Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-08-01
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whiied
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches Thrill
ling scenes on the Battlefield.

From his earliest boyhood Gen.
Grant was an expert rider, and like
Washington, he possessed a mysteri-
Gus power over horses. He ridiculed
the idea that he could he thrown, so
long as the horse kept on his feet. lie
asked but one thing of steed, and
that was that he should go. No Next
can vaGuero, Bed0uin sheik or Ameri-
can cowboy had tirmer seat, or more
res embed centaur Early in the
Mexican war Grant purchased Il su-
perb stallion that had just been cap
tured from herd of wild Texas
horses, He was blindfolded and then
saddled for the first time. The young
lieutenant, springing lightly into the
saddle, ordered the blindfold removed.
when the untamed Steed bounded like
bull, reared, leaped, threw his head
almost TO the ground, sprang first to
the right and then to the left in his
efforts to unscat his rider; but finding
ali his efforts futile, he dashed away
at terrific rate of speed, soon disap-
pearing in the distant chaparral. Gen.
a century recalls the incident, in a let
ter to the present writer. states that
no anxiety was felt concerning Grants
safety, who was then, as well as pre-
yiously while a cadet at the Military
Academy, universally recognized as an
accomplished and fearless horseman.
OF Cortez, as Lieut.. Grant named his
wild charger, he wrote in his Personal
Memoirs:
II had, however, but little difficulty
in breaking him, although the first day
there were frequent disagreements be-
tween Us as to which way we should
60, and sometimes as to whether we
should 60 at I'll. At no time during
the day could choose exactly the part
of the column would march with but
after that | had as tractable a horse
as any in the army
During the occupation of the capital
by Gen SCOTS forces. a Mexican gen
tlemau, with whom Grant was on
terms of intimacy, requested the loan
of Cortez for an afternoon. His owner
said afterward: Il was afraid be could
not ride the horse. and yet l knew if
said word to that effect the suspicious
Spanish nature would think | was I'M
willing to lend him" The result was
the Mexican J. ounted the spirited stall
lion, was thro VI before he had gone
three blocks and instantly killed.
A few days before the American
army evacuated the city of Mexico,
Grant mounted Cortez and rode out to
make a morning call on the colonel in
command of the Castle of Chapultepec.
The officers quarters were inside of the
fortress, which was surrounded with n
high, broad earthwork. Riding up the
outside slope ord around the castle
without obse: wing any hitching post
Grant spurred his steed down the
broad but long, steep. stone stairs that
led into the fort. When the colonel
appeared and saw Cortez tied at the
door, where no horse had ever been
seen before, he exclaimed in astonish-
ment:
Lieutenant how In heavens name
did you get your horse down here?'
Rode him down, sir" calmly an
swered Grant
And how do you expect 10 get him
out?"
Ride him up. instead of down." re-
piled the Lieutenant which he accord
ingly did Gu his departure, the intelll-
gent Cortez climbing like a cat to the
top, when Grant waving his chapeau
in adieu to the Colonel far below, dis
appeared over the breastworks. With
the single exception of Capt. Charles
Mays Black Tom, a magnificent and
powerful coal-black gelding, such a
steed as Theodore Winthrop introduces
in his best story under the name of Don
Fulano, or the Forest King in Ouida's
novel of Under Two Flags" Cortez
was the grandest war horse in Gen.
SCOTS army with which lie conquered
Mexico.
Five years later, when Capt. Grant
was stationed with the Fourth IBfan-
try at Columbia Barracks, now Fort
Vancouver, Oh the Columbia River In
what was then Washington Territory.
he purchased the most valuable horse
in that part of the country. calling him
Garland, III honor of his brigade com
marder during the Mexican war. In
April, 1853, Lieut.. George B. McCIel-
Ian. of the Engineer Corps. reached Co
lumbia Barracks, and for three months.
while on duty there. was Grants guest.
The day of his arrival. while seated
with spypral comrades i'm f~out of tho
officers quarters, they saw the captain
return ing from a ride on his superb
charger and approaching a six-gun bat
terry which was parked some 300 yards
distant AS he drew near the guns
and they were observing the graceful
movements of Garland and his perfect
rider, the group of officers saw Grant
pull down his hat more firmly and seat
himself squarely and securely in the
sqddle. He is going to leap tIo bat
terry" they exclaimed. when Nc .ellan
and the others-iuclud.lg Gen. Rufus
ingalls,. Grants West Point classmate.
who told the story--all stood up to see
the interesting performance Running
his horse at good speed toward tho
pieces. Grant put Garland over the six
guns. one after another as easily and
gracefully as Charles Levers world ia
NOUS Charlie O'Malley could have exc
t,,ted the clever act of horsemanshlo.
Early in June, 1861, Coy. Richard
Yates appointed Grant colonel of an
Illinois regiment and borrowing 800
from his fathers Galena partner with