The transports at the river,' interposed one of the generals, 'will not carry over one-tenth part of our force, in face of the fire of the enemy.'

They will carry all there are of us, before we leave this battle unfought!' calmly added the hero. This reply settled the question. We fought on and conquered. Just as we were leaving the field the General in his quiet, dry way remarked that the staff-surgeon had told him he thought the enemy would drive us-playfully closing:

'Major Hewitt

Says they can do it:
General Grant

Says they can't!'

There was a pleasant smile at the expense of the Major, and we passed into our tents.

This invulnerability of purpose, this unshaken self-reliance, this immobility in danger and intrepidity of assault mark out Grant as the man of the hour. Obstructions in his path only serve to develop his power. He always carries with him a reserve force in his own breast. Other men, of course, have equal capacity, equal scientific skill, equal courage. But few men have equal rapidity of thought, invention and execution; very few men have equal vigor, persistency and determined perseverance. Never impatient, never delaying, never discouraged, he presses steadily on. When the blessing of Heaven goes

THE POCKET COMPASS.

305

with him, in a good cause, he cannot, will not and does not fail.

"I was present at a graphic scene," earnestly resumed the Major, who had just limped up from the front with a squad of wounded braves in his kind

care.

"What was it Major?" asked Ned, who was always ready to hear, his eyes brightening up for more

news.

We were standing around a tree in the field near Spottsylvania. Although it was early Sunday morning, the enemy was already at work attacking us. The shells were flying thick through the air, and some of them fell close by the quarters of Gen. Grant. One struck suddenly within a few feet of where he was standing and buried itself deep in the soft earth, without exploding.

The General stepped quickly forward to where the warm steam yet rose from the heated soil, and calmly surveyed the spot.

ee

Bring me a pocket-compass," said he, turning to an orderly.

It was brought instantly.

Stooping down on one knee he fixed the compass before him, and, as if he were surveying a lot of land, looked out in the direction from which the deadly missile had come.

er

Due south-west," he quietly observed. the gunners to aim in that direction.”

"Tell

It was quickly done; and in a moment more the Union shot and shell were raining so thickly on the rebel battery that it was driven at once from its position.

Such is the courage

of that noble heart such the

skill of that practised eye.

The respect for strict army discipline which Gen. Grant enjoins on others he is careful to observe himself.

Approaching the tent of one of his generals in the field for private consultation, he was about entering with his lighted cigar in his mouth. The sentinel, to whom he was then a stranger, on presenting arms politely said:

"The General does not allow any one to go in his tent smoking."

"Oh! very well!" said Grant. "That is right. The order of the General shall be obeyed!" Immediately he threw away his cigar, and, returning the soldier's salute, passed in.

Small things sometimes reveal the true greatness of men better than large ones.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

S

THE FIGHT CONTINUES.

(KIRMISHING had constantly occurred along both the lines of battle. Grant had expected stubborn resistance on the part of the enemy and was fully prepared for it. His progress was to be slow but sure.

Re-enforcements continued to be thrown forward to both armies.

The spot to which Grant had now driven Lee was beyond the "Wilderness.' It was in the vicinity of. Spottsylvania Court House, about fifty miles from Richmond. Lee had evidently calculated on beating Grant at this point, and driving him back on Washington. But, with all his calculations, the wily foe had not calculated on the splendid strategy and stubborn will and dauntless courage of Grant.

er

.

The use of strategy," said our hero to one of his staff, "is to get at the enemy. What I want to know is where to find him and how to get at him. When I know and can do that, if I have sufficient force the rest is all right.”

Lee had never met with such an antagonist before. In every onset the Union hosts behaved with splendid valor. Intercepted despatches of the enemy admitted that their courage and nerve were unexpected by the vaunting foe. On several occasions the troops of South Carolina and Massachusetts met face to face in deadly conflict; and in every instance the longboasted superiority of the Southron was boldly hurled headlong on the trembling ground and nobly trampled in the gory dust. at last to admit at the mouth of the cannon and the musket, the point of the bayonet and the edge of the sabre, that the hitherto despised Yankee was his equal on the field of battle. History has already attested him to be at least his equal in every other place.

He was bitterly compelled

In spite of all his boasting despatches to the rebel cabal at Richmond, Lee could no longer conceal the fact that he was compelled constantly to change position and as constantly to retreat. By the evening.of Monday, May 16th, we had again increased our capture of his guns, and the number of prisoners taken from him in fair fight swelled to thirteen thousand. He took from us but few prisoners except stragglers, only three or four guns, and utterly failed to reach the much-coveted and greatly-needed object of his fighting—our well-filled army train. His proportion of losses in killed and severely wounded far exceeded

ours.