davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Gen. Towards Practical Joke.

One of the best stories told Of General
Sherman related to a practical joke which
General Oliver o. Howard unconsciously
played upon him near the close OF the war
General Sherman delighted to twit Howard
upon his abstinence where spurious liquors
were concerned. Nothing more invigorating
than cold water was to be found in How
ards quarters. On one occasion when
General Sherman was visiting General How
ard with his chief medical officer, Sherman
winked miSchievouSly at the man of medi-
cine and said:
Doctor, have you a sedlitZ powder in
your quarters? l don't feel just right and
am sure one would do me good"
The medical officer was equal to the ,oc-
casion and told his commander that he did
have such an article. inviting Sherman
to his quarters to get it. General Howard
interviewed, however, with the remark that
he had plenty of seidltz powders Of a very
good quality, one of which he would be
glad to give General Sherman. The gener-
keenness, and he told Howard he wouldn't
think of putting him to the trouble of fixing
up the dose. mo trouble at ALL" declared
the obliging Howard, and he straightway
produced glasses and water. Sherman turn
ed to the medical officer for relief. but that
worthy with supreme effrontery gravely re-
marked:
Come to think Of it, general. don't be-
lieve l have q seiclitz powder in my out
AT, SO you had better take the one Howard
has prepared"
There was no way to get out of 1t, and
with very bad grace General Sherman swal-
lowed the foaming connection, and was
never known to complain of needing medi-
cine in Howards tent again.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Carried His Tunnels With Him.

Gen. Sherman was in the habit of ac-
complishing such great things with such
little loss of time that he won a remark
able reputation among the confederates for
overcoming difficulties remarked Gen. w.
F. Clark, of the Army of the Tennessee,
to a reporter for The Star.
THE general had some of the best en-
gineers in the business with him, and
whenever a road or bridge was to be con-
structed it was done in a hurry. When
he wanted a bridge built, he just sent out
Gen. Dodge, the greatest bridge builder
that ever happened. L guess, and in
little while a structure would be thrown
across the stream or river whichever the
case might be.
Il remember one time on the campaign
to the sea the confederates We're planning
to blow up a tunnel that Gen. Sherman
was intending to use. The matter was dis
cpssed by the .Johnnies,' and one Of the
officers remarked that he thought the blow
ing up of the tunnel would be effective
move, when another officer, who appreci-
ated Gen. Sherman's ability to surmount
obstacles. said
Whats the use of blowing up the
tunnel? Sherman carries tunnels right
along with him -
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15

DR.. f. A. Duncan of this city, who was
Gen. Sherman's staff surgeon, related an
incident of the noted warrior which oc-
Cured in Washington after the close of
the war.
"One day." said DIR. Duncan, 81 received
a note by messenger from Gen. Sherman
stating that there was a circus in town.,
and that he had promised to take 'Cumps'
his son-and some of the youngsters raw
recruits to see the circus He asked me
to come up to his house in the afternoon
and help him out.
II did as requested, and there found the
general, with young Tecumseh and horde
of little fellows over whom the general S
son was absolute monarch.
I'VE proceeded to the circus, and there
was a terrible jam. The general counted
noses and bought the tickets, and we made
a charge on the entrance. The general
caught big usher by the coat and said:
See here. I'm Gen. Sherman. and I've
got a bunch of raw recruits, and l want
you to find us some good seats
1.-The usher looked at the general a mo-
ment and then said: You are Gen. Sher-
man, are you? Well sir, I've never seen
you before, but by -, I've run from you
But I'll find you some Seats all right, and
they'll be the best 1 can get too
THE fellow good as his word,
and we all went in and had one of the
greatest times going
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Sherman's Sense of the Ludicrous.

General Sherman was possessed of
very dry humor, his sense of the ridicu-
lous was very highly developed, and he
often convuIsed his staff and friends by
witty remarks the most unexpected
occasions. This side of his character is
aptly illustrated by incident related of
the story of the march to the sea. In one
of the battles corps commander was
struck on the head by rifle bullet. but
only slightly wounded. When news of the
occurrence reached Sherman. report had it
that the wounded generals cheek and nose
had been carried away but that he bravely
persisted in remaining in action. Sherman
was greatly alarmed and made his way
Immediately to the side of his officer. who
In the meantime had tied up his head and
had gone about his business. When Sher-
man rode up, protestations were useless,
the bandage must come off and he must
see the wound to judge for himself of the
officers fitness to ren-In on the field When
he saw the slight laceration made by the
ball he looked at it in silence a moment and
then said with look of disgust: well
they came id near missing you, didn't
they?'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
The Only Instance.

