The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-10-16
GRANTS COMM ENTS.
His Opinion Of the Generals Who Fought
Under Him-LOgan, Sheridan, Sher-
man and BufIer.


army associates. Since Gen. Grants
retirement from the Presidency proba.
bly, no one can recall that he has said
an unkind word of any human being.
Even In that last chapter of his life.
when he was made the victim of the
rascals, Fish and Ward, no denuncla-
ton has ever been reported as coming
from him. The book of General Sher-
man on the war criticised very unjust
ly many Of Sherman's army comrades.
Speaking of this General Grant one day
said: 81 wrote Sherman my opinion
| Of the book. told him the only points
lobjected to were his criticisms upon
some OF our civil soldiers, like Logan
and Blair. As matter of fact there
were no two men in the army more
loyal than John A. Logan and Frank
Blair know that Sherman did not
mean to disparage either of them, and
that he wrote hastily. Logan did
a great work for the Union in bringing
Egypt out of the Confederacy, which
he did; and he was an admirable SOL
der, and is, as he always has been, an
honorable, true mana perfectly Just
and fair man, whose record in the
army was brilliant Blair also did a
work In the war emitting him to the
gratitude of every Northern man and
the respect of every soldier. But with
these two exceptions approve of every
line of Sherman's and think it of great
value as history"
PHIL. SHERIDAN.
General Grant has left on record
this tribute to Sheridan: "As for
Sheridan i have only known him since
we met during the war; He joined
my regiment = the Tenth Infantry
after ! left it, and so did not see him.
Then he is much younger man than
Sherman or myself, and did not serve
in Mexico. The first time | remember
meeting Sheridan was when he was
Colonel of Michigan regiment. We
met at a railway station. He was
about TO move his regiment to join
some other General think Gordon
Granger. knew ! had sent a regi-
ment, but had not indicated that OF
Sheridan, and really did not wish it to
leave. spoke to Sheridan, and he
said he would rather 60 than stay. or
some such answer, which was brusque
and rough, and annoyed me. don't
think Sheridan could have said any
thing to make worse impression on
ME. But watched his career, and
saw how much there was in him. So
when came East and took command
l looked around for a cavalry COM
mander. was standing in front of
the White House talking TO Mr.. Lincoln
and General Halleck. said l wanted
the best man could find for the caval-
ry. Then said Halleck, 'why not
take Phil. Sheridan?' So Sheridan
was sent for, and he came very much
disguised. He was just about to have
a corps, and he did not know why we
wanted him East; whether it was to
discipline him. said the General, laugh
ing, or not But he came and took
the command, and came out of the war
with record that entitled him to his
| rank. AS soldier, as a commander
Of troops, as man that is capable
OF doing all that is possible with any
number of men, there is no man living
greater than Sheridan. He belongs to
the very first rank of soldiers, not only
of our country but of the world. No
man ever had such faculty OF finding
out things as Sheridan, OF knowing all
about the enemy. He was the best
informed man in his command as to
the enemy. Then he had that mag
netic quality of swaying men--which l
wish | had-a rare quality in Il Gener-
al. ! don't think any one can give
Sheridan too high praise.
W. T. SHERMAN.
AS TO Sherman, General Grant once
| said this: SHERMAN is not only a
great soldier, but great man. lie is
one OF the very great men of our coun-
try's history. He is many-sided
man. He is an orator with few super
Tors. AS writer he is among the
first. AS General know of no man
l would put above him. Above all, he
has fine charactcr-so frank, SO sim
cere, so outspoken, so genuine. There
is not a false line i'm Sherman's charac-
know his valor. | know what he was
before Vicksburg. You see, we had
two lines to maintain. On one side,
was Pemberton. his army, ard his
| works. That l was watching. On
our rear was Joe Johnston, who might
come at any time aud try and raise the
siege. | sent Sherman to keep that
line and watch him. l never had a
moments care while Sherman was
there. l don't think Sherman ever
went to bed with his clothes off during
that campaign. or allowed night to
pass without visiting his pickets two
or three times in person. His industry
was prodigious. lie worked all the
time, and with an enthusiasm, pa
thence. and q good humor that gave
him great power with his army"
BE-. BUTLER.
General Grant always regretted hay
ing used the term "bottled up" as APP
piled to General Butler. lie once said
Of this: 81 have already regretted the
censure that unwittingly came upon
Butler in that campaign, and my re-
port was the cause. | said that the
General was bottled up, and used the
phrase without meaning to annoy the
General or give his enemies weapon.
| like Butler, and have found him, not
only, as all the world knows, man of
great ability, but patriotic man, and
man Of honor, courage, and sincere
| convictions. Butler lacked the tech
nical experience of a military educa-
ton, and It is very possible to be a
man of high parts and not be great
General. Butler, as II General, was
full of enterprise and resources, and a
brave man. II had given him two
corps commanders, like Adelbert Ames,
or Schofeld, or Mackenzie, or dozen
l could mention, he would have made
line campaign on the James and
helped materially in my plans. have
always been sorry did not do so.
Butler is a man it is fashion to abuse,
but he is man who has done the
country great service. and who is
worthy of its gratitude. "--LO0eH'
(Mass.) Courier.
A lively air on violin will some
times set whole flock of geese wild
with delight. On one occasion at q
country wedding | was witness of q
curious performance by one of these
fowls. After dinner lady entertained
the guests assembled on lawn with
music from an accordion. A flock of
geese were feeding in the road just be-
low the house and with outstretched
necks answered back with notes of sat.
isfaction. Soon white gander COM
menced dancing lively jig, keeping
good time to the music. For several
minutes he kept up the performance.
to the great delight of the company.
The experiment was tried several times
Tor week or more and the tones of the
accordion never failed to set the gander
into lively dance Ionssonton (Md.)
| Journal.
Frequent applications OF wash Of
carbolic soap will sa1e horses from an
| noyance by fiies. but the bsst protec-