The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-04-23
An Incident mt The Hague.

In the popular Imagination Gen. Grant has
always been associated With cigar. He has
been called the greatest smoker I'm the wor d.
It is n marked popularity of the man. When
ut The Hague in his tour around the world,
at the dinner rendered in his honor by the
Dutch King, cigars were either omitted in
the menu, or perhaps it was thought dis
courteous to smoke in the presence of
royalty. When Gen. Grant was, therefore,
observed to take cigar from his pocket and
complacently light il, in the presence of the
King, there was n murmur of surprise.
"But, then" IL was said, 'he is q great man
"a very great man." In the simplicity of
the Dutch Court il was thought probably
that none but the very great would dare TO
smoke on such an occas on. 1t is generally
believed that Gen. Grant has been an inces-
SAINT smoker ever since his boyhood. it may
be news TO many to learn that Ii is only
since The famous battle OF Shiloh that the
General became so fond of the weed. A
Commercial Gaze &c reporter, I'm conversa-
ton with an intimate Cincinnati friend of
Grant was told the story OF the "cigar.
The General, In speaking to a Cincinnati
friend OF the popular idea that he was life
long smoker, said that prior To the battle of
Shiloh he rarely-very rarely-smoked: that
only once I'm great while did he take a
smoke" and that il had never been habit,
much less a pleasure. At the battle of Shiloh
he CHANGED TO smoke cigar, while riding
over the field, and the newspaper correspond
ents, selling upon the incident described it
graphically in their accounts of the battle to
the papers in the North The idea of "A vic.
tor1ous commander of a great army, in the
midst of frightful scenes of carnage and de-
struction, surrounded by the dangers OF bat
tie, with a nations life hanging on the re-
suit looking on calmly and serenely-com-
placently smoking a cigar-when most men
would be overcome with excitement. II not
nervousness, was something that appealed
irresistibly TO popular admiration. Here was
a man who was not to be frightened by the
dangers OF war, who knew that I'm war the
mass OF men are almost frantic with the fire
OF battle; that it meant death and destruc-
ton; that this was the business of war, and
the GOODNESS of his mind seemed to say: 1.-THE
only way 10 do is to strike blow upon blow,
and thus crush the rebellion"
IL was not the idea of a butcher, but the
idea OF war, aud the mistake of the Army of
the Potomac was in not recognizing II and
failing TO follow up victory, OF 'eaving its
work only half finished, F" as Gen. Grant ex-
losses.
Grants admirers and friends, reading of
the accounts of the battle, supposed him to
be great smoker. and almost deluged him
with cigars. Every express brought boxes
of cigars as presents from his Northern
friends. AS the General said, sfhere were
always two or three boxes on the table I'm my
tent or headquarters free for the use of my
stRR and visitors. Having them always at
hand it was but natural that should every
little while take a fresh cigar, and i'm that
way the habit grew upon me so that 10 be-
came Irresistible, and the people no doubt
e>right I'm calling me an inveterate smoker
--Cincfnndu Commercial Gazette.