The only case III my experience where
Sherman relaxed one of his orders said
General Dodge. was during the march from
Chattanooga to Atlanta. We were very
short of all kinGs Of provisions. canned
fruits. vegetables. etc We lived off bread.
beans and bacon. l had been suffering dur
ing the whole of the campaign. was run
down a good deal physically. and l thought
ii l could get change of food 1t would heip
keep me up
Il went over to General Shcrman's head
quarters and asked him to allow me to send
by Lieutenant Bailey iwho had peen detail
ed from my command in charge of the mails
running from Nashville to the fronts), TO
bring me down some dried fruits and veSe-
tables | told Sherman that l was running
down; that / had very bad wound in the
side and it seemed impossible to keep II
from sapping away my strength.
Sherman looked at me and said: Dodge
all YOU want is some good whisky, and
took me to his tent Good or bad WHISKY
lust then was entirely different to me from
what it is now, but. of course, submitted.
l urged my necessities upon the general.
but he said ii was impossible TO allow me
to bring forward anything; that If he did 1t
for one he would have to do 1t for others;
and l went away good deal disappointed
which Sherman saw. There was no way
to get ANYTHING without his permission.
1T was not more than a day or so after
that that Colonel Dayton. his adJutant, nap
pened TO be at my headquarters, ana asked
one of the staff officers If / had sent to
Nashville for anything. The staff officer in
formed him that had applied and could not
get permission, and that under the clrcum-
stances | would not send. Dayton told the
staff officer If they could get 1t through
by Bailey TO do so, that General Sherman,
he knew, would not object. but, says he,
You don't want to say anything to Dodge
and the first thing knew there came to my
Headquarters a box of supplies.
1T was a long time afterward before l
knew how they had been brought there. III
IS the only case in my experience Where
sherman relaxed one of his orders
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Sherman's Youth.

Mr.. Theodore w. Tallmadge, who is
we'll known here, was during the civil
war, captain and assistant quartermaster
on the staff of General Rosecrans In
West Virginia, and was with the first adj
vance into the enemy's country. He did
not see much of General Sherman during
the war, but in his boyhood days he had
known him well and was not surprised
upon hearing of the great success that
attended his career.
General Sherman was always courte-
Gus" said Mr.. Tallmadge, in recalling the
man he knew from childhood. He was
affable, and in the society of ladies he
always enjoyed himself. The character
isticS that marked him as a man were
prominent in his career as a boy at
school. We both attended Samuel Howes
academy, which was notable inStttu-
ton near Lancaster, Ohio. That was be-
fore the days of the public schools, and
the people in that neighborhood support
ed the academy in every way. 1t was
there that Sherman was prepared to en-
ter West Point. The two Sherman boys
attended the academy, one to become
senator and the other a general. Cen
eral Sherman was then a bright, lively
boy, always in for fun and leader
among the boys. l remember taking
part in a theatrical performance we got
up in the school, in which Sherman took
the part of a general. He was about
sixteen years of age then, and 1 was
seven. l took the part of a cabin boy
Sherman was always pleasant with
every one. He was known everywhere
as 'Cump.'
Howe. the principal of the academy.
was very severe, much SO in fact that
1 have since wondered that the people
supported him as they did. On one occa-
sion the principal attempted to admin
lister whipping to John Sherman. after
ward to become senator. 'Cump rushed
in to the assistance of his brother, and
there was a lively skirmish. The result
was the two Sherman boys left the
school, and John would never come back
again. He Joined a surveying party,
carrying chain. 'Cump,' however, re-
turned and made up with the principal,
and letter he wrote to Howe in later
life showed that he harbored no i'll will
on account of that affair. That was char
acteristic of his whole life. He never
harbored i'll feeling against any one.
when he went off to West Point
'Cump was known to everybody in that
village of 1000 people. He was always
the same genial boy when he returned
for vacations"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
STRENGTHEN POSTAL CARS
Mail Coaches Are Like Match Wood
In q Wreck.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
AS suggestive Of the fact that govern
ment ownership of a monopoly cannot be
always representative Of the best Of every
thing in the administration Of that monop-
oily the United States postal department
on several occasions has served as an H.
Illuminating example. That in one marked
respect at the present time 1t Is falling short
Of the commonest measures Of precaution
and safety with reference to both its men
and its mails is to be seen in the operation
Of the railway postal system.
Twenty-Five years ago the travelling pub
lie began to realize from the net showing
Of railway wrecks and collisions that a
considerable element of safety lay simply
sleeping car AS compared to the ordinary
day coach in a head-on collision, the pas
senger In the sleeper had many chances for
life over the passenger in the other vehicle.
sleeper was perfected the public safety
again was contributed to in marked degree,
and finally, when 1t was discovered that
fast train, vestibuled from end to end, vir-
tually could not be telescoped under ordi-
nary conditions of wreck the railroad COM
panies were quick to make every passenger
coach in the train thus immune, so that
today the limited trains on a railroad vir-
tually are made up of one coach measuring
from the baggage car backward.
But forward of the baggage car? There
Is the example Of governmental shortsight-
edness which seems economically ineXcus-
able. Under the ordinary conditions of
making up a through train anywhere on
the continent there is, first, the preponder-
ating weight Of the train In the passenger
section of solid vestibuled sleepers trailing
at the end. In front there is mighty To-
connective. built for speed and weighing per-
haps 120 tons. Between there may be two,
or three, or four mail cars, built of the
f1imsiest pattern of wood, lacking the vesti-
bule connections that make for safety and
train and the might of the locomotive,
ready to crush into matchwood at the i'm
pact of collision.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Personal Observation.

