The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
GENERAL SCOTS VANITY.
Entertaining Gossip Regarding the Doughty
Old Warriors Self-Interest.

Entertaining Gossip Regarding the Doughty
Old Warriors Self-Interest
Minneapolis Tribune.
General E d. Ksyes, then newly commits
stoned lieutenant, Joined the staff Of General
Scott in 1883, and the best stories in his new
book, Fifty Years Observation of Men and
Events are of that illustrous soldier.
There can be no doubt that the General was
vain of many things, and especially so OF his
person. For that there was good reason since
was often siekened by hearing persons Of all de-
gree remind him of his stature and symmetry,
but he was never offended. He referred to it
himself on all occasions, and sometimes under
strange circumstances, as in the following ex-
ample, which heard him relate several times.
1t was, think, in the year 1S3o-the General
was always infinitely particular in naming the
exact date of every event he described-when
travelling in the northern part of Ohio he
stopped at country store where they sold liquor
by the glass. He had on common travelling
cap and plain overcoat that concealed his but
tons. The landlord having stepped out, he went
behind the counter on which the glasses stood to
desk, and was busy writing a note, when a
farmer came ia and called out give me a glass
of rum toddy." The General Strengthened up,
and, turning full upon the man, he exclaimed:
did you ever know man Six feet four and a
quarter inches tall to sell rum toddys" He told
me that when he received his first commission
in the army, which was that of captain, he i'm
mediately ordered new suit Of uniform-sword,
sash, cap-everything complete. and had it car
ried into the largest room in the house. in the di
agonal corners of which he placed two looking
glasses. Then he cleared away all the furniture,
let in as much light as possible put on his new
uniform, and strutted back and forth between
the mirrors for two hours But" said he, 'if
any man had seen me, hshould have proceeded
at once to put him to death"
The Generals vanity was by no means con-
fined to his personal appearance.
One day was reading to him a newspaper
article in praise of Henry Clay The writer de-
scribes tho distinguished Kentuckian as man
Of commanding presence. with lofty forehead,
and large, loose mouth. He referred also to
several other renowned orators-Burke, Mira
beau and Patrick Henry--whose mouths were of
extraordinary size, and he concludes his article
with the remark: 'All great men have large
mouths" "All great men have large mouths!p
exclaimed the General; why my mouth is not
three-fourths the size it should be for my bulk!'
An incident connected with the troubles be-
tween the United States and Canada, growing
out of the Caroline" affair. presents General
Scott in grotesque but characteristic attitude
1t was reported that an American vessel the
Barcelona" was to be fired upon from British
battery as she passed through the Niagara river
Having heard the rumof, the General dressed
himself In full uniform and repaired to a point
on the shore which was directly opposite the
English guns. There, by chance, he found an
old oak that had been blown down. The tree was
but slightly inclined, and was lying almost
parallel with the stream, and the bright sun en-
abled US to see clearly the English soldiers on
the opposite shore AS the vessel approached,
the General clambered upon the old oak, tho
trunk of which was six eight feet in diameter
and bare of limbs thirty OF forty feet from the
upturned roots He appeared taller than be-
fore, and as he strobe to and fro on his
high wooden walk his cooked hat looked
higher and his plumes spread wider than
ever. Seizing the moment when the prov of
the Barcelona was directly opposite u.s. he
faced the foe and drew his sword, Jerking it from
its scabbard and finging its point skyward as he
would faunt the moon. Then bringing his
holding his vast height upstretched to its ex-
tremest altitude. Never did knight of chivalry,
though but tabled, present shape more heroic.
He glistened with FURNISHED steel aud gold, and
was as gorgeous to look upon as a king of Sara.
Though he was not fired upon, he frequently re-
ferred to this defiant manifestation and it
seemed TO me that it was several hours after he
came down from that old tree before his fiery
seintilations and bristling fury had wholly sub
sided,