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Grant As A Collector

Grant As A Collector image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
March
Year
1886
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In the spring of 1863, the army of the Tennessee was oamped frora Lake Providenco to Milikin's Bend, LouUiana, waiting to make the attack on Vicksburg. Our battery (Bolton's) was campeil at Barry's Landing. Late one evening, at roll-call, the Captain stepped to tho front of the company and said that a friend of his, a Mr. Alfred Spiak, of Chicago, represented a wealthy firm, Priee, Maher & Spink, cotton buyers- that ho (Spink) would give drafts to any of the men dcsiring to send their monoy home, on F. Granger Adams, a Chicago bankcr; that the parties were reliaMe, and that in case the drafts were captured by the enetny they would be renewed. As many of tho boats going up the river were captured by the Confedérales at Eagie Bend, or lsland 8't, and tho boys were paid otï that day, we all concludod to isend our money by drafts, as the Captain told us, and we mailed thera by the lirst boat going north to our families. Soon afterward we moved to Grand Gulf, crossed the river at Hard Times Landing, participated in the -attles of Kaymond and Champion Hill, and engaged in the seigo of Vicksburg about the 19th of May, 1863. A few iays afterward we got a big mail, which had accumulated lor two months, and when the bovs carne to opon the letters every blessed draft was returned with word that tliere weru no fumis in the bank to pay the samo. We all feit disheartened as we had not beforo been pa d for six months, and our families were suflering. The Captain told us that everything would be all r ght after a little. We were busy with the siege from daylight until dark for forty-seven or forty-eight days, and did not think much alxut it. A Mr. C. C. Cadwallader, correspondeat of tho Chioago Times, made his headquarters for months with Captain Bolton, and about the third dav of the siege be turned up. Captain Billy, as we called our Captain, had groat confidence in old Cad, as the boys called the correspondent, and he laid the wliole matter bofore hirn. Üld Cad set sail on his one-eared mule for Grant's headquarters. and in about an hour returned witli a message that the General wanted to see the Captain. I never will forget that evening, when Captain Bill returned with the correspondent and the one-eared mule. He told the boys that the money would be forthcoming, that everything was fixod for the muu to return thoir drafts to Chicago, to Godfather Cyrus P.. Bradley. Chief of Pol;ce (the battery was recruited at Captain Bradley's office, and the boys always called him Godfather Hradley). Soon afterward word eame that every draft was paid. As it may be interesting to the reader to know what kind of an order General Grant made that had suchasalntory efJect upon the parties, I will give it as ,near as I can. The General had a list f all the drafts and the amounts, and then by preamble recited tho facts. and then ordered the commander of the ¦United States forces at Chicago to de¦mand payment from Messrs. Prioe, Malier & Spink, and in case they declined or refused to do so, to place them in irons, and to send them under guard to him in the field. Lieutenant S. P. Tracy was detached to carry out the jorder, and the Quartcrniaster's department was ordered to furnish the necessary transportation. After the capture of Vicksburg I was triding with the Captain to our battery Í hoadquarters out t he Cherry street road, whon General Grant came trotting along. Coming abreast, ho said: "By ithe way. Captain, what became of that order about the drafts?" The Captain replied that everything had been settled isatisfactorily, to which the old hero replied: "Although I gave free transportation I did not think the v liked me well

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News