The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-27
CHAT WITH GENERAL PORTER
Grants Readiness in Emergencies-An Incl
dent at Petersburg.

MI. MCGREGOR, July 26.-'I recall an instance
of General Grants readiness in emergency"
said General Porter. "On the night of the
second day of the Wilderness fight, when Sedge-
wick's corps had been broken and shattered
and Seymour captured, General Grant sat
in his headquarters and listened to the reports
and he turned to me and another and talked off
his orders with as much precision and display of
judgment as though he had been studying that
unexpected situation for two months, and all
who saw him watched, and listened, and Won
dered. And again, General Grant was called
upon TO give hearing, unexpectedly, in case
he had not before heard. The case
involved the value of cotton, and in it's
decision it also involved questions of
international and maritime law, and also of con-
traband laws and cotton in foreign bottoms.
Well, the lawyers came before the General and
argued at length and when they had done he
rendered decision that left no room for the
further doubt, so clean and cogent were the
points. Afterwards one of the lawyers came to
me and asked where that man, meaning the
General, had studied law, but | told him General
Grant had never studied law, and his compre-
hensive grasp and information were facts that I
could tell nothing about.
"Did General Grant ever grow nervous or ex-
cited, do you ask! l never saw him so but once,
fellow clubbing horse over the
head. The General seized the man.
told him he was BRUTE and punished him for
ii1pcNSce of which he was guilty to the Gen
eral, but never heard him utter AZ oath or any
approach to it, and | was with him nine years,
without ever being away from him more than
two weeks.
Grant splendid driver and fine whip
as well. He could ride four or five miles and
come in perfectly fresh and tire out young men,
He was attached to little horse that was called
jeff Davis, because he was secured on jeff Davs's
plantation he was easy animal to ride, and
was easily guided through ms and OUTS but
when ,fording streams, Jeff was at
disadvantage. There was, besides, a
noble big bay, colored fellow, named
Cincinnati, which General Grant used to ride
That horse would ford stream magnifcently.
1t was on little Jeff that General Grant. accom-
panied by myself and an orderly, rode to the
front on the morning when there hour
of delay in the explosion of our mine at Peters
burs. The General wore a little blue blouse
that morning, and many of the men, as we
passed to the front, did not know its wearer was
Grant The firing was becoming very heavy,
and | suggested that we dsmount, because we
could get about much easier. | did not say that
the fire was terrific, for that would have been
to him no argument for dismounting. So we
dlSmounUed the orderly holding little Jeff by the
bride, and then General Grant made his way
through the lines and works. clear out to the
front, where the firing was heavy indeed; but
he was man who never Winked in the face Of
missiles and the only of two l ever saw
who did not involuntarily do so. The
other was bugler. General Grant
was Rip Van Dam sort of man among men,
He enjoyed being among his men, and in prl-
vate life, when riding in special car, perhaps,
he would go forward and take half seat with
some passenger in the front car when he wanted to
smoke. 1t is sad sad, that with ten ripe years
naturally before him, such a man should needs
appreciated by the people as time goes on"