Said a leading Confederate general after the Civil War was over:

"When we found Grant in front of us we knew we had a bulldog who would never let loose."

At Shiloh, when the Union army had been driven back for quite a distance and defeat seemed probable, one of Grant's generals, greatly alarmed, cried out, "We're beaten !"

"It's early yet," responded Grant with the utmost coolness.

When the attack was in progress at Missionary Ridge, near Chattanooga, and the Federal troops were climbing the steep sides of the mountain in the face of a fire which stretched hundreds upon ground, one Union general, standing by the side of Grant, declared, "They'll never make it!" "Oh, give 'em time, General, give 'em time," Grant replied, not even taking his cigar from his mouth.

The men took their time, and soon had possession of the Confederate works, driving the enemy before them.

Grant was as calm when under fire as when sitting in his tent.

spoken of in history had more control over himself.

He was never heard to use a profane word, and never raised his voice

in anger.

He gave his orders in an ordinary tone, but gave them so clearly that none could fail to understand them.

He was never impatient, never anxious or worried (so far as those around him could observe), and his face at no time betrayed his thoughts.

His countenance was like that of a stone statue.

The only evidence of disapproval he was ever known to display was a lightning flash of the eye.

General Grant's silence was not the result of a disinclination to talk.

When occasion arose he was never at a loss for words to express his ideas, but during the Civil War, when burdened with the heaviest of responsibilities, he was too preoccupied to devote much time to conversation.

He invariably worked out his own plans of campaign, and did not care for the advice or suggestions of others.

"I never held a council of war in my life," he said after the war had closed.

Grant not only directed the movements of armies, corps and divisions, but he saw to the details as well. When he issued an order it was only after having carefully considered the situation.

Above all things, however, was the stubbornness of the man.

When he had made up his mind to do a thing, he was not to be persuaded to do anything else.

"Mr. Grant is a very obstinate man," remarked Mrs. Grant to some ladies at a White House reception.

She rarely spoke of him other than as "Mr. Grant," and never referred to him as "General Grant" except when it was a matter of official necessity. Apart from Grant, Generals W. T. Sherman and P. H. Sheridan were considered as the most brilliant commanders on the Federal side.

Both paid tribute to the genius of the "Old Commander." Sheridan was always enthusiastic in speaking of Grant.

"Sherman and I would get together," Sheridan said one day, “and map out a plan of campaign. We were ready to fight it, and win it, too, on the lines laid down.

"Then we would take it to Grant.

"He would look it over carefully and make a few changes, which strengthened and simplified it-made it better than ours in many ways-and then Sherman and myself would wonder why it was we hadn't thought of those things in the first place."

GRANT WAS NOT MUCH OF A DEBATER.

Praise, blame, honor, censure, applause, criticism-none of these had the slightest effect upon General Grant.

He did not argue with those who failed to agree with him; he held his tongue and went straight ahead.

"I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer," he wrote to General Halleck, just after the beginning of the Wilderness campaign in 1864.

He was losing men in battle at the rate of thousands every day, and President Lincoln had been appealed to to put a general in command who had more regard for the lives of the soldiers.

Mrs. Lincoln, wife of the President, declared Grant was nothing but "a butcher."

Every sort of influence was brought to bear to have Grant removed. Grant said not a word, although he knew what was going on at Washington.

Many generals would have quit fighting and hastened to the National Capital to see the President.

Grant was not that kind of a soldier. His place was in the field, and so he remained with his army.

President Lincoln was not disturbed by all this clamor. He had faith in Grant, and refused to remove him.

His confidence in Grant was such that he sent him encouraging letters and telegrams, although he well knew that the man to whom they were sent was not in need of them.

"The Confederate forces must be worn away by attrition," Grant had said before the Wilderness campaign opened.

"They have robbed the cradle and the grave to get men, and when they lose one he cannot be replaced."

A less determined man than Grant would have been discouraged at the fierce nature of the resistance encountered.

A man with less genius and farsightedness would not have had the situation so well in hand nor understood it so thoroughly.

None saw so far under the surface as Grant; others were deceived into believing that the Confederacy was stronger than it really was, and capable of holding out years longer than it did.

