| Show A BOY IN BATTLE YORK february loth 1897 FRED GRANT grows more and more like fyer his lather father every day he has ug W at forty six about the same bafs features his father had at the aty t close of the war he has the jr same square face the same blue eyes and the same quiet manner which were so characteristic of our greatest general colonel grant is just as unassuming as his father was talking casually with him you would never imagine ne that his bis life had been one of chri th in g experiences es that he had been in five great battles before he was thirteen years of age that he be had done hard bard fighting with the indians on our western frontiers that he had been one of the honored guests with general grant on his tour around the he be had bad been united states minister to austria and that he was now one of the three commissioners of the greatest and most turbulent city on this hemisphere colonel grant seldom speaks about himself or his father and it was only by guestion questioning ing that I 1 was able to draw frow from him the reminiscences which I 1 give today during the chat I 1 asked him what he thought of the matter that is now being published about general grant he replied that the most of it was ungelia ble said he be A great part of the stories which are told are made up of talks with men who knew my father as a boy and who through lapse of time and aid memory deal in exaggerated state ments to read those stories you would suppose that fathers family was very poor and that they sometimes lacked the necessities of life this is not so my grandfather was not rich for these times but he was the richest man in his vicinity it was not common then to send boys away to school still father was sent to school at maysville kentucky where he had to pay his bis board another statement is that my father was a poor student I 1 do not believe this othis I 1 know my grandfather often asked me why I 1 did not like my book better and study more like my father father stood well at west point he was not the highest it is true but he was by no means the lowest that ahat he did not stand higher was due to the library he had bad you know lived in the country where books are scarce when he got to west point he found a fine library there and this he has often told me was like a new world to him he was not graded upon his reading outside af W his studies but I 1 venture that he re great good from it was your father a very ambitious man colonel 1 I think not replied colonel grant HIS only desire seemed to be to do what was before him how about politics did he not desire kirea a third term no I 1 dont think so was the reply tather was willing to take a third term almost en entirely on patriotic reasons he believed he could be of great help to the american people he had bad just returned you know from a trip around the world he made that trip trio just at the close of his administration and he studied the rest of the world from the standpoint of a president I 1 believe the united states would have been greatly benefited by him had he had another term had he been elected again he would have brought about diplomatic relations which would have brought us the bulk of the trade of the orient this would have meant an increase to us of more than one hundred million dollars a year he would have made the united states the leading country of the world in the eyes of the far ea stand we should have been looked upon as its protector and friend speaking of our foreign trade colonel grant had your father any ideas of reciprocity as a means of increasing it 2 yes was the reply general Gener alGrant grant was in fact the real author of reciprocity as n american policy while he was president it became advisable to decrease the revenues and there was a movement in congress to take the taxes off of coalee and tea which articles were then called the poor mans luxuries father sent for james G blaine who was then in congress and told him what afterward proved to be the tact fact that if the united states took the tax off of coffee brazil would add export duties equal to the amount taken off on and the people would have to pay the same for their coffee nevertheless he advised blaine to make the reduction the basis of a reciprocity treaty which should prevent such action by brazil and at the same time increase our trade mr blaine biarne liked the idea but he said that the cry of the poor mans luxuries had been made so prominent that he did not know that the matter could be arranged lie he kept fathers suggestion in in mind however and from it I 1 believe evolved the reciprocity scheme which is now connected with his name the conversation here turned to colonel grants war experience his father took him to the field with him when be was only twelve years of age he was with grant in battle again and again throughout the war and was close to him during the whole of the vicks burg campa campaign al n at this time he was wounded and he had many narrow escapes I 1 asked him how the general happened to allow him to come to him he replied my father liked to have me with him I 1 suppose he wanted me to see something of the war I 1 was only twelve years of age and was at school at covington kentucky in 1863 when he wrote me that I 1 could join him in the field I 1 met him at