Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-06-20
GRANT ATVICKSBURG
HOW HE APPEARED TO A SOLDIER IN
THE RANKS.

Very Little Style About tho Great Com
mandcr--Southcrners Surprised Mt His
rlainncss- Examtning the Breastworks.
Two Divisions Sacrificed,
There Is nobody who Il not familiar
with tho portrait ot General Grant or the
picture OF his life that hangs with it ON
tho walls ot thousands OF homes and
hearts, hut there are few VI tho American
pcoplc who knew him as did those officers
and private soldiers with whom no came
IN close contact during the greater part of
that stormy period in tho history of this
country never to 10 forgotten. To many
he was great silent being, who inspired
confidence and caused n suprmoly com
Portable foolinR to pcrvaao tho minds OF
the people during his war administrations.
This Is all good, but it Is better to sit
down ON tho sido OF an old soldiers resi-
dcnco and hear about tho great general
from lips that often greeted him under
circumstances extraordinary who
saw him from n soldiers point Of Wow,
when he commanded the largest and
RrandcSt army over mustered undor tho
sun Tho following rcminiscenoes of Cen
eral Grant arr quoted from captain of
AN Indiana WRtmrnt who was at Weeks
burg;
1--WE had taken about :, 500 rohel pris,
oncrs and wero guarding them, Gcnoral
Grant and three on four OF hiS staff rodo
noar us. Ono of tho curious southorncrs
hookoncd mo to him and asked Who IL
that general over theroN | told him 1t was
General Grant lle hooked at mo suspt
ciOuSly, fmSputly he called another
guard mp and asked him tho Same qucs
ton This did not seem To satisfy him,
for shortly after he called 20 another and
repeated tho question, We'll, said ho,
Il wouldn't have believed t. There isn't
n subordinate officer in our whole army
who doesn't put on moro stylo than your
General Grant.
I'VE had built limo Of hroastworks,
over which u mans head was In range of
tho Confederate rlnomon, Gonoral Grant
camr down 10 examine tho dctonsos, lio
walked calmly up to tho works and stood
scanning their entire length at his leisure,
ono Of tho officers OF my regiments walked
down to tho general begged his pardon
and informed him that tho position no DC
ouprd Was extremely dangerous; that tho
sharpshootcrs had picked of several mon
hNlk WV INV, NV k'I'ihi NiAiAth Nt
remedy, thanked thu officer cordially and
remarked ooolly that no Thought no was
all right After u few minutes ohscrva
ton he walked slowly away,
"Thern were about 90, 900 Confodorntes
occupying u position ahead of us All
day long there had boon u disposition ON
tho part OF both sides to let onoh other
alone, and the occasional shot of sharp
phnnIar Ind nlnn, Al 81 npbnI In a. Ia,
OF tho afternoon
''ln tho rear Of them was road which,
II wo could take, would prevent their re-
treat to Niokshurg. No effort had M yet
boon mndo by thom to retreat toward It.
Wa vera down In n depression, whilo tho
Confodoratos woro up tho hill, Gonornl
Grant rode To our division and said To
Gonorai MoGInnis, WIN your men 10 up
that hillY
They will 10 through hi II nocos-
snry WIS tho prompt roply
IAN right. They will havo chance
| to do 10 after awhile
This was all said ns ooolly as though
IL oil were Of tho most trilllng Import,
ana In short timo tho order cnmo for us
! to advance We'll, Mo won't ON. Four,
nfths Of our men were killed and wound
| cd Tho ConfudCrntps were cutting us
down liko grass Our shattered lines rop-
resented tho bnso and pcrpondieular Of
u triangle, Tho Confederate foroos had
almost surrounded ns when, 10, boforo
| wo knew what was tho matter, tho plans
of General Grant dnwnod upon us, A
tho roar Confodoratos ran like ahcop
through our lines In retreat, firing was
heard To tho right aud left Of us. Our
two divisions had been sacrificed to draw
tho enemy into u trap, which, although
we suffered for IT,, after all saved thou
sands Of lives Tho most Of the Gonfod
crates got bnck into Vicksbnrg, but this
movo destroyed their lines aud virtually
captured that city, Aftor tho bnttlo ]
found Generals iIovoy and Mct'innis and
Colonel Spioely all seated together crying
liko children over tho heavy losses sus
tanned by their mon indianapolis Jour.
| nal