Dear Julia: Two Grant Letters

E. B. (Pete) Long, of the American Peoples Encyclopedia , has made several notable contributions to Civil War studies. He recently edited Grant's Memoirs for World Publishing Co., with Dr. Eisenschiml co-authored As Luck Would Have It, and now is editing CWH's column, "The Continuing War." Dear Julia: Two Grant Letters E. B. LONG not much of a general, just a butcher, give anyone enough men and he can win, he came in at the end, too stupid to be a great strategist, just a drunkard. This was Ulysses S. Grant in the eyes of some critics of his day and even of this day. But in that slow distilling process that is real historical evaluation, a new image of General Grant is emerging. It comes from the work of Lloyd Lewis, Bruce Catton, K. P. Williams and others. Grant the human being and the real military genius is the result. Here is further proof of his humanism, further proof of his strength of character and the deep seated ability lying within that plain appearing man. Ralph G. Newman of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop is the owner of two letters from General Grant to his wife and believed to be now published for the first time. They are letters never meant for the public eye. Perhaps publication before this would have been a sacrilege in a way. Unless written purely for the public, as in some cases, a man's letters to his wife are sacred. But in this instance they are such simple, such forthright, such affectionate and revealing epistles that it is suspected Grant would only blush a little inwardly and say nothing if he knew they were printed. It was after his first great victory when his words "Unconditional Surrender " spread across the land fastened to his initials. At Fort Donelson in February of 1862, a brief letter with imperfect spelling, written in haste to catch a boat. There are expressions of love for his wife and family , a blunt, deep, secure affection. He will write often to make up for his short notes. But here in the early morning of his career is one more paragraph that should help to end those cries of "Grant the Butcher." In words intended only for his family Grant writes, "These terrible battles are very good things to read about for persons who loose no friends but I am decidedly 62E.B.LONG in favor of having as little of it as possible. The way to avoid it is to push forward as vigorously as possible." Here is Grant the General and a restrained, deep-running awareness of war, its phases, its costs, with no emotional heroics, just understanding. He didn't always follow this advice until he reached Virginia; he wasn't allowed to. But though it took the General two years to grow into his words we have here what may well be called his philosophy of war. There is so much in these few syllables. There is one little mistake, however — " 'Secesh' is now about on its last legs in Tennessee. I want to push on as rapidly as possible to save hard fighting." "Secesh" was not dead; Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, were to prove it. Grant wasn't always right — he learned that and profited thereby. Then there comes a quieter time, a lull from fighting the enemy. But there were other struggles going on. From that beautiful home above the Tennessee River at Savannah, Grant wrote once more to his wife on March 29, 1862. He speaks of the illness of himself and his staff. Again there is that error, perhaps caused by yearning for an end of it all. "A big fight may be looked for someplace before a great while which it appear to me will be the last in the West." That big fight someplace was soon — down the river at Shiloh Meeting House, but again it wasn't the "last in the West," and Grant didn't heed his own warning to be ready for it. But although there was a lull in the fighting there was Halleck and his intrigue. General Halleck whom Grant trusted. The whine about...