Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-04

would give but that amount The astonished
o nnS o seeing that the boy had made up his
actually sold it to him for fifty dollars.
HIS sELF-RELIANcE AS BOY.
The father gives the following anecdote that
illustrates strikingy not only the boys ability,
put the fathers confidence in it, to take care Of
himself when but twelve years old. He says:
III was necessary for me to have a deposition
taken once, to be used in a law suit in when
was engaged. had written more than once
business done I can do it, said ULYSSES. SO
sent MN on the errand alone. Before he started
gave him an open letter that he might show
should nave occasion, stating that ne was my
son and was going down to louisville on my
bushes naSlhfsS. G0lng down he happened to meet
nelghbor with whom he was acquainted, so he
mad no occasion to use the letter. But when he
came on board a boat tn return the captain asked
MIN who he was. He told him. but the captain
answered, 1 cannot take you, you may be rum
ming away. Ulysses then produced my letter,
w WI, put every thing right, and the captain
not only treated him with great Kindness but
took SO much interest in him to invite him
to 60 as far as Maysville with him, where he
brought back the deposition with him, and
that enabled me to succeed in making salts
factory adjustment of my suit"
II would seem very extraordinary to send
lad only twelve years of age on such business
at all, but to send him to another state to find
his way by railroad and steamboat as best he
could, would be foolhardiness under anv CTR
cumstances, except that the boy had previously
SHOWN himself to be an uncommon child.
HIS PHYSIOLOGICAL "BUMPs."
Again the father says: 81 will relate another
circumstance which l have never mentioned
before, which you may use as you think proper.
He was always regarded as extremely apt in
figures. When he was ten years old distin.
gu1shed phrenologist came along and stayed
several days in the place. He was frequently
asked to examine heads blindfolded. Among
others Ulysses was placed in the chair The
phrenologist felt his head for several minutes
without saying anything. At length a noted
doctor asked him If the boy had a capacity for
mn 3a,han The phrenologist after some
surprised If you see this boy fill the President
ial chair"
AN EARLY EVIDENCE OF OBSTINATE DETERMI-
NATION.
In those early days he exhibited another
trait, which shone out most conspicuously in
his public career as general, viz: The appar-
ent Inconsistencies that he was unable to do
anything he once set about. To begin thing
with him makes sure the end. He exhibited
this trait at Shiloh, and though terribly beaten
the first day, he intended, even If Buell. had
not arrived, to fight the victorious army the
next. Nothing but his total destruction would
secure his defeat. This popularity was ex-
hibited in early lite. His father sent him one
day with team in the woods to bring back
some pieces OF timber, supposing there were
men at work there, who would help him load.
ural, usual course would have Been to return
and report the state of the case. But having
been sent for the timber, it never occurred to
him that he was to go back without it. So after
contemplating the job for awhile, he set about
ACCOMPLISHING it: half fallen tree lay near
ma5dg an inclined ned plane Up this he sue
ends projecting over Backing his team up
under these. he fastened them with chain to
the wagon, and so hauled them on it, one bv
one, and returned home with his load.
NOT MORE THAN 10, 900 TO CARRY OVER.
present day, there has been good deal of dis
cussion as to whether Grant was justified in
selecting his position with the river in the rear
1t is reported that Grant when asked the
question, what would he have done had he
been forced to cross the stream? replied:
1--WE would have used the gun boats"
But" continued his QueStioner. s'the gun
boats could have carried over only iO, 900 men
at most"
. Well" said Grant, "there would not have
been more than 1O, 900 men to carry over"
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" GRANT
Gen. Grant has had great many soubriquets
applied to him, both during and since the war.
One of the earliest, after he became known to
the country. was that of unconditional Sur
render Grant," 1t arose in this way: After the
attack upon Fort Donelson, Gen. Buclkner
wrote to Gen. Grant proposing an armistice in
order to agree upon the terms Of capitulation.
He received the following characteristic reply:
appointment of commissioners to settle terms
Of capitulation is just received. No terms other
than an unconditional and immediate surren-
der can be accepted. propose to move imme-
diately upon your works."
The unconditional surrender" at once fol-
lowed.
HIS HAPPY DAYS WHEN HAULING WOOD.
The following anecdote illustrates Grants
mode of life after he resigned from the army in
1854, and resided on q farm near st. Louis. It
is related by one familiar with it. The writer
says:
ut is well known that when he resided in
Missouri he was very poor, and lived in small,
uncomfortable house, cultivating q farm of q
few acres. His chief income was derived by
hauling wood to the city Of St Louis. He used
to supply Hon. Henry T. Blow, of that city, with
his fuel. Mr.. Blow was elected to the Thirty
his wife to one Of General Grants popular re-
ceptions Mrs. Blow wondered If General Grant
would recognize her as an old friend or &C
Of their relative circumstances in life. Well,
Mrs. Blow had not been long at the generals
taken place since last we metz Yes, general
said Mrs. B, the war is over Il do not mean
recoilect when used to supply your HUSBAND and
with wood, and pile 1t myself, and measure it
TOO, ana go 10 his Ofnce for my pay I? oh, yes,
general, your face was familiar in those days
Mrs. Blow, those were happy days; for 1 was
doing the best could to support my family"
GRANT WAS RIGHT AND LINCOLN WRONG
The country was aroused to q high pitch of
enthusiasm by the news of Grants operations
about Vicksburg, the occupation Of Jackson,
Miss, and then the capture Of Vicksburg. When
the news of the surrender reached President
Lincoln officially, he wrote the following auto
graph letter to Grant:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, July ID, 1868.
TO Major General Grant:
MY Dear General:-I do not remember that
you and ever met personally. I write this now
as grateful acknowledgment for the Qlxsost 1,s-
estsnd6te service you haze done the country.
wish to say word further. When you first
reached the vicinity Of Vicksburg, thought
you should do what you finally did-march the
troops across the neck, run the batteries with
the transports, and thus go below; and I never
h mac any daith, except q general hope that you
ton, and the like, could succeed. When you got
below and took Port Gibson, Grand Gulf and
vicinity, thought you should 20 down the
river and Join Gen. Banks, and when you turned
northward, east Of the Big Black, feared it was
Q mistake. / now wish to make personal
acknowledgment that you were right and
was wrong. Yours, very truly,
GRANT AS A WEST POINT CADET.
Henry Coppee esq.,, who was with Grant at
West Point for two years, gives the following
account Of him while there: