The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-05-29

grew chilly. At this juncture, when things
seemed about as hopeless as they could be.
Grants father offered him Job OF clerk In his
leather and saddlery store at Galena, the wages
to be $50 a month. He glad TO accept It,
The year 1860 found Grant keeping the books
in the saddlery store Everybody looked upon
him as a failure In life, and II is likely that he
himself shared this opinion. But soon afterward.
when the war broke out. he led TO hope that
II might offer him some opportunity. His first
effort in this direction was TO urge a relative 70
furnish the small amount of money necessary for
starting business Of selling bread TO the mill
tary camp near st. Louis Meeting with
fusal he went to Springfield. Ill, and asked Gov
ernor Yates to give him employment In some
capacity It mattered not what The governor
did not look upon his application with much
favor. but finally directed that he be hired at 50
a day TO do odd jobs at Camp Yates.
Little as he could have imagined II, however,
a new day was about TO dawn upon the fortunes
of Captain Grant as he was then called. There
was in camp at Mattoon very unrVlly regiment
Of volunteers, the Twenty-hrst Illinois infantry.
which seemed likely to be disbanded because OF
its unwillingness TO submit 20 discipline. Grant,
after ALL was West Pointer and any real knowl-
edge OF military matters was Just then at a high
premium. He asked IL he cared TO under
take the job OF commanding the regiment in ques-
ton. and promptly accepted the offer. becoming
its colonel
III
into shape Anybody who attempted TO dispute
his authority was soon sorry for II. In July he
had orders TO transfer his command TO Alton.
The regiment refused TO ride the freight cars
provided for its transportation, and he made the
men march all the way. He would not even al
low them to get aboard freight train when one
came along
Modesty was always marked trait OF this
military commander. When some time before
the events Just narrated, friend urged him TO
apply for the coonelcy OF a regiment he said:
Few men are able 10 command 1000 soldiers,
and ] am sure am not one OF those" And yet
the day was to arrive before very long when he
would command a million men When asked.
three years later, What sort OF a Is
Grant?" Abraham Lincoln replied He is the
quietest little fellow you He makes
the least fuss OF any you ever knew. be
lieve two or three times he has been In this
room quite a while before knew he here
It's about so all around. The only evidence you
have that he's in any place is that he makes
things git! Wherever be is he makes things
move"
In later years particularly after he became
president Grant was careful about his attire, but
during the Civil he preserved that indifer
ence 10 costume which had marked him while at
West Point In the vicksburg campaign he wore.
In place OF the usual military hat and gold cord
an old battered "stovepipe," such as the average
private soldier I'm his army would not have picked
up IN the street. In bis mouth was always a
black cigar and he seemed % be perpetually
smoking A friend OF his, in excuse. said: such
stoveplpe as Grants should be allowed to
smoke"
j. r. Ringwalt author OF the Anecdotes OF
General Grant" says that he was never wounded.
though he constantly and even recklessly exposed
himself He was not merely brave. but insensL
BILE 10 danger OF his war horse. Cincinnstus he
was devotediy fond On one occasion. while nd
ing through a piece OF woods in Virginia during
a brisk engagement. he and Colonel Dent were
Obliged 70 cross a brook a, a place where the
fire OF the enemy was concentrated and mur-
dsrous A piece OF telegraph wire had got twist