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ilure.

fKM!mit»mmm.>^,mM.MsMMm^JumMm

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEl^ BY F. aUTEKUNST IN 1866.

/fl' THE AGE OF 44 "AS HE APP?^jW.F,n AFTKR THK WAK

; /

/•

ttm

FHOM A RF.CENT PHOTO'JRAPH.

15s^E:IS^03R.I-A.1L. eiditiojst.

AH A MAN, THE NOULKST AM* PIFIKST OK HIS TI.MKS,

AS A SdlilUKIl, IHK lltOI- OK MILLIONS OF PKOPI.E.

AS A rni/EN, THE (illANDEST OK THE NATION.

THE MOST COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC HISTORY

OP THK

LIFK AiND PUBLIC SERVICES

GENERAL U. S. GRANT,

"THE NAPOLEON OF AMEHICA."

CONTAINI.NO A Kll.l. ACCOINT OK HIS EARLV l.IKK; HIS HEroilK AS A STLDEN7

AT THE WEST I'OINT MIMTAKV ACADEMY ; HIS (JAM.ANTKV IN THE MEXICAN

war; ms HONOIIAIH.ECAKEEK AS A BI'SINESS MAN IN ST. LOIIS AND

HAEENA ; HIS EMINENT SERVICES TO HIS COI'NTRV IN OCR OREAT

Civil. WAR ; HIS ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY ; HIS ABLE AND

J'ATRIOTIC ADMINISTRATION; HIS TOUR AROLND THE

WORLD, WITH AN ACCOUNT OK THE GRJIAT HONORS

SHOWN HIM BY THE EMPERORS, KINGS AND

RULERS OK ALL NATIONS; HIS HKROISM IN

SI KKERINO, AND PATHETIC DEATH.

BY
COLON El^ Hi: MM AN TDIKCK,

THE \A/ELU-KNO>A/N AUTHOR.

THE RECORD (»K AN IIDNOU A l!LE AN!) IIIIILLIANT CAI5EEK; A STKIKINO ILLUS-
TRATION OK THE TRIUMPH OK (iEMUS UNDER KREE INSTITUTIONS.

Emyiishiiil Willi uiMilv 2(1(1 Fine llliistnil'miis of Scenes in the Lile of tlu- (jrent Soldier.

C. R. PARISH & CO.,

E.6//:J35

" Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year ,885. by

WM. R. VANSANT,
I„ the Office of the Librarian of Congress.^ Waslungton.D^. __

INTRODUCTION.

This account of the early life of General Grant is at
once full and accurate, for it was obtained from original
and authentic sources. The history of his military career
is written with that skill and power which, long since,
secured for our author the foremost position among
American historical writers. The battles in which Gen-
eral Grant was engaged, from that of Belmont to the
final surrender of General Lee's army, are described in
detail, and with that graphic power which presents the
different scenes with all the brilliancy, vividness and dis-
tinctness of a painting, and with the life-like accuracy of
a photograph. His two administrations as President are
described with a master's pen, and his travels round the
world, with the receptions and honors conferred on him,
exceeding in number and brilliancy those shown to any
royal potentate, are set forth with the vivid powers of
description for which the author is so distinguished. The
trials of his private life, his sickness, wonderful patience
in suffering, and his universally lamented death are all
depicted with unrivalled pathos and power.

It is the pride and boast of America that this is a
country of self-made men. However humble may be
the position of a man, it is within his power, in this land
of equality and free institutions, to attain the highest
honors within the gift of his fellow-citizens. Our history
is full of the names of men who, without friends or fortune

to aid them, have risen by the force of their own abilities

■ 5^567

LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT.

to the proudest position in the Republic. Washington,
Jefferson, Lincoln, Garfield, and their glorious' compeers,
were all self-made men, and carved out their great suc-
cesses by their own unaided efforts. Their examples
shine out brighdy to encourage and cheer others who
are struggling onward in the road by which they climbed
to greatness.

No career in all our history furnisJies a more brilliant
example of this than that of General Ulysses S. Grant.
Starting as a poor boy, he raised himself to the highest
pinnacle of fame. It is but natural that hi'^ countrymen
should desire to know the means by which this great
success was accomplished. To meet this demand the
author has prepared this volume, which relates in the
most fascinating manner the life of this truly great man.
The work is more interesting than a novel, for it is true.
It is the story of unconquerable determination and sub-
lime self-reliance, of lofty purpose and inflexible resolve,
of incorruptible integrity and moral courage of the highest
type, of noble effort and magnificent achievement, of a
prolonged and determined struggle, crowned by the
most brilliant triumphs.

No more truly did the great Napoleon rise from
obscurity to the pinnacle of fame by herculean energy
and an indomitable will that carried him over the snow-
capped mountains in the piercing cold of mid-winter,
than did General Grant, by the same innate, progressive
energy, rise from obscurity to the highest position attain-
able in this the foremost nation of the world. His life,
while wrapped in romance like a cloak, had its shadows, its
sacrifices and its magnificent successes. It is an inspir-
ing, captivating and thrilling story, and points such a
moral as only great deeds can. The young men of the
nation should read it, for it may be to them a source of

INTR OD UCTION.

inspiration. Old men should read it, for it will recall to
them holy memories of the deeds of the great men of our
past history.

This book differs essentially from the many so-called
Lives of Grant now being published, and should not be
classed with them. While recording his illustrious
achievements in the field and his career as President of
the United States, it is yet personal, rather than political,
and free from partisan coloring, depicting not only the
exploits of Grant the soldier, but the entire life of Grant
the man, his daily habits and conversation, his thoughts
and his motives, as evinced by his acts and words, under
all the circumstances of his eventful life.

His record is clearly presented, that all men may see
his life has been free from stain, his services honorable
and distinguished, and that his claims to the love and
confidence of the American people rest upon a solid
foundation of genuine merit and faithful service honor-
ably performed. No soldier, since Napoleon I., has
accomplished such great results. It is generally ad-
mitted that the victories of General Grant saved the
Union, and it is not, therefore, surprising that all the
world should have done homage to the greatest military
genius of the century.

THE WORK SHOWS

How a poor boy secured a good education and fitted
himself for the struggle he meant to make in after-life.

How, when the call of his country summoned him to
arms, he became a great soldier; how he turned the
tide of defeat, and began the series of Union victories
that cheered the hearts of his countrymen and caused
our brave soldiers to take fresh courage and resolve
to conquer or die.

LIFE OF GENERAL GRANT.

How he won a great and glorious name as a gen-
eral in the service of his country ; hov/ he mounted
from rank to rank until he finally attained the proud
position of Commander-in-Chief of the National Armies.

How he led our brave soldiers to victory on many
hard-fought fields, and finally suppressed the Rebellion.

How, without solicitation, or any effort on his part, he
was nominated for the Presidency of the United States,
and triumphantly elected.

How he was inaugurated President amidst the rejoic-
ings of the people, and with the most imposing cere-
monies ever witnessed in the Capitol of the nation.

How by his able and patriotic administration of the
national ofovernment he won the confidence and afiection
of the whole people.

How a noble and well-spent life has brought honor
and fame to a true and earnest man, thus holding out
one of the most glorious examples ever offered to the
young men of our country.

The splendor of General Grant's reception in the
many countries through which he traveled in his re-
markable journey around the world was owing to his
great fame as a soldier. Wherever he went he was re-
ceived by people and sovereigns with royal honors, and
was in all respects the most honored traveler that
ever accomplished the journey around the world.
The distinguished American ex-President, though
traveling as a private citizen
made the most remarkable
seeing more, and being more honored and admitted
to closer confidence by Emperors, Kings and
Rulers, than any other person who has undertaken to
seek instruction and recreation by extensive travels
through foreign lands. The whole journey was like a

of the United States,
journey in history.

INTR OD UCTION.

romance, and the countries through which General Grant
traveled exerted themselves to show him all they have
worth seeing. Who of crowned monarchs could have
made the circuit of civilization with so many distinguished
marks of honor? Who of contemporary military men
would have excited so much interest in all quarters of
the globe ?

The work not only relates the travels and experiences
of General Grant, but it is full of carefully prepared de-
scriptions of the famous cities and sights of Europe, Asia
and Africa, and abounds in information respecting the
people, manners and customs of the old world. It is,
therefore, a work of great value, giving as it does a life-
like picture of the places and people visited by the great
commander in the course of his travels.

The author's intimate knowledge of the man whose
life he relates has rendered him peculiarly suited to the
task he has undertaken. He has embraced every means
of thoroughly acquainting himself with his subject, and
it is confidently asserted that he has produced a work
that will win its way into every household.

nasmm

'A
<

■A
"A

(
i

s
a
s

LAST HOURS OF GENERAL GRANT.

BV MIS PASTOR,

REV. J. P. NEWMAN, D. D.

In writing of tlie last hours and religious faith of General
Grant, Rev. Dr. Newman said :

" I arrived at Mt. McGregor Tuesday afternoon, at 6 P. M.

" While with the family at dinner, in the hotel, General Grant
was removed from his sick room, wherein he had spent so many
weary and suffering days and nights, into the drawing-room, which
afforded purer air and more agreeable surroundings.

The change was necessary, both as a diversion to the illustrious
sufferer and for the convenience of his faithful attendants. From
se/en till nine he sank rapidly, without any apparent signs of re-
covery, but retained his consciousness and the clearness of his
intellect. He was surrounded with his family and physicians, and,
at Mrs. Grant's request, we all bowed around the General's chair,
and offered our supplications for strength and comfort in that
supreme moment.

" The General indicated his appreciation of the sacredness of the
ceremonies by clasping his hands as in reverential prayer. All
were deeply moved, as all feared the end had come. But, to
the surprise and delight of the physicians ?nd the family, the
General greatly revived by nine o'clock, and indicated his wish to
write. As quickly as possible, in response to the wish, an elegant
writing board, often used by the departed, was placed upon the
arms of his chair. A solitary wax taper burned before him. He
adjusted his glasses ; and then, witb a trembling hand, wrote with
his pencil on the tablet before him. His face wore an expression of
anguish, and his thin lips seemed to pronounce the words he
wished to write. He hesitated for a moment ; but he gathered up

1'3)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

his soul in strength for the supreme effort. Having written down
half the page, he traced each line with his pencil to see that each
line expressed his thought, and then crossed the /'s and punctuated
the sentences. But he had not written all that he desired. Again
he called upon himself for additional strength, and finished the
communication. It was addressed to his noble son, the Colonel,
and contained the wish that, wherever the General might be buried,
Mrs. Grant should have a resting place by his side in death.

" The writing-desk was removed ; but, in a few moments he
recalled it, and he wrote a short communication to his son, giving
some important direction, when the Colonel replied : ' Father, I
have attended to that." Again the desk was removed, and again
he called for it. The family sought to persuade him not to make
another effort, but he was still General, and his wishes were
granted, and he wrote another family message.

" The members of the household retired to the verandah. The
lights were turned down and all prayed that the Lord would give
his beloved sleep. But at 1 1 o'clock, he sent word to us who were
sitting on the porch : ' There is no earthly reason why you should
sit up. Go and take your rest.' This was uttered in a husky
whisper.

"All withdrew, but no one could sleep. The weary hours wore
on. Wednesday came, with its fitful transitions. The illustrious
sufferer was conscious and calm. As we sat around him, watching
each respiration, he suddenly opened his eyes, and whispered : ' I
hope no one will feel distressed on my account' And thus he
sought to direct attention away from himself in his solicitude for the
comfort of those he loved. This was the grandeur of his soul. To
save others was the mission of his life ; and this ruling passion was
strong in death.

" The day had passed, the family had gone to dinner, except the
oldest son, who, noticing his father's restlessness in the chair, sug-
gested that he might find more comfort lying upon the bed. It was
evidently agreeable, and, forgetting his feebleness, true to his char-
acter, he made the effort to rise. IT'S attendants gently lifted him
and placed him on the couch from which he was never to rise. He
had not then reclined for more than eight months. Ht was in no
danger now of strangulation from the accumulation of mucus, and

iM^^tfift;rfia?

LAST HOURS OF GENERAL GRANT.

he quietly rested ; but within an hour thereafter the end seemed
imminent.

"Again we gathered around the husband, father, and friend
and, at Mrs. Grant's request, all bowed in prayer while I committed
his departing soul to the sheltering-arms of that Divine Redeemer
in whom he trusted with a simple and beautiful faith.

" Again death relaxed his grasp. The feet were cold, and also
the hands, but the brow was warm and it was evident that the brain
would be the last of him to die.

" Still conscious, his intellect was unclouded. Mrs. Grant pressed
his cold hand and said, ' Darling, do you know me?' and he opened
his eyes and gave her the look of love. The respirations grew
shorter, now forty-four. Within an hour thereafter fifty, then, as
the nigh twore on, they increased to sixty-five. The pulse was too
rapid to be counted. The mucus gathered in the throat, and there
was neither ability to eject it or swallow it, and the respirations
caused the death rattle, which was more distressing to those in at-
tendance than to the sufferer.

" His lips were constantly moistened with ice water, now by the
wife, now by the daughter, or by the faithful nurse. None of the
household slept. All were keeping holy vigils : for all felt sure
that as the light of another morning came would also come upon
his spirit the light of the morning of his immortality.

" About four o'clock in the morning he opened his eyes in re-
sponse to my question, ' General, do you know me? ' and, an hour
before he expired, again he opened his eyes in response to a similar
question by his precious daughter Nellie. This was his last look of
earthly recognition.

" At 8 o'clock on Thursday morning of July 23d, all were sum-
moned for the final meeting. Death had conquered the noble brow,
and the expressive features were calm. The breath grew shorter,
and at 8.08 the dying hero opened his eyes upon the sorrowing
group around him ; and then, with a gentle breath, he took his
flight from the scenes of earth and time.

