The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-03
RAwLrNs WARNING TO GRANT.

1t has. been both affirmed and de-
MED that in General Grants early
career as a commander he was in dan
ger Of becoming addicted to the
drinking habit. More than once it
has been alleged that President Lin
coins attention was called to the
matter by those who desired to see the
silent man from Illinois superseded in
his command. Both at Vicksburg and
Pittsburg Landing Grant is said to
have been intoxicated, but it has been
as stoutly denied by his friends.
1t is a matter we do not pretend to
decide. but the charges and denials
will make interesting reading of the
letter we quote below, which appeared
on the Both ult. in the ST. Louis Globe
Democrat. and which was read by H.
D. Estabrook, of Chicago, at a recent
banquet at Galena, Illinois, Grants
old home.
It purports to be a letter from Cen
which is in the possession of citizen
of Galena, and bears the inscription
Before Vicksburg, Miss, June s, 1868,
l o'clock a. m. 1t reads:
The great solicitude I feel for the
safety of this army leads me to men
ton what l hoped never again to do
the subject of your drinking. This may
surprise you, fer I may be, and 1 trust
l am, doing you an injustice by un-.
founded suspicion but if l am in error
it had better be on the side of this
country's safety than in fear of Of
Tending a friend.
"I have heard that DR.. D., at Gen
eral Sherman's, few days ago, in
duced you, Notwithstanding your
pledge to me, to take a glass Of wine,
and today, when I found box of wine
in front of your tent and proposed to
move it, which 1 did, 1 was told you
had forbid it's being taken away, for
you intended to keep it until you en-
tered Vicksburg, that you might have
it for your friends, and tonight, when
you should, because of the condition
of your health, if nothing else, have
been in bed. I find you where the wine
bottle has just been emptied in COM
pany with those who drink and urge
you to do likewise, and the lack of
your usual promptness and decision
and clearness in expressing yourself in
writing conduceS to confirm my SuS
picion.
You have full control over your ap
petite and can let drinking alone. Had
you not pledged me the sincerity Of
your honor early last March that you
would drink no more during the war,
and kept that pledge during the cam
paign, you would not have stood first
in the worlds history as a successful
leader Your only salvation depends
upon your strict adherence to that
pledge; you cannot succeed in any
other way.
LAS 1 have before stated, 1 may be
wrong in my suspicious, but if one sees
that which leads him to suppose a SEN
tinel is falling asleep at his post it is
his duty to arouse him, and if one sees
that which leads him to fear the gen
eral commanding a great army is be-
ing seduced to that step which he
knows will bring disgrace upon that
general and defeat to his command, If
he fails to sound the proper note of
warning, the friends, wives and chill
dren of those brave men whose lives
he permits to remain thus in peril will
accuse him while he lives and stand
swift witnesses Of wrath against him
in the day when all shall be tried
IF my suspicious are unfounded, let
my friendship for you and my zeal for
my country be the excuse of this let
ter, and If they may be correctly
founded, and you determine not to heed
my admonitions and prayers of this
hasty note by Immediately ceasing to
touch single drop of any kind Of
liquor, no matter by whom asked or
under what circumstances, let my
immediate relief from duty in this de-
partment be the result
If that letter is genuine, and was
written by General Rawlins. and sent
to General Grant, then John A. Raw
Inns was a noble man and Grants true
friend. 1t is letter that should live
forever in our literature, if not for the
merits of it's composition, then as a
monument of true friendship and moral
courage.