The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-25
TWO GENERALS coNTRAsTED.

That General Grant was always a keen
observer is illustrated by his sketch of
the marked differences between General
Taylor and General Scott =
had now been in battle with the two
leading commanders conducting armies
in foreign land. The contrast between
the two was very marked. General Tay>
lor never wore uniform, but dressed
himself entirely for comfort. He moved
about the field in which he was operating
to see through his own eyes the situation.
Often he would be without staff officers,
and when he was accompanied by them
there was no prescribed order in which
they followed. He was very much given
to sit on his horse sideways-with both
feet on one side-particularly on the
battlefield. General Scott was the reverse
in all these particulars. Healways wore
all the uniform prescribed or allowed by
law; when he inspected his lines word
would be sent to all division and brigade
commanders in advance, notifying them
of the hour when the commanding gene.
raj might be expected. This was done
30 that all the army might be u2der arms
to salute their chief as he passed. On
these occasions he wore his dress uniform,
cooked hat, aguillettes, sabre and spurs.
His staff proper, besides all officers con-
structively on his staf-engineers, in
spectors, quartermasters, &c.,-followed,
also in uniform and in prescribed order.
Orders were prepared with great care,
and evidently with the view that they
should be history of what followed. /
saw good deal of General Taylor during
my service with the State. On one
occasion he said to me that ought to go
into the United States service. told
him I intended to do so If there was q
war. He spoke of his acquaintance with
the public men of the State, and said he
could get them to recommend me for a
position, and that he would do all he
could for me. 1 declined to receive
Endorsements for permission to fight for
my country.
GRANT AND LINCOLN.
The Generals account of his first in
teryiew with Lincoln is full of inter-
est
Although hailing from Illinois myself,
the State of the President, had never
met Mr.. Lincoln until called to the capi-
tai to receive my commission as Lieuten-
ant. General. l knew him, however, very
well, and favorably, from the accounts
given by officers under me at the West,
who had known him all their lives. I
had also read the remarkable course of
debates between Lincoln and Douglas
few years before, when they were rival
candidates for the United States Senate.
I vas then a resident of Missouri, and by
DO means "Lincoln man" in that con-
test. But recognized then his great
ability.
In my first interview with Mr. Lincoln
alone lie stated to me that he had never
professed to be q military man, or to
know how campaigns should be conduct
ed, and never wanted to interfere in
them, but that piocrastination on the
part of commanders and the pressure of
the people at the North, and of Congress,
which, like the poor, he chad always with
him." had forced him into issuing his
vel. known series of Executive Orders" :"
He did not know but they were all
wrong, and did not know that some of
them were. All he wanted, or had ever
wanted, he said, was that some one
would take the responsibility and act,
and call on him for all the assistance
! needed.