" It was his last earthly look on those he loved, and with that
farewell vision he ascended to his reward. All were deeply moved,
yet all controlled their profound emotions. The beloved wife
kissed the calm brow, and then I led her to the sofa, whispenng a

MBSm

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GK..Nr.

word of hope and comfort, where she soon regained her accustomed
composure.

" The great warrior and statesman, patriot, and friend, died as the
Christian dieth. He had said to me, ' I believe in the Holy Scrip-
tures, and whoever follows them, will be benefited thereby.' His
faith in immortality was without a doubt, and he wrote on a tablet:
' I pray that the prayers of the people, offered in my behalf, may
be so far answered that we may all meet in a better world.' And
when I suggested, in the month of April, that he might be restored,
and accomplish much for his countrymen by his religious example,
his response was, If I am spared, I shall throw all my influence in
that direction.

>&i>

ustomcd

:d as the
!y Scrip-
y.' His
I tablet:
alf, may
.' And
restored,
example,
uence in

"^r^^iKfr^

.m.m:i^

THEJ

LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES

General Ulysses S. Grant,

THE NAPOLEON OF AMERICA.

CHAPTER I.

ANCESIRY.

The Ancestors of Uly«ses S. Grant — Mntiliew (Jrant emigrates from Devon, England —
Samuel Grant — Samuel Grant 2(1 — Noali Grant — N'oali Grant 2(1 — Noah (Jrant 3(1 —
Jesse K. Grant— Ulyses S. Grant— Hoy hood of Ulysses— His admiration for George
Washington — A leader among Ins C(Mn|)anious — An excellent livler and industrious
boy — Nominated fur a c.idetsiii[> — Changing his name.

The biograpliy of the g^reat hero who saved our glori-
ous Union will always be read with the deepest interest
l)y his countrymen. No military man of modern times
lias accomplished so much as the subject of this narrative.
From his boyhood his deeds and not his words have
always spoken for him. Whenever he deemed it advisa-
ble to make any important military movement, he would
consult his generals, and if he thought their plans good he
would adopt them, ami if successful give them the credit.
If he failed he would take the blam^ upon himself. He
never pushed himself into notoriety, and yet no man on
this continent ever enjoyed more celebrity.

The name of Ulysses S. Grant will be remembered with
veneration and tjratitude as Ion'-: as the United States of
America exist. Amonir the ''real generals of their times,
he will always be spoken of as one of the foremost. His
countrymen proved to him their gratitude by raising him to

»' ' (17)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the hifjhest military position obtainable, that of General of
the United States Army, then by twice electing him Presi-
dent of the United States by overwhelminor majorities, and
finally, by reinstating him to the office as full General and
putting him on the retired list. The latter act of Congress
was passed on the 4th day of March, 1885, the signing of
which was the las', official act of the then outjroinir Presi-
dent, Chester A. Arthur.

During the latter part of the summer of 1630, or
early in the fall, no less than seventeen vessels arrived
in New England, bringing families, their cattle, house-
hold goods, and other worldly possessions. The " Mary
and John," a ship of 400 tons, which sailed from Ply-
mouth, England, on the 20th of March, brought 140 emi-
grants from "the West-country," Dorsetshire, Devon
and Somerset, among them Matthew Grant and Priscilla,
his wife, the earliest known ancestors of General Grant.
They were both twenty-nine years of age, and brought with
them an infant daughter. The ship landed at Nantasket,
about nine miles from the city of Boston. The Nantasket
setders hospitably received the newcomers until they could
land at Boston.

Captain Squib, master of the " Mary and John," though
a good sailor, was not willing to venture his ship into the
intricacies of a harbor of which he knew nothing. But he
had agreed to take his immigrants to Boston ; and the colo-
nial authorities held a prejudice, not yet altogether extinct
in New England, in favor of having agreements lived up
to. So Captain Squib's passengers brought suit against
him. and recovered damages, for not being landed at their
destined port.

Some days elapsed after the immigrants n 'irhed Nan-
tasket before Governor Winthrop arrived at Salem, then
boastinof but ten buildin<js, where he found a frame house
awaiting him. In those days milk sold for one penny a
quart ; and colonists wrote home glowing descriptions of
the beauty and fertility of New England.

The " West-cointry people " settled a few miles from
Boston, at Matapan. This Indian appellation they changed

ANCESTRY.

to Dorchester, in memory of the county town of their own
English Dorsetshire, which, like most British names ending
in "Chester" {castra, camp), is the site of an old Roman
encampment. So the memory of Imperial Caesar, dead and
turned to clay, invaded the domain of the Sachem of ** Mos-
chuset," and changed its nomenclature.

Dorchester is now a pleasant Boston suburb of half a
dozen villages and hundreds of generous residences with
exquisite grounds. As Emerson says of England, it is fin-
ished with the pencil instead of the plow. One house is
still standing which was built in 1 633, and at the " raising "
of which, perhaps, Matthew Grant assisted.

In his day, Dorchester Plantation was a rude settlement
of a few log-cabins, straggling over most of the territory
now embraced in Milton, Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, and
South Boston. The salt marshes afforded excellent sub-
sistence for the famishing cattle of the immigrants, but they
themselves suffered for want of food. Their first meal was
of fish without any bread, and for months they endured
many hardships. Says Roger Clap : " The place was a wil-
derness. Fish was a good help to me and to others.
Bread was so scarce that I thought the very crusts from
my father's table would have been sweet ; and when I
could have meal and salt and water boiled together, I
asked, ' Who would ask for better ? ' "

Among tlie settlers of Dorchester were several elderly
gentlemen of good estate in England, three men of military
experience, and two stockholders of the London Company
which held the Massachusetts Bay Charter. The charter
had been drafted for a trading company rather than for a
government, so the control of the settlement vested only in
the stockholders. But the Puritans would not permit Dor-
chester to be governed by two men, and the Court of Mas-
sachusetts Bay bestowed freemanship upon twenty-four
colonists within a month after the arrival of the " Mary and
John." Freemanship was an important endowment, secur-
ing to its recipients large tracts of land and making them
members of the General Court. This unique tribunal was
a sort of colonial town meeting for local government, as

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the representative system was not yet in vogue and the col-
ony was almost a pure democracy. The principal qualifi-
cation for iVeemanship seems to have been piety, or at least
church membership; and Matthew Grant received it, with
many others, after he had lived in America for one year.

When Matthew had been four years in America, Pris-
cilla, his wife, died and left four children, the youngest an
infant. Tiie next year, 1635. nearly half of the first Dor-
chester settlers went to establish new homes in the wilder-
ness of the Connecticut Valley, far beyond the confines of
civilization. Early historians give as reasons for this
second migration a "hankerinqr after new lands," which
were fertile and grassy, while those of Dorchester were
rocky an:! '^eavily wooded ; better opportunities for trading
in fiirs with the Indians ; and fears lest Connecticut should
fall into the hands of the Dutch, who were attempting to
settle it.

Matthew Grant — now restless and lonely — went with the
rest. Reaching the present site of Windsor, half-way be-
tween Springfield and Hartford,. and already settled by an
offshoot from the Plymouth Colony, they were entertained
by the pioneers, and, after examining the country, deter-
mined to stay. The settlers from Plymouth resented this
as ungenerous; but the Dorchester people persisted, and
even drove away another party of twenty from Massa-
chusetts Bay, likewise desirous of remaining.

Matthew Grant and his companions spent the summer in
fellinii trees and buildinor log-houses. Their families re-
mained behind in Dorchester, and in October several of
the men went back for them. Sending their household
goods by ship around through Long Island Sound, to come
up the Connecticut, they started on their return to Windsor,
by land, the babies and invalids on horseback, and men
antl women walking, and driving their cattle through the
wilderness.

Winter set in early. By the middle of November the
river was fast frozen, and the snow deep. The overland
emigrants suffered much, and were obliged to leave their
cattle in the woods, where many died, while the rest lived

ANCESTRY.

on acorns until spring. Reaching the Windsor settlement
the travellers were appalled to learn that the ship, with
their provisions, was imprisoned in the river below. Several
of the party went back to Massachusetts Bay in despair,
while those who remained subsisted chiefly on nuts and
acorns. At length a party of seventy — men, women and
children — started for the ship, which had frozen in twenty
miles above the river's mouth, that they might live on her
supplies. But before they reached her she was released
by the spring thaw; so they returned to their settlement,
which at first they called New Dorchester, but finally
changed it to Windsor.

They carried their lives in their hands. Like all frontier-
men they were reckh^ss of their own safety, but prudent
for their wives and children. As soon as their families
arrived they built a palisade, a quadrangle three-quarters
of a mile long, to protect them against Indians. Those who
had houses or lots outside left them and moved in. Mat-
thew Grant had cleared six acres, but abandoned it all ex-
cept the litUe piece on wiiich his log-dwelling stood, within
the palisade, and next to the old Windsor town-house. P'or
ninety years the colonists suffered constantly from Indians.
At home, in the field, in the meeting-hor.se, nowhere were
they secure.

Matthew Grant filled quite a large place in the set-
tlement. He was elected one of two surveyors, to overlook
the construction and preservation of highways, and con-
tinued in that office for the grt-ater part of his life. The
roads and farm boundaries were very crooked and involved,
and real estate plentiful and cheap. After working hard all
day at surveying, Matdiew used to say, " I would not
accept all the land I have boimded to-day as pay for my
day's work."

He served as town clerk for many years. His auto-
graph constantly appears on the Windsor records, to au-
thenticate public documents. In 1637 the driven-out
Massachusetts people sold their tract to this colony. Ap-
pended to the deed is a long note describing the land, and
signed " Matthew Grant, Recorder." He seems to have

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

taken a just pride in his own integrity. In a land suit, in
1675, in a deposition still preserved in the State archives at
Hartford, he testified in somewhat nebulous rhetoric :

" If any question my uprightness and legal acting about
our town affairs, that I have been employed in a measure of
land and getting out of lots of men which has been done
by me from our first beginning here come next September
is forty yere. I never got out any land to any man until I
knew he had a grant to it from the townsmen, and town's
approbation, or to recording after the book was turned. I am
chose near twenty-three ytars since. I can say with a cleare
conscience I have been careful to do nothing upon one
man's desire."

A division arose in the church about the old minister,
Wareham, who had come with the colonists from Dor-
chester, and, in his old age, was thought a little rigid and
narrow even for those days. So a party of townspeople
established a parish under a younger and more liberal
divine named Woodbridge. They desired to have this
entered upon the town records ; but Matthew Grant,
apparently alarmed at the degeneracy and growing impiety
of the times, refused to write it. The new church people,
however, seemed to have demanded the book to enter the
fact themselves. At all events, the record stands in a strange
handwriting, with a note appended in Matthew's well-
known chirography explaining the affair, and indirecdy
protesting against it. The Windsor records, in the library
of the Connecticut Historical Society, show that he was
clerk of the church until his death.

Among the passengers by the " Mary and John " was Wil-
liam Rockwell, an elderly man of good estate, who brought
Susannah, his wife, and eight children. He also came to
Windsor, where he was first deacon of the church. In 1640
he died. Five years later, and ten years after the loss of
his first wife, Matthew Grant was married to Susannah
Rockwell. He was forty- four years old, and she forty-three,
and they began housekeeping with the fair start of twelve
children. They lived together twenty-one years. She died
November 14th, 1666, and he December i6th, t 681, at the

ANCESTRY.

age of eighty, outliving her fifteen years, and spending the
close of his life with his youngest son, John.

Samuel, Matthew's second son, was born in Dorchester,
November 12th, 1631. Wlien four years old he removed
with his father to Windsor, where he lived and died. He
left eight children, all bearing Biblical names,

Samuel (second), first child of the above, was born in
Windsor, April 20th, 1659. On coming to manhood he
moved to East Windsor, just across the river. There he
lived and died, leaving nine children, of whom seven bore
Biblical names.

Noah, first child of the above by a second marriage, was
born in Windsor, December i6th, 1692. During his lifetime
the portion of Windsor in which he resided was set off to
Tolland. From his wife's family descended Samuel Hunt-
ington, one of the first Supreme Judges and afterwards
Governor of Ohio.

Noah (second), eldest child of the above, was born in
Tolland, July 1 2th, 1 718. He married Susannah Delano, of
the family from which Columbus Delano, late a Repre-
sentative in Congress from Ohio, is descended. About 1 750
Noah moved to the adjoining town of Coventry. Soon
after began the final struggle between the French and
English for supremacy on the American Continent, in which
he and his brother Solomon both served.

Before entering the service, Solomon Grant, who was a
bachelor, thirty years old, made his will, giving his real
estate to Noah, or, in the event of Noah's death, to his
eldest son, and so on in entail forever.

The inventory accompanying gave the property as about
nine hundred pounds sterling. The brothers were both
killed in an engagement near Oswego, New York, Septem-
ber 20th, 1756.

Noah and his brother were in different companies, Noah
a captain, and Solomon a lieutenant. The original muster-
roll of Noah's company is still preserved in his own hand-
writing, headed by his own name as captain, and dated
March 26th, 1755.

Noah (third), son of the above, was born in Coventry,

.:^

MiiMManuHMiaai

LIFE CF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Connecticut, on the 23d of June. 1748. The subsequent
change in our calendar from Old Style to New brought
his birthday on the 4th of July, to the keen satisfaction
of Noah, who had inherited the patriotic and military
tastes of his father. After marrying Anna Buell, of the
family from which sprang General Don Carlos Buell,^
Noah went into the army at the first drum-beat of the con-
flict for Independence. He was a lieutenant of milida at
the batde of Lexington, and served through the entire
Revolutionary War, coming out with the rank of captain.

