Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-09
GENERAL GRANTS BOOK.
WNz1NNGNA 1F1&2AINA>S AbVVAAs Interesting Reco1leetf0ns of the War From the Pen of the old .Com- naHder.

From the Pen of the old .COm-
 mander.
 NEW YORK, June 8.-The Commercial Advertiser publishes extracts from General Grants forthcoming book which will be en- titled Personal Memoirs of U. s. Grant" The book will be in two volumes of about five hundred pages each. The first volume and nearly all of the second are now written. The book will it is claimed contain the inside history of several important operations hith- erto undivulged or incorrectly described The dedication of the work is in the follow ing words:
 s.These volumes are dedicated to the American soldier and sailor.
 New York, May s3, 1ss5.''
 In describing his origin General Grant says he is of the eighth generation in descent from Matthew Grant, who came to America from Dorchester, England, in 1860 and settled at Dorchester, Mass. General Grants great grandfather, Noah Grant, was an officer in the English army in the war of 1756 against the French and Indians His grandfather, also named Noah Grant, fought in the revolution against England. Grant was born at Point Pleasant, Ohio. He received his appointment to West Polnt | Ohio. The fact that he had no early lean ing toward military life is shown by his at first wishing to refuse the appointment. His father, man not to be refused, told him to go and he went. His reluctance arose from a fear that he would not pass the examina- wrote to the adjutant general offering the government his military service in any capacity No notice was taken of the letter and it was not preserved in the files of the War department. General Grant de- scribing his first meeting with the enemy when he commanded a regiment naively ad- mits that he was very much frightened. On seeing the retreat of the opposing force with out awaiting attack the idea struck him that their commander was probably as much frightened as he. This view of the matter remained in his mind and he never thereafter felt trepidation in the presence of the ene- my. In his comments upon the much dis cussed battle of Shiloh General Grant dis sents from the idea that if Johnston had not been killed the Confederates would have won and annihilated Grants army. He adds:
 ''Ifs" defeated the confederates at shiloh We bIea b us enemy and If" all of theirs had taken was leading a brigade to induce. it to. make charge which had been repeatedly ordered is moralization on our side nor the unbounded conf dence on theirs which has t been claimed s There
 
 the eventual defeat of the enemy.
 Grant says that Colonel William Preston Johnston's description of the battle is very graphic and causes the reader to wonder why the federal troops were not all killed. q witnessed the fight" sarcastically adds the general, land I see but little in the de- scription that I can recognize. The Confed crate troops fought we'll and deserve com mendation enough for their bravery and en- durance on the 9th of April without detract- ing from their antagonists or as stunning anything more than their due." The general makes amends to General Anson McCook by explaining a remark in his Century article on Shiloh to the effect that McCook was un- willing to pursue the enemy on April be- cause of the condition of his troops. Grant says the remark has been misinterpreted. He says he sustained McCook and says he merely mentioned the fact as a matter of history. He then pays @ high tribute to McCook's gallantry.
 Grant first met Lincoln when called to Washington to receive his commission as lieutenant general, ], in March, 1864.
 '.In my first interview with MT. Lincoln alone he so sn e 'oat or know how should be conducted and never wanted to interfere in them. consress, Con se which, ike the poor, he had always Enoap Know series of executive orders lie did not know but they were all wrong and did not know that some of them were: All he wanted. he said, was that some one would take the responsibility and act and call on him for all the assistance need ed."
 Grant first met Stanton ats Louisville. Stanton handed him two orders saying he could take his choice Both created mill tary division of the Mississippi giving Grant command of it and were identical except that one left the department commanders as they were while the other relieved Rosecrans and assigned Thomas to his place.
 q accepted the latter after Rosecrans' defeat at Chickamagua and retreat upon Chattanooga. Stan ton sent for me and in great excitement told that further retreat must be prevented. I immedi- ately wrote an order assuming command of the di- vision of the Mississippi and telegraphed it to Gen. eral Rosecrans I then telegraphed the order from Washington assigning to Thomas the command of the Army of Cumberland and to Thomas that he must hold Chattanooga at all hazards
 The following may be regarded as General Grants reply to assertions that superior numbers gave him the final victory in the battle of the Wilderness:
 Operating in an enemy's country and supplied always from distant base, large detachments had to it but al the roads leading to our Hanks and ga e hoxag the n roads aSs same manner as ours, not less than eighty thousand men at the start opposed us: His reioforcements ducting our discharged men and those sent back. Lee on the defensive and in country in which every stream, every road ever obstacle to the ment of troops and every natural defense was famil friendly and furnished him accurate reports of every movement. Rear guards were not necessary large wagon trains not required. All circun1- stances considered we did not have any advantage witnessed on this continent than that of the 5th and 9th of May. 1864. Our victory consisted in having the face of the enemy, and in getting the army to- gether afterward as unit. We gained advan- followed up must have proven very decisive. In the evening the enemy gained an advantage but two armies were relatively in about the same con dition to meet each other as when the river had a victory, On the morning of the 7th we sent out pickets and skirInishers to discover the posi- come out. About midday Warren was directed to make g reconnaissance in force. This drew some &h5s '1s snssa 's0f5 ''vs h the esSI ss6l Killed, s, ,7s5 wounded and a,soa missing prob ably nearlyf all the latter captured by the enemy
 In giving the "reminiscences of Lees sur render General Grant says:
 II found General Lee had been brought into our lines and conducted to house belonging to Mr. Mclean and was there with of his staff officers as appe orchard wars many fhdss Ga apRs e a oPs a ming diagonally upon the hill a wagon road a Rad ens embanlrnent. General Babcock reported to me that when he first saw General Lee he sitting upon this enbankment with his feet in the road and leaning agalnst the tree It then that Lee conducted into the house where I first met him. had known General Lee in the old army and had served with him in the Mexican war, but did not suppose, owing to the difference in ages and rank, that he would probably member me, while I would remem the chief engineer on the staff of General Scott in the Mexican war. When Ihad left camp that morn ing had not expected the result soon that was then taking place and consequently was in rough garb and, believe, without sword, as I usually was when on horseback when on the field, wearing a soldiers blouse for a coat with shoulder straps of my rank to indicate who I was to the army. When I went into the house I found General Lee. We greeted each other and after shaking hands took our seats. What his feelings were do not know, being 2 man of much own feelings, which had been quite apparent on the receipt of his letter, were sad and depressed. felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of foe that had fought long and ga1lantly and had suffered much for Q cause which believed to be of the worst for which people ever fought and for which there was not the least pretext do not question, how ever, the sincerity of the great mass of those who were opposed to us: General Lee was dressed sword of considerable value, very likely the sword that had been presented by the State of Virginia; at all events it sword different from the that would ordinarily be in the field. In my rough travelling suit which was the uniform of private with the straps of general