Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant, August 31, 1861

Cape Girardeau, Mo.,

August 31st, 1861.

Dear Father:

Your letter of the 26th is just received. As to the relative rank of officers (brigadiers) you are right but in all the rest you are laboring under an erroneous impression. There has been no move made affecting me which has not been complimentary rather than otherwise, though calculated to keep me laboriously employed. I was sent to Ironton when the place was weak and threatened with a superior force, and as soon as it was rendered secure I was ordered to Jefferson City, another point threatened. I was left there but a week when orders were sent ordering me to this point, putting me in command of all the forces in S. E. Missouri, South Illinois and everything that can operate here. All I fear is that too much may be expected of me. My duties will absorb my entire attention, and I shall try not to disappoint the good people of Illinois, who, I learn from every quarter, express an enthusiasm for me that was wholly unexpected. — General Prentiss is not a particular favorite as you suspect, nor is there a prejudice against him.

I think all the brigadiers are satisfied with the rank assigned them by the President.

The brigadiers are not all up north as you suspect. I know of but one, Hurlbut, who is there. General McClernand is at Cairo, Prentiss at Ironton, and I presume Curtis will be with the command under me.

General Hunter is at Chicago, but I look upon that as temporary. I have not heard of any command being assigned him as yet, and do not know that he has sufficiently recovered from wounds received in the late engagements in Virginia to take the field. Hunter will prove himself a fine officer.

The letters spoken of by you have not all been received. One sent to Galena I got and answered. My promise to write to you every two weeks has been complied with, and however busy I may be I shall continue to write if it is but a line.

I am now probably done shifting commands so often, this being the fourth in as many weeks.

Your suspicions as to my being neglected are entirely unfounded, for I know it was the intention to give me a brigade if I had not been promoted. Application would have been made to have me assigned arbitrarily as senior colonel from Illinois for the purpose.

I want to hear from you or Mary often. I sent you the Daily Democrat, thinking that would keep you better posted in this section than I could, and it is a cheap correspondent.

I wrote to you that I should like to have Mary go out to Galena and stay some time. I do not want Julia to leave Galena, being anxious to retain my residence after the many kindnesses received from the people there.

I only arrived at this place last night and cannot tell you much about things here. The people however are generally reported to be secessionists.

ULYS.

SOURCE: Jesse Grant Cramer, Editor, Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister, 1857-78, p. 53-5

Ulysses S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant, May 2, 1861

GENERAL HEAD-QUARTERS, STATE OF ILLINOIS,

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE

Springfield,

May 2nd. 1861.

DEAR FATHER:

YOUR letter of the 24th inst was received the same evening one I had written to Mary was mailed. I would have answered earlier but for the fact I had just written.

I am not a volunteer, and indeed could not be, now that I did not go into the first Company raised in Galena. The call of the President was so promptly responded to that only those companies that organized at once, and telegraphed their application to come in, were received. All other applications were filed, and there are enough of them to furnish Illinois quota if the Army should be raised to 300,000 men. I am serving on the Governor's staff at present at his request, but suppose I shall not be here long.

I should have offered myself for the Colonelcy of one of the Regiments, but I find all those places are wanted by politicians who are up to log-rolling, and I do not care to be under such persons.

The war feeling is not abating here much, although hostilities appear more remote than they did a few days ago. Three of the six Regiments mustered in from this state are now at Cairo, and probably will be reinforced with two others within a few days.

Galena has several more companies organized but only one of them will be able to come in under a new call for ten regiments. Chicago has raised companies enough nearly to fill all the first call. The Northern feeling is so fully aroused that they will stop at no expense of money and men to insure the success of their cause.

I presume the feeling is just as strong on the other side, but they are infinitely in the minority in resources.

I have not heard from Galena since coming down here, but presume all is moving along smoothly. My advice was not to urge collections from such men as we knew to be good, and to make no efforts to sell in the present distracted state of our currency. The money will not buy Eastern exchange and is liable to become worse; I think that thirty days from this we shall have specie, and the bills of good foreign banks to do business on, and then will be the time to collect.

If Mary writes to me any time next week she may direct here to

ULYSSES.

