Evening journal., 1911-09-05
NEW MEMS OF YESTERDAY
How Grant Came to Make
His First Speech
By Holland.

When General Grant became Presi-
dent on March A. 1869, he made John
A. Rawlins Secretary of War. Short
" after he had become a major gem
eral of volunteer Illinois regiment
in the first year of the Civil War,
Rawiins resigned that post In order
20 assume the duties OF assistant @a-
jutant general on General Grants
staff From then on until the close OF
the war, Rawlins served on Grants
stan. He was the youngest of all the
men who served with Great Com
mander but, nevertheless he was one
OF Grants closest advisers in military
matters. He also was his chiefs
intimate friend; and It was most nat
ural for Grant. when he knew for
certainty that he would be called
upon TO make up cabinet, to turn 10
General Rawlins as the one man to
fiji the Office OF Secretary Of War.
But that post General Rawlins occu-
pied for a few months only. He had
contracted consumption as the result
OF exposure during the war, and in
September, 1869, he died.
One afternoon in 1901 ! met the
late General A. c. Chetlain. then OF
Chicago, who. as a resident Of Galena,
ILL.,, in 1861, had enlisted I'm the first
company OF volunteers that left
Grants home town in defense Of the
Union. asked General Chetlain II
he had known we'll General Rawlins,
who was a resident of Galena at the
time of the war.
Indeed, ! did, was the reply; "and
! remember well the intimacy that ex-
listed between him and Grant prior to
the outbreak Of the war. | have only
to shut my eyes now and see them in
memory as they sit together in
Grants fathers leather store earn
estly discussing political questions,
and, most earnestly Of all: the one
great question of the day-would
there be war between North and
South?
But though they often differed on
other questions, on the question OF
the possibility of war they were fully
agreed; and of all the men who gath
cred in the leather store from time
to time to talk the matter over they
were the only two who felt that war
was surely coming and that II would
be a prolonged struggle. Rawlins
thought that it might take as much
as five years to overcome the South.
while Grant would decleare that no
one could tell how long II would take
to do that And then they would
have time Of it trying to convince
their fellow citizens that they were
wrong i'm the belief that il war did
come, the North would be able to sub
due the South in ninety days-an
opinion commonly held throughout
the North at that time.
And well 7 remember. too" con-
tinued General Chetlain, that it was
Rawlins who persuaded Grant to
make the first speech he ever deliv-
cred.
"As soon as we had received the
news that Fort Sumter had been fired
on. I Immediately began to recruit
out first Galena company, OF which I
was elected captain. and with which
Grant went from Galena to Spring
field, the state capital. where the
company was mustered I'm. IT was
though worth while to have somebody
go to a little suburb Of Galena. some
three or four miles beyond the city
limits. and make a speech that would
urge the young farmers round about
to enlist In our company. Rawlins
was we'll known and liked in that
| community and ] asked him If he
would undertake this task. He re-
piled that he would be glad to do so
adding. as an afterthought, that he'd
take Captain Grant with him.
well. at the appointed time Raw
Inns and Captain Grant drove out to
the suburb, and Rawlins told me af-
terwards that he made a brief speech
and then introduced Captain Grant
saying that the captain had already
served I'm the United States Army IN
Mexico and was therefore more com.
petent than any civilian to address d
meeting called TO secure recruits
You know how backward the captain
is except before his friends, said
Rawlins. Well. without the slightes
hesitation, he stood upon the rostrun
and made a very plain and simple bu
earnest speech. about fifteen minutes
In length. After he had finished foui
or five of the farmer boys come for
ward and said that they would, on tn,
following day. come to our recruiting
Office in Galena and enlist
so it was John Rawlins who in
duced Grant 60 make his first speech
and it was Grants success as a speak
er in that little village which led {,
our making him chairman Of tn,
great mass meeting which a day o
two later was held I'm our Galena pub
lie hail..
Copyright. 1911. by E. J. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
"The Famous Poet Who Peddled