The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1872-08-24
Grant the Soldier.

commend him for cadetship at West Point.
He entered the Academy and pursued his stu
dies and obeyed orders as cadets are in the
habit OF doing. There was nothing ofthe dash
of genius about him. No one ever considered
him brilliant. He made no remarkable rem
utation for proficiency in his class He seemed
to make the same progress that other BOYS did,
not first and yet not last among them. He
passed his regular course here, took his diploma
and the customary honors attaching to gradua-
ton.
He left the Academy. In due time the Next
can war came upon us. The forces of the
United States found him among their ranks.
He held a captains commission. lie did good,
solid, faithful soldierly service. Still no one
recognized in him that rristible dash and dar-
ing that attach to the brilliant military heroes
of history. He performed no remarkable ex-
plot or feat in the Mexican war that would in
duce one to look for the character of a Caser.
Napoleon or Wellington in him. Yet he was
always at his post. He was ever faithful in do
ing the duty assigned him. Whatever was
committed to his charge his superiors felt was
in safe hands.
He left the army and engaged in the bust
ness of tanner. AS a business man he had
ordinary success. He did not amass fortune,
and yet, he was not bankrupt, wherever he
is found he seems to occupy medium position.
He made comfortable living for his family
and was a good citizen. When the war closed
the rebellion spread its black pail over the
Union sky, President Lincoln commissioned
him colonel and called him to glorious service
in the defense of human liberty and the preser-
walton of the American nation. He was given
command of an Illinois regiment that was so
intractable as to be beyond the subordination
of any who had been placed in its command.
Before he had been in command of itsx weeks
it had become marvel ofdiscipline, order and
efficiency. His reputation as military discip-
linarian was at once established. Being or
dered from Galena, Illinois, to St. Louis with his
regiment and not having cars at hand for
transportation he marched them Immediately
across the country and took the refractory
spirit out of them in the journey. Whenever
a subordinate would become insubordinate he
would be ordered to carry fence rail or some
such load until he was willing to obey orders
and perform his duties. During the long years
between his leaving West Point and the break
ing out of the rebellion Ulysses S. Grant was
developing the powers of his intellect and the
wisdom of his judgment. His good solid, COM
mon sense, indomintable will and remark able
self-reliance had been going through the pro-
cess of steady, constant growth. By the wis
dom of years and experience they had de-
veloped into maturity that worked out bril-
liant strokes and magnificent results by self
confident perseverance and bull-dogged perte-
nacity that have had few if any parallels in
military history.
To recount the brilliant successes that have
marked the progress of his plodding genious is
useless work They are familiar to every school
boy. They are upon the tongue of the intelli-
gent every where. They fill the grandest place
in the annals of the nineteenth century. They
will be remembered and recounted by admring
generations through all time to come. The
history of the decade just past is robbed of half
its glory with Grant left out. Fort Donelson,
The Wilderness, Appomattox and fields oflesser
Importance stand in the foreground of our his
tory and will add increasing lustre to our ma
tional glory as the ages roll away.
He was willing to consult and advise with
his interiors in rank and to adopt their plans
instead ofhis own when they commended them
selves to his better judgment. But when his
judgment dictated course adverse to the
opinions of his advises he adopted his own,
took the responsibility and vindicated his
judgment by the success that followed it.
Through the entire war he took hold of what
ever came in his way with relentless grip
He loosened it not until victory perchei upon
his banners. While other men more ambitious,
less efficient and less deserving were busily en-
gagged in debating long letters to Congress or
the War Department shaping policies for the
writer's coming administration, or going
through the motions of having grand parades
for obvious reasons, or sending out buncombe
orders adorned with "head quarters in the sad
die, " Grant was.maturing his plans for thrash
ing the rebels and capturing their guns. He
spoke only through a grand triumph. You
heard nothing of him except through noise of
his guns and the illuminations of his victories.
He sat down before no battery, fort or fortifca-
ton he did not take. He went in pursuit ofno
enemy he did not capture. He faced no foe he
did not vanquish. Reticent diligent and de-
termined to wiz, he matured his plans after
his own fashion and the success that followed
their execution vindicated their adoption.
With all these laurels he laid no claim to dis
tinguished honors. He made no flourish of
trumpets at his own brilliant success. He wore
the laurel of Napoleon, with the good sense
and becoming modesty of Washington.
He achieved success that comes only to great
men. His achievements have decorated him
with honors that are only the fruits of great