El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-12
Succeeds Through Failures
Gen. L. :. Grant Failed in Every
Effort Until He Finally Found
His Opportunity and Be
came Great.
BY MADISON c. PETERS.

TT 5. GRANT after his graduation
from West Point entered service
'in the Mexican war as second
Lieutenant He did not particularly dis
tinguish himself.
After the proclamation OF peace
Grant returned home in August, 1S4S.
and married Julia Dent. OF St Louis
After a short service in the army, dur
ing which time he had reached the cap
taincy, feeling that the eight years
service required by the government had
now been rendered and that he had
paid for his education by his services
he left the army.
Fails I'm business Effort.
He took a small farm near ST. Louis
and spent a good deal Of his time haul
ing wood 10 the city. He tried in vain
TO add to his income by becoming n col
lector Of debts He was ambitious to
succeed, but a long series Of failures
were recorded against him, so that his
father took him TO Galena, III, and
Capt Grant commenced again the old
business Of handling hides as he had
been accustomed to do when a boy in
Georgetown, Ohio. This seemed to
Grant to be his life work, but sud-
denly there was a call to arms. Grant
was ready at once to respond to the
, call OF duty. He organized a company
OF voluteers and offered his services
to his country. but the adjutant gem
eral Of Illinois completely ignored
Grant.
He was willing to serve his country
in any capacity. Eminent civilians
were offering themselves as command
ers and there seemed no chance for
the obscure tanner. The story was
told the writer in GEORGETOWN, Ohio,
that at this period Grant came to his
home town and called on some old ac-
quaintances to raise enough money to
buy an outfit to bake bareback as he
had n contract A friend discouraged
him and said he must fight His name
was now presented to governor Yates
The governor commissioned him an ad-
lutant and set him 70 work to assist
the governor in arranging the quota
for the state. A little later the gov
ernor received request from the pres
ident to send on two names for briga-
der general and proposed TO Grant to
send his. Grant declined the offer,
preferring TO earn his promotion.
Becomes a Colonel.
Having completed the work required
TO meet the first call for the state
troops. Grant was commissioned colo
mel Of the Twenty-first regiment and
only got this job because its own colo
mel could not manage the men. Below
medium height and Of shabby appear
ance. the new colonel made a poor i'm
preston, but he was in the army OF
the Union and the force Of his charac-
ter began to show itself. He had Of
fered his services to the general gov
eminent. but no attention was paid to
the offer. He had tried 10 get on the
staff OF Mcclellan, but failed. Having
heard OF the latter's appointment as
major general Of Ohio volunteers he
modestly thought as an old army
friend he might offer him a position
on his staff so he went to Cincinnati
to see Mcclellan. He called on him
twice, but finding him out both times
and seeing a crowd OF applicants
around his headquarters, he became |
discouraged and returned home.
Failure Means Success.
Had Grant obtained an interview
with Mcclellan ne might have received |
the coveted appointment, shared that
commanders fortune and fate and so
have been lost to the Civil war. Well
indeed for himself. for the Union. and
the world, that Grant did not see Nc
Clellan. Grant looked upon his fall
ure to see Mcclellan as one Of the
greatest misfOrtunes of his life, but
IL was the turning point Of his great
career. which enabled him to take the
road that led on to higher fame and
brought him TO the highest pinnacle OF !