The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-25
GEN. w. T. SHERMAN.
Tne Old Soldier Talks In Characteristic Style
on Several Interesting Topics.

time In turning the conversation upon matters
| of moment. and in the course of the talk said
to him:
General. the Republicans ought to nominate
you for President next timer
There are two parties to that proposition -
SAID Sherman, land Sherman is one of them.
am having very good time, and in order to live
ont my days l do not want to have it disturbed
by any ambition or career. / am now older
than General Washington was when he died;
older than General jackson was when he was
| President, think; and older than General Har-
| rison was when he was elected President and
| lived but month
| At this the General started up and seized
| cyclopedia of biography and consulted it.
| YES" said he, Washington died in his sixty
but" said I. sI do not believe that YOU will
| find that Harrison was younger than you are"
The General turned to his printed authority
and found that Harrison was born in l773 and
| he was about of General Shermans age when he
reached the presidency.
/ again challenged the General on jackson.
and he found that Andrew Jackson was born in
1867. and therefore reached the presidential
office when he only about sixty.wo
Sherman looked up and said:
do you know that 1 saw jackson when he
was PresidentP
How was that, General2'
"Why, when Mr.. Ewing had me appointed as
a cadet at West Point came to Washington
City from Lancaster o. came to Wheeling.
then hired a twohorse carriage to bring us
down to Washington by the short route. had
very strong prejudice against jackson. The
they now. They were harsh and gave no
chance to anybody over the party lines. So
was almost I'm willing TO go up and see President
jackson. But went however; curiosity pre-
called. AS nearly as l can recollect, the
White House then had its main entrance
in the rear toward the Potomac river and the
side toward Pennsylvania avenue was what they
called the kitchen garden. There were brick
departments for the State. War. Navy, etc,
hanking the White House. / remember, any
way, that went in from the Potomac side. and
was carried back into the garden, and there
Andrew Jackson. He was bent and leaned
forward, and he had his hands behind his back,
he walking with his head down. like one
thinking about matters of policy. did not
speak to him. saw the old man. and then
went to West Point"
General Sherman here described the situa-
ton of the hotels in Washington at that period,
and l think he said that he stopped at the
Indian Queen Hotel l said to him.
General not Grant. after all, one of the
most remarkable characters which has
across your orbit2"
Yes" said Sherman, "Grant was simply
wonder. To think of that man in his simplicity,
in his want of pretension and in his great sue
cess, staegers all the examples you get out
OF the books. was at West Point In what you
might call the senior class when Grant came in
there as Pleb. It might be said with truthful
ness that he made no impression at all
cadet except good writer. AS student he
effective. But ne made a military
policy of his own, apparently derived upon OBJ
servation. taking ADVANTAGE of the simple things
which occurred to him, and he figured in one of
the greatest of history as a man almost
solitary and alone"
The talk we were having was not of pains
taking, consecutive sort and therefore almost
hesitate to put General Shermans language into
quotation marks. But having offended in this
way more than once before 1 think he will take
the will for the deed. He said further:
"Of all the men in our civil war who were
scholastic Halleck stood at the head. He was
the scholarly soldier of the whole army. 1 do
not believe that Grant ever read a word of
something of literary soldiers. When Grant
wanted information from the books he could
generally get it from us. But he had simple,
easy way of going through life. and so if some
body else could supply him with the information
he was just as thankful for it as if he got it out
of book"
General. how do you account for Halleck's
apparent failureE
''Halleck," said General Sherman cup to
certain time in the war; seemed to be a very
strong parsonage You may say that he was
very important man up to the time of the
Corinth campaign His scheme to ascend the
Tennessee river and flank the rebellion which
was intrenched the Mississippi had a great
deal of merit in it. But that campaign properly
ended with the fight at Corinth. After that
they took from Halleck large portion of his
command and sent it to East Tennessee. That
about a year before Burnside repulscd
Braggs attack on Knoxville. In the division of
his forces they took away from Halleck his
prestige which had been acquired by the pre-
vious unity of his operations"
am not entirely sure that have reported the
above paragraph correctly, and yet think that
must have done My doubt arises from
reference General Sherman made to Buell. I
said to him, nearly as l can recollect:
THAT article which Buell. published in of
the magazines, which intended to up
Grant, does not seem to have made lastingsm-
preston"
No. said Sherman. ''Buell was singular
character. He came out of the old Puritan |
stock which settled in Marietta Ohio, and was |
an excellent officer in the Mexican war. From |
what 1 remember and have understood I sup |
posed that we hardly had an officer in the Mexi- |
can war who showed more ability than |
war opened ont he obtained speedy |
He had army which co-operated |
with that OF Grant toward the great battle field
of the Tennessee Buell. crticses Grant for
having got himself into a position where he was
attacked by Johnston. but Buell. fails to account
for his not having come upon that battle field
with sufficient promptness. The river which
kept him several days in bridging it he could
have crossed by going about eighteen miles
above. So that if Grant was put in bad situa-
ton by the enemy striking him before he
ready the responsibility is to be divided be-
tween Grant and Buell. In the of time
General Buell. passed by the confederate
army. which marched toward Louisville and
and he had to return and give them
battle, and from that time onward he was
of disappointed man"
asked him again why Halieck had failed
with all the confidence Stanton aud Lincoln
bestowed upon him. The General intmated
that Halleck took his brandy toddy with too
much fidelity. / referred to Cullom's Biograph-
ical Register of West Point and its graduates,
and asked if Cullom had not married HaIeck's
widow
YES" said General Sherman, 'and that book
is an extremely useful and valuable collection
Of military biographies. By the fortunes of the
sons Of Alexander Hamilton becoming CONSOLE
dated through death, ETC., General Haleck's
widow able to leave General Cullom very
wealthy man."
Referring to Alexander Hamilton and Aaron
Burr. General Sherman said that neither of
Them appeared to have much principle concern
ng the social contract. I mentioned to the
General hint of my own that possibly Grant.
m ia inn bnan a n |
Lincoln, in spite of Lincons literary subtIety.
General Sherman put his hand up to his fore
head, and as he did so observed that at the
age OF about sixty-eight there was hardly gray
inc in his scalp.
mo. no." said he Lincoln had pene-
ration than Grant. He was more OF thinker.