The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-05
-ae=zG1azzs< MEi<%-
THE 21ST ILLINOIS.
HOW "coL." U. S. GRANT TAUGHT
THE REGIMENT OBEDIENCE.
The COlonePs First Order-Learntng to
Soldier "frOm the Starr"-SOme IL
Illustrations of Rather Rigid Dis"
cipline-Enforcing SObriety.
rCentralia nllsA Cor. chicago Times

and was adiutant of the Twenty first Hi
nois regiment, and afterward elected cap
tain of q company, gives the following ac'
count of the reorganization q the regl-
ment under the command of Gen. U. 5.
Grant, who was appointed its colonel: The
Twenty-first Illinois reg ment was made
ND from companies thai had been orga-
nized too late to be received under A1r.
Lincoln's first call forts, QUO soldiers to sup
press the rebellion. Governor Yates, how
ever, accepted companies enough to orga-
niZe ten regiments, and mustered them
into the state service for thirty days At
Nation, Ill, the Twenty first was
mustered into the service by L. S. Grant
The regiment remained the most OF the
thirty days at Mattoon, its principal
service being to fight the commissary and
give more or less annoyance to the Oil
Gals and citizens of Nation 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 soldiers
duty The colonel that had been selected
at NATION proved a failure, and when
the regiment was transferred to Spring
field, Ills, preparatory to being mustered
into the service for three years, Governor
Yates refused 10 commission him, and
sent them L. S. Giant, the man that had
mustered them into the state service. His
selection as colonel was not well received
by the men. They knew him only as
"West Pointer, and man who had
served in the regular army-two things
which. according to the crude idea of sol
| diering we had gained, untitled him for the
command But it was "Hobson's choice,
take him or go home. The men finally
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 equlppage OF any
| kind We had a guard house, and it was
generally well filled. 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
| this condition the West Pointer" took
! charge by quietly coming to camp on
| foot, accompanied by the adjutant gen
| eral of the state. Being introduced to the
officer in command, Maj. McMackin, and
| after making some inquiries, he quietly
| directed the ad jutant to draw up his first
order 1t ordered that the guards lie re-
duced, the guard house emptied, and the
| men in camp from to II a m, and to
! D. m for drill He began the work Of
equipping US for the field, and he made it
| a special point to besicge the departments
| at Springfield, and in a 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-
| ton 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
| hof IL thew
well learn from the start On July 5,
| 1861, we made our first 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 eatable they could secure along the
| line of march.
! A German, a member of Company d,
reached camp minus anything. But
| running at large in the field where they
struck camp was a number of fine fowls.
! hans concluded not to go without his
supper, and, singing out fine pullet he
gave chase, and succeeded i'll bagging it
| in a brush pile He was just emerging,
prize in hand, when Col. Grant arrived in
camp The colonel seized him by the
collar, and brought him, chicken in hand,
in full view of the camp, and tied him to
| tree This was rather rigid discipline.
Some of the boys felt very indignant and
| gathering around Hans began to discuss
| the matter Grant sat at his tent and
watched them for few moments When
quite a group had gathered around the
German he appeared and gave the 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 straggfers 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 at 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
where the boys were enjoying themselves
i'll 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 march had more
than dozen of them lied to saplings at
one time These stern and rigorous
methods had their effect on the men, for
| with his punishment ne was kind and
| considerate toward all who respected
themselves as soldiers and men. 1t was
not a 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 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 firmness put the regi
| ment through a 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 brigad1er gen.
| eral and that he would soon leave US.
lie went with us to Ironton, but only
| remained q short time. When he left US
to commence his great work he carried
with him the love and respect of his en-
| tire command.
Earliest Cannon.
The earliest cannon are said to have