Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-01-07
Ulysses s. Grant i'm 1855.
Hor the "Captain' Lired and What
He Did as CiUilian an Galena
Tile Luckcst Nan IN the

World.
From a Galena Letter the Cincinnati Satur
day Night.
Ulysses 8. Grant came to Galena
from St. Louis in September, 1859
and immediatel y entered the service OF
j. R Grant, his father, leather dealer
whose business at that time was In
charge Of Orvile Grant, the General :.
beother and Junior oy ten years. His
salary was fixed at $40 per month, and
was not increased so long as he remain
ed in the employ of his father, and
during his stay in Gaiena he did not
acquire, either by purchase or other
wise, single dollars wonth of inter
est in the establishment While thus
employed Gaant was principally engag-
ed in buying hides on the street, and.
when necessary, acting as clerk; but
in this later capacity he is acknowled-
ged to have been sad failure. His
dress consisted of gray military suit
and slouched hat which were the only
distinguishable features in his makeup.
In appearance he was no more than a
man IN the ordinary walks of life. and
his department quiet and unobtrustive,
mingled but little in society, and pos,
sessed but few friends and acquaintan-
ces. Among the number were Capt.
Dick Morehouse, now dead Jack
Booth, formerly station agent of the
Illinois Central Railroad at this city /;
John A. Rawlins, at that time rising
young lawyer Of Galena; j c. Cal
derwood, keeper of livery stable j.
X. Smith, then a jeweller, and one or
two others whose names [ cannot now
recall. With these congenial associ-
ates Grant would pass his evenings
after business hours, in room 1913,
DeSoto House, playing cards or indulg-
ing in social conversation. The i'm
preston prevails among many that Grant
while resident Of this city and dur
ing his military service, INDUCED in
the use Of intoxicating liquors, This
| am prepared to deny, and can sub
stantiate the assertion by the evidence
of both his friends and political en-
emies who knew him while here, as
well as that of his only surviving staff
officer, Gen w. r. Rowley, of Galena,
man whose integrity cannot be ques-
toned.
The success which has marked the
career Of the President since he took
command Of the Twenty-frst regiment
Of Illinois volunteers as Colonel, is re-
garded by many as extraordinary and
unaccountable, from the fact that while
resident of this city he seemed to be
utterly wanting in those characteristics
which develop into greatness. On the
other hand there are few who were
not the least surprised at the events
which have marked his later history,
claiming them as the fulfIlEent Of pro-
phecies indulged in at the outset.
Among the latter number IL the Hon.
K. B. Washburne, present minister to
France, and Gen. John E. Smith, now
in command of Fort Laramie, who it is
asserted, urged the appointment of his
friend to the Colonelcy of the Twenes +
first regiment at the hands Of Gov.
Yates.
The former class insist that Grant
owes his many victories while command
ing the army of the west, and his sub
sequent success on the Potomac, to the
cool, intrepid, and sagacious Rawlins,
whose plans and suggestions were fol-
lowed out to the letter by his superior.
Grants Galena home was a humble
one, consisting of a plain two story
brick house, then as now owned by a
lime burner named Robinson, to whom
a monthly rental of $40 was paid. The
furniture embraced limited number Of
plain pieces, together with few relies
from their St. Louis home. Mrs.
Grant, coming as she did from the
aristocratic Dent family. felt her hum
bled circumstances keenly, and sought
and cared for but little society. The
few acquaintances she possessed were
far below the "upper-tendum, and did
not embrace the certain ones who have
tOadled to her since Grant came into
prominence.
The President during his sojourn in
this city was, as [ have heretofore stat
ed, but little known, except by his
club of associates, who entertained
feelings of respect and friendship for
the Captain" as he was familiarly
called by them. While interviewing,
with one of his former companions
last evening, [ was informed that Grant
was regarded as the best euchre player
in the city, and that he "played every
one of his cards for what it was
worth F"
"HENRY WARD Beecher expresses
not ONLY his own sentiment but that of