Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-07-18
"reminiscences of Grant.

miniscences of his private and military
character:
Grant, he says, is about five feet ten
inches in hight, and will weigh one hun
dred and forty or forty-fye pounds
He has countenance indicative Of re-
serve, ard an indomitable will, aud per-
sistent purpose.
In dress he is indifferent and careless,
making no pretentions to style or fashion
able military display. Had he continued
Colonel till now, i think his uniform would
have lasted till this day; for he never us
ed it except on dress parade, and then
seemed to regard it a good deal as Dav-
id did Sauls armor
ellis body is vial ofintense existence"
and vet when stranger would see him
in a crowd he would never think of ask
ing his name. He is no dissembler. He
is sincere thinking real man.
He is always cheerful. No toll, cold,
heat, hunger, fatigue or want of money
| depresses him. lie does his work at
the time, and he requires all under his
command to be equally prompt. l was
walking over the camp with him one
morning after breakfast. 1t was usual
for each company 10 call the roll at
given hour. 1t was now probably a half
hour after the time for that duty. The
Colonel was quietly smoking his old meer-
schaum, and talking and walking along,
when he noticed company drawn up in
line and the roll being called. Heinstant
ly drew his pipe from his mouth and ex-
claimed: Captain, this is no time for
calling the roll. Order your men to their
quarters Immediately" The command
was instantly obeyed, and the Colonel
resumed his smoking and walked on, con-
versing as quietly as if nothing had lap
pened. For this violation of discipline,
those men went without rations that day
except what they gathered up privately
from among their friends of other COM
panies. Such breach of order was nev
er witnessed in the regiment afterward
while he was its Colonel. This prompt
ness, is one of Grains characteristics, and
it is one of the secrets of his success
On one of our marches, W hen passing thro'
one OF those small towns where the
grocery is the principal establishment,
some of the lovers of intoxica,ion had bro
ken away from our lines and filled their
canteens with whisky, and were soon
reeling and ungoeernable under its infu
ence. While apparently stopping the
regiment for rest, Grant passed quietly
along & took each carteen, and, where
ever he detected the fatal odor, emptied
the liquor on the ground with as much
nonchalanee as he would empty his pipe,
Iol ho o4r fIo,l hali,,1 thu
baggage wagons till they had sobered
into soldierly propriety. On this point
his orders were imperative; no whisky
nor Intoxicating beverage were allowed
in his camp
In the afternoon of very hot day in
July y1s6l while. the regiment was station
ed in the town of Mexico, Missouri, l
had gone to the cars rs they were pass
ing and procured the daily paper, ana
seated myself in the shadow of my tent
to read the news. In the telegraph col
umn l soon came to the announcement
that Grant, with several others, was
made Brigadier General. In few min
utes he came that way, and called to
him:
"Colonel, have some good news, that
will interest you"
"What have you, chaplain p
81 see that You are made Brigadier
General"
He seated himself by my side and re-
marked:
"Wcll, sir, had no suspicion oft. 1t
never came from any request of mine.
That's some of Washburn's work. /
knew Washburn in Galena. lie was
Republican and | was a Democrat, and
l thought from that he never liked me
very we'll. Hence we never had more
than business or street acquaintance.
But when the war broke out found he
had induced Gov. Yates to appoint me
mastering officer of the Illinois volun-
tcers, and after that had something to
do in having me commissioned Colonel
of the Twenty-frst Regiment, and l sup
pose this is some of his work.
And he leisurely rose up and pulled
his black felt hat a little nearer his eyes
and made few extra passes at his whis-
kers, and walked away with as much
apparent unconcern rs if some one had
merely told him his new suit OF clothes
was finished.
Grant belonged to no church, yet he
entertains and expresses the highest es-
TEEN for all the enterprises that tend to
promote religion. When at home he
generally attended the NJ. E. Church.
While he was Colonel of the 2lst Regi-
ment, he gave every encouragement and
facility for securing prompt and uniform
observance of religious services, and was
found in the audience listening to the
preaching.
Shortly after I came into the regiment
our mess were one day taking their usual
seats around the dinner table, when he
remarked:
chaplain, when was at home, and
ministers were stopping at my house, !
always invited them to ask blessing at
the table. | suppose blessing is as
much needed here as at home; and if il
is agreeable with your views, 1. should
be glad to have you ask blessing every
/, time we sit down to eat"
: B-Wednesday is put down as the hotties
day Of the season. Thursday was hazy and
the temperature more tolerable than for som,
days: