Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-09-12

lowered about those railroad makers
like a hawk. Every time they laid
down musket and took up a pick he
swooped. He kept every man jack of
an outfit twenty times as large as his
own busy night and day defending
himself. and the supplies Sheridan
awaited at Fort Royal never came.
This forced Sheridan to change his
whole plan, protected Lees lines from
his assaults at that time, gave Early
chance to form a junction with his
chief. and the war, instead of ending.
staggered on to Appomaitox 1t was
Mosby who did that.
When Lee surrendered Grant extend
ed the same terms to the irregular
Mostly. and, by the way. Grant and
Mosby became great friends
1t is one of the remarkable matters
about Grant that many of the men who
We're his most tireless and intrepid foes
men during the war were his beSs
friends after. There We're Mosby,
Longstreet. old Simon Buckner and
scores of others. Grant captured Buck
ner twice, once at Donelson and again
at Appomattox, after battles which in
no sense resembled the play of chill
dren; and vet no sadder heart attend
ed 20 bear the pail of the great soldier
of the North, no tears fell faster ab0v,
him as he went TO his long rest thar
General Backner's.
| Probably the most sincere American
incident of the war occurred at Lees
surrender, or within a few minutes
next following ii. No sooner We're the
formalities of Lees capitulation over
than Grant, In his ingenious, single
hearted way-they had known each
other since an olden day at West Point
took Buckner one side and inquired
into his finances and money needs.
Grant wanted TO lend him whatever
his exigencies called for.
That was spectacle essentially
American, and Grant was never greater
than when, utterly forgetting what
might be called "the set of the stage,
he was trying TO lend an old comrade
in arms against him the day before.
surrendered to him only previous ten
N nutes-money enough to put him out
of care and take him home. And the
best part of 1t was that Buckner Dor
rowed like true American, and repaid
every silver like an honest man.
1t is one of the best things about
Americans that they can sternIy fight
four years pull off battle after battle.
TO which by comparison of per cents
killed and wounded such old world
collisions as Austerlitz, Marengo and
Waterloo weren't even football. and
then to forgive and trust each other,
and go on with their government as If
nothing had happened. After the war
tl> fighters did like Grant and Buckner
at ALpomattox. They shook hands, di-
vided up their money, lighted their
pipes and went home.
1t was after the war that Mosby did
something which offended Southern
sentiment broadly. AS between Horace
Greeley and GRAFT. Mosby voted for
Grant and to lock back at the trans
action after twenty-five years it
wouldn'e seem such bad shoot to take
Grant offered Mosby an office after
he was elected, and Mosby wouldn't
touch it with a ten-foot pole, which
would lead fair man to conclude that
Mosbys vote for Grant-which so like
iavelin pierced the breast of Southern
sensibility at least had 10 personal
| motive at its back.
Mosbv under Hayes took an Office
the consulate at Hong Kong. He re-
NAMED there until Cleveland removed
| him. When he settled up Mosby found
that in the excess of his integrity he
had oyerpaid the Government. and he
had to sue to get his money.
Well, he got it: won his case; and it
was when Blatchford was reading the
decision of the Supreme Court in the
affair that he spread on the records an
extended compliment to Mosby for the
fidelity, honesty and intelligence with
which he had discharged his duty az
Hong Kong to a government which
tried to cheat and rob him the moment
he returned.