The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-31
AMONG THE NEW BOOKS
Hnmlin Garland's Life of Grant =
Worthy Portrayal Of a Great Man.

His Life and Character the subject OF
the work to which he has devoted more
time than to any other of his books The
ground would seem to have been already
we'll covered, and with a less remarkable
personality than General Grant, a writer
even of Mr.. Garlands ability and pains
taking habit of collecting and sitting OF
material would have been troubled to pre-
sent anything new. With Genera Grant as
subject Mr.. Garland has made a very
interesting book. The reader who closes IL
will not know more of General Grants pub
lie life, but he must have been intimately
informed regarding him If he does not
know more Of Grant the man. After all, 1t
Is the personality offsieh man that most
interests human kind The man who for
more than twelve years filled the largest
place in the eye of the Nation-what kind
of a boy and man was he? Mr.. Garland
has undertaken to make us acquainted with
this most remarkable parsonage. and it il
certain that those who read his book will
know more of Grant the man than when
they took 1t up, and will revere and love
his name because they have been brought
near to him.
General Grants was a remarkable life.
boy who loved horses more than books.
who was so quiet as to be regarded as dull,
was sent to West Point because another
failed He took with him the name Hiram
Ulysses Grant The initials III. u. G." in
brass-headed tacks in his homemade trunk
did not suit his fancy, so he wrote his name
U. H. Grant When, however, he got to
West Point the representative who sent
him had given his name in the appointment
Ulysses s. Grant, and as it would require
much red tape TO get it changed he became
U. S. Grant on the records and Sam
Grant to the boys of his class.
1t is not probable that a more unmilitary
figure ever appeared as ''plebe" at West
Point than this small chap in homemade
clothes from Ohio. But, withal, he became
favorite because he was a manly and
kindly boy, who obeyed orders. studied
fairly, read many novels and took good
rank. In the essential branches, mathe-
mates. engineering and drawing, he STOOD
nigh, ana IN some less essential studies
very low. In the army ne was soon IN
Mexico, where he distinguished himself.
and thereafter, here and there, and last on
the PACING coast, where he resigned his
In civil life he made a sad figure; he
worked as farmer without success. and
Guilty. Even when the war came this first
class soldier got into active service: more
by accident than by recognition of his
merit. kVen General Pope, who was mus
teTIng oftcer at Springfield, would not say a
good word for him 1t is probable that Gem
eral Grant thought of this treatment in
after years, when, riding with a TREND he
saw General Pope walking up and down
and was asked: What is troubling General
Pope?" HE thinks he is thinking, Is ro-
ported to have been the low response of the
silent man.
AT the beginning of the war General Grant
was in a bad INK. To be able TO make
speech was all the qualification needed to
be colonel in lS6l. That he could not do;
besides, his clothes were the worse Tor
mr. ho wv 1nf
But regiment had been given TO an orator
of the spread-eagle variety, and 1t had be-
come a mob. 1t was a terror to the country
for miles about where it was stationed. 1t
was brought to Springfield, but was no
better there. Grant mad been at Springfield
helping the adjutant general lie mad
pressed his services upon the Governor. but
he had no backing, and he could not make
a speech. But now man was wanted anu
introduced to this command 1t called tor
speech, and he responded in the clear ana
ai Man ro 70 'o yor 1arers The day Of
oratory was over with that regiment ana
the men knew by the clear-cut utterance or
this man ard the clip OF his lip that a COM
mander had come But he was poor to
buy a uniform, and he had not tavoraDiy
impressed the men; he could not make a
one sergeant observed in reply TO ques-
ton: i've been close to him and seen ms
square jaw. I'll tell you what he 49, ne
the colonel of this regiment Here is the
rest of the story as Mr.. Garland tells II:
In less than twenty-tour hours Coione..
Grant was called "a monster, memo.
The picnic, the hlibustering, expedition had
become military regiment ulioef hLIi1ety
discipline A man OF action Oh olscipl l,.e
mand. His lightest word was 10 pc con-
sidered. lie stopped all drinking. he MADE
fora eng. arresting every insubordlnate and
made him understand that laWlessness Wac
past. A big, worthless fellow resisted ar
rest and detied the oncsrs. Grdile dp
peared, serene as ever.
Whats the natter!
'"rhis man persists in bringing liquor lnlo
camp and refuses TO give II up,
Put him in the guardhouse
He reSiStS arrest
The man began to swagger. Grant bore
down upon him There was something IN
His unwaVering eye and in his un1alterlnk
step that made the bully hesitate. Grant
seized him by the collar and gave him a
Jerk which made him spin like top. 6e-
fore he had gathered his faculties together
he Was hustled into the road. -, - -.
''Get out of my regiment! salo THO
colonel Il don't want you in It.
The second morning a score or men were
s tisd f TR e e enness Sa an6 dsorde
them VIZ dangerous man called Mex
ico" wi sed his commander and sald:
For eN minute ] stand mere L IL nave
an ounc - your blood: ...,-
Gag that man." said Grant quietly.
One by one, as the hours passed, the otner
offenders were released by the ofncer OF tne
guard, but Colonel Grant released Mexico
Himself to show the bully that he was not
feared. This enQed ali QucStlOh VI VI ill
power to command both himself and ms
men. Recalcitrants stu read DOCKS OF ni, -
itary regulations and denied ms IlSnt "
do This or that but, the great majority OF
the regiment being excellent men ana sooo
soldiers welcomed a colonel who knew MS
duties and the limits Of his command. ,r,
A regiment was wanted in northern Mis-
souri Grant was ready. There being no
transportation. he marched the many miles
TO the place. On this march ne taught nls
men how to mess and how to take care OF
themselves on the march. The Iwenty-nrsI
Illinois was made regiment py GenerA
Grant.
Mr. Garland has made us more intimately
Acquainted with the characteristics or Gen.
eral Grant his integrity his honesty, MS
simplicity and his tenderness. He could not
witness suffering In man or amman. ~. ne
extreme The war over. he said that he
wished he would never see another UNIFORM.
Nevert helesS this man, for year. was
heralded throughout the land as Dutcn-
err - and the monster who was so working
his army near Petersburg that the men
died like sheep AS soon as he failed TO
capture Richmond, through the incompe-
tencv of men he did not select, everything
that malignity could suggest to make MN
odious to the people and 70 cause his de1eaS
was printed by the copperhead ana con-
science,ess press.
Mr. Garland brings out the humanity ana
the tenderness OF the great soldier-his pa
tiencu his self-contr0l AMI his endurance
He also tells of his weaknesses as plainly az
he does OF his strength end his moral cour-
oyercame and they never made MN low OF
vulgar Vulgar stories angered MIN ana
ribaldry filled him with disgust: AS ne
neared the end the great quanlies OF MS
manhood came out stronger ana stronger.
His was a death GROWING the career OF one
- Mill stand In line with WASH