The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-02-20
THE ALWAYS NEAR SOLDIER
(Goodwin's Weekly

| The death OF General Simon Boil
var Buckner was announced a few
days ago. He was a distinguished
confederate general in the great war.
1t was he, If we remember correctly
who surrendered Fort Donelson to
Grant after Floyd, who had been in
chief command ran away rather than
surrender.
The death of Buckner, who by the
way was close friend of Grant s.,
prompted correspondent to send to
the New York Sun the account of a
conversation which the correspondent
listened to on the porch of the United
States hotel at Saratoga on a summer
day at the time General Grant was
lowering between life and death at
Mount McGregor not far away from
Saratoga. 1t is as follows:
General Buckner was there in COM
pany with three or four other distin-
guished ex-Confederate soldiers. The
talk turned on the point whether
Grant was as great a captain as we
all thought him. There was dispo-
sition among the southerners to dis
pute Grants claims to being in the
category of Alexander or Napoleon or
Wellington. They said he was sold
Ter of capacity and audicity and fear
lessness, but with Lincoln behind him,
favoring him right or wrong, he had
advantages which no other command
er in martial history ever had.
General Buckner, who was known
as great admirer of Grant, was at
tentively listening to his friends, but
he said very little. Whenever harsh
remark was dropped Buckner would,
however lean forward and say:
eyes, l know; but after all Grant
was a near man, very near man."
1t was not long before this equivo-
cal statement got on the nerves of
those about him. Finally one of the
party said:
See here, Buckner, what the devil
do you mean by saying Grant was
near man? Does that make him the
equal of Lee?
Whereupon the grizzled old warrior
quickly reviewed the principal battles
in which Grant engaged, with the idea
of showing how Grant was always in
the breach with his troops at the nick
of time; how when the Union forces
were on the verge Of defeat Grant
either arrived with reinforcement or
by splendid stroke saved the day.
One after another Buckner told the
stories Of Grants successes at Shiloh,
Donelson, etc. His recital in each
case ended with the laconic remark.
"You see Grant was a near man
just happened to be near when most
wanted"
In the end the surrender at Apo
mattox was reached. Buckner told
with what desperate resistance to the
inevitable Lee fought to the last ditch
and how with every resource exhaust
ed, with every avenue of escape block
ed, Lee determined~t save his army
from humiliation by an honorabl sur
render.
49," said Buckner, Lee looked
around for some one to make terms
with. It just happened that Grant
was near Hereunder the apple tree
and naturally Lee decided to hand
his sword to Grant. Yes, Grant was
near man very near man."
That we think will crystal'ze into
history when the real, unbiased his
tory shall be written.
Grants hardest task was at Vicks-
burg, when even his own loyal general
believed that he must fail, that he
was fighting impossibilities, but the
testimony is that while his first two
plans failed, he never for moment
lost his faith that he would win. Mill
tary men tell us that when that field
is studied, when the obstacles which
were in Grants path are fully under
stood the fact that he did succeed
fixes his place as general, that no