The times., 1898-12-18
pnnn,s RccolIcction..

Field in the Sixties by Charles A Dana.
is a book of unusual interest to the stu
dent of history. Its partial publication in
Mcclure's Magazine has prepared the
public 10 welcome it in book form. The
before the authors death on October Il,
1897. At the time of Mr.. Dsna's appoint
ment as Assistant Secretary of War ne
was forty-feur years old. and had been
for nearly fifteen years engaged in the
management of the New York Tribune
After the war he returned to journalism,
and this period of three years is the only
break in more than half century's ex-
periencc in newspaper work. and the only
time in which he held any public Office
Early in April, 1852, it became appar-
ent that there was a disagreemsnt D.
tween Dana and Greeley. tie formsr De
ing for war. the latter for peace. and the
advertising manager came to DaEa with
an intimation that his resignation wouii
be acceptable. Mr.. Dana remained III 'he
Office for the rest of the day. in order To
make UP the paper, and then ieft H.
never. he says, TO enter 1t again. A most
Immediately after this occurrence Dana
was taken into the War Department, ami
in 1863 he was at the front with Grant
army. He was in camp and in battle
with Grant, entered the capital OF MIS-
sissippi. was at the siege OF VicksoarS'
then with the army of the Cumberland
at Chickamauga, and at Cha.tanoosa and
Missionary Ridge He then spent some
time in the War Department at WASH
"a
front with the army of the Potomac. and
went through the Virglna campaign. He
was at the surrender of Richmond. and
in Washington at the time of Lincoln's
assassination One chapter in the book
is devoted to the secret service OF the
war. and in this is told a story OF an eA-
traordnariIy plucky and clever spy; tnis
account has already been widely copied
The story of the Vicksburg and Virginia
campaigns has been told before; the par
ticularly interesting thing in this account
is naturally the individual view of Dana,
the coloring which his personality gives
TO the narrative. This Is less marked
than the reader may have expected from
the virile and brilliant style of The Suns
editorials while he was in charge OF It.
But it will easily be understood that in 4
historical work like this more dignity is
required than in writing intended to ac-
complish n particular end and dealing
with passing problems of the day. AS
one reads on, however, the remarkable
keenness of Dana's judgment of men and
things becomes apparent in this simple
and unadorned narrative, and when the
book is finished, one finds that the most
striking thing about it is the estimates CT
character scattered through its pages.
There was probably never an American
more gifted in the peculiar art OF "siz-
ing up a man or less inclined to waste
words in telling what he thought of the
man afterward than Charles Anderson
Dana His pictures of two or three oil
the great men OF the period are we'll
worth quoting. At this distance he was
of course able to give the proper per
spective to his work: he could not If he
would have made the mistake of believ-
ing small man great, but one feels
that if he had been writing in 1864 his
estimate of Burnside, Rosecrans, Sheri-
dan. Grant and Lincoln would have been
much the same as in 1897. His picture
of Burnside is amusing, trifle satirical,
but just withal:
He uas rather large man physically, about six
feet tall. with large face and small head, and
heavy side WhiskeTs. He an energetic, de-
-cided man, frank, manly, and well educated. lie
was 4 very showy officer-not that he made any
show; he was naturally that When he first
talked with YOU, You would think he had a
great deal more intelligence than he really pos.
scssed. You had to know him some time before
you really took his MEASURE
Most of us have known some men of
that type. They are usually overestimat-
ed by their interiors and underestimated
by their superiors. Dana says of Grant
in writing of his first acquaintance with
that general:
Grant was an uncommon fellow-the most mod
est, the most disntercsted, and the most honest
man | ever knew, with a temper that nothing
could disturb. and judgment that Was judicial
in its comprehensiveness and wisdom. Not a
great man, except morally; not an original OF
brilliant man, but sincere, thoughtful, deep, and
gifted with courage that never faltered; when
The time came 10 risk all, he went in like I
simpe-hearted, unaffected. unpretending hero
whom 10 iil-omens could defect and no triumph
unduly exalt. social, friendly man. too, fond
OF pleasant joke and also ready with one; but
liking above all long chat OF an eveniDs and
ready 10 sit up with ycu all night, talking in the
cool breeze in front OF his tent. Not a man o.
sentimentality. net dsmonstratiye in friendship
but always holding 10 his friends, and Just even
10 the enemies he hated.
Dana's description of the relations ex-
listing between Lincoln and his Cabinet
is one of the most clear-cut and able pas
sages of the kind in war literature. He
was OF the opinion that to Lincoln, more
than to any other one man, was due the
preservation of the Union and the good
which was brought out of the great evil
Of the Civil War. He says of the Admin
istration in the latter part of the conflict,
when he was in Washington for time:
The relations between NJ. Lincoln and the
members of his Cabinet were always friendly and
sincere his part. He treated every one of them
with unvaEying candor, respect and kindness; but
though several OF them were men of extraordi
nary force and seli-ass scrtion-this was true es
peciaIly of Mr.. Seward. Mr.. Chase, and Mr.
Stanton-and though there nothing of self
hood or domination in his manner toward them
it was always plain that he was the master and
they the snbordinates. They constantly had 10
yield 10 his will in questions where responsibility
fell upon him. If he ever yielded 10 theirs, il
was because they convinced him that the course
they advised was iudcious and appropriate
fancied during the whole time of my intimate
intercourse with him and with them that he wa:
always prepared TO receive the resignation OF any
one OF them. Al the SANG time do not recollcct
n single occasion when any member of the Cabi
net had got his mind ready to quit his post from
any feeling of dissatisfaction with the policy oil
course of the President. Not that they were al
ways satisfied with his actions; the members o.
the Cabinet, like human beings in general, were
not pleased with everything. In their judgment
much WIS imperfect in the administration: much
they felt, would have been done better if theii
views had been adopted and they individually had
lad charge OF II Not 30 with the President. Ht
was calm. eqcable, uneomp.aning. In the dis
c,ission of important questions. whatever he sale
showed the profoundest thought, even when h,
was joking. lie seemed 10 every side o.
every question. He never was impatient: h,
never was in hurry. and he never tried Il
hurry anybody else. To every one he was pleas
ant and cordial. Yet they all felt that it wa
his word that went at last: that every case wa
open until he gave his decision
This impression of authority, OF reserve force
Mr. Lincoln always gave to those about him
Even physically he was impressive According Il
the record measurements. he was six feet fou
inches in height. That is, he WIS at least fou
inches taller than the tall. ordinary man. WheI
he rode out on horseback 10 review an army, a
i have frequently seen him do, he wore usual,
q high hat. and then he looked like ria nj