who started the cry "On to Richmond." The parting between Greeley and Dana came, however, as a shock to the younger man. Greeley notified the stockholders that if he, Dana, did not leave, Greeley would. This was a blow to Dana, whose relations with Greeley had recently been most friendly and he thought that some misunderstanding must be at the bottom of it. He sent a friend to Greeley to test him out and found that it was true. Accordingly he resigned on March 28, 1862, and found himself at the age of forty-three, after fourteen years on the Tribune, one of the best equipped newspaper men in America, but with no place open for him.[1]
His ability, however, was known in Washington and the most important work of his life came through the accident of his non-employment. In 1863 he was asked to come to Washington, and President Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton employed him, not to spy on General Grant, but to tell them frankly whether it was true, as his enemies declared, that Grant was drinking himself into idiocy. His reports on Grant resulted in the General's receiving from Washington the heartiest cooperation.
The war over, he resigned as Assistant Secretary of War and went to Chicago to become the editor of the Republican. The paper, however, was not sufficiently financed, and again he was the journalist without the journal.
At a time when most men are settled in life, Dana was yet to begin a career. On January 25, 1868, a number of prominent Republicans paid Moses S. Beach $175,000 for the New York Sun and made Dana editor-in-chief. From that time on he was a national figure, not always of the greatest influence, but never in obscurity.
- ↑ O'Brien, Story of the Sun, 215.
