The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-05-25
had gone three blocks and instantly

sk1lleu!
a few days before the American
army evacuated the city Of Mexico,
Grant mounted Cortez and rode out to
make morning call on the colonel in
command Of the Castle of Chapultepec.
The officers quarters were inside Of
the fortress, which was surrounded
with high, broad earthwork. Riding
up the outside slope and around the
castle without observing 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 to get him
out?"
Ride him up, instead of down." re-
piled the lieutenant, which he accord
ingly did on his departure, the intelli-
gent Cortez climbing like 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 Captain
Charles Mays Black Tom, a magnifi-
cent and powerful coal black gelding,
such 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 General SCOTS army with
which he conquered Mexico.
Five years later, when Captain
Grant was stationed with the Fourth
Infantry at Columbia Barracks, now
Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia
River in what was then Washington
Territory, he purchased the most valu-
able horse in that part of the country,
calling him Garland, in honor of his
brigade commander during the Mexi-
can war. In April, 1853, Lieutenant
George B. Mcclellan, of the Engineer
Corps, reached Columbia Barracks,
and for three months, while on duty
there, was Grants guest. The day of
his arrival, while seated with several
comrades in front of the officers
quarters, they saw the captain return
Ing from ride on his superb charger
and approaching six-gun battery
which was parked some 800 yards dis
tant. 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 saddle. HE is going to leap the
battery!" they exclaimed, when Nc
Clellan and the others-including Cen
eral Rufus ingalls,, Grants West Point
classmate, who told the story-all
stood up to see the interesting per-
Torrance. Running his horse at good
speed toward the pieces, Grant put
Garland over the six guns, one after
another, as easily and gracefully as
Charles Levers worldfamous Charlie
O'Malley could have executed the cley-
er act of horsemanship.
EARLY in June, 1861, Governor Rich
ard Yates appointed Grant colonel of
an Illinois regiment, and borrowing
$500 from his fathers Galena partner,
with which to equip himself for the
position, he paid about one-half of the
amount for his famous Claybank, or
Old Jack. This snowy war horse Grant
used for several years, and he was
well known to the Army of the Ten
nessee as "Old Yellow" At the bat
tie of Belmont, horse having been
killed under him, Grant mounted his
cream-colored steed. When at the
close of the fighting our forces retreat
ed to the boats on the Mississippi, the
general on reaching the landing place
found that he was the only represen-
tative of his army between the the
Confederates and the Union transports
and war vessels. From one of the for
mer plank was run out and from a
high bank the intelligent horse took
in the situation, sliding down the
difficult slope on his launches to the
gang-plank, and with his rider was
soon safely aboard the steamer. Grants
groom was captured. Belmont, and g
colored cook belonging to a Confeder-
ate colonel escaped with the Northern
troops. An exchange was proposed by
Bishop Polk, the Confederate COM
mander at Columbus, Grant replying
that he had no authority to exchange
black man, but the cook could return
to the. colonel if he so desired. The
slave did not. but Grants groom wa.
nevertheless courteously sent back by
the Confederate prelate-general.
Polite stranvar