News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-30
Anecdotes OF Grant.


have thought that few anecdotes
of Gen. Grant which have from time
to time been related to me during
long residence in Galena, might not
be uninteresting to your readers. A
friend of mine once told me that he
walked home with General Grant at
the close of the first war meeting
which was held in Galena, and at
which the General presided, and that
he said to him: 81 am going into this
thing. 1 am going to begin at the
foot of the ladder. | am acquainted
with the Governor of Ohio, and l am
going to write to him tonight and ask
him to give me commission" My
friend asked him why he 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
at Springfield, and Gov. Yates said
to him: "We have got men enough,
but we have no one here to organize;
we need a military man here" Mr..
Washburne said "We have got just
the very man at Galena that you want.
'Who is he?" s'Captain Grant"
"Who is Capt. Grant," Mr.. Wash
burne explained that he was a gradu-
ate of West Point and had seen ser
vice 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
regiment came in one day and said
that he could do nothing with his men
and offered to resign in Grants favor,
if he would take command of it.
Grant went out to see the regiment,
and, being satisGa.te.lxtt the men were
full of fight and would make good
soldiers, accepted the command. In
stead of taking his soldiers from
Springfield to Quincy by rail, he
marched them on foot, and by the
time they reached their destination
they knew they had no militia colonel
to deal with. Then followed Bel
mont, Donelson, Shiloh, and those
other victories which have placed
Grants name with the highest of the
worlds heroes.
Gen. Grant became acquainted
with Mr.. Washburne il this wise
Some gentlemen were one evening
discussing in one of the stores of Ga
lena a subject relating to the Mexican
war, and, Mr.. Washburne coming in,
they appealed to him for a decision.
He replied that he was in doubt with
regard to it, and would like to have
some information about it. A gentle
man remarked: "Mr. Washburne,
there is gentleman back here who
will be able to answer that question
for you," and took him back and in
troduced him to Capt. Grant. After
having gained the information he
sought, upon retiring he asked the
friend who introduced him: "Who is
this Capt. Grant?" Upon being told
that he was brother to Orville Grant
he said she is very smart man,
sir" Before the war, in conversation
with friend, he one day expressed
himself pretty strongly in regard to
the arrogance of some Of the south
ern officers of the army who he had
met in the Mexican war, and said
"There is one of them whom | would
like to get even with, and that is
Bishop Polk" After the war had
closed he remarked to his friend that
when these fellows were running away
from him he used to think how he
talked about them when he was in Ga
lena. When standing near his head
quarters 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 DR.. Kitto, of Galena,
who was long time upon his staff.
Histvisitor surveyed the doctor and
remarked: "He's zd-d ornery look
ing old cuss, amt he?" Upon visiting
Galena, he good humoredly ioked the
doctor about the comment that was
then made upon him. Upon his last
visit to Galena friend asked him
how his boys were getting along. He
replied: ~ think the boys are doing
well. l think they are making money. |
If they fail it will bankrupt me, for
they have all thai | own" We know
the result.