When he returned from the war, the Connecticut Valley^
which, a hui^dred and fifty years earlier, his ancestor Mat-
thew had found a howling wilderness, was dotted with
towns, villages and farms, and filled with an industrious^
thrifty people.

Noah Grant returned to a desolate home. His wife had
died, leaving him two sons, Solomon and Peter. Under
this affliction, aggravated by the restlessness which army
life leaves, in 1790 he succumbed to the prevailing emigra-
tion fever, and removed to Westmoreland county, Pennsyl-
vania, settling near Greensburg, on the Monongahela river.

The people of Westmoreland lived largely upon venison
and potatoes, though cattle were plentiful, and the new
land produced corn abundantly. They shipped cider and
beer down the river to Ohio and Kentucky, and made
enormous quantities of whiskey, supplying much of the
South and VYest. Tlvy raised flax from which the women
wove clothing for their entire families. Iron mines in the
vicinity of Pittsburgh were already attracting attention;
glass and iron manufactories were springing up, and '^ome
oil wells had been discovered. Tht^y were not deemed
valuable, however, but simply regarded as curiosities. The
woods still abounded in whip-poor-wills, owls, bears and
panthers, and often in hostile Indians, There was no
money in the region, and its entire business was conducted
through barter.

Such was the country and society in which Noah Grant
settled. On the 4th of March, 1 792, he married a widow
named Rachael Kelly, by whom he liad seven children.

.,. ^^^.^■^m^-^':i^^iM^sm^ism&

-k^ — :" :^TH g*oi:BF?affrg5iF^

HOUSE WHERE GRANT WAS MARRIED AND RKSIDENCE WHEN TIMICS WKRE HARD.

(ir)

KUK

ANCESTRY.

Jesse Root Grant, fourth child of the above, was born
January 23d, 1794. He was named for Jesse Root, many
years Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut.

Noah Grant, still restless, lived only nine years in Penn-
sylvania. In April, 1 799, again he folded his tent like the
Arab, and as silently stole away — into a new wilderness.
Wagfons were then little uj.ed ; the river, alive with travel
and commerce, was the j^^reat thoroughfare. At high water
crafts went from Pittsburgh to the present site of Cairo,
at the mouth of the Ohio, in twenty days, but in fiummer
the voyage sometimes consumed ten weeks.

The river vessels floated with the current, were flat-bot-
tomed, and of two classes: trading boats, bound for Ken-
tucky and New Orleans, and loaded with whiskey, flour,
apples, cider, apple-brandy, earthenware, iron, and glass;
and family boats, of emigrants, carrying farming utensils,
household goods, catde, horses, men, women, and children.

In a boat of the latter class Noah Grant and his wife
embarked with their five young children, a horse, two cows,
cooking utensils, and all the rest of their worldly goods.
Their craft was snug, and a part of it was roofed. Bidding
adieu to their old home, they floated down the Mononga-
hela and then down the Ohio, whose banks were already
dotted by a few farms.

Forty-five miles below Pittsburgh and two below the
Pennsylvania line, they landed at the little settlement of
Fawcettstown, now Liverpool, Columbiana county, Ohio.
Noah Grant found it composed only of half a dozen log-
cabins in the deep forest.

Noah Grant raised his cabin on the bank of the Ohio.
Just after his arrival, an Indian called White Eyes was
shot by a settler's son, in a personal altercation. This
caused a few skirmishes, until the citizens united and
cleared the entire region of red men.

December following, Washington died. One day Jesse,
five years old, observed his mother weeping, and asked:

" What is the matter ? "

"George Washington is dv_ad," she replied, through her
sobs.

I.ll'E OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The lad, upon whom a knowledq^e of the father of his
country liad never yet dawned, promptly inquired:

" Was he any relation of yours ? "

Noah (irant had only established himself temporarily.
The Western Reserve was not yet surveyed or open to
settlement; but he looked upon it with lon<j;^ing eyes, for it
was an admirable body of land. Its three millions of acres
embraced the i)resent site of Cleveland, and the eight
northeastern couniies of Ohio. It was known as New
Connecticut, for ir liclonged to the Nutmeg State. In i8cxD,
however, she sold it to the General Government, and from
the proceeds obtained her magnificent school fund. But
she retained one county for the benefit of her own citizens,
who had suff^Ted from the burning of buildings by the
British during the Revolution, and these tracts were long
known as the "Connecticut Fire Lands."

The whole region was settled chiefly from New England,
and lo this day, in pronunciations, in idioms, in social habits,
and in political faith, it is like a portion of Massachusetts
transplanted bodily to the West.

When Jesse was ten years old the Reserve was thrown
open, and his father established his new home upon it, in
Portage county, forty miles from the old home, and near
the present town of I3eerfield.

The next year Noah's wife died. It was a sore loss, for
she was the chief dependence of the family. Noah Grant
was well educated, clear-headed, a brilliant talker, and a
vivid describer of battles. But he was never a provident
man. On coming to his majority he inherited a life-interest
in the Coventry property left by his uncle Solomon. But,
little by little, he parted with it all before he was thirty
years old. And in seven years of military life, a common
misfortune befell him — he lost something of his self-control,
and acquired the fondness for stimulants often born of army
excitements. So, since the close of the war, his family had
been poor, and now, the death of his wife broke it up. The
younger children were adopted by neighbors, and Susan
and Jesse, the two eldest, had to face life and provide for
themselves.

ANCKSTKY. 2^

After Jesse's mother died, he worked at several places,
earninjj plain food and scanty clothing; but in November,
1808, the la<l, now fourteen years old, went twenty-five miles
from Deerfeld, to Youngstown, Trumbull county, to live
with Judge George Tod of the State Supreme Court. Here
Jesse found a home. He was sent to school three months
of the first, and three months of the second year, but that
was the whole of his school education. In arithmetic he
arrived at a dim perception of the single rule of three.
Later in life he devoted himself to text-books, until suf-
ficiently accomplished for the transaction of ordinary busi-
ness, and even studied grammar after he was a married
man. He even composed verses. One specimen of his
poetry is preserved. It explains itself and reads as fol-
lows:

In eighteen hundred and forly-one
Our iwrtneishi)) wns first l)egun —
We two then became as one,

To deal in leather.
Some little business we have done

While together.

A dozen years we've toiled together
In making and in vending leather
Suited to every stage of weather,

E'er dry or rain.
The time has come for us to sever,

And we are twain.

E. A. Collins is still on hand,
And occupies the former stand,
Where he has always held command,

To buy and sell.
As matters now are being planned.

May he do well.

J. R. Grant, the old off wheel,
As quick and firm as smitten steel,
Does yet a strong desire feel

To do some more.
Then expect within the field

A brand new store.

Our hearty thanks we humbly send
To every customer and friend
Who has stood by ns to the end

With free good-will ;
And say in future we intend

To serve you still.

TTnss:

MIK OI' t'l.VSSKS S. GRANT.

Thcrf's one tiling more we hnve to snyj
To ihdsf who t'we US, we wnni our pay;
'I'lien send it on wiilmut delay —

'I he ftill iuiKJiiiit,
l-'or still we liave sunic dclits to pay

Oil linn account.

The orphan lad was happy at his new home. Among
his playmates was David 1 od, who Hved to be Governor
of Ohio, while Jesse's son was leading great armies to
victory.

Mush and milk was the boys' luxury. Every night they
were sent to eat it for supper before the roaring log-fire
of the threat kitchen. On the first evening the spoons and
bowls excited Jesse's wonder. He thought them a miracle
of elegance.

At sixteen, Jesse left Judge Tod's, and returned to Deer-
field, where he spent two years in learning the tanning
business. But the yard was only large enough to employ
one man ; so, at eighteen, he was apprenticed to his half-
brother in Maysville, Kentucky. There he remained till
he had become a first-class tanner. This was during the
war of iSi 2.

In 1815, peace being declared, Jesse, now twenty-one^
n^turned to Dterfield, took the litde tan-yard and went into
business for himself. He began without capital, but being
industrious and frugal, steadily accumulated property. This
year he made his first trip to Cincinnati, a settlement of
six thous 'nd people.

At the enil of two years the young tanner removed fif-
teen miles to Ravenna. In two years more he was the
owner of fifteen hundred dollars, chiefly invested in his tan-
yard antl leadier, which made him the richest citizen of the
little town.

On the morning of his twenty-fifth birthday, Jesse awoke
and said to a fellow-workman who slept with him :

'* I always promised myself a wife at twenty-five, if I
should have the means to support her. Now I have the
proj)erty, but I don't know where to look. However,
before going to bed I will make a start in some direction
toward ijettin'j married." ,

ANCKSTRY.

So the tall yoiinjj man donned his Sunday suit, put
things to rights in the tan-yard, and then walked thought-
fully about the little tavern where he boardt;d. 'i'anning
and Sunday clothing do not assimilate; and tin; landlady'a
curiosity was excited by his unusual garb, Sh(! asked:

" V/hat are you thinking about so seriously ?"

"About looking for a wife."

" Where are you going to look ? "

" W(dl, I don't know — somewhere, where there are girls."

Jesse remembered one Clara Hall, whom he l:ad never
seen but once, and that fifteen months before. After din-
ner, he went to call on her. Siic received him cordially,
and, true to her sex, proved an enthusiastic matcli-maker.
He had given her no hint of his purpose, but tlic feminine
instinct was strong within her. Wlien he asked wj-.o lived
in a neighboring house, she replied :

*' My uncle Timothy, and he has a daughter who will
make you a capital wife. Now I am going to send for her
to come over to tea, and you must go home with her."

This was a diversion. Clara, not he-r cousin, had been
in Jesse's mind. But the cousin. Prudence by name, came
duly, and he not only took her home, as he was bid, but on
the way agreed upon a correspondence vvidi her. After
keeping this up for a few months, the young couple re-
solved to face the perils of matrimony, and agreed that the
knot should be tied immediately "after court." The
Supreme Court sat in Deerfield every October, and the
session broucfht much business to the town.

But the course of this true love did not run smooth. In
Auofust lesse was attacked bv the fever and atiue.

In January, 1820, so far recovered that he could travel
eight or ten miles a day, he spent a few weeks with rela-
tives in Maysville. There his father had died a few months
before. After losing his wife, Noah resided near his old
Ohio home until 181 1, supporting himself and aiding his
younger children by shoemaking. Then he removed to
Maysville, and spent the rest of his life with his yoimgest
son, who was a prominent and successful business man.

Jesse's sickness lasted over a year. When he had so

0i{

sBiafi&aaEa

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

far recovered as to go to work again, he settled in Cler-
mont county, on the north bank of the Ohio river, twenty-
five miles above Cincinnati. The little village, of fifteen
or twenty families, was called Point Pleasant. A citizen
had offered to furnish the money for setting up the tanning
business, if Jesse would teach its art and mystery to his
son.

In Point Pleasant he married — but the bride was not
Prudence Hall. The engagement had been given up, and
she was now the wife of a well-to-do Ohio farmer and the
mother of his two children.

Ten miles from Point Pleasant lived another maiden,
Hannah Simpson, sole daughter of the house and heart of
a thrifty farmer who had moved to the West two years
before. She was born and reared in Pennsylvania, twenty
miles from Philadelphia. For several generations her an-
cestors had been American, though a family tradition
alleged that originally they were Irish. Jesse describes
her at this time as "an unpretending country girl, hand-
some but not vain." She was thoroughly accomplished in
all the duties of housewifery, and to great womanly sweet-
ness added prudence, clear judgment, piety, and a gravity
and thoughtfulness beyond her years.

Never was Jesse Grant's good fortune greater than
when, on the 24th of June, 1821, he married Hannah Simp-
son.

The young couple began housekeeping in a little frame
dwelling, a hundred yards from the Ohio river. Behind
the house and the hamlet rose a bold hill In front ran a
little creek. Here the Ex-President of the United States
was born, on the 27th day of April, 1822. Point Pleasant
is a post village of the county, and is situated on ihe Ohio
river, about twentv-five miles above Cincinnati. Clermont
county is in the southwestern part of the State of Ohio,
and has an area of 462 square miles, or 295,680 acres.
The Ohio river forms the county boundary on the south-
west, and the Little Miami river runs along its western
lines. The land of the county is well drained by the east
fork of tho Little Miami river, into which the creeks mostly

I»«i|^iyi|l:.. .|f,,,.l5?

his

(>4

(^
u

C4
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(30

"""TTTri-fmrr-ifiifi-

LIFE OF ULYSS'ZS S. GRANT.

run. The surface of the country is of a rolling character,
and is quite hilly in the vicinity of the Ohio river. The
soil generally is of a rich nature, and the surface rock is
formed of the blue limestone. A railroad now passes
alonir its northern border, some distance from Grant's
birthplace ; but at the time when that general entered upon
his career, the iron tramway was entirely unknown in that
region of the country.

Soon after the birth of his first son, a discussion occurred
in the family in regard to the name which should be given
him. His mother and one of his aunts proposed Albert, in
honor of Albert Gallatin, at that time a prominent states-
man. Some one else proposed Theodore, and his grand-
father Simpson suggested Hiram. His step-grandmother,
being a great student of history, and an ardent admirer of
Ulysses, proposed that name. After due deliberation he
was christened Hiram Ulysses.

