Morris tribune., 1886-01-06
THE FRIENDS OF THE COM
MANDER.

No man can tell what is the full
measure of Grants greatness. 1t UNI
folds before us in successive heights OF
ever-growing grandeur as we approach
the study of it. In reading my COM
rades' "reminiscences concerning the
greatest soldier of our country l am
amazed to think that the general ever
had any time for fighting. About three
tifths of his time, if one-half the remirl-
iscences are true, was passed i'll getting
under arrest. have not time to read
many papers, but learn from the few
do read that not less than 100 pri-
vate soldiers, while on guard, arrested
Gen. Grant at LOO widely remote
places and LOO different times for
smoking in the vicinity of LOO powder
magazines. These were all young sol
diers, who knew far more about the
etiquette of powder magazine resorts
than did the general. They did, be-
cause they say so themselves, aud they
OUGHT to know. Then, on some $50
different occasions Gen. Grant, wear
ing the blouse of a common soldier,
with no insignia of rank, attempted to
pass $50 different picket-lines, in 500
widely-scattered places, and was
promptly halted and taught his bust
ness by $50 soldiers on guard for the
first time.
No wonder the war lasted so long;
the soldiers were kept so busily en-
ployed in hating Gen. Grant, or taking
his cigar away from him, or making
him show his pass or give the counter
sign, that they had no time to fight the
enemy. And the colonies! Dear me,
it does seem that there was hardly a
colonel in the volunteer service who
knew Grant by sight. They were al
ways rebuking him, and threatening
him. and swearing at him under the
impression that he was quartermaster
or sutler. If all these stories we read
are true, Grant certainly didn't know
much about military discipline.
Somehow, seem to have missed my
chances. helped Gen. Grant to sup
press the rebellion. l was private
gentleman in his army, but l never ar
rested him because he couldn't show ME
pass when he wanted to 60 through
the lines. Such profound reverence l
had for him that he might have gone
through and taken the lines with him
if he had so desired. l never made
him put out his cigar. He would have
put me out, trow, had tried it. Had
he wanted to blow up all the magazines
from Cooley to Harper l would gladly
have lighted his cigar for him. AL
though he must have known that l was
a private soldier and only Is years
young, yet he never asked my advice in
regard to any important movement.
He seemed, somehow, to get along
without it. He never invited me to his
| tent and asked about my parents. Why
all the other soldiers in the United
States army were thue haF4sored and l
left out can not understand, l guess
| | couldn't have been much of a soldier.
I never even arrested colonel.
I I am glad, now, that had no hand
in this general persecution of Grant by
his own soldiers. l am glad to think
that when the other guards were ar
resting him and taking away his cigar
and chasing him out of magazines that
l was his friend, and that he could
come to my post when was on guard
and 90 in and out all he pleased and
smoke like volcano and no questions
asked. never stopped him. | think
now that [ was the only friend he had
in all his army.
One other remarkable fact connected
with my service under Grant. knew
him every time saw him, through the
distance that separates a private soldier
from his commander. He was pointed
out to me when l was recruit, and
never forgot the grave, earnest, quiet
face. AS l read over the "reminiscences
published by my comrades l am proud
to think there was a time when l was
the only soldier in the union army who
knew Gen. Grant by sight. This slight
acquaintance, however, never ripeneo
into intimacy, which, by a singular
paradox, seems to have existed between
the general and the soldiers and officers
who did not know him by sight.
The reverence of the recruit for the
commander deepened as the years O
the war came and went. / always be
ieved in Grant. l believed that what
ever he said was right, that whatever
he did was right; l believe that Victory
herself would be afraid to 60 into {
fight without him. did not believe, il
fact l knew, that my general did no
make the world in six days and rest OF
the seventh, but do declare, on tina
4th of July at Vicksburg, ! began t.
think seriously that he could do it. II
thirty days, anyhow..-Brooktyn Eagle
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