The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-12-18
GRANT AND SHERIDAN.
An Artists Experience In Posing the Two
Great Captains.

Great Captains.
New York Times.
In an interview recently with Mr.. james
T.. Kelly, an artist who made sketches of
some OF the great generals of the civil war,
that gentleman spoke of his experience In
posing Generals Grant aud Sheridan. OF
the latter he said:
II was introduced to General Sheridan
by a staff officer. He had a soft. low voice,
though he has too often been represented
had a peculiar. soothing. quoting way
about him. and when he finished u sentence
would partly close one eye and drive hIs
idea into one with the other. 1t was the
only eye among all the officers which
seemed to comprise the whole head, the
most remarkable eye known to my expert
ence. He had very fine, expressive hands
and a graceful way of using them. but to-
ward the eifd these became fat and fluffy.
In photographs the expression of his face
always looks set, because. / suppose, the
muscles of his forehead were always NOV
ing. Il had to catch his expression as l
might the movements of u fly on a horses
leg:
HE posed splendidly. and did exactly as
he was tOld-a military trait. He once
sent a man after me OIL the run. who said
that General Sheridan desired to see me in
haste. When l entered his hands were
filled with dispatches, and an orderly stood
behind him. He said that III fifteen min;
0tSo 49, ~ ~ 'N& opbN VIVA VIII
Grant. and in that time his posing must be
completed. Then he adjusted his eye
glasses. began reading his dispatches, and
debating replies. He would hold a dis
patch in one hand. read it. and pass it to
the orderly over his shoulder with the
other. Still he managed to divide his
glances with me. Strange to say, the
sketch completed under these circum-
stances brought out a kind word from
General Warren. whom Sheridan relieved
of hIa enn1vnauh nm fha fiald In aInnst fha
last battle of the wal and within sight. OF
Appomattox Courthouse. Warren said it
was the ideal Sheridan At the time
General Sheridan supposed was
.asis'Y he 9 sss%ss greatly Ri!s'1 Pleased si when nb%;
Mr.. Ward sent word to. him to
come to the Academy of Design INT see
kelly's very meritorious~ statue. 'Sheridan's
Ride."' 1 requested him to make sugges-
tiOns for alterations before the statue was
cast. He had nothing to criticise,' he said.
and instead. approved the work over his
signature"
On the outside cover of Sheridan's "Me-
moirs' there is a reproduction of Kelly's
statue in gilt. No credit whatever is given
to the artist in the book and his name was
cut ont OF the plate. Mr.. Kelly said: II de-
manded of Webster IL Co. to know why my
copyright and General Sheridan's instruc-
tons to them were ignored. They replied
that he had given no instructions. then
asked to see the photograph of the statue
which accompanied the manuscript. When
produced, there on the back of the photo.
graph were instructions written by the
General to credit the artist. Webster's peo.
| pie then said If i went TO law about it ii
wouldn't come out of their pockets, but
| Mrs. S~hersdan's.' l then replied that they
were perfectly safe TO go ahead.
Il first met General Grant at the Fifth
avenue Hotel during 1881. He agreed to
give sittipgs. and l began on him the fol.
lowing morning. i fonnd him perfectly
| imfnOv able and u~nresponsive. My first at
tempt was a failure. Tearing up the picture
i asked him to smoke. He lighted a cigar,
and then seemed TO unlOOse himself some.
what. though not enough. Suddenly ]
sprang TO my feet to arouse him. and said j
would like to maxi a series of sketches
showing where his personality decided bat
ties; that desired 10 represent him as he
appeared when he rode up 20 the lines al
Donelson and ordered the advance; al
Belmont, where his horse was shot from
under him: at Shiloh, etc.. Then he com.
pletely awakened, crossed his legs, and
then began. to detail events. holding
meanwhile his cigar in one hand and usinl
the other by way of gesticu
latory illustration. He elaborated or
many scenes in his Memoirs.
which ne afterward said he had never done
previously. He rave such details as ht
to General Rowley for matters in doubt
This sketch, of course, made while he wal
enthusiastic, was successful. So much az
that he signed it on the spot. even using tn,
title of general at the bottom, although IA,
remarked at the time. Il have no oticia
signature He was then neither Presidsp'
nor officer.
"Once aroused. General Grant talked in
cessantly. During this time his littl,
Japanese servant was bobbing all arount
us. greatly astOnished at the posing process
and its results on paper. The General wa
not in the least annoyed by the boys antic
and allowed him full rope. Indeed. Will
with him. General Grant apolOgized a
some length to a bell boy for calling him un
necessarily. The General having no hors,
left over from the war. it was somewha
difficult to get an animal which would an
swer to pose my Grant on Horseback.
which is nearly completed in plaster. Hap
PLY, Capt. William II. Gunther's hors,
Dom probably the most perfect charger il
the country. was available, and his action
l secured on the track in Central Park. o
course, / have Grant covered in detail b.
numerous sketches and designs in plaster
He had two prominent p~rofiles. one very
narrow and one very long. While not pos
sessing either of the strong characteristic
of Sheridan or Sherman, his outline from
the bridge of the nose mp was more perfec
than either. Neither had he SO many indi
vidualities. While his hands were remark
ably fine and full of expression. his face de
pended on the circumstances OF the mo
meutv