The boyhood of Ulysses, as he was commonly called,
passed in a comparatively new country, did not differ mate-
rially from that of other boys surrounded by similar cir-
cumstances. He began to manifest an independent, self-
reliant and venturous disposition at a very early age, and
from the time he was first permitted to go out alone, he
lost no opportunity of riding and breaking horses, driving
teams, and helping his father in whatever wo *• his strength
and size would enable him to do. At the ^g c', seven and
a half years, during his father's absence, he iiarnessed a
three-year-old colt to a sled, and hauled brush with him for
an entire day. He became accustomed to harness horses
when he was so small that he could not put the bridle or
collar on without climbing into the manger, nor throw the
harness over their backs without standing upon a half-
bushel measure. Before he was ten years old he had got
to be a skillful driver, and used to do full work in hauling
wood, taking leather to Cincinnati and bringing passengers
back to Georgetown, where the family then lived. He
became a good rider at nine years of age, having begun,
like most farmer boys, by riding the horses to water.
Long before Ulysses had reached his twelfth year he could

icter,
The
ck is
asses
rant's
upon
1 that

:urred
given
lert, in
states-
Trand-
lother,
irer of
ion he

(3.^)

■iiin.- r'tTfv*1raBa

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ride any horse at full speed, standing upon his back and
balancing himself by the bridle reins. His quiet and gen-
tle disposition, together with a remarkable degree of firm-
ness, rendered him particularly successful in controlling
horses, and in breaking them to the saddle and harness.
This he always did for his father, but his fame soon spread
beyond the family circle and caused his talent to be called
into requisition by the neighbors who had troublesome
horses to break. At that time pacing horses were in great
demand for the saddle, and to teach a horse this gait
required no slight skill and patience. Ulysses was quite
an adept in this as in other things relating to horses, but
from some idea of pride he would not exercise his skill for
money, although not unwilling to do real work, or go on
errands of business. One of his father's friends had a fine
young horse which he wished to use as a riding horse, but
he could not teach him to pace. Knowing Ulysses' un-
willingness to set about such a task as this for hire, he
engaged him to carry a letter to a neighboring town, and
as the lad was riding away called out to him, " please teach
that colt to pace." Ulysses returned the horse at night a
perfect pacer, but having ascertained that the letter was
simply sent to deceive Kim, he could never afterward be
induced to teach a horse to pace.

It was an uneventful life in the little Ohio village. When
Ulysses was three years old a second son was born to his
parents, and named Simpson. The two grew up together.
Their school comrades often used, after the fashion of those
days, to go home with the Grant boys in winter, and spend
the evening betore the great log-fire, which blazed on the
kitchen hearth, playing "fox and geese," "morris," and
"checkers," eating apples, cracking hickory-nuts, telHng
stories, propounding riddles, and ending the fun by sleep-
ing together.

Two brothers, who were their closest intimates, are still
living in Georgetown. Both went through the Mexican
War ; one has been a Democratic Representative in Con-
gress, and the other, as a brigadier-general of volunteers,
did gallant service during our great war.

ANCESTRY.

Still

bxican
Con-
Iteers,

Ulysses was a very quiet but by no means a dififident
boy. His father, who was fond and vain of his children,
was given to putting them forward ; and Ulysses was the
favorite, because he would do, or at least attempt, what-
ever he was told. Both father and mother were members
of the Methodist church, and there was a little meeting-
house across the street. Methodist ministers frequently
spent the night at the house. A visitor remembers one
evening when Ulysses, then only seven or eight years old,
at the call of his father, stepped out briskly, stood up in a
corner, and recited :

" You'd scarce expect one of my age
To speak in public on the stage."

He rattled it off hurriedly and mechanically, but still with
great readiness. Daniel Webster, in boyhooc' could not
summon composure enough to "speak his piece," but
Ulysses Grant could without the least diffidence. If any
wiseacre had had opportunity to compare the two, his pro-
phetic soul would undoubtedly have seen in the farmer's
son a great orator in embryo, and, perchance, in the shy
New Hampshire boy, the promise of a successful general.

He accumulated a little money by carting wood, and
driving passengers, who arrived in Georgetown by stage,
to their homes in the adjacent country. So at nine, he
bought a colt for seventeen dollars, and from that time was
never without a horse of his own. He frequently traded,
always had a little fund of money, and was thought to give
indications of unusual business capacity, though he never
manifested it in his personal affairs in after life.

He was known far and near as the best horseman " in
all the country round." When nine or ten years old, he
had acquired such repute for fast riding, that horse-jockeys
who had steeds suffering from a distemper, which was re-
lieved by riding them so fast as to heat them, used to bring
the animals to Georgetown, for the tanner's son to try
them for a few miles at the break-neck gallop, in whicli his
heart delighted. Neighboring farmers also brought refrac-
tory horses for him to train and subdue. More than once

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRaini.

I'n!'

the little fellow was seen racing around the public square
upon a kicking, rearing, pitching beast, to which, with arms
clasped about its neck, and fat bare feet pressed against its
flanks, the lad was clinging with the same tenacity which
he manifested later in life.

A favorite amusement was to stand barefoot upon a
sheepskin strapped on his horse's back to keep the rider's
feet from slipping, and then put the animal on a fast gallop
down to the brook or up the main street. Before he was
twelve he learned to ride thus, standing only upon one foot,
and holding by the bridle rein. The widow of Dr. Bailey,
nearest neighbor to the Grants, says :

" In general, Ulysses was exceedingly kind and amiable.
Our boys never had the least dispute with him about any-
thing except horses ; but sometimes, when they galloped
together down to the ' run ' to water, Ulysses would laugh
at our boys, and tell them our horses were getting poor.
This used to trouble them, and they would ask me, with
great anxiety, if ours really were thin and slow."

One of the sons of this lady met his death through his
fondness for horses. He was riding a refractory one which
became frightened, reared, rolled over, and killed the
rider.

In this connection an anecdote is dropped by th. ^:)ater-
nal gossip, which deserves to be preserved as a graphic
description of a scene through which many smart lads have
passed, and as indicating in this particular instance some
of that pluck, and tenacity of will, which distinguished the
Wilderness campaign. " Once, when he was a boy, a show
came along, in which there was a mischievous pony, trained
to go round the ring like lightning ; and he was expected
to throw any boy that attempted to ride him.

" ' Will any boy come forward and ride this pony ? '
shouted the ring-master.

" Ulysses stepped forward, and mounted the pony. The
performance began. Round and round and round the ring
went the pony, faster and faster, making the greatest effort
to dismount the rider ; but Ulysses sat as steady as if he
had grown to the pony's back. Presently out came a large

ANCESTRY.

monkey, and sprang up behind Ulysses. The people set
up a great shout of laughter, and on the pony ran ; but it
all produced no effect on the rider. Then the ring-master
made the monkey jump up on to Ulysses' shoulders, stand-
ing with his feet on his shoulders, and with his hands hold-
ing on to his hair. At this there was another and a still
louder shout ; but not a muscle of Ulysses' face moved :
there was not a tremor of his nerves. A few more rounds,
and the ring-master gave it up : he had come across a boy
that the pony and the monkey both could not dismount."

That quiet, fixed resolution, which was such a marked
feature in his character, he possessed when a mere lad.
His father possessed great confidence in his ability to take
care of himself, and once sent him, when but twelve years
of age, *-o Louisville, alone. We give the incident in Jesse
Grant'b language. He says :

" It was necessary for me to have a deposition taken
there, to be used in a law-suit in which I was engaged in
the State of Connecticut. I had written more than once
about it to my lawyers, but could not get the business done.
' I can do it,' said Ulysses. So I sent him on the errand
alone. Before he started, I gave him an open letter that
he might show the captain of the boat, or any one else, if
he should have occasion, stating that he was my son, and
was going to Louisville on my business. Going down, he
happened to meet a neighbor with whom he was ac-
quainted ; so he had no occasion to use the letter. But
when he came on board a boat, to return, the captain asked
him who he was. He told him ; but the captain answered,
'I cannot take you; you may be running away.' Ulysses
then produced my letter, which put everything right ; and
the captain not only treated him with great kindness, but
took so much interest in him as to invite him to go as far
as Maysville with him, where he had relatives living, free
of expense. He brought back the deposition with him, and
that enabled me to succeed in making a satisfactory adjust*
ment of my suit."

The father remembers also the following incident, of
which doubtless similar may be related of hundreds of

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT,

' Ji

Others who never reached any eminence, yet it has a pe-
culiar interest in the light of after events. He says, " I
will relate another circumstance which j have never men-
tioned before, which you may use as you think proper. He
was always regarded as extremely apt in figures. When he
was ten years old a distinguished phrenologist, came along
and stayed several days in the place. He was frequently
asked to examine heads blindfolded. Among others, Ulys-
ses was placed in the chair. The phrenologist felt his head
for several minutes without saying anything ; at length, a
noted doctor asked him if the boy had a capacity for mathe-
matics. The phrenologist, after some further examination,
said, 'You need not be surprised if you see this boy fill the
presidential chair some time.' "

Now, whether the opinion of the phrenologist was worth
anything or not, or whether it was a mere piece of flattery,
or a scientific opinion, may not, perhaps* be of much con-
sequence ; but one thing is certain, if he had not been dif-
ferent from the ordinary class of boys of his age he never
would have been selected as a subject for public examina-
tion. This fact alone shows that he was a marked lad,
possessing certain positive, distinct qualities which distin-
guished him from others. If it were not so, the examina-
tion of his head would have been without significance.
Many anecdotes are told of him when a little older, showing
that great self-reliance which also formed so remarkable a
trait of his manhood.

The means for securing that mental discipline and cul-
ture necessary to fit him for any position of eminence were
wanting in the little town where he resided. His moral
training, however, was excellent. Though his parents
were not the old rigid Scotch Covenanters, they had the
Scotch probity and prudence, and inculcated right princi-
ples into the boy, and it is said of him what can be said of
few lads, that he was never known to tell a lie or use a
profane word.

He devoted himself to his father's business of tanning
leather with reluctance, preferring to drive a team instead.

But while he was thus growing a strong, broad-shoul-

ANCESTRY.

dered young man in an obscure western village, he was
not satisfied with his lot. Besides, his father felt that he
ouo-ht to have the benefit of a better education than could
be obtained at home. It was a subject of much anxious
thouijht with him, for he believed that his son had capacity
for a more important position than that which the trade of
a tanner would give him. But his means were limited — the
want of money, which chains so many gifted minds to the
mere effort to obtain a livelihood in the dull routine in
which they have been brought up, stood sadly in the way
of young Grant being placed in the more enlarged sphere
for which he seemed to be fitted.

Young Grant had a very keen sense of justice. One
day, playing with the Bailey boys, he knocked the ball
through a window of their house. Rushing in, with his
round face blushing scarlet, he said earnestly to their
mother :

" Mrs. Bailey, I have broken your window, but I am
going right up town to get another pane of glass for you,
and have it put in at once."

But he was too great a favorite with the lady, and, indeed,
with all her family, for them to exact such a measure of
justice from him.

A litde brook ran beside the tan-yard. During a June
freshet, when the lad was ten years old, it overflowed all
the vats, and sent the leather and bark floating away.
But the leather caught in thick willows, and the stream was
soon full of men and delighted boys swimming in to bring
it back. All was reclaimed, without serious injury, and
Jesse's only loss was the valuable bark — that which was
dry and unused floating off, but the old and water-soaked

remammg.

He was extremely fond of skating, and learned it while
very young. When nine or ten years old, he froze his feet
from tight straps. Mrs. Grant, a physician on instinct, was
on terms of intimacy with every conceivable malady that
juvenile flesh is heir to, and had a remedy for it duly put
away and labeled in some corner of her memory. Of
course, such a mother is worth all the physicians in the

uKjamtkim

MuidMUMMS^w

MIK OK ULYSSES S. (IRANT.

world for little invalids, despite her harmless idiosyncrasies,
one of which in her case found vent in administering salts
to the children regularly, sick or well, at certain seasons
of the year. This time she smoked the frozen feet of
the young sufferer with hay, and then bound on slices of
bacon to take out the frost.

Ulysses and his comrades, when very young, used to sit
barefooted on the bank of the little brook beside the tan-
yard, fishing for " chubs " and *' shiners," with hooks of
bent pins. As they grew older they angled for larger
members of the finny tribe a mile west of the town, in a
considerable stream, which was there called White Oak
Creek, but in New England would be dignified into a river.
Here, too, was excellent bathing-ground. Ulysses was a
capital swimmer and an expert diver, with unusual endur-
ance in remaining under water.

Hunting was a common amusement among the boys of
the neighborhood. By day they pursued rabbits, gray
squirrels, and partridges in the woods ; at night they had
the more exciting sport of treeing raccoons with dogs, and
then felling the trees. In these diversions Ulysses seldom
joined. While his comrades were playing, he was hauling
loads for neighbors, or driving stage passengers home.
Thus he was enabled to be a profitable customer for the
village confecdonery, whose treasures he lavished with a free
hand upon his playmates and young ragamuffins generally.

A month before Ulysses was eleven, an uncle by mar-
riage, who was named Marshall, died near Deerfield, Ohio,
the old home of the Grant family. Jesse immediately went
to settle the affairs of his bereaved sister, and bring her and
her five orphan children to Georgetown, Ulysses accom-
panied him., and it was his first considerable journey.

Taking steamer from Ripley to Wellsville, and stage
thence to New Lisbon thirty-five miles, father and son made
the last fifteen miles on horseback. They spent two or three
weeks with Mrs. Marshall, selling at public auction all the
family effects, except bedding, crockery, and other articles
easy of transportation. Then, with the widow and children,
they turned their faces homeward. One of the cousins^

:rasies,
g salts
leasons
feet of
ices of

d to sit
the tan-
(oks of
• larger
,vn, in a
ite Oak
) a river.
;s was a
1 endur-

boys of
its, gray
they had
logs, and
s seldom
; hauling
■s home,
r for the
ith a free
enerally.
by mar-
Id, Ohio,
ely went
her and
accom-

id stage

feon made

or three

)n all the

ir articles

children,

cousins.

IJRANT'S JlKAlMjUARTlikS NEAR FORT DONKI.SON.

(iRANT'S llEAD-gUARTKRS NKAR V1CKSBUR(;.

ANCESTRY.

4»

James Marshall, was near the age of Ulysses ; and the two
boys, riding on the coupling-pole behind the wagon, were
delighted with the trip.

Starting on a Monday afternoon, the party reached Deer-
field, six miles distant, that night, and on Tuesday night,
New Lisbon, where they " put up " at the village tavern.
(3n Wednesday, finding their team overloaded, they char-
tered a two-horse wagon, and evening found them at Wells-
ville. There they took the steamer " Lady Byron," taking
their horses and wagon on board, and descending the river.
A broken wheel compelled the boat to stop at Wheeling for
several hours. Ulysses and James strolled up through the
streets, less sleepy then than now. While they were loiter-
ing about the City Hotel, a traveller asked young Grant :

"What will you take this trunk down to the steamer for?"

"A fi'-penny bit," replied the lad.

The five-penny bit, usually contracted to "fip" in Western
mouths, was worth six and a quarter cents, an outlay which
the extravagant traveller fancied he could afford. So
Ulysses at one end, and James at the other, bore the heavy
trunk down to the boat half a mile away, and earned their
reward. It is to be hoped that they never in after-life did
so much hard work for so little money.

There was no wharf at Wheeling. The water was nearly
level with the top of the stone wall, trom which a staging
extended to the boat. The steamer had on board many
German emigrants, going to' Louisville and Cincinnati.
With genuine boyish fondness for mischief, the two lads so
arranged the planks that the first person venturing upon
them would tumble in. The first happened to be a little
German boy habited in a red flannel dress, and not more
than three years old. As he stepped upon it the staging
gave way, and " chuck " he fell into the water. The alarm
was shouted, and, as he came up to the surface for the second
time, some of his people caught him by the hair and lifted
him out.

The thoughtless boys were sadly frightened, but cautions
enough to hold their peace, and unspeakably relieved to see
the streaming young Teuton saved from drowning.

B>''WWW<iM »WgWF.: "'JT^^gwa^^.^y ^, ,-^. ,

'o^,-,\LJJ'.jli ''

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The "Lady Byron" finally started again, and on Satur-
day the travellers reached Maysville, where they remained
several days with relatives, before riding to their home,
twenty miles farther. Ulysses, on his return from this long
journey, was looked up to by his playmates on account of
the marvellous stories he had to tell of what he had seen.

As Jesse Grant prospered, and his family increased in
numbers, they required more room than the little family
dwelling afforded, so after his return from Deerfield he
added a spacious two-story house to the old one, which he
left standing as an L. Ulysses drove the hors s for haul-
ing all the brick, stone, and sand. In a few months was
completed the Grant homestead shown in our picture, and
still unchanged. It stands on low ground, a hundred yards
east of the Georgetown public square, a sober brick house,
its front very near the street ; and one side shaded by tall
locusts, and overlooking a smaller roadway which leads up
past the old Methodist meeting-house and the Bailey resi-
dence. In a hollow, on the opposite side of the main street,
stood, and yet stands, the little brick currier shop. Behind
it was the tan-yard. Beside it, for a hundred feet, stretched
a low shed — a mere roof supported by a skeleton of poles.
Under this were piled many cords of oak bark, in the midst
of which stood the bark-mill, with a hopper like an old-
fashioned cider-mill.

The bark, peeled from standing trees, is brought to the
tan-yard in strips three feet long. In grinding, a boy stands
holding one in his left hand, and, with a hammer in his right,
breaks it into the hopper in pieces four or five inches long.
Meanwhile, a horse trudging around a circle, and leading
himself by means of a pole attached to the sweep which he
draws, grinds the bark to powder.

Not only is the work confining, but every time the beam
comes around the boy must " duck," or it will strike his
head. Ulysses heartily disliked all labor about the tan-yard,
and had a tendency to make himself invisible whenever he
suspected there was any to be done. But when his father
left him to attend the bark mill, he would hire some other
boy to take his place for twelve or fifteen cents a day, while

miMm^&M^<^;i^M^Mm-.

GRANT'S BOYHOOD DAYS IN OHIO.

(M)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S GRANT.

he, by driving a stage passenger or hauling a load, earned
a dollar or a dollar and a half. The young speculator ac-
cumulated money easily, and in the use of it was free, though
not wasteful.

Just before the lad was twelve, his father contracted to
build a county jail. The job would require much hauling
of stone, of bricks, and particularly of logs. The tanner
had one very large horse, and Ulysses said :

" Father, if you will buy Paul Devore's horse to work
beside ours, I can haul these logs for you."

So Jesse purchased the animal for fifty-five dollars.
Ulysses was proud of his fine-looking black horses, and
named the new one " Dave," in irreverent compliment to
David Devore, a Georgetown attorney. With them the lad
did all the hauling. It was two miles from the woods to the
site of the jail. Ihe logs were -a foot square and fourteen
feet long, and required a great deal of hewing, as all the
" sap " had to be cut off. It took eleven men to do the
hewing, but only one to " score." The hewers loaded tlie
logs, while the lad simply drove the team.

One cloudy April morning when rain was threatened,
Ulysses went as usual for his load. After a long trip, he
came back with his logs, and as Jesse and the hired man
were unloading them at the jail, he remarked:

" Father, I reckon it's hardly worth while for me to go
again to-day ; none of the hewers are in the woods. There
is only one load left ; if I get that now, there will be none
for me to haul to-morrov/ morning."

" Where are the hewers ? "

" y\t home, I suppose. They haven't been in the woods
this morning."

" Who loaded these logs ? "

" Dave and me."

"What do you mean by telling me such a story?" asked
the clear-headed, indignant father.

" It is the truth ; I loaded the logs with no help but
Dave's."

It was the truth. For this hauling, the body of the
wagon had been removed, and the logs were carried upon
the axles. It was a hard job for several men to load. They

i' ii I ailliJliif JiliiBilihiliiHBi^

ANCESTRY.

would take the wheels off on one side, let the axles down
to the ground, lift on the squared logs with handspikes,
then pry the axles up with levers, and put the wheels on
acrain. That a boy could do this alone was incredible ; and
Jesse inquired :

" How in the world did you load the wagon ? "

•' Well, father, you know that sugar-tree we saw yesterday,
which is half fallen, and lies slanting, with the top caught in
another tree. I hitched Dave to the logs and drew them up
on that ; then I backed the wagon up to it, and hitched Dave
to them again, and, one at a time, snaked them forward upon
the axles."

The ingenious lad had used the trunk of the fallen maple
as an inclined plane, and after hauling the logs upon it, so
that they nearly balanced, had drawn them endwise upon
his wagon underneath with litde difficulty. The feat made
him quite famous in the neighborhood. Did it not involve
as much inventiveness, patience, and fertility of resource as
the wonderful campaign which ended in the capture of
Vicksburg?

The jail was finished by the ist of December, and then
Jesse sold his wagon to a citizen of Aberdeen, twenty-one
miles away. Ulysses was sent to take it there, with two
horses, one which the purchaser had left, and a beautiful
bright bay, not yet four years old, which he himself had
owned only a few weeks, and had never tried in harness.

For the first ten miles the team went well ; but then,
near Ripley, passing a farmhouse where the butchering of
hogs was going on, the sight and smell of it made the colt
quite frantic. In a twinkling he kicked himself out of the
harness, tearing it to shreds. Ulysses sprang from the
wagon, and firmly held the frightened beast by the bit until
he was quiet. Then, knowing that he was, at least, an
admirable riding-horse, Ulysses put on his saddle, brought
ior the rel^urn trip, and galloped into Ripley. There he
asked of the first acquaintance he met :

"Are there any horse-buyers in town ? "

" Yes, there is one collecting horses for New Orleans ;
he is to leave with them in a few days. I reckon he is over
there at the stabh."

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

To the stable Ulysses rode, and, finding his man, ac-
costed him :

" My horse is for sale; are you buying? "

" Yes ; what do you ask for him ? "

"Sixty-five dollars, and the use of him or some othei
horse to take my wagon to Aberdeen."

The beauty of the little steed interested the buyer, and
he answered :

" I will give you sixty dollars."

" I can't take that ; he is worth more."

" Well, I will split the difference with you, and give you
sixty-two dollars and fifty cents."

"All right."

The bargain was closed, the horse delivered, and the
money paid. But then the buyer, looking again at the
chubby lad, whose gravity of demeanor had prevented his
diminutiveness from being noticed, added :

" You are a very small boy ; I am afraid it is hardly safe
to buy of you."

" Oh, if that is all, I can satisfy you," replied Ulysses.
And he went and brought Captain Knight, an old family
friend, who testified :

" It is all right ; any trade you make with thia boy is just
as sound as if you made it with his father."

The buyer, determined not to lose sight of his new pony,
furnished Ulysses with an old safe horse to Aberdeen,
which the boy left in Ripley on his return, and thence went
by stage.

Tile next year, a roving New York journeyman, with a
weakness for whiskey, worked in the tan-yard. Once,
having exhausted all his money, he took six calfskins
belonging to his employer. Not daring to offer them for
sale, he consulted a little shoemaker, who betrayed him.
Jesse found the hidden plunder, and soon after, meeting
his speculating workman in the village tavern, ordered him
to leave town. But the journeyman was obstinate, would
not go, and even drew a knife upon Jesse. The broad-
shouldered, powerful tanner took the weapon away from
him, sent Ulysses for his cowhide, and laid it over the

'im&iMksMMM^

ANCESTRY.

culprit's back half a dozen times with all his power. But
the victim, neither frightened nor hurt, stood his ground till
some village " roughs " marched him out of town, with
warning never to come back. He never did.

While Grant was at school, his companions used to tell
a story about a horse-trade that he was once engaged in.
It appears that when he was about twelve years of age, his
father sent him to purchase a horse of a farmer named
Ralston, who resided some short distance in the country.
The elder Grant wanted the horse, but still desired to get
it as cheaply as possible. Before starting, the old gentle-
man impressed upon young Grant's mind that fact in these
words :

" Ulysses, when you see Mr. Ralston, tell him I have sent
you to buy his horse, and offer him fifty dollars for it. If
he will not take that, offer him fifty-five dollars, and rather
than you should come away without the horse, you had
better give him sixty dollars."

Off started the boy, and in due course of time arrived at
Ralston's farm-house. He had carefully studied over in his
mind his father's instructions, and of course intended to do
as his parent had told him. Mr. Ralston, however, threw
him off his balance by putting the following direct but
natural question to him :

" How much did your father tell you to give for him ? "

Young Ulysses had always had it impressed upon his
mind by his mother that the truth must be spoken at all
times, and therefore he replied :

" Why, father told me to offer you fifty dollars at first ;
and if that would not do, to give you fifty-five dollars ; and
rather than come away without the horse I was to pay sixty
dollars."

Of course, Ralston could not sell the horse for less than
sixty dollars.

"I am sorry for that," returned Grant, "for, on looking
at the horse, I have determined not to give more than fifty
dollars for it, although father said I might give sixty. You
may take fifty if you like, or you may keep the horse."

Ulysses rode the horse home.

1,1 FE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Young Grant had been brought up to revere and esteem
the character of Washington as the redeemer of his country,
and so great an impression did the teachings of his friends
havt. upon him, that, even as a boy, he would never allow
that name or memory to be insulted in his presence.

It so happened that the brother of General Grant's father
had settled in Canada, and was impressed with a strong
antipathy to the government of the United States. Not-
withstanding this fact, the Canadian Grant did not object to
send his son John to the same school where young Ulysses
was studying, so that he might be able to gain a better
education than he could at that time obtain in Canada.

John had been brought up with the same feelings as his
parents, and it was very natural for him occasionally to
loosen his tongue in a disparaging manner upon American
affairs, to the praise and glory of the " old country." While
it was confined to remarks about Great Britain, young
Grant would listen, and argue all in good part ; but on one
occasion the following conversation ensued, after one of
their debates on the merits of the two styles of government,
the love of country, and duty to rulers.

"Ulysses," said John, "you talk a great deal about
Washington. He was nothing better than a rebel. He
fouijht aofainst his kinof."

"Now, look here, Jack," returned Grant quickly, "you
must stop that, or I will give you a thrashing. Mother
says I must not fight, but must forgive my enemies. You
may abuse me as much as you please ; but if you abuse
Washington, I'll off coat and let into you, if you were ten
times my cousin, and then mother may afterwards whip me
as much as she likes."

Jack was determined not to give way in his assertion,
and Grant was as firm in his defence of his country's idol,
until, at last, from words, they came to hard blows.

During the contest Jack got the worst of it, but still Grant
did not escape scot free — his face betraying evidences of
the struggle — and on reaching home his mother cried out:

" So, young man, you have been fighting, notwithstanding
all I have said to you about it! "

:.}'■

^^^^mm^^mM^^a^^^

ANCESTRY.

Ulysses explained the whole of the circumstances of the
case in a straightforward manner, without either addition
or detraction. The good and worthy matron, with the
determination that her son should respect her admonitions,
began making preparations to give young Ulysses the
promised castigation, when her husband interfered to pre-
vent the boy being flogged :

" I tell thee what it is, wife," said the old gentleman, "the
boy does not deserve to be punished. He has only stood
up for his country, and he, that, as a boy, will stand up and
ficrht in defence of the honor and integrity of the name of
Washington, will rise, if God spares his life, to be a man
and a Christian too."

