The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-19
Gen, Grants Start,

Gen. Grants Start.
How old do you think am?" asked j.
III. Evans, OF Plattsville. Wis, in the
course OF conversation reminiscent in
character.
"SiXty-five."
'Seventy-onei"
81 knew General Grant before. during
and after the war" continued Mr.. Evans.
II am l3 years older than my brother, n.
Clay Evans
"As l was saying, | knew General Grant
before the war. He used TO drive from
Galena 10 Plattsville as a salesman for
Grant 4 Perkins. trying 20 sell leather.
He was not a successful business man.
He succeeded a brother Simpson Grant.
VINO died in ST. Paul, Mimi When Simp-
son died Jesse Grant, the father who re-
sided in St. Louis and was the senior
member Of the firm of Grant Perkins.
wrote his partner telling him they would
have to give Ulysses Grant a chance. y
know he isn't worth much wrote the
generals parent; he has proved a failure
in everything he has undertaken. How
ever, put him on, pay him what you find
he is worth, and IL IL is not enough TO
support him and his family / will pay the
difference
Mr.. Perkins put the future commander
of the largest army in the world at work
travelling about the neighborhood selling
"A
was worth S45 MONTH paid him 500, and
charged Jesse Grant with half OF the
amount. This was told me by Mr.. Per-
kins himself.
General Grant was in Galena only a
short time when the war broke out. A
mass meeting was held, at which John
"A. Rawlins, an eloquent young lawyer
and a companion of the leather salesman,
presided At the conclusion of the speak
ing Grant declared that having been edu-
Gated by the government at West Point,
he should fight for the government He
| and Rawlins started in to raise COM
pany.
Before the ranks were filed, however,
Governor Yates met IL. y. Washburn in
Chicago and said:
Senator, we are in q tangle out in
Springfield over the mastering in OF our
soldiers. Can YOU tell me where I can
get good man to attend to the business?'
Senator Washburne was silent for a
moment, and then exclaimed:
:" They very man for the place! / have
him Captain Grant, OF Galena.'
" For heavens sake send for him as
quickly as you cam
Captain Grant reported for duty at
Springfield, was placed in the adjutant
generals office and began bringing order
out of chaos.
"A regiment--the Observation-Disclosures
raised I'm Chicago and Quincey. Some
trouble broke out I'm Hannibal Mo-. and
the Twenty-third was ordered there to
quell the disturbance. The Quincy men
refused to go, claiming that they did not
enlist TO fight their own neighbors
Quincy just across the river from
HannibaD The colonel OF the regiment
was a weakling, thoroughly incompetent.
Governor Yates sent for Captain Grant.
" Can you take the Twenty-third Regi-
ment to Hannibal, Captain inquired the
governor.
4 can replied the captain
" You are i'm command sir. DO ~
Captain now General Grant. had
neither horse 10 ride nor uniform or ac-
couterments to wear. He finally obtained
an ordinary animal off William Cuder-
wood a liveryman, on credit, for $3.50. and
his fathers partner, Mr.. Perkins, loaned
him the money to buy his uniform and
sword.
Then Colonel Grant. in gathering
shade OF night, issued his first order in
the war of the Rebellion. IL was the
Twenty-third Illinois Infantry to appear
the following day for inspection parade.
This made it necessary for the men TO
have their knapsacks packed ready for
the march. Ordinarily such an order
would mean little but when the inspec-
tion parade terminated the Twenty-third
Regiment was ~ miles from Springfield
on the road 10 Hannibal with wagons and
camp impedimenta following in their
wake.
"The men did not realize what was up
and went into camp without "a murmur.
The march was continued until Quncey
was reached Hannibal was invaded and
the disturbance ended. Down the river
the regiment journeyed, and participated
In the battle OF Belmont. opposite Colum-
bus, Ky. and Grants career as a soldier
started, en- route for Appomatox.'