March 6, 1865
I think I must relate to you a small story which they have
as a joke against Major-General Crawford. As the story will indicate, the
Major-General has some reputation for possessing a decided admiration of the
looks and figure of his own self. There came to the army a young artist, who
was under a certain monied person. The young artist was to make models for bronze
medallions, and the monied person was to sell the same and take the profits, if
any. He proposed to model the commander of the army, and each of the corps
commanders, and General Webb, but no one else. As the artist was modelling away
at General Webb, he asked: “Isn't General Crawford rather an odd man?” “What
makes you ask that?” says the Chief-of Staff? “Why, he waked me up in the
middle of the night, and asked what I could make a statuette of him for! I
told him $400 and he said he thought he would have it done!” Webb, who is a
cruel wag, said naught, but, the next time he met C., asked him if he had seen
the young sculptor who had come down. “Seen him!” quoth C. “My dear fellow, he
has done nothing but follow me round, boring me to sit for a statuette!”
General Hunt was telling me an anecdote of Grant, which
occurred during the Mexican War and which illustrates what men may look for in
the way of fame. It was towards the last of the fighting, at the time when our
troops took by assault the works immediately round the City of Mexico. Grant
was regimental quartermaster of the regiment commanded by Colonel Garland; and,
it appears, at the attack on the Campo Santo, he, with about a dozen men, got
round the enemy's flank and was first in the work. Somewhat after, he came to
the then Lieutenant Hunt and said: “Didn't you see me go first into that work
the other day?” “Why, no,” said Hunt, “it so happened I did not see you, though
I don't doubt you were in first.” “Well,” replied Grant, “I was in
first, and here Colonel Garland has made no mention of me! The war is nearly
done; so there goes the last chance I ever shall have of military
distinction!” The
next time, but one, that Hunt saw him, was at Culpeper, just after he was made
Lieutenant-General. “Well, sir!” cried our Chief-of-Artillery, “I am glad to
find you with some chance yet left for military distinction!”
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 312-3
