Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-07-09
Anecdotes of Grant.

SUI. ne INTRODUCED some remlnlS-
cences of another campaign, when he
an3 Grant first met each other. His
speech began with very affective
appeal to his hearers
"Could you have read of the char
acter of U. S. Grant without having
lived in his day, you would have
given your weight in gold to have
put your eyes upon him-upon this
great defender of the Union, upon
this great defender of the rights of
the Americas r~~rie, '.r~~ ~. s-s~*
defender of an oppressed race, which
he has lifted out of slav cry for with
his mighty arm he has lifted them
up into manhood and citizenship.
[ Applause.] You would pray for
the occasion to look upon such a
man and yet in your very midst to-
day you have him. [Applause.
The greatest soldier of modern times
the purest of them all q man of the
people, of the purest and simplest
habits Of life. !"
The Governor recalled to his au
dience Grants humble cireumstan-
oes prior to his extraordinary eleva-
ton:
"fou have known General Grant
in your midst as laboring man, as
farmer, as man that hauled wood
through our streets and sold it in
your market poor man with a
family upon him for support Then
he transferred bis residence, for
year or two, to Illinois, and lived in
Galena, struggling along with hon
est industry to support his wife and
children. When be was found in
Galena in 1861, by some of the citi-
zens Of our State, who were then
anxiously hunting for the defenders
of our country, or those who could
aid US in our great struggle, he was
found in little shed upon back
lot, near tannery, with bis sleeves
rolled up, putting away green hides
in salt and lime, preparing to tan
them for living He came to
Springfield nobody knew him he
had nothing to say. We observed
him there about the Capitol, as
man of simple and industrious hab-
its, poorly dressed and of modest de-
meanor. After while circumstan-
ces threw him in command of regi
v,aarf from Our Gtofa ~
An incident showing the unpre-
tentious style Of the already success
full General is thus humorously mar
rated
CATER that, as Colonel, be
marched into North Missouri through
q portion of the State, and in few
months came down 20 Cairo under
orders of General Fremont. AT that
time | was in command of six regis
ments of infantry and some cavalry
and artillery. We had been there
three months when General Grant
came in one morning accompanied
by a Lieutenant, who introduced
him to me. set there dressed in q
Colonel's uniform, commanding the
country all around. didn't know
where my jurisdiction begun or
where it ended. [ Laughter War
had been declared, and | was eulist-
ed and had o coloneI's commission
and lots of fellows to command, and
| was making them believe | knew
all about it, and half of them thought
| did and the balance of them
thought l did not but they got
along very well because | was COM
manding sensible men. There were
one or two regiments from Missouri,
three or four from Illinois just such
men as you are, just such men as |
am-good, sensible men, who had
gone out to do something for their
country, and were willing TO put up
with any officer who would behave
himself half way decently. | did
my best, and that was the best l
could. Gen. Grant walked 10, and,
as said, was introduced TO me. |
was very busy in the morning get
ting off some orders. There wasn't
any enemy within fifty miles of us
that we knew anything about, and
jeff. Thompson didn't care whether
we came to see him, and we didn't
care whether he came to see u.s.
Laughter The general walked
back and took seat on my right,
but did not get the name right
lie was dressed so poorly, so far as
j knew, he might be a refugee
[ Laughter He sat down for mo>
ment, when Capt. Lago said: "Col-
onel, j think you don't understand
me-" "tNo, 4 think not" says J..
Says he, "this is General Grant" l
turned around in considerable con-
sternation, and said, "My God, is
this General Grant," [Cheers and
laughter.1 BY the tiae 1 bad got ov-
err nay excitement and felt in a mood
to recognize him, he had gritten
an order putting himselfin. lLasgb.
ter and cheers / went back to my
regiment, and he went on command
ing the troops all gathered around
there from every quarter, and after
a while battle came on. 1t was
the battle of Belmont.
Grants councils Of war would ap-
pear not to have suggested much to
him, by this simple narrative:
Gen G rant had been in the bat
ties of Mexico, and had been IN
Mexico one year too. / had been 40
one or two battles in Mexico, but l
was only lieutenant then. had
fought ia the battles OF Vera Cruz
and Cerro Cordo, and killed don't.
know how many of our enemies, for
| never counted them. (Laughter).
So we went along with Gen. Grant
TO Fort Doneison One day we had
a council of war--a thing | never at
tended up to that time, and | don't
believe there is a Democrat here
who ever attended one at all. Gen,