Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-08-06
Civil War Stories
General GRANTS Goodness.

General Grant" said Capt. e. N.
K Talcott Of Chicago, in speaking OF
the military experience which brought
him in contact with the commander,
had the best memory, was the most
level-headed and quiet, and the ablesl
man l 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 had
come in contact with General Grant
In action, he was impressed with the
extraordinarily quick perception with
which he seized every incident.
While l was on General Fosters
staff" said Captain Talcott, General
Grant once came to our line with his
staff, and we all stood on a little knoll
opposite which was a Confederate bat
terry, the number of whose gun Gen
eral Grant wanted to find out, in order
to learn what 1t 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 got ever saw. We were near
enough for the battery to see that we
were omcers. 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
and threw sand all owe Us. BY this
time Rawlins, who was always anX-
sous over his chief. said:
General, this is too exposed a p 70.
Sttion 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 1t you had better
est 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 l 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 oi the
knoll.
at another time in the closing op-
erations around Petersburg, it hap
pened that l was witk the Tenth
Corps, General Terry's, which was in
action with It's right resting on Gen
eral Hancock's, the Second. Between
the two ran a deep %ravine, at the
head o which We a Confederate bat
terry, and an the fire OF the battery
commanded the ravine the entire
length, 1t had not been considered pos
sible for the troops to stand at the
bottom CT tho ravine under fire. Gen
sral Grant rode up and said to Cen
srnl 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
herer
1.-THE One Hundredth New York.
said General Terry.
Colonel Dandy's regiment. Send
him here said Grant. Now Dandy
was a West-Pointer and a whooper.
He rode up and saluted as General
Grant sa;ds
II want you to take your regiment
down and connect these lines in that
rav1ne.' Colonel Dandy saluted again.
with, Certainly. Sir formed his regt-
ment as II he was going out on dress
parade, colors in the center, and
swung down into the ravine under
dre of the battery, and when the
work was over rode back, with an
other salute.
The lines are connected, sir
".How many men did you !ose?'
asked General Grant.
None. SIR said Colonel Dandy.
II thought So replied General
Grant.
and then every che saw villa.
Grant hsd seer as be rode up and
locked " the held-:he ,twigs which
were falling from the trees under the
fire of shot and shell from the Con-
federate battery only came from the
top branches. Tho battery was fir.
ing over the ravine and the men onc,.
marched into its bed were as safe rs
anywhere In the line"
Kissed HIM fer His Mother.
At q small village In the mountain
region OF Tennessee, where a company
Of Federal soldiers were CHARTERED, a
report was started one day that a Con-
federate prisoner at the quarters had
died. The report soon spread, and,
reaching the mountain section, down
came one of the bellies Of that region.
who said she wanted to kiss the dead