The Portland daily press., 1880-01-12

CAS- Grant told it back of Vcksburg in 1869
General Grant said that when the Governor
of Illinois called for volunteers-the first call
he wanted to offer his services and he might
have gone as private soldier. but he knew
that Uncle Sam had trained him up for some-
thing better than that, and so he arranged his
littlp business affairs and with but little money
in his pocket, he started for Springfield, the
capital of the State. Here the troops were
gathered in a chaotic muss. In 1861 the novel
ty of army life was attractive enough, but to
organize and perfect system such as the au-
thorities at Washington expected was puzzling
them all, and beyond the ken of the Govern
or's staff. The quiet, inoffensive appearance
of plain Citizen Grant from Galena didn't
seem to help matters, for when he presented
himself the Governor told him there were no
vacancies but that he might call tomorrow,
Arant returned to his tavern where he was put
ting up, and the next morning he did call and
received about the same response. He called
again and again with no better success. One
morning, when his funds were getting low,
and the Governor was accustomed to his daily
visitations, Grant asked for office work. He
asked permission to occupy vacant desk and
to apply his clerical knowledge and his previ-
GUS experience in the army to the disposal of
accumulated business. Fortunately for the fu-
ture of the government there was a vacant
place that morning, and there was lots OF un-
finished business upon the desk, and the Gov
ernor told quiet Captain Grant to pitch IN He
went to work, one of a dozen clerks in the Of
fee, and much elated by his position. He wrote
to Mrs. Grant that he was no longer drone in
the busy hive at the State capital but was do
ing something toward suppressing the rebel
lion and he was happy.
Governor Yates says he does not recollect
anything in particular of Captain Grant until
the insubordination Of the 21st regiment was
talked of and commented upon in his presence,
and Captain Grant spoke up and asked to be
appointed drill-master of the regiment. "Egad!
I'll make you the Colonel if you'll take the
and Grant said he would do it if they would
let him send to Galena for young lawyer
there to be his regimental adjutant. The ap-
pointments were made out aud these two cltl-
Zens of Galena-the colonel and ad]utant-
Joined by the fortunes of war in the 21st regi-
ment of Illinois volunteers, enjoyed each 9TH
er's sacred confidence in everything through
out tneir illustrIous and eventful life. A COM
panionship begun thus early in the war was
only severed by the death of the lamented, the
noble soldier, the Secretary OF War, John A;
Rawlins AS the trusted ALL utant, the favored
chief of staff, and as the years rolled by and as
honors were thrust upon them, as his Secreta-
ry of War, the lamented Gen. John A. Raw
Inns testified his fealty and devoted his LIES
service to noble and worthy commander.
Somebody present asked the General how
Rawlins and he managed the 21st Illinois
where others had failed, and he said he COM
menced with good understanding at first. He
established guard line that was like lawful
fence, and when the stragglers came into camp
to see their new commander he just held them
there till they got right well acquainted: "Our
stay said the General, sin Springfield was
short, but while there, from reveille to tattoo
kept my men busy. Squad drill, company
drill, regimental drill, police and guard duty
kept them busting around. and when they had
u chance to sleep they stopped in camp instead
of running the guard line and being caught at
it. Our first engagement was in Missouri un-
der General Pope, and can tell you now that
never was more nervous in my life than upon
that occasion. never felt my responsibility
to the State and the government" said Gener-
al Grant, "more keenly than in that little
skirmsh in the beginning of our civil wal"