Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-13
NEW NEWS or YESTERDAY
How Grant Came to Make HIS
First Speech.
Persuaded by Rawlins, lie Addressed
Meeting Near Galena to Re
cruit Company After the
Attack on Sumter
Sy {. j. EDWARDS.

dent on March 4. 1869. he made lolih
4 RaWlins secretary OF war. Snofti?
after he had become mayor "i
A volunteer Illinois regiment in the
first year OF the civil war. l;a%lins re-. .
signed thai posi- in order 10 assume
the duties OF assistant adjulant gen
eral on General Grants staff. From
tLen on until the close OF the war.
Rawlins served on Grants stan. lie
was the youngest OF all the men VINO
served with the great commander. bll.
nevertheless. he was one oil Cram
closest advisers in military matters
He also was his CHIEFS intimate
friend: and il was most natural Tor
Grant. when he knew For 4 certainly
that he would BE- called upon 10 make
nm cabinet. 10 turn 10 General Raw
lin. as the one man 10 fill the office
of secretary Of war. Hnt lllai posi-
General RawlinS occupied Tor lew
months only. He had contracted con
SUMPTION rs thc result oi exposure
during the war. and in September.
1899 he died.
One afternoon in 1901 met me Iate
General \. C. Chntlaiu. ,irn al chr
r9s0. whO. as Il resident o! '''irha'
m in 1861. had enlisted in the lIrSt
rompany OF volunteers that lrit ''ralit
hnm, lnwu in defense OF HE Union.
asked General ChetIain il he mad
known we'll General haWllna. Who was
= resident I'll Galrr: Al he TIME "i
me war.
Indeed I did" waa Ihc reply. ana
remember well the intimacy that
existed belwern him and Grant prihr
10 The outbreak Of The war. nave
only 10 shut my eyes no" Iiln SCI
them in memory rs ih+Y ST. together
II, Grants Fathers leather stor" earn
-srly discussing political qlr&tiofla'
and most earnestly OF all. me on"
great question of HE day would there
lie war between north and south?
Bat though they nilrn differed on
other questions. on III" Question "l me
possibility al war they w"r" 'ull!
agreed. and or all lhr men VINO gain
cred in The leather store from linl' 10
lime 10 i.Ik IN" matter over they were
The only Two who fell tha' war vas
surely comm" ana that il w"uid be
- urnIOr.rd struggle ka~llnS ih"liShi
;hat il would take as inHriA;i% I'VE
wears la overcome the SoulH, WIFI"
Grant would declare llIat no one c""Id
cell huw long IL wnGid Iake III 10 that.
AND then they would have Il time al II
irwin. 10 convince the ~ fellow ci'l
-, nay .-,r,.,4 wrong ne
! lief that. il war did come. HE north
would be able 10 suhdmc The south III
- days~an opinion commonly held
throughout The north ~ that time.
And w-ll / remember. 100. r0n'n.
ned General chrtlain. THAT ii was
Rawlns who persuaded Grant 10 make
he first speech he eyer delivered.
AS soon as We had received the
news that Fort Sumter had been fired
on. | immediately began 10 recruit on
first Galcna company. III which
was elected captain, AID with which
Grant went from GaIena 10 Springfield.
the state capital. where the company
was mustered in. Il WAS thought
worth while to have somebody go Ia \
little suburb nt Galrn:s. some three o.
four miles beyond the city limits, AMI
make Il speech thai would urge The
young farmers round about 10 euiSt in
our company. RawlinS WAS we'll known
4 Il Ii A. a. Il
asked him if he would undertake this
task. He replied that lie wogih be
glad 10 do 81. adding. rs an after
thought. thar he'd take Captain Grant
with him.
Well al The appointed time Raw
lins and Captain Grant drove out 10
the suburb. ana RawlnS Told me after
wards that he made Il brief speech
and then introduced Capiain Grant.
saying that the captain had alrcahy
served in the United States army in
Mexico and was therefore more compr.
tent Than any civilian to address Il
meeting called 10 secure recruits. 'Ynu
know how backward The captain is rN
cept before his friends. SAM ltaTlln$.
Well, without The slightest hrsitaiion
he STOOD upon The rOstrum and made u
very pain and simple hui earnest
speech. about - minutes i'll length
After lie had finished four Or five al
the farmer boys came forward AMI
said that they would. on The following
day. come 10 our recruiting Office in
Ealena and enlist
so it was John RawlinS who in
duced Grant to make his FIRST speech
and il was Grants Success rs Il speak,
er in that little village which led ic
our making him chairman Of tn" srent
mass meeting which Il day or ,~u later
was held in our GaIena public hall
Copyright. 1871. by T.. j. Edwards. AZ
Rights Reserved