Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-04-10
Anecdotes Of Grant.

tC correspondence Of the Salem Massey Gazette.l
have thought that few anecdotes of
Gen. Grant which have from time TO time
been related to mo during a long residence in
Galena might not be uninteresting to your
readers. A friend of mine once told me that
he walked home with Gen. Grant at the close
of the first war meeting which was held in
Galena, aud at which the General presided,
and that he said to him, 81 am going into
this thing. l am going to begin at the foot
of the ladder. l am acquainted with the
governor of Ohio, and am going to write to
him to night and ask him to give me a com
mission" My friend asked him why be did
not apply to Gov. Yates. He replied that he
knew Ohio's governor, and should write to
him. Before his application was answered
E. B. Washburne was down at Springfield,
and Gov. Yates said to him. 1--WE have got
men enough and money enough, but we have
no one here to organize; we need a military
man here" Mr.. Washburne said 1--WE
have just the very man up at Galena that
you want" "Who is he 2" Capt Grant"
Who is Capt. Grant?" Mr. Wsshburne eK
planned that he was graduate of West Point
and had seen service in the Mexican war
Send Capt. Grant down here" was the re.
ply. While Grant was at work at the duty
assigned him the colonel Of a regiment came
in one day and said that he could do nothing
with his men aud offered to resign in Grants
favor if he would take command of it,
Grant went out to see the regiment, and, be-
ing satisfied that the men were full of fight
and would make good soldiers, accepted the
command. Instead of taking his soldiers
from Springfield to Quincy by rail, be marched
them on foot, and by the time they reached
their destination they knew they had no mil
itia colonel to deal with. Then followed Bel
mont, Donelson, Shiloh, and those other vic
tories which have placed Grants name with
the highest of the worlds heroes.
Gen. Grant became acquainted with Mr..
Washburne in this wise Some gentlemen
were one evening discussing in one of the
stores OF Galena a subject relating to the
Mexican war, and Mr.. Washburne coming in
they appealed to him for decision. He re-
piled that he was in doubt in regard to it,
aud would like to have some information
about it. A gentleman remarked, Mr..
Washburne, there is q man back here who
will be able to answer that question for you,"
and took him back and introduced him to
Capt. Grant. After having gained the infor-
nation be sought, upon retiring he asked the
friend who introduced him, "Who is this
Capt. Grant," Upon being told that he was
a brother TO Orville Grant he said, HE is
very smart man, sir" Before the war, in
conversing with q friend, he one day ex-
pressed himself pretty strongly with regard
to the arrogance OF the Southern officers Of
the army whom he had met in the Mexican
war, and said, There is one of them whom
1 would like TO get even with, and that is
Bishop Polk" After the war had closed he
remarked to his friend that when those fel-
lows were running away from him he used
to think how he talked about them when be
was in Galens. When standing near his
headquarters while at the South, one day,
one Of the natives came up and asked him to
point out Gen. Grant to him. He pointed
to DIR. Kitto, of GAlena, who was a long time
upon his staff. His visitor surveyed the doc.
tor and remarked, Hes a ID onery-
looking old cuss, amt hep Upon visiting
Galena, he good-humoredly jokes the doc
tor about the comment that was then made
upon him. Upon his last visit to Galens
friend asked him how his boys we're getting
along. He replied, 81 think the boys are
doing we'll think they are making money.
If they fail it will bankrupt me, for they
have all that | own" We know the result