Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-12-23

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A Christmas which is deeply inn
pressed upon my recollection is in
the winter of 1863, when he fortunes
Of the war seemed weighed in even
scales. The union forces, had suf-
fered terrible reverses, the work
of reorganization was begun. IL was
the time of the beginning of GRANTS
rapid forging to the front. Hope cen
tered in him, for nobody felt sure OF
anything. Il was at this time that
congress took a hand by its commit
tee on the conduct of the war. There
was a general clamor for the emoval
of General Burnside, and just about
Christmas time he was called before
he committee.
| happened t o be present at a meet
ing between General Burnside and
Representative Ben Wade, who was
| chairman. General Burnside told Mr..
Wade that there was little need for
a long inquiry into his case, Refer
ring to the operations which had Gull
minated at Fredericksburg, he said:
ut Is a short story. I failed. AS
to the future, II is equally short. To
succeed In my position, a man must
have the confidence of the country,
the confidence of his army, and the
confidence of himself. I have nome
of these, and consider that | am unfit
to continue in command
1t Was the frankest and most mag
unanimous avowal by a defeated man
that | have ever heard. | could not
help recalling 1t a number of years
later when General Grant related at
dinner a personal experience of his
own touching the question of cons
fidence in oneself.
1t seems that Grant, like others at
the opening Of the war, had written
to the Wal Department offering his
services and asking some small COM
mission. 1t will be remembered that
his life up to that time had been dis
tinctly a failure. He had graduated
from West Point, but had thrown W
his commission as second Lieutenant
and had been out in Galena, Ill, try
ing to do something in the leather
business.
The letter to the War Department
went into the official files and moth
ing came of it. He did not know
lust what he could do, but decided
10 go to Lafayette, Ind, and look III
an old friend, Joseph Reynolds. Az
CuduCt MOulu haNt ls lhC hoy nv 80
rived there he received a telegram
from Governor Yates of Illinois, Of
fering him a commission as colonel Of
the Twenty first Ininoins Regiment
and demanding an immediate reply b,
wire.
General Grant said that the tele'
gram actually overpowered him-thl
command of a whole regiment! liz
had been out of the military academ!
and had been in civil life for a mum
Der Of years. He had been no NOR
than a second lieutenant. He woul'
have been willing to assume the re
sp|onsibilities of a %captaincy, but
colonel was too much.
All night he and Joe Reynolds sa
up discussing what should be done
He had about made up his mind {
e a telegram declining, when tn
conference was joined by VIM. /
Reynolds. The latter, an older maj
and the principal man OF the tow
was strong, virile character. He wa
president of the railway system thf
went through the place.
Young man. said he, lookin
Grant over, you have been traine
at the government school at the eH
pense Of the public, and il you don
know and are not competent, who
the world is? To whom are We
look in a time like this? Can you
il? You've got to. what's a thou'
and men? | give orders to that mar
myself. And a railroad isn't so vel
different from an army. Civ us
telegraph blank. | will write yol
answer"
The answer said he would acce
and do what he could.
"The cold, steely eye of that raj
road president looking into mine
Grant said, in relating the stor
Seemed to send some of that detern
ined and confident spirit into me. TIL
was the beginning of my career."