''The personal interest with which Gen.
Sherman looked after the comfort of the
men under his command was one of the
marked characteristics of his career" said
Capt. A. D. CASTOR, who saw service all
through the civil war and was at vicksburg
with Sherman. Capt. CASTOR was in the 1st
Iowa Cavalry in 1861, and a year later was
transferred to the 18th Infantry with which
he remained until the war was over. For
some years he has been in charge Of the
Presidents room at the United States
Senate.
when we were going to the rear Of
vicksburg in May, 1863" continued Capt.
CASTOR, Sherman dismounted and sent his
orderly ahead with his sword and all his
'regalia SO that no one could recognize him
by the insignia OF his rank. AS the troops
passed he stood beside the bars Of a little
COW yard in the rear Of Vicksburg and
there he reviewed his army. He was recog-
nized by very few and only by those who
were we'll enough acquainted to know his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
As ShakeSpearean Critic.

Gen. Grenvile NJ. Dodge relates she FOL
lowing story o. Gen. Sherman as Shake
spelrean critic:
In March. 1864. on Shermans return
from the Meridian campaign. the corps
commanders, with Gen. Rawlins and one
or two others. among them Gen. Sheridan
were ordered to Nashville, where we met
Cons Grant and Sherman. Shermai's first
suggestion WAS that we should so to the
thcater. We were all dressed in our rough
campaignirg clothes, in fact, we had MOTH
ing else with US. as we had not been able
to get any supplies since We left the Mis-
sissipi.
That night we went to the theater, paid
our way in. and obtained seats in th> front
row in the balcony. Hamlet was on the
boards The play was simply being butch
ered-to the great amusement of theater
fun of soldiers, who were either coming
from leave of absence or going upon one.
No one in the audience seemed to recognize
US. and we sat there quite while.
SHERMAN, who was sitting next to me.
talked so loudly about the play that every
body could hear him. He said: Dodge, that
is no way to play Hamlet" and he went on
so excitedly that l said to him two or three
times. General. don't talk so loud, some
of the boys will discover US. and there will
be scene.
But he was so Indignant at the bLtchery
of the play that he could not keep still.
During the grave-diggers scene, where
Hamlet picks up the skull of Iorick ana
soliloquizes upon it. a soldier in the pack
part of the audience rose up and halIoeo
out at the top of his voice:
Say. pard, what is it, Yank or RebF
"Of course. the whole house came down:
and Grant said We had better get out or
here We left and no one knew that the
two great soldiers of the age had been there
listening"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Gen. Easement Recalls a Story

General Sherman always evinced great
interest in the young" said Fighting Jack"
easement, who was a dashing fighter in
the civil war and has built more miles of
railroad than any other man in the world.
at the Ebbitt today
General sherman was a great commoner
I recall a time when he was living in New
York. One of my sons was attending COL
lege at Princeton, and at the holiday recess
he went to New York to meet some of
his young friends who were attending other
institutions and who had gone to New York
for few days of sightseeing.
Il joined them at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
General Sherman had returned the day be-
fore from trip across the continent The
Canadian Pacific railroad had been COM
pleted only short time before and the
general had made his first journey over
it.
Il asked the boys If they did not want
to see real, live hero They were all en-
thuSiastlc over having an opportunity of
shaking General Shermans hand. We went
up to his room. l knocked on the door and
the general came in person.
General Sherman 1 said to him. I
have brought these young men here to see
a real hero
Il introduced them, one by one, to him.
and he had some kind word to say. When
he reached my son, he said:
suppose you think that your father,
because he built the Union Pacific railroad
and has been an important factor in the
development Of the country has monop-
olized all the opportunities of this life
Such is not the case. There are plenty of
opportunities for all young men who are
ambitious. conscientious and honest. You
are just beginning to realize what there is
in this great country
THE general was enthusiastic over his
trip across the continent. He took down a
big map. spread it on the floor, got down on
his knees, and with the boys about him on
their knees he told them all about his
journey. He took as much interest in
studying the map as he would had he been
engaged In the planning of battle.
General Sherman was, indeed, a great
commoner. He was of lovable DISPOSE
ton, and one who endeared himself to all
with whom he came in contact"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
VEGETARIAN COMPETITIONS.
How Women May Assume a Peach.
Like Bloom and Other Tints.


