Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-24
GENERAL GRANTS EARLY EXPERT
ENCE IN THE WAR.


Sitting around blazing camp fire, short
time ago, several Illinois officers related
their experiences Of General Grant in civil
life. Here is what General John +. Smith
said on the subject:
don't believe any man in Illinois knew
Grant better than / did, and think had
quite as much to do as any other man IN
bringing him into the war. l lived IN Gale
ma, at the time. Grants place OF business
was near mine. He kept a hardware and
saddlery store. / used to drop in TO see him
very often, on my way home, and he and
would generally smoke our pipes together,
in his office adjoining his store. He was a
very poor business man, and never liked to
wait on customers. If a customer called in
the absence of the clerks, he would tell him
to wait few minutes till one of the clerks
returned, and if he couldn't wait, the Gene
raj would 90 behind the counter, very re-
uctantly, and drag down whatever was
wanted but he hardly ever knew the price
of il, and, in nine cases out of ten, he
charged either too much or too little. He
would rather talk about the Mexican war,
than wait upon the best customer in the
world.
When the war broke ont, | told him, one
day, that was going down to Springfield to
see Governor Yates, who had sent for me.
Grant merely remarked, in a quiet way,
"You can say to the Governor that if can
be of any use TO him in the organization OF
these regiments, will be glad to do what
can" | went to Springfield, and made ar
rapgements Immediately for Grant TO be sent
for. He came right down, and went to work
TO organize ten regiments called out as sort
of home guard, for thirty days at first. but
afterward enlisted for three years. When
he had done this, and was ready to go home,
Governor Y ues offered him the colOnelcy
of the 2lst regiment, one of the ten. lie ac-
cepted il, and Immediately went TO camp.
went with him, and snail never forget the
scene that occurred when his men first saw
him. 1t was very laughable. Grant was
dressed very clumsily, in citizens clothes
an old coat, worn out at the elbows, and
badly diuged plug hat. His men, though rag
ged and barefOOted themselves, had formed
a high estimate of what Colonel ought TO
be. and when Grant walked in among them
they began making fun of him. They cried
out in derSion, "Look at our Colonel,
sWhat Colonel ~ "D-n such Colonel"
and made all sorts of fun of him. few of
them, to "show off, to the others, got behind
his back and commenced sparring at him,
aud while one was doing this, another gave
him such push that made him hit Grant a
terrible blow between the shoulders. The
General soon showed them that they must
not Judge the officer by the uniform, and be-
fore he got through, the unruly fellows felt
very mucl mortified. One of them gener-
ously confessed that it was all in fun, and
hoped the new Colonel wouldn't get mad
about it. But he did.
70 xunrlr ipnunaSiafalv and in a
very short time had his men clothed and fixed
up in good style.
At this stage of the conversation General
Logan Joined in as follows:
And / can tell you that Grant came very
near going out of the service at the end Of
the thirty DAYS for which his regiment was
first called out. met him on the streets of
Springfield one day, looking very badly. He
tol me that he felt discouraged, because his
regiment didn't want to re-enlist for three
wears. His men were getting tired of sol
diering, and wanted to go home. He asked
me to 20 to the camp and make speech to
the boys, and did it. | told them all about
the glories in store for them, and how grand
il would be for them to be coming home TO
their wives and sweethearts at the end of
three years. Whether my speech was good
all enlisted for three years, and a few days
afterward they started for Cairo, under Col.
Grant.
General Logan then related how Grant
came to be promoted to Brigadier General.
1t was not for meritorious service, for he
hadn't had chance to show himself meri-
torious. was in Congress at the time. 1t
was Just before resigned. Lincoln sent in
request to the Illinois delegation to Lomi-
nate nine men for Brigadier Generals. We
met in caucus to do this, and Grant received
one more vote than any other Of the nine.
Among the nine were McClernand, Prentiss,
Hurlbut, Palmer, and others whose names
/ have forgotten. Dick Richardson was
among them, but he declined. Grant was
in Cairo at the time, aud he knew nothing
about his promotion until it had been de-
cided on. We all went for him.