Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-10-02
WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE, KANSAS OCTOBER 2 1890

said the Major, in speaking OF the cir
cumstance. THE first day, you know,
had been disastrous TO our forces, which
had been driven back. Early in the
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 where 1 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 a 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 Wickfeld, of an Indiana
cavalry regiment, with an advanced
guard of eight mounted men, came
across a farmhouse. He 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 a 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 Selvidge 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-groundh 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 loud voice
before the lines that had been drawn up
the following order:
Headquarters Army in the Field.-Speclal
order No. -: Lieutenant Wiol1feld Of the In
diana cavalry having eaten every thing in Mrs.
Selvidge's house, at the crossing Of the Tren-
ton and Pocahontas and Black River and Cape
GTardeau roads, except one pumpkin pie, Lieu
tenant Wickheld is hereby ordered to return
with an escort OF 100 cavalry and eat that pie
also. U. S. GRANT
Brigadier- General 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 WIS appreciated, and he
was followed by peaIs of laughter
Boston Herald