The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-03
THE 2lST ILLINOIS.
HOW "coL" U. 5. GRANT TAUGHT
THE REGIMENT OBEDIENCE.
The Colouels First Order-Learning TO
Soldier from the Start"-Sone IL
Iustrations of Rather Rigid Dis
ciplIne e-Enforcing sobriety.

the mail service on the southern division
OF the Illinois Central at the present time.
and was ad jutant Of tie Twenty first Hi
nois regiment and afteTward elected cap
tain Of a company. gives The following ac-
count Of the reorgani. alton Of the regi
ment under the command OF Gen. [. :
Grant, who was appointed It's colonel. The
Twenty first Illinois regiment Was made
up from companies that had been orga-
nized too late to be received under MIR.
incolh' first call for ), O0O soldiers TO sup
press the rebellion. Governor atcS, now
ever. accepted companies enough 10 orga-
nj. ten regiments, and mustered them
into the state service for thirty days AJ
Mautoon, III. the Twenty first was
mustered into the service By I ). Grant
The regiment remained The mCst of the
thirty days at Mattoon. its principal
service being To fight the CommiSsary and
give more or less annoyance 10 the Off
c.ais and citizens of Mattoon and sur.
rounding country.
The material of the regiment had come
from the workshops aud farms and
though Of the best was sadly deficient in
knowledge and discipline of a sold er ;
duty The colonel that had been selected
at Matioon proved a failure. and when
the regiment was transferred 10 Spring
field. HIS, preparatory 10 being mustered
lates refused 10 commission him, and
sent them [. 5 Giant, the maa that had
mustered them into the state service. Ills
selection As colonel was not we / received
by the men They knew him only as
" est Pointer and a man who had
served in the regular army-two things
which. according 10 the crude idea of sol
diering we bad gained. uatitted him for the
command But il was Hobson choice
oil hir,tfs Ia H.
yielded, and took the West Pointer" for
colonel
In Camp Yates there was 1000 young.
healthy fellows, eager for war, without
arms, tents or garrison equippage OF any
kind We had a guard house, and it was
generally well filed We had camp
guard that did duty with sticks for guns
We drilled very little our guards walked
their beats, but their backs were turned
When anyone wanted to go in or out In
aahis condition the West | ointer" took
charge, by quietly c ming to camp on
U cot, accompanied by the adjutant gen
>--.i of the state Reing introduced TO the
officer in command, Maj. MCMaCkin. and
after making some inquiries he quietly
directed the al utant to draw up his first
order. 1t ordered that the guards c re
oucod, the guard house emptied. and the
men in camp from to Il a m, and , to
. p. m for drill. He began he work of
equipping us for the field. and he made il
a special point to beSicge the departments
at Springfield and in few days he had
the regiment equipped as well as it was
possible to be done at that time.
One evening. while the colonel was
seated in the little round- house called
headquarters at camp ! ates, visitor in
the person of Col. Palmer, whose regiment
was encamped at jacksonville, Ills. called
upon him, and rendered him transporta
tion for his regiment along with his own
Grant remarked TO him. My men have
their transportation. They go by foot
These men have got to become soldiers
before this thing is over, and they may as
well learn from the start On July 2
1861, we made our trst march. it be
ing four miles out OF Springfield, where
camp was struck near farm house The
colonel was detained in town on some
business, and the boys made good use Of
the fact by helping themselves to every
thing eatabie they could secure along the
line of march
\ German. member of Company d.
reached camp minus anything. But
running at large in the field where they
struck camp was number of fine fowls
Eans concluded not to go without his
supper. and. singing out fine pullet, he
gave chase, and succeeded in bacging il
in a brush pile He was just emerging.
prize III hand, when Col Grant arrived in
camp. The colonel seized him By The
collar, and brought him Chicken in hand.
III full view of the camp. and tied him to
"A tree. This was rather rigid discipline
Some OF The boys felt very indigdant. and
gathering around Hans began TO discuss
the matter Grant sat al his tent and
watched them for few moments. When
quite a group had gathered around the
German he appeared and gave tie com
man: Men, go TO your quarters" and
they scattered in short order.
Our march carried US TO Quincy At
Jacksonville many stragglers brought up
the rear. Grant, having turned the com
mand over TO another officer, stationed
himself at the gate of the fair grounds.
and as the stragglers with their canteens
slung at their sides came along he gobbled
each fellow and carefully inspected his
canteen. Many were found that had not
been replenished AZ the public wells in the
city. All such the colonel turned upside
down, neglecting to return the stopper
At a little town not far from Naples.
VIII .re the boys were enjoying themselves
in a saloon, Grant put an end to the fun
by clearing out the saloon. Grant took
every precaution to keep his men sober.
and sometimes after a march had more
than dozen of them tied to saplings at
one time These stern and rigorous
methods had their effect on the men. for
with his punishment he was kind aud
considerate toward all who respected
themselves as soldiers and men II was
not great while before the good men
rapidly learned to love and respect the
West Point colonel
From the camp opposite Quincy we
went to Palmyra. and thence to Macon,
and after remaining there for Il short time
proceeded to Mexico, Mo, where the reg
iment went into camp for several weeks
Here Grant improved his opportunities.
and with the same tiTmness put the regi-
ment through course of drill and
brought us to a realizing service of a
soldiers duty. From Mexico, Mo, We
were transferred to IrontOn. in south
western Missouri, and it was while en-
route there and when the regiment was
going on board boat at Jefferson bar
rack. near St. Louis, that Col Grant in
formed the officers of his command of his
promotion to the rank of brigadIer gen
eral and that he would soon leave US.
He went with US to Ironton, but only
remained a short time When he left US
to commence his great work lie carried
with him the love and respect of his en-
tire command.