John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[192] became the chief point of interest in all that region. While not engaged in the actual work of the commission, Dana spent his time in riding up and down the levees at Cairo, in visiting the military camps, and in conferring with the leading generals. On July 4th he attended a celebration and dinner given by the officers at Memphis, where he had the pleasure of meeting, for the first time, General Grant and Major Rawlins, his adjutant-general. His impressions were favorable, for although he had heard Grant much discussed, and not always in the most complimentary terms, he had found him to be an exceedingly modest and unassuming man. Notwithstanding his great success, Grant had made many enemies, especially along the contractors and political generals, who did not hesitate to charge him with drunkenness and inefficiency. The newspapers had from the first been inimical to him, while several of the leading correspondents in the field had done all in their power to prejudice the government against him. Halleck, who should have been his friend, had virtually suspended him from command during the Shiloh campaign, and, before leaving for the East, had not only offered his command to another, but had actually arranged, in violation of all proper principles of military adiministration, to scatter the great army gathered in the field, because he doubted Grant's capacity to command it successfully. Under these adverse conditions, it is noteworthy that Grant produced a pleasant impression upon Dana as a man of simple, cordial, straightforward, and unpretending character. From that time forth, throughout the general's entire military career, this favorable impression suffered no diminution, but grew steadily both in depth and strength. The fact is that the acquaintance which began casually at Memphis developed into a cordial friendship during the Vicksburg campaign, and, as will be more fully shown in