by Gen.
F. e. Smith.
The morning after the surrender,
after occupying the rebel works on
the left of their line, L breakfasted
with General Buckner, at his head
quarters in Dover. An hour or two
thereafter General Grant appeared,
l was with him some time. : he
wrote an order directing me to re-
turn to TT. Henry with my division.
He was perfectly sober.
Next as to Pittsburg Landing.
Sunday morning, the first day OF
the battle, General Grant Fastening
from Savannah to the field, fast as
steam could carry him, stopped his
boat alongside mine 10 ask some
questions. A conversation took
place between us across the guards
of the steamers. Had he been in
the slightest degree intoxicated
would have observed it. He was
perfectly sober.
At ten O'Clock, from the field, h6
sent me an order to march to Pitts
burg Landing. Unfortunately the
officer who brought it, by mistake
in its delivery, sent me to join the
right of the army at point foul
miles from the landing. When the
order was corrected I had marched
and put the whole rebel army be
tween me and Pittsbug Landing, i
was necessary to march back entire
Ily around the left of the enemy
The movement took the afternoon
SO that 1 did not see General Gran
again that day.
Next morning, in the gray of thu
dawn he came to me, aud in person
| ordered my advance to the attack
One orderly was his entire escort
The following was the interview
almost verbatim
Good morning." he said 10 me
I raised my cap and replied
"GoOd morning, sir"
eYour guns are at work early
"Yes," | said, ''and it you viii
observe / have two batteries on me
The affair can't last long
He studied the direction of M,
line awhile, then asked
care You ready to attack ??
eyes SIR
| He turned his horses head TOWARD
the enemy, and with a quiet wav,
of the hand, said, calmly, as if sit
ting IN parlor, '"rhen NOV,
straight out there.
i AS he started off | called to him
''Do you wish me TO attack in an.
particular order 2"
i "No. ] leave that TO your owl
discretion. Good morning"
He was perfectly sober, and a
confident as he was sober.
saw him again about five o'clocl
in the afternoon. We were drivini
the enemy. Ridi 10 my side h
said:
1--WE are geti,Dg aiong very well
/ think you had better make quar-
ter of wheel to the right here, an
change direction a little.o
aft ] do that" replied, "my lei
flank will be without support"
ssfIl see to that"
, lie was perfectly sober when h
/ lett here.
This is a plain unvarnished state
ment of what l saw of Generi
/ Grant during the battles to whic
| you have alluded. Afterwards
! was his guest for weeks at Cit
Point, and with him at the table an
On the road. / do not believe
E touched liquor all that time.
: Still later he was my guest at Il
f EutaW House in Baltimore. y
8 such occasions l never failed
= have wine for CiBner, and he inval
: iably refused to drink it.
. In conclusion 1t is my opinio
e that General Grants career and su'
t cesses are impossible TO drunkar'
e Very respectfully yours,
!. LEW. WALLACE.
: The NATHAN MuRDER-FAc,
: DUPLICATING FoREsrER.-New Yel
4 Id;snatcLes of the 9th say.