The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-10-17
GRANTS HABITg.
Letter from Gen. Lew. Wallace, Of
Indiana.
CRAWFORDSvILLE. IND,
A,,u,,Ss Qn 1870

CRAWFORDSvlLLE. IND.s
August 30, 1872.
Editor Omaha Republican and 2Fib-
nne:-I am In receipt Of your letter Of
he Esd instant, asking II General
Grant was drunk ut the battles Of Don
,lson aud Shiloh, and requesting full
particulars.
II was my fortune to he one Of .
council OF war, assembled on Grants
nost, at Fort Henry, the day before
he army moved on Fort Donelson
The council was In session the greater
part Of the afternoon. General Grant
presided In person, and mds perfectly
sober. There was box Of cigars on
he table, but no liquor was drank.
The army marched next morning
February l2th). shook hands with
ien. Grant when he mounted his
,orse and took his place in the column.
lie Wds perfectly sober then.
The General left me behind In COM
nand Of Fort Henry but, by order.
I rejoined him on the l4th, about noon.
He was at his Headquarters, close In
he rear Of Gen. G.. F. Smith's line OF
Investments. There were crackers,
coffee and cider. but no liquor. In my
presence Gen. Grant wrote al order.
constituting the third division Of his
army. specifying the precise regiments
your noble lst Nebraska among the
rest-and assigned me to the com
,nand. have the original order yet
II is lengthy. aud in General Grant,
own hand, ~ were nearly oil the or
iers that came from him In that cam
Daign. The guns were pounding
away at the time he wrote. A drunk
en- man could not have written 1t.
The division was organized ~ Il,
passed along on the road Then Gen.
eral Grant rode along with me to des
ignatc my position In the center. He
showed not sign Of intoxicstion.
Next day about noon, while the
First Division was being assembled
nd reorganized, Gen. Grant came
where Gen. McClernand and were,
aud after hearing an explanation Of
he misfort unes Of the night, he or
lered the lost position to he retake n
History tells what ensued. The inter-
view lasted about ten minutes. l re-
member General Grants appearance
and amer well, for the moment was
Of great interest; in fact II WAS the
crisis OF the battle. He was mounted
aud held . telegram just received. He
heard the story calmly and without
interruption then he flushed up aud
crushing the dispatch, ordered the -.
sault. The flushing Of his face was not
from liquor; il was the visible emo.
| lion, natural to man In position Of
vast responsibility, resolving upon 4
decisive action. The draft upon hi.
mind can be appreciated by his ene-
mics even, when they are told tina,
the telegram which he gripped so hare
was from General Halleck, directing
MIN to "retire, throw up defensive
works and wait for reinforcements.
Had he, falling the inspiration o. hi,
own genius, ot,eyed that order, Donel.
son would have been to our arms thu
empty success that Corinth was few
days later. He was perfectly sobe
throughout the interview, and left u
20 direct similar attack by Gen. c. +
smith.
| The morning Of the surrender, ate
occupying the rebel works on the LEI
Of their line. l break Tasted with Gen
Buckner ut his headquarters In Dover
An hour or two thereafter Gen. Gran
appeared. I was with him some time
He wrote an order directing me to re-
turn to Fort Henry, with my division
He Dds perfectly sober.
Next. rs to Pittsburg Landing.
Sunday morning. the first day Z
the battle, Gen. Grant hastened fror
savanna TO the field, fast ~ steam
could carry him, stopped his bos
alongside mine, to ask some question:
A conversation took place betwee
US across the guards Of the steamer
Had be been In the lesst intoxi cated,
would have noticed It. He Was PEE
. fectty sober.
!. Al ten o'clock, from the held. b