Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-04-27
GENERAL GRANTS WAY.


How He Managed to Get Control of HIS
First Regiment.
When Captain Grant, formerly of
the regular army, was appointed col
onel of an Illinois regiment, Ia place
of Colonel Goode, John A. Logan,
while escorting him to the camp, said:
Colonel, the regiment is little un-
ruly. Do you think you can manage
the boys ?"
ST think I can, "replied Grant.
Logan and McClernand, two con-
gressmen, made patriotic speeches,
and Logan, after two hours oration,
led forward a quiet man, in plain citi-
zen's clothes, saying:
"Allow me to present to you your
new commander, Colonel us. Grant. "
''Most of the soldiers observed him
for the first time, " writes Hamlin Gar
land, from whose Life Of Grant" this
is quoted. ''They were astonished
and disappointed. Grant looked like
grave country doctor. Buthe showed
that he could manage the ''unruly
boys" There were loud calls: Grant!
Grant, A speech p Their late col
onel used to "orate" before them. The
new colonel stepped two PAGES toward
them, and said in clear, calm voice;
MEN, go to your quarters.
If an eight-inch shell had exploded
in their ranks, the "boys would not
have been more surprised; but they
went to their quarters. There was
that in the new colonels voice which
expressed command. The tone was
not loud, but it was given with clear
cut infect,o1 which showed him a
master of men.
That evening at dress parade, as he
stepped to the centre of the regiment,
wearing no uniform save a pair of gray
trousers with a stripe running down
down the outside seams, and an old
sword, the men jested in low voices
about their new commander
Colonel Goode, the late colonel, not
infrequently used the daily parade as
an occasion TO mako n4speerh. and the
/ men expected one from Grant. The
line-oficers advanced, and the adju-
tant saluted.
"a soldiers first duty is TO learn to
obey his commander 1 shall expect
my orders to be obeyed as exactly and
as instantly as if we were on the field
of battle.
That was all he said. AS the men
marched back to quarters n private
asked: "What do they mean by send
ing down little man like him to COM
mand this regiment? he can't pound
dry sand in straight hole.
''He can't make a speech Look at
the clothes he wears Who is he,
anyhow"
Boys" retorted a sergeant, 'Tll
tell you who he is. He's the colonel
of this regiment, as you'll find, and
don't you forget it -
The sergeant was prophet. The
regiment had obtained all the liquol
it wished for. Grant stopped that.
A man resisted arrest.
'Whats the matter % asked Grant
of the officer of the day
"The man persists in bringing liquol
into camp and refuses to give it up.
"Put him into the guard house" "
''He refuses to CO.
Grant stepped up to him, seized hin
by the collar, and jerked him outside
of the camp gate. "Get out of m,
regiment" be said. "You are no
worth dfsciplining. If you come bacl
I'll have you shot p
A big, dangerous man, named "Mex
ico," was tied up, with a score o
others, for leaving camp without per
mission. ''For every minute | stan'
here I'll have an ounce of your blood,
said he to the colonel.
"Gag him !" replied Grant.
One by one, as the hours passed, tn
other offenders were released by tn
officers of the guard. Grant release
"Mexico' himself. The bully saw tina
his colonel was his master, and the reg
iment began to find out that it had