The Ordway new era., 1913-04-25
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FIRST SIGHT OF GEN. GRANT
Streets Of culpepper Lined With Men
Eager to Catch Glimpse Of
Famous Commander.

1entEdl 1IduI 10 VI thC hSAe ~Aos"'
Bstter take position on the sidewalk
where you can get good look at
him"
took the advice Of the natty lieu
tenant of the RED Legs" as the -Four.
teenth Brooklyn were called. took
= position a block from the pudgy lit
tie station at Culpepper court house.
Va Word seemed to have passed
around a good many corners that
Grant is on the next train" for the
walks on either side Of the street
were lined with men eager to catch q
glimpse Of the great general. the
Noses who had been sent from the
vest to lead the army Of the Potomac
through the wilderness and end the
war
General Grants headquarters were
In a brick house eight or ten blocks
from the station. Himself and a num-
Der of the staff had gone to Washing.
ton the Saturday before to meet Pres.
ident Lincoln, General Halleck and
Secretary Stanton.
How vividly the scenes Of the Cul-
pepper street on that balmy March
toIcuOOh Vi IOTty-bCNCu ySoio o5o, sh@S
crst time ! saw General Grant. come
back to me. Il can hear the shrill
whistle of the engine. SEQ the two
weather-beaten passenger coaches and
= freight car as they stopped. Pretty
soon a dozen or more trim.built fine
ly uniformed star oflcers alighted.
writes Lieut.. Col. ]. A. Watrous, u 9.
A.. in the Milwaukee Sentinel. Among
these recall Grants strong right
arm. General Rawlins. Colonel Bareau.
Colonel Parker. the Indian. Majors
Rowley and Bowers. The driver Of
the ambulance was apparently told
that the general would walk to head
quarters. for he drove away without
passenger. Half of the staff was on
either side Of the street. about ten
feet from the sidewalk 7 looked
sharply for the lieutenant general in
this party. but none Of them resem-
bled the pictures Of the new man.
There he comes!" passed along the
spectator brigade Surely our necks
were craned and heels raised that our
eyes might behold the mighty man
from the west who was to command
in the next campaign.
Go along! That isn't him."
BET you my canteen-I know it's
Grant"
That little. sandy.bearded. stoop-
shouldered. slow-walking fellow-that
one-you say that's General Grant,"
That's who 1t f."
And 1t was.
This conversation was carried on
by New Yorker and vermonter at
my right. while General Grant was
slowly. very slowly. walking from the
left to the right Of his respectfully
pos. s.ed staff When he reached the
right. the stan right and left faced.
caught step with the general-a very
hard one to keep because It was so
slow-and without uttering word the
small but distinguished procession
passed along the street to headquar-
ters. the most Of us moving along the
sidewalk closely watching the general.
II had not kept informed touch
ing the great deeds of our new COM
mander. that frst sight of him would
have made an unfavorable impression,
but as 1t was. his personal appearance
there was not member Of the staff
who was not better looking, better
dressed and more soldierly in his
bearing-his dusty slouch hat. unbut.
toned undercoat and overcoat. unpoi.
ished boots, half.smoked cigar. hands
folded behind him and the slow step.
were sized. weighed and measured
and called just right.
Greater Joy never came to the army
Of the Potomac than accompanied the
report that Grant-Grant Of Fort
Henry. Fort Donelson, Shiloh. vicks.
burg. Mission Ridge-was coming to
help US run down Bobby Lee and his
fighters. All of the army wanted to
grasp his hand and bid him welcome
Much as a thousand of us, on that
short, silent march Of the "Old Com
mander," wanted to greet him, can
not imagine what would have induced
us to attempt It
Such was the welcome extended to
this giant of the west by every man
in that army. which for nearly three
years had pounded and been pounded
from Manassas to the peninsula, from
Cedar mountain to Antietam, from
Fredericksburg to Charlottesville, from
Gettysburg to Mine Run; and still
there we sat on the banks Of the
Rapidan and looked across into the
faces of Lees dauntless army O,
northern Virginia. leader and mer
who were as ready for battle as ever;
as hopeful. seemingly, as II they hat
not left 100000 of their brave breth
| rem on fields where the two armie,
clashed.