Evening journal., 1913-06-14
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Veterans ReCOIIeCtiOnS
of Grant at Galena
By Holland.

After General Grant captured Fort
Donaldson ! found myself picturing
mentally his appearance when the
company which ! was captain was
orfganized at Galena. H., immediate
ly after Lincoln's proclamation m
1861 After the surrender of Vicks-
burg that picture again was called
up by my recollection, and from that
time on till the end of the Civil War
! found myself after every one of the
successive achievements of General
Grant recalling him as he looked in
those first days of the war at Galena.' -
1T was in 1897 that the late Gem
eral A. L. Chetlain. of Chicago, made
this statement to me. Even as he
spoke | could see, as thought, a
sort Of dreamy, introspective look in
his eyes, exactly as though he was
again calling up the figure of the OBJ
scure leather merchants clerk in Ga
lena at the time the war broke out
General Chetlain was elected cap
tain of the Galena company, which
was first to respond in that section of
Illinois to President Lincoln's call
for $4,000 volunteers. With the COM
pany, Captain Grant rather ex-Cap-
tain Grant--for he had resigned from
the United States army some years
earlier-was much occupied.
I'VE should have elected Captain
Grant our own captain" continued
General Chetlain, III he had been
willing to accept our offer He told
me privately that he thought he was
qualified for a higher office than that
of captain. He said to me, however,
that he would undertake TO drill our
company and would give several
hours to the work of drillmaster.
remember very well when he ap-
peared in one of the fields of the
suburbs of Galena marching there
with our company TO give IL the first
instruction in company drill. My at
tention was fixed upon a peculiar
overcoat which Captain Grant wore.
Il was early in April and the weather
as | remember, was unusually cool
for that season of the year. My men
did not wear overcoats. | suppose
they thought that the drill would be
sufficient to keep them warm.
"But this short. ratehr thick-set
man, well-bearded. stood out in front
Of the company with a curious long
tailed army overcoat protecting him
from The chill winds. | remember
perfectly we'll observing that the
wind blew the tails of his coat around
his legs.
He was very patient with his men,
and yet every one of them realized
that he was a master both Of drill
and of discipline
so day after day Captain Grant
came out from his fathers leather
store wearing his peculiar army over
coat, a relic of the time of the Mex
ican War, and stood in front of my
company patiently. and yet persist
emily periecting the men in company
drill.
"At last the time came for us to
take train for Springfield. the State
capital where we were 70 Join the
regiment to which we had been as
signed The men were dressed in
uniforms. the cut of which had been
recommended by Captain Grant. All
the local tailors aud many women
OF Galena united In a hasty manufac-
ture Of these crude uniforms. We
marched through the streets of Ga
lena 10 the train I saw now the IA
miliar. but as yet wholly quaint, old
army overcoat OF Captain Grant as
marched along at the head of my
company And as we approached the
railroad station and | turned to COM
mand the company TO halt / saw
somewhat I'm the rear. the same army
overcoat, and from beneath It's folds
there appeared m old-fashioned car
petbag. Then ! knew that Captain
Grant was going with the company
but not as a member Of IL, to Spring
field Later, when ! heard of Grants
great victories. this picture of the
man in the old army overcoat OF
Mexican War days, and with an old
fashioned earpetbag gripped i'm one
hand at the railroad station az Ca
lena. and upon the field where oui
company was drilled in company ma.
neuvers, stood out wildly before ms
minds eye"
Copyright, 1913. by E. j. Edwards