fessed tenets. General Grant, however, was not to be drawn out. He had never attached himself to any other party than that of the true patriot, and all minor issues were, to that feeling, made entirely subservient, even if he knew or cared any thing at all about them.

While operating in the vicinity of Vicksburg, his professed political friends paid a visit to his head-quarters, and after a short time spent in compliments, they touched upon the never-ending subject of politics. One of the party was in the midst of a very flowery speech, using all his rhetorical powers to induce the general, if possible, to view matters in the same light as himself, when he was suddenly stopped by Grant.

"There is no use of talking politics to me. I know nothing about them; and, furthermore, I do not know of any person among my acquaintances who does. But," continued he, "there is one subject with which I am perfectly acquainted; talk of that, and I am your man."

"What is that, General ?" asked the politicians, in great surprise.

"Tanning leather," was the reply.

The subject was immediately changed.

On another occasion, an infamous proposal was made by a person to General Grant, while he was staying at his head-quarters "in the field." The general, irritated, administered a severe kick to the proposer with the toe of his great cavalry boot; and, after the fellow had been driven from the tent, one of his staff remarked to a companion, that he did not think the general had hurt the rascal.

“Never fear,” was the reply; "that boot never fails under such circumstances, for the leather came from Grant's store, in Galena.”

CHAPTER V.

THE REBELLION- -GRANT VOLUNTEERS, AND BECOMES A

BRIGADIER-GENERAL.

THE attacks made by the rebels upon the arsenals and forts of the United States were enough to inflame the patriotic ardor of Grant, as well as that of all the loyal West Pointers who had retired into civil life; but when Fort Sumter was fired upon, he at once gave up his business, prosperous as it was, and tendered his services to the Gcvernor of the State in which he resided, in answer to the call of the President for volunteers. Governor Yates, of Illinois, at first retained him near his person, as an aide upon his staff as commander-in-chief of the Illinois forces, and gave him the responsible position of mustering officer of Illinois volunteers.

It is owing a great deal to the enthusiastic labors of Grant, as mustering officer, that Illinois was enabled to turn out as many men as she did at the early stages of the war. Her quota was more than filled, and the men were speedily put into the field. But Grant could not sit down. in the office of the mustering department while his services were more actively needed against the enemy in the field; and he therefore requested, that the Governor would give him some position in connection with one of the three years' regiments, then being raised. He therefore, about the middle of June, 1861, resigned his appointment as mustering officer, and accepted the colonelcy of the Twenty-first

Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, with a commission dating from June 15, 1861.

Colonel Grant at once left the capital of the State to join his regiment, then organizing at Mattoon, Illinois, and removed the men to the camp at Caseyville, where he personally superintended their drill and equipment.

As soon as the regiment was considered fit to enter upon active duties in the field, it was removed across the Mississippi River into Missouri, and formed part of the guard of the Hannibal and Hudson Railroad, a line running across the northern part of the State, from the Mississippi River to St. Joseph, on the border of Kansas, and one of the branches of the main lines which connected the East with the West.

On the 31st of July, 1861, Colonel Grant was placed in command of the troops at Mexico, on the North Missouri Railroad. Colonel Grant's force, at this time, formed a portion of Brigadier-General John Pope's command, which embraced the section of country north of the Missouri River, then known as the "District of North Missouri." It was, however, shortly after transferred to Pilot Knob, which was fortified and garrisoned. The regiment next marched to Ironton, Missouri; thence to Marble Creek, which it garrisoned. These movements occupied most of the time until about the 23d of August, 1861, when Colonel Grant was detached from his regimental command and appointed to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers, with a commission dating from May 17, 1861.

The following table will show the relative position of General Grant, on May 17, 1861, with the others of the same rank, appointed on the same day, and how each of these generals was employed towards the close of the war.

By referring to the foregoing, it will be perceived that the name of Ulysses S. Grant stood No. 17-exactly half way down the list,-at the time he received his brigadiergeneral's commission. Before the war closed it is shown, General Grant commanded as much territory and as many troops in the field as all the other thirty-three generals combined a rapid rise in position scarcely equalled by any officer of modern times, Napoleon excepted.

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