There is another danger for a man who tells the story of
great transactions, in which he has taken part, whether legislative,
executive, military, or political, or any other, in which
the combined action of many persons was required for the result.
He is apt to claim, consciously or unconsciously, that he
himself brought the whole thing about.
"Papa," said the little boy to the veteran of the Civil War,
"Did anybody help you to put down the Rebellion?"
This peril specially besets narrators in their old age. I
am afraid I can hardly escape it.
I once heard General George H. Thomas relate to a brilliant
company at a supper party, among whom were Chief Justice Chase,
General Eaton, Commissary General in two wars, Senator Trumbull,
William M. Evarts, Joseph Henry, John Sherman, his brother
the General, and several other gentlemen of equal distinction,
the story of the battles of Nashville and Franklin. The story
was full of dramatic interest. Yet no one who heard it would
have known that the speaker himself had taken part in the
great achievement, until, just at the end, he said of the
Battle of Nashville that he thought of sending a detachment
to cut off Hood's army at a ford by which he escaped after
they were defeated, but he concluded that it was not safe
to spare that force from immediate use in the battle.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25