Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-06-10
GRANTS BOOK.

Extracts from the Personal Memoirs
Now Being Prepared by the Dying
Soldier.
The Commercial Advertiser publishes
nearly q page Of extracts from Gen.
Grants Personal Memoirs" which will
be published within few months. The
first volume is completed and the second
nearly SO. The extracts given show the
work to be written in sturdy
and terse Anglo. Saxon, with here and
there touch of quiet humor. The dedi-
cation is in fac simile of the generals
manuscript, as follows:
These volumes are dedicated to the
Anne. lean soldier and sailor. U. 8. GRANT.
New York, May %, 1883.
lie begins by saying that he is of
American stock on both sides for many
generations. Mathew Grant, from whom
he is descendant in the eight genera.
tion, reached Dorchester, Mass, in 1880,
from Dorchester, England. His great
grandfather. Noah Grant, had q commits.
sion in the British army, and his grand
father, also named Noah, served In the
war of the revolution. Re gives an exc.
dus Of bis baby yhood of his appointment
to West Point through the influence OF
Hon. Thos. Morris, congressman from
Ohio; tells the. circumstances under
which he first met Gen. Scott and Presi.
dent Van Buren,; contrasts the personal
characteristics Of Gems. Scott and Taylor;
gives copy of bis letter to Adjt. Gen
Thomas. dated Galena, Ill. May "a, 1861,
Offering his services to the United
States, and suggesting that he consider.
ed himself competent to command reg.
iment. This letter was never replied to
and was for long time lost among the
papers of the war Office.
Speaking of his first battle in the civil
war he says: "As We approached the
brow Of the hill from which it was ex.
pected We would see Harris camp, and
possibly find his men ready formed to
meet us, my heart kept getting higher
and higher, until it felt to me as though
it was in my throat. would have Civ
en- anything then to have been back ID
the rear, but Ihad not the moral courage
to halt and consider what to do. kept
right on. When We reached q point
from which the valley below was IN full
view, I halted. The place where Har.
rls had been encamped afew days be.
fore was still there and the marks of q
recent encampment we're plainly visible
but the troops we're gone. My heart r.
sumed its place. It occurred to me al
once that Harris had beer
as much afraid Of me as
had been of him. This was view ol
the question had never taken before
but it was one Inever forgot afterwards
From that event to the close of the war
I never experienced trepidation upon
confronting an enemy"
He speaks Of the battle of Fort Don
aldson at some length. OF the battle o
Shiloh, he says he considered the situa
tion as one in which the federal force
were on the offensive. but asserts thai
no precautions for defense we're neg
lected. On this subject he continues q
tollows: "Gen. Beauregard was next il
rank to johnson, and succeeded to th
command, which he retained till tn
close Of the battle, and during the sub
sequent retreat on Corlnth, as we'll as il
the seige OF that place. His tactics hav,
been severely criticised by confederat
writer's, but I do not believe his taller
chief could have done better undel
the circumstances. Some of thes
critics claim that Shiloh was won whel
Johnston fell; that II he had not fallel
the army under me would have beel
whipped. Il defeated the confederate
at Shiloh. There is little doubt that n
should have been disgracefuily beatel
II the shells and bullets fired By 20 hs,
passed harmlessly over the enemy and
all Of theirs' had taken effect. Command
ing generals are liable to be kllle,
daring engagements, and the fact thu