The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-05-22
Grants autobiography.

autobiography takes up the thread of
the story where the first volume had
dropped it, uamely,in the middle of
October, 1868, when he was on his
way to take charge of the operations
at Chattanooga, in place of Rosecrans.
Although concerned with events in
its authors career far more familiar
than those recorded in the first, the
second vnlume will not be found less
interesting, and indeed the change of
scene from West to East, with new
opponents as well as new subordi-
mates to discuss, proves a safeguard
against repetitions. The memoirs at
the onset terminate abruptly with
the end of the war, even the conclud-
ing chapter making only incidenta
allusions to the last 20 years of Gen.
Grants pubic career.
The first five chapters are re print
ed from an article by Gen. Grant in
the Century of November, 1885, for
which they were originally written.
As the details of the scenes in Nc
Leans house at Appomattox were
fully published in these columns
when extracts from the forthcoming
book were given last year they need
not now be repeated. A new detail
however, now mentioned is that
Grant was suffering with sick head
ache the day before his great tri-
umph. There is most characters.
tic neglect to pose for admiration in
such statement as this: 81 spent
the night in bathing my feet in hot
water and mustard and putting mus
tard plasters on my wrists and the
back part of my neck, hoping to be
cured by morning. He tells US that
there is no basis whatever for "the
story of the famous apple-tree, and
that the "much-talked-o surrender
ing of Lees sword and my handing
it back is the purest nonsense" He
never spoke to Lee about private
property or side arms. and "when l
put my pen to the paper | did not
know the first word that l should
make use Of" He had on a soldiers
blouse. with straps of his rank, but
no sword, and must have contrasted
very strangely with man so hand
sOmeiy dressed, 6 feet high, and of
faultless FORM" When the news of
the surrender reached the Union lines
the troops commenced firing salute.
but Grant ordered it stopped. as he
would not exult over prisoners.
Gen. Grant lays much stress on the
great advantage the Southern Gener-
ais enjoyed for defensive warfare,
among population constantly Civ
! ing them aid and information, and
/ p1ss eSsing a complete knowledge of
the roads. He bitterly assails the
"Copperhead press" of the North for
belittling the Union successes, and
holds that the numerical superiority
of the Northern troops in action has
always been grossly exaggerated
partly, no doubt, through the South
ern methods of calculating their
forces by "bayonets." He dwells on
the disntegration of Lees command
at the last, giving some amusing an
ecdotes of it, and he insists on the
efficiently of his own troops. OF the
Eastern ond Western armies that
paraded in Washington after the war.
/ he says:
II doubt whether an equal body OF
men of any nation, take them man
for man, officer for officer, was ever
gotten together that would have
proved tneir equal in great battle.
The armies of Europe are machines
the men are brave and capable (; but
the majority of the soldiers in most
of the nations of Europe are taken
from a class of people who are not
very intelligent and who have very
little interest in the contest in which
they are called upon TO take part
Our armies were composed of men
who were, able to read, men who
knew what they we're fighting for
and could not be induced To serve ar
soldiers except in an emergency when
the safety of the nation was involved
and so necessarily must have been
more than equal to men who fought
merely because they were brave and
because they were thoroughly drilled
and Injured to hardships."
He adds that Sherman'S army was
the less well dressed, "but their
marching could not he eXceled,"
OF Mr., Lincoln aud Mr.. Stanton,
who were exactly Opposite, except
that each POSSESSED great ability"
Gen. Grant draws sketches that show
plainly which way his liking went :
"Mr. Lincoln gained influence over
men by making them feel that it was
a pleasure 10 serve him. He prefer.
red yielding his own wish to crafty