The Portland daily press., 1892-05-21

Other Anecdotes Illustrative of Theil
Intimate Relations.-How Grant Trust.
ed Him With Grave Responsibilities
The Generals Brother In Bridgton
Maine, Gives Interesting Facts About
"Rufus."
Especial Correspondence
BRIDGEroN, May 1S.-The recent
reply of Majors General Rufus ingalls,,
IN the Army and Navy Journal, to
Gen. Butler, showing the ineor-
RICHNESS of the latter's assertion, in
his autobiography, that he Ingalls)
while Chief Quartermaster of the armies
operating against Richmond, in the
spring of '65, failed to do his duty and
was the real cause of Buffers being re-
moved from the Army of the James, re-
calls the fact this man who filled so re-
sponsible position and was SO intimate
a friend of Grants, is Maine man, a
native of Denmark, in Oxford county.
Says Gen. ingalls,, in conclusion of his
reply:
va NY iCIuIA " ClLy IOlQb dIU6r The
surrender at Appomattox, found 5000
tons of my hay had meantime been de-
livered. AS for the rest, Gen. Grant was
like all my comrades, very friendly with
me since we entered West Point as class
mates in 1889. He rendered me at the
time referred to by Gen. Butler far
higher position than then held, as his
memoirs, John Russell Young's book
g and Gen. Horace Porter can affirm, But
had too great an admiration and respect
for the numerous fighting generals-not
to say difidence--to accept. Besides. 7
occupied very responsible and onerous
office that should not have been exchanged
at such moment. l loved Grant when
he was boy of II. I love and revere
his memory now.
RUFUS INGALLS,.
The horse which Grant rode to and
from the scene Of Lees Surrender be-
longed to Gen. Rufus ingalls,, his West
Point classmate, comrade in two wars.
and intimate, personal friend. From the
time they were graduated from West
Point, in '43, to the last sad scene in the
life of the great commander, ON Mt.
Gregor, Grant and Ingalls,, in taste, CON
fidence, and friendship were like Damon
and Pythias, and the world little knows
the highly important part that was
played In the stupendous! drama of 1861
% by ingalls,. They know, simply, that
he was Grants Quartermaster-Ge General.
and that, a few years later, on the retire,
ment Of Gen-Meigs from the Quarter
master Generalship of the United States
Army, Rufus Ingalls, was his successor.
But in Grants movements against
Richmt |, he placed unlimited conf
dence in the loyalty and great executive
ability of his friend ingalls,, and the
event proved that he had correctly
gagged his man. Indeed, he knew him
thoroughly, and knowing him, trusted
him with grave responsibilities. In
gals was not only soldier by gifts and
education, but he possessed military
genius of a high order, and had he been
called to lead an army, instead of per-
forming the prosaic, undramatic duties
OF seeing to it that Grants legions were
kept i'll condition for active movements
against the enemy, there's no knowing to
what heights of fame he might have at
tanned as a 'sgreat war-generai.'' As it
was, however. he contented himself with
filling place which while involving not
infrequently the welfare and even safety
OF the army, lacked the picturesque
character OF the parts played by famous
corps commanders.
For instance: on the eve of some i'm
porta1t movement,
Grant Would Sayto Him
he was going to make such and such dis
positions and movements, and wanted SO
many horses and mules. and so MANY
thousands of rations at such and such
points. This was enough; no matter
what the obstacles, his wishes were sure
to be carried out to the letter. With In
gals shere was no such word as ..im-.
possible
Speaking of Lees Surrender recalls the
anecdote told by General Horace Porter
concerning Grant and ingalls,, on the
arrival OF the commander and staff at
headquarters, following the capitulation.
ION reaching camp says Gen. Porter,
Grant seated himself in fro at of his
tent, and we all gathered around him,
curious to hear what his first comments
would be upon the browning event of his
life: But our expectations were doomed
to disappointment, for he appeared to
have dismissed the whole subject from
his mind. and turning to General ingalls,.
his first words were:
ingalls,, do you remember that old
white mule that So-and-So used to ride
when we were in the city of Mexico?'
Why perfectly said Ingalls,, who
was then in mood to remember the ex-
act number of hairs in the mules tail if
it would have helped to make matters
agreeable. And then the General-in-
chief went on to recall the antics of that
animal during an excursion to Popocat-
apetl.''
Gen. Ingalls,, who by birth. and civil
education is a Maine nnan-is now resi-
dent of Portland, Oregon, where he has
lived the most of the time since he was
placed on the retired list, after serving
as the immediate successor of Gen.
Meigs as us. Quartermaster General,
and when he not long ago came into new
prominence in great lawsuit as execu-
tor of the will of his friend, the late Ben
Halliday, the famous Oregonian. Des-
pite his advanced age--he is now about
70-and. the strain experienced in his
many campaigns both in the Mexican
and the Civil war, he is finely preserved
his physical health being perfect and his
mind as clear as of yofe. He possesses a
straight, military, manly figure, as well
&c bandcouaa faao Tn on5 IL.