The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-27
GRANT AND LINCOLN.
How the President Stopped Criticisms of
Grant by Delegation of Citizens

General Porter, IN October entury.
Grants successes brought with them the usual
number OF jealOusies and rivalries. Political
generals had their advocates in Washington to
plead their cause, while Grant stood without
friends at court. HIS detractors gathered. at
times, great deal of strength in their efforts to
supplant him with general of their own choos-
ing and Lincoln beset by many deega-
ton who insisted that nothing would harmonic
matters IN the West but Grants removal This
naggine continued even after his great triumph
at Vicksburg.
Lincoln always enjoyed telling the General,
after the two had become personally intimate,
how the cross roads wiseacres had criticised his
campaigns One day, after dwelling for some
time on this subject, he said to Grant: after
Vcksburg thought it was about time to shut
down on this sort of thing So one day, when
a delegation came to see me and had spent
half an hour trying to show me the fatal mis-
take you had made in paroling Pemberton's
army, and insisting that the rebels would vio-
late their paroles and in less than a month con-
front you again in the ranks. and have to be
whipped all over again, / thought l should get
rid of them best by telling them story about
Sykes's dog. Have you ever heard about Sykes's
yellow dogP l said to the spokesman of the
delegation. He said he hadn't Well, I must
tell you about him. said I. Sykes had yellow
dog he set great store by, but there were a lot
of small boys around the village, and that's al
ways a bad thing for dogs, you know. These
boys didn': share Sykess views. and they were
Even Sykes had to admit that the dog was get
ting unpopular in fact 1t was soon seen that
prejudice growing up against that dog that
threatened to wreck all his future prospects in
life. The boys. after meditating how they could
get the best of him, finally fixed up
cartridge with long fuse put the cart
ridge in a piece Of meat, dropped the
meat in the road in front of Sykes's door, and
then perched themselves fence a good
distance off with the end of the fuse in their
hands. Then they whistled for the dog. When
he came out he scented the bait, and bolted the
meat cartridge and and all. the Boys touched
off the fuse with cigar. and in about second
a report came from that dog that sounded like
small clap of thunder Sykes came bouncing
out of the house, and yelled.
'''"What's upl Anything bustedW
I" There was no reply except smoker from the
small boys roosring on the fence; but as Sykes
looked up he the whole air filled with pieces of
yellow dog. He picked up the biggest piece he
could fnd. portion of the back with part of
the tail still hanging TO it, and after turning it
around and looking 1t all over he said, well.
guess hell never be much account again-as a
dog And guess Pemberton's forces will never
be much account again-as an army
''The delegation began looking around for
their hats before had quite got to the end of
the story. and was bothered any more
after that about snpersedine the commander Of
the Army Of the Tennessee"