What do you think of our General, Sergeant ?" Dick spoke with all the freedom then so prevalent in the American armies, where officer and man were often on nearly a common footing, and the sergeant replied with equal freedom.
"General Grant hits and hammers, and I guess that's what war is," he said.

"On the plains we had a colonel who didn't know much about tactics.

He said the only way to put down hostile Indians was to find 'em, and beat 'em, and I guess that plan will work in any war, big or little." "I heard before I left the army that Washington was getting scared, afraid that he was taking too big a risk here in the heart of the Confederacy, and that his operations might be checked by orders from the capital." Sergeant Whitley smiled a wise smile.
"We sergeants learn to know the officers," he said, "and I've had the chance to look at General Grant a lot.

He doesn't say much, but I guess he's doing a powerful lot of thinking, while he's chawing on the end of his cigar.

You notice, Mr.Mason, that he takes risks." "He took a big one at Shiloh, and came mighty near being nipped." "But he wasn't nipped after all, and now, if I can judge by the signs, he's going to take another chance here.