New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-15
A Gallant Record.


General Grants Early Army Life.
On his graduation in 1S43, Cadet Grant
was assigned q position as Brevet Second
Lieutenant of tho 4th United States infantry
then stationed at Jefferson Barracks, neal
| st. Louis, Missouri. He joined his regiment
h tho autumn Of that year, and his classmats
and special friend, Frederick L. Dent, who
was of a st. Louis family, was assigned to the
| Same regiment. Whenever leave could be
obtained, Lieutenant Dent, in his visits t.
his home, took his friend with him, and here
| he became acquainted with that beautiful ant
estmable lady, Miss Maria Dent, whom he
afterward married. This acquaintance served
to brighten life which would otherwise have
| been painfully monotonous, for, with the ex
ception of occasional visits to the frontier
not very distant at that period, to look after
marauding Indians, there was, in truth, little
| to be done. In the course of the next yeaf
he was sent to Camp Salubrity, Natchitoches
louisiana where the routine OF existence
| was painfully dull, and young Grant began to
realize that he had not received his education
! for nothing.
The next year his regiment was ordered to
| the Mexican frontier, where it found part
of General Taylor's army Of occupation.
There was some trouble about boundaries be-
tween the United States and Mexico, and
time he received his full commission as second
Lieutenant, but he was gazetted to the 18th
| regiment. This change was repugnant to
him, as it separated him from his friend Dent
and from his comrades of the 4th, who had
learned to estimate the silent little man cor
rectly, and who knew that beneath the plain
exterior lurked the heart Of a hero and the
genius of great general. The officers united
with him in endeavorin. to effect change in
the appointment, and by special favor this
was acccded to at headquarters, to the gen.
eral joy of the regiment. The 4th was in
environments for some time at Matamoras,
and then marching under General Taylor to
relieve the sore-pressed garrisons of Fort
Brown, the soldiers of tho United States
came in contact with the forces of Santa
Anna at Palo Alto, where Grant first re-
ceived the baptism of fire. 1t was fought on
the 9Th of May, and was a decisive victory
for our soldiers. Grant in that action dis
played the determined energy and imperturb-
able GOODNESS which characterized him during
his career, but no opportunity arOsa for dis
playing the higher qualifications which some
suspected, but which yet slumbered, and
which never would havo been known if great
emergencies had not brought them to light.
Santa Anna being largely re-enforced,
made another stand on the following day at
Resaca de la Palma, but his forces were COM
pletely routed and driven over the river in
confusion. At the battle of Monterey, which
was a far fiercer contest than either of the
foregoing, the 4th regiment bore the most
prominent part, and Grant particularly dis
tinSuished himself being mentioned in gen.
eral orders in terms of high appreciation for
his gallant conduct. Then followed the to-
dious siege of Vera Cruz, in which Lieuten-
ant Grants knowledge of engineering was
found highly serviceable, and was again mem
toned in general orders. AS kind of pro-
motion he was made quartermaster of his
regiment, and at the same time placed on
the staff Of General Taylor; and now came
the long and toilsomc march upon the city of
Mexico, and the fierce fighting which made
the reputation of General Winfield Scott, es-
pecially Moline del Rey, where he was pro-
NOTED TO first leutenantcy on the field of
battle. This was fought on tho Sth of Sep
TENDER, 1917, but Quartcrmaster Grant,
though by the regulations not compelled to
serve in the field had been in all the previous
fighting at Ccrro Gordo, at San Antonio, and
at CherubuSco. On tho 18th of September,
five days after the fight at Molino del Rey,
he did such valorous things at the storming
Of Chapultepec as won for him tho praise and
love of the whole army.
Half way up the slope, where frowned the
CdSIlO "dilS, WIS WOTk, so
flankcd by ravines and canons that it could
only be attacked in front under whitening
fire. But it had to be carried before the
stormers, with their ladders and their fas-
cines, to fill up the dry moat castle, could
advance. A battalion of the 4th was Or
dered to advance, and pressed forward
steadily under the dreadful fire. At every
step men fell dead and dying, and when they
got within musket-shot Of the redoubt, the
fire was so horrible that the line faltered, and
the men began to give way. At that mo-
ment Quartermaster Grant rushed to the
front, and rallying the infantry, wheeled
them to the left, while Captain Brooks, of
the Sd artillery, wheeled his guns to the
right, and both opened such fire upon the
Mexicans that they broke and fled with con-
fusion to the redoubt, which was entered pell
nell by the victors and the vanquished.
Large bodies of Mexicans now advanced to
rstake the werk, but Grant and Brooks held
on like grim death itself Intil other regiments
came up to their support and the enemy gave
way in confusion. Stern old General Worth
spoke of the achievement with tears in his
eyes, and thanked him publicly for having
acquitted himself most nobly." He had,
besides, the double satisfaction of being APP
pointed brevct captain, and having his full
appointment of first lieutenant confirmed at
the same time.