Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-05-31


n harbor, was fired on on April L,
. 1861. Almost before the echoes
of the guns had died away President
Lincoln issued his call for Is, 900 troops.
Illinois was stirred profoundly, and in
no place more deeply than at Galena. A
mass meeting was called at the court
house, and, Unexpectedly, ex-Captain
ably because of the fact that he had
been in the army.
with much embarrassment and
some prompting | made out to an
nounce the object of the meeting" he
writes in his memoirs, and it is related
that after the meeting was over Elihu
B. Washburne expressed surprise that
side over such meeting. At that time
Washburne was one of the most prom
inent citizens of the State, and his lack
of knowledge Of Captain Grant is an
indication of how much obscurity the
young man had to break through in or
der to receive any kind of recognition.
Six regiments had been placed as the
President, and at this estimate it was
concluded that Galena could not hope
to send out more than one company.
That company was organized on the
spot. Grant refused the Captaincy of
it, but next morning turned out and
saw to dividing the men into squads
and to drilling them.
No+oc Of CnrinO6olI fnnnH
himself overwhelmed with volunteers.
To meet the rush the Legislature, then
in session, passed a bill providing for
ten additional regiments from the ten
Congressional districts, the regiments
to be paid by the State for one month,
but to answer to the call Of the Govern
ment in case of need. Grant had gone
with the company to Camp Yates, at
Springfield, but when the Galena COM
pany was accepted he felt that his work
was DONE
He had written to the Adjutant Gen
eral of the United States army offering
his services, but the letter had not been
deemed worthy of an answer. He was
ready to go back to Galena by an even
ing train, when, coming out of the sup
per-room of the hotel in Springfield, he
CHANGED to meet Governor Yates, who
called him by his military title, asking
that he call at the Executive Mansion
next morning. Grant did so, to accept
a position as clerk in the Office of the
Adjutant General of Illinois. Soon
afterward came the mastering in of the
fan additional nfc in Illinois
Captain Grant was appointed muster
ing officer Of these regiments, acting
only for the State.
After several weeks in this service
Captain Grant went to Cincinnati,
where Major General Mcclellan was
in command of the Ohio volunteers.
The two men had been acquainted in
the old army, and while Grant was not
prepared to ask for preferment at Nc
Clellan's hands he had an idea that he
might be offered a position on McClel-
lan's staff. But in those times of
crowding for official notice Grant was
unable to get in sight of the General.
He returned to Springfield, where, I'M
expectedly, Governor Yates made him
Colonel of the Twenty first Regiment
of Volunteers. In June, 1861, Colonel
Grant took charge of his regiment and
marched at once to Missouri, reporting
to Brigadier General Pope, who station
ed him at the town of Mexico, 100 miles
west of st. Louis.
Thus after nearly three months of
effort in trying to give his services to
his country the military genius of the
century was placed in charge of regi-
ment of raw volunteers AND marched
away to a wholly unimportant post in
Missouri. And it was only when a sec
ond call had come from the President
asking for 100000 more troops that the
little command got it's authority to
move.
1t was while stationed at the little
town of Mexico that Grant on Aug.
was commissioned brigadier general,
to date from the previous May II. He
had been recommended by Illinois Con-
gressmen who had never met him, chief
of whom was Elihu B. Washburne. On
Sept /, by direction of Major General
Fremont, the new brigadier was in
charge of the military district of south
east Missouri, with headquarters at
Cairo, Ill. Opportunity was open at
last to the silent, difident man who so
recently had been inspecting and
weighing ill-smelling hides in the little
store at Galena.
Writing of his first application to the
Adjutant General of the army, in which
he had suggested his qualifications to
command regiment, General Grant
wrote, long afterwards: II felt some
hesitation in suggesting rank as high
as the Coineicye of regiment, feeling
somewhat doubtful whether l would
be equal to the position. But had seen
nearly every Colonel who had been
mustered in from the State of Illinois
and some from Indiana, and felt that If
they could command regiment prop
erly and with credit / could Also
Yet within ninety days of the writing
- D,;<v