El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-24

2 So a day to do odd jobs at Camp Yates
Commands Unruly Regiment.
Little as he could have imagined it
however, a new day was about to
dawn upon the fortunes of Capt Grant
I as he was then called. There was in
camp at Nation a very unruly regi-
ment Of volunteers, the 21st Illinois in
1antry, which seemed likely to be dis
banded because of its unwillingneSs to
submit to discipline Grant. after all.
was West Pointer, and any real
knowledge Of military matters was Just
then at high premium. He was asked
. If he cared to undertake the job Of
commanding the regiment in question,
and promptly accepted the offer, be-
coming its colonel
1t did not take him long to get the
regiment into shape Anybody who at
tempted to dispute his authority was
soon SOrry for 1t In July he had orders
to transfer his command to Alton. The
regiment refused to ride on the freight
cars provided for its transportation.
and he made the men march all the
way. He would not even allow them
to get aboard a freight train when one
came along
1Iodesty was always a marked trait
OF this military commander When,
some time before the events just
narrated, friend urged him to
apply Tor the coloncy Of regi-
ment he said. Few men are able
to command 1000 soldiers, and
I am sure / am not one of those"
And yet the day was to arrive before
very long when he would command a
a quiet Little Fellow
When asked, three years later. What
sort Of a man was Grant2" Abraham
Lincoln replied: He is the Quietest
little fellow you ever saw He makes
the least fuss Of any man you ever
knew. I believe two or three times he
has been in this room quite a while
before knew he was here. It's about
so all around. The only evidence you
g.
makes things git Wherever he is he
makes things move"
In later years, particularly after he
became president, Grant was careful
about his attire, but during the civil
war he preserved that Indifference to
costume which, had marked him while
at west Point. In the Vicksburg cam
paign he wore, in place of the usual
military hat and gold cord, an old bat
tered "stOVepipe,' such as the average
private soldier IN his army would not
have picked up in the street. In his
mouth was always a black cigar and
he seemed to be perpetually smoking.
a friend of his, in excuse, said. Such
stovepipe as Grants should be al
InsensibIe to Danger.
J.. l. RingwaIt. to whose Anecdotes
Of Gen Grant the writer is much in
debted, says that he was never
wounded, though ne constantly and
even reckleSsly exposed himself He
was not merely brave, but insensible TO
danger OF his WarhOrse, Cincinnatus
he was devotedly fond On one Occa-
sion. while riding through a piece Of
woods in Virginia during a brisk en-
gagement. he and Col Dent were
Obliged to cross a brook at a place
where the fire Of the enemy was con-
Centrated and murderOus. A piece of
telegraph wire had got twisted around
the off-hlnd foot of Cincinnatus- and
Grant dismOunted and UNFINISHED it. eX-
aiming the leg in a leisurely and de-
Iberate manner, Notwithstanding the
protests of his companion. Then. hav-
ing mounted again, he said. "Den, when
YOU have got a horse you think a good
deal of, YOU should never take any
chances with him. If that wire had
been left there a little longer. the ami
NAL would have gone dead lame. and
he might perhaps have been ruined for
life"
To which Dent replied: Il am your
brotherinlaW. and want no favors on
that account, but I shall insist upon