66

'General Grant," said Senator Ingalls, "dropped his chin on his breast and was silent for a moment or two. All waited for his answer and tried to read it in his face, which, as usual, was a sealed book, but all expected he would choose that part of his life which had been prosperous and great. Soon he lifted his head, and in a voice of quiet decision that left no doubt of sincerity, said: All of it-I should like to live all my life over again-there is no part of it I should like to leave out.' The answer impressed every one present, for he was the only man in the room who was ready to take the bitter with the sweet in his life. Every one had probably left out some particular time of hardship and discouragement, when the world seemed darkest. No one was brave enough to face that time again, and probably not one present had had such hard times and so much of real adversity to battle with as General Grant, but he was the only man smoking his afternoon cigar at the White House that afternoon who had the courage to wish to live his whole life over again."

Among many anecdotes told about General Grant while he resided at "Hard-Scrabble" was one about a wood thief. He had for some time missed wood from his pile, and watching, he saw very early one morning a man who lived in the neighborhood drive up to the wood-pile, load his wagon, and drive away. Mounting a horse, Captain Grant overtook him on the road and cried out: "Hello Bill! Going to St. Louis with your wood?" Ye-es." "What do you ask for it?" "About forty-four dollars." "All right, I'll take it. Draw it over to the house." "Can't. This load's promised." "There's no use holding off. You must haul this to my house and pay me twenty dollars for the rest you've taken. This will be only half price." "If I don't I suppose you will sue me

before the 'Square?" "No; we won't trouble the "Square" or the public. We'll settle this now," and springing forward, Grant grabbed the fellow by the collar. This was enough. The fellow hauled the wood to Grant's house, but begged the Captain to keep still. That ended the

thieving.

up

Removing into St. Louis, Captain Grant rented a cottage house at the corner of Seventh and Lynch Streets, and accepted a situation in the Custom House, which he held until the death of the Collector brought a new man into office who had his own friends to reward. Entirely out of employment again, and too proud to accept any more pecuniary assistance from his father-in-law than was absolutely necessary, Captain Grant gave up his house on Seventh Street and removed to a smaller cottage on Barton Avenue. The front door opened directly upon the single apartment on the lower story, and rising from the corner of the room was a flight of stairs which led to the only chamber, the walls of which were met on two sides by the ceiling, which leaned down to meet them about four feet from the floor. A rude window railing existed for many years afterward in front of the two low windows of this upper room, which was placed there by Captain Grant himself to prevent Miss Nellie and Master Fred, then small children, from falling out. Grant's favorite resort at that time in St. Louis was the law office of William S. Gillyer and J. A. Rawlins, where he used to drop in almost every day and pass hours with his feet cocked on the table or a chair, enjoying his inevitable smoke and a no less quiet chat. Soon after taking the cottage, Captain Grant formed a copartnership with a Mr. Boggs for the purchase and sale of real estate, the firm being "Grant & Boggs." This venture was a failure, and he was again out of business.

In March, 1860, after having vainly attempted to gain a livelihood for himself and family at St. Louis, Captain Grant accepted an offer from his father to enter into partnership with him as a dealer in leather at Galena. Leasing his farm and presenting his slaves to Mr. John F. Long, he moved his household furniture to Galena,

where a sign was soon put up over the door of a small store inscribed, "Grant & Son, Leather Dealers." It is said that he was not a very active partner, and did not make many profitable sales. The firm, however, was doing a good business, and he not only gained a liveli-· hood for himself and family, but was qualifying himself to succeed his father when the old gentleman should retire on account of his age or should be taken away by death.

CHAPTER VI.

BREAKING OUT OF THE GREAT REBELLION-UPRISING OF THE NORTH-MEETING AT GALENA GRANT IN THE SERVICE-GOVERNOR YATES' REMINISCENCES-GRANT APPOINTED COLONEL OF THE TWENTY-FIRST ILLINOIS INFANTRY-SNUBBED BY GENERAL POPE-PROMOTED TO A BRIGADIER GENERALSHIP-TAKES COMMAND AT CAIRO-SEIZURE OF PADUCAH-ORGANIZATION.

N 1861 the Great Rebellion broke out. The crisis had

I'

long been expected, and when the preservation of the Union became a vital question, the entire North was ready for the emergency. The arguments of Webster and Clay against the right of secession, which, when delivered, were regarded by many as mere topics for the display of political eloquence, had fixed the opinion of the Northern States, and there was a general uprising for the defense of the Capital and of the old flag. Even the Abolitionists, who had denounced the Union, the Constitution, and the national ensign, zealously entered into the military movements, as they saw in the exercise of the war power the long-desired panacea for the faults of slavery. They who jeered at the Southern threats of disunion as empty bluster, and at the Northern conservatives as cowardly doughfaces, became zealous Union men, although it must be confessed that few of them actually went to the front.

When seven thousand Confederates attacked the seventy Union soldiers who garrisoned Fort Sumter, and forced them to haul down the Stars and Stripes on the 14th of April, 1861, partisan jealousies were obliter

ated in the determination to defend the old flag at all hazards. Four days later President Lincoln issued his proclamation calling for seventy-five thousand militiamen "to maintain the honor and integrity and the existence of our national government, and to redress wrongs already long enough endured." Twenty million free people responded as if actuated by one mind, and every

part of the loyal North echoed with the roll of drums calling the volunteers to arms.

At the first meeting of the citizens of Galena, held at the Court-House on the evening of April 16th, the chairman, while he advocated sustaining the President, declared himself opposed to making war on any portion of the country if an honorable compromise could be effected. This was not satisfactory to Representative