The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-17
He Rode Grants Horse,

He Rode Grants Horse,
The battle of Lookout Mountain un-
doubtedly led to Grants appointment 70
the position of commander-in-chief of the
army. General Rosecrans had been over
whelmingly defeated, and the troops IN
der him were penned up al Chattanooga,
hungry, ragged and discouraged, facing
starvation or surrender. with General
Bragg looking down from the heights up
on US and counting the hours until We
should be sent to the south under guard
as his prisoners.
At this most disheartening time, Cen
eral Grant came to take command, and
to get us out of the trap. His first
move was TO get US something TO eat
for we were on a half ration Of hard
tack and what the boys called beef
dried on the hoof," which the flesh of
the starved animals certainly resembled-
Within five days of General Grants ar
ival the famous cracker line" was es-
tablisned. General Bragg held such a
position that, although We were only
twenty-six miles from our supplies by
rail, they had to be dragged sixty miles
over all but impossible mountain roads
The rebel chieftain saw the advantage
Of maintaining this state of things, and
made an attempt TO break the cracker
line" General Hooker ordered General
Howard to protect ii, and Howard made
dash up the hill in the dark and did
good work, but the Zine was really
saved By an occurrence strangely resem-
bling a recent South African incident.
The mules attached to his command be-
came frightened and stampeded toward
the enemy, who. supposing that this was
a charge, in turn stampeded and fed
Thus the cracker line" was preserved,
never to be again attacked. We were
now put on full rations, and this, with
General Grants strong, reassuring pres
ence, made new men Of us. There was
one regiment of mere boys, the Eighty
sixth Ohio The colonel was only %
years old, and one of his companies had
just one man old enough to be really en-
titled to the name, and to vote. The
youthful appearance of this regiment Is
best described by relating an incident
that occurred when We were detailed 10
take charge of a lot of tall, lean Geor-
gians, who had been taken prisoners. I
was at the rear end of my company, be-
ing the smallest and youngest-just 10
years old. An especially tall and strap
ping Georgian leaned over and drawied
out: ''Whar did you 'uns git that thar
regiment?'
DTISJIeu ana Teplleu,
"In Ohio, sir
We'll, you 'uns must have bruk up
every school in the state to git ii. Why,
them kids amt old enough to chaw tu-
hacker" he replied.
Only half of these boys ever returned
to their homes and their schools, and but
Of those who survived the war
are now alive. Our young colonel Will
son e Lemert, showed US at our last
reunion picture of his trained horse that
we saw shot under him the day of the
rush up the mountain. We
could then only replace his beautiful
black horse with big white mule. On
this he led US into the thickets of the
fight. Perhaps we boys would have seen
more if he wad not pulled our caps
down SO closely and attended 30 strictly
to the business of getting up TO that first
line of ri1e-pits, which we were ordered
to take, and then to stop and reform.
When we reached this point, however
our ranks were swept by sudden and
mighty impulse. There was no waiting
for new orders then; as one man. we
dashed up and over the second line of
defense, until we were so close upon
he enemy that their comrades could not
shoot us without endangering those in
'front.'; and, when we reached the top,
We were upon the heels of the last man
n gray going down the other side
This battle fought partly above the
clouds, is said to have been won by Gen
.ral Grant and the private soldiers, and
10 it was, for we learned to know and !
rust him at Vicksburg
was an orderly on General Grants |
taft, and was sent one day with dis |
patches on his fine little black horse,
oaned me for the occasion. AS I re-
urned with the replies l rushed around |
/ bend in the road into what looked like /
full brigade of the enemy. 1 wheeled |
md started to run for it, with it seemed 1
0 me. every 'reb" in the lot shooting at !
ne. My horse was shot, and l went |
lying over his head. l landed on all |
ours, and continued on my way in this /
ostion, as I had neither time to get up /
Tor desire to be a more conspicuous mark !
ntil I got around that bend in the road |
Then 1 made record-breaking time to !
ur camp. I ran up, all covered with |
lood and dust, and handed my dispatch |
5 to a lieutenant, who gave them to the !
General. After reading the dispatches
he great commander turned and looked !
ne over in his quiet way, and said: Give
his orderly another horse" He must
ave been angry, too, at my losing his
avorite horse
1 heard General Grant say TO General
'honas, just before the famous charge
p the hill: IF we don't win this fight
know one general who will lose his
houlder-straps." He looked keenly at
'homas, as he said it in his quiet. earn
st way, and, turning on his heel, walked |
D his tent. There had been some fric-
lon between them, owing to General
rants superseding the other general In
he full command
The next time I saw General Grant
-as during the year 1872 I was intro
0r from our state. as the newly appoint
consul to Nicaragua. I said, Cen
raj, we have met before-at Vicksbprg"
Ie gave me one long, earnest look, and
aid, Yes, you are the boy who got my
orse shot"
The president seemed genuinely pleas
i at meeting me again. and inquired
neither my consular appointment suited
le, adding:
why did you not come to me direct?
would have found you something bet
sr"
But I was cOntented. and told him so.
eng especially pleased with his rerenl-
rance Of me and the Acknowledgement
his appreciation Of my service.
ent to Nicaragua, and never saw the
reat leader again.-Romeo Hoyt Freer IN
ucCess.
Two Elegant Liars