. A personal history of Ulysses S. Grant, and sketch of Schuyler Colfax. egged him not to expose him-self so much. His only reply was :— Take this ax, and knock down that door. Everywhere our men were breaking into buildings,while terrified women and children fell on their knees andbegged for mercy. But the troops were well disciplined,and behaved admirabty, while digging their way persist-ently from house to house. Toward night, as very hard fighting was going onnear the plaza, it was suddenly discovered that the detach-ment engaged was almost out of ammunition. The menwere under a hot fire,


. A personal history of Ulysses S. Grant, and sketch of Schuyler Colfax. egged him not to expose him-self so much. His only reply was :— Take this ax, and knock down that door. Everywhere our men were breaking into buildings,while terrified women and children fell on their knees andbegged for mercy. But the troops were well disciplined,and behaved admirabty, while digging their way persist-ently from house to house. Toward night, as very hard fighting was going onnear the plaza, it was suddenly discovered that the detach-ment engaged was almost out of ammunition. The menwere under a hot fire, and could not hold their ground for amoment without cartridges. Taylors headquarters were amile back, outside of the town, at Fort Number One,: acaptured redoubt. Grant, who had been with his regimentfrom the firing of the first musket, volunteered to go andfind him or Twiggs, and order up ammunition. He prepared for his ride behind a house, and then dashedout. The moment he emerged from cover he was under asweeping artillery and musketry fire from forts and THE NEW YOKK PUBLIC LIBRARY. A6TOR, LENOX ANDm&EH FOUNDATIONS- 1346.] Grant Runs a Gantlet of Death. Ill But lie was probably the best horseman in the army, andhis skill did him good service. Before running the hotgantlet, he had adopted the posture of the Comanche In-dians in similar peril—lying against the side of his horse,with one foot thrown over the saddle and his hand clutchedin the mane. Being on the opposite side from the enemy,any shots to harm him must first pass through the steed. His horse was well trained, and with Grant clinging to himin that awkward position, and bobbing up and downwith his motion, he started at a quick run. On the way hehad to jump an earth wall nearly four feet high. He madethe leap splendidly, and though balls whistled and shellsexploded all around him, Grant had the good fortune toreach the fort safely. He found Twiggs who gave the orderto forward the ammunition, but before


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidpersonalhist, bookyear1868