At about the age of twelve he displayed, in a remarkable
manner, that calmness and presence of mind which has so
eminently characterized his career as a soldier and general.
Having been sent with a light wagon and pair of horses to
the village of Augusta, in Kentucky, twelve miles from
Georgetown, he permitted himself to be persuaded to re-
main all night, in order to take back two young women
who could not be ready to start before morning. The
Ohio river had swollen rapidly in the meantime, and the
back-water in White Oak Creek, across which his route
lay, had risen so much that when he reached it in returning
he was surprised to find, after the first few steps, that his
horses and wagon were swimming. The young women,
finding themselves in water up to their waists, became
badly frightened, and began at once to cry for help. In
the midst of this exciting scene Ulysses, who was on the
front seat, coolly guiding his horses towards the opposite
bank, turned to the women, and with an air of perfect
assurance, said : " Keep quiet ; I'll take you through
safe!"

He was fond of all the games and sports of boyhood.

His resolute spirit and cool tempei made him a leader

iamong his companions; but his disposition inclined him to

seek the society of persons older than himself. Those

who have had the good fortune to know him in manhood,

[will readily perceive that he must have been an exceed-

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ingly good-natured, amiable, patient, cheerful, modest,
light-hearted boy ; full of courage, good sense, and self-
reliance. He could read by the time he was seven years
old, and was fond of going to school, learning easily and
rapidly whatever was taught, but showing particular apti-
tude in mathematics.

He had always a peaceable and even disposition, without
any inclination to quarrel, and yet he would never permit
himself to be imposed upon, neither would he stand by and
see a little boy abused by a larger one His sense of jus-
tice and fair play would always cause him to join the
weaker side, and fight it through on that lino at every
hazard. He never used a profane or obscene word, no
matter how great his anger or provocation. " Confound it "
is the hardest phrase he ever gave utterance to.

Ulysses inherited many of his best traits from his mother.
The old residents of Georgetown speak of her with ex-
traordinary enthusiasm and affection. She was amiable, se-
rene, even-tempered, thoroughly self-forgetful, kind and
considerate to all, and speaking ill of none. Her cliildren
she governed with tender affection, and without the rod;
and in return they were tractable and well behaved, never
boisterous nor rude in the family circle. She was exceed-
ingly reticent and exceedingly modest. Whatever she
thought of her boys and girls in her mother-heart, she
never praised them before others. Even now, thougli feel-
ing high and just pride in her illustrious son, and fond of
reading all that is said of him, she not only refrains from
boasting of him, but sometimes blushes like a girl, and
leaves the room when his praises are sounded in her ears;
for it seems akin to hearing self-praise?, which she regards
with unmitiofated horror. In her old aee she has calm.
winning manners, and a face still sweet and still young in
the nicest sense of Holmes :

" For him in vnin the envious seasons roll,
Who bears eternal summer in his soul."

Ulysses was sent to school before he was four years old.
but he began so young to drive a team and make himself

..^.m^msmmimimMm,

ANCESTRY.

useful to his father, that his education was sadly neglected.
After he was eleven he went only in tiie winter term, avcr-
ai^rjnjr about three months. Even then his attendance was
irregular whenever he could find passengers to drive home,
or neighbors who wanted to visit Cincinnati. The plain,
one-story brick building, baldly fronting the street, without
any pleasant surroundings, where the village youth first
quaffed from the "Pierian Spring," is faithfully shown In
our picture. Its exterior is still unchanged; but no more
emerge "the playful children just let loose from school,"
for it is now occupied as a dwelling by a family of negroes.

He was not deemed a brilliant scholar except in arithme-
tic, in which he excelled his class. In other branches he
was about the avera<:e. But no one in the school could
draw such horses upon his slate as young Grant, and in
this exercise he was exceedingly diligent. He would sit,
too, and reflect for hours with his slate or book hugged up
aijainst his breast, and his head a little cast down. His
ordinarynickname was " Ulyss," or simply"Lyss;" but some
of his comrades called him "Texas," because his father had
visited that province and published a long account of his
trip. Others called him "Hug," from his initials, H. U. G.,
and others still travestied his name to "Useless."

Notwithstanding his expertness at skating, swimming,
and riding, he was awkward in other out-door sports. But
he had urruj^ua! fortitude, and though at ball-pla}Ing he
was a very poor dodger, no ball could hit him hard enough
to make him cry, or even wince.

He attended frequent evening spelling-schools, and also
a juvenile debating club, at which, however, he never spoke.
Thoneh seeminof to care little for amusements, he went with
the rest to the evening gatherings of boys and girls, play-
ing his part creditably at riddles, puzzles, and other games,
and not shrinking from the endless juvenile kissing involved
in forfeits, though he had no special fondness for the society
of the opposite sex. One little girl only was a particular
favorite, and she continued so until he grew to manhood.
But she became a staid setded matron, and lived near
Georgetown, Ohio.

LIFE OF ULYSSKS S. GRANT.

In brief, Ulysses was .i sober, thoui^htt'ul boy, who pre-
ferred the society of men to that of younger companions,
but always as a modest and quiet listener rather than a
talker. He was temperate — much less inclined to whiskey
than most younij men in that convivial rejrion, for whoever
had grown virtuous, Brown county willed that there should
be cakes and ale.

Military traditions were among the familiar things of his
childhood: stories of Samuel and Noah Grant in the old
French war, and of his grandfather's exploits in the eight
years of the Revolution. The military spirit also was fer-
vent in the vicinity ; he saw much of company drill, and
never missed th ; general muster in August. On this grand
occasion as many as three thousand citizen-soldiers wore
sometimes drilled by their officers through the long summer
day, with more than ordinary zeal and diligence. Even
the local names betokened an admiration of military heroes.
Ripley was so ja'led in honor of General Ripley; Scott
township, of Winfield Scott: an 1 Brown county, of Ethan
Alion Brown, a'l ^ranous in the war of 1812.

A Philaui-lpliia journalist, who was a native of the same
vi!!a.ge — a liille l>oy, ^vho, in his own phrase, " used to hang
around the si<:irts of Grant's 'wamus,'" writes:

"A brother of the General was a fellow-devil* in the
printing-office in which we were then the younger imp.
And through him we became acquainted with Ulysses, or
'Lyss," as he was called by the boys. He was then a
stumpy, freckle-faced, big-headed country lad of fifteen or
thereabouts, working in his father's tan-yard; and we often
stood by his side and exercised our amateur hand, under
his direction, in breakini'- bark for the ■'■-Id bark-mill down
in the hollow. Though sneered at for his awkwardness by
the scions of nobk- Iventucky, who honored Georgetown
with their presence, Ulysses was a favorite with the smaller
boys of the village, who had learned to look up to him as
a sort of a protector.

" We well remember the stir created by the appointment
of the tanner's son to a cadetship at West Point. The
surprise among the sons of o-^r doctors, lawyers, and store-

ANCESTKY,

keepers was something wonderful. Indeed, none of us
boys, hij^h or low, rich or poor, could clearly imagine how
Uncle Sam's schoolmasters were going to transform our
somewhat <^////r-looking comrade into our beau ideal of
dandyism — a West Pointer. But the rude exterior of the
bark-grinder covered a wealth of intellect, wiiich, of course,
we youngsters were not expected to be cognizant of.
Modest and unassuming, though determined, self-reliant and
decisive then, as he still seems to be, we mistook his shy,
retiring disposition for slowness, and, looked up to as he
was by us all, we must confess there was much joking at
his expense as we gathered of ('venings in the court-house
square."

Px'sides Ulysses there were in due season five other
children — Simpson, Clara, Virginia, Orvil L., and Mary
Frances.

When Ulysses was nearly fourteen, his life,' was varied
by a winter at Maysville, Kentucky. The schools there
were better than in G(;orgetown, and to their advantages
he was bid by the widow of his uncle, Peter Cirant. who
resided there. Two years later he was s(;nt for a few
months to the Presbyterian Academy at Ripley, where he
boarded with Marion Johnson.

lie was a plant of slow growth; looking little like his
father, but much like his aunt, Mrs. Rachael Tompkins, of
Charlestovvn, West Virginia, and inheriting the "Grant
face," with its Scotch look of strength, spirit, and deter-
mination, and, when smiling, its peculiar twist of the under

''!'•,

Thus the boy grew up in a pleasant, well-ordered family,

trained by a thoughtful father of great energy and integrity,
and by a mother so tender, so faithful, so calm, so heavenly
tempered, that former neighbors speak of her as men are
wont to speak only of their own mothers. In this home he
was surrounded by pure influences only — a religious house-
hold, the frugality and simplicity of working people in
humble life, the hospitality and open-handed kindness of
a new country. On the other hand, schools were poor and
infrequent, the standard of public morality none of the

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

)f'

nil-

highest, and the temptations to excess in drink many and
powerful.

With him the home influence proved the stronger, and
at seventeen years of age he was noted as an honorable,
trustworthy youth, above all meanness, incapable of any
crooked v<ays.

Foi innately for the country his father did not fancy the
plan of allowing his son to be a farmer or trader, but
sagaciously suggested the idea of sending him to West
Point. Fortunately, too, no great difficulty was encoun-
tered in securing a cadet's warrant, through the kind offices
of Senator Morris, and the Hon. Thomas L. Hamar. The
last official act of the latter as member of Congress was to
make the nomination of Ulysses S. Grant to the Secretary
of War as a suitable person to receive the appointment of
cadet at die United States Military Academy,

it seems tiiat when his father solicited his appointment as
cadet, he designated him as Ulysses, and that the member
of Congress who made the nomination, knowing that his
mother's maiden name was Simpson, and perhaps that she
had a son also named Simpson, sent in the name as Ulysses
S. Grant instead of Hiram Ulysses Grant. As a matter of
course, the cadet warrant was made out in the exact name
of the person nominated, and although the young candidate
mi<dit have written his true name on the reirister when he
presented himself for admission it would have probably re-
sulted in his suspension till the warrant of appointment
could be corrected. Foreseeing this trouble and wishing
to avoid it he entered the academy as Ulysses S. Grant,
and trusted to gettin-r his name set right at some future
day. This, however, he did not succeed in accomplishing,
but in order that there should be nothing lost on that score,
his classmates and comrades, lookincf about for a suitable
nickname, gave him the familiar appelladon of Sam, which
was often expanded into Uncle Sam. Since arriving at the
age of manhood, he has not regarded the S. in his name as
having any signification whatever.

KJhi&lWI

AKM

CHAPTER II.

WEST POINT AND THE MEXICAN WAR.

Ulysses S. Grant enters West Point — Submits readily to Discipline — His Oai', mates —
He Graduates Twenty-fust in ins Class — Appointeil Brevet Second-'. leutenant —
Repoits for Duty — Jefferson Barracks — Secon<l Lieutennnt in Sevenvh Infantry —
Mexico — The Siege of Vera Cruz — Ceiro Gordo — His Bravery at El Moliiio del
Rey — First Lieutenant — Capture of the City of Mexico — Brevet Captain — Married
at St. Louis — Accompanies liis Kegiment to California — Serves in Oregon — Pro-
moted Captain — Resigns and Returns to St. Louis.

On the first day of July. 1839, Ulysses S. Grant, then
about seventeen years of acre and slightly above five feet in
hei.Ljht, was regularly enrolled amongst the cadets at the
Military Academy.

When the young cadet entered the West Point Institu-
tion, he had to submit to a thorough physical and mental
examination, to see whether he was fit to enter upon the
life of a soldier, and was possessed of the proper mental
talents, to make him competent to be trained as an officer.
He passed the examination successfully and was admitted
into the fourth class, where his studies consisted of mathe-
matics, English grammar, including etymological and rhe-
torical exercises, composition, declamation, geography of
the United States, French, and the use of small arms. In
the camp, for the cadets have to live part of the summer
months in tents as if in the field, he ranked as a private of
the battalion, and had to submit to all the inconveniences
that privates in camp have to suffer.

The battalion of cadets having removed from barracks to
the usual summer encampment, young Grant soon found
himself, in common with his class-mates, rapidly inducted
into all the mysteries of cadet life. Under the skillful hand
of a third classman, who had already been thoroughly
*' set up as a soldier," he was rapidly taught the military po-

C5S)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ik:

sition, squad drill, and manual of arms. Guard duty, field
artillery, and academic exercises followed in their turn.
Having satisfactorily passed the semi-annual January ex-
amination, which is usually fatal to the hopes of dull and
incorrigible candidates, he subscribed to the oath of alle-
giance to the United States, and bound himself to serve the
nation honestly and faithfully against all its enemies and
opposers whatsoever. Grant did not take a high position
in his class, except in mathematics and the kindred studies,
— engineering and military science. He excelled in all
military exercises, and as might have been supposed, sur-
passed nearly all of his class-mat<is in horsemanship, and
the cavalry drill. He had the gODd luck to escape much
of the playful hazing usually inflicted upon the new cadets
of that day, though he doubtless -eceived enough of it to
give him a relish when he got to be a third classman for
running it judiciously upon those Avho came after him.

During the year 1840 he was advanced into the third class
of the West Point Academy. Here he ranked as corporal
in the cadet battalion, and his studies consisted of higher
mathematics, French, drawing, and the duties of a cavalry
soldier. In this last study he received practical instruc-
tions for sixteen weeks, so as to make him a eood horse-
man. He progressed steadily, but not rapidly. He how-
ever did not fall back from any advance he had made, and
if he only gained one seat at a time, he held on to that,
with the intention of never ao-ain sfoine below the cadet
sittine next lower in his class.

At the end of his second year he was granted the usual
furlough of two months, and, after a visit to his home, re-
turned to his studies, with renewed vigor and determina-
tion, heightened by the approaching prospect of honorable
graduation, at the end of his term.

