St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-10
TOPICAL TALK.


the truth of this remark while listening
to Gen. CnETLAIN's talk to the Loyal Lee
gion last Wednesday evening, in which
he gave an interesting statement OF Gen.
GRANTS experiences during the firstsix-
ty days Of the war. The published histo-
ries and biographies begin with the
statement that Gen. GRANTS military
career commenced with his appoint
ment TO the cOlonelcy OF the Twenty
first Illinois regiment. All that fol-
lowed down to the final victory at APP
pomattoX is given in glttering detail;
yet it had never been unveiled to the
public what GRANT had been doing dur
ing the two or three months Of the war
preceding his appointment to the
cOlonelcy of an Illinois regiment until
Gen. CHETLAIN unbOsomed himself
to the Minnesota commandery last
Wednesday night. Gen. CHETLAIN was
townSman of GRANTS at Galena at the
breaking out of the war, and as he spent
the first three months of the war i'll his
companionship. he is entirely competent
to speak on the subject. At the out
break of the war GRANT was badly run
down at the heel in financial matters.
Reduced to poverty, with a wife and
four children dependent on him, he was
glad to accept the position of salesman
on small salary in a Galena leather
house. Fate had been against him for
long time, and he was almost ready to
succumb in the struggle TO keep the
wolf of starvation from the door of his
humble home. He was offered the cap
that was raised in Galena, but de-
clined on the ground that his military
education and experience entitled him
to higher position in the state service.
Yet, when the company was ordered to
Springfield, he went along with the boys.
in the hope that the governor would do
something for him on the strength of a
letter of recommendation he bore from
Hon. e. B. WAsHBURNE. From Gen.
CHETLAIN's vivid description one
could almost see GRANT as he trudged
through the streets of Galena on his
way to the train. dressed so plainly as
to be hardly respectable, and carrying
an oldfashioned carpetbag in his hand.
Gov. YATES did not take to him kindly,
but received his application with
marked Indifference. He told him he
had nothing for him to do, he could sug-
geSt no sphere in which he could be
serviceable, and referred him to the adj
jutant general, who might, possibly, be
in need of clerical help. The next day
GRANT presented himself in the adju-
tant generals Office with the modest re-
quest that he might find something to
do. That dignitary did not seem
to be any better impressed with the
man of destiny, but after
good deal of haggling over the matter
finally gave him small clerkship and
assigned him to a desk in a little dingy
room where GRANT was put to work on
a salary less than the store boys in the
town were receiving. On every hand
he was made to feel the humiliation of
poverty. and was treated more in the
light of a pestiferous fellow who was on
his uppers than of man who possessed
genius. For nearly three months it was
a succession of efforts and disappoint-
ments on the part OF GRANT to obtai
any sort of recognition. But with that
bulldog pertinacity for which he after.
wards became famous he held on. He
went to st. Louis and to Cincinnati, en-
deavoring to enlist the cooperation of
his old army friends, Capts. LYON and
MCCLELLAN. But everywhere he met
with disappointment, until finally he
was almost forced to the conclusion that
he was goO1-for-nothing fellow against
whom every mans hand was raised, and
he made up his mind to go back
to his place in the leather store at Ga
lena. Fortunately for the country, the
influence of Congressman WAsHBURNE
was sufficient to finally obtain for him
the darling desire of his ambition-the
colonelcy of regiment. But here was
another dilemma. He didn't have money
enough to buy horse and uniform.
His father was tired of advancing money
to son who had no business luck, and
refused to let him have the $500 neces-
sary to purchase his military outfit.
The junior member of the Gaena
leather firm heard of GRANTS strait
ened finances and sent him check for
the amount. And thus it was that
GRANT not only rose from obscurity,
but he got his first foothold under the
most discouraging circumstances that
ever tended to repress human ambition.
Still it is possible that the reverses of
those first sixty days were the rea
foundation of his subsequent greatness.