Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-31
GRANT.
General.

When Gen. Grant ssumcd command OF |
the armies Of the United States, in 1864, |
President Lincoln felt that he had at last
an arm of iron wlicyewilh 10 deal
The blows he bad So longed To deal. but in
vain. II WAS not long before the president;
began 30 experience an unwontcd feeling
of relief The tremendous burden which
lac had borne so long and patiently began
To slip away little. lie could with diff
fculty realize il at first. the stuati, n was
50 new and SO agreeable. 4 few weeks
later, in April, a personal friend came into
his Office ON Sunday forenoon. The pres
idcnt lay upon the sofa. seeming more than
usually fatlglcd, but cheerful. He did
not rise AT first. but chattcl freely upon
several topics. At last his visitor remark
cd: Now, Dir. Lincoln. what sort of II
man is Grant, I've never seen him. lie
has taken hold here while have been laid
up. What do you think of him.
The president half rose. and laughed
silently US he replied.
Well hardly know what to think
of him. altogether Hes the quictest little
fellow you ever saw
Z" How is that
Why. Inc makes che least fuss OF any
man you ever knew. believe two or
three times lac has been in this room II
minute or SO before kncwShe was here.
It's about SO all around The only cvi.
dence YOU have that he's In any place is
that he makes things git Wherever hciS,
things move"
''lIc grew energetic a. be talked and
there was almost glow upon his face.
He was describing the man he had been
longing for. Other questions and answers
followed. until the visitor inquired:
-" But how about Grants gencralship?
Is he going to be the mani
Mr.. Lincoln half arose, and emphasiz.
ed his reply with his long forefinger.
-. Grant is the first general I've
had. Hes general
How do you mean. Mr.. Lincoln"
well. I'll tell YOU what mean You
know howit's beenwith the rest As soon
as puta man in command of the army
he'd come TO me with plan of campaign
and about rs much as say: Now, | don't
believe can do it, but if You say 40 I'll
try ii on" and so put the responsibility OF
success or failure on Inc. They all wanted
me TO be The general Now It isn't So
with Grant. lie hasn't told me what his
plans are. don't know, and don't want
to know. I'm glad to find man that can
80 ahead without me
a slightly critical reply brought the
president bolt upright.
"'Iou see, when any Of the rest set out
on campaign they'd look over matters
and pick cut some one thing they were
short of and they knew could not give
them, and tell me they couldn't hope 20
win unless they had it-and II was most
generally cavalry He paused for one of
his quiet, long, peculiar laughs, and went
on Now, when Grant took hold | was
waiting To see what his pet lmpoSsibility
would be, a1d reckoned it would be cav
airy of course. for we hadn't horses enough
to mount what men We had. There were
$1,000 or thereabouts up near Harpcr's
Ferry, and no horses to put them on. Well
the other day Grant sends to me about
those very men, just as expected; but
what he wanted to know WAS whether ht
should make infantry of en- or dl,banu
EN-. He doesn't ask impoSsibiliIieS of IN,
and hes the first general I've had thai
didn't. - VIM. o. Stoddard