Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-11-20
Lost !, 9 Opportunities.
Burdette in rooklyn Eagle.

EDuEuette III brOOklyh Eagle.
In reading my comrades rerlinis-
cences concerning the grea test sol der
OF our century, I am amazed to think
that the general ever had any timefo1
fighting. About three-ffths: OF his
time. if one-half Of the "reminiscences
are true, was passed in getting under.
arrest. l havenot time to read many
papers, but | learn from the few I do
read that not less than 100 private
soldiers, while on guard, arrested Gen.
Grant, at HOO widely remote places
and ll,OO0 different times for smok-
ing in the vincinity of 100 powder
magazines. These were all young sol
diers, who knew far more about the
etiquette of powder magazine resorts
than did the general. They did, be-
cause they say SO themselves, and
they ought to know. Then, on $50
different occasions Gen. Grant, wear
Ing the blouse OF a common soldier,
with no insignia of rank, attempted
to pass $50 different picket lines, IN
$50 widely scattered places, and was
promptly halted, and taught his bust
ness by $50 young soldiers on guard
for the first time. =,
No wonder the war lasted so long;
the soldiers were kept so busily en-
ployed in halting General Grant, or
taking his cigar away from him, or
making him show his pass or give the
countersign, that they had no time to
tight the enemy. And the colonies!
Dear me, it does seem that there was
hardly a colonel in the volunteer SER
vice who knew Grant by sight. They
were always rebuking him and threat
enlng him and swearing at him under
the impression that he was quarter
master or a suttler. II all these
stories we read are true, Grant GER
tainly didn't know much about mill
try discipline.
Somehow, I seem to have missed
my chances. I helped Gen. Grant to
suppress the rebellion. T was pri-
waite gentleman in his army, but I
never arrested him because he couldn't
show me pass when he wanted to go
through the lines. Such profound
reverence I had for him that ne might
60 through and take the lines with
him if he had so desired. Inever made
him put out his cigar. Hewould have
put me out, | trow, had | tried it.
Had he wanted to blow up all the
magazines from Cooley to Harper, I
would gladly have lighted his cigar for
him. Although he must have known
that l was a private soldier and only
IL years young, yet he never
asked my advice in regard to any
important movement. He seemed
somehow to get along without it. He
never invited me to his tent and asked
about my parents. Why all the 9th
er soldiers in the United States were
thus honored and I left out, l cannot
understand. I guess ! couldn't have
arrested q colonel.
l am glad now that ! had no hand
in this general persecution OF Grant
by his own soldiers. I am glad to
think that when the other guards
were arresting him and taking away
his cigar, and chasing him out OF mag
azines, that was his friend, and that
he could come to my post when was
on guard, and 60 in and out all he
pleased and smoke like volcano and
no questions asked. [ never stopped
him. think now that l was the only
friend he had in all his army. t%
One other remarkable fact connect
ed with my service under Grant
| knew him every time | saw him,
through the distance that separates
private soldier from his comman-
der. He was pointed out to me
when | was a recruit, and I
never forgot the grave. earnest, quiet
face. AS | read over the "reminiscences
published by my comrades. 7 am
proud to think there was q time when
| was the only soldier in the Union
army who knew General Grant by
sight. This slight acquaintance, how
ever never ripened into intimacy
which, by singular paradox, seems
to have existed between the general
and the soldiers and officers who did
not know him by sight
The reverence of the recruit for the
commander deepencd as the years of
the war came and went. I always be-
lleved in Grant believed that what
ever he said was right, that whatever
he did was right. | believed that VIC
tory herself would be afraid to 90 in
to the fight without him. I did not
believe, in fact I knew, that my gener-
al did not make the world in six DAYS
and rest on the seventh, but | declare,
on that 4th of July at Vicksburg, I
began to think seriously that he could
do it. In thirty days, anyhow.