St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-06-18
Gen. Grants New Book.

Gen. Grants New Book.
Extracts from the autobiography of
General Grant, now in the hands Of
printers, aud soon to be published by
Charles l.. Webster 81 Co. of New York
have been made public.
The following dedication is printed
in facsimile of Gen. Grants manuscript:
"These volumes are dedicated to the
American soldier and sailor.
u. S. GRANT.
"New York, May %, 1885"
The character of the book is shown
by the interesting extracts printed be-
low.
HIS FIRST BATTLE.
After the speaking was over, vOlun
teers were called for to form IA company.
AS soon as the enemy saw us (speak-
ing of his first battle in the civil wary
they decamped as fast as their horses
would carry them. | kept my men III
the ranks and forbade their entering
any of the deserted houses, or taking
anything from them. We halted ut
night on the road and proceeded at an
early hour the next morning. Harris
had been eDcamped i'll II creek bottom
for the sake of being near water. The
hills on either side of the creek extend
ed to considerable height, possibly
more than 100 feet. AS we approached
the brow of the hill from which it was
expected we could see Harris's camp,
and possibly find his men ready formed
to meet us, my heart kept getting high
er and higher, until it felt to me as
though it was in my throat. | would
have given anything then to have been
back in Illinois, but had not the moral
courage to halt and consider what to
do; kept right on. When we reached
IL point from which the valley below
was in full view | halted. The place
where Harris had been encamped Il few
days before was still there, and the
marks of recent encampment were
plainly visible, but the troops were
gone. NV heart resumed its place. 1t
occurred to me at once that Harris had
been as much afraid of me as | had
been of him. This was il view of the
question had never taken before but
it was one | never forgot afterwards.
From that event to the close of the war
never experienced trepidation upon
confronting an enemy.
NARROW ESCAPES.
At the battle of Belmont, fearing that
the enemy we had seen crossing the
river below might be coming upon us
unawares, | rode out in the field to our
front-still entirely alone-tO observe
whether the enemy was passing. The
field was grown mp with corn so tall
and thick as to cut off the view of even
IL person on horseback, except directly
along the rows. Even in that direction,
owing tn the Overhanging blades of
corn, the view was not extensive. |
had not gone more than il few hundred
yards when | saw il body of troops
marching past me, not fifty yards away.
| looked at them il moment, and then
turned my horse towards the river and
started back, first in IA walk, and when
| thought myself concealed from the
enemy, as fast us my horse could carry
me. When at the river bank still had !
to ride few hundred yards to where |
the nearest transport lay.
The cOrnfield in front of our trans !
ports terminated at the edge of IA dense |
forest. Before | got back the enemy |
had entered this forest, and had opened |
II brisk fire upon the boats. Our men, |
except the details that had gone to the |
front after the wounded, were now
either aboard the transports or very |
near them. Those who were not on
board soon got there, and the boats |
pushed off. | was the only man of the /
national army between the rebels and |
our transports. The captain of IL boat
that had just pushed out, but had not
started, recognized me and ordered the
engineer not To start the engine. He
then had IA plank run out for me. My !
horse seemed to take in the situation.
There was no path down the bank. and
every one acquainted with the MissiS-
sippi river knows that its banks, in
natural state, do not vary at any great
angle from the perpendicular. My
horse put his fore feet over the bank
without hesitation or urging, and, with
his hind feet we'll under him, slid down
the bank and trOtted aboard the boat,
IL or ID feet away, over single gang
plank. | dismOunted and went at once
to the upper deck.
The Mississippi was low on the 9TH
Ut September, 1861, so that the banks
were higher than the heads of men
on the upper decks of the
steamers. The rebels were some dis
lance back from the river, so that their
fire was high and did us but little harm
Our smOkestack was riddled with bu!-
let's, but there were only three men
wounded on the boats, and but one of
these was soldier. When first went
Dm deck | entered the captains room,
adjoining the pilot house, aud threw
myself on IA sofa. | did not keep that
position moment, but rose To go out
In the deck to observe what was going
III. | had scarcely left when musket
ball entered the room, struck the head
IF the sofa, passed through it and lodg-
al in the foot. #
Some Modern Camps in Maine.
The Lewiston Journals "Rambler"
Jays the person who thinks the camp