The daily routine of cadet-life is somewhat monotonous.
Drill and study are the accustomed order, relieved only by
the evening dress-parade, the inviting ramble through
scenery charming alike by natural beauty and historic in-
terest, the " Board of Visitors," annual encampments, grad-
uations, and hops. Martial law governs this military post;

BUILDINGS AND PARADE (JROUND AT WEST POINT.

(S7)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and it is an efificient curb upon habits of irregularity and
dissipation. Temperance and continence, within its juris-
diction, forfeit their place as virtues ; for they are enforced
upon the young soldier by inexorable necessity. Even a
stolen visit to Benny Havens, a rollicking song by stealth,
the smuggling-in per steamer of contraband packages,
under the pains and penalties of a conrt-martial, are too
excruciating substitutes for genuine sport to be very se-
ductive.

Grant encountered the severe exactions of the West Point
course with no preparatory education worthy of the name.
*' Hasten slowly " was written on his forehead early in life ;
and those who knew him best expected from him a persis-
tent rather than a brilliant scholarship in the intellectual
exercises of the institution, and decided superiority only in
the practical departments of military instruction. Both ex-
pectations were justified by his career as a cadet. Abstract
mathematics, topographical engineering, and the science of
war, were conquered by his characteristic tenacity of will.
Practical engineering succumbed with less difficulty ; while
infantry, artillery, and cavalry tactics were easily mastered.

He passed with honors the first examination, and all the
subsequent ones with no dishonor; earning successively
the rank of corporal, sergeant, and commissioned officer
of cadets.

Cadet Grant, during 1841, entered the second class ot
the United States Military School at West Point, obtaininiif
with this change the rank of a sergeant of cadets. His
studies now were somewhat more laborious ; but still Grant
persevered, and gradually mastered them. From Sep-
tember, 1 8/ 1, to June, 1842, he was engaged in tlie study
of natural and experimental philosophy, chemistry, and
drawing, and in receiving practical instruction in horseman
ship. During the summer months he was again encamped,
and was well drilled, in both infantry and artillery tactics.
He passed out of this class with credit.

During the year 1842 the young soldier passed into tlie
first and concluding class of instruction of the academy ; ac*
quired a practical knowhidge of the use of the rifled mus-

THB MEXICATJ WAR.

[et, the field-piece, mortar, siege, and seacoast guns, small
sword and bayonet, as well as of the construction of field-
/orks, and the fabrication of all munitions and material of
var.
The cadet who graduated first In young Grant's class was
'^illiam Benjamin Franklin, who entered the Topographi-
cal Engineer Corps ; and having passed through a series
)f adventures under various commanders, was, in 1864,
[he general commanding the Nineteenth Army Corps, in
[he Department of the Gulf, under General Banks.

The names of the next three graduates do not now ap-
)ear in the Army List of the United States.

Wm. F. Reynolds graduated fifth in the class, entered
lie infantry service, and was appointed an aid on the staff
^f General Fremont, commanding the Mountain Depart-
lent, with the rank of colonel, from the 31st day of March,
I862.
The next graduate was Isaac F. Quimby. He had en-
ured the artillery service, and had been professor at West
foint, but had retired to civil life. The rebellion, how-
>r, brought him from his retirement, and he went to the
ild at the head of a regiment of New York volunteers.
Ic afterwards became a brigadier-general in the Army of
le Potomac.

Roswell S. Ripley, the author of " The War with Mcx-

|o," graduated seventh ; but his name does not now appear

the official Army Register of the United States, as he

ul attached himself to the Confederate cause.

The next graduate was John James Peck, who entered

le artillery service, and was, on January ist, 1864, thecom-

[ander of the district of and army in North Carolina, which

^en formed a portion of General Buder's department.

John P. Johnstone, the daring artillery lieutenant, who

|11 q;allandy at Contreras, Mexico, was the next graduate.

General Joseph Jones Reynolds was the next in grade.

|iis officer had gained great credit while in the army, as

jprofessor of sciences ; but had resigned some time, when

le rebellion broke out. He was, however, in 1861, again

[ought forward as a general of three months' volunteers,

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

under General McClellan, in Western Virginia ; was after-
wards commissioned by the President ; and latterly became
attached to the Army of the Cumberland. He served on
the staff of the general commanding that army, with the
rank of major-general, until General Grant assumed com-
mand of the military division embracing the Departments
of Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland, when he was trans-
ferred to New Orleans.

The eleventh graduate was James Allen Hardic. who
during the war of the rebellion became an assistant ad-
jutant-general of the Army of the Potomac, with the rank
of colonel.

Henry F. Clarke graduated twelfth, entered the artillery
service, gained brevets in Mexico, and became chief com-
missary of the Army of the Potomac, during the war of
the rebellion, with the rank of colonel.

Lieutenant Booker, the next in grade, died while in ser-
vice at San Antonio, Texas, on June 26th, 1849.

The fourteenth graduate might have been a prominent
officer of the United States army, had he not deserted the
cause of his country, and attached himself to the enemy.
He had not even the excuse of "going with his State," for
he was a native of New Jersey, and was appointed to the
army from that State. His name is Samuel G. French.
major-general of tlie Confederate army.

The next <rraduate was Lieutenant Theodore L. Chad-
bourne, who was killed in the battle of Resaca de la Palma,
on May 9th, 1846", after distinguishing himself for his
bravery at the head of his command.

Christopher Colon Augur, one of the commanders of the
Department of Washington, and major-general of volun-
teers, was the next in grade.

Franklin Gardner, a native of New York, and an ap-
pointee from the State of Iowa, graduated seventeenth in
General Grant's class. At the time of the rebellion he de-
serted the cause of the United States and joined the enemy.
He was disgracefully dropped from the rolls of the United
States army.on May 7th, 1861, became a major-general in the
Confederate service and had to surrender his sfarrison at Port]

THE MEXICAN WAR.

J after-
)ecam(;
/ed on
ith th(
d com-
•tments
i trans-

ie, who
:ant ad-
he rank

artillery

ief com-

war oi

le in scr- J|

romincMit

erted the

e enemy.

tate," i'or

d to the

French,

L. Chad-
la Palma,
for his

irs of the
)f voluiv

Id an ap-
teenth in|
)n he (!':
le enemy. I
Je United
tralinthel
)n at Port

Hudson, July gtli, 1863, through the reduction of Vicksburg
l)V his junior graduate, U. S. Grant.

Lieutenant George Stevens, who was drowned in the
passage of the Rio Grande, May i8th, 1846, was the next
! (graduate.

The nineteenth graduate was Edmund B. Holloway, of
[Kentucky, who obtained a brevet at Contreras, and was a
[captain of infantry in the United States regular army at the
Icommencement of the rebellion. Although his State re-
Imained in the Union, he threw up his commission on May
|i4th, 1 861, and joined the Confederates.

The graduate that immediately preceded General Grant
[was Lieutenant Lewis Neill, who died on January 13th,
I1850, while in service at F'ort Croghan, Texas.

Joseph H. Potter, of New Hampshire, graduated next
ifter the hero of Vicksburg. During the war of the re-
)ellion he became a colonel of volunteers, retaining his
rank as captain in the regular army.

Lieutenant Robert Hazlitt, who was killed in the storm-
ing of Monterey, September 21st, 1846, and Lieutenant
Ldvvin Howe, who died while in service at Fort Leaven-
/orth, March 31st, 1850, were the next two graduates.

Lafayette Boyer Wood, of Virginia, was the twenty-fifth

rraduate. He is no longer connected with the service,

iving resigned several years before the rebellion.

The next graduate was Charles S. Hamilton, who for

)me time commanded, as major-general of volunteers, a

[istrict under General Grant, who at that time was chief of

le Department of the Tennessee.

Captain WilK-^m K. Van Bokkelen, of New York, who was
Lshiered for Confederate proclivities, on May 8th, 1861, was
je next graduate, and was followed by Alfred St. Amand
[rozet, of New York, who had resigned the service several
jars before the breaking out of the civil war, and Lieu-
[nant Charles E. James, who died at Sonoma, Cal., on
me 8th, 1849.

JThe thirtieth graduate was the gallant General Frederick

[eele, who participated in the Vicksburg and Mississippi

ipaigns, as division and corps commander under Gen*

(It

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

■'Mi

eral Grant, and afterwards commanded the Army of
Arkansas.

The next graduate was Captain Henry R. Selden, of Ver-
mont, and of the Fifth United States Infantry.

General Rufus Ingalls, quartermaster-general of the
Army of the Potomac, graduated No. 32, and entered the
mounted rifle regiment, but was found more valuable in the
Quartermaster's Department, in which he held the rank of
major from January 12th, 1862, with a local rank of briga-
dier-r,eneral of volunteers from May 23, 1863.

Major Frederick T. Dent, of the Fourth United States
Infantry, and Major J. C. McFerran, of the Quartermaster's
Department, were the next two graduates.

The tiiirty-fifth graduate was General Henry Moses
Judah, who commanded a division of the Twenty-third
Army Corps during its operations after the Confederate
cavalry general, John H. Morgan, and in East Tennessee,
during the fall of 1863.

The remaining four graduates were Norman Elting, who
resigned the service on October 29th, 1846; Cave J. Coiits,
who was a member of the State Constitutional Convention
of California during the year 1849; Charles G. Merchant,
of New York; and George C. McClelland, of Pennsylva-
nia, no one of whom is now connected with the United
States service.

It is very interesting to look over the above list to see i
how the twenty-first graduate has outstripped all his seniors i
in grade, showing plainly tliat true talent will ultimately
make its way, no matter how modest the possessor may be,
and notwithstanding all the opposition that may be placed j
in its way by others.

With a head stufled with the learning of the school;
with ambition kindled, and patriotism exalted, by the genius!
of the place; with a mind skilled to manoeuvre, attack, aiitlj
defend; a hand adroit in piling up redoubts and stockades,|
and in digging rifle-pits and intrenchments, and apt in con-
structing fascines, hurdles, and sap- rollers ; with all his sen-
sibilities vivid, all his senses keen, intent, animated, tliel
model of physical power and activity, Cadet Grant is|
launched into the stormy ocean of life.

i^r^-'ist.^J'^;::: s>i

LIEUT. GRANT AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-TWO.

(63)

LIFE UF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Leaving the Academy, Grant went as far as Philadelphia
with his classmate, Frederick T. Dent, of St. Louis, thence
to Washington, and thence to his home in Ohio. At the
final examination, his chief achievement was with his favor-
ite horse, York. In presence of the board of visitors he
made the famous leap of six feet and two or three inches.

His career at West Point had been altogether unnotice-
able. His scholastic standing was about the average.
His reputation for integrity and fairness was high, and his
observance of the truth so strict that he never indulged in
the slightest exaofireration. But neither classmates nor
professors fancied that he was born great, or going to
achieve greatness, or likely to have greatness thrust upon
him.

In 1843 the army was only 7,500 men strong, and scat-
tered in small squads over our immense area of territory.
Garrison-life at this time was languid beyond all expression,
and was chiefly occupied with expedients for killing time.

To subject a man for four or five years to the incessant
application required by the West Point curriculum, to
sharpen up all the powers of his mind to their keenest
edge, to prepare him by every mental and athletic drill for
unflagging labor, and then forthwith send him to mildew
and to rust at some desolate post garrisoned only by a ser-
geant's command, is to condemn him at once to self-tor
ment. And yet this was the uniform habit of the Govern
ment some forty-five years ago: this was the process to
which the brevetted second-lieutenants of 1843 were sub-
jected.

On the day subsequent to his graduating, the ist of
July, 1843, he entered the United St ites army as a Brevet
Second-Lieutenant of infantry, and his name was entered
upon the roll of the Fourth regiment of regular infantry,
then stationed in Missouri and Missouri Territory, wjth its
head-quarters partly at Camp Salubrity, La., and parf:ly at
Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis.

Early in November, after the three months' leave of ab-
sence usually granted to the graduating class of cadets,
which he spent among his friends and relatives in Ohio, he

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Hfaij-Quartrrs Akmihs op thr Unitki> Staths,
Washington, II. C, y'i?/!. 7M, iBfid

Pear Ingalls: — My offioe was crowded yesterday up until I left it, ko that I had no chance to
write the letter you requested. This morning, however, I have written the f nclo.sed to Eckursmi.
who I know, instead of to Ainsworth, who I do not know, it would rally look like taking siilus in
politics to write to a stranger on such a subject That I want to avoid, and woulil liki- at the same
time to help Nesmith if what I can say will do it.

I hope sincerely that he will be returned to the U. S. Senate for another six years, because hi lu-
been a good friend to the country without running wild after matters th;it can neither benefit it m)'
tliuse intended to be benefited.

If the letter which I have written does not answer, send it back with siigKestions.

Yours, &c.. U. S. Okam

THE MEXICAN WAR.

reported for duty with his regiment. From Camp Salu-
brity, Lieutenant Grant wrote r^ Mrs. G. B. Bailey, a friend,
who resided at Georgetown, Ohio, the following letter ;

Camp SALUBRnv, near Natchitoches, \a\. , June dth, 1844.

Mrs. Bailev: — My jouruey, fortunately, is at an end, and agreeably to
yoiir request and my own pleasure I hasten to notify you ol my safe ar-
rival here. It always affords me pleasure to write to old acquaintances,
and much more to hear from them ; so I would be pleased if the cor-
respondence would not stop here. As long as my letters are answered, if
agreeable to you, I will continue to write.