youngs point where he was just before he attacked vicksburg I 1 remember the first thing I 1 did on my arrival was to vist visit the gun boat benton with him this was the flagship of admiral potter porter I 1 was shown ovir over the gunboat while father talked to the admiral and I 1 have since understood that while I 1 was absent father first suggested passing the batteries at vicksburg it was this suggestion pg that brought about the camp campaign ign which was afterward carried out were you on the boat when they ran the battery I 1 asked yes I 1 was with father we had six gunboats gun boats and three transports the gunboats gun boats were to engage the enemy while the transports got by I 1 remember there were bales of hay packed around the boilers in order to protect them the night we started it was very dark all of our lights were put out we left about io 10 we had not gone far however before a rocket went up from the shore then a cannon ball flew across the river in front of our boats A moment later the flames burst out of a house at the little town ot of do de sota opposite vicksburg then another bul iding was fired on the river front and soon there were fires burning all along the shore so that the river was almost as bright as day through this flaming pathway moved our six gun boats I 1 remember it seemed tome to me that they looked like great black turtles behind us came the three transports all floating directly toward the batteries ot of vicksburg As we went onward the guns on the hills opened their fire the batteries sent broadside after broa broadice dide and in in less than ten minutes all of our boats were in the midst of the battle you must remember I 1 was only a boy of thirteen and the scene was a terrible one to me our boats were pouring out shot and shell at the enemy As they did so the three transports passed by us keeping close to the louis louisiana aana shore suddenly one of them stopped I 1 could see a flame shoot up from her side she had bad been set on fire by a red hot shot from the warrenton batter battery yi and she burned until she was entirely destroyed where were you at this ti time rne 1 I was on the hurricane deck of one of the gunboats gun boats I 1 stood by my fathers side I 1 remember he was smoking at the time and that I 1 noticed an intense light in his bis eyes we could see the people of vicksburg on the shores they covered the sides of the hills and at every shot from the batteries they would cheer were you under fire again during the siege colonel I 1 I 1 asked yes replied colonel grant there was little time during the siege that I 1 was not in more or less danger I 1 had several very narrow escapes irenem I 1 remember being on a gunboat a little later on when we near the batteries of grand gulf I 1 saw many men killed there I 1 remember seeing one man jump on the parapet of the enemas works just as our guns were discharged at them A shell exploded on the spot where he was standing and it must have blown him to atoms during this bat tle tie I 1 was on a tugboat with my father and we were steaming in and out among the gunboats gun boats during the firing alter after a time we went on board the ben ton to see admiral porter the i sight sickened me the deck was covered with blood and pieces of flesh dead men torn and lacerated lay about every everywhere e and some of the gunners with still bleeding wounds were standing by their cannons admiral porter had been struck by a piece of shell on the back of his head As we came up I 1 could see that he was in in great agony he was pale and he leaned upon his sword using it as a cane while my father talked to him father suggested that the gunboats gun boats should engage edgag the batteries that nigh tin order that the transports might run past them in the midst of the bombardment to this admiral porter agreed and we started to leave when the admiral turned to me and asked me it if I 1 did not want to remain with him during the next en he said one of his best bunners gunner had bad just been killed and that I 1 coald have his place I 1 looked upon the wounded and dead about me and o egued ed trembling lest my father might contradict my statement that I 1 did not believe my papa would leave me there even ven if I 1 wanted to stay 1 41 I should think you would have been auch knuch frightened said I 1 11 1 I was replied colonel grant 1 I VMS vas always frightened when I 1 got under fire aut ut the excitement and interest was uch such that I 1 could not keep out I 1 remember I 1 slept that night on the gunboat price and when I 1 awoke the next In morning orning I 1 found my lather father had gone I 1 knew there was a battle on the shore for I 1 could bear the firing and I 1 asked general Cie lorenzo thomas who commanded the price to let me go to see the fight he told me that my father had bad riven orders that I 1 was not to leave the given doat boat shortly after this while we were landing some troops a rabbit illumed up and the soldiers tried to catch fl S tasked JL asked general thomas if I 1 could vat mt hep them he said yes but when I 1 reached the soldiers the rabbit had dis oo eared red I 1 concluded not to go back if to the boat but to run off to the battlefield I 1 ran in the direction of the firing I 1 tot a lift upon one of the ammunition ana soon