Huntsville gazette., 1885-06-13
THE SOLDIERS STORY
Extract From Advance Sheets az
General Grant Memoirs.
The Life, Public Service and Battles of the
Old Commander, Affectionately
Dedicated to The Boys who
Fought with Him. Gts-

| tt2 /" Ohh, ouHC . he. COmn2cTCtGl
Advertiser publishes extracts from Gen.
eral Grants forthcoming book, which will
be entitled personal Memoirs of U. S.
Grant, The book will be in two vol
umes OF about five hnndred pages each,
The first volume and nearfyall af sec.
ond are now written. The book'wfff, Il
Is claimed, contain the inside history OF
several important operations hitherto
undivulged or incorrectly described. The
dedication of the work is in the following
words:
"The volumns are dedicated to the
| American soldier and sailor
[Signed U. S. GRANT.
New York, May %, 1857
In describing his origin, General Grant
says he is Of the eighth generation in
descent from Matthew Grant, who came
to America from Dorchester, Eng, in
1880, and settled at Dorchester Mass.
General Grants great-grandfather, Noah
Grant, was an officer in the English
army in the war of 1856 against the
French and Indians, and his grandfather,
Noah Grant, fought in the revolution
against England.
Grant was born at Point Pleasant,
Ohio. He received his appointment at
West Point through Hon. Thomas Nor
ris, Senator. from Ohio. The fact that
he had no early learning toward military
life is shown by his at first wishing to
refuse the appointment. His father,
man not to to be refused, told him to
60, and he went. His reluctance arose
hot
the examination. On May oath, 1861,
Grant wrote to the Adjutant- General,
offering the Government his military
service in any capacity. No notice was
taken of the letter, and it is not preserved
in the files of the War Department. Gen.
eral Grant, in describing his first meeting
with the enemy, when he commanded a
regiment, naively admits that he was
I very much frightened. On seeing the re-
treat of the opposition force without
awaiting attack, the idea struck him that
their commander was probably as much
frightened as he was. This view of the
matter remained in his mind, and he
never thereafter felt trepidation in the
presence of the enemy. In his comments
upon the discussed battle of
Shiloh, General Grant dissents from the
idea that if Johnson had not been
killed the Confederates would have
won and annihilated Grants army He
remarks: "Ifs'' defeated the Confeder-
ates at Shiloh. We should have been dis
gracefully beaten ''if'' all the bullets
fired by US had passed harmlessly over
the enemy and 'if'' all of theirs had
taken effect = The fact
that Johnston was leading the brigade to
induce it to make charge which had
hot
there was neither the universal
the unbounded confidence on theirs
was, in fact, no hour during the day
when doubted the eventual defeat Of
the enemy.
Grant says that Colonel William Preston
Johnson's description of the battle is
very graphic, and causes the reader to
wonder why the Federal troops We're not
all killed 'T witnessed the fight"
somewhat sarcastically adds the Gen.
eral. see but lit lie in the description
that can recognize. The Confederate
troops fought well, and deserve COM
incubation enough for their bravery and
endurance on the 9Th of April, without
detracting from their antagonists
or claiming any more than
their due" The General makes
amends to General Anson d. McCook, by
explaining remark in his Century arti
Gle on Shiloh to the effect that McCook
was was unwilling to pursue the
enemy on April 7th, because Of the
condition of his troops. General Grant
says the remark has been misinterpreted.
He sustained McCook and merely men,
toned the fact as matter of history.
He then pays high tribute to McCook's
gallantry. General Grant first met Lin
coin when called to Washington to re-
ceive his commission as Lieutenant
General in March, 1884. In my first
interview with Mr.. Lincoln, he
stated to me that he had never
professed to be military man, or TO
know how campaigns should be conduct
ed, and never wanted to interfere in them,
but that procras tination on the part OF
commanders and pressure of the people
at the North, and of Congress, which,
like the poor, he had always with him,
had forced him into issuing his we'll
known series of executive orders. He
did not know but that they were all
wrong, and did not know that some of
them were. Ali he wanted or ever had
wanted, he said, was that some
one WOuiQ Jake the TtSpoHoiUIiity
and act, and call upon him |
for all the assistance needed.
Grant first met Stanton at Louisville. |
Stanton handed him two orders, saying
he could take his choice. Both created |
a military division of the Mississippi, |
giving Grant command of it, and were /
Identical, but that one left the depart
ment commanders as they were, while |
the other relieved Rosecrans and assigned |
Thomas to his place. ~ accepted the
latter" says General Grant. After
Rosecrans' defeat at Chicka amauga and re-
treat upon Chattanooga, Grant says STAN
ton sent for him, and in great excitement
told him that further retreat must be
prevented. 81 Immediately wrote an
order assuming command of the division
Of the Mississippi, and stele- !
graphed it to General Rosecrans. !
( then telegraphed him from Washing |
ton, assigning to Thomas the command
of the army Of the Cumberland, and told
Thomas that he must hold Chattanooga |
at all hazards" The following may be |
regarded as General Grants reply to as |
sertions that superior numbers gave him |
the final victory iD the battle 81 tine