The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-08
DAILY LEADER.
General Grants Early ExPerienee in

General Grants EarIy Experience in
the War;
rf,orrsspondence Of Cincinnati oommercial.l
Sitting round blazing campfire few
evenings since, several Illinois officers re-
lated their experinces of General Grant in
civil life. Here is, as nearly as I can rec
ollect it, what General John E. Smith said
on the subject: 49,
81 don't believe any man in Illinois
knew Grant better than l did, and think
1 had quite as much to do as any other
man in bringing him into the war. j
lived in GAlena, at the time. He kept q
hardware and ssddlery store. / used 10
drop in to see him 'Sery often, on my way
home, and he and would generally smoke
our pipes together, in his Office adjoining
his store. BE was very poor busi-
ness man, and never liked TO wait
"a customers. If q customer called in the
absence of the clerks, he would tell him TO
wait few minutes till one Of the clerks re-
turned, and if he couldn't wait the Gener-
al would 20 behind the counter, very re-
llctsntly, and drag down whatever was
wanted but he hardly ever knew the
price of it, 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. .' 81
When the war broke out, told him,
one day, that was going down to Spring
field TO see Governor Yates, who had sent
for me. Grant merely remarked, in 8
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 70 do what 1 cam 1 went 70 Spring
field and made Arrangements Immediately
for Grant to be' sent for. He came right
down and went TO work to organize ten
regiments called out as q sort of home
guard, for thirty days at first, but after
ward enlisted tor three years. When he
had done this, and wSs ready to go home
Governor Yates offered him the Oolonelcy
of the 2lst Regiment, one of the ten. He
accepted it, and Immediately went TO camp.
l went with him, and | shall never forget
the scene that occurred when his men first
saw him. 1t was very lsughAble. Grant
was dressed very clumsily, in citizens
clOthes-an old coat, worn out at the ell
bows, and badly dinged plug hat. His
men, though ragged and bsTe-tOoted them
selves, had formed high estimate Of what
q Colonel ought 10 be, and when Grant
walked in among them they began making
fun Of him. They cried out in derisiOn,
Look st our Golonellp 7t'i What q Col
onelP p "D-n such g Colonel and made
all sorts of fun of him. A few OF them, TO
show off" To the others, got behind his
back and commenced spsrring st him, and
while one was doing this, another gave
him suca 3 push that il made him hit Grant
a terrible blow between the shoulders. The
General soon shoWsd them that they must
not judge the officer by the uniform, and
before he got through, the unruly fellows
felt very much mortified. 0ne OF them
generously confessed that it was all IN fun,
and hoped the new Colonel wouldn't get
mad about it. But he did. a- a.
"Grsnt went to work immediately, and
in very short time had his men clothed
and fixed up in good style.p 7s oa
AT this stage Ofthe conversation General
Logan joined in as follows;
"ADd l can tell you that Grant came
very near going out of the service at the
end Of the thirty days for which his Tegi-
nent was first called out. met him on |
the streets of Springfield one day, looking |
very badly. He told me thst he felt dis |
Doursged because his regiment didn want |
10 re-enlist for three years. His men were |
getting tired of soldering, and wanted to |
60 home. He asked me to go TO the camp |
and make speech 70 the boys, and did |
it. told them al about the glories in |
store for them, and how grand it would be |
for them TO be coming home TO their wives |
and sweethesrts at the end OF three years.
my speech was good or bad, it
had the desired effect; for the men all en-
listed for three years, and few days after
ward they started for Cairo, under Colonel
Grant"
General Logan then related how Gen.
Grant came TO be promoted to Brigsdier
General: ...-......
1t was not for. neritorious service, for
le hadn't had a chance to show himself
neritorious. was IN Congress st the time.
It was Just before I resigned. Lincoln
ent in request TO the Illinois delegation
% nominate nine men for Brigsdier |
Generals. We went in caucus TO do this,
md Grant received one more vote than
my other Of the nine. Among the nine
we're McClernandg Prentiss, Hurlbut Pal
ner, and others whose names have for
,otten. Dick Richardson was among them,
,ut he declined. Grant WAS in Cairo at
he time, and he knew nothing about his
,romolon until it had been decided Oh.
We al went for him.
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