The Shasta courier., 1868-10-10
COURIER.
How General Grant Became Acquainted
with General Rawlings.
The Washington correspondent of the
Hartford Evening Post writes


AT the risk of offence, l take the liberty of
telling the story of Grants first acquaintance
with Rawlings, as | asked it of the latter
lie answered only by perseverance, having,
like Grant, dislike of mere publicity after
the action. | print this as pleasing, harm
less "reminiscences in itself, and to show how
pleasantly spent my time at headquarters.
General Rawlings, as you know, has been
Chief of Staff to General Grant since the fall
of 1861, his Berthier in service, his friend in
private life and in fame.'
g was born few miles from Galena," !"
said General Rawlings, land moved in there
when was in my twentles. Soon after en-
tering the bar, got by some luck or good
word the law business for the leather and
hardware store of jesse Grant. 1t was a
large, fine store, built deep, with only a
place below for sizing the skins which were
tanned at Covington, Ky. Idon't know how
General Grants father got into business at
Galena, but there was Mrs. Lee living there,
half-sister to General Grants mother, and
her house was next door to mine.
Her favorite topic of conversation was Cap
tain Grant, or Ulysses, as she generally call
ed him, who was. represented to me as the
flower of the flock. He had been in the
army, at West Point. intMexico, and Mrs
Lee represented that he made particularly
handsome figure on horseback. | had quite
a curiosity at least to see this member of the
family; Tor up our way we had great idea
of a Mexican war soldier, the extent of our
heroes being private soldiers of that war.
was sixteen when it broke out, and was al
most crazy to get permission to enlist.
Here enters an aide de-camp from some
Il hoo De-,
lings, General Blank is unable to answer
some questions propounded by his Post Com
mander, Prude, in the following papers, with
accounts attached, and he therefore refers
them, with his Endorsements, to the General
commanding"
"Well 4" General, did Grant come at last ?'
Eyes; | saw him under these favorable
anticipations few days after he came. |
had previously seen his brothers. and not one
of them but was sagacious business man.
l looked cautiously at Grant, and under his
simplicity saw the marks of power, given
him by nature and command. He was not a
tanner at Galena, but a clerk. He some
times, at solicitation, sat on the store counter
and related incidents Of Mexico-a country
that seems to have stirred him to enthusiasm
by its beauty and resources, and he holds the
same regards for it still. got to know Gen.
Grant slowly, and it was not till after the be-
ginning of the war that found out that he
he ha6 any specific liking for me-"
Enter officer of the Auditor of the Trea-
sury. General Rawlings, the Department
wishes 70 know if you have any record of the
fact as to whether General Mcpherson. of
Ohio, kept his servants down to the date of
his death. His mother is in need of the resi-
due of the settlement of his accounts, But
we can't pay for those servants by rule till
we get testimony that he kept them. Of
course he must have done so. being in active
service, but we want a voucher to cover us. ;"
General Rawlings-''I will write to Major
Alive, at Chicago, who was with Mcpherson
up to the moment of his DEATH
Officer" you will."]
Well. General, | see you are coughing, I
will ask the rest another time"
" am talking too much but I'll finish.
The war matter grew before Grant had be-
come half acquainted in Galena He was
not an arguer on politics, but he had been an
old line Whig, and cast a vote in 1856 for
Buchanan | was Douglas Democrat, and
took the stump there. Grant told me that he
he had great admiration for lincoln. He
had read as they were made, the speeches be-
tween Lincoln and Douglas, and said it was
nice question to say who got the best of the
argument. We counted on him as Douglas
Democrat, though all his brothers were Re-
publicans. Some time during the Campaign,
John E Smith, hero of the Mexican war.
burst upon the town with q magnificent dis
play of Wide e-Awakes. whom he had drilled
secretly. This mortified our side a good
deal, and we resolved to get up similar or
ganization. We thought we would elect
Captain Grant the Marshal of it, or in his
stead, should he decline, John Maltby, after
ward Brigadier General.
Twas one of the committee to call on Grant.
lie said that he was beginning business and
should have to decline entering on politics.
We therefore chose Maltby. Grant went on
with his store, selling harness, saddlery and
hardware, and got into the firm at last. Lin
coin was elected. Grant said from that time
that the South would fight. | could not bring
my mind to contemplate this, but the Captain
seemed to be positive, and from that dav be-
gan 70 speak oftener of his military education
ms debt therefor to the country and IN tolI
Win me upon the capacity of the North to
raise troops About that time he wrote a
letter so expressing himself to a man in Mis-
souri, ana this letter Albert d. Richardson
unknown to Grant. found and inserted in his
book. ''u III MS
when Sumter was attacked we all lookad
to Grant. Smith and Maltby. The formor
went to work at once, accepting the Pres;-
dency OF recruiting meetings, and we three
with Rowley, afterwards on the Staff. went
to Galena and to Hanover. and raised that
Company tor three months service. Sixtv,
two men out of its eighty-odd afterwards en-
listed for the war.
In this season saw new energies in Grant.
A larger career had opened before him. He
dropped stoop-shouldered way he had Of
walking, and set his hat forward on his fore
head in a less careless fashion. Yet he never
seemed to have any ambition above regi-
mental rank, and all his talk with me was
upon the best place in a regiment that
should try for. He became carpet-bagger
then, and saw him, as he left Galena, with
traps in hand.