The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
H..

It was owing TO Grants modcsty that he did
not earlier rer,i We a commission on the outbreak
Of the civil wtr. He was first employed by Gov.
Yates Of Illinois as a clerk in the Adjutant.Gen.
erals Office at q salary Of So a day. Gov. Yates
subsequently said concerning his first introduce
ton to Grant: II did not then know that he had
seen service in Mexico. = e = In presenting
himself to me he made no reference to any merit
on his part, but simply said he had been a re-
cipient Of a military education at West Point.
and, now that the country was assailed. he
thought it was his duty to offer his services,
and that he would esteem it a privilege to be
assigned to any position where he could be use
full" From his home at Galena Grant had writ
ten to the War Department at Washington
Offering his services as a soldier, but he re-
ceived no reply to his letter. In the latter part
Of May, 1861, he visited Cincinnati. to SEQ IL he
could obtain an appointment on tho staff Of
Mcclellan, who was a M~ajor-General, and had
his headquarters there. After being kept wait.
ing in an antechambcr on two successive days,
and finding that Mcclellan did not intend
to acknowledge his call, Grant departed, and
soon after learned that Gov. Yates OF III
nois had made him a Colonel OF volunteers.
So marked within a few weeks was the i'm
provement Of his regiment in discipline and
efficiency that he was speedily placed in com
mand of a sub-district under Gen. Pope. hav.
ing under his orders three regiments OF in
fantry and a section of artillery. President
Lincoln had asked the Illinois delegation in
Congress to recommend seven citizens Of their
State for appointment as Brigadier-G len erals OF
volunteers. Col. Grants name was first on
the list, and his appointment was dated
May IL, 1861, a month before he be-
came Colonel. This was, as his biographer points
out. q striking testimony to the impression which
hia nnnieat mart had rNaHa imam nuhlin n "a ~ A a1o
For his staff officers he had to take civilians,
few Of whom evinced any military capacity, and
the result was that. for some time. Grant had to
serve as his own Acknowledgement. Quarter
master, Commissary. and ordnance officer. and
to instruct his officers in the details Of making
acquisitions for rations and forage. He had also
to create q regimental public sentiment that
favored discipline. This he was able to do
through his comprehension OF tho character OF
the volunteers he commanded. His experience
in civil life saved him from the mistakes made
By men whose whole training had been in the
army and who dealt with volunteers as they
would with regular soldiers.
In the two chapters devoted to the services
rendered by Grant in the latter months of 1861,
Col Church points out that this was a period of
~inaction all along the line. Mcclellan had ac-
complished nothing in the East beyond organ
izing his troops: Buell.. who was In command
of the Department Of the Ohio. was not acting
in concert with Halleck. who had relieved Free
mont at st. Louis. The most persistent urging
from President Lincoln had secured from these
two officers and from Mcclellan nothing but
dilatory and unsatisfactory promises Of future
action. They asked for time to strengthen them
selves and to put their troops in better condition
for action. On the other hand, while Grants
omman suffered from tho same want OF or.
ganization, tho same deficiency Of arms,
equipment, transportation, and supplies that
others complained OF. he always believed and
acted on the belief that the time required to
improve his own position would equally
strengthen that of the enemy. He was like an
eager hound. straininR in tho leash that he
might get at his quarry.