Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-06-07


GENERAL JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON, FAMOUS
CONFEDERATE LEADER, WHO ON MAY IL,
1861, TOOK COMMAND OF FORCES IN AND
ABOUT HARPERS FERRY.
long and interestingly. Moreover,
when he did give way to loquacity he
had information and ideas to impart.
AS an instance, he once presided over
a war meeting in Galena. Instead Of
INDUCING in the bombast and froth of
the average speaker of the day, mis-
called eloQuence, Grant got down to
brass lacks, talked about the actual
hardships the soldiers would have to
undergo, but still convinced them that
it was worth while. Superficial people
could not measure such a man, but
history has measured him at least in
part.
Years ago I met an old man who
said that while on an Ohio river steam
boat early in the war he had observed
an army officer OF striking appearance.
The thing that distinguished him was
the manner in which he closed his
mouth. This friend who was a rath-
er keen observer of men, said he had
never seen a man shut his mouth so
hard He was SO struck that he In
quired the officers name and was told
it was Grant, though it was not till
years later that he identified him with
the famous general.
Personally cannot get over q pecul-
lar feeling in regard to Grant, feel
ing that | hold for no other Americans
except Lincoln and Thomas Paine.
cannot explain it wholly and yet
cannot argue it away. It is that
Grant was a greater man than any Of
us have yet understood l never saw
him, was not impressed by his pOiiti~
cal associations and heard most OF the
derogatory things said about hfrl a
/ quarter of a century ago. Yet the feel
ing for him grew 1t was at first
| vague, but with the passage of time
/ has become more definite. 1t was that
Grant truly belonged to the family OF
! great souls; that he had supreme
| work to do and did it. Grants fame
| is of the stuff that will stand the acid
| test Of centuries.
War is a stern winnower that sep
arates human cbaff from wheat On
May "a, 1861. Grant in the eyes OF
men was a nobody. Hundreds Of
thousands of his interiors made more
show and more noise The war wind
| blew, and the fame Of these went with,
it, but that of Grant remained Grant
never could make money, but neither
could Lincoln, neither could most of
the supremacy great men in history.
Fremont Made Major General
While Grant was trying for even a
small chance to give his military ex-
perience to the country John @. FIRE.
mont, who had been the Republican
candidate for president five years ear
Her. was appointed a major general.
Great hopes were entertained for his
future. He had been a notable en-
gineer and explorer the respected
standard bearer of a new cause that
later had succeeded. and he was the
sOn-in-laW of Thomas Ii. Benton Yet
Fremont's military service added lit
tie to his prestige Truly war is a
sitter of men.
This week saw little actual fighting.
except a skirmish at Arlington be-
tween some New York troops and q
Jew Confederates and a handful of
prisoners taken at Alexandria. Yet 1t
ended notably. On May 27 occurred q
cluster of events of frst class impor-
lance. That was the day on which
Fremonts advancement was announc-
ed, likewise that on which definite
news came that the western end of
Virginia was determined to break
away and on which the New York
Herald namad it New Virginia" On
that day Buffers men took Newport
News and Mcdowell was made head
of the Army Of the Potomac On that
day the newspapers announced that
the end Of May woaid see the discon-
tinuance Of southern mails On that
day the border st@tes convention met
Most fateful Of all 81 that day came
news that The Confederate troops
were concentrate al Manassas.