CHAPTER IV.

ENLISTS IN THE ARMY. - APPOINTED BRIGADIER GENERAL OF VOLUNTEERS. - TAKES THE INITIATIVE. -THE AFFAIR AT BELMONT.

PROMPT in his response to the first call of President Lincoln for seventy-five thousand men, Grant in April aided in raising a company in his own immediate neighborhood, and in May went to Springfield, Illinois, and tendered his services to Governor Yates, to whom he had been recommended by a member of Congress from his state. Use was soon made of his experience in organizing the state troops, and he was appointed a mustering officer, and by his energy succeeded in raising the three months men, and received a commission as Colonel of the Twenty-first Illinois Volun

teers.

This regiment was at first enlisted for three months, but subsequently, from their confidence in him, enlisted, one thousand strong, for three years. His first care was to drill and discipline his command, which soon became known for its order. He took command of them at Springfield, Illinois, and soon after marched them to Quincy, on the Mississippi, which was supposed to be in danger. Thence he was moved to St. Joseph, to defend the line of the Hannibal and Hudson Railway. Here meeting with other regiments, though the

youngest Colonel, he was appointed commander of the combined forces; and thus acting as Brigadier General, his headquarters, on the 31st of July, 1861, were at Mexico, Missouri.

In August he received his commission as Brigadier General of Volunteers, to date from May 17, being the seventeenth in the list of the thirty-four original appointments of that date. He was now ordered to Cairo, and with two brigades took command of "the District of South-east Missouri." This district included both banks of the Mississippi, from Cape Girardeau to New Madrid, and the whole of Western Kentucky on the Ohio River.

The importance of Cairo as a strategic point is evident at a glance. Lying at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, it is the natural base for a military movement upon the south, and is of equal importance in the line of defence for the extensive and rich country lying between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. It is also of great importance for river expeditions, for the gathering and transportation of supplies, and for the equipment and organization of gunboat fleets. The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, flowing parallel northward into the Ohio, include also a most important part of Western Kentucky, which Grant saw immediately was to become the scene of active hostilities.

The State of Kentucky, as will be remembered, attempted, in the commencement of the war, to hold the ridiculously incomprehensible condition which was called "neutral." As, however, the line separating Tennessee, which had seceded, from Kentucky, which had not, was

simply an imaginary one, the practical results of neutrality were, giving free access to the rebel forces, and throwing all possible obstacles in the way of the Union armies. Of these advantages the rebels were not slow to make a decided use. Seizing first Hickman, then Columbus and Bowling Green, fortifying the Tennessee at Fort Henry, and the Cumberland at Fort Donelson, they established a strong line from the Mississippi to the State of Virginia, running through the "neutral" State of Kentucky.

Seeing this, Grant urged frequently upon Fremont, his superior in command at St. Louis, the importance of taking actively offensive measures, but could never get the permission necessary.

On the 5th of September he informed Fremont by telegram that the rebels had invaded Kentucky, and that he was "nearly ready for Paducah, should not a telegram arrive preventing the movement." Receiving no word from Fremont, he left Cairo on the night of the 5th, and occupied Paducah on the morning of the 6th, without meeting any resistance.

Paducah is a village lying at the mouth of the Tennessee River, and forms a valuable military post. Within nineteen days he had also taken possession of Smithland, situated similarly at the mouth of the Cumberland, and by these movements had effectually blockaded both these rivers, running up into the rebel states, and thus prevented any supplies from being forwarded to them in this direction; and had also secured two fine bases for further operations, and cleared out the guerrillas, who appear upon all occasions to have risen spontaneously throughout the rebel country, and who were now

attempting to blockade the Ohio River below these points.

Placing a garrison sufficiently strong in each of these places to hold them, he still retained his headquarters at Cairo.

At the moment when Grant took possession of Paducah, he found secession flags flying in various parts of the city, in expectation of the speedy arrival of the rebel forces, which were reported as being not many miles distant, in a force numbering some thousands. Taking immediate possession of the telegraph, the railroad, and the public buildings, Grant issued the following proclamation to the inhabitants :

PADUCAH, KY., September 6, 1861.

TO THE CITIZENS OF PADUCAH.-I am come among you, not as an enemy, but as your fellow-citizen; not to maltreat you nor annoy you, but to respect and enforce the rights of all loyal citizens. An enemy, in rebellion against our common government, has taken possession of, and planted its guns on the soil of, Kentucky, and fired upon you. Columbus and Hickman are in his hands. He is moving upon your city. I am here to defend you against this enemy, to assist the authority and sovereignty of your government. I have nothing to do with opinions, and shall deal only with armed rebellion and its aiders and abettors. You can pursue your usual avocations without fear. The strong arm of the government is here to protect its friends and punish its enemies. Whenever it is manifest that you are able to defend yourselves, and maintain the authority of the government, and protect the rights of loyal citizens, I shall withdraw the forces under my command.

U. S. GRANT, Brigadier General commanding.

This proclamation is of importance as being the first of the series of public documents in which Grant has shown that in statesmanship he is as reliable as in war.

It is the first of the series in which, seizing the salient facts of the situation, he applies good common sense to them, and arrives at just conclusions.

On the 14th of October, Major General Polk, of the Confederate army, addressed a note, from Columbus, Kentucky, to General Grant, proposing an exchange of prisoners; to which Grant returned the following terse reply:

DISTRICT OF SOUTH-EAST MISSOURI, HEADQUARTERS, CAIRO, October 14, 1861. GENERAL: Yours of this date is just received. In regard to an exchange of prisoners, as proposed, I can of my own accordance make none. I recognize no "Southern Confederacy" myself, but will communicate with higher authorities for their views. Should I not be sustained, I will find means of communicating with you.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT, Brigadier General commanding. To Major General POLK, Columbus, Ky.

The time was now approaching when General Grant should show his powers in active operations. Having found by an expedition, which had returned successful, that the Confederates were concentrating at Belmont, Missouri, while on the opposite Kentucky side they had fortified their position at Columbus, so as to protect the camp at Belmont, and also blockade the Mississippi River, General Grant, at the head of two brigades, commanded respectively by himself and General McClernand, left Cairo on the 6th of November, 1861, for this point.

On the morning of the 7th the brigades landed, formed in line of battle, and immediately attacked the rebel works, where the enemy was in force under the