came to ground where wounded men were lying about and where there were dead men scatter ed d here and there I 1 saw a battery of artillery dashing off at a fork in the road and aid I 1 left the mule team and followed I 1 soon got to a place where I 1 could see the fight while I 1 was looking I 1 saw father ather coming I 1 was afraid be would end sand we me back to the boat so I 1 got behind a tree and hid there until ne he had passed As I 1 watched I 1 heard a great shout shout our lines moved forward lor ward I 1 could see the enemy running and a attle later I 1 was told that the battle was wet ever and that we had gained the day what amat did you do then I 1 asked the first thing I 1 did replied colonel crant was to try and find my father it was S alread rg rowing dark and I 1 was tired dred and hungry I 1 walked about trying to find some one who could tell me where my father was and everywhere I 1 went I 1 saw dead and wounded men the ground was everywhere bloody and the air air was filled with the moans of the wounded and the dying there were surgeons here and there amputating limbs while the poor fellows upon whom they were operating were shrieking with ith pain it was all so terrible that ileean a to f feel eel faint faint I 1 remember I 1 lay down beside a tree and re rested S ted feeling very sick As I 1 was lying there one of of ony ny lathers fathers orderlies came up he recognized me and I 1 told him all about 2 runaway trip from the boat he took his bis blanket from his horse and spread it out on the ground and gave mw me his bis saddle for a pillow I 1 went to sleep leep almost as soon as my head touched the saddle and slept for several hours then the orderly waked me and told me thea that nay my father had come I 1 raised my up and about fifty yards away about a fire I 1 saw a group of officers among whom was general grant he was sitting upon a campstool drinking amm a tm cup filled with coffee which the soldiers had just brought him As I 1 came up he seemed seemed greatly surprised and said why fred I 1 thought I 1 left you safe on the boat yes sir you did I 1 answered well then how did you manage to get here 1 I told my story and as I 1 finished my father smiled and said very well you cannot get back now I 1 suppose and he be thereupon went on with his conversation with the officers about him A little later we went to an abandoned house about a half a mile away and there general grant stayed lor for the night I 1 remember I 1 laid down on the floor among the men and slept soundly until morning 1 I suppose your lather father sent you back to the boat the next day no he did not replied colonel grant from that time on until the end of the siege I 1 remained with the soldiers much of the time I 1 was with father and much of the time with general logan often I 1 was alone I 1 was in a number of skirmishes and battles and I 1 saw war as it really is pl it is a wonder to me you were not wounded colonel during so much fighting 1 I have been shot twice replied colonel grant my first wound I 1 received during this vicksburg campaign in a skirmish near the black river the confederates had retreated to the river and 1 I with a number of others was running after them I 1 was on horseback and when I 1 got to the bank of the river I 1 SAW many of the rebels swimming for the opposite shore I 1 stopped my horse and was watching these fellows when some one on the opposite bank tired fired at me hitting me on the thigh my leg is now paralyzed at that point how did it feel when the ball struck you I 1 asked the first sensation was that of a great blow followed with a smarting pain almost like that of a bee eting ain I 1 thought I 1 was killed and must have ave grown very pa pale lefor for colonel Lagow who came dashing up at that time asked me what was the matter I 1 told him I 1 was rifled killed a statement which evidently surprised him for he asked me where I 1 was shot 1 I replied in the leg and he thereupon asked me to see if I 1 could move my toes I 1 tried it and found that I 1 could colonel lagow then told me that I 1 was not badly hurt I 1 afterward found that he was right it was only a flesh wound though it has caused me a great deal oi ot trouble since then As it was I 1 vir wrapped rapped a cloth about my leg and kept it in the saddle until the battle was over but did not your father pay some attention to you at such times not much replied colonel grant he che could not you see he had bad his hands full fall of other things how about your morhet I 1 should think she would have been terribly alarmed no she was not was the reply acs she he never knew of my dangers until they were over and she did not bother herself about things that were past how did general grant appear in battle I 1 asked just the same as in peace was the ay iy rep reply he did not grow excited ey cited and he seen tied quiet and self possessed when others were troubled I 1 could usually tell how he felt by looking at his face his blue eyes would often flash and his expression become determined on the battlefield he would ride with his head erect to the points where the heaviest firing was going on he seemed to see everything and he took into account the smallest and seemingly least important details I 1 was by his side at the battle of champion hill when he |
