The command of the local company was, of course, offered to Grant as
soon as it was formed, but he declined, believing himself qualified for
somewhat higher rank than a captaincy of volunteers. Nevertheless, he
did all he could to prepare the recruits for active service in the field
and when they were ordered to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, he
journeyed there to see them properly mustered into the service of the
state.
Springfield was a hubbub of noise and a rallying point for well-meaning
incompetence when he arrived upon the scene. New officers in new
uniforms swaggered in every public meeting place, bands of music played
martial airs at every street corner and volunteers sky-larked and
paraded in all sorts of impossible uniforms and with every form of
theatric display. But system and order were absolutely lacking, and the
adjutant-general's office, littered with blanks and well-nigh knee deep
with papers, was the most helpless spot in the welter of confusion. All
the material for a respectable army was at hand, but how to form it
into an effective force was more than anyone seemed to know. The mass of
military forms and blanks intended for that purpose was mere waste paper
in the hands of the amiable but ignorant insurance agent who bore
the title of adjutant-general, and no one of the patriotic mob had
sufficient knowledge to instruct him in his duties. In the midst of all
this hopeless confusion, however, someone suggested that a man by the
name of Grant, who had come down with the Galena Company, had been in
the army and ought to know about such things. The Governor accordingly
sought out "the man from Galena" just as he was starting for his home,
with the result that he was soon at a desk in the adjutant's office,
filling out the necessary papers at three dollars a day, while the brand
new captains, colonels and generals posed in the foreground to the tune
of popular applause.
From this time forward order gradually took the place of chaos and the
political generals and comic-opera soldiers were slowly shifted from the
scene. But scarcely anyone noticed the silent man, hard at work in his
shirt sleeves in a corner of the adjutant's room, and such inquiries as
were made concerning him elicited the information that he was a cast-off
of the regular army, with a dubious reputation for sobriety, who had
been hired as a clerk. But the Governor of Illinois was an intelligent
man, and he was well aware of the service which the ex-Captain of
regulars was performing for the State, and on the completion of his work
in the adjutant's office Grant was given a nominal title and assigned to
visit the various regiments at their encampments to see that they were
properly mustered in. He, accordingly, straightway set to work at
this task, and his brisk, business-like manner of handling it made
an impression upon those with whom he came in contact, for one of the
temporary camps became known as Camp Grant.
Meanwhile, seeing his duties coming to an end without much hope
of further employment, he wrote the following letter to the
Adjutant-General of the United States Army at Washington:
"Sir:
"Having served for fifteen years in the regular army, including four
years at West Point, and feeling it the duty of every one who has been
educated at the Government expense to offer their services for the
support of that Government, I have the honor, very respectfully, to
tender my services until the close of the war in such capacity as may be
offered. I would say in view of my present age and length of service,
I feel myself competent to command a regiment, if the President, in his
judgment, should see fit to entrust one to me. Since the first call of
the President I have been serving on the staff of the Governor of this
State, rendering such aid as I could in the organization of our State
militia, and am still engaged in that capacity. A letter addressed to me
at Springfield, Ill., will reach me."
But the authorities at Washington took no notice whatsoever of
this modest letter, which was evidently tossed aside and completely
forgotten. Indeed, it was so completely buried in the files of the
War Department that it disappeared for years and, when it was at last
discovered, the war was a thing of the past.
This silent rebuff was enough to discourage any sensitive man and Grant
felt it keenly, but he did not entirely despair of accomplishing
his end. He tried to gain an interview with General Frémont who was
stationed in a neighboring state and, failing in this, sought out
McClellan, his comrade in the Mexican War, who had been made a
major-general and was then in the vicinity of Covington, Kentucky, where
Grant had gone to visit his parents. But McClellan either would not or
could not see him. Indeed, he had about reached the conclusion that his
quest was hopeless, when he happened to meet a friend who offered to
tell the Governor of Ohio that he wished to reenter the army, with
the result that before long he was tendered the colonelcy of an Ohio
regiment. In the meantime, however, he had unexpectedly received a
telegram from the Governor of Illinois, appointing him to the command of
the 21st Illinois regiment, and this he had instantly accepted. Had he
known the exact circumstances under which this post was offered him,
perhaps he might not have acted so promptly, but he knew enough to make
him aware that the appointment was not altogether complimentary and it
is quite likely that he would have accepted it in any event.
The facts were, however, that the Colonel of the 21st Regiment had
proved to be an ignorant and bombastic adventurer, who had appeared
before his troops clothed in a ridiculous costume and armed like a
pirate king, and there was such dissatisfaction among both the officers
and men that a new commander was urgently demanded. Of this Grant
already knew something, but he was not advised that the regiment had
become so utterly demoralized by its incompetent leader that it was
nothing less than a dangerous and unruly mob, of which the Governor
could not induce any self-respecting officer to take charge. He had,
indeed, offered the command to at least half a dozen other men before
he tendered it to Grant, and he must have been intensely relieved to
receive his prompt acceptance.
The new Colonel did not wait to procure a new uniform before reporting
for duty, but, hastening to the Fair Grounds close to Springfield where
his troops were stationed, ordered them to assemble for inspection.
But incompetent leadership had played havoc with the discipline of the
regiment, and the men shambled from their tents without any attempt at
military formation, more from curiosity than in obedience to orders.
The new Colonel stepped to the front, wearing a rusty suit of civilian's
clothes, his trousers tucked into his dusty boots, a battered hat on his
head, a bandanna handkerchief tied around his waist in place of a sash
and carrying a stick in place of a sword. Altogether he presented a
most unimpressive figure and it would not have been surprising if a wild
guffaw of laughter had greeted him, but the troops, studying his strong,
calm face, contented themselves with calling for a speech. Then they
waited in silence for his response and they did not have to wait long.
"Men!" he commanded sharply. "Go to your quarters!"
The regiment fairly gasped its astonishment. It had never heard a speech
like that before and, taken completely by surprise, it moved quietly
from the field.
Sentries were instantly posted, camp limits established and preparations
made for enforcing strict discipline. It was not to be supposed that
such prompt reforms would pass unchallenged, but arrests followed the
first signs of disobedience and punishment swiftly followed the arrests.
"For every minute I'm kept here I'll have an ounce of your blood!"
threatened a dangerous offender whom the Colonel had ordered to be tied
up.
"Gag that man!" was the quiet response. "And when his time is up I'll
cut him loose myself."
Before night, all was quiet in the camp of the 21st Regiment of Illinois
Volunteers.
Grant was in command.