The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant | Page 8

probably
no time during the rebellion when, if the opportunity could have been
afforded, it would not have voted for Jefferson Davis for President of
the United States, over Mr. Lincoln, or any other representative of his
party; unless it was immediately after some of John Morgan's men, in
his celebrated raid through Ohio, spent a few hours in the village. The
rebels helped themselves to whatever they could find, horses, boots and
shoes, especially horses, and many ordered meals to be prepared for
them by the families. This was no doubt a far pleasanter duty for some

families than it would have been to render a like service for Union
soldiers. The line between the Rebel and Union element in Georgetown
was so marked that it led to divisions even in the churches. There were
churches in that part of Ohio where treason was preached regularly, and
where, to secure membership, hostility to the government, to the war
and to the liberation of the slaves, was far more essential than a belief
in the authenticity or credibility of the Bible. There were men in
Georgetown who filled all the requirements for membership in these
churches.
Yet this far-off western village, with a population, including old and
young, male and female, of about one thousand--about enough for the
organization of a single regiment if all had been men capable of bearing
arms--furnished the Union army four general officers and one colonel,
West Point graduates, and nine generals and field officers of Volunteers,
that I can think of. Of the graduates from West Point, all had
citizenship elsewhere at the breaking out of the rebellion, except
possibly General A. V. Kautz, who had remained in the army from his
graduation. Two of the colonels also entered the service from other
localities. The other seven, General McGroierty, Colonels White, Fyffe,
Loudon and Marshall, Majors King and Bailey, were all residents of
Georgetown when the war broke out, and all of them, who were alive at
the close, returned there. Major Bailey was the cadet who had preceded
me at West Point. He was killed in West Virginia, in his first
engagement. As far as I know, every boy who has entered West Point
from that village since my time has been graduated.
I took passage on a steamer at Ripley, Ohio, for Pittsburg, about the
middle of May, 1839. Western boats at that day did not make regular
trips at stated times, but would stop anywhere, and for any length of
time, for passengers or freight. I have myself been detained two or
three days at a place after steam was up, the gang planks, all but one,
drawn in, and after the time advertised for starting had expired. On this
occasion we had no vexatious delays, and in about three days Pittsburg
was reached. From Pittsburg I chose passage by the canal to Harrisburg,
rather than by the more expeditious stage. This gave a better
opportunity of enjoying the fine scenery of Western Pennsylvania, and

I had rather a dread of reaching my destination at all. At that time the
canal was much patronized by travellers, and, with the comfortable
packets of the period, no mode of conveyance could be more pleasant,
when time was not an object. From Harrisburg to Philadelphia there
was a railroad, the first I had ever seen, except the one on which I had
just crossed the summit of the Alleghany Mountains, and over which
canal boats were transported. In travelling by the road from Harrisburg,
I thought the perfection of rapid transit had been reached. We travelled
at least eighteen miles an hour, when at full speed, and made the whole
distance averaging probably as much as twelve miles an hour. This
seemed like annihilating space. I stopped five days in Philadelphia, saw
about every street in the city, attended the theatre, visited Girard
College (which was then in course of construction), and got
reprimanded from home afterwards, for dallying by the way so long.
My sojourn in New York was shorter, but long enough to enable me to
see the city very well. I reported at West Point on the 30th or 31st of
May, and about two weeks later passed my examination for admission,
without difficulty, very much to my surprise.
A military life had no charms for me, and I had not the faintest idea of
staying in the army even if I should be graduated, which I did not
expect. The encampment which preceded the commencement of
academic studies was very wearisome and uninteresting. When the 28th
of August came--the date for breaking up camp and going into
barracks--I felt as though I had been at West Point always, and that if I
staid to graduation, I would have to remain always. I