The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-04-23

of his future emlnence. lie Connor him.
self predicted that the devil in his office
would be hung. The first year of the war
verified this prophesy.
lie Connor was discharged from the
printing office in 1861, and Immediately |
entered the United States service (21st Ill.
Vol. Inf as Second Lieutenant. l have |
heard that he distinguished himself on |
many occasions, but one in particular. |
During an action he heard the command |
from some quarter of somebody's regiment.
''Scatter, boys, your Captains wounded"
LIE Connor was the first man to scatter, |
and he has been scattered ever since. He |
was always very dutiful officer, and !
never lost but moment in obeying an
order.
lie Connor's aunt was very uneasy
about him from the day he entered the
service. Her principal fear was that he
would resign and come home. When the
first intelligence reached us that he had
left the army and was on his way to our
house, she tainted outright, and was
seized with severe attack of sickness.
Fortunately there was no doctor within
| reach, and she recovered. While he was
in the army lie Connor wrote to me fire.
quently. He wrote in all twenty-eight
letters. In twenty seven of them he
wanted to borrow money.
THistory-The Twenty-First Illinois
Regiment was organized by S. S. Goode,
OF Decatur, and he ofIiciated as its Colonel
five weeks. The regiment was raised
under bill passed by the General Assem-
bly,, authorizing the raising of ten regiments
to receive pay from the State for thirty
days, and after that to be mustered into
the United States service, or otherwise.
at their option. The reg giment went into
camp at hattoon, and was subsequently
removed to Camp Yates, at Springfield.
A few days after their arrival at Camp
Yates, every officer received his commits
sion except Col Goode. He Immediately
repaired to the office of the Executive, and
sought an interview with the Governor. 1t
is here reported almost UerbatiR1, memory
only being at fault:
Goode-Why did you refuse to COM
mission me?
Yates Because you are a drunkard.
Very good, considering its source. Dick
had probably not received his regular
rations that day)
Goode-I have organized this regiment;
we have done without arms long after the
other nine regiments were equipped; f; l
had all l could do to prevent riot at
NATION because you would not furnish
the soldiers with bread to eat; have as
much military skill as any officer in the
regiment the men have elected me their
Colonel, and claim my commission.
Yates-If you had the ability of Gen.
Scott l would not make you Colonel of
this regiment.
Goode-Who is to be the Colonel, then !
Yates-Grant, of Galena.
Goode-Who the h-ll is Grant, of
Galena2
Not being personally acquainted with
the parties, | shall not attempt 10 answer
a question which his Excellency deemed
it unnecessary to answer. Goode was
deserving man in many respects, but he
was not the right kind of person for the
position he sought.
) Grant took command of the regiment
in the latter part of June, CThe troops
left Springfield on the 4th of July and
| marched into Missouri,) When Grant
} made his appearance and was known as
the Colonel of the regiment, very few of
the men, probably not over two hundred,
offered to re-enlist. The regiment was
composed almost entirely of Democrats,
: and the idea of a Republican Governor
refusing to commission the man whom
they had elected Colonel was anything but
pleasant to them. Grant was in deal
of trouble, and it was not until John A.
Logan, who had always been a Democrat,
came out and harangued the men for an
hour and half that enough of them
could be pursuaded to re-enlst to secure
the Colonel in his commission. Logan
mot Washburne not Yates) and Demo
cratic regiment gave Grant to the world.
The latter, SO far as is known, has never
claimed any especial credit for lis achieve
ment.
While in Missouri, LIE Conner met an
old friend who had formely been fellow
apprentice with him. This gentleman had
eleven unmarried sisters the other ono
was married and LIE Conner Immediately
became engaged to every one of them.
The conservation of these engagements was
unavoidable postponed owing to the unex-
pected circumstance of his receiving leave
of absence, but there is prospect Of his
fulfilling all yet if he keeps on.
Immediately upon leaving the army,
LIE Conner's long cherished idea of becom>
ing a farmer was realized Unable to
secure any other kind of employment, he
readily accepted position as ''hred
hand" TO do general farming, at seventy
five cents day, with board and washing.
While filling this position he worked like
a slave-Hay, more-he worked like two
|, slaves, He tried this kind of life about
four hours, at the end Of which time
having purchased bottle of strengthen
ing cordial, ad interim upon balancing his
account, he discovered that he was worse
off than when he began In the COM
mencement he hadn't a dollar in the world,
, and when he left off, if salt had been a
penny bushel he could not have bought
Il