Middletown transcript., 1917-09-15
AN ENEMY In REAR OF ARMY

army. Did not our government do tina
in our Civil War? Admitting that Run
and Ruin are synonoms, the greatest
enemy of the race was allowed to de
bauch our soldiers in that war. Battle
were no doubt lost by drunken officer
and soldiers, to say nothing of tn,
moral and physical loss to the drinker
When. Go sernor Yates made Genera
Grant colonel of a regiment, Grant
selected John A. Rawlins as his CHIEF
of staff. Rawlins was young lawyer
about thirty years of age, with no mill
tary education. Grant, who was a few
years his senior, had heard Rawlins,
who was Douglas Democrat, deliver q
great address in favor of standing by
Lincoln in support of the Union. Gen.
eral Grant never forgot that eloquent
appeal. 1t was the beginning of life
long friendship. like that Of David and
Jonothan. At the surrender of Lee at
Appomattox, Rawlins was the only per-
son present who had been with Grant
through the en.ire four years of the
war. At Grants request, Rawlins was
made first, Brigadier- General and then
| Major-General, and became his Secre-
tary of War when Grant was elevated
to the presidency. This is strong
indication of Grants admiration and
deep devotion to his most intimate
friend in army life.
1t is we'll known that General Grant,
with many other officers, was addicted
to liquor drinking. The evil was allow
ed everywhere in the army. Rawlins,
who was a strictly moral man and a
teetotaler, realizing at the beginning
something of Grants great powers of
generalship, determined to do all he
could to prevent his friend from further
indulgence. He seemed to feel that
the preservation of the Union depended
upon Grants sotriety. Awhile after
the army had settled down before Vicks-
burg, waiting for the surrender of the
city, Grant seemed more in danger dur
ing his resting spell, of resuming his
former habits, than at any time since
the beginning of the war. 1t was at
this time that General Rawlins wrote
Grant the most remarkable letter ever
sent to distinguished parsonage. The
letter is as follows:
Before Vicksburg, Miss,
June 9th, 1863, A. M.
Dear General:-
The great solicitude feel for the
safety of this army leads me to men,
ton, what hoped never again to do,
the subject of your drinking This may
surprise you, for | may be, and trust |
am, doing you an injustice by unfound-
ed suspicion, but if in error, it had
better be on the side Of the country's
safety than in fear of offending friend.
/ have heard that DIR. Mcmillan
at General Sherman few days ago,
induced you, notwithstanding your
pledge to me, to take glass Of wine,
and when to-day found a box of wine
in front of your tent, and proposed to
move it, which did, | was told you had
forbid its being taken away, for you
intended to keep it until you entered
Vicksburg. that you might have it for
your friends; and tonight, when you
should, because Of the condition of your
health, if nothing else, have been in
bed, l find you where the wine bottle
has just been emptied, in company
with those who drink and urge you to
do likewise; and the lack Of your usual
promptness and decision, and clearness
of expressing yourself in writing, con-
duces to confirm my suspicion.
You have the full control over
your appetite, and can let drinking
alone. Had you not pledged me the
sincerity of your honor early last March,
that you would drink no more during
the war, and kept that pledge, DUNG
your recent campaign, you would not
to-day have stood first in the worlds
history as successful military leader.
Your only salvation depends upon
strict adherence to that pledge. You
cannot Succeed in any other way.
AS have before stated, l may
be wrong in my suspicious, but if one
sees what leads him to suppose a senti.
mel is falling asleep on his post, it is
his duty to arouse him; and if one sees
that which leads him to fear the Cen
eral commanding great army is being
seduced to that step which he knows
will bring disgrace upon that General
and defeat upon his command, if he
fails to sound the proper note of warn
ing, the friends, wives and children of
those brave men whose lives he permits
to remain thus in peril, will accuse him
while he lives, and stand swift witness
es of wrath against him in the. day
when all shall be tried.
If nv suspicious are unfounded,
let my friendship for you and my zeal
for my country be my excuse for this
letter; and If they are correctly found
ed, and you determine not to heed the
prayers and admonitons of this hasty
note, by Immediately ceasing to touch a
single drop of any kind of liquor. no
matter by whom asked or under what
circumstances, let my immediate relief
from duty in this department be the
result. am, General,
Yours respectfully,
John pou,l;n,