The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-10-14

ask him what was really In his mind
when he wrote that phrase lie In
quired why, and replied that re-
called tho various comments made a'
the time, and the asscyerations oi
some critics that he did not fight II
out on that line, but abandoned II fol
out on that line but abandoned 1t foi
another and that the same criticism
had been reiterated. lie said.
perhaps they misunderstood what ]
meant by line From the very be.
ginning of the war, "0n 10 Richmond
had been the cry, and Richmond was
the objective point IN each Of the pre-.
ceding campaigns. began the cam.
paign of 1904 with . different objec.
tive, " being Lee's army II is true
my army was headed toward Richmon
but was not caring very much about
tho 7 ace 70 capture Il would have
had q moral effect, both In the Hofsh
and n the South, elating the one and
depressing the other, but just ut that
time II would have been sort Of a
white elephant on my hands, unless !
could get Lees army. Lees army was
the confederacy, the rebellion. II ]
got I,sc I knew / would get Richmond.
II got Richmond and did not get Lee
the war would still 40 on taking a
large part Of my fighting force to hold
the city II gct lee I knew ! would
get Richmond. Richmond being in the
mind 81 the people of the North. II y
possiblt they thought I meant that J
would follow the road I was tlicn on,
through spottsylyania i, Richmond.
/ do not recall all the circumstances u
tho letter bnt my impression Is taat
the country around was waiting
anxious for the ncws Of bow ! was
progressing, and ! wrote that / was
peeging away, and intended fighting
Il out on that line, II II took all sum.
mer." Then, with merry twinkle Of
his eye, he said; 1T took logner than
all summer. but I kept pcggins'
Speaking Of Grant recalls conyer.
sation once had with Gen. O. O. How
ard. We were travelling together and
his discussing various commanders
Grants character as a commander was
mentioned when Gen. Howard said;
"To my mind one OF Grants greatest
characteristics was his utter self abne'
Cation. This was illustrated at Peters
burgh and has never received the high
commendation 1t deserves. While
Sherman was making his march from
Savannah Grant was subjected to the
severest criticism for not driving Lee
from Petersburgb. No doubt exists
that had Grant desired be could have
forced Lee from that stronghold, but
he waited. obliyious to all criticism. j
he he pushed Lee out, the Army 2
Northern Virginia could have readil,
escaped to the South and Their
strengthened by the Confederates un
der Taylor and Others, prolonged IN
war many months. Grant knew thi'
and he waited until Sherman had go
So near that final escape for Lee wa
iinpossibls, and then drove mis- force
over and around Petersburgh and Rich
mond. Grants great idea was to en-
| the war;
| or all the generals l have talke
with the most delightful in every wa
Twas Sherman. Io talk with him. 9
rather 10 listen while he talked, wa
like being among the fresh ocea
breezes. He threw conyentionalit
| aside and talked with crispness an
freshness that was truly facinatinI
| All through his conversations ther
were flashes OF the genius of the ma
| that marked his great personality.
once made some remark about the ur
| lust criticisms that had been indulge
in By the press against some Of u
commanders during the war when :
said:
eyes, they said was crazy.
| wasn't. but II is wonder escape
being driven crazy while in Kentuck,
There was the War Department senc
Il ing me dozen contradictory order
each day; Mcclellan would follow
up with another half dozen; hemor
at ST. Louis would jump on me with
| hundred suggestions as to what ouel
| 10 be done; the rebels in Kentuck
were bothering the life out Of me, an
| the Unionists we're clamoring for PR
lection and q Thousand other imposs
bic things, and then, worse than a
the newspaper correspondents we'
worrying me to death to find out whs
III was going to do, what ! was Nc
going to do; what thought the rebe
would do. I believe it was old PETE
| the Great who said he had only tw
lawyers in the empire and he intende
to hang one Of them as soon as he Y
turned. II the government at the yer
outset Of the war, had ordered ever
newspaper man excluded from the a.
| my, the war would have ended
least a year earlier than 1t did, an
thousands Of lives would have bee
saved. Many Of the newspaper corr'
spondents were really gifted with
military! instinct, and knowing the n
sources Of the army would instructive