The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-09-27

his mistake. in throwing the wrong
package overboard--Wallace Putnam
Reed, in Chicago Times-Herald-
Grant ms a Young Officer.
In his recent book, "Recollections Of
Seventy Years." Gen. A. L. Chetlain OF
Galena writes interestingly Of his ac-
quaintance with Gen. Grant in tho
early years of the war.
Three days after We arrived at
Springfield" he writes, Il called at tho
office Of the Adjutant General and call,
ed for Capt. Grant. l was directed to
small, poorly lighted and scantily
furnished room, occupied by the CAP
tain only. When I asked him how he
was getting along he replied. with a
look Of disgust:
81 am tired of this work. 1t is no
work for me. am going back to the
store Tomorrow
II replied that hoped he would not
leave now; that something more suita-
BILE would surely be given to him to do.
We talked over the matter in our room
in the evening, and he finally decided
to remain a few days longer. His pay
for the work he was doing was 81 a
day"
1t was always sensitive point with
Gen. Grant that in the circumstances
Of war he became the superior officer
Of Gen. C. F. Smith, who had been
commandant at West Point when
Grant was only student there. Gen.
Chetlain recalls the fact in his book.
Describing his meeting with Gen.
Smith, the writer quotes the general:
az think you are acquainted with
Gen. Grant?
YES 1 replied, we are from the
same town and 1 was with him a good
deal just after the breaking out of the
war;
HE then remarked: 7 remember the
general well as a cadet at West Point
when 1 was its commandant. He was
a fair-faced young man. modest, fine
horseman, and proficient in mathemat-
ics.'
Gen. Smith had not yet met Gen.
Grant, owing to the latter's absence
from his district. A day or two after
my conversation with Gen. Smith, Gen.
Grant, when passing down the Ohio in
his little steamer, stopped at the post
and came to my quarters and spent
the evening. In convers;ng about Gen.
Smith, who, said, had just visited me.
Gen. Grant said:
81 am going to Paducah tonight and
will have to give Gen. Smith orders
tomorrow morning which doesn't
seem just right to me, for this veteran
officer was the cOmmandant at West
Point when 1 was a cadet and all the
school regarded him as one Of the alb
lest officers Of his age in the army
In School and in War.
Ulysses s. Grant has been remarked
as having only the twenty-first place
in the graduating class of thirty-nine
which left West Point on June 80. 1S43
AprOpOs Of this. James Grant Wilson
has recalled other noted military men
who by no means led their classes.
THE most successful students at the
military academy are not infrequently
Outstripped in later life by their slow
er and less snowy comrades" he
writes. What was the West Point
standing Of many Of our most illustri-
Gus soldiers, several of whom may
safely be included among the great
commanders of our nearly completed
century.
"Grant was graduated, as has al
ready been stated. No. q in class Of
thirty-nine; Sherman No. 6 among a
class of forty-two graduates; Sheridan.
No. "a in a class of fifry-two: the noble
Virginian, Thomas, No. II among for
ty-two classmates; Meade. the hero Of
Gettysburg. that decisive battle Of the
war, No. 10 In class Of fifty-six; he
roic Hooker. No. % among fifty COM
rades; 'Stonewalr Jackson. No. IL;
Sedgwick, No. a in company Of fifty;
Longstreet Of Georgia. No. 60 in class
of sixty-two; Pickett of Virginia. at
the foot of his class; and gallant Han
cock, No. 1S among twenty-five grad
yates.
From these examples that might be
indefinitely extended among the $500
graduates of the United States Mil
tary Academy. it will be seen that most
of those mentioned who won renown
on many a doubtful day appro1imated
more closely to the foot than to the
head of their classes. OF course it has
occasionally happened that the honor
men, like Halleck and Mcclellan of the
armies Of the North, and like the Con-
federate leaders. Joseph E. Johnston
and Robert E. Lee, attain to high rank
and renown, but more generally for
tune has favOnred the less brilliant
cadets Of the academy"
Opportunity.
In one of the old Greek cities there
stood, long ago. a statue. Every trace
Of it has vanished now. But there is
still in existence an epigram which
gives us an excellent description of it;
and, as we read the words. we can
surely discover the lesson which those
wise old Greeks meant that the statue
should teach to every passer-by-
The epigram is in the form Of a con
\ H.