The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-06-24
General Grants Book.

and the book is receiving great deal
of gratuitous advertising, as generous
as it is premature. Author and pub
Usher regarded the clandestine publ
cation of the extracts with alarm at
first, but no injury to the financial
prospects of the work, it is now con-
sidered, has been done. The people
will eagerly read the extracts, and will
wait impatiently for the first volume of
the book. General Grants simple and
unpretentious, but exceedingly popular
and effective style, in hundred ways
has been made familiar to the public.
GO In the hands of one entirely great,
the pen is mightier than the sword"
The generals dispatches, letters and
reports, his public documents and later
literary productions, are a striking illus
tration of the truth of Richelieu's bril-
liant aphorism. AS a boy, it appears
from these Memoirs that young Grant
was very like all other boys. His early
fondness for horse-fesh was evidently
greater than his shrewdness in trading.
When mere lad handsome colt had
taken his fancy and he importuned his
father to buy it. The owner wanted
S25, but the buyer said that $40 was
all he would pay. The youth exerted
his persuasive powers, and the outcome
appears in the surprising announce
ment he made to the owner of the COW
eted colt: "Papa says l may offer you
$40 for the colt, and if you won't take
that l may offer S22.50, and if you
won't take that, l am to give you S25."
" 1t would not require Connecticut
man." adds the general, " to guess the
price finally agreed upon. l certainly
showed very plainly that l had come
for the colt and meant to have him. /
could not have been over eight years
old at this time" There was slight
conflict of opinion between the father
and son on the question of going to
West Point. When the lad was told
that he was to go to the military acad-
envy, he replied, "But l won't 60"
His father thought he would; and l
thought so, too, if he did," writes the
author. He had boys pride in his
new cadets uniform, but pride had it's
fall. The ridicule of a street Arab
bred disgust for snowy clothes from
which he never recovered. Apropos of
this incident in his boyhood days, the
following comparison between General
Lees dress and his own at Appomat-
tox, on the occasion that made him a
hero of worldwide celebrity, is inter-
esting:
" General Lee was dressed in full uniform,
entirely new, and wearing a sword of con-
siderable value, very likely the sword that
had been presented by the state of Virginia;
at all events, it was an entirely different
sword from the one that would ordinarily
be worn in the field. In my rough travel
ing suit, which was the uniform of private
with the straps of general, | must have
contrasted very strangely with a man so
handsomely dressed"
Peculiar characteristics in Generals
Scott and Taylor, in the Mexican cam
paigns, are thus picked out:
" I had now been in battle with two lead
ing commanders conducting armies in a
foreign land. The contrast between the
two was very marked. General Taylor
never wore uniform but dressed himself en-
tirely for comfort He moved about the
field, in which he was operating to see
through his own eyes the situation. Often
he would be without staff officers and when
he was Mod ~ fhap, thara we IN
prescribed order in which they followed.
He was very much given to sit on his horse
sideways-with both feet on one sde-par-
ticularly on the battlefield. General Scott
was the reverse in all these particulars. He
always wore all the uniform prescribed, or
allowed, by law; when he inspected his lines
word would be sent to all division and brig
, ade commanders in advance, notifying them
of the hour when the commanding general
, might be expected. This was done so that
all the army might be put under arms to sa-
lutte their chief as he passed. On these oc-
, casions he wore his dress uniform, cooked
hat, aguillette, sabre and spurs. His staff
proper, besides all officers constructively on
} his staff-engineers, inspectors, quartermas-
, tiers, etc.-followed also in uniform and in
prescribed order. Orders We're prepared
l with great care, and evidently with the
view that they should be history of what
followed
His early history and experiences eX.
cite curiosity, but what he says of the
manner in which he became connected
with the war of the rebellion and of the
! events of the war arouses the lively in.
terest that the testimony of the chief
actor creates in a case involving the is,
sues of life and DEATH OF a period
many years before the civil war broke
out he writes, and the extract " serves
to show the man and his instincts ":
81 saw good deal of General Taylor
} during my service with the state. On one
9 occasion he said to me that l ought to &C
= l intended to do so if there was war. He
, spoke of his acquaintance with the public
men of the state, and said he could get then
to recommend me for position, and thai
! he would do all he could for me. l declined
to receive endorsements for permission tC
G fight for my country"
2 The bombardment of Fort Sum
r ter and Lincoln's call for troops pro
/ duced the greatest excitement in Ga
: lena. He determined that he owed the
4; nation the benefit of his training ant
j experience, and, May "a, 1861, wrote AID
= jutant-general Thomas, at Washington
A the following letter.