River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-08-13
Lincoln and Grant.

When Gen. Grant assumed command
of the armies of the United States, in
1864, President Lincoln felt he had sat
last obtained an arm of iron wherewith
to deal the blows he had so longed to
deal, but in vain 1t was not long be-
fore the president began to experience
an unwonted feeling of relief. The
tremendous burden he had born so long
and patiently began to slip away
little He could with difficulty realize
it at first, the situation was so new and
agreeable A few weeks later, in
April, personal friend came into his
office on Sunday forenoon The presi-
dent lay upon the sofa, seeming more
then usually fatigued, but cheerful.
He did not rise at first, but chatted
freely upon several topics. AT last his
visitor remarked: Nov, Mr.. Lincoln,
what sort of man is Grant? I've
never seen him. He has taken hold
here while have been laid up. What
do YOU think of him?'
The president half arose, and laugh
ed silently rs he replied
well, | hardly know what to think
of him, altogether He's the quietest
little fellow YOU ever saw.
"Why, he makes the least fuss of any
man you ever knew. | believe two or
three times he has been in this room a
minute or so before knew he was here.
It's about so all around. The only evil
dence YOU have that he's in any place is
that he makes things git. Wherever
he is, things novel
He grew energetic rs he talked, and
there was almost a glow upon his face,
He was describing the man he had been
longing for. Other questions and an
swers followed, until the visitor in
CURED:
but how about Grants generalshipP
Is he going TO be the man?"
Mr.. Lincoln half arose and cmpha-
sized his reply with his long foreiinger.
"-. Grant is the first general I've
had. He's a general.
''How do you mean Mr.. Lineolu?'
well, I'll tell you what l mean.
You know how it's been with all the
rest. As soon rs put man in COM
mand of the army, he'd come to me
with plan of campaign and about rs
much as say, now, | don't believe
can do it, but, if you say so, I'll try it
on, and SO put the responsibility of
success or failure on me. They all
wanted me to be the general. Now it
isn't so with Grant. He hasn't told
me what his plans are. don know,
and don I want to know. I'm glad 10
find a man that can 90 ahead without
me.
A slightly critical reply brought the
president bolt upright.
you see, when any of the rest
set out on a campaign they'd look over
matters and pick out some one thing
they were short of and they know |
couldn't give EN-, and tell me they
couldn't hope to win unless they had it
and it was most generally cavalry
He paused for one of his quiet, long
peculiar laughs, and went on. "NOw
when Grant took hold, | was waiting
to see what his pet impossbility would
be, and | reckoncd it would be cavalry,
as matter of course, for we hadn
horses enough even to mount what men
we had. There were $4,000 or there
abouts, up near Harper's Ferry and no
horses to put them on. Well, the other
dav Grant sends to me about those
men, Just as ! had expected; but what
he wanted to know was whether he
should make infantry of EN- or disband
EN-. He doesn't ask impossibiltics of
me, and he the first general I've had
that didn't. '-Stodddrd'S Life Of Lin
coin.