This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...of dismissal from the service. The next seven years of his life were sad and discouraging. He drifted from place to place, having none of the business ability commonly called practical. At no time did he earn even a fair livelihood, or provide for his family more than a meagre sustenance. Slight of. frame, silent to a ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...of dismissal from the service. The next seven years of his life were sad and discouraging. He drifted from place to place, having none of the business ability commonly called practical. At no time did he earn even a fair livelihood, or provide for his family more than a meagre sustenance. Slight of. frame, silent to a fault, incurably simple in kind and habit, and driven from his profession by his own weakness, none could have anticipated a career for him in 1860. Lee and McClellan, of social standing and military brilliance, were marked men before the war began. Grant was distrusted, down and out. He did not overvalue himself, and when he volunteered his services, first to the adjutantgeneral at Washington, then to McClellan at Cincinnati, he thought of no greater responsibility than that of colonel. Ignored in his applications, he took what came to him without complaint, and entered a volunteer regiment in his adopted state. Slowly but inevitably he rose. Under stress he produced a will that his native indolence disguised. Well-known, and to his own detriment, by his superiors, no promotion came to him unearned. Halleck gave him as little rope as he could. McClellan had no confidence in him. After Fort Donelson, he was relieved from command on scanty pretext which Halleck had not enough candor to admit when he restored him. After Shiloh, he was again superseded until Halleck was transferred to Washington. Yet he compelled promotion. The rumors of his past bad habits handicapped him more and more as he rose. There is no evidence that, during the war, drink at any time interfered with the performance of his duties. If it ever did, the loyalty that he inspired in all those who approached his person has led them to conspire to keep it secret. "I can't sp...
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