The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-07-15

General Grants Greatness.
Many years ago and during the life
time OF the three popular war heroes
Of the north some Washington cynic
remarked that 1t was lucky for Grant,
Sherman and Sheridan that they hap
pened to be the ones in the saddle
when the south gave in. This idea
was current then in many quarters,
for at that time there were other war
leaders whose ability and fidelity had
been proved on the best fought battle
fields OF the war. 1t was natural, then,
to wonder why one should be exalted
and another, apparently as deserving
overlooked. The particular talent and
exploits Of the great war leaders have
long been the subject Of study and es-
timation among historians and mill
tary men, and the consensus OF opin-
ion seems to be that each commander
had definite and peculiar role to
perform and each acted his part well.
1t has been said in this field OF award
ing historic judgments that great men
do not make great events, but that
great epochs call for great men and
the man Of the hour is lifted to the top
by forces acting Independent Of him.
To be ready for the crisis Is perhaps q
matter Of luck, but If the epoch is
really great and the crisis vital the
man to fit the needs Of the hour must
have unusual strength Of character.
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan were
in the saddle in 1865 because each had
peculiar fitness for the place he held.
They were survivals of battlefield
struggles and of personal and political
contentious in which other leaders
went by the board, not necessarily
through any individual shortcoming.
One OF the first acts Of General Grant
when late in the war he was appoint
ed to the chief command was to ask
for the reinstatement In high command
Of some of the generals whom the war
department had shelved for this rea'
son and that. He had himself nearly
lost his command more than once
through no fault Of his own, but rath'
er from misunderstanding or want OF
appreciation on the part Of the admin
tstration. In other words, since he
himself had barely escaped being q
victim he could assume that other
able commanders had been victims
and that the good Of the service de-
manded their recall to the field. On
the side OF talent Grants own great
ness lay chiefly perhaps In his bring
ing all the military resources Of the
north, both the material and the per
sonnet, to bear at the right point. And
greatness of character was evinced in
his absolute sincerity of purpose and
modest disregard of his own fortunes
We read In Grants memoirs thai
after Vicksburg he believed that he
would bring the war to an end. but
in his later career on the field be
showed no ayidity for personal recog
milton or honor or unreasonable pow
ers. One thing which he did that has
often been called the master stroke OF
his career was perhaps dictated by
this consciousness that he was des
tined to do a great work. That was
his stipulation when offered the com
mand In chief-that he was to be
chief in fact, free from bureaucratic
control. Shortly before this he had
what he called his first "spat' with
the secretary of war, Stanton, in which
he candidly gave Washington notice
that he must be "boss' in his OWL