The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-04-29
Civil War Stories



II happened that in the mdwiuter Of
lS64GJ Commodore Van Santvoord was
called 10 Fortress Monroe. one of the
commodore'S steamboatS. the River
Queen. had been chartered by the gov
eminent and il was in connection with
this charter that the commodore was
called to Fortress Monroe. After the
business that called him there had been
done the commandment of the fort said
10 the commodore that he had just re-
ceived dispatches from General Shcr
man for General Grant They were
the first written dispatches that had
come from Sherman after his capture
Of Savannah. IF you want To see
General Grant you can have good
opportunity through acting as my mes
senger in taking these dispatches to
him. | will give you a pilot who will
take the River Queen up to City Point
said the commandment
Commodore Van Stantvoord was. Of
course. greatly pleased To have an op-
pOrtunity 10 meet General Grant. but
unhappily the pilot ran the River
Queen ashore at Harrison's Landing.
just at nightfall. The dispatches for
Grant were sent forward by a messen-
ger and delivered 10 General Meigs but
the commodore and his friends were
| obliged 10 remain upon the River Queen
all night. In the morning the steam
boat got out OF the false channel and
went 10 City Point. where one of Cen
eral Meigs' assistants met the cOmmO-
dore and his party. He escorted the
party 10 General Grants headquarters.
In few moments the log hut or
cabin which was Grants headquarters
standing in the doorway clutching firm
" the door jamb a man in n shabby
uniform and wearing SLOUGH hat. He
was looking intently at the approaching
party The commodore asked what
that man was and the orderly with a
half smile replied: THAT is the man
who is running the machine" And al
though the commodore had met General
Grant number of times. yet he did
not recognize him in his shabby uni
form and well worn hat Grant. how
ever. greeted the party very cordially
lie led them into the single room that
was his headquarters \ roaring fire
was blazing upon the open hearth. Gen
eral Grant chatted with them n little
while and then spoke of the dispatches
while he had received through their
aid the night before. He said il was
the first communication he had had
from General Sherman. and spoke of
the magnitude of the achievement
which had at last brought Sherman and
his army to the scene. Upon all that
had been done Grant felt free 10 con-
verse apparently with full expression
of opinion and with the most glowing
| commendatiOn for Sherman and his
army. But of what was yet 10 be done
he was. as ever. silent After few
moments he seemed TO forget tnat any
one was with him and sat staring in
tently a; the fire as though his whole
mind was concentrated with all its
power upon some vast problem.
At last he looked away from the
blazing logs at the company. and then
said quietly and grimly. Gentlemen.
II is Il big thing" And although the
expression was laconic and was merely
an echo OF the colloquialism. almost the
slang Of the day, yet the tone in which
it was said. the intense earnestness
which seemed To shine through Grants
eyes as he spoke. gave To this party a
full and perhaps first realization that
this silent man, undemOnstrative. mod
est, without any self-consciousness or
, heavy dignity, had a full realization of
/ the gigantic nature OF the task which
/ re had undertaken, and in which Sher-
man and Sheridan had 50 thoroughly
| .o-operated with him, which had for ITS
! purpose the bringing of the Civil war TO
an end -Philadelphia Press.