Show GRANTS CHARGES from his earliest earl lct bohrod general grant graut mas as an expert rider and like ftc he be possessed a mysterious ous fower pomer oer mec hones horses lie ridiculed the idea that he could be thrown so long an as the horse kept on bis his feet lie ile asked lut but one thine thing of a steed and that ns as that he should go 50 no mexican sheik or american had a firmer seat or more resembled a centaur early in the dexl an am ar grant purchased a superb stallion that had just been captured from a herd of wild texas horse bors PL he ile was blindfolded and then paddled for the first time the soung lieutenant springing lightly into the saddle orberee the blindfold removed when the untamed teed steed I 1 founded like a bull reared leaped his head bead almost tt to the ground sprang first to the right and then to the left in his efforts to unseal unseat his rider but finding all bis big effort efforts futile be he dashed away at is ter rial rate of speed soon won disappearing disappear inz la in the distant chaparral general longstreet v ho after more than halt half a century bealls the incident in a letter to the present writer states that no anxiety was as felt concerning grants 8 safety who ho was then as well as previously while a cadet at the military academy sisily recognized as an accomplished and tearless fearless horseman ot of cortez ai as lieutenant grant named his wild mild charger he be trots 1 in his big personal memoirs 1 I had however hoever but little difficulty di in breaking him altho ieh the first day there were mete frequent between us as to wl ich way we should go and sometimes as to whether hether we should go at all at no time during the day could I 1 choose exactly the part of the column I 1 mould march with but after that I 1 had as tractable a horse as any in the army during the of the capital by general scott scotts s forces a mexican blex ican gentleman with barn whom grant was on an term of intimacy requested the loan of cortez for an afternoon itter noon ills owner eald said afterward after sard 1 I I was afraid he could not ride the horse and yet I 1 knew it if I 1 said a word to that effect the suspicious spanish nature would think I 1 was mas un unwilling illing to lend him the result was the mexican mounted the spirited stallion rai ai thrown before be he had gone three block blacks and instantly killed I 1 A few days before the american army evacuated the city of mexico grant mounted cortez and rode out to make a morning call on the coonel colonel in command of at the castle of chagul chapultepec tepee the officers quarters were inside of the fortress which was as surrounded with a high broad earthwork hiding riding up th the outside slop and around the castle without observing any hitching post grant spurred his steed down the broad but long steep stone stairs that led into the fort ahen V hen the colonel appeared and saw cortez tied at the door where no horse had ever been seen before he be exclaimed in astonishment lieutenant how bow in heaven heavens s name did you get our horse down here I 1 node rode him dona don air calmly answered grant I 1 and how do you expect to get him out P I 1 ride tilde him up tip instead of down replied the lieutenant which be he accordingly did on his departure the intelligent cortez climbing like a rat cat to the top when grant waving his chapeau in adieu to the colonel tar far below dis a appeared over the breastworks with the single exception of capt caption tin charles may iday is diack black tom a mag ft cent and pos powerful erful coal black gelding such a steed as Tb thieodore eodore NIn anthrop winthrop ln introduces in his bet best story under the name of don fu buano aro or the 4 orest 21 S STATUE OF GRANT I 1 king hing in aulda a novel of at under two TO I 1 hags cortex cortez wai was the grandest war orse in general scott scotts s army with which be he conquered mexico five years later when captain grant was mas stationed with the fourth infantry at Coluci Columb bl lL barracks Dar rack now I rort vancouver on the tbt river in what w was then washington territory he the able lacorse ID in that part of the country calling him garland in honor of 0 his I 1 brigade commander command tr during the can war in april 2853 1 george U B mcclellan of at the corp corps reached Volum columbia bla barracks darrac and for three lu uatha wille on duty there waa wits grant grants a licit the ib jar day of hia his arrival while seated with several comrades com radea in front of the offic quarter quarters they saw the captain returning from a ride on bla his superb chart and approaching a alx six gun battery which waa was P parked arced lome some yard yards dh tant As he drew near the cuna guns and they were observing the graceful movements of garland and bla his perfect rider the croup group of officer officers saw or grant ant pull down big ht hat more firmly and j seat himself squarely and securely la 12 the addle saddle lie ile la Is going to leap the bat teryl they exclaimed when mcclellan and the others including general rutus ingalls granta grants wel west point classmate who told the atory story all stood up to aee see the interesting performance for mance running hie his horae horse at good speed toward the lleces grant put garland the six guns one after another aa as easily and gracefully ae as chai chat a lever levers orld famous charlie charli cleve 0 malley could have executed the cler er act of at horsemanship carly in june uca governor richard lairs appointed grant colonel of an regiment and borrowing from lilt hi ta father theris galena partner ith birb to equip himself for the position he paid about one half of the amount for big famous claybank or old jack this showy war horse grant used for several years and he waa was sell ell known to the army of the tennessee aa in 1 ad 0 d I 1 ellow at the battle of at belmont elmont Il a horse baling liming bee been killed under him grant orant mounted bla big cream colored steed nhen ba at the close of the fighting our forces retreated to the boats on the mississippi the general on reaching the landing place pines found that he was the only representative of his army beleen the the confederates and the union transports and war vessels prom from oie otte of the former a plank wan wab run out and from train a high bank the intel borse large took in the situation sl liling down the difficult slope on his haunches to the th gaar plank ana ith his rider was eoon soon safely aboard the steamer grants broom groom was captured delmont belmont and a colored cook belonging to a confederate colonel escaped with the northern troop troops an exchange was proposed by dishop bishop polk the confederate commander at columbus grant replying that he be had no authority to exchange a black man but the cook could return to the colonel it he so desired the did not b but u t gran grants t a groom was nevertheless courteously sent back by the confederate prelate general ee |