The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-10-18

He was AT once employed by Secretary
stanton In special work OF Importance
for the war department. and In isd3
was appointed assistant secretNv ~
war. which Office he held until after
the surrender OF Lee. His duties As the
representative of the civil authority al
the scene Of military operations
brought him In close personal relations
with Mr. Stanton and Mr.. Lincoln. who
were accustomed to depend much upon
his accurate perceptions and just esti-
mates of men and measures for infor-
nation of the actual state of affairs at
. the front. Al the time when General
Grants character and probable useful
ness were unknown quantities. Mr..
Dana's confidence IN General Grants
military ability probably did much 1"
defeat the powerful effort then making
to break down the rising commander.
OF this critical period. General Shor-
man remarks In his Memoirs"
zone day early in April, lS6s. was
up at Grants headquarters al Nicks-
burg. and we talked over all these
things with absolute freedom. Charles
A. Dana. assistant secretary OF war.
was there. and Wilson. Rawlins, Frank
Blair. Mcpherson etc. We all knew.
what was notorious, that General Me-
cleinand was intriguing against Cen
eral Grant. In hopes Ia regain COM
mand uf the whole expedition. ana that
Others were raising ciamor against
Grant in the newspapers Of the North.
Even Mr.. Lincoln and General ilalleck
seemed In be shaken: but al no IN
stant did we.' his personal friends,
slacken in our loyalty 10 him.
Mr. Dana. was I'm the saddle AT the
front much of the time during the
campaign of Northern Mississippi and
Nicksburg, the rescue Of Chattanooga
and the marches and battles of Virginia
in 1864 and 1863 After the war his
services were sought by the proprieto,s
of the Chicago Republican,. nov daily.
which failed through causes not within
the editors control. Returning Ia New
York, he organized In 1S6, "A stock COM
pany that now owns the sun newspaper
and became its editor. The first num-
Der of the sun issued by MIR. Dana APP
pearod on Jan. q. 1865. and for nearly
20 years he was actively and continu-
ously engaged In the management of
that successful journal. and solely re-
sponsible for its conduct. lie made
the sun a democratic newspaper. I'M
dependent and outspoken In the cN-
pre- ssion of it's opinions respecting the
affairs Of either party. His criticisms
of civil maladministration during Gem
eral Grants term as president led to :.
notable attempt on the pari of that add
ministraiion. In July. ls1s. la Iai;" him
from New York on a charge of lihcl. To
he tried without a jury i'm a WaFrine-
ton police court. Application was made
to the United states district court In
New York for n warrant - rcmoNai'
but in memorable decision. Judge
Blatchford refused IN" MarIsnt. hola-
ing the proposed form of trial Ia bs
unconstitutional.
Perhaps ~ greater extent than In
the case Of any othcr conspicuous
been identified in th. public mind with
the newspaper which hc edited, He
recorded no theories of journalism
either than those uT common sense and
human Interest. lie was inpatient ~
prolixity. cant and the conventional
stands of news Importance.
Mr.. Danas first book Was a volume
of stories translated from the German.
entitled THE Black Ant" m 1855 he
planned and edited. with Gcorg. Rip
ley, the New American Encyclopedia. p"
The original edition was completed I'm
1865. IL has since been thoroughly re-
vised and issued in "A new edition under
the title of The American cyclopedia Sc
With Gen. james II. Wilson h. wrote
a Life of Ulysses s. Grant" His
Household Book of Poetry" was first
published in 1885,. and has passed
through many editions He also edited
with Rossiter Johnson. Fifty Perfect
Forms"