John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[289] Book of Poetry, but on learning those facts later, I frequently tested the accuracy of his memory by reading passages from his book and then asking who wrote them, and I cannot recall a single instance in which he did not answer correctly except where the author was marked “Anonymous.” It is an interesting circumstance which surprised us both, that General Lawler, the plain, old-fashioned southern Illinois farmer whom Dana called “The high Dominie Dudgeon,” made it one of his innocent boasts during the Vicksburg campaign, that no man in the army could repeat a line of standard English poetry of which he could not repeat the one preceding and the one following it. We never lost an opportunity to test the accuracy of that remarkable man's memory, and, greatly to our gratification, never failed to find it as good as he claimed it to be.

Before leaving this subject I should perhaps state that all through life Dana was a delightful conversationalist, who never seemed to forget anything he had ever read, but was at once able to call it to mind. Always cheerful, bright, and kindly himself, and taking an optimistic view of life, he treated its phenomena as a true philosopher, and commented upon the world's great men of every grade and nationality, not.only without heat or prejudice, but with marked moderation and charity. Never, even in the midst of his most exciting controversies as a journalist, was he known, strange as it may seem, to speak a word of bitterness or contempt against his most deadly antagonist.

For the light it threw on Dana's own characteristics, this ride into east Tennessee was a memorable one. It was made still more so by the fact that we got back just in time to participate in the preliminary movements and the great battle of Missionary Ridge. Dana, of course, reported his return at once, and the next day received a gratifying reply in which Stanton rejoiced at his safety,