Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-27
VETERAN KNEW
GENERAL GRANT
in CIVIL WAR
G. A. r. Man Says Today Com
memOrates Birth of World
Greatest Commander.

There is in Great Falls at least one
Grand Army veteran who will today
(Thursday), when the Grant centennial
Is being observed throughout America
look back in spirit to the days when
as corporal in the Twenty fifth iii
nois, under General Sherman. he was
for a time in daily contact with the
man who he says was without doubt
the greatest general of the age. This
veterah Is r. L. Cleveland, who is per
haps the only civil war veteran in the
city who had a personal acquaintance
with General Grant.
II knew him better than he knew
me. of course" said Mr.. Cleveland.
II was but one of his thousands of
soldiers. He was general with the
destinies of an army at stake; the des-
TIMES of nation. Naturally, he would
not have known that he knew me. but
being in a position to observe him. /
made the most of my opportunity"
Proved His Greatness
When asked what he thought of
Grants standing among the great mill
tary figures of the world, the veteran
said:
"He was the greatest general the
world has ever known. His capture of
Mission Ridge and Lookout mountain
was the greatest military achievement
Of the age This was the opinion Of
the soldiers of the Union army and it
was also the observation of the Ger
man military expert, Gneral Won
Moltke. At the battle of Shilo. the
Yanks all thought Grant the coming
man and at Lookout our opinion was
verified, though it had been confirmed
even before at the capture of Vicks-
burg"
Personally. Grant is remembered by
the Great Falls veteran as man of
generosity. ''He was a thinker and
seemed always to have his mind on
heavy matters. When he did rouse
himself to his surroundings, though, he
was pleasant and courteous and was
given to little pleasantries with his men
or with others not Of his command
whom he would come in contact with on
his trips of inspection said Mr..
Cleveland.
1t was during the winter that the
canal at Young's point. one Of the
greatest military ventures attempted
during the war, was in construction
that Mr.. Cleveland saw Grant for the
first time. He and Governor Yeats
VI PdSsed dlouS Tie Cdudl
banks and as they went the general
had q word of pleasantly for all the
men he saw. He called to one soldier,
''That's quite ditch you are digging,
boys" To which one soldier replied.
Eyes. and that's all it ever will be-
1t turned out that he was right, Mr..
Cleveland said.
Won South's Confidence
As a president Grant was a great
and kindly executive and did more to
re-win the confidenc of the southern
people after its abuse by johnson
than any other man could have done,
is the opinion of Mr.. Cleveland. He
showed the kind of man he was when
he refused to take Lees sword at the
surrender of the southern armies. His
at that time was never
forgotten in the south and he continued
it's spirit throughout his term as presi-
dent. He was a great and good man
and one who is well worthy of the
honor that is paid him on his anniver-
sary." the veteran concluded
Mr.. Cleveland will give his rem
iniscences of Grant at the G. A. r. |
meeting to be held this Thursday |
evening at the high school auditorium