Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-11-01
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whi1ed
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thri1-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.


1t is interesting to call to mind some
Of the forces which made Grant the
general-in-chief Of the armies of the
United States, and some of the Incl
dents that attended the contamination
Of that historic work. 1t was by no
means a grateful task for the congress
men of that time to lend hand in
creating the grade of Lieutenant Gen
eral in the army, although there was
no question as to the man on whom
that distinction should be conferred. |
question very much if the bill to revive
the grade of Lieutenant General would
have gone through Congress then If it
had not been for the very general dis
satisfaction with General Halleck, who
was acting as general-in-chief, with
headquarters at Washington. This dis
satisfaction was constantly increas-
ing, and, although the country at
large did not seem to be very keenly
alive to Halleck's inadequacy to the sit
uation, Washington, and especially the
chambers of Congress, resounded with
complaints of his sluggishness, his un-
willingness to take responsibilities,
and his supposed incapacity to grasp
the whole military situation. | doubt
If the most outspoken and malignant
copperhead in Congress was SO dis
liked, so rallied against, and so reviled
by the more radical members as this
unfortunate general-in-chief.
The belief that some new man, no
matter who he might be, could vigor-
ously prosecute the war and bring a
speedy peace if he were in Halleck's
place, made possible the passage Of the
bill reviving the, rank Of Lieutenant
General Of the army. Oddly enough,
men who complained that the Presi-
dent chung tenaciously to General Hal
leck as his military adviser, never
doubted for a moment that Mr.. Lincoln
was more than willing that the rank
should be revived, with the distinct I'm
derstanding that Grant should be the
wearer of the title, and by virtue there
of become at once the generalissimo of
all the military forces Of the United
States.
That the President did cling to Hal
leck, in spite of the very general pop
ular disfavor with which the general
was regarded, Is well known. When l
ventured one day to say to the Presi-
dent that Halleck was disliked because
many people supposed that he was too
timid and hesitating in his military
conduct, Mr.. Lincoln's face at once
wore sober, almost severe, expression
as he said that he was Halleck's friend
because nobody else was. Other men
had received from the President
somewhat similar impression; and,
whatever may have been thought Of
the very remote possibility that any
other man than General Grant would
be called to the head Of the armies,
Congressman who were clamorous for
a more vigorous prosecution of the war
were eagerly turning to the "Lieuten-
ant General BILL" as it was called, as
the readiest way to be rid Of General
Halleck's alleged slowness.
If there was any doubt as to the pop
ularity of Grant in Washington (and
he was disposed to regard that city as
place of snares), the arrival Of the
newly created Lieutenant General eff
fectually dissipated it. He had been
called to the capital, and had arrived
there late in the afternoon Of March
8, 1864.
That evening, as it CHANGED, was the
occasion of the usual weekly reception
at the White House, and thither Gen
eral Grant went by special invitation.
Thither, too, went throngs of people
when it was known that he would be
on view with the President. So great
was the crowd, and so wild the rush to
get near the General, that he was
obliged at last to mount the sofa, where
he could be seen, and where he was Sc
cure, at least for time, from the mad
ness Of the multitude. Women were
caught up and whirled in the torrent
which swept through the great east
room. Ladies suffered dire disaster in
the crush and confusion; their laces
We're torn and crinolines mashed; and
people got upon sofas, chairs, and
tables to be out of harms way or to
get a better view of the spectacle.
It was the only real mob l ever saw
in the White House. 1t was an indie
scribable scene of curiosity, joy, and
pleasure. For once at least the Presi-
dent of the United States was not the
chief figure in the picture. The little
scared looking man who stood on a
crimson-covere sofa was the idol of
the hour. He remained ON view for
short time; then he was quietly snug
gled out by friendly hands, and next
day he departed from the city, which
he then appeared to dread so much. to
begin the last and mightiest chapter in
his military career.-Noah Brooks, in
the Century.
Army Taunts and By-Words.
"a book might be written said the
Captain, "about army calls and cries.
There was one that had peculiar signifi
GAUGE to the men of the Twentieth Hi
nois. While our division was at Jack
son. Tenn, in the summer of 1862,