The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-11-07
Ole Bulletin
GRANT UNDER FIRE.
How the General A y pcard 80 hrs Men
- Two Pcrs0nnI Sketches.


Va two PcrsOnai Sketches.
Col y. II. NJ. Bycrs n the Phila. Times
While ! was standing by the pontoon
bridge watching the boys cross the bayou,
heard somebody cheering, and looking
round, saw All officer on horseback In 4
Nal ,r.G eneral's uuiform. lie dismounted
and came over to the very spot where |
was standing. Il did not know his face, but
something told me II was Grant Ulysses
Grant, at that moment the hero of the
Western Amy. Solid he stood-erect;
about five feet eight, With square features
thin, closed lips, brown hair, brown beard
both cut short and neat. HE must weigh
one hundred and fifty pouDds; looks just
like the soldier he IT," think he is
larger than Napoleon, but not much-he is
not so dumpy; locks like a man In good
earnest, and the rebels thi1k he H." And
this was the first time saw Grant.
think still possess some OF the feeling that
0vercame me at that moment rs stood so
near to one who held our lives and, pos.
sibly, our country in his hands. Ibeard
him speak: "Msn, push right along; close
up fast and hu ry over" Two or three
men mounted on mules attempted to wedge
past the soldiers on the bridge. Grant
noticed 1t, and quietly said, Lieutenant,
sen those men TO the rear" Every soldier
Passing turned 10 gaze on him. but there
was no luther resignation. There was no
Mcclellan, begging the boys to allow bin
to light bis cigar by theirs, or inquir.
ing TO what reg iment that exceedingly fine
marching company belonged. There was
no Pope, bully az the men for not march
faster, or officers for some trivial details
remembered only by msrtinents. There
was no Bonapsi %, postu ing for effect; no
pointing to the Pyramids, no calling the
centuries to witness. There was on non.
sense, no sentiment; only.a plain business
man OF the Republic, there for the one SIM
gle purpose Of getting that command across
the river In the shortest time possible. On
. horse near by, and among the s. VI mount.
ed stafi, sat the Generals son, . bright.
looking lad OF about eleven years. Faiten.
ed to his rttle waist by the broad yellow
belt was his fathers sword-ihat sword on
whose clear steel was soon to be engraved
Vicksburg, Spottsylvania, the Wilderness
and Richmond. The boy talked End jestcd
with the bronzed soldiers near him, who
inquired where we should
camp; to which the Dung field marshal re-
piled: cover the river" Over the river.
All! that night, we slept with our guns in
our hands; and another night and another
saw more than one Of our division camped
beyond and over the riyer-in that.last
tenting ground where the reyeie was
heard no more forever.
next saw Grant on May IS, 1868, and
this tine at the battle oil champion hills
In rear Of yicksburg. We had crossed the
river at Grand Gulf and swung
of east and north; had fought the battles OF
Port Gibson, Raymond and jackson, and
were oyertaking Pemberton's army hast
ening TO the walls oil Vicksbug. IT was a
very hot day, and we had marched hard,
slept little, and rested none. Among the
on Champion hills the enemy,
forty TO City thousand strong, turned on
US. shermau's Corps was already
engaged far on the tight ~ we approached
the field In that oyerpowering Mississippi
sun. Our bregade was soon in line, on the
edge OF q mellow, or open field sloping to.
ward the woods, where the enemy were
conceald and steadily fireing on US, We were
In that most try Ing position Of soldiers, for
regulars even-being firsd on without per.
mission to return the shots. We were STAN
ding with two files deed, bearing aspatient
ly az We could not heavy, but steadi fire
from infantry, while an occasional cannon
ball tore up the turf in front or behind US.
A good many ;men were falling, and the
wounded were being borne to the rear of
the hregade, close to an old wei, whose
wooden curb seemed te offer the only
protection from bullets on the exposed
hue. Colonel, move Jour men little by
the left fiank," said q quiet, though com.
manding voice. On looking round, saw
Immediately behind us Grant, the comman-
der-ir.chiei, mounted on beautiful bay
marc aud followed perhaps half . dozea of
bis staff, For some reason he dismounted,
and most Of his officers were sent of, bear.
ing orders, probably, to other quar- .ers OF
the field. 1t was Grant under f,e. The
rafting musketry increased on our front,
and grew louder too, en- the lett flank.
GRANT had led BIS horse TO the left, and thus
KEEP. near the company - which belong.
ed. He now ste d lean Jog complacently
against his favorite steed, sm0king--ss
seemed habi.usl v til h'm--the stump of
cigar. his was the only hor.e near the line,
Ind must, naturally, have attracted some
Of the enemy's fire. WHAT II he should DO
killed, I thought - myvelt, and the army
be lett without Its c0mmanderi In iiont
OF US was an enemy: behind US, and about
us, and liable y overcome aud crush us,
were his reinforcements. For days we had
been away LON our base OF supplies, and
arching ,ainst our enemy's lines. What
II Grant should be killed, and we be defeat
cd herein tuch place, and at such q
timer an Sue every one who recognized
him wished HIM away; but there he stood
---clear, calm, and immovable. was close
enough to see bis features. Earnest they
were; but siS ofinward movement there
wss none. at WAS the same cool, calculat-
ing face had seen before at the bridge; the
same careful, half.cynical face attsrward
SAW busted with the A Ffaii NJ Stata