The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-13
GRANT AND LINCOLN.
Personal "REMINISCENCES OF An
OLD SOLDIER
The battlefield Of Magnolia Blun-
Gen Grants Iusariabi~ Good Ma
sure--How Lincoln W on Hi. Jurirs
To His >ide-Iucidcnts in the Days
When He Fracticed Law.

Nci. n. II. EalltnEsr. or the Third Illinois
cavalry. commanding Company \ who is
nov resident % Seattle:
Results ara only presumptive evidence
OF military genius. We must consider The
surrounding circumstances. the means
used, the manners and their tactical and
strategic application. in order To arrive AT
intelligent conclusions. regarding the mill
tarS operations upon A certain thoater Of
VAR. Viewed In this light. the fan IT
Nickshurg presents ia the military critic
one among the great military achieve
meats OF this or any either century. Grant.
in April. 1875, with three corps about &leoa
each. was confronted by Pemherton with
A0,tsa. intrenched in an impregnahie 20
si,ion AZ Nicksburg. and having a reserve
force under Johnson. at Jackson. Miss.
connected by rail and estimated at "a
more. the contending forces beng about
equal while the Father OF Waters divided
them. In the last days of April. en,0@i. or
a third OF Grant force. attacked pemher-
tons right under sherman at Haine's
Bluff, and three days after. May l. 1854.
Grant falls on pemherton's left, seventy
miles away at Magnolia Blun. with 1890
Troops. crushes 1t. drives 1t into Nicksburg.
Grand Gulf falls and the line between
Johnson and Pomberton is cut and their
armies divided. The victorious general
follows the maxim of other great COM
manders and engages in succession. At
Ray HllHkaou Hllt, tiAaNh river. etc.
fractions of the enemy. defeating them
in detail, with the bulk OF hts own forces.
This is the brief story OF the fall of Nicks-
burg. as the remainder is only matters de-
failing an inevitable result.
How he moved two CORPS tioos. over
bayous. back water. in fiat boats much OF
the way. a distance of seventy miles. is
regarded as remarkable. Is there any
wonder that Pemberton disbeleved that
he on
memorable first day Of May. ready IN
strike down his right flank? Pemherton
could see Grants tents across the river.
not one moved away and all giving out
bright lights at night. Sherman. with
his aa.aSG. together with the sick NJ the
other two corps. occupied them. helping
TO cover the movement which had been
going on for weeks. No general under
stood the value of time any better than
the subject of this sketch. He timed the
march of each division so accurately that
he knew within "a few minutes the time
of their arrival on the battlefield. Gen.
Osterhaus said 10 him at Magnolia Bluff:
IF had little assistance / could turn
the enemy's flank and crush him. Grant
replied, Gen. Logan Will be here in ten
minutes" The writer looked anNiousiy
In the direction Logan was to approach
and could see him at the head of his di-
vision. coming Mt rapid gait.
on the battlefield OF Magnolia Bluff the
arrival of Grant. on his extreme left, re-
suited In his careful inspect ion of the lines
of battle. one would imagine from the ma
ture of his examination that he was about
TO buy the farm and was looking To see
whether there would be bargain in II.
The night of April -. befone he crossed the
Mississippi, he sent a squad In boat to
the opposite side. 10 bring to him the most
intelligent contraband' In order 10 gain
information as to the roads. Grant re-
manned awaiting their return. long after
midnight. when the Intelligent contra
hand was ushered into his presence and
the information furnished.
Grant was deficient in cavalry. hat what
they lacked in numbers was made up in
valor. Detachments of the Second and
Third Illinois cavalry covered his front.
and while doing so struck against a Con-
federate regiment of mounted Infantry.
capturing many prisoners and striking
others down with the saber. In this
charge. our ex-mayor. Byron Phelps. was
conspicuous
The good nature of Gen. Grant at a time
when he was performing one OF the master
plans. the greatest In our late war il
worthy of notice.
Gen. oSterhaus' adiutant a lieutenant
from an Ohio regiment, had been promoted
10 major and WAS riding in front Of Gen.
Grant and his staff. At "A certain place the
heavy guard began to form for salute.
The major imagined the guard was pre-
senting arms for his benefit and became
interested in the performance. He did not
observe mis- mistake until the snap OF the
guards gun had frightened his horse. and
wheeling, It nearly Knocked Gen. Grant
from his saddle The general. seeing the
situation. amusingiy said: MIA tor you
feed your horse TOO many oats Mai.
Robinson expected he would be arrested
zaf ,ra ak i'm h.t. JttfZd
peat what he called his ''harbreadth es-
cape"
The biography OF Lincoln. the soldiers
friend and leader at the time ~ he "a
tons impending peril. has been fully writ
ten and by hands more able and exhaus-
tive than my own. get there are many
who have asked me to give n brief sketch
Of Lincoln as lawyer He came To his
profession AT mature age. having gradti-
ated from rail splitting. school teaching
and the not very lucrative employment Of
surveyor. IL was after his term In con
grsss and he had reached great fame AZ
q local advocate that the writer had an
opportunity OF observing and witnessing
his mode and manner of handling oases
ir court.
Judge David Davis. afterwards his exc
cutor. was on the bench at the time. Sch
dom did he appear before the court on le-
gal questions whether from choice or ar
raneenent with his associates ] cannot
say. Ii wss in jury cases important
ores that he was oftener observed and
In these. he almost always appeared on
one side or the other Ills ability was
displayed from the call Of the first jury
unin the verdict Acquainted personally
with nearly every man in his county. 10
usually worked this acquaintance with
great advantage. iiis mode Of exanina-