The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-03-07
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FIRST SIGHT OF GEN. GRANT
Streets Of culpepper Lined With Me"
Eager to Catch Glimpse OF
Famous Commander.


General Grant is on the next train.
Better take a position on the sidewalk
where you can get a good look At
him"
took the advice Of the natty iieu'
tenant Of the "Red Legs" as the Four
teenth Brooklyn we're called ! TOOK
a position block from the pudgy III
tie station at Culpepper court mousse
Va. Word seemed to have passed
around a good many corners that
Grant is on the next train" for tho
walks on either side OF the street
we're lined with men eager to catch q
glimpse OF the great general, the
Moses who had been sent from the
west 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 n num-
ber OF the stan had gone to Washing
ton the Saturday before 70 meet Pres
ident Lincoln, General Halleck and
Secretary Stanton.
How viyldly the scenes OF the Cul-
pepper street on that balmy March
forenoon of forty.seven years ago, the
first time / saw General Grant, come
back TO me. ! can hear The shriu
whistle of tho engine see the Two
weather-beaten passenger coaches ana
freight car as they stopped. Fretty
soon dozen or more trim-built, tlne-
" uniformed stan officers allehted'
writes Lieut. Col. j. A, Watrous. U. s.
A., in the Milwaukee Sentinel Among
these I 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
a passenger. Half Of the staff was on
either side Of the street. about ten
feet from the sidewalk 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
we're 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-benrded, stoop
shouldered. slow-walking fellow-that
one-you say that's General GrantT
That's who It is"
And It was.
This conversation was carried on
by New Yorker and a Vermonter at
my right. while General Grant was
slowly, very slowly, walking from the
left to the right OF his respectfully
posted staff. When he reached the
right. the staff right and left faced,
caught step with the general-a very
hard one to keep because 1t was 80
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 first sight Of him would
have made an unfavorable impression.
but as It was, his personal appearance
there was not member OF the stan
who was not better looking, better
dressed and more soldierly in his
bearlng-his dusty slouch hat, unbut.
toned undercoat and overcoat, unpol.
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 biB
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 odd 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 OF
northern Virginia, leader and men
who we're as ready for battle as ever;
as hopeful, seemingly, as II they had
not left 100000 Of their brave breth-
rem on fields where the two armies
claBhed