The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-12-25

sHS " ihbSi VI icOo, "uCu lus lUI
tunes of the war seemed weighed
| eve scales. The union forces had
suffered terrible reverses, ard the
work of reorganization was begun.
1t was the time of the beginning
of Grants rapid forging to Inc
front. Hope conferred in him, but
nobody felt sure of anything. it
was at this time that congress took
a hand by its committee on the
conduct of the war. There was a
general clamor for the removal of
General Burnside, and just abor..
Christmas time he was called be-
fore the committee.
l happened to be present at a
meeting between General Burnside
and Representative Ben Wade, who
was chairman. General Burnside
told Mr.. Wade that there was lit
tie need for long inquiry into his
case. Referring to the operations
which had eliminated at Freder-
icksburg, he said:
at is a short story. I failed. AS
to the future, it 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.
have none of these, and consider
taht am unfit to continue in COM
mand."
1t was the frankest and most
magnanimous avowal by a defeated
man that l ever heard. l could not
help recalling it a number of years
later when General Grant related
at dinner a personal experience of
his own touching the question of
confidence in oneself.
1t seems that Grant, like others
at the ouening of the war had writ
ten to The war department Offering
his services and asking some small
commission. 1t will be remembered
that his life up to that time had
been distinctly a failure. He had
graduated from West Point, but
had thrown up his commission as
second lieutenant and had been out
in Galena, H., trying to do some
thing 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
just what he could do, but decided
to go to Lafayette, Ind, and look
up an old friend, Joseph Reynolds.
AS chance would have it, the day
he arrived there he received tele-
gram from Governor Yates of Hi
nois offering him a commission as
colonel of the 21st Illinois regiment
and demanding an immediate reply
by wire.
General Grant said that the tele-
gram actually overpowered him 49,
| the command of whole regiment!
He had been out of the military
| academy and had been in civil life
for a number of years. He had
been no more than a second lieu
tenant. He would have been will.
| ing to assume the responsibilities
of a captaincy, but a colonel was
too much
All night he and Joe Reynolds
sat up discussing what should be
done. He had about made up his
mind to send telegram declining,
when the conference was joined by
VIM. f. Reynolds. The latter an
older man and the principal man
OF the town, was a strong, virile
character. He was president of
the railway system that went
through the place.
Young man." said he, looking
Grant over, you have been trained
at the governments; school at the
expense of the public, and if you
don't know and are not competent,
who in the world is? To whom
are. we to look in a time like this
Can you do it? You've got to.
What's thousand men! | give
orders to that many myself. Anr
railroad isn't so very different
from an army. GIVE US A Tells
GRAPH BLANK. | WILL
WRITE YOUR ANSWER"
The answer said he would &C.
cept and do what he could.
"The cold, steely gray eye of
that railroad president looking In
to mine" Grant said in relating
the story. seemed to send some Of
thta determined and confd ent
spirit into me. That was the De.
ginning of my career"