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From Pike County, Illinois.
PERRY, Pike Co., Ill., Aug. 7, '63.
Editors Missouri Democrat:
There is an incident connected with Gen. Grant, the great Western hero, which has not found its way to the public.
In 1861 Colonel Grant — now Major General Grant — started to march his regiment from Springfield to Quincy. When within about three miles of Perry, he received orders to halt "till further orders." As there was a number of known rebel sympathizers in this vicinity, Col. Grant was not idle. By sending squads of men in different directions, many of these tories were induced to take the oath of allegiance.
There was one, however, whom he honored more highly. This was a man by the name of Taylor, one of Buchanan's Postmasters. The soldiers who went after him had orders to "bring him to camp."
On going to Mr. Taylor's house they found him at home, but Mrs. T. told them they could not see him. The officer in command replied that he must see him as he had come expressly for that purpose. Thereupon Mrs. T. ordered him "and his gang" off the premises, and directed other members of the household to bring out the fire arms, but strange to say, the soldiers did not leave the house nor get frightened at her threats.
Finding that resistance would be useless, Mr. T. finally came down, and the soldiers hurried him off to camp, although the rain came down in torrents and the night was quite dark. The next morning he was taken to headquarters and introduced to Col. Grant, and politely asked to take the oath of allegiance. This Mr. T. emphatically refused to do. Col. Grant thought a traitor not fit to live. He gave Mr. T. ten minutes to decide whether he would prefer to die the death of a traitor or take an oath of allegiance to the Government our fathers founded. Meanwhile he ordered a rope and selected a tree.
During that ten minutes that man's mind underwent a wondrous revolution. Before five minutes had passed, he was "a good Union man," and before two more were "numbered with the past," he was ready to take the oath.
Would it detract anything from Gen. Grant's glory to say that he was not able to make the man respect his oath? If it was not the fact that Gen. Grant is busy with larger game, we would like to have another visit from him.
The Copperheads made an attempt to hold a grand peace (?) meeting in Perry, on Saturday last. There was quite a number of "the People" present, the majority of whom came from Brown county. Peace? When all came armed with knives or revolvers. They said if they were interrupted by the Abolitionists they would burn the town. They cheered for Vallandigham, and one, at least, brandishing a large knife, bellowed out, "Hurrah for Jeff Davis, I don't care a d—n."
They had no speaking, as Gen. Singleton, of the Quincy Herald, the author of the famous resolutions No. 23, adopted at Springfield, on the 17th ult., did not come. Nothing happened except a few fights, in which nobody but Copperheads were concerned.
AB. O. LITION.