The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
GRANT AND THE SOUTH.
. CONFEDERATE OFFICERS RECoL-
LECTIoNS OF GEN. GRANT.

surrender OF vicksburE-Grnnt and lee at
AppomnttoI - Jefferson Davis on Grant.
first saw Gen. Grant on the battlefield OF
BELMONT on the 9TH OF November. 1866. was
Lcutsnant-Colonel OF n Tennessee regiment,
md my Colonel, Preston Smith tsfterward Brig
adler.GeneraD was commanding the brigade.
NV command was sent over from Columbus TO
,he jat'lcground of belmont, after the main
hattie had been fought, and ordered at once tn
nn-sgc tho Feherals, who were moving to their
tron,portS aud gunboats so 10 milos above. As
we approached n cornfield, in front OF which
the Federal transports and Gunbonts hal been
]nrvnures. | saw two men. who we're evidently
Federal officers, making their way to tho land
Ing. The front file OF my command drew their
guns upon them, but Gen. Cheatham, who was
leading the movement, ordered the men not TO
fre. and they made their escape safely to tho
TRANSPORTS.
In after years Gen. Grant told me that tn $50
two men were himself and his Quartermaster,
col. Hatch. and that Col. Hatch reached the
q boats and got ABOARD before he did. He said
that he saw our lire of troops and that he ex-
lected every moment to DO fired upon, and that
when he reached the landing he was the only
man Of the Union ARMY between our forces
and his transports. He found IA plank run out
from one of the boats ard rode his he rise ON it
from the high bank. which was 80 precipitous
that It seemed difict 1t aud dangerous TO des-
cend. His horse, however, took in the stu
alton. aid down the bank, and walked safely
On tie boat.
IL may he we'll for me here to correct q popu-
lar error, which obta,ned wide circulation. and
was gravely repeated in Horace Greeley's his
tory Of the war, and also in the Hon. s. s, Cox's
"rhreo Decades" Ny lrother, Col. John v.
Wright, commanded the Thirteenth Tennessee
Regiment and was engaged in the hottest part
ot the hattie OF Belmont. Col. Philip b.
Fouke, who commanded an Illinois regiment,
was also engaged In this battle. My brother
mad known him in Congress, both being Demo
Gratis. AS ! led my regiment down the line be-
tween tw" corniields fronting the landing
places of Gen. Grants army, within about one
hundred yards OF the boats / saw AN officer on
horseback waving his sword and urging the
neu Hoard. The front OF my OH
seeing tbs officer, drew their guns and were
ready to fire upon him. l at once ordered
them to the shoulder, and not to Ore, rs did
not wish to draw the fire from the gunboAts
Upon my men In column.
Col. Fouke inquired OF the Confederate pris.
oners who were on the boat the name of tho
officer commanding that column: they told him
It was Col. Wright. He knew that his old and
familiar frlend and associate in Congress was
III the field. and supposed it to be lie, and that
h1 u bpoEcu MS ZIG, because he knew who
lie was, as he afterward said. dislike TO spoil
10 pretty / tory as this, and am glad TO know
that Col. Fouke lived and died with this te-
lief. l am willing to add. however, that 1t ia
my opinion that hal my brother. Col. John
V. Wright, led that command and recognized
his od friend, tol. Fouke. As | saw him. he
would have ordered his men not to DIRE, and
en- the grounds that Col. Fouke placed It.
Ny next meeting with Gen. Grant was a few
days after the battle Of Belmont. Col. J. C. Tap
pan. afterward Brig. Gen. Tappan. command.
or OF the Thirteenth Arkansas Regiment, who
was engaged at Belmont, his regiment having
been In camp there and attacked by Gen.
Grants forces on the eth Of Nov ember, wa
sent by Gen. Polk under = dag of truce to Gen.
tirant, carrying q number of prisoners for ex-
chang. l was then Military Governor OF Co.
lumbus. and was invited on board the boat to
accompany Col. Tapuan. Col. Tappan's coll
o-ed COOK had been captured by the Fedorals
and taSon away. and among the prisoners cap.
turec iy the Confederates WIS Gen. Grants
ho't.er, q white man, whom Gen. Polk turned
o'er TO Col Tappan 10 be delivered TO Gen.
Grant without exchange, but suggesting that
Zen. irant might return the cook. Gen. GRAFT
said to Col. Tappan that be was not author
lied to exchange a ;olored man for O white
man. but II Col. Tappnn's cook desired to como
back into the Confederate lines he would Civ.
him permission. Iol. Tappan turned over Con.
Gr-nt's hossler without exchange. Col. Tap
pans COOK never returned. Gen. Grant hay
ing finished the business Of this flag of truce,
invited the Confederate officers who had &C.
eompanled Il into the cabin of his boat, and
was introduced 10 them and offered them re-
ireshments. A few minutes were spent in
pleasant conversation, when the Confederate
truce boat returned TO Columbus.
Afterward was sent by Gen. Polk "a bearer
'taaAS OF truce TO Gen. Grant, regarding some
wounded officers of an Iowa regiment, whom
ohe OF our Confederate surgeons thought IL
"oula be dangerous and hazardous to move 10
incl" lines. One Of these officers. q Major.
AsAea ush' Folk to have th. SURGEON OF his own
REGIMENT sent 10 attend him. To this Gen.
loiA aSsehtra readily. and SO wrote To Gen.
ui"h'' aua IN the same letter suggested other
matters connected with the exchange NJ
prisoner &c. The surgeon accompanied
me oack 10 Columbus. and was afforded
All the facilities which vera given Tn
confederate surgeons at the hospitAl at
eo'uhious. On this visit Gen. Grant In.
'l'ea me Into his cabin. treated me with
kea' hospitality. and made many inquiries
ABOUT Officers Of our army. whom he had for
merry known In The United States army. as
pseiaiiy mentioning my division commander,
sAior zen. b.. f. Cheatham, with whom he
NC aitxlchn war, and for whom
nc expressed n high regard.
At another time I ACCOMPANIED a flag OF truce
Zen cheatham was bearing to Gen. Grant on
'~e matters connected with the battle of Bel
nut They had a cordial and pleasant meet
m. a number OF officers of the Confederate
u' were present at this meeting, and we
."rsfeatly pleased with the reception given US
zen Grant. lie ami Gen. Cheatham dis.
49, laeir Mexican campaign. and revived
aAuI "reminiscences of that ~eventful war, and
o"eers whom they had known. and with
'ney had served. Altogether, this me.,-
as 'al"een these two men, lighting against
~ - 0'ler' and fresh from the battlsneld of
,~""Ol'' scanned to ma more like a nesting II
"e'shoors who had long been sepa.ated
mat OF foes. This was tho last time I
Grant until after the close OF the war.
IN uea' Grants return from his famous trip
Vu"a the world, and Just then from Mexico,
AappeHed " be In Memphis. Tonn.. the day
SURE Ills visit there. Memphis had been nv