Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-06-09
The Old Commander Recounts His
Battles.
EXTRACTS FROM HIS MEMOIRS
Bits of the History Of the RebelIiOn---ShiIO,
the Wilderness and Other
Battles.
INTERESTING POINTS CLEARED UP.

moirs," which will be published within few
months. The first volume is completed
and the second nearly SO. Extracts given
show the work to be written in terse and
sturdy Anglo-Saxon, with here and there
touch of quiet humor. The dedication is
in fac smile of the Generals manuscript
and reads as follows: These volumes are
dedicated to the American soldier and sail
or. U. S. Grant, May %, 1885,"
he begins by saying that he is Of American
stock on both sides for many generations.
Mathew Grant, from whom he is descended
in the eighth generation, reached Dorches-
ter, Massachusetts, in 1880 from Dorches-
ter, England. His greatgrand-father,
Noah Grant, held commission in the Brit.
ish army and his grandfather, also named
Noah, served in the war of the revolution.
he gives anecdotes Of his boyhood, Of
his appointment to West Point
through the influence Of Hon. Thos.
Morris, Congressman from Ohio,
tells the circumstances under which he
first saw Gen. Scott and President Van
Buren; contrasts the personal characters of
Generals Scott and Taylor; gives copy OF
bis letter to Adjutant General Thomas,
dated al Galena, Ill May u, 1861, offering
bis services to the United States and sug-
gesting that he considered himself compe-
L. pd &c nbio
letter was never answered and was for
long tine lost among the papers of the war
Office.
Speaking of his first battle in the civil
war, he says: "As we approached the brow
Of the hill from which it was expected, we
could see Harris camp and possibly find
his men ready formed to meet US my heart
kept getting higher until it felt to me as
though it was in my throat. / would have
given anything to have been back in Illinois
but had not the moral courage to halt and
consider what to do; | KEEP
right on. When we reached
point from which the valley below
was in full view l halted. The place where
Harris had been eneamped a few days be-
fore was still there and the marks Of re-
cent encampment were plainly visible, but
/ the troops were gone, My 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 view OF the
question | had never taken before, but
it was one | never forgot after,
ward. From that event to the c'ose
of the war never experienced
trepidation on confronting an enemy" He
speaks Of the battle at Fort Donelson at
some length. Speaking Of the battle Of
Shiloh he says he considered the situation
one in which the Federal forces were on the
offensive, but asserts that no precautions
for defense were neglected On this sub
iect he continues as tccimi5ws: "Gen Beaure-
gard was next in rank to johnson, and sue.
ceeded to the command which he retained to
the close of the battle and during the subse-
auent retreat on Corinth, as we'll as in the
siege Of that place. His tactics have been
severely criticised by confederate writer's,
but do not believe his fallen chief could
have been any better under the circum
stances. Some of these critics claim that
| Shiloh was won when Johnston fell, and that
if had not fallen, the army under me would
have been annihilated or captured. If de-
feated By the contederates at Shiloh, there
is little doubt but that we should have been
disgrscefully beaten If all the shells
ard bullets fred by US had
passed karmlessly over the enemy
ard if all of theirs had taken effect Com.
manding generals are liable to be killed
during engagement and the fact that when
be was shot Johnston was leading brigade
to induce it 10 make charge which had
been repeatedly ordered is evidence that
there was neither the universal demoralizs.
ton on our side nor the unbounded conf.
Gence on theirs, which has been claimed.
There was, in fact, no hour during the day
when doubted the eventual defeat of the
enemy although ] was disappointed that
reinforeements near at hand did not arrive
at an earlier hour"
he describes the wilderness campaign
and estimates Lee strength at $4,000 men
and says that he was operating in country
with which his army was thoroughly fauil
isr, while to the federals, it was entirely
unknown. Hetells of Lees surrender aud
takes occasion in the course of it to ex.
AuS ldmOuo vi tuc
surrender under the apple tree. He
SAYS there was an apple orchard
across the little valley from the Court
House, one tree of which was close to the
roadside, that Gen. Babcock reported him
(Grant) that be had found Gen Lee sittisg
under this tree and had brought him within
the federal lines to the house ofa man named
McLesn, where the Confederate General
and one of his staff were awaiting Gen.
Grant. OF their interview he says: When
/ went into the house found Gen. Lee.
We greeted each other, and after shaking
hands, took our seat. What his feel.
ings were, do not know, being
man Of much dignity and with an impene-
trable fsli il was impossible to say whether
he felt inwardly glad that the end had |
the result and was too manly to show it |
Whatever his feelings were they were en-
tirely concealed from observation, but my |
own feelings which had been quite apparent |
on receipt of his letter were sad aud de-
pressed. felt like anything rather than
rejoicing st the downfall of q force
that had fought so long and gsIlantly, and
had suffered so much for q cause which |
believe to be one of the worst for which q
people ever fought, and for which there was
not the least pretext. / do not question
however, that the sincerity of the CREST mass
who were opposed to rs. General Lee was
dressed in full uniform, entirely neg, aud
wearing a sword Of considerable value, very |
likely the same sword that had been present
cd BY the State Of Virgins. At all events
e ..,s-.l.- I.ao-a,k ,-o-I L., |
one that would ordinarily be worn in the
field. In my rough travelling suit, which
was the uniform ofs private with the stripes
of a general must have con.ras,ed very
strangely with man SO handsomely dress
ed. Eix feet high, and OF fsultless form. But
this vas not the matter that thought Of
until afterward. General Lee aud
i fell into q conversation about old
army times. He remarked that he i
me very vell in the old army