The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-14
STORIES OF GEN. GRANT.
Interesting Narrative Concerning His
Return to the Army.
His Views of Halleck and Sherman in the
Days When the General Ran
Tannery at Galena.

interesting, and Is Vouched Tor as Delng re-
liable;
1 do not think certain incidents attending
General Grants return to the service have
ever been in print; therefore. a desire to con-
serve the truth of history makes me under
take to tell the tale as it was told me by one
of the bravest officers, as well as one OF the
most charming raconteurs in the United
States army.
you know" said my story-teller, moving
the chair upon which rested his wounded
right leg that had been horribly mangled by
a bullet splitting the tibia, and was then re-
covering after all the doctors said he must
have it cut off, Il was in the old -th In
fantry that was in Texas when the war be-
gan. Well, 1 had just been promoted to a
captaincy when the regiment was surren-
dered by Twiggs to the Confederates, and
after many adventures, 1 got to Washington
the LIST of May, 1861. 1, like all the rest of
us, wanted to go to the front at once, but
there was q dreaded scarcity of trained
officers, and / had to go whereof was ordered,
whether | liked it or not An officer was
needed at Springfield, ILL.,, to muster in
volunteers that were pouring in, and was
sent. You can understand that [ had
d. of time. No one knew how to make
out muster-roll properly, and it seemed as
If the State authorities could not learn. The
Acknowledgement of the State should have
known, you say. Well, he didn't, and some
how could not acquire any knowledge that
would enable him to be of any use to me. 1
had no assistant, and although l was en-
titled to "a clerk, l could find no one who
would be of any use to me- One hot day, |
remember it well, | had been absent from my
Office about an hour and | was just coming
in when the Adjutant-general said Cap
tain, do you know anybody named GrantP'
No, 1 think not" 1 replied. "WhyT'
swell, he said, there was young man in
here to see you about an hour ago, who
said his name was Grant, and that he used to
know yot"
81 don't know who it can be" said, as 1
returned to my desk and began to wrestle
with particularly big muster roll. Directly
i heard step and saw man standing by me,
who asked if my name was -.
"Yes, it isl l answered. DO you know
mep he said, Il am Grant,"
NOW, Sam Grant, as we called him, had
been my classmate at West Point, and in my
section most of the time but Just then had
forgotten about him until l saw him. We
had parted in Mexico in 1917. When l left
him was quartermaSter and Sherman was
commlssary at the same time. | afterward
learned that Sam Grant had resigned, and
then lost sight of him. Well, l was glad to
see my old classmate. He said he was mar
ried, and had had very bad luck. Somehow
he couldn't get along; he did not know why,
he said. lust then he lived in Galena, and
was working a tannery in which he had
small interest
why don't you go into the army? said |"
'Well. l have been thinking of that" he
answered. But have no influence, and it
seems you, can't get anything nowadays
without influence"
THAT is very true" 1 said.
ibid you notice they had made Haleck
who was an instructor in mathematics when
we were cadets, amajor-general%' said Grant.
'And l see that red-headed scamp, Sherman,
has heen made colonel of the new Thirteenth
infantry" he went on to say, and after a mo-
ments meditation softly muttered though
Grant was never violently profane man,
"Halleck major-general and Sherman
colonel The Lord look down! Tom" con-
tinued Grant, after thinking a moment,
cant you give me something to do here?'
Yes, can" said l, you can help me
make out those muster rolls right"
So it was agreed that Grant should come
into my Office, help me in the duties as mus
t5ring officer, and receive $120 per month for
his services. So it went on until had mus
tered in eighteen regiments One afternoon
Governor Yates sent for me. l found him
in state of excitement. Poor fellow he
was that way very often. He had just had
dispatch from General Prentiss, at Cairo, and
he had undoubted information that they
were to be crossed over at once, perhaps that
very night
HE begged the Governor to send him
every available man at once. This alarming
news was followed by another telegram from
President Lincoln at Washington, telling
Yates that, on no account, must the rebels
get any foot-hold in Illinois, to prevent any
crossing, if possible and cooperate with
General Prentiss. The Governor had sent for
me to say that he wanted the troops then in
camp mustered into the United States ser
vice and sent off to Cairo that night While
the Governor was talking thought flashed
into his mind, Why can't put Sam Grant
into one of these new regiments@
Governor" said l. these regiments will
probably get into fight within twenty-four
hours. 1t is rather important that they
should be properly commanded Who are to
be made coones?' The most of the candi-
dates for field officers were in hearing, and
the fact that they would have to go into a
battle in twenty-four hours seemed to re-
press their military ardor somewhat. "Now,
Governor, SAID l, II have in my office an old
classmate and comrade. He was all through
the Mexican war, and was a good soldier.
What he has been doing since | do not ex-
actly know, but he has not been very sue
cessful in business, and would like to go out
in these new regiments, especially as they
will probably have to go into a fight soon.
strongly recommend the appointment of
Grant to command one of these new regi-
ments
1.-THE Governor did not know what to do.
He had promised nearly all the positions, ex-
cept in the last regiment, which would be
the Twenty-frst Illinois, and gentleman
named Alexander wanted to be colonel and
was very strongly backed for the position,
but Alexander had seen no service and was
willing to take the second place in view of
the probable fight. Yates insisted, however,
that Grant must be recommended for the
place by some one in the State. Cant you
get some one to recommend you, Samp said
l. He finally said he knew a man named
Washburn little, who was then member
of Congress from the Galeua district but that
as he Grant was Democrat and Washburn
a Republican, it was doubtful if Washburn
would do it. However, | will try him. said
Grant. He telegraphed Washburn about as
follows:
"'Recommend me for position as field officer
In new regiments starting for Cairo in about
four hours