The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-07-26

lars, and it was simply this: keep
your own counsel. Don't let a human
Delng know word of what has hap
pened.' In this way the United States
got its military transportation to Ma
MIA without being skinned by a lot Of
sharp INSCRIPTIONS agents. who see in
the nations extremity their own op-
portun1ty. The captain is now a ma
Jor IN his corps, but he will probably
never have a greater opportunity for
serving his country than he had from
the last of May to the LIST of June. 1895
Inc quartermaster's department is the
largest of our military staff corps. 1t
mas htty-eight members. ranking from
full colonies to captains, besides its
chief, who is a brigadier general. and
ought to be a major general. for he has
the most difficult, the most thankless.
and the most strenuous position in the
entire army
For the first time in many years the
quartermaster general is the entire Of
hcer of his corps in service. II General
Ludlngton lives until Oct. 90 this year.
ne viii have been in the quartermas-
ters department forty years. This is
the longest continuous service of an
officer of the general staff in our
army S history, so far as is known. and
a pretty accurate account has been
Kept of the service of the officers in
the several staff corps. In fact, it is
doubtful if the history of the United
States army includes another instance
OF a continuous active service of forty
years, either in staff or line.
General Ludington's service has been
exceptional. He was a very young
man, indeed, to have held the rank he
did. He could not have been more
than % when ne was made major and
quartermaster of volunteers. Two
years later, almost to a day, in fact,
he was a full colonel in his corps, and a
corps quartermaster besides, with TWEEN
ty or more quartermasters taking or
ders from him, all of them his senior
in years, and the most of them very
much his senior.
And there was no politics in his
promotion, either 1t CHANGED that
Grant was commanding all the armies
of the United States and the army of
the Potomac in particular when Lud-
ington was made full colonel. Grant,
who knew all about everything that
was going on in the army where he
commanded, had noticed that one of his
corps was always well supplied and
its transportation or wagons. Others
were always in trouble about some
thing. Grant thought he would like to
know more about this. So taking
Horace Porter and Babcock, his two
favorite aides, he rode over one after
noon in the fall of 1864 to the head
quarters of the corps in question.
This particular afternoon was
beautiful one. 1t was late in October
and Virginia was in the midst of the
beauty of that most charming season,
Indian summer. After the usual COM
pIiments and drink or two-for Grant
would take one and perhaps two drinks,
but never any more, and not these If
his staff officers were preSent-well, the
second drink time was due, and the
nimble African had responded to the
call of his boss" Here, Gyascutus,
produce the demijohn, likewise glasses,
some spoons and sugar, and go down
there to the branch and see if you can
find a stalk or two of fresh mint
''What?" said Grant, smiling thing
he did not often do-for he did like a
mint julep, have you all the luxuries
of the land here?'' We'll, not exactly.
general" the other man added, but
we have got some OF them, and these
Virginia spring branches do produce
superb mint" Just then the "Ethiope"
came in with two trimming goblets.
They were full of a straw-colored COM
pound, in which were some sprigs of
mint. On the top floated few amber
colored grapes. "By Georgel" said
Grant, you are doing the thing in
princely fashion '"WelI, here's how"
the oldest military toast on record.
Now is there anything L can do for
you?" asked Grant half an hour later
as he mounted his horse and shook the
hand of his host and corps
in cordial goodbye
"Well, yes, general; there is a thing
[ had meant to speak to you about
some time soon, and now is as good
a time as any. There's my quartermas-
ter, young Ludington. I'd like to have
him promoted. He's only a major, but
he is a corps quartermaster. and I'll be
greatly obliged If you would use your
influence for his promotion to ieuten-
ant colonel"
"Why not make him a full colonel2'
said the general of all the armies.
why, had not thought of that,
the other general officer said.
''Well, you write to the secretary of
war, recommending his promotion, and
send the letter to me-"
The gallant commander of the corps
did so, and Grant put strong indorse-
ment on it. So, when it reached the
of war, grim old Stanton,
who liked men that won him victories,
put an unusually favorable indorse-
ment of approval on it, and, of course,
Mr.. Lincoln approved it. And this is
how it happened that Major Luding-