Reminiscences of Sixty Years in Public Affairs, Vol. 2Boutwell, George S. (George Sewall)
History
Reminiscences of Sixty Years in Public Affairs, Vol. 2
Boutwell, George S. (George Sewall)
Boutwell, George S. (George Sewall), 1818-1905; United States -- Politics and government
The imperturbability of spirit which was indicated in his conversation
and movements was deep-seated in his nature. I was with him in a
night trip to New York; when the train was derailed in part. As the
wheels of the car struck the sleepers, he grasped the back of the seat
in front of him and remained motionless, while many of the passengers
added to their peril by abandoning their seats.
On a time General Grant received a pair of large roan horses from his
farm in Missouri. He invited me to take one of the horses and join him
in a ride on the saddle. I declined the invitation. I was then invited
to take a seat with him in an open wagon. When we were descending a
slight declivity one of the horses laid his weight on the pole and
broke it, although the parts did not separate. General Grant placed
his foot upon the wheel, thus making a brake and saving us from a
disaster. General Grant's faculties were at command on the instant
and under all circumstances.
When the Ku Klux organizations were active in the South, the President
gave members of Congress to understand that he would send a message
with a recommendation for punitive legislation. Upon reflection he
came to doubt the wisdom of the measure, especially as the use of the
military forces at New Orleans and elsewhere had been criticised in the
country. While the subject was thus undisposed of, I received a
message from the President which ended with a request that I should
accompany him to the Capitol. On the way he informed me that he
doubted the wisdom of a message and that he intended to so inform those
to whom he had given encouragement. At the interview which followed
several members who were present urged adherence to the original policy.
While the discussion was going on, the President returned to his
original opinion and wrote a message which was transmitted to the
Congress after one or two verbal changes that may have been suggested by
Secretary Fish or Secretary Robeson.
General Grant's sense of justice was exact and he did not spare himself
in his criticism. He said to me in conversation, what is indicated in
his Memoirs, that he assumed some responsibility upon himself for the
removal of General Warren at Five Forks. He had known that General
Warren was disqualified by natural defects from command in the field,
and hence that it was an error on his part that he had not assigned
Warren to duty at a station.
Again he said to me that his final campaign against Vicksburg was the
only one of his campaigns that he could not criticise adversely when
tested by reflection and experience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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