The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
GRANT IN THE WILDERNESS.
A Wounded Soldiers Close Study of
the Great Commander.
Boston Transcript.

Boston transcript.
ooh, it was an intensely, interesting
the Wilderness. The speaker was the
Rev. Theodore Gerrish, a Maine veteran of
the civil war. / repeat his story as L heard
him tell it:
"Ah! 1 can never forget that terrible day
in 1864, when was fought the first Of the
nesss,'' said Mr.. Gerrish. Il at the time lay
wounded under a tree, close to Grants
headquarters, in the field, and hour after
hour watched Grant.
while serving as a private in my regi-
ment / was severely, though not dangerous
ly, wounded, and, like a great number of
others, was taken to the rear. | was placed
under a small tree, and, as 1t happened,
within a few rods Of the spot where the
leader of that mighty host of Union war
riors was conducting the battle. In fact, l
was so near to Grant that l could see every
motion he made, and critically study him in
the momentOuS, tearfully responsible role
he was playing.
And such a study!
why. it is not hyperbole to state that 1t
was worth all the pain and disability l en-
dured then and thereafter from the effects
of my wounds.
'aThere stood the silent man of destiny
in front of his little tent. a man plain and
unpretentious, holding in his hands not
only the fate of his vast army, but the life
of our nation as one and inseparable,' yet
as cool and self-possessed as if he were
merely reviewing q brigade of militia on
training day: All about him was wild ex.
element and seeming chaos. In front of
him. and for miles in extent, the unceasing
roar of artillery mingling and alternating
with the rattle of muSketry, the bugle
calls, the shouts of the ~contending troops;
now nearer and more terrible, now seeming
further away; anon the crashing of shell
in dangerous nearness, causing a tempo
rary scare in the vicinity of its fall, while,
added to the appalling din was the element
of uncertainty and intangibility, causing
that almost overpowering mental strain
which comes of dark anxiety and forebod-
ings of disaster.
Everybody was agitated except him who
IL - A.Ez fAr ~
staff officers would gallop up every few
minutes to each of whom he would give a
brief written order for transmission to
some brigade or division commander, per-
haps involving the fate Of thousands OF
brave men. Orderlies were dashing hither
and yon. General Meade, on his alert
charger. was so nervous that he could not
long remain in the saddle. but would dis
mount and pace the ground a while, remount
and sit a short time, then off and walk as
before. his handsome face wearing all the
time a worn and troubled look; and yet,
through these long and terrible hours,
Grant never once lost his head. but kept
and intricacies of the stupendous plan
the solution of that mighty problem, the
KEY to which lay in his right hand, which
held the fatal pencil!
Yes, Grant knew precisely what he was
about, and he knew, moreover, that a cool
head and well-balanced mind We're allies
sential to the great work in hand.
'The lesson of that days study of Grant
was that he was one of the most wonder
full men this century has produced.'