general, either living or dead, and perhaps not an equal.
People think he is only capable of leading an army in battle,
or to do a particular thing he is told to do. But I mean,
all the qualities of a commander which enable him to direct
over as large a territory as any two nations can cover in
war. He has judgment, prudence, foresight, and power to deal
with the dispositions needed in a great war. I entertained
this opinion of him before he became generally known in the
late war." I was so impressed with this generous tribute of
one great soldier to another that, as soon as the interview
was over, I wrote it down and asked Mr. Frye to join with
me in certifying to its correctness. It is now before me,
and has the following certificate: "The foregoing is a correct
statement of what General Grant said to me and Mr. Frye in
a conversation this morning in the President's room. February
15, 1875. George F. Hoar." "I heard the above conversation,
and certify to the correctness of the above statement of it.
William P. Frye."

I heard General Grant express a like opinion of Sheridan
under circumstances perhaps even more impressive. I was a
guest at a brilliant dinner-party given by Mr. Robeson, Secretary
of the Navy, where Grant, General Sherman, General Sheridan,
Commodore Alden, Admiral Porter, Chief Justice Chase, Attorney-
General E. R. Hoar, Lyman Trumbull, Mr. Blaine, and some
other men of great distinction were present. There were about
twenty guests. Mr. James Russell Lowell was of the company.
I believe no one of that brilliant circle is now living. Commodore
Alden remarked, half in jest, to a gentleman who sat near
him, that there was nothing he disliked more than a subordinate
who always obeyed orders. "What is that you are saying, Commodore?"
said President Grant, across the table. The Commodore repeated
what he had said. "There is a good deal of truth in what
you say," said General Grant. "One of the virtues of General
Sheridan was that he knew when to act without orders. Just
before the surrender of Lee, General Sheridan captured some
despatches from which he learned that Lee had ordered his
supplies to a certain place. I was on the other side of the
river, where he could get no communication from me until the
next morning. General Sheridan pushed on at once without
orders, got to the place fifteen minutes before the rebels,
and captured the supplies. After the surrender was concluded,
t