A SCOTCH TRAVELLER.–

A SCOTCH TRAVELLER, on a visit to the United States, furnished the following anecdote of General Grant:

“The day before Grant attacked Fort Donelson, the troops had had a march of twenty miles, part of it during a bitter cold night. Grant called a council of war, to consider whether they should attack the fort at once, or should give the troops a day or two’s rest. The officers were in favor of resting. Grant said nothing till they had all given their opinion; they he said: ‘There is a deserter come in this morning–let us see him, and hear what he has to say.’ When he came in, Grant looked into his knapsack. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Fort Donelson.’ ‘Six days’ rations in your knapsack, have you not, my man?’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘When were they served out?’ ‘Yesterday morning.’ ‘Were the same rations served out to all the troops?’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘Gentlemen,’ said Grant, ‘troops do not have six days’ rations served out to them in a fort if they mean to stay there. These men mean to retreat–not to fight. We will attack at once.’”

This entry was posted on 19. July 2009 at 00:07 and is filed under Recent Entries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

| Print