, 1889-11-21
GEN. GRANTS CAREER.
One Of His Personal Friends Tells
About His Early War
Struggles.
Great Difficulty Encountered in tho
Effort to Obtain, a
Regiment. .,t

At a meeting of tho Minnesots com.
pandery of the Loyal Legion In st.
entitled with General Grant From Gs-
lena to vieksburg," was read by General
A. l.. Chetlah of Chicago who was an
old and intimate friend of General
Grant. That portion Of General Grants
career, including the sixty deHy
after tho breaking ont Of the war, has
been seldom touched upon, and little
was said about it in the general. 8 sutobi-
ography. .. ...,,- ...;
The idea has been prevalent, said
General Chetlain, "that General Grant
was at Galena when the wat'broke out,
lifted up by political power and Aoated
like bubble from Galena to Nicksburg,
from from elsi eyiok'burg to Appomattox,
White house. The fact IL that he
struggled against influences of which
never, complained, patiently waiting
until his time came. In tho spring OF
1860 met for the first tine,at Galena,
Ulysses 8. Grant .ex:captain of the
United States regular army, who had
recently taken place in the store Of his
was small and barely sufficient for tho
support of his family. He,led quiet
life, but was a free and intelligent tafker,
and frequently entertained his neigh
bors with stories Of his experiences in
the Mexican war. He was not an active
the affairs of the county. When the
call for troops came, a mass meeting
was held at Galena, and resolutions, pro-
posed by Hon. f. b. Washburne, were
adopted, pledging support to the gov
ernment and flag. Another meeting was
held on the 18th to raise a military COM
pany, and Captain Grant presided.
l was the first volunteer to respond,
and 1t was the first company organized
in the Northwest outside of Chicago.
Grant declined the captaincy, as, having
been in the regular army, hathought he
chosen. Captain Grant Went with the
company to Springfield, bearing with
him a letter from Mr.. Washhurne to the
governor, recommending that he be ap-
pointed to some position where his
military education and experience would
offered clerical work in the adjutant
general Office and accented, being will
ing to do anything But he grew dis
gusted with this position, and one day
said to me: II am going back to the
stors s9,ngbhs Wgbs 9R da SSys in h the
persuaded him to remainstor
A regiment was thea being formed,
and suggested Grant as colonel. The
other officers were willing, but promi-
nent politician who wanted the position
opposed him on the ground that he had
to leave the army on account Of his
and Captain John Macarthur was elected
colonel. Grant was then detailed to
take charge Of Fort Yates, and then be-
came mastering officer on the governors
staff. He went to st. Louis TO see ii he
could Obtain an appointments In Missouri,
He stopped with me at Caseyvillc on
his way to Springfield and then com.
planned that an educated military man
with experience could rot get suita-
BILE appointment in the volunteer service,
while civilians could SECURE them with
out any trouble. .,....
Il ana not conceited," he said, ''but I
believe could command q regiment Of
volunteer troops. L am willing to try,
anyway" Anuding to his old army
said: Among all the regular army
look on him as the brightest, and he is
sure to make his mark in 'the war"
Grant went TO Springfield. and after
mastering In several companies went
back to Galena. disappointed and humil-
lated. He visited Ohio, but, could get
no appointment there and reluctantly
the adjutant general of the United States,
rendering his services and saying he
felt competent to command d regiment,
No reply was ever received. On June
10 he was tendered the colonelcy of q
regiment at Mattoon,, afterwards the
Twenty first Illinois, and on June % IL
was mustered into the goyernment SER
vice.
He was q poor man, and the query
arose how to purchase horse and uni
form. For this purpose he asked his
father for loan OF S400, but was refused.
His father partner X. A. Collins, heard
Of It, and, though an anti,war democrat,
President Lincoln then announced that
seven brigadier generals would be taken
from Illinois. Grant was named as one
of them by Hon. Il. b. Wasttburne, and
was the only person unanimously agreed
on by the other congressman. He was
appointed May Il, isSi. sS IL It Is wor;;
admirable character of the man that amid
all his disappointments he was patient
and uncoIu planning. He had no lnordi.
nate ambition, but his sole desire was TO
serve his country.
e FG't reprsa q shiloh and
unceasinG efforts of General Halleck and
Others. to belittle and humiiate Grant
until the capitulation of Vicksburg, when
Grant became the hero of The war anG
all opposition to him wasl~ithdrawn.
Even General Halleck then ttclsgrapiieG
AFTER treated General Grant with respect.
In closing tho speaker said: aHis
splendid career marks him as ono of tbs
greatest, ifnot the greatest hero of the