The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-07-22
THE NEW COLONEL.
How Grant Proved Himself to Be a
Master OF Men.

Master Of Men.
When Captain Grant, formerly of
the regular army, was appointed
colonel of an Illinois regiment in
place Of Colonel Goode, John "A. Lo
gan while escorting him to We
camp said: Colonel, the regiment
is a little unruN. Do YOU think,
YOU can manage the boys?'> 4
Il think l can, replied Grant.
Logan and McClernand, two con-
gressmcn, made patriotic speeches,
and Logan, after a two hours ora
ton, led forward a quiet man in
plain citizens clothes, saying:
"AIlow me to present to You your
new commander, Colonel. U. S.
Grant"
'Most of the soldiers observed
him for the first time," writes Ham
lin Garland, from whose life of
Grant" we have quoted. ''They
were astonished and disappointed"
Grant looked like a gravet country
doctor. But he showed that he
could manage the "unruy boys"
There were loud callsq "Grant.
Grant! A sqeechw Their late
colonel used to ''orate" before
them. The new colonel stepped
two PAGES toward them and1said in
clear, calm voice:
MEN, 90 to your quartersv'
If an eight inch shell had explod-
edsin their ranks the F'boys" would
not have been more surprised, but
they went to their quarters. There
was that in the new colonel's voi9
which expressed command. The
tone was not loud, but it was given
with a clear cut infection which
showed him atmaster of men.
That evening at dress parade as
he,stepped tothe center of the regi-
ment, wearing no uniform save a
pair Of gray trousers with 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 infrequently used the daily pa
radc as an occasion to make a
speech, and the men expected one
from Grant. The line officers ad-
vanced, and the adjutant saluted.
"a soldiers first duty is to learn
to obey his commander. | shall ex-
pect my orders to be obeyed as ex-
actly and as instantly as if we were
on the field of battle"
That was all he said. As the
men marched back to quarters
private asked: "What do they mean
by sending down a little man like
him to command this regiment?
He can't pound dry sand in a
straight. hole
''ITe can't make a speech. Look
at the clothes he wears. Who is he
anyhow" y
"Boys," retorted a sergeant, "I'll
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
regiment had obtained all the liquor
it wished for. Grant stopped that
A man resisted arrest.
"What's the matter?" asked
Grant of the officer of the day.
'The man persists in bringing
liquor into camp and refuses to give
it up"
"Put him in the guardhouse."
"He refuses to 60"
Grant stepped up to him, seized
him by the collar and jerked him
outside of the camp gate. ''Get
out of my regiment" he said. ''You
are not worth disciplining. If you
come back I'll have you shot" A
big, dangerous man named Mexico
was tied up with a score of others
for leaving camp without permits
sion. "For every minute | sEpA
here I'll have an ounce of your
blood" said he to the colonel.
Gag him!" said Grant.
One by one as the hours passed
the other offenders were released
by the officers of the guard. Grant
released Mexico himself. The bully
saw that his colonel was his mas
ter, and the regiment began to find
out that it had a colonel.