, 1878-04-26
Grant Under Fire.

Nuu | heart somebody tNt'fIlE nNhi
looking around. SAW au officer uu hHr.r.
back in ID o.. irr generals unl,ulm II.
uI-muugtni uui came ever o. TIE very
spot where | ~. ,nuiIlg. ! did not
know hi, face, but ,unuthlug told NE it
was Grant UI,s.r, Gwut, az the .ngic
moment tine hero of the western army,
Sold ho stpud-c'rct about five feet
eight, with square features, tim CLOSED
lips, brown hair, broad beard, both cut
short aud neat. "llc must weigh one
hundred AMI fifty pounds looks just
like the s.liicr he is. think hc is lar
ger than Napoleon, but rot much-hc i,
not So dumpy looks ike man in good
earnest, and the rebels think he is And
this was the first time | saw Grant. |
think | still possess some OF the feeling
that overCame me at that moMent, as !
stood so near to one who held our lives,
and, possibly, our country's, in his hands.
| heard him speak: "Men, push right
along close up fast, and hurry over" d"
Two or three men mounted on mules at
tempted to wedge past the soldiers on the
bridge. Grant noticed it and quietly
said, "Lieutenant, send those men to the
rear.' Every soldier passing turned to
gaze on him, but there was no further
recognition. There was no Mcclellan,
begging the boys to allow him to light
his cigar by theirs, or inquiring to what
regiment that exceedingly fine marching
company belonged. There was no Pope,
bullying the men for not marching fast
er, or officers for some trivial detail re-
membered only by martnets. There was
no Bonaparte posturing for effect, no
pointing to the Pyramids, no calling the
centuries to witness. There was no non
sense, no sentiment 4; only plain busi-
ness man of the republic, there for the
one single purpose of getting that com
mand across the river in the shortest
time possible. On horse near by, and
among the still mounted staff, sat the
generals son, bright looking lad of
about eleven years. Fastened to his little
waist by the broad yellow belt was his
fathers sword-that sword on whose
clear steel was soon to be engraved
Vicksburg, Spottsyvania, the Wilder
ness and Richmond. The boy talked
and jested with the bronzed soldiers near
him, who laughingIy inquired where we
should camp, to which the young field
marshal replied, "over the river" Over
the river ! An ! 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 river-in that last tenting ground
where the reveille was heard no more
forever.
/ next saw Grant on May 1S, 1868, and
this time at the battle of Champion
Hills, in the rear of Vicksburg. We had
crossed the Mississippi river at Grand
Gulf, and swung off east and north had
fought the battles of Port Gibson, Ray
mond and Jackson, and were overtaking
Pemberton's army fastening to the wall
of Vicksburg. 1t was very hot day,
and we had marched hard, slept little
and rested none. Among the magnoias
on Champion Hills the enemy, 10000 or
$4,000 strong, turned on us. Sherman's
corps was already engaged far on the
right, as we approached the field in that
overpowering Mississippi sun. Our bri.
gade was soon in line, on the edge of the
meadow, or open field sloping towards
the woods, where the enemy were con.
cealed and steadily firing on US. We
were in the most trying position of sol
diers, for regulars even-being fred on
without permission to return the shots
We were standing two files deep, bearing
as patiently as we could not a heavy, but
a steady 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 brigade,
close to an old well, whose wooden curb
seemed to offer the only protection from
bullets on the exposed line. "Colonel,
move your men little by the left flank"
said quiet, though commanding voice.
On looking round, | saw, Immediately
behind US, Grant, the commander-in-
chief, mounted on beautiful bay mare,
and followed by perhaps half dozen of
his staff. For some reasons he dismount-
ed, and most of his officers were sent off,
bearing orders probably to other quar-
ters of the field. 1t was Grant under
fire. The rattling musketry increased on
our front and grew louder, too, on the
left flank. Grant had led his horse to
the left, and thus kept near to the COM
pany to which | belonged. He now stood
leaning complacently against his favor
ite steed, smoklng-as seemed habitual
with bim--the stump of cigar. His
was the only horse near the line, and
must naturally have attracted some of
the enemy's fire. What if he should be
killed, thought to myself, and the army
be left without its commander In front
Of us was an enemy; behind US and
about US, and liable to overcome and
crush us, were his reiuforcements For
days we had been away from our base Of
supplies, and marching inside the enc
my's lines. What if Grant should be
killed, and we be defeated herein such
place and at such time ? am sure