The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-05-12
THE SILENT SOLDIER AT SHILOH.

The Question OF His SObriety on That Mo-
mentous Occasion Again Under Discussion
The Story of Fighting Lew Wallace.
In leading editorial, the Cincinnati Gazette
says: War history ought by this time to be ris-
ing above the fiction of the time; but here is
serious newspaper inquiry into the question
whether Gen. Grant was drunk at Fort DON
elson and Shiloh. The editor of the Omaha
Tribune and Republican has written to Gen
Lew Wallace to inquire, and Wallace has an
swered with particularly: First-He rejoined
Grant at Fort Donelson from Fort Henry,
February II, at noon, and went to his head
quarters, where were crackers, coffee, and
cigars, but no liquors. Grant then and there
wrote an order constituting the Third division
and assigning Wallace to the command. 's1hs
guns were pounding away when he wrote. 4
drunken man could not have done it The d.
vision was organized as it marched past on tho
road. Then Gen. Grant rode with me to desig-
nate my position in the center. He showed not
q sign Of intoxication." So much for that day.
Then for the next day: Next day about noon.
while the First division was being assembled
and reorganized, Gen: Grant came
hearing an explanation of the misfortunes Of
the night, he ordered the lost position to be re-
taken. History tells what ensued. The inter-
view lasted about twenty minutes. I remem-
Der Gen. Grants appearance and manner we'll,
for the moment Was Of great interest-in fact
it was the crisis of the battle. He was mounted,
and hold . 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
ton natural to man in position Of vast re-
sponsibility resolving suddenly upon de-
cisive action. And to show what grip Grant
had to keep on his will at that moment, Gen.
Wallace continues, and gives this new contribu-
ton to the history Of that affair: The draft
upon his will can be appreciated by his emo
mics even, when they are told that the tele-
gram he gripped so hard was from Gen. Hal
leck, directing him to retire, throw up de-
fensive works, and wait for reinforcements
Had he, failing the inspiration of his own
genius, obeyed that order, Donelson would
have been to our arms the empty success that
Corinth was little later. He was perfectly
sober throughout the interview, and left US TO
direct simultaneous assault by Gen. G. F.
Smith. Gen. Wallace certifies also that he saw
GRANT SOBER AFTER THE SURRENDER.
that in the Shiloh affair Grant stopped at
Crump's Landing on his way up, perfectly
sober; that he saw him again on the field next
morning in the gray of the dawn, perfectly
sober, and again at . o'clock p. M, perfectly
sober; Subsequently he was Grants guest at
City Point, and he does not believe that Grant
touched liquor in all that time. Again, Grant
was his guest in Baltimore, and although he
invariably had wine at dinner, Grant invariably
refused to drink it. Wallace's testimony is
more than enough. 1t makes Grant out tee
totaler. The charge of drunkenness was q
sacrifices. Lincoln, after Grants run of bad
luck had changed by the capture of Vieksburg,
made this charge ridiculous by saying he
would like to send each commander barrel Of
the whisky Grant got drunk on. But Gen.
Wallace leaves out the alleged time. It was
the half day of battle in which the confederates
massed against the right of Grants army, and
attacked at daybreak, doubled it back on the
center, gained the roads out, and imperiled
Grants entire army. During all that forenoon
Grant was on Commodore Foote'S gunboat,
and when McClernand called for help
there was no commanding general that could
be reached This extraordinary absence was
that which gave rise to the explanation that
Grant was drunk on gunboat Wallace says
Grant reached the field where he and McCler-
nand were at noon; Babeau says that Grant
Went aboard Com. Foote'S tiagship''befole day.
light" having been sent for by Foote, who was
wounded and could not go ashore, and who
wanted to tell him that he would have to go to
Cairo for repair, and that he returning
to mis- headquarters from the flagship about 9
ing up to inform him of the assault" The as
sault had begun at daybreak. Greeley's history
say Grant came on the field at about p. NJ
The circumstance that Gen. c. F. Smiths as
sault and entry into the works 80 late that
his progress was stopped by darkness, makes
this the most probable time.
The flushing of Grants face, which Gen.
Wallace tells of, when he found that furious
battle had ragged all the forenoon, and that his
entire right wing had been broken and driven
back, losing guns and prisoners, while he was
away, may have been Consciousness Of neglect
and of responsibility for the sacrifice of 1000
Of brave men, as we'll as of resolve. But Gen.
Wallace, in asserting that Halleck advised Grant
to fall back and intrench, and that Grant
proved his teetotal soberness by staying, in
PRODUCES now version of history.