The road-master, another Irishman, whose name, I think, was Hickey, came from the smoking-car, took in the situation at a glance, and being used to such wrecks, ran along the bank below to be at hand if either of the enginemen came to the surface. Finding Ryan, dazed and dripping, seated upon a rock, he caught him in his arms and asked: "Tom, are yez hurted?”

Tom, upon hearing the voice of his friend, realized that he was really alive, and said, coolly, "Hurted? Now why should I be hurted?"

"That's so," said Hickey, whose wit was as handy as was that of his friend, "that's so; I wonder yez got wetted." They worked for two days and nights

to Salida and buried. While the railroad company was in no way responsible for the accident, it gave Mrs. North $500 to start her in business for herself.

The 107 was not rebuilt for a long time, and was never again employed in passenger service. The foreman in one of the repair shops wrote to Philadelphia and learned that the 109 was completed on Thursday and the 107 on Friday. And now, a dozen years after the incidents related here, which are those only that the writer remembers, the tank and cylinders of the 107 are rusting in the scrap heap at Salida, while her boiler, stripped of its bright jacket, is made to boil water for a pump at Roubideau. But every Thursday night, at midnight, the fire is drawn, on Friday the boiler is washed out, and at midnight she is fired up again.

AFTER tendering his services for the

defence of the Union unavailingly to the general government and four States, Grant at last found employment as colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois volunteers, by the appointment of Governor Yates. He immediately showed a rare capacity, and thereafter his rise was rapid. In less than two months, on August 7, 1861, President Lincoln promoted him to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers, the commission dating back to May 17th. He had already, under the rank of colonel, risen to the command of a subdistrict in Missouri. Within twenty days, by order of General Frémont, then in command of the Western Department, he was given the command of all the troops of southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois, with headquarters at Cairo.

His headquarters consisted of a suite of rooms in a business block a short distance up the levee, with windows fronting on the wide river. There he spent his quiet hours smoking his long pipe and gazing abstractedly out upon the water, with a map on his knees, planning movements to open the Mississippi River. He was a great student of maps, and they formed a large part of his wall decorations. "He had not a single trained soldier or officer of the regular army under his command. Officers and men alike required instruction. He was busy from morning till night-and frequently from night till morning writing. orders, endorsing papers, and doing other work that fell to him."

The second day after he had established himself at Cairo, a scout came in and reported a force of Confederates mov

ing northward to take Paducah, which was at the mouth of the Tennessee River, in Kentucky, only a short distance above Cairo. It was the gate to a great waterway, and Grant perceived at once the importance of possessing it. He telegraphed to Frémont for permission to take it. He received no reply, but, nevertheless, began to arrange for the movement. He telegraphed again later in the day, with all preparations made, saying, "Unless I hear from you to the contrary, I shall move on Paducah to-night." About 10:30 at night, having still had no word from Frémont, he said to his staff: "I will take Paducah if I lose my commission by it."

He took possession of the town early the next morning, without firing a gun. A force of the enemy, estimated at four thousand strong, was actually on the way, and within three hours' march of the place, when Grant's troops entered. They turned back at the news of Grant's approach, and Paducah was saved to the Union.

Grant returned to Cairo, leaving only a garrison at Paducah. His troops were eager to fight. Some of the officers were afraid the war would be over before they could distinguish themselves sufficiently to go to Congress on the strength of their military careers. They all remembered Jackson and Harrison and Taylor, and they desired to make war a means to political glory. The general was also quite ready to fight, and the chance came early in November. Frémont, in taking the field against Price in Missouri, felt it necessary to have Grant make a diversion to keep General Polk, who was at Columbus, Kentucky, from sending reinforcements to Price. This movement resulted in the battle of Belmont, which was successful from Grant's point of view, as it prevented Polk from reinforcing Price.

Returning to Cairo, Grant set himself to drilling and provisioning and otherwise preparing his army for further active service. He was eager to push on to the South. He wished to get possession of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers before the enemy had time to reinforce and fortify. He appealed to General Halleck, who had now succeeded General Frémont in command of the Western Department, to be at once allowed to advance on forts Henry and Donelson, the fortifications which commanded these rivers. But General Halleck did not reply, and little was done during December but prepare.

On January 6th Grant went to St. Louis to see General Halleck in person. His trip

was in a sense a failure. Halleck cut him short in the explanation of his plans and gave him no encouragement. Grant felt this deeply, for, though an undemonstrative man, he was, in fact, of a keen sensibility. But he was not a man to allow pique to stand in the way of a great enterprise. On his return to Cairo he laid the matter before Commodore Foote, who was in command of the flotilla of newly-finished gunboats then lying at Cairo. The commodore was much impressed both with Grant and his plans, and joined him in a new request to General Halleck for permission to make a joint attack on Fort Henry. At last Halleck consented. Immediately upon receiving the word, Grant began to move. On February 5th, he advanced against the fort; it capitulated on the 6th. He telegraphed to Halleck, "Fort Henry is ours. The gunboats silenced the batteries before the investment was completed; and then, with a

spirit which had not before appeared in the Northern army, he added: "I shall take and destroy Fort Donelson on the 8th and return to Fort Henry."

