The Press., 1885-08-20

| the u g. % unconditional nd s Ion surrender I a1 r. 1889 U. $. Grant, aged IT was entered among the students of the military acad emv. A historian says of him-sshe ex celled in all military exercises, and as might have been supposed, (from his early training) surpassed all of his classmates ln horsemanship and cavalry drill. He Il was then, as now, cheerful amiable, good q natured and tender hearted to degree rarely attained by men, ,and hence did not approve of, nor enter into, the rude and boisterous pranks so commonly in vogue I among cadets but in his own quiet way he doubtless got all the pleasure that the circumstances by which he was surround ed would permit. While at West Point he made the usual unauthorized expedi- tion to Benny Haven's, but was never in duced to taste liquor of any sort nor to learn to smoke or use tobacco in any form l (Would that he never had, as his attend ing physician pronounces the free use of tobacco the active cause of the ephthili onia of which he died)
 His fun was all innocent and his amuse- ments only such as might have been ex. pected to please an even tempered, well behaved, and high-minded young man. While on the one hand he was not enthu. siastic in anything, on the other he was always attentive to his studies, and prompt and faithful in the performance of his dll- ties. He submitted readily to discipline and was never guilty of wanton violation of regulations.
 Four years after his entrance to West Point he was graduated and during the year lo43 was appointed an officer in the U. 5. Army and was soon called upon to engage in active warfare in Mexico. Un- der both Generals Tayler and Scott. young Grant displayed great perseverance, and activity and was appointed regimental quarter-master and held the office, dis charging all of its duties with patience, regularity and efficiency until the army was withdrawn from Mexico According to military usages the quarter master is entitled to the privilege of remaining in charge of trains, depots, &c., and not en- gage i'll actual battle, if he prefers 1t. Grants brother officers bear testimony to the fact and tell it to his praise, that he never availed himself of this privilege as many others had done but made it 8 point to reioin his regiment at the approach of every battle and to stay with it until the fighting had ceased.
 At about the close of the Mexican war Grant was promoted for distinguished and meritorious servlces." At the conclu- sion of this war Grant went to St. Louis and soon married very estimable lady, the daughter of a retired merchant of St. Louis. In short time he was ordered with hls regiment to go upon our western frontier; he remained there until 1854, when he resigned his commission and re- turned to his wife and children at St. Louis. At this period of his life he was thrown entirely upon his own resources, with no fortune of his own and few ac- quaintances. He moved upon a farm near St. Louis, presented to Mrs. Grant by her father. He lived upon the farm four years. working faithfully then other and varied kinds of business interested him until 1860 when, at the solicitation of his father, he removed to Galena, Ill.,, and joined his brothers in the leather business. Here he achieved fair degree of success, but no one then suspected that the modest, quiet. obscure leather merchant would ever be- come the foremost man of the nation.
 We now come to the time when this now distinguished soldier was about step- ping into an arena in which he was to win laurels such as have never graced con- queror's brow. From comparative obscu- rlty he was; by degrees, to attain an emi- hence never reached by military com mander.
 | When President Lincoln made his first call for troops on April 18th, 1861, Grant said to his father, '"The government edu- cated ne for the army and although have served through one war, am still little in debt to the government and willing to discharge the obligation" In less than five days after the first gun had been fired upon Fort Sumpter Grant was drilling 8 company of volunteers at Galena There were hosts of citizens offering their servi- ces to the governors of the various states to enter the service of their country, but | there was great lack of military com manders. Men who had received a mlli- tary education were indeed scarce, and when Capt. Grant offered his services to Gov. Yates, of Illinois, they were grate- fully accepted, and so highly did the gov ernor esteem him that desk in the gov ernor's office was rendered him and accept ed. His services were very valuable in aiding to organize volunteer companies. His stay in the regular army for eleven years brought him commission as briga- dier general of volunteers in Aug, 1861, to date from May l7th, 1861. In Septem. Der following while ill command of the district of South East Missouri, he appre- CAtAUCA bAC OL tldV1uR tile SGfOlQ arm of the government fully represented in Kentucky. This state furnished many gallant soldiers who went in defense of their country, but was at the same time used as 8 place of refuge for rebel maraud- CTS. Grant took possession of Paducah, Ky, Sept. 9th, 1861, and issued the fol- lowing characteristic proclamation s1 come among you not as an enemy but as your fellow American, not to maltreat or annoy you but to respect and enforce the rights of all loyal citizens. am here to defend you against the common enemy who has planted his guns upon your soil and fired upon you, and to assert the au- thority and sovereignty of your government. I have nothing to do with opinions and shall deal only with armed rebellion and it's aiders and abettors. You can pursue your usual avocations without fear the strong arm of the government is here to protect its friends and punish it's enemies. Whenever it is manifest that you are able to defend yourselves, maintain the author ity of the government and protect the rights of loyal citizens, I shall withdraw the forces under my command" This prompt action proved to be of an immense advantage to our forces his men always felt that their commander was equal to every emergency and were ready to respond | to every order,