Grant had not been deceived. He felt that the life of the Confederacy was short, and that when the Wilderness campaign was fought to a finish the people at Washington would appreciate what had been done.

Meantime, he took no one into his confidence. Even President Lincoln did not know just what Grant's plans were, but he was willing to wait.

Lincoln was of the opinion that the war was nearing its end, after Grant had hammered it awhile, and that Grant would not loosen his grip until the end.

The quiet, silent, stern man at the front was a man after Lincoln's own heart, notwithstanding that the President, one of the most kindly of human beings, regretted the bloodshed.

Yet, it was plain to him that in order to put a stop to the fighting it was necessary to use harsh measures and force the opposition to surrender; that hundreds of thousands of lives must be sacrificed, and that the merciful commander was he who fought the hardest and ended the war the soonest. So Lincoln let Grant alone.

As Grant had paid little or no attention to several suggestions sent from the War Department, there was reason to believe he did not wish any interference or advice.

The summer of 1864 wore away; then the autumn came and went; win

ter arrived; and when the cold weather was over spring put in its appearance. On the ninth day of the second month of that spring General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant, and the war

was over.

LINCOLN'S "MEDAL" LETTER TO GRANT.

The following is a copy of the letter President Lincoln wrote General Grant in transmitting the resolutions of Congress and the gold medal voted him:

Lieutenant-General Grant:

Executive Mansion, March 7, 1865.

In accordance with a joint resolution of Congress, approved December 16, 1863, I now have the honor of transmitting and presenting to you, in the name of the people of the United States of America, a copy of said resolutions engrossed on parchment, together with the gold medal, therein ordered and directed.

Please accept for yourself and all under your command the renewed expression of my gratitude for your and their arduous and well-performed public service. Your obedient servant,

(The medal cost $6,000.)

A. LINCOLN.

Grant was, in the sight of others, the only man in all the armies of the United States not overcome with joy, and yet it was he who had brought it about.

The result was no surprise to him. It was simply what he had set out to accomplish. He had seen ahead, when others merely blinked and made blind guesses; while others were talking he was working.

There was no more criticism of Grant after the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox.

The Confederate soldiers were grateful because of his kindness to them, and both North and South appreciated the wisdom of President Lincoln's reply to the demands made for the "Old Commander's" removal, "Let Grant alone."

Grant returned to the North to receive the thanks of the people, but in spite of all the adulation and hero-worship he was ever the same modest, simple, plain man.

He showed his greatness in maintaining his self-control, and his true patriotism and love of country was made manifest by his immortal appeal— "Let us have peace.'

An Englishman of prominence in official life was present at a reception. given General Grant shortly after the close of the Civil War.

He was amazed at the manner in which the celebrated soldier was greeted, as well as Grant's demeanor.

"I never saw anything like it in all my life," he declared.

"I have been in nearly all the countries of the world. Here is the victorious general, the commander of all your armies, and he is as approachable as the most ordinary man.

"Why, in England, you couldn't get within pistol-shot of the colonel of a regiment, much less the Commander-in-Chief of the forces.

"This is a wonderful country, to be sure."

GRANT NEVER ON PARADE.

Grant was never on parade. During the Civil War he rarely wore a sword, and in winter he preferred the overcoat of the private soldier to the elegantly trimmed garment worn by the members of his staff.

He was so retiring and shy that, unless his identity was known, he would never attract attention in a crowd.

While the Federals were cooped up in Chattanooga-the Confederates having possession of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, both being points of the utmost importance-Grant was sent there to take command and stir things up.

A masterly inactivity had prevailed which did not suit the President, and he, therefore, called upon Grant, who had demonstrated his ability in the way of keeping his opponents busy.

Grant had been on duty in the West, and while the officers and men of the Eastern armies had heard much about him, none had seen him.

It was expected he would make his entry into Chattanooga in a formal and imposing way, he being now in command of the forces in and around there, and all were eager for a glimpse of the man who had fallen into the habit of winning every battle he fought.

The day set for Grant's arrival came, but as the hours passed there were no signs of the General-in-Chief.

Great disappointment was expressed, and some officers went so far as to say that Grant was in no particular hurry to "tackle a job" upon which so much depended.

Toward evening anxiety succeeded impatience, but still there was no Grant in evidence.