The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-08-05
Civil War Stories
General Grants Goodness.

II. AolSoll Vi OulCdSO, III speaking VI
the military experience which brought
him in contact with the commander,
had the best memory, was the most
level-headed and quiet, and the ablest
man | ever met"
During the close of the operations
about Richmond Captain Talcott was
In charge OF the engineer depot at the
Bermuda Hundreds, from which the
wants of the great wise which was
slowly closed upon Lee by Grant were
supplied, and his position brought him
IN constant contact both with head
quarters and the general Like every
other man whom | ever met who nad
come in contact with General Grant
in action, he was impressed with the
extraordinarily quick perception with
which he seized every incident.
while | was on General Fosters
staff" said Captain Talcott, General
Grant once came to our line with his
staff, and We all stood on little knoll
opposite which was a Confederate bat
terry, the number of whose guns Gen
eral Grant wanted to find out, in order
to learn what it would cost to take it.
Instead of leaving the staff officer to
count the flashes of the guns as al
most any other man would have done
he stood on the knoll and began
watching them. OF course, as soon
as he stepped there General Foster
went there, Grants personal staff fol-
lowed him and General Fosters per-
sonal staff stepped alongside of their
commander. This made the prettiest
mark you ever saw We were near
enough for the battery to see that We
were officers. 1t was a large group
of officers. and while the shells were
going over Grants head when he step
ped there, 1t was not very long before
they began to get the range, and pref
ty soon a shell struck the ground
and threw sand all over us. BY this
time Rawlins. who was always anx-
ious over his chief, said:
General, this is too exposed a DO
sition for you to stand In
Well said Grant, without taking
the cigar out OF his teeth or turning
his head as he watched the flashes
If you don't-like it you had better
set down under the knoll
General Rawlins did not move,
and another shell reminded everybody
that the battery was getting the range
very closely. You gentlemen said
Grant, again without turning, have
nothing TO do up here and | guess
you had better get under cover at
once And, waiting a moment longer
until he had settled the number of
the battery to his satisfaction, Grant
went back alone to the shelter of the
knoll.
AT another time in the closing op-
erations around Petersburg, it hap
pened that l was with the Tenth
Corps, General Terry's, which was in
action with its right resting on Gen
eral Hancock's, the Second. Between
the two ran deep ravine, at the
head of which was a Confederate bat
commanded the ravine the entire
length, it had not been considered pos
sible for the troops to stand at the
bottom of the ravine under fire. Gen.
eral Grant rode up and said to Gen
eral Terry: What does this mean?
Why aren't these lines connected?
They will sweep right in here and
sweep you right and left. General
Terry explained the circumstances at
some length, but Grant, who had been
watching the ravine, interrupted him
to say. What troops have you got
here.
1.-The One Hundredth New York
said General Terry.
Colonel Dandy's regiment Send
him here said Grant Now Dandy
was a West-Polnter and a whooper.
He rode up and saluted as General
Grant said:
81 want you to take your regiment
down and connect these lines In that
ravine. Colonel Dandy saluted again,
with. Certainly. Sir formed his regi-
ment as If he was going out on dress
parade, colors in the center. and
swung down into the ravine under
fire of the battery, and when the
work was over rode back, with an
other salute.
1.-The lines are connected, sir
How many men did you ,ose:'
asked General Grant
None, sir, said Colonel Dandy.
"I thought So replied General
Grant.
And then every enc saw wha-
Grant Lad seen rs be rode up ami
locked over the field The twigs which
were failing from the trees under the
fire of shot and she'll from the Con
federate battery only came from the
top branches The battery was fir
ing over the ravine and the men onc,.
marched into its bed were as safe us
anywhere in the l:ue."