Irritable tempers are antagonistic to
beautiful compilations. The woman who
lets every little cross in the pilgrimage
of life ruff1e her equanimity is hourly
scoring fresh furrow on her face 1t is
not only the pert domestic servant and
the unsuccessful dressmaker who are
able to influence the barometer of a wo-
mans emotions disastrously. Her dinner
produces exactly the same effect. She
eats hearty meal, comprising rich SOUP
fish, a succulent slice or two of meat,
game sweet pudding. and, lastly, high
ly Spiced savory, followed by dessert,
Wine Is drunk and a liquor and coffee
completes the alarming menu. Lassitude
ensues, made lurid by lightning streaks
of ugly temper. the complexion flames.
the cuticle coarsens, and. pulling her
wits together to discover the reason Of
these disasters, the truth flashes upon
the astonished sufferer that in the aban-
donment of a meat diet and the substitu-
ton of Il vegetable one lies her salvation
The primary items of danger to the
complexion in the ordinary menu are
supposed 60 be in the grease. the spices
and the flesh food. Vegetarian converts
declare that any woman, be her skin
beautiful or. faulty. who will faithfully
including grain foods and milk, will so
speedily observe an augmentation of her
charms Of coloring, as well as of COM
plexion texture. that she will never re-
turn to the old diet. The brilliancy of
the most brilliant complexion is, accord
ing to them, made still more vivid while
the muddy one is cleared and blooms like
q red rose.
Not only women of naturally peppery
tempers, but those whose emotions ara
held well under control, are finding tho /,
vegetarian course satisfactory. The con-
sumption Of foods that are not difficult To !
digest is held by the advocates of vege-
tarianism to influence The character for
the better as well as the complexion
Hot milk is the favorfte pick-me-up of |
the vegetarian who eats for her complex
ions sake, and she drinks as a rule NO
booed among extremists. who aver thaH |
those beverages in time inevitably re-
produce if the complexion their tawnyas
brown ttntf,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Sherman's Keen Intelligence.

General Sherman's keen intelligence, abb
solute independence of thought and equally
marked subordination of action were never
better illustrated than in his loyal support
of Grant during tine siege of Vicksburg,
after resolutely but respectfully opposing
the plan of opera tons at it's inception" said
Capt Henry A. Castle today
everybody knows that Grants move
ment In the rear of Vicksburg was contrary
to all military precedent, and is yet regard
ed by many military critics as a hazardous
experiment, only justified by it's success.
when Sherman first heard of the pro-
posed movement he sought private inter-
view with General Grant, his commander
expressed his fear that the plan was des-
tined to failure and pointed out the perils
incident to it,
He showed that the army was going into
the enemy's country, cut loose from its base
or supplies and likely to fight bloody battles
without possibility of reinforcements or any
assured line Of retreat.
HE suggested another and entirely differ
ent plan of campaign, involving a return Of
the whole army to Memphis and an expedi-
ton down through the interior of Missis-
slppi to a point in the rear of Vicksburg.
always communicating with the base of
supplies
Grant replied that he felt 1t almost nee
essary for the encouragement of the people
at the north to win a prompt and decisive
NiSeoiJ' tiidl no backward step be taken:
that would be discouraging. He had fore
seen and weighed the possible dangers, but
nad assured his own mind that they could
be overcome, and that the campaign had
from the beginning more than a fair assur
ance of success.
General Sherman was so much in earn
est that he wrote letter to Colonel Raw
ms chief OF staff, urging that the Grant
plan be abandoned. This letter was shown
TO the commanding general, but he saw no
reason 10 change his proposed line of &C
ton, and proceeded to carry it out DELHI
erately with the success that all the world
now applauds.
General Grant did not regard the letter
as official. did not preserve it, and never
re1erred to 1t officially afterward. When
Vlcksburg was captured Sherman. who ali
through the campaign had lent most loyal
ana eHective support, promptly acknowl-
edged that he had opposed the original
plan. d1sclaimed any possible share of credit
TOT Its inception and gladly joined in the
universal acclaim of honor which greeted
the successful commander. He alone ever
olvulged the fact of his original opposition.
willingly merging his own services In the
honor paid to General Grant"