Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-06
CAMPAIGNl c WITH GRANT
General Porter's hecoil9cGo7s of The Great
Captain in the Wilderness,
THE SERVANT OF TH3 GENERAL
Fire. Dust, DeIuee and Mud Among the
Hardships Endured In the Wilder
ness-story of the Death of
stonewnlI Jackson.


General Horace Porter, in his series OF
articles on Campaigning with Grant" now
running in the Century, gives many fresh
glimpses OF headquarters life. In the Feb.
ruary number, after describing an engage
ment on the fredericksburg road, General
Porter says: The next morning, May 20,
the general was later than usual in making
his appearance, in consequence of having
oversight. Finally his voice was heard call
ing from his tent to his colored servant:
"Billi Ho, Bill What time is it?" The
servant ran to him, found he was still in
bed, and told hin the hour. In scarcely
more than ten minutes the general appeared
at the mess table. We were not surprised
at the rapidity WITH which he had dressed
himself, for we had learned by this time
that in putting on his clothes he was as
quick as a ligh~tning-chauge actor In a vari-
ETY. theater. When the officers at headquar-
tiers were called up particularly early tc
start on the march every one did his utmost
to be on time and not keep the general walt
ing; but, however vigorous the effort, no one
could match him in getting on his clothes,
There was seldom any occasion for such hur.
ried dressing, but with him 1t was a habit
which continued through life.
Bill, the servant who waited on the gen.
eral, was a notable character. He was en-
tirely a creature Of accident. When the
general was at Cairo in 1861 Bill suddenly
appeared one day at headquarters with two
other slave boys, who had just escaped from
their former masters in Missouri. They be
longed to that class of fugitive blacks who
were characterized by those given to ar
tistic comparisons as charcoal sketches
from the hands of the old masters Bill
was of a genuine burpt-cork hue, and nc
white blood contaminated the purity OF his
lineage. He at once set himself to WORK
without orders, taking care of one of the
aides, and by dint of his force of character
resisted all efforts of that officer to dis.
charge him.
When any waiter was absent, or even
when all were present, he would turn up in
the headquarters mess tent and insist on
helping the general at table. Then he at
tached himself to Colonel Boomer and forced
that officer in spite of himself to submit to
his services. After the colonel had been
killed in the assault on Vicksburg. Bill sud
denly put in an appearance again at head
quarters, and was found making himself
useful to the general, Notwithstanding the
protests of the other servants, and before
long he had himself regularly entered upon
the generals private pay roll. When his
chief came east, Bill followed, and gradually
took entire charge of the generals personal
comfort as valet, waiter and man OF all work.
He was devoted. never known to be beyond
call, had studied the generals habits SO
carefully that he could always anticipate his
few wants and became really very useful.
had a striking illustration one morning
in front of Spotsylvania of how devoted Bill
was to the generals comfort. While we were
camping in the region of woodticks, garter
snakes and beetles, l saw Bill in front of the
generals tent thrusting his hand frs. into
one of the chiefs boots and then into the
other. What are you doing that for, Bill?'
| asked. 'Oh,'' he explained, 81 alters feels
around in de gin'rars boots afore i lets him
put dem on, to see dat no insec's done got
into dem de prev's night" He followed in
the generals shadow all through his presi-
Dental terms, then he insisted upon attempt
ing business in Washington, and afterward
tried his hand at preaching; but he had fed
so long at the public crib that his appetite
had been spoiled for any other means of sus-
tanning life, and he finally made his way
into a government department as messenger
where he still is and where it is hoped that
his eventful life may be rounded out in the
quiet and comfort to which his public serv-
ices entitle him. He will not be as dramatic
an historical character as Napoleon's Name
luke, but in his humble way he was as faith
full and devoted to his chief as the amous
Roustan.
THROUGH RAIN AND MUD.
General Porter draws the following pic
lures of hardships in the Wilderness cam
paign:
The continual rain was most disheartening
On May IS, Grant wrote to Halleck: "W:
have had five days almost constant rain
without any prospect yet of its clearing up
The roads have now become so impossible
that ambulances with wounded men can M
longer run between here and Fredericksburg
All offensive operations must necessarily
cease until we can have twenty-four hours o.
lry weather. The army is in the hest n
spirits, and feels the greatest confidence il
ultimate success. . The element:
alone have suspended hostilities."
In the Wilderness the army had to strug
gle against fire and dust; now 1t had 20 con
tend with rain and mud. An ordinary rain
lasting for a day or two, does not embarrass
troops; but when the storm continues for 8
week it becomes one of the most serious
obstacles in a campaign. The men car
secure no proper shelter and no comfortable
rest; their clothing has no chance to dry
and a tramp of a few miles through tenaciou:
mud requires as much exertiOn as an ordi'
nary days march. Tents become saturated
and weighted with water, and draft animals
have increased loads, and heavier roads over
which to haul them. Dry wood cannot be
found; cooking becomes difficult; the mems
spirits are affected by the gloom, and ever
the most buoyant natures become disheart'
ened. 1t Is much worse for an army acting
on the offensive. for it has more marching tc
wv pNlh5 W iAoNS al ~
exterior lines.
Staff officers had to labor day and night
during the present campaign in making re-
connaissances and In cross-questioning ma
tives, deserters. prisoners, and fugitive ne
groes, in an attempt to secure data for the
purpose OF constructing local maps from day
to day. AS soon as these were finished they
were distributed to the subordinate com,
manders. Great confusion arose from the
duplication OF the names OF houses and farms
Either family names were particularly scarce
in that section of the state, or else the peO-
pie were united by close ties of relationship
and country cousins abounded to a confus-
ing extent. So many farm houses in some
of the localities were occupied by people OF
the same name that, when certain farms
were designated in orders, serious errors
arose at times from mistaking one place fol-
another.
GRANT AND THE DYING SOLDIER.
A pathetic incident occurred during the
attack on what is now called "Hell's Half
Acre. near Massaponax church. General
Grant had ridden over to the right to watch
the progress of this attack. While he was
passing a spot near the roadside where
there were a number of wounded, one of
them, who was lying close to the roadside,
seemed to attract his special notice. The
mans face was beardless; he was evidently
young; his countenance was strikingly hand
some, and there was something in his APP
pealing look which could not fail to engage
attention, even in the full tide Of battle.
The blood was flowing from a wound In
his breast, the fToth about his mouth was
tinged with red, and his wandering, star
ing eyes gave unmistakable evidence OF