New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-27
GIANTS ONLY WAR SPEECH.
"REMINISCENCES OF MAJOR J. w. wHAM.
GOVERNOR YATEs'5 REGIMENT OF "HELLIoNS y



GRANT AS A COLONEL.
Major Joseph W. Whan sat in the coy back room of
his paymastcr's office in tho Government building at
No 80 West HoustOnst.. recently. and talked about
his old COLONEL U. s. Grant, to o Tribune reporter
who had wandered into that abode Of pay-rolls
81 was private in tho Dist Illinois Reg iment, the
first and only one of which Grant ever Colonel"
said the Major.
All then you were ore of Governor Yates's
Lellions = said the reporter.
:" Yes sir | was said tho Major, bringing bis
swinging chair to the right-about-lace with en-
pnatic snap and want to say right here that that
regiment mas been sadly malgned. The facts in the
Gaze were simply these: Our regiment was composed
of some of the best material that God made either
for purposes peace We were all of us young
men, from eighteen to thirty years of age and the sons
of well-to-do farmers Of the old Xlth Congressional
District Ia Southern Illinois, We came from the fields
and workshops to enlist and We wanted to do our
whole duy but had too much scli-respect to serve
under a drunken. incompetent colonel. We were
brought up in atmosphere OF the most earnest
loyalty and RepuLiicansm. My father read TnE
Nfw-YoRK TRIBUNE in the family circle from the yeaI
of It's establishment SO when the end of our three
months enlistment approached and Governor Yates
wanted us to enlist again to help fill ont the States
uota of the 300 600 for three years called tor IN
the Presto ent's proclamation simply said we
wouldn't rc-enlist under Colonel Good Orr officers
went 20 Governor Yates and told him how the matter
stood. The Governor then SAID: Gentlemen, viii
give you Captain Grant for colonel. You know him
as the officer whO mustered yOl in Mt Mattool. We
did know h IN and such favorable impression had he
made on officers and men during those few Gays at
Camp Grant that there not mul1nur at his being
thus promoted the heads of the ten captains and
two field oiiccrs who oJtrankeI him. Not even Lieu
tenant Colonel Alexander showed the slightest
jealousy aud he. think, rather expected the place
himself. nc didn't 20 10 the Governor with the
rest of the officers.
Grant ct that time was eimply captain in tho
State Militia Tho way ia which he Obt,Ied that
mission has been naI rated hundreds of times but
quite rightly | think. As tO!C To me by AdJutant-
Gcaeral Fuller, the story was as follows; Grant had
been recommended to Governor Yates by Senator
Washburne Tao Governor tried to use him as clerk
but saw that h. fitted for greater responsibilities
30 one day he said 70 tie AdjutsntGenera Fuller,
have q man that | think you bad better take "a hOi
Of telling him Grants name and history GU need
men tor mastering in the troops The State officers are
green at the business and we cant call On the regular
army en- as IL il State affair. his man Grant Will
Just tit the office SO tho first commission issued by
Gencia al Fuller was TO Captain Grant.
Well Governor Yates kept his word aud gave
Colonel Goods commission to Grant. The latter put
IL IN bIs pocket and dressed in light blouse with no
sword or insignia OF rank, stepped into horse-car and
rode the tair grounds, where the regiment was
,ncampcd Goiug 10 the Adjutauts tent. he showed
his commission ard remarked that he guessed he'd
take command Then he sat down 10 wIite an order
The first thing that caught h' eye was the camp iar
eighty strong aud armed with clubs which Colonel
Good Ind created 20 keep The men from climbing the
fence aud going into the city to see the girls His next
order abolished the camp guard and told the men that
they required To be present at ail rolcall An
ordinary West Pointer woull have stopped there
thinkisg il be the business of the men TO know
when those rolcalls were. But Grant never forgot
that he had deal with volunteers instead OF regulars
or conscripts and lac added paragraph giving the
times of ro-call ard reminding the men that though
they had become soldiers they had not ceased 10 pc
citizens aud should exercise manly scfrcsrant ana
not dishOnrr their citizenship The effect OF that order
was wonderful. There more climbing the fence
alter that.
think that is trait that has been strongly
brought out before and that shows the Greatness
of hil ecpius While educated at West Point with all
that gd iucx ibiiy OF the military trimming ground
into his that IN the midst OF battle n wei as
IN his own dying agones he could hold all his faculties
down 10 the work III hand, he was nothing OF "a |
martinez but handled men as men and without any |
friction whatever their notions of personal dependence
and dislike for tho restraints OF scpiine He
kind his subordinate. too. When Jackson was try
ing to get Missouri into the Coniederacy the Illinois
regiments were ordered 10 that State. There was no
hurry about the matter and Grant asked permission to
maj ch egmcnt the State IL the Mississippi
River, we needed the drill: And We did march as |
TAR ~ Naples the Illinois River, when orders eamc
to take the cars. One morning as We broke camp, |
which had been pitched for the night in pasture lot,
and filed out into the road. vas walking ahead of the
regiment was on the sick list and out OF the ranks.
Colonel Grant saw me, private of Company, lad |
of eighteen trudging along the road alone. Are you
SICK my man ' nc aShcu now uDOuI INC
- don't like the ambulance SIR replied.
a. An then yOu can march little. he said but
don't try to do too much He loved and honored
by every one of the 1000 men la that regiment.
- II time before Grant got his coonels uni
form and until that he knew his business too well
TO take command at dress parade. The Lieutenant
Colonel was allowed to manJeuvre the regiment Once
only he intertercd and gave the regiment IT'S first order
from the new Colonel he djutant had drawn us up
in line with one flank so the fence that there
no room a battery of artillery which coming up
take its station there Grants quick eye took in the
situation and almost Involuntary the sharp command
Right faux forward march 7 remedicd the di.hcGlty
hile lying in Camp Yates this I'M
founded impression OF our sullcn and mutlnous cond
ton which then and ever atterward chung to the reg
ment in a most unaccountable way, pervaded Spring
field General Logan, then a Congressman simply |
came down TO make speech. Officers and men
gathered in front OF the grand stand IN the free and
eas democratic way characteristic of your truo militia
man. and Logan made ringingy loyal speech
his YOU rem nlber was in May, 81 when his enemies
now tell that he plotting rank treason There
was lots of cn,h nsiam and cheering and after Logan
had fnishcdwe didn't see any reason why shouldn't
have a speech from the Colonel. Cries of Grant
Grant Colonel GrantP arose and so did the Colonel
slowly and with quiet dignity. Every voice was
hushed 10 hear what he would say. The speech con-
listed of four words. IL Go to your quarters
That the first and Last speech that Grant ever
made while IN the War IL the most effective wet
blanket that | ever saw thrown upon warm spread
eagle enthusiasm. 1t not said harshly and though
We should have hurrahed Justify If he had waded into
the very depths of eoquence yet all recognized the
act that he had business speechitying and had
,aid just the right thing We went TO our quarters
somewhat saddcr but much wiser lot OF men.
He was our colonel for only three months bnt the
regiment went through the War in way that did
,rcdit to his training. Seven hundred and twenty
strong went into the battle of Stony Brook. but we
,uy stacked i 90 guns when came ont. There are
about 100 members now living who get together every
rear for q reunion
a Yes he was a great man." said the Major turning
. his desk again; perhaps the greatest that ever