The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-06-23
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
General Grant in War Time.

A description of General Grants per-
sonal appearance at this important Pc
rod of bis career may not be out Of
place here, alticularly as up to that
time the Iublic had received such er-
roneous impressions of him. There
were then few correct portraits of him
in circulation. Some Of the earlies pic
lures purporting to be photographs of
him had been manufactured when he
was at the distant front, never stop.
ping in one place long enough to be
focused" Nothing daunted, the
practicers of that art which is the chief
solace of The vain had photographed
burly beef contractor, and spread the
pictures broadcast as representing the
determined, but rather robust features
of the coming hero, and it was some
time before the real photographs which
followed were believed to be genuine.
False impressions of him were de-
rived, too, from the fact that he had
come forth from country leather store
and was famous chiefly for striking
sledge-hammer blows in the field, and
conducting relentless pursuits of his
foes through the swamps OF the South
west. He was pictured in the popular
mind as striding about in the most ap-
proved swasht uckler style of melo-
drama. Many of US were not little
surprised to find in him man of slim
figure, slightly stopped, five feet eight
inches in height, weighing only a hun
dred and thirty five pounds and of a
modesty of mien and gentleness of
manner which seemed to fit him more
for the court than for the camp. His
eyes were dark gray, and were the
most expressive of his features. Like
nearly all men who speak little, he was
good listener, but his face gave little
indication of his thoughts, and it was
nished about the only response to the
speaker who conversed with him.
When he was about TO say anything
amusing there was always perceptible
twinkle in his eyes before he began to
speak, and he often laughed heartily at
witty remark or humorous incident.
His mouth, like Washington's, was of
the letter-box shape, the contact of the
lips forming nearly horizontal line.
This feature was of pattern in strik-
ing contrast with that of Napoleon,
who had bow mouth, which looked as
if it had been modelled after front
view of his cooked hat The firmness
with which the generals square-shaped
jaws were set when his features were
in repose was highly expressive of his
force of character and the strength of
his will power. His hair and beard
were of chestnut brown color. The
beard was worn full, no part of the
face being shaver, but, like the hair,
was always kept closely and neatly
trimmed. Like Cromwell, Lincoln and
several other great men in history, he
had wart on his cheek. In his case
it was small, and located on the right
side just above the line of the beard.
His face was not perfectly symmetrical,
the left eye being little lower than
the right. His brow was high, broad
and rather square, and was creased
with several horizontal wrinkles, which
helped to emphasize the serious and
somewhat careworn look which was
never absent from his countenance.
This expression, however, was in no
wise an indication of his nature, which
was always buoyant, cheerful and hope
full. His voice was exceedingly must
cal, and one of the clearest in sound
and most distinct in utterance that /
have ever heard. 1t had singular
power of penetration, and sente nee 6
spoken by him in an ordinary tone in
camp could be heard at distance which
was surprising General Horace Por-
ter in the Century.