The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-03-16

S5Ss W County, New York
| During that winter
n the village Of Dexter. a few miles
| from the fort. | attended school and
boarded with a liveryman who had the
charge and care of a few horses which
| exercised before and after school
hours by riding. One of these horses.
fine cream-colored animal. belonged
to the captain. who came with officers
| occasionally to see how his horse was
treated. There was nothing at the
time especially attractive about the
| captain, except his uniform and his
quiet, easy manner. He had little to
say to me or the liveryman, his horse
receiving all his attention.
'In 1862. when General Mcpherson
was in command of the Seventeenth
Army corps, l was a member of COM
pany F. Second Illinois cavalry, and
| was sergeant of his Orderlies. and near
ly every day for several months saw
General Grant, the commanding Gen
eral While in camp in Northern Mis-
sissippi one evening in September,
shortly after Lincoln had issued his
famous proclamation giving liberty TO
the slaves on certain conditions. / over
There was quite bitter feeling, mostly
| among Democrats, against the prOcla-
nation. General Grant and many Off
GERS of his command were seated in
front of their tents, all Of which were
we'll lighted by the blazing camp fires
near. Colonel Dickey of the Fourth
Illinois cavalry made his appearance,
and, approaching General Grant, said.
after he had saluted. that he would
like his views In regard to the procla-
nation. The attention of all present
was turned to the two. The General
made no reply to the question and ut
tered not a word.
After a little the Colonel remarked:
Then you do not wish to express your
views" The General remained silent.
and no movement of his person or ex-
preston of his countenance in any way
indicated his thoughts or feelings. He
was as silent and as unresponsiye as
statue The Colonel then addressed
General Mcpherson and asked for rs
views concerning the proclamation. No
reply was given, but from the cheerful
expression of. McPhersons face. one
would infer that he was not unfavOr-
able to it, General John A. Logan. who
had command of division in the Sew
enteenth corps, was the first to make
reply, and when asked by the Colonel
what he thought about it, said distinct
ly and emphatically: Proclamation or
no proclamation, we are here to whip
the rebels. and we are going to do it.
There seemed to be general ap-
proval of Logans remarks. though no
acts or words were then given to ex-
press it. While Colonel Dickey was
thus endeavoring to get the views of
principal officers General Grant re-
mained quietly seated, and what his
thoughts were. even about Logan's re-
ply, no one could tell. His conduct on
this occasion, which plainly showed his
self-control, as well as knowledge of
his duty as the commanding officer,
was afterward commented upon and
generally approved by rank and file as
we'll as officers
Grant" said the Colonel, had his
tongue under better control than any
other officer l ever knew. When he
came to Chattanooga in 1893 he was,
for time. at Gen. Thomas headquar-
ters, and he heard from staff officers
and others all sorts Of complaints and
recriminations. Hooker was then at
Bridgeport and later came up to Look
out Valley. Sherman was coming up
from Memphis. and the attack on
Bragg was delayed until his army
could be put in position. Rosecrans,
McCook and Crittenden had been re-
Iieved from command and their friends
were eager to get Grants ear. while
the friends of Thomas were anxious
to have Grant properly understand and
appreciate their favorite.
THE TWO corps commanded by Nc
Cook and Crittenden were consolidated
under General Gordon Granger. All of
McCook's division generals were re-
tanned. but Van Cleve. of Crittendens
corps. and Negley. Of Thomas corps.
were dropped or transferred. Rousseau
was sent to Nashville, Reynolds be-
came chief Of staff. and Brannan chief
of artillery, and there was a wedding
out of brigade commanders. Palmer,
who didn't like the promotion of Gran
ger over him. was made commander of
Thomas old corps, much to the disgust
of Rousseau and his friends and Chas.
A. Dana. Schurz had quarrel with
Hooker, which had to be- pettled by
court of inquiry. and nobuuy was quite
satisfied with the shaking up incident
to reorganization.
"A talkative man would be in hot
water all the time, and man of ordin-
ary resentments would have kept old
rivalries and jealousies at white heat
But Grant did not talk, and he was not
greatly Influenced by what he heard
The officers of the Army of the Cum
berland in some way came to believe
that when Sherman's army came up
Grant would naturally show favOrit
ism to his old divisions. In later years
the story was started that Grant took
a grudging attitude toward Thomas
and was not disposed to give him any
credit for the plan for opening commu-
nications by way Of Browns Ferry.
But at the time, as l happen to know.
Grant was disposed to give Thomas
full credit In his telegraphic report
to Halleck on the 2Sth day of October
he said that Thomas plau for ODening
communications had been successfully
carried out.
when Sherman came up the Army
of the Cumberland knew there was TO
he no favOritism. but when Howard
was ordered from Lookout Valley to
Chattanooga HOOker's friends took
alarm. They were quick to say that
Grant was planning an attack so as to
give Thomas all the glory, and Hooker
L. 60,