The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-17
copyright 1895, by S. S. Mcclure,
Iimited)

- mcclure,
Limited)
We know with good deal of detail
the story of Grants successes from the
time of Belmont to the day when he
delivered over the White house to his
successor. But the part of his career
which was uneventually contained in
Z the few months prior to the outbreak
of the civil war and few weeks after,
or until he received his colonelcy, is SO
little known that all that can be said
of it by almost everyone is that it was
a period Of trial, of hard luck and at
times almost of despair 1t is posi-
bic, however, now to give something
of detailed narrative of that time be-
cause one who was near Grant In
Galena, who saw him in the tanners
store many times, who went with him
TO the meeting called by the citizens
of Galena in answer to Lincoln's pro-
clamation, who had him as a COM
panion from Galena to the Illinois
capitol and as his roommate while
Grant was there desperately struggling
TO gain an entrance into the service,
Is now living, and can recall those
times with vividness. He is General
Augustus L. Chetlain, now living in
Chicago, known to every member of the
Loyal Legion of the United States not
although in many battles and as the
man who was the intimate of Grant In
the days when he had few intimates.
General Chetlain's ability to speak
with truth of Grant in those early
times is maintained by Colonel Fred
D. Grant, who said in answer to a
question, 'Oh yes, L know General
Chetlain very well, and he was the
intimate and truthful friend of my
father in the early days of the war"
It is from General Chetlain in the
main that this narrative has been OBJ
tanned, although his precise language
is not followed and some of the Incl
dents narrated were collected from
other sources of information.
Grant Il Clerk at $50 a Month.
Captain Grant went to Galena to
serve his father as a clerk in the
leather store and tannery of ]. D.
Grant & Co. He gladly accepted such
outbreak of the war. He received at
first $40 month, and his pay was
afterwards raised to SIS. He hired
little cottage, still standing, and paid
So a month rent, leaving a sum upon
which he could support his family only
by scrimping and the hardest sort Of
economy.
Upon stormy days or times when
customers were few and idle moments
plenty. the young men used to go into
the tanners store and there they often
found young Captain Grant, seated
upon the counter sometimes. with an
old gray coat, that cost five dollars, on
his shoulders, a very rusty felt hat
upon his head, and a short pipe in his
mouth He was known also as a clerk
who had no special fOndness for the
counter or for hides, but who would
rather sit and chat than sell goods or
take in money.
Declines a Captaincy.
When Lincoln's proclamation calling
for seventy-five thousand volunteers
was published he presided at a public
meeting in Galena and was the most
important man in the enlistment of a
company of volunteers there. It was
the general desire to make him cap
tain of the company, but this he de-
clined, and Mr.. Chetlain was chosen
captain instead. In conversation with
Captain Chetlain, just after the COM
pany was organized, Captain Grant
said: II don't want to over-estimate
my abilities, and l don't think [ do
when [ say that 1 feel that my educa-
ton at West Point and my service in
the army have qualified me to take the
colonelcy of regiment. [ feel pretty
sure that 1 could command regiment
creditably enough, and l suppose that
! have share of military pride, which
causes me 10 4eel JusIIl4eu III eSA4liS
the governor 70 give me a regiment,
and I'm going to do it,
Goes TO ingfieId in Search of Ser
vice.
On the day that the Galena company
was to depart for the state capital
patriotic enthusiasm was most glor-
iously ST red in that town. The COM
pany in il. new uniform paraded the
principal Sta eets and then turned to-
ward the railway station. As it was
passing the l-ather store of ]. D. |
Grant & Co., Captain Chetlain saw
standing in the doorway a short, slen-
der young man, with a rusty five-dollar
overcoat concealing his well-worn and
coarse suit Of clothes. Upon his head