The Shasta courier., 1868-08-15
Yates OH Grant--Reminiscences of War
Times In Illinois

4 ates OH Grant--Reminiscences of War
Times In Illinois.
Mr. +. A. Townsend, in letter to the Cleye-
land Leader, says:
In pursuit of information about General
Grant, called on Senator Richard Yates, at
the Avenue Hotel, last Sunday. He is
Kentuckian by birth, fifty years old, distin-
guished frame and head, and a pleasant sim
plicity and sincerity of speech, more slow
than plausible, and, as l beleave the least
arttul and the most candid of Senators.
He was a farmers son, and his larger po-
litical life began in 1912, since which time he
has risen steadily, grade by grade, to the
office OF Governor, and at last to the Senator
stIp. Lincoln loved him heartily, and he
stood among the highest and best of war
Governors. His labors at Springfield, in the
camps, and at Washington, when he equip
ped and sent to the field 2S2 regiments of
men, affected his sanguine temperament and
in the relapse of peace his nervous system
felt the result. The same was the case with
most war Governors; Brough, Hicks and
Andrew died; Morton is paralyzed Curtin
had to hasten to Havana and Europe to keep
alive. Gov. Yates was instrumental in the
election of Trumbull, his colleague, and he
gave Grant his first volunteer command.
Grant, said the Governor, came down to
Springfield dressed in common working
clothes. He looked very much as he does
now, ordinary, taciturn, unpretentious.-
when he presented himself to me he said:
"Governor, the United States educated me.
l want to be of use to her now that she is in
danger"
nt a1 rbak ho Id 10 Io
Any place where l can be useful" said
Grant, '' it don't matter much p
The system at that time was to commission
only officers who had raised companies
Yates, hurried and overrun, told Grant, and
and the latter, whose money had nearly run
out paying hotel board. dropped in again,
hat in hand, and asked Yates if anything had
turned up.
6 Can you write military orders ?' asked
the Governor.
Eyes"
g Well, I'll give you desk In my office,
and you will find pleanty to do"
" There" said Yates. "Grant worked
away satisfactorily, though my hands were
iull and everything was more or less dis
organized, and had no time to observe him,
and he was never forward to speak. After
wards | put him in the Adiutant Generals
office, and, although we did not notice it par
ticularly at the time, we have found since
that he laid the foundation there of what is
now probably the best Adjutant Generals
Office in the United States. Before the war
it was nothing. During all this time Grant
was seldom in my mind. l had too much to
do to keep personal watch over every officer
in the State, and did not look out partieu-
larly for the Coming Man. But Grant made
no mistakes, and l saw that his West Point
knowledge was useful to US.
:" Near by Springfield there was large
camp termed Camp Yates. containing 20, 600
perhaps. Ii was source of ANNOYANCE to
me. | could not find anybody to keep the
men snbIect and see that they were made
clean, properly, fed, and taught the germs
of organization. | sent Grant out there,
and pretty soon the complaint ceased Then
sent him on a tour to various camps
through the State, but still had no command
to give him, under the arbitrary system of
giving only places to those who had raised
organizations. He went away at last to visit
Covington, Kentucky, where his father lived.
did not like to see our Illinois boys enter
the service of another commonwealth, and
| soon found a chance directly to dispace a
Colonel or rather to send him to different
command, and then | telegraphed to Grant {:
"' Will you take command of the st
Regiment. Answer.
''sRIcHARD Yates
/" Grant replied
"' will. Start Immediately.
U. S. GRANT
He arrived promptly and took the position.
Still had no exalted expectations of him.
He was not brisk, nervous, attractive man.
His face and figure were not so striking that
anybody could pick him out of troop, like
Saul, and he did not say enough to interest
me- Out of 2S2 Colonels that | commission
ed thought it as probable that 2Sl of them
would become famous as Grant.
He did one thing, however, which have
since thought was significant of his future
good sense and enterprise. His regiment
was the most demoralized one that we had in
Illinois. 1t had become insubordinate and
allowed to go to seed. Grant started the pro
cess of breaking it in by compelling it to
march across the State of Missouri, and he
was the first of our Colonels who had econ
omy and pluck enough to save us the delay
and expense of railway transportation in this
manner. In this march he stopped strag
Cling and orchard-robbing by device orig
nal, good hurmored and effective. lie made
evrey straggler carry fence rail in line, and
as the march itself was tolerably laborious,
the fence rail did its work. He made fine
fighting regiment Of these men.
After speaking on many other trivial mat
ters. Gov. Yates said, in conclusion Is Hero
worshipers will be disappointed in Grant
don't take it to be any stolidness of mine
that failed to perceive genius in him. No
body else did. His genius is not ostentatious
nor dramatic. 1t is the genius of accomplish
ment that he has, When bis work is done,
there it is. done, and, except for the work,
ordinary as before. l don't make up for this
error of perception by visiting the General
twice as much now. as before. But, in the
light of his achievements, l feel the same con-
fidence and satisfaction in him that all the
people feel. The Democrats feel it, too. He
has no enemies in our State but political ones,
and one or two personal ones, like McCler-
nand. We will elect him with ease"