The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-02-20
Shs NEW COLONEL
Eow drant Proved Himself 10 N z
Master Of Men,. 'Ss

Eow orant Proved Himself 20 De 81
Master Of Men,. ~
When Captain Grant, formerly Of tks
regular army, was appointed colonel OF az
Illinois regiment In place Of Colonel
Goode, John A Logan while escortinz
him to the camp said: Colonel, the regE
ment Is a little unRuly. Do you think ya1
can manages the boysi"
II think I can, replied Grant.
Logan and McClernand, two congress-
men, made patriotic speeches, and Logan,
after 81 two hours Grafton, led forward .
quiet man in plain citizens clothes, say.
Ing:
"Allow me to present to you your new
commander, Colonel u. s. Grant"
"Most Of the soldiers observed him foa
from whose "Lfe Of Grant" we have
quoted. "They were astonished and dis.
appointed" Grant looked Like q grave.
country doctor. But he showed that he
could manage the "unruly boys" Thers
were loud calls: "Grant Grants a
speechl" Their late colonel used to.
~"orate" before them. The new colonel
stepped two PAGES toward them and said
In q clear, calm voice:
"Men, 20 to your quartersf'' IS
II an 8 inch shell had exploded IN their
ranks, the boys would not have been
more surprised, but they went to their
quarters. There was that in the new colo-
nel's voice which expressed command.
The tone was not loud, but it was given
with q clear cut infection which showed
him a master Of men.
That evening at dress parade, as he step
ped to the center Of the regiment, wearing
no uniform save a pair of gray trousers
with a stripe running down the outside
seams and an old sword, the men TESTED In
low voices about their new commander.
Colonel Goode, the late colonel, not In
frequently used the daily parade as an oc-
casion to make q speech, and the men ex-
pected one from Grant. The line officers
advanced, and the adjutant saluted.
. "a soldiers first duty Is to- learn to obey
his commander. I shall expect my; orders
10 be obeyed as exactly and as instantly as
II we were on the field of BATTLE"
That was all he said. AS the men
marched back to quarters a private asked:
t'What do they mean by sending down q
hbUlo u1d1 Aho LII W Soni1nnuu eA1S fo8IS
mehtf he can't pound dry sand In q
straight hole" I,
"He can't make q speech. Look at the
clothes be wears. Who is he anyhowPn
"Boys," retorted a sergeant, tsI'l tell
you who he Is. He's the colonel OF. this
regiment, as you'll find, and don't you
forget It,"
The sergeant was a prophet. The regi-
ment had obtained all the liquor it wished
for, Grant stopped that. "a man resisted
arrest.
"Wha3s's the matterf" asked Grant Of
the officer Of the day.
"The man persists In bringing liquor
into camp and refuses to give 1t mp.
"Put him into the guardhouse.
"He refuses to go"
Grant stepped up to him, seized him by:
the collar and jerked him outside of thu
camp gate. "Get out Of my regiment, he
said. "Yo1a are not worth disciplining. II
you come back, I'll have you shotf' A
big, dangerous man named Mexico was
tied up with q score Of others for leaving
camp without permission. "For every.
minute I stand here I'll have an ounce OF
your blood, !" said he to the colonel
"Gag himP' replied Grant.
One by one, as the hours passed, ths
other offenders were released by the old
GERS Of the guard. Grant released Me1ics
himself. The bully saw that his colonel
was his master, and the regiment began
to find out that It had aeoloneL-Youth's
Companion.