The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-21
GENERAL GRANT
DID NOT DRINK
lie Smoked necessarily, but Never In.
dulged 10 Liquor.
ABUNDANT PROOF ON THIS POINT
Tho Man Is Not TO BE Found Who Will
Say That lie Ever Saw the Great
General Under the Influence of In
, toxicants--Tcstim of Admirais
Foote and Porter That He Persist-
entity Abstaincd-.His Condition nt
Pittsburg Landing and Shiloh.


William II. Michael, in Washington Post.
A party of gentlemen were discuss
ing a recent newspaper article on Gen
eral Grant, and dwelt particularly on
that part of the paper which referred
to the charges made against the Cen
eral from time to time. of his ex-
cessive use of intoxicating beverages.
One of the party-a gentleman who.
by the way, had worn two stars in
the army-seemed to think that 1t
was in bad taste to raise the ques-
ton at this late day as to whether
the foremost general of this age had
used liquors as a beverage or not;
that no matter what might be said on
the subject the very general impress
sion would remain that he did drink
more or less while in the army, and
the facts of history show that it made
M difference with him as a success
tul officer.
j osked the gentlemen whether they
had even seen General Grant take
a drink of liquor of any kind. Each
admitted he had not. Two of the party
stated that they had been at banquets
with him where wines and other in
toxicating liquors were freely drunk,
yet in both instances they noticed that
General Grant drank nothing strong
er than coffee.
This is about as near as / have ever
been able to get evidence to support
the Every general impression" that
General Grant was a hard drinker.
Mr.. Dawson testifies when death was
staring that brave man in the face,
that the stories published about his
being intoxicated at the battle of Shi-
loh were all lies, and that he never
drank to excess. Had l no corroborat-
ing evidence this statement would be
conclusive with me. But ] saw General
Grant when he landed at Pittsburg
Landing Sunday morning, q few hours
after the battle had begun, and his
appearance and conduct at that time
are as fresh in my memory as they
would be had the event occurred yes
terday. He was very lame from his
recent fall, but there was absolutely
nothing in his appearance or conduct
to indicate that he had been drinking
intoXicants. Later in the day l saw
him bending over a map which was
sri cad on the ground. He was covered
with mud, as all were who had been
doing their duty on that muddy bat
tle-field, and when he mounted his
horse he had to be helped by attend
ants, but there was no evidence in his
| quiet face and clear eyes to indicate
that he had been indulging in the use
| OF intoxicating liquors.
Mr.. Dawson expresses my belief and
states my own experience when he
says II don't believe that General
Grant ever drank to excess. / have
heard many men say that he did drink,
and have tried to trace such reports
| to their foundation, but l have yet to
| ind the man who VIII say that he
| ever saw General Grant under the in
| fiuence of intoxicating liquor
| LIGHTED A FRESH CIGAR.
Two days after the battle of Shiloh,
on tie morning of the 9th of April,
| Lieutenant Gwin, commander of the
| gunboat Tyler, which vessel, with the
! ConesLoga, had taken a very conspicu-
| Gus part in the battle, went alongside
| of the headquarters of General Grant
| in his gig, and when he was on board
| General Grant seized him by the hand
| and began to thank him for the splen-
| did service he had rendered the army
| and the country in the battle. Lieu
tenant Gwin interrupted by saying that
| he had come on board to congratulate
| the general commanding the army up
| on saving the country again. The two
! officers repaired to the cabin, together
| in company with other officers, where
| the gunbOat officer gave to the general
| the particulars of the part taken in
| the battle by the two, vessels. While
this conversation was going on, one OF
| General Grants staff placed on the
table a decanter of liquor and some
| glasses. Lieutenant Gwin turned out
| a little of the contents of the bottle in
to his glass, and held 1t In his hand as
if waiting for General Grant to do like.
wise. The general. noticing the situa.
ton, smiled and said: Il do not in
dulge, but / smoke" and he lighted q
| fresh cigar. 1t would seem from this
circumstance, that if the general was
In the habit of drinking to excess but
| two days before, that he had suddenly
become very abstemlnous.
j had the honor of a personal ac.
quaintance with Flag officer Andrew
II. Foote, afterward rear admiral, whC
| organized and successfully commanded
| the Mississippi fotilla. He was a de
vout Christian, as well as Il brav,
naval officer, 1t was said of him by tn,
officers associated with him in the navy
that he prayed like a saint and Tough
like the devil" He was intensely re
ligious, and was an uncompromisinl
enemy to the use of grog. Flag Of
ficer Foote and General Grant were in
innate and fast friends while the army
and Lavy were organizing and fittin:
out at Cairo, ILL.,, for those operation
which resulted in the capture at Fort
Henry and Donelson, and the victories
at Shiloh. Island Ten, Memphis, anC
st. Charles.
On one occasion, Rear Admiral Foot
said to me in referring to the accusa
tionS being bruited about that Genera
Grant was a drunkard, "These charge
must be wholly false. l wGs with Gen
eral Grant every day and almost ev
cry night for many months at Cairo
under the most trying circumstances
and / never detected the evidence o
drink on him. ! certainly should haV
done so, had he been in the habit o
using grog to any extent. l do no
believe that he drank liquors of an,
kind"
This testimony from a man like Rea
Admiral Foote will settle the question
in the minds Of those who knew tina
distinguished Observation-Disclosures n
less by his skill and bravery as al
officer than by his Christian virtues. II
had every opportunity to know tn
habits of General Grant during tn
very period when his enemies endeav
ored to fix upon him the charge o
excessive indulgence in the use of in
toxicants, and yet this officer declare