The Delta independent., 1890-07-22
GRANT AND SHERIDAN,
An Artists Experience In Posing the
Two Great Captains,

In an interview recently with Mr..
James E. Kelly, an artist who made
sketches of some of the greatest Gen.
erals Of the civil war, that gentleman
spoke of his experience in posing Gen.
erals Grant and Sheridan. OF the lat
ter he said:
II was introduced to General Sheri-
dan by staff officer. He had a soft,
low voice, though he has too often
been represented as loud-mouthed,
staggering bully. He had peculiar,
soothing, quieting way about him, and
when he finished 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 ex-
perience. He had very fine. express
i've hands and graceful way of using
them; but toward the end these became
fat and fluffy. In photographs the ex-
preston of his face always looked set,
because. I suppose, the muscles of his
forehead werc always moving. I had
to catch his expression as might the
movements of fly on horses leg.
"He posed splendidly, and exactly
as he was told-a military trait. He
once sent man after me on the run,
who said that General Sheridan desired
to see me in haste, When I entered
his hands were filled with the dis
patches. and an orderly stood behind
him. He said that in fifteen minutes
he was to start South with General
Grant, and in that time his posing
ynust ho cop,p1otad Tboo h. . 1,,,,toS
his eyeglasses. began reading his dis
Pacthes. and debating replies. He would
hold dispatch in one hand, read it,
and pass it to the orderly over his
shoulder with the other. Still he man.
aged to divide his glances with me.
Strange to say. the sketch completed
under these circumstances brought out
a kind word from General Warren,
whom Sheridan relieved of his COM
mand on the field in almost tho last
battle Of the war and within sight Of Ap-
pomattox Court House. Warren said it
was the ideal Sheridan At the time,
General Sheridan supposed was mere
ly making picture of him. and was
greatly pleased when Mr.. Ward sent
word to him to come to the Academy Of
Design and see Kelly's very meritorious
statue, 'Sheridap's Ride requested
him to make some suggestions for ale
terations 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
Memoirs" there is q reproduction of
Eelly's statue in gilt. No credit what
ever IL given to the artist in the book
and his name was cut out of the plate.
MIR. Kelly says: II demanded of Web
ster q Co. to know why my copyright
and General Sheridan's Instructions
to them were ignored. They replied
that he had given no instructions. /
then asked to see the photograph Of the
statue which accompanied the manu-
script. When produced, there on the
back OF the photograph were instruc-
tions written by the General to credit
the artist Webster's people then said
II went to law about 1t it wouldn't
come out Of their pockets, but Mrs.
Sheridan's.' I then replied that they
were perfectly safe to go ahead.
II first met General Grant at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel during 1881. He
agreed to give sittings, and I began on
him the following morning. found
him perfectly immovable and unre-
sponsive. Ny first attempt was fail
ure. Tearing up the picture, asked
him to smoke. He lighted a cigar and
then seemed to unloose himself some
what, though not enough. Suddenly
IePrang to my feett to arouse him, and
said would like to make series Of
sketches showing where his personality
decided battles; that l desired to repre-
sent him as he appeared when he rode
up the lines at Donaldson and ordered
the advance; at Belmont, where his
horse was shot from under him; at
Shiloh, etc. Then he completely
awakened, crossed his legs. and began
to detail events, holding meantime his
cigar in ono hand and using the other
by way Of gesticulatory illustrations.
He elaborated on many scenes in his
memoirs. which he afterward said he
had never done previously. He gave
such details as he could remember of
his dress. ETC.. referring to General
Hawley for matters In doubt. This
sketch. of course, made while he was
enthusiastic, was successful. So much
SO that he signed 1t on the spot, even
using the title of General at the bot
tom. although he remarked at the
time, I have no official signature He
was then neither President nor off.
Ger.
"Once reused, General Grant talked
incessantly. During this time his lit
tie japanese servant was bobbing all
around us. greatly astonished at the
process and its results on paper. The
General was not in the, least annoyed
by tho boys antics and allowed him
full rope. Indeed. while with him,
General Grant apologized at some
length to bell-boy for calling him
unnecessarily. The General having no
horse left over from the war, 1t was
somewhat difficult to get an animal
which would answer to poss my Grant
on Horseback which IL nearly COM
pleted in plaster. Happily. Captain
William II. Gunther's horse .Don,'
probably the most perfect charger in
the country was available. and his ac-
ton secured on the track in Central
Park. OF course. have Grant covered
In detail by numerous sketches and de-
signs in plaster. He had two promi-
nent profiles, one very narrow and one
very long. While not possessing either
of the strong characteristics of Sheri-
dan or Sherman, his outline from the
bridge Of the nose up was more per-
fcct than either. Neither had he SO
many individualities. While his hands
were remarkably fine and full of ex-