The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-12

Some Interesting Extracts from the Last
VOlums Of his story.
NsV York Tims
The second volume Of Gen. Grants
autobiography takes up the thread OF the
story where the frat volume had dropped
it, namely, in the middle 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 "a
miliar than those recorded in the first, the
second volume will not be found less in
tsresting, and indeed the change Of scene
from West to East, with new opponents
as we'll as new subordinates to discuss,
proves q safeguard against repetitions'
The memoirs at the outset terminate alb.
ruptly with the end Of the war, even the
concluding chapter making only inCiden.
tai illusions to the last 90 years OF Gen.
Grants public career,
The first five chapters are reprinted
from an article by Gen. Grant in the
Century oil November, 1885, for which they
W6lV UIlkluhlly hAAklGAs
AS the details OF the scenes in McLean's
house at Appomattox were fully publish.
ed 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 headache
the day before his great triumph. There
Ia a most characteristic neglect to pose for
admiration in such statement as this: ~
spent the night in bathing my feet in hot
water and mustard and putting mustard
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.of surrender
ing oil Lees sword and my handing it
back Is the purest nonsense" lie never
spoke to Lee about private property or
side arms, and "when put my pen To the
paper | did not know the frat word that
| should make use Of" He had on sol.
iier's blouse, with straps Of his rank, but
no sword, and Unjust have Contrasted
very strangely with man so handsomely
dressed, IS ieet high, and OF faultless form.'
When the news Of the surrendered reach
ed the Union lines the troops commenced
irng salute, but Grant ordered 1t stop
ped, as he would not exult over priso-
neTs.
General Grant lays much stress on the
great advantage the Southern Generals
enjoyed for defensive warfare, among
population constantly giving them aid
and information, and possessing com.
plete knowledge Of the roads. He bitter.
ly assails the "Copperhead press" OF the
North for belittlinR 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 Southern methods OF
calculating their forces by "bayonets."
He dwells on the disintegration Of Lees
command at the last, giving some amusing
anecdotes Of 1t, and he insists on the ell.
cheney Of his own troops. OF the Eastern
and Western armies that paraded in
Washington after the war, he says:
VI 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 their equal In a
kIehb uhtLle' 4h0 hlllleb VI lbuIUpb hIe
machines the men are brave and capable;
but the msjority Of the soldiers in most oil
the nations Of Europe are taken from q
Class Of people who are not very intelli-
gent 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 10 read, men who
knew what they were fighting for, and
could not be induced 10 serve as soldiers
except In an emergency when the safety
Of the nation was Involved, and 80 neCes.
sarllysmust have been more than equal to
men who fought merely because they
were brave and because they were
thoroughly drilled and Injured to hard
ships"
iie adds that sherman's army was the
less well dressed, "but their marching
could not DO excelled."
OF Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Stanton, who
were exactly Opposite, except that each
possessed great ability" Gen. Grant draws
sketches that show plainly which way his
liking went!
"alr. Lincoln gained influence over men
by making them feel that 1t was a pleas.
ure to serve him. He preferred yielding
his own wish to crafty others rather than
to insist upon having his own way. 1t
distressed him to diBappoint others. In
matters Of public duty, however, he had
what he wished, but In the least offensive
way. Mr.. Stanton never questioned his
own authority to command, unless re.
sisted. He carejIuothing for the feelings
Of others. In fact, 1t seemed pleasanter
to him TO disappoint than to crafty. He
felt no hesitation In assuming the funo.
tons Of the Executive, or in acting with.
out advising with him. II this act was
not sustained he would change It'll he
saw the matter would be followed up until
he did so. Mr.. Lincoln was not timld,
and he was willing 10 trust his Generals
In making and executing their plans. The
Secretary wss very timid, and II was i'm.
possible for him to avoid interfering with
the armies covering the Capital when 1t
was sought to defend 1t by an offensive
movement against the army guarding the
Confederate Capital. He could see our
weakness, but he could not 500 that the
enemy was in danger. The enemy would
not have been In danger II Mr.. Stanton
had been In the field"
Mr.. LinColn's quaint phraSeology seems
to have greatly amused Grant. He says
that after his capture Of Petersburg the
good humored President congratulated
him and then remarked: "Do you know,
General, that have had a sort Of sneak.
ing idea for some days that you intended
to do something like this2" Grant be-.
lieyes that Lincoln wanted Davis 10 escape,
as there had been i'blnod enough already
spilled" but, alasl bis own was yet 10
flow. HE would have proved the best
friend the South could have bad" where.
as they found In his successor one .who
at irst wished TO revenge himself upon
Southern mon Of better social standing
than himself" and then, Witha sudden re-
Vulsion Of feeling, desired 10 become
their Noses" One other story Of Lincoln
told by Grant Is that when the Confederate
Peace Commissioner came 70 Hampton
Roads, among them was Mr.. A.. II.
Stephens, OF whom Grant had been "a
particular admirer,' He was physically a
very puny man, but. wore on. that occa-
sion a surprisingly thick and long over
coat. whinli made him look Of the average