The log cabin Democrat., 1913-05-27
NEW NEWS Of YESTERDAY
How Grant Came to Make His
First Speech.
Persuaded by RaWlins, He Addressed
Meeting Near Galena to Re-
cruit Company After the
Attack on Sumter
By &. J. EDWARDS.

OeDt on Marcn 4, 1909, ne MADE JOhn
A. Rawlins secretary of war. Shortly
sfter he had become a major OF
volunteer Illinois regiment in the
FIRST wear of the civil war, Rawlins re-
signed that post in order to assume
the duties of assistant adjatant gen
eral on General Grants STAFF. From
then on until the close of the war,
Rawlins served on Grants staff. He
was the youngest of all the men who
served with the great commander, but.
nevertheless. he was one of Grants
closest advisers in military matters.
He also was his chiefs intimate
friend; and 1t was most natural for
Grant, when he knew for certainty
that he would be called upon to make
up a cabinet, to turn to General Raw
Inns as the one man to fill the ONCE
of secretary of war But that post
General Rawlins occupied for few
months only. He had contracted con-
sumption 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 Chi
cago. who. as resident OF Galena,
H.. in 1861, had enlisted in the first
company of volunteers that left Grants
home town in defense OF the Union.
asked General Chetlain II he had
known well General Rawlins, who was
a resident OF Galena at the time OF
the war.
Indeed | did was the reply, land
remember well the intimacy that
existed between him and Grant prior
10 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 dsy-would there
be war between north and south?
Put 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 t'me to
time to talk the matter over the were
the only two who felt that war was
surely coming and that it would be
A prolonged struggle Rawlins thought
that 1t would take as much as FIVE
years to overcome the south, while
Grant would declare that no one could
Tell how long II would take to do that
And then they would have time of Il
trying to convince their fellow citi
Zens that they were wrong In the be
lief that. If war did come, the north
would be able to subdue the south In
80 days-an opinion commonly held
throughout the north at that time.
And well ] remember too" contin.
ued General Chetlain, that 1t was
Rawlins who persuaded Grant TO make
the first speech he ever delivered.
AS soon az we had received the
news that Fort Sumter had been fred
on. ! Immediately began TO recruit our
first Galena company, Of which
WAS elected captain. and with which
Grant went from Galena to Springfield
the state capital where the company
was mustered in. II was thought
worth while to have somebody 60 to a
little suburb Of Galena, some three or
four miles beyond the city limits. and
make 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 II be would undertake this
task. He replied that he would be
glad 10 do SO. adding, as an after
thought. that he'd take Captain Grant
with him.
Well, at the appointed time Raw.
Inns and Captain Grant drove out to
ttc suburb. End R1wlirs told me after
wards mat he made hrtef speech
ana tAen introduced Captain Grant
serve u t..e Cnite1 States army in
Mexico ard was l.. c"cfora =. ore .o:a.e
tent than any civi.;-c 70 aC.,'Ytys \
meeting called to secure recruits. You
know how backward the captain Ia ex.
cept before his friends, said Rawline.
Well. without the slightest hesitation
he stood upon the rostrum and made a
very plain and simple but earnest
speech, about is minutes In length.
After he had finished four or five OF
the farmer boys came forward and
said that they would, on the following
day. come TO. our recruiting Office In
Galena and enlist
so 1t was John Rawlins who In
duced Grant to make his first speech !:
and it was Grants success as a speak.
er In that little village which led 10