SOURCE: Jesse Grant Cramer, Editor, Letters of Ulysses S. Grant to His Father and His Youngest Sister, 1857-78, p. 31-3

Soldiers Voting

Our exceedingly [veracious] contemporary next door says, that in the Democratic Constitutional Convention of Illinois provided that soldiers should have the privilege of voting on the new constitution of that State; and also says the Democrats in the Ohio Legislature tried to do the same thing, but the Republicans wouldn’t allow it.  Now what are the facts?  The Illinois Convention, with only two dissenting voices, agreed to allow the soldiers to vote on the proposed constitution.  The Democratic commissioners appointed for the purpose, however, have fixed things so that the said soldiers have about as much real voice in the adoption of the new Constitution as the inhabitants of Kamtschatika.  In Ohio, the plan was opposed by both parties on the ground that there was no way to punish illegal voting.

The talk about two Democrats to one Republican in the army, has been proved to be the very reverse of truth so often that we should think even the Democrat would be ashamed of it.  Its repeated asseveration only shows the callousness of its editorial conscience.  It is probably trying to make itself believe so – not an uncommon thing with dealers in fiction.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, May 10, 1862, p. 1

Illinois now has 3,041 miles of railway . . .

. . . laid out and in operation, being 71 miles more than Ohio, which ranks next, having 2,970 miles.  The cost of building and equipping the railroads in Illinois is put down at $113,591,015.  Pennsylvania ranking next to Ohio, has 2,918 miles in operation, New York, next, 2,758, and Indiana, next to New York, has 2,159.  Massachusetts has 1,257 miles, which is less than Virginia and Georgia, the former of which has 1,729 and the latter 1,419 miles.  The entire extent of railroads in operation in all the Free States is 20,683, that of the slave states, 11,111 – total, 31,794.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 1, 1862, p. 1

Major General Ulysses S. Grant to Congressman Elihu B. Washburne, November 13, 1863

Head-Quarters,

Military Division of the Mississippi,

Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 13, 1863.

SOME of the citizens of Northern Illinois have expressed the conviction that a regiment of cavalry can be raised in a short time from that section of the state if special authority be given the Governor to accept them, and have desired that I obtain the authority for them. I want no special favor for myself, and cannot ask the desired authority on that ground. If, however, it is the policy of the Government to accept new organizations, I would recommend that authority be given Governor Yates to accept a regiment of cavalry to be raised in Northern Illinois.

Hon. E. M. Stanton,

Secretary of War.

SOURCE: James Grant Wilson, Editor, General Grant’s Letters to a Friend 1861-1880, p. 30

Illinois Responds

(General Order No. 36.)

SPRINGFIELD, May 27, 1862 – Under authority of the Secretary of War thirty companies of infantry will be accepted for Government service for the period of three months unless sooner discharged.  Said companies to consist of not less than eighty three or more than one hundred commissioned officers and enlisted men, and to be employed in performing camp and garrison duty in this State.  When any company has the minimum number actually enrolled it shall be organized and entitled to commissioned officers and when twenty companies are formed they will be organized into a regiment and an election ordered for officers.

In accepting companies for this special service preference will be given to companies already organized providing they are immediately tendered and ready for duty.  The officers and privates of these regiments will be entitled to the same pay and allowances as the three years volunteers now in the service of the Government.

Tenders in the Northern Military District of this State must be made to the undersigned at Chicago during the present week, and in the Southern District the headquarters is _____.

These forces are required for immediate service to relieve regiments now under marching orders for the field.  The greatest possible dispatch is requested in their organization.

By order of the Commander-in-Chief.

ALLEN FULLER, Adjt. Gen.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 4

Doomed

The Illinois Constitutional Convention, by prohibiting the circulation of bank bills in the State, and permitting masters to bring their slaves within the state, thus in effect establishing slavery in our borders, have insured the defeat of any Constitution they may present to us, no matter what else it may contain.  A majority will be given against these provisions so vast that it will be difficult to enumerate it.  The Convention might as well adjourn at once, and save the State from any farther unnecessary expense. – Chicago Journal.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, March 10, 1862, p. 2