Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-05-29
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grew chilly. At this junAture, when things
seemed about hopeless they could be,
Grants father offered him a job of clerk in his
leather and saddlery store at Galena the wages
to be $50 month. He was glad to accept 1t.
The year 1860 found Grant keeping the books
in the saddlery store Everybody looked upon
him as failure in life, and it is likely that he
himself shared this opinion. But soon afterward,
when the war broke out he led to hope that
it might offer him some opportunity. His first
effort in this direction to urge relative to
furnish the small amount Of money necessary for
starting a business of selling bread to the mill
tary camp near St. Louis Meeting with re-
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 So
day to do odd jobs at Camp Yates.
Little as he could have imagined 1t, however,
a new day was about to dawn upon the fortunes
of Captain Grant as he was then called. There
was in camp at Nation very unruly regiment
of volunteers, the Twenty-frst Illinois infantry,
which seemed likely to be disbanded because of
Its unwillingness to submit to discipline. Grant,
after all was West Pointer and any real knowl-
edge of military matters was just then at high
premium He asked if he cared to under
take the Job Of commanding the regiment in Ques-
ton, and promptly accepted the offer, becoming
its colonel.
It did not take him long to get the regiment
into shape Anybody who attempted 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 al
low them to get aboard a freight train when one
came along.
Modesty was always a marked trait Of this
military commander. When some time before
the events just narrated, friend urged him to
apply for the colonelcy Of regiment, he said:
Few men are able to 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 man Is
Grant," Abraham Lincoln replied He is the
quietest little fellow you ever saw He makes
the least fuss Of any man you ever knew. be-
neve two or three times he has been In this
room quite while before knew he was 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 he is he makes things
move"
In later years. particularly after he became
president, Grant careful about his attire, but
during the Civil war he preserved that indiher-
ence to 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 In his army would not have picked
up In the street In his mouth was always
black cigar, and he seemed to be- perpetually
smoking. A friend OF his. in excuse. said: Such
q stovepipe 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 insensi-
BILE to danger. OF his war horse. Cincinnatus. he
was devoted1y fond On one occasion. while rid
ing through piece of woods in Virginia during
q brisk engagement, he and Colonel Dent were
obliged to cross brook at place where the
fire Of the enemy concentrated and muir
derous. A piece Of telegraph wire had got twist