But in place of a swift advance, which Grant had hoped to make across the twelve miles of land between the two rivers and forts, a period of annoying delay intervened, accompanied by much suffering on the part of the troops. Violent storms arose. Grant was in an agony of impatience, but nothing could be done but wait. The roads were swimming in water; “the infantry could hardly march, and to move artillery was impossible." He had only about 15,000 men, and had orders from General Halleck to hold Fort Henry and to intrench, though he felt that "15,000 men were worth more on the 12th than 50,000 men a little later.”

At last he moved out of Fort Henry, calm and resolute, although he was approaching a battle before which all his Mexican campaigns and experiences were insignificant. Fort Henry had been a gunboat victory; but now his little army was marching against 21,000 men strongly intrenched. The unavoidable delay had allowed the enemy to reinforce by boat from Nashville.

When Grant invested Fort Donelson he had only General McClernand and General C. F. Smith with him-in all about 15,000 men. Commodore Foote had not arrived; nor General Lew Wallace, who was on the road with reinforcements. But Grant did not hesitate to assume the responsibility of besieging 21,000 Confederates strongly

intrenched. Gideon Pillow, the senior in command of the fort, was a Mexican War veteran, and Grant was aware of his constitutional timidity and counted upon

it.

At the very time the army was closing relentlessly around Donelson under Grant's leadership, General Halleck telegraphed to Grant to strengthen the land side of Fort Henry and transfer guns to resist a land attack." On the 13th there was some fighting as the besieging army moved into new and stronger positions, but the night was more terrible than the battle upon the troops. They were ordered to sleep upon their arms and without campfires. Sleet fell, and it grew bitterly cold toward morning. Grant was quartered in a farm-house at the left. He slept little, being apprehensive of an early attack, before reinforcements could arrive.

THE CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON,

During the night Commodore Foote's fleet steamed up, and General Lew Wallace came marching in from Fort Henry, and took position between Smith and McClernand, thus completing a semi-circular line from the river below to the bank above the fort. Grant was now confident. He ordered an attack from the gunboats while the army held the enemy within the lines, his hope being to capture the entire Confederate force. The gunboats failed to get above the batteries, however, and were forced to fall back disabled. On the night of the 14th Grant telegraphed to General Cullum, General Halleck's chief-of-staff, at Cairo, Appearances indicate now that we will have a protracted siege.'

64

It was well that the army did not know his thought, for the storm continued, and they were not merely cold, but hungry as well. They bore it all with such cheer as a freezing and starving soldier can muster to his comfort.

Before daylight on the 15th, Grant received a note from Commodore Foote, in command of the flotilla, asking him to come to the flag-ship, as he was too much injured to leave the boat. Grant at once mounted and rode away. The roads were very bad, and he could not move out of a walk. "He came on the boat with old hat battered, the muddiest man in the army. He was chewing a cigar, and was perfectly cool and self-possessed." found the commodore and his boats about

He

equally disabled. After a conference, Grant gave the commodore leave to re

tire, and started upon his return to the front.

On his way he met an aide white with alarm and excitement. The enemy had made a fierce attack on the forces of McClernand. Grant set spurs to his horse, and left the aide far behind. He came upon the scene of action, his old "clay-bank spattering the yellow mud in every direction-a most welcome figure. There was need of him. He rode rapidly along the lines. He saw no dismay in Smith's division; it was intact and eager for battle. Wallace's lines were in order. But McClernand on the right had sustained a heavy attack and was still threatened, and the brave but inexperienced commander was in consultation with General Wallace and asking for reinforcements. As Grant rode along he saw the men standing in knots talking in a most excited manner. "The soldiers had their muskets but no ammunition, while there were tons of it near at hand." They were disturbed and apprehensive: just at a point where retreat, even rout, was possible.

The general heard one discouraged man say, "Why, they have come out to fight all day; they have got their knapsacks full of grub." Is that true?" said Grant. "Bring me one." He opened two or three, and found three days' rations in each. His trained eye read in all this a different story. He turned and said, "They are attempting to force their way out; the one who attacks first now will be victorious." Then to McClernand and Wallace he added, "Gentlemen, the position on our right must be retaken. I shall order an immediate assault on the left; be ready to advance at the sound of Smith's guns.'

As he rode down the line his aide, at his direction, called out:

"Fill your cartridge boxes quick, and get into line! The enemy is trying to escape and must not be permitted to do so.

He

At once the Union forces lined up, responsive to the power of unhesitating leadership. The commander rode rapidly to the left, arranging a grand assault. came upon General Smith standing with his troops in order, ready to advance. "General," said Grant, "the enemy has tried to force his way out on our right. I think you had better attack soon. He has undoubtedly weakened the line before you."

"Very well, sir," replied Smith, "I am ready to move at any time." Grant turned and rode toward the center again.