Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-25
ANECDOTES or GRANT.
A Variety of illustrative Personal In.
ctdeWts. Gaahered frosm Maay Sources

From the Phiiadelrhia Times
A friend of mine once told me that he walked
home with Gen. Grant at the close of the first
war meeting. which was held I'm Galeua and nj
which the general presided. and that he said 10
him: 81 am going into this thing I am going
20 begin at the foot of the ladder am acquainted
with the governor Of Ohio. and am going %
write TO him tonight and ask him 90 give me
commission" Ny friend asked him why ne did
not apply to Gov. Yates. lie replied that
he knew ohos governor and should write
Ia him. Before HIS application was answered
T. B. Washburne was down at Springfield
and Governor Yates said 90 him: I'VE
have got men enough and money enough
but We have no one here 10 organize;
we need a military man here" Mr.. WASH
burne said: I'VE have got Just the very man
aptain Gran s' Who SIs is Cap,"l No ar r
Mr.. Washburne explained that ne was "A gradu-
Mexica mes. ro'n and had ssen service "a the
here" was the reply. While Grant was nj work
at the duty assigned him the colonel OF a regi-
do nothing with his men and offered 10 resign
In Grant 5 favor If he would take command of
being satisfied that the men were fun of fight
ana would make good soldiers, accepted the
command; Instead OF taking his soldiers from
Springfield TO Quincy by rail- he marched them
on loot, and by the time they reached their dos
tination they knew they had no militia colonel
10 deal with. Then followed Belmont. ponel-
SON, Shiloh and those other victories which
nave placed Grants name with the highest Of
the worlds heroes.
GRANT AND SHERMAN
After Shermans march to the sea there was
a demand that he should supersede Grant, ana
he wrote TO the latter follows:
II have been told that Congress meditates q
bill to make lieutenant generally for me.
would be mischievous, for there are enough
rascas who would try TO differences be-
tween us, whereas you and are now i'm perfect
i raj haU x-.n An.
command than anybody else, for you are fair
honest, and have at heart the same purpose
decline any commission calculated To bring us
into rivalry. l doubt II men I'm Con-
gress fully realize that you and are honest In
our profession OF want OF ambition"
Grant wrote back: II have received your very
kind letter. Ifyou should be placed in
change our relations I'm the least. would make
the same exertions 10 support You that you
have ever done TO support me, and would do
ali In my power TO make our cause win"
GRANT AND wAsHBURNE
Gen. Grant became acquainted with Mr.
Washburne I'm this wise: Some gentlemen were
one evening discussing, I'm one OF the stores OF
Galena, a subject relating to the Mexican war,
ana Mr.. W ashburne coming In they appealed
10 him for decision. He replied that he was
in doubt with regard To it. and would like TO
have some information about IL; A gentleman
remarked: MIR. Washburne, there L. a man
back here who will be able 10 answer that ques-
ton for you, and took him back aud intro
the Information he sought upon retiring he
asked the friend who introduced him, w no is
this Capt Grant, Upon being told that he
was brother 10 Oryile Grant he said, ale is "A
Very smart man, sir Before the war i'm con-
rersing with friend, he one day expressed him
sen pretty strongly with regard 10 the arro-
gance of some OF the southern officers OF the
army whom he had met in the Mexican war
and said: There is one OF them would like TO
get even with and that Is Bishop Polk" After
the war had closed he remarked 10 his friend
That when those fellows We're running away
from nun he used TO think how he talked about
them when he was in Galena. When standing
near his headquarters while at the south one
out Gen. Grant TO him. He pointed TO DIR kiuo
of Gaena, who was a long time upon his stan
His visitor surveyed the doctor aud remarked:
Hes ID ornery-looking old cuss, amt
he? Upon visiting Galena he good-humoredly
Jokes the doctor about the comment that was
then made upon him. Upon his last visit TO
Galena a friend asked him how his boys were
getting along. He replied: al think he bows
are ar doing well. think they are making money.
Ii they fail IL will bankrupt me, for tney have
ali that own" We know the result.
HALLECK AND GRANT.
Gen. Grants own account OF his removal
from command after the capture OF Fort Donel-
son may properly be reprinted from his paper
on Shiloh i'm the Century. After the capture OF
Fort Donelson, with over / s, 900 effective men
and all their munitions of war, L believed much
more could be accomplished without further
sacrifice of life. GAINESVILLE, a town between
Donelson and Nashville, ia the state of Tennes
see and on the east bank OF the Cumberland
was garrisoned by the enemy. Nashville was
also garrisoned and WAS probably the best
provisioned depot at the time I'm the confed.
eracy. Albert Sidney Johnston occupied
believed, and my Information Justified
the belief, that these places would fall
into our hands without a battle If threatened
promptly. determined not TO miss this chance
But being only district commander and under
the immediate orders of Gen. Halleck, whose
to communicate to him all proposed TO do and
to get his approval, If possible. / did COIN
mi, municate ca and receiving no reply, acted upon
information was correct and sustained INV
Judgment. What then. was my surprise, after
SO mucn had been accomplished by the troops
under my immediate command, between the
time Of leaving Cairo, early in February, and
the 4th OF March, to receive from my chief q
dispatch of the latter date, saying: You will
place Major General Z. r. Smith I'm command
OF expedition and remain yourself at Fort
Henry. Why do you not obey my orders To
port strength and position of your command?"
was left virtually in arrest on board a steamer,
was released and ordered TO Resume my COM
mand
GRANTS UNPRErENTIoUs HABITS.
During the war, even when comInander-in-
chief, he went about wearing an old slouch hat
and common soldiers blue overcoat-a worn
and dingy one at that. When advancing on the
rear OF NlcksbuIg he gave orders to his army to
move light His personal example gave en-
took with him was a briar-root pipe, "a tooth
brush and a horn pocket comb. Al City Point,
general lived i'm "A two room log hut in the
greatest possible simplicity. Nine-tenths OF the
captains in his army lived more luNuriously.
His food was that of the common mess of tine
officers. A huge fire was built out-aoors in
'front.' OF the hut, ana before this, wrapped i'm
his old overcoat, with two three Of his stan
about him, the general liked best to SIT. To-
ward the last, unknown to himself these de-
voted friends watched him night and day.
Plots against his life had been iormed-an at
tempt TO blow up his headquarters with "A tor.
pedo had almost succeeded. In the final DAYS
the general became sleepes and sometimes sat
under the stars in the cold night till three and
four o clock in the morning. His staff made u
private plan To take turns in, remaining up with
him. Even when he threw himself upon his
camp bed one or the other OF the faithful friends
watched In front of the log cabin door. "He
never knew OF this, says Badeau, "but We often
bargained with one another for an hour or two
OF rest
PoLITENESs ON THE BATTLE FIELD.
Major James r. McFarlan, Of West Chester,
tells the following story OF Gen. Grants cour-
tesy on the field of battle: "He was q man who
probably took less pains to make an exhibition
of his stripes or insignia of Office while he Was
at the head OF the armies OF the Union than any
officer In It, 1t often happened that minor Of
hcers failed to recognize him when passing
close by his side ON account OF his simple dress,
and had IL not been for my previous meetings
with him believe I would have been guilty Of