The Rock Island Argus., 1885-07-24

outside, saying, 1No sir; am younger than |
you" The clergy mans story in his own |
words is as follows:
When in about the middle of the hall my
little granddaughter came running toward |
me, but the silent man, spreading out both |
arms caught her, and taking her up fairly
smothered her with kisses, saying: This re-
minds me Of my little girl at home and
makes me homesiekn To the question where
is your home he replied "Gaiena, Ills, but
l have my family at City Point and am
anxious to get back to them / said, viii
you permit me TO ask your name, sirl"
Certainly; my name is Grant Grant"
exclaimed /, "Gen. Gsant" and | stood there
awe-stricken and paralyzei with astonish-
meIt, whilst my heart went out after this
man.
He was noted, as a young man, for his
good sense. When in 1852 he was acting as
quartermaster TO a regiment under Maj
Bonneville, the command was ordered TO
Oregon and was taken around by the
isthmus. Admiral Schenck had charge Of
the transport, and be says Of Grant:
He was then a quiet, undemonstrative
man, and took matters just as they came
along with little comment, though wneE
called upon he never seemed at loss for an
opinion, and a gOOd reason to back it.
noticed this first in the little differences that
frequently arose between the officers.
Bonneville was hasty ana uncertain in his
manners, and often gave cause for di,agree-
ments, and il was a customary practice &c
make Lieut. Grant the arbitrator at such
times, and his rulings were distinguished,
remember to have noted, by particular good
sense.
AS SOLDIER.
Gen. Grants success might be ascribed to
sort Of heroic pertinacity. He would not
be denied. He would not be beaten. 1t is
told of him that at Shiloh on the evening
Of the first days fight when his army lay
| close to the river shattered and broken and
weary with che terrible days work, Gen.
| Bueil asked Grant what preparation he had
| ma Ia for retreat. Il have not despaired of
whipping them yet" was the thoroughly char
| actari TIC reply. When Buell. urged that a
| lrudent general ought to provide for the
| possibilities of defeat, and repeated his in
| quiry, Grant pointed TO his transports and
| said: DON'T you see those boatsp Yes
| sal. Buell., but they will not carry more
| than 10, CO., and we have more than 30, 000.n
| ~Wel,' returned Grant, 10 OG0 are more
| tnan | intend to retreat with
Another story is toll Of that same fate
| fu night One of his staff officers came in
and reported the condition of the army
| how this regiment was cut to pieces that
regiment captured, the linz broken here
/ and weak there, and 50 on-a sorry story
| Tor commander to listen to Grant sad
nothing, and looked 50 undisturbed that the
| officer lmpatiently aked But, general,
what are you going to do" Why" said
| Grant, quietly, reform the line and attack
| them again at daybreak'
| On campaign Gen. Grant was ever pres
ent. He was no featherbed soldier. At the
siege Of Vicksburg he stood the hardships Of
his men, frequently sleeping in the open air
/ g., ,-l
| such thing as fear; his courage was daunt-
less. OF his intrepidity in the campaign
during which Lookout mountain and Mission
ridge were SO gallantly stormed, one of his
| staff says:
1T has been matter of universal wonder
in this army that Gen. Grant himself was
not killed, and that no more accidents &C.
| CURED to his staff, for the general was al
| ways in the front (his staff with him. of
coursel, and perfectly needless of the storm
of Kissing bullets and screaming shell flying
| around him His apparent want Of sensl-
bllity does not arise from heedleszness, heart
lessness, or vain military atfectation, but
from a sense Of responsibility resting upon
him when in battle When at Ringgold, we
rode for half mile in the face Of the enemy,
under an inceSsant fire Of cannon and mus
ketry, nor did We ride fast, but upon an or
binary trot, and not once do believe did it
enter the generals mind that he was in dan
ger. | was by his side and watched him
closely. In riding tnst distance We were
going to the front, and could see that he
was studying the positions OF the two armies,
and. Of course, planning how TO defeat the
| enemy, who was here making the most des-
peraoe stand, and was slaug htering our mer
tearfully.
Another feature in Gen. Grants personal
movements is that he requires no escort
beyond his staff SO regardless Of danger is
be. Roads are almost useless TO him, for he
taxes short cuts through fields and woods,
| and viii swim his horse through almost any
stream that obstructs bis war. NJr doss it
make any difference to him wuatCer lie has
daylight for his movements, for be viii ride
| from breakfast until O'Clock III the morn
| ing, and that, too without eating. The mex.
daT re will repeat toe dose until be finishes
his work. Now such things come hard upon
the staff, but they have learned how to
| bear il.
A writer for the papers wrote some tins
before the generals death:
The expressions of sympathy which go ar
from every part Of the country would be
very gratifying to Gen Grant were he not
too near the portals OF death to heed either
the tears or the plaudits of his fellow couu.
trymen. At the same time it speaks well
for the republic that her heart should 60 out
toward the OLD soldier in tais dark and try
|
tie gratitude of patriotism-it is the
sweetest expression of human love,
and there is nothing sweeter than that.
The people love Grant, and the sufferings
the old soldier is enduring with such forti.
; tude has awakened and recalled and vivifed
memories of those years which first brought
the sturdy westerner before the country end
bound him with iHdissoluble bonds TO every
patriot heart The men who were the blue
love him because they were comrades upoI
their country's battle-felds-hecause they
shared the tolls, the dangers, and the glorie:
OF war. The woman with the whitI
hair and broken heart loves hin
because in those bitter years hi
fortunes were linked with those of
- dear one whose returning footballs and
E CHEEKY greetings she shall never hear agair
"a hu, band. a brother, father. or ont
! | dearer yet, whose memory has made he
e heart sacred shrine. And We, who wer
: boys and girls then; who heard the old folk.
talk OF tho 9 things about theft reside: wit
+ organized little armies and reliefssocieties o
e our own, and drilled on the common. @
/ made lint in the sitting room; who awaited
n the arrival OF the weekly picture .pa per
c with such burning anxiety; who saw ou
= sisters weep and heard our mothers pray
: who bade the soldiers good-by at the depot
r and wished we too, were men and womel
0 that we might understand it ALL and do GU
l part in the great tragedy then enacting
l. who beard his name on every lip for fou
t long, weary years, and knew him as tn
4 comrade-lesder Of the boys in blue VIII
s marched away from our TOWN.
= love him, too, and that love is
y It came to US in our youth. And those wh
d fought him then and faced him upon re
S southern felds-they love and revere hin
for he was brave soldier, and, when hi