The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-06-19
Grant at yicksburg.

There is nobody who is not familiar
with the portrait of General Grant or
the picture of his life that hangs with
it on the walls of thousands of homes
and hearts, but there are few of the
American people who knew him as did
those officers and private soldiers with
VIII ON he came in close contact during
the greater part of that stormy period
in the history of this country never to
be forgotten. To many he was great
silent being, who inspired confidence
and caused a supremely comfortable
feeling to pervade the minds of the
people during his war administration.
This is all good, but it is better to sit
down on the side of an old soldiers
residence and hear about the great
general from lips that often greeted
him under circumstances extraordinary
those who saw him from a soldiers
point of view, when he commanded the
largest and grandest army ever mus
tered under the sun. The following
"reminiscences of General Grant are
quoted from a captain of an Indiana
regiment who was at Vicksburg:
"We had taken about $500 rebel
prisoners and were guarding them.
General Grant and three or four of his
staff rode near us. One of the curious
southerners beckoned me to him and
asked, who is that general over there"
l told him it was General Grant. He
looked at me suspiciously. Presently
he called another guard up and asked
him the same question. This did not
seem to satisfy him, for shortly after he
called to another and repeated the
question WELL said he, Il wouldn't
have believed it. There isn't subor-
dinate officer in our whole army who
doesn't put on more style than your
General Grant
"We had built line Of breastworks,
over which mans head was in range
of the Confederate rifemen. General
Grant came down to examine the de-
lenses. He walked calmly up to the
works and stood scanning their entire
length at his leisure. One of the Off
GERS of my regiment walked down to
the general, begged his pardon and in
formed him that the position he occu-
pied was extremely dangerous; that the
sharpshooters had picked off several
men along the line. The general
smiled serenely, thanked the officer
cordially and remarked coolly that he
thought he was all right. After few
minutes observation he walked slowly
away.
There were about 10000 Confed-
crates occupying position ahead of US.
All day long there had been DISPOSE
ton on the part of both sides to let
each other alone, and the occasional
shot of sharpshooier had alone dis
turbed the quietude of the afternoon.
"In the rear of them was road
which, if we could take, would prevent
their return to Vicksburg. No effort
had as yet been made by them to re-
treat toward it. We were down in a
depression, while the Confederates were
up the hill. General Grant rode to ouI
division and said to General McGinnis,
will your men 60 up that hill p
"They will go, if necessary, was
the prompt reply.
60 All right. They will have q
chance to do it after awhile
"Ths was all said as coolly as though
it all were of the most trifling import
and in a short ii ne the order came for
US to advance. Well, we went on
Four. tfths of our men were killed anC
| WOuuucu. uC VOiO Sot
ting US down like grass. Our shattered
lines represented the base and perpen'
dicular of triangle. The Confederate
forces had almost surrounded us, wher
10! before we knew what was the mat
ter, the plans of General Grant dawnet
upon US. AS the rear Confederates raj
like sheep through our lines in retreat
firing was heard to the right and left o
us. Our two divisions had been sacri
feed to draw the enemy into trap
which, although we suffered for it, ate
all saved thousands of lives. The mos
of the Confederates got back into Vick'
burg, but this move destroyed thei
lines and virtually captured that city
After the battle found Generals Hove
and McGinnis and Colonel Spicely, a
sitting together, crying like childre
) over the heavy losses sustained by thei
men. "-Indianapolis Journal.
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