The National tribune., 1902-02-27

while ! am the child of the fresh-growing
| West"
In June, 1880. Gen. Sherman made an
address to the cadets of the United States
Military Academy, when | CHANGED to be
present as member of the Board of Wis
itors. He said, Il am quite sure each and
every one of you looking up to this plat
form envies me and the high officials who
surround me; but / hereby offer to eX-
change places with the least of you. If
you will take my years you may have my
rank and pay; if you will give ME your
youth, with its hopes and opportunities
you may have my fame. Not a man of
US old fogies but believes if he had an
other chance he would do better. 1t is
not the food you eat which makes brains
and muscles, but the food you digest
Nor is it the number of books your eye
runs over which makes wisdom, but the
facts and thoughts you gather, understand
and appropriate, which enable you to meet
new combinations and events with sue
cess"
Sherman called at my office on the
morning of MAY 10. 1885, and spent an
hour and half in sprightly conversation.
He described his interview with Lincoln
on board the Ocean Queen at City Point.
Va, and related the story of Healey's
famous picture of the "Peacemakers.
Of the great Chicago fire, by cutting the
canvas from its frame and carrying it to
the lake shore. THE artist made 10 small
copies of the painting" said Sherman,
'and have one, for which paid him $500.
Lincoln's portrait is the best / ever saw;
the others are Gen. Grant, Admiral Por-
ter, and myself. Healey has represented
me at the moment | said to the President.
If Lee will only remain in Richmond till
| can reach Burkesville, we will have
him between onr thumb and fingers suit
ing the action to the word. Said Mr. Lin
ccln, Sherman, you and Grant never gave
me any trouble.''' To this the General
added, Many Eastern commanders were
constantly complaining. Mcclellan wrote
that if disaster occurred he Uincoln)
would be responsible. Grant did not look
after preliminaries as Mcclellan did. and,
unlike him, was not afraid when the fight
ing began. Grant never cared a -
what was behind the hill, while / was
always anxious about what / could not
see. Seward could not understand Grant,
from which it naturally followed that the
General did not like the Secretary. In
short, they never dovetailed After An
pomattOx, Grant wished to send Sheridan
with strong army and drive the French
out of Mexico, but Seward opposed his
scheme. After Seward wrote the letter
which appears in the April number of the
Century, Lincoln always kept him in his
place. McClellan's book gives worse de-
scription OF his character than his great
est enemy could have written" Speaking
Of Gems. Johnston and Hood, Sherman
remarked that the former was great sol
dier, perhaps the very greatest among the
Confederates, adding Hood gave me some
trouble, for you never can tell what a -
fool will do next" Occupying Browns
vile on the Rio Grande was insufficient.
and IT was deemed necessary by Halleck
to hold the strategetic positions such as
Galveston, Houston, Austin, etc; hence
your expedition &c Shreveport. Gen.
Dick Taylor told me some years after
the war that there was nothing to prevent
Banks going to Shreveport after his sue
cessful battle at Pleasant Hill The fleet
could have reached there, and also Steele's
expedition, which did not start promptly
according to agreement The Shreveport
campaign lacked a strong head-a man of
nerve. Gen. Taylor was n kind of feather
head" AS the oldest of the three (Grant.
Sherman, and Sheridan) Sherman Thought
1t was his duty TO write his Memoirs; he
told Grant that he ought to do the same
but the idea was distasteful to the Cen
eral, and but for his misfortune he would
not likely have written his personal Me
moirs: Sherdan's work, like Grants, is
valuable and most characteristic of the
man. Ihe six volumes from the pens OF
prominent actors in the war form a yalua-
bic addition TO its literature and are as
good as Tacitus or Cesar's Commentaries.
When l mentioned having recently been
in Washington and visited Sheridan's
grave at Arlington in company with Gen.
Rufus Saxton, who. when he entered
West Point and saw the magnificent
Drum Major, supposing he was the com
manding officer of the Academy, Sherman.
said: why, when the 7th regiment went
to Washington in April, 1861, and Sem
ator Ben Wade saw their superb and gor-
geous Drum Major with his gay feathers
and gold headed baton, he exclaimed: The
country is safe nown"
Visited Sherman at his home Nov. 8,