delights of it, is more than ought to be expected of me." After a handsome eulogy of the army he passed to the question of international arbitration, of which he said, “I, for one, am perfectly willing to pass all subjects of the controversy to the peace congress. We of the regular army are essentially peace men. We love peace—we love it so well that we will fight for it. That is all you did in the You rose up and buckled on your armor that you might secure peace in the land you loved —loved dearer than your lives."

war.

At Hartford, in 1881, at the reunion, he paid his respects to Jefferson Davis's "Rise and Fall of Southern Confederacy," then first published. Said he: 'I confess I have not seen the volume, only the copious extracts, and hardly know whether to treat them seriously or jocularly. It was not expected that he would feel kindly to those who awakened him so rudely from his dream of empire; but surely in stating facts beyond the reach of his vision or understanding, he ought to have approximated the truth even as to his enemies. Assuming the quotations published to be authentic, I wish to say that it was lucky for Mr.

Davis that General Johnston, in May, 1864, did not obey his orders and assume the offensive from Dalton to the north side of the Tennessee River. One would suppose that after the experience of Johnston and Hood, whose skill and courage no man disputes, even Mr. Davis would be convinced that the aggressive campaign foreshadowed in his seven general propositions of April 16, 1864, was the veriest nonsense. Johnston did not have at Dalton 70,000 men, and Mr. Davis ought to have known it, and Johnston on the spot was better qualified to judge than Mr. Davis at Richmond."

HIS LAST ARMY SPEECH.

I could fill columns with extracts from his speeches at these reunions, teeming with personal reminiscences, historic facts, wit, wisdom and patriotism. His last appearance before us was at Portland last summer, and he was never more happy or more overflowing with that geniality which ever characterized his grand and yet simple His place is vacant, and the “boys” in the East will miss him quite as much as the

nature.

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"boys" of the West who followed him unfalteringly through many glorious campaigns until they joined their companions at Washington in that final review of the finest army the world ever saw. General Sherman's affection for any and all men who wore the blue was unstinted. In a recent conversation with Major D. F. Wright and myself he said he expected to be laid at rest in St. Louis, and wanted to be buried by his old Post Ransom, a wish which was fully carried out. It is an exceptional honor that all old soldiers are justified in envying.

I

BY GEORGE W. CHILDS.

RECALL an incident which happened while

we were at Long Branch, just after General Sherman's Memoirs had been published. Referring to the work, I asked if General Grant had read it. He said he had not had time to do so. One of the persons present observed, "Why, General, you won't find much in it about yourself. Sherman doesn't seem to think you were in the war." The General said, "I don't know; I have seen some adverse criticisms, but I am going to read it and judge the book for myself."

After he had perused the work carefully and attentively, I asked him what he thought of it. "Well," he said, "it has done me full justice. It has given me more credit than I deserve. Any criticism I might make would be that I think Sherman has not done justice to Logan, Blair, and other volunteer generals, whom he calls political generals. These men did their duty faith

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fully, and I never believe in imputing motives to people."

General Sherman had sent to me the proofsheets of that portion of the Memoirs relating to General Grant before the book was published, and asked if I had any suggestions to make, and if I thought he had been just to the General. I informed General Grant that I had read these proof-sheets, and that I thought, as he did, that General Sherman had done him full justice. General Grant had the highest opinion of General Sherman as a military man, and always entertained a great personal regard for him. He was always magnanimous, particularly to his army associates. He was a man who rarely used the pronoun I in conversation when speaking of his battles.

There is an amusing little incident I recall, a propos of a large painting of General Sherman on his "March to the Sea," which hangs in the hall of my Long Branch house, and which was painted by Kauffmann. Sherman sits in front of the tent, in a white shirt, without coat or vest. The picture shows a camp-fire in front, and the moonlight in