Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-09-06
FRESH GRANT STORIES.
Anecdotes Related by Two Omcers OF
tho Generals Stafr.

tho Generals Stan.
Anecdotes OF General Grant have been
as plentiful as blackberries, but the fol-
lowing, though not new in print, may
be new to many modern readers: Major
w. II. Chamberlain, OF the Eighty-hrst
Ohio regiment, who served with General
Grant during the whole campaign OF
1862, tells story OF him which had q
peculiar significance in that it gives a
key to his mode of action. "It was on
the second day of the battle of Shiloh"
said the Major, in speaking of the cir
cumstance. "The first day. you know,
had been disastrous to cus ,otccs, which
had been driven back. Early in tho
morning Of the second day General
Grant rode through our lines to the
front accompanied by some officer, do
not know who. The two were having
an animated conversation, and as they
passed whore l was standing l heard
General Grant remark: All the advan-
tage is on the side of the attacking par
ty.' Within few minutes after they
had passed me heard the guns on our
right open up, an order to advance was
given, and the Union soldiers, who were
compelled to retire on the previous day,
themselves assumed the aggressive and
were victorious. That one remark OF
General Grant was significant of his
whole career. He believed in attack
rather than defense, and Shiloh alone
proved the correctness of his theory"
The following story purports to have
been told by an officer of General
Grants staff and refers to time in 1861
when he was sent with brigade to
Southern Mississippi to repel threat
ened invasion of JEFF Thompson. The
country through which the troops pass
ed was chiefly wilderness, in which
not hog, chicken, or an ear of corn
was to be captured by the boys. Finally
Lieutenant Wicktield, of an Indiana
cavalry regiment, with an advanced
guard of eight mounted men, came
across a farmhouse. lie halted his
command, and, with two Second Lieu
tenants, entered, represented himself to
| be General Grant, and demanded din
ner. The Generals name had already
acquired some fame in that region, and
the family scurried about and set forth
what they had, loudly protesting their
| loyalty. The Lieutenants ate all they
could and departed, after the family
had refused to take any pay for what
| had been furnished. Later in the day
it happened that General Grant himself
stopped in front of the same house and
asked if he could be given q meal, but
was told that General Grant and his
staff had been there and eaten every
thing in the house but one pumpkin
pie. After learning that the fam
ily's name was Sclyidge and leav-
ing half dollar to insure their
keeping the pie until he should
send an officer for it, the General rode
off. That night, greatly to the surprise
OF the troops. after camping-ground had
been selected the whole force was order
ed to turn out for parade. Some thing
of great Importance was supposed to be
about to happen, when the Assistant
Adjutant-General read in a loud voice
before the lines that had been drawn up
the following order:
Headquarters Army in the Field.-Special
order No. =: Lieutenant Wickhcid OF the In
diana cavalry having eaten every thing in Mrs.
Selvdge's house ut the crossing of the Tren-
| ton and Pocahontas and Black River and Cape
| GIrardeau roads, except one pumpkin pie, Lieu
tenant Wickfeld is hereby ordered to return
with an escort OF 100 cavalry and cat that pie
also. U. S. GRANT,
| Brigadier.Gcncral Commanding.
The troops were then dismissed in a
state of bewilderment, but, by the time
the Lieutenant was ready to leave camp
with his escort to perform his singular
duty the joke was appreciated. and he
was followed by peals of laughter
Boston Herald.