My trip to this place, ** forty days' journey in the wilderness," was
marked with no incident, save one, worth relating, and that one is
laughable, curious, important, surprising, etc., etc., but I can't tell it ?' ,w.
It is, for the present, a secret, but I will tell it to you some lime. You
must not guess what it is, for you will go wrong. On my route 1 called
around by the way of St. Louis and Jefferson Barracks, where I spent four
or five days very pleasantly among newly-made acquaintances. From St.
Louis to New Orleans I 'lad a very i)leasant tiip on a large and splendid
boat, with pleasant passengers, and not much crowded. As we ap-
proached the South the sun became sensibly warmer and the mosquitoes
decidedly more numerous. By the time we got to New Orleans my
hands and face bore the strongest evidence of the number and size of this
insect in a Southern climate. I was but one day in New Orleans, whicli
was spent in running over the city just fast enough to lire myself out and
[get but little good of my visit. But from what I saw I think it would be
a pleasant place to live, and it is now contemplated that my regiment will
go in that neighborhood in case Texas should not be annexed to the
United States; but in case of the annexation, we will probably have to
[go much farther west than we are now ; probably to the Rio Colorado.
jFrom New Orleans to Natchitoches I had the bad fortune to travel on
[a small boat, considerably crowded, through a hot country, with gam-
[bling going on day and night. Some of the passengers had very cut-
|throat appearances. From Natchitoches I had to walk (or pay an ex-
travagant price for a conveyance) three miles through the hottest sun I
Ihink I ever felt. I found my regiment camping out in small linen tents
)n the top of a high sandy ridge and in the midst of a pine forest. The
jrcat elevation of our situation, and the fact that one of the best springs
)f water in the State puts out here, are the only recommendations the
place has. We are about three miles from anyplace; there is no con-
reyance to take us from one place to another, and everything is so high
lat we can't afford to keep a horse or other conveyance of our own. I
Duld walk myself but for the intensity of the heat. As for lodgings, I
lave a small tent that the rain runs through as it would through a sieve.
For a bedstead I have four short pine sticks set upright, and plank run-
ling from the two at one end to the other. For chairs I use my trunk
ad bed, and as to a floor we have no such luxury, yet our meals are

LIFE Ol'" ULVSSKS S. GRANT.

cooked in the woods by servants that know no more about culinary mat-
ters liun I do myself. But with all these disadvantages, my appetite is
becoming extravagant. I would like to have uur old West Point board
again tliat you may have heard so much about. As for the troublesjiiu'
insects of creation, they abound here. Tlie swamps are full of alligator^,
and the woods full of bedbugs and ticks, insects that you are not troubh i!
with in Ohio, but are the plague of this country. They crawl entirelv
under the skin when they get on a jjcrson, and it is impossible to kci p
them off. So much for Camp Salubrity.

I should be Iiappy to get en answer from this as early as possible, and,
if nothing more, a |)ostscript from the young ladies. Ladies are alwa\s
so much better at giving the news than others, and then there is nothing
done or said about Georgetown that I would not like to hear. Tluy
could tell me of all the weddings, etc., etc., that are talked of. Give my
love to everybody in Georgetown.

Lieutenant U. S. Grant,

Fourth Infantry.
To Mrs. G. B. Bailey, GeorqrMvn, Ohio.

P. S. — I give my title in signing this, not because I wish people to
know what it is, but because I wani to get an answer to this, and put it
there that a letter may be directed so as to get to me. U. S. G.

At the time Grant entered the army, the United States
were at peace with all the world, and very few vacancies
then occurred in the rolls of army officers. He was, then -
fore, attached as a supernumerary lieutenant to the Fourth
regiment of Regular United States Infantry, then stationed
on the frontier, and engaged in keeping down the Indian
tribes, that at that time were very annoying and danger-
ous to the early settlers of Missouri Territory, which,
forty years ago, was almost a wilderness, except on the
immediate banks of the great rivers.

While in this part of the West, Brevet Second-Lieutenant
Grant assisted his military companions in superintending
the opening up of the country, as well as in maintaining
the peace and safety of those who had settled and were
settlinor in that remon.

The young officer had not been many months in thi
West before he was ordered, with his regiment, into Texas,
to join the army of General Taylor, who had been ap-
pointed to the command of the United States troops then
concentrating in that republic. This army occupation was
made during the year 1845. The Mexicans and Ameri

THE MEXICAN WAR.

cans had for some time held an imaginary line of boundary
within what is now known as the State of Texas. As all
imaginary lines become more or less subjects of dispute, it
was quite natural that two armies of distinct races, and with
<»-reat personal animosities daily arising, should at last find,
or imagine they had found, the other overstepping its
proper limits, and, as a natural sequel, quarrels would take
place, supposed wrongs would have to be revenged, and
bloodshed would be the ultimate result. Such was cer-
tainly the origin of the actual hostilities which ripened into
the American war with Mexico.

Corpus Christi, an important port on the Texan shore,
was soon taken possession of by the Americans as a base
of operations, and Grant was stationed at this place when
he received his commission as full second-lieutenant of
infantry. This commission was dated from the 30th day
of September, 1845, ^"^ ^vas made out for a vacancy in the
Seventh regiment of United States Regular Infantry. He
had, however, become so attached to the members of the
Tourth regiment, that a request was sent to Washington
to allow him to be retained with that force, and in the fol-
lowing November a commission was handed to him,
appointing him a full second-lieutenant in the Fourth regi-
ment of United States Regular Infantry.

Some time before the declaration by Congress of a war
with Mexico, the struggle commenced in Texas. The
primary cause of the actual commencement of hostilities
was a trifle ; but the spark was no sooner applied than the
conflagration began to make its rapid way, drawing the
whole within its fearful grasp. Several petty struggles
ensued, until at last General Taylor learned that an im-
mense force of Mexicans were marchinof with the intendon
of crossing the Rio Grande into Texas, to drive the Ameri-
, cans from that region of territory. Promptly General Tay-
lor moved ; but, in the meantime, Fort Brown, on the Texas
[shore of the Rio Grande, was besieged. The gallant
lAmerican garrison defended the position with great
[bravery ; but, unless relief could have been sent them, it
nust have fallen. To relieve the besieged was General

LIFE OF ULYSSICS S. GRANT.

Taylor's duty ; and, under his command, Lieutenant Grant
marclied to his first battle-ground.

On the 8th day of May, 1846, Grant participated in the
battle of Palo Alto, and, although not mentioned in the
official reports, he is spoken of by his companions to have
acted with gallantry ; several officers of his regiment
obtaininij^ brevets for their gallant and meritorious con-
duct. With his characteristic modesty, the young Heuten-

RLSACA UK LA PALM A. LIHUTKNANT GRANT WAS RECOGNIZED AS BEING
I'ORI'.MOST IN THE UAITLE.

ant kept himself in the back-ground, while his seniors
gained the reward.

The batde of Resaca de la Pal ma was fought the next
day, and here again Lieutenant Grant acted with praise-
worthy gallantry. As before, his seniors in the regimcMit
gained the brevets, while he quietly remained behind, pcr-
fecdy satisfied that he had done his duty, and that time j
would ultimately bring to him his recompense.

Fort Brown was relieved, and the Mexicans felt the
weieht of its metal as they, in disorder, rushed across the

...ail. ,'„.diiJU>u'^.VJ'

THE MEXICAN WAK.

Rio Grande in full retreat from the battle so bravely
foii.L^ht and won by General Taylor, on May 9th, 1846.

The American army then advanced to and up the Rio
Grande, and Texas was relieved from the jurisdiction of
the Mexicans- Lieutenant Grant also participated in the
subsequent brilliant operations of General Taylor along
the banks of that historic stream, and advanced into the
Mexican territory, at a point over a hundred miles above
the mouth of the river, in the Republic of New Leon.

On the 23d of September, 1846, Lieutenant Grant took
part in the splendid operation of General Taylor against
Monterey, which place the Mexicans had strongly fortified.
In these works were posted a far superior force of Mexi-
cans ; but General Taylor was determined to drive them
out of their intrenchments, and succeeded.

Tiie American campaign in Mexico was now about to
assume a different phase of character. War had been
regularly declared, and a systematized plan of attack was
made out. The advance by the northern route was to be
made secondary to the grand movement by way of Vera
Cruz ; and the army and navy, as in the present war, were
both to be brought into active use.

" In every battle of General Scott's, from Vera Cruz to
Mexico; in every battle of General Taylor's, from Palo
Alto to Monterey," — is Grant's creditable record in the
Mexican war. He fleshc.'d the sword, which the goverri-
nient had taught him to wield, when Ringgold's battery first
struck the staggering line of Mexicans in that prairie-
thicket which gives to the earliest action in the war its
name. When, the next day, the stricken but undemoral-
izcd enemy rallied with reinforcements on a stronger posi-
tion, and it became apparent, as the sun was declining, that
cannon could not, as on the previous day, decide ihe con-
test, he deployed as a skirmisher, with his regimental com-
jrades, towards the natural ditch in which the foe was
[intrenched; and was on the lead when the gallant I^'ourth
ileaped into the ravine of palms, and cleared it of every
[hostile bayonet. When the Mexicans rallied again, Grant
charged with that unwavering line of steel, which finally

LIFE OF ULYSSKS S. GRANT.

broke them into fragments, and scattered them on the
river. He crossed the Rio Grande, and occupied Mata-
moras with General Taylor's column, while the haggard
and sullen remnant of the hostile army was creeping
slowly southward.

Before the end of August Taylor started for Monterey
with six thousand effectives, half of whom were volunteers.
Transportation was scarce, and many officers bought pack-
mules for their personal comforts. On the march the sol-
diers attended fandangoes almost every night ; for the
Mexicans, though ready enough to fight on the field, were
equally ready to dance with the invaders of their country.

Monterey, with seventeen thousand people, is the most
important city of northern Mexico. It is built of limestone,
the streets paved and clean, and fringed with beautiful
gardens, orchards, and vineyards. The town is two or
three miles long, and its natural position very strong.
When our army approached it was well fortified, and held
by ten thousand Mexican troops.

After ten days of reconnoitring, Taylor attacked it on
the 2ist of September. Grant's regiment was in Garland's
brigade of regulars, on the extreme left of our line. The
troops assaulted the city vigorously, and were vigorously
opposed from forts, intrenched streets, and barricaded
houses. One detachment reached the roof of a house near
a Mexican redoubt, but was driven out. Two companies
of the Fourth advanced to storm a fortification, and had a
severe fight, in which Grant's friends and messmates,
Hoskins and Wood, both fell mortally wounded while
cheerinqf on their men. More than one-third of the com-
mand was disabled, and it was finally driven back. An-
other party of the Fourth had a lively fight in the streets —
loading behind buildings, stepping out to fire, and then
hiding again. Once they lay upon the ground under a
hot fire for half an hour, watching the shells which flew
over them from Worth's command on the other side of the
town. Before night they had lost very heavily.

It was said that during this fight the daughter of a
former Mexican governor, her whole soul aroused at the

■^m^.^

TIIK MEXICAN WAR.

•icadecl
ie near
ipanies
had a
sniatcs,
whilti
le com-
An-
reets —
id then
inder a
ch flew
of the

ir of a

i at the

invasion of her native soil, led a company of lancers in
three successful charges. After the battle, the native Joan
of Arc retired from and the town, and was seen no more.

During the day, a private of the Third infantry, mortally
wounded^ said to a passing sergeant:

" I am dying. I wish you would take this musket back
to my captain. 1 have had it ever since I enlisted, and 7
7aau/ to leave it to the old regimenty

AnothcM-, struck in the thigh by a bullet, exclaimed: "I
liave got my ticket," and limped gayly off to camp on his
uninjured leg. In similar phrase, during the rebellion,
would our soldiers sometimes say of a dead comrade, " He
lias handed in his checks."

In the rear. Worth's division had carried several Im-
portant points, but the attack in front was a failure. Our
forces were driven back, but held one important redoubt
which they had gained. The Fourth r'jmained to guard
this, the men lying in the mud and rain through the cold
night, though they had eaten nothing for twenty-four
hours.

Just at dawn, the next morning, Worth's men stormed
and captured, at the point of the bayonet, a height com-
manding the Citadel and the Bishop's Palace, and thus got
the key of the city. The Mexican general then concen-
trated his troops in the streets, which so changed positions
that ♦ihere was little fighting during the day. The shat-
tered Fourth was relieved by volunteers, and sent back to
camp.

On the third and last day there was hard fighting from
morning until night. Hand to hand and face to face, the
Mexicans defended their homes with great obstinacy, from
house-tops and narrow streets and around the grand plaza.
Our artillerists sent grape and canister plowing through
the town, and, in return, musket-balls rattled about them
like hickory-nuts. As Taylor was standing recklessly in a
very hot place, a lieutenant begged him not to expose him-
self so much. His only reply was :

"Take this axe, and knock down that door."

Iwery where our men were breaking into buildings,

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

while terrified women and children fell on their knees and
beq;o;ed for mercy. But the troops were well disciplined,
and behaved admirably, while digging their way persist
ently from house to house.

Toward night, as very hard fighting was going on near
the plaza, it was suddenly discovered that the detachment
eniTfat^ed was almost out of ammunition. The men were
imder a hot fire, and could not hold their ground for a
moment without cartridges. Taylor's head-quarters were
a mile back, outside of the town, at "Fort Number One,"
a captured redoubt. Grant, who had been with his regi
ment from the firing of the first musket, volunteered to go
and find him or Twiggs, and order up ammunition.

He prepared for his ride behind a house, and then
dashed out. The moment he emertftid from cover he was
under a sweeping artil'ery and musketry fin; from foris
and houses. But he was probably the best horseman in
the army, and his skill did him good service. Before run-
ning the hot gauntlet, he had adopted the posture of the
Comanche Indians in similar peril — lying against the side
of his horse, with one foot thrown over the saddle and his
hand clutched in the mane. Being on the opposite side
rom the enemy, any shots to harm him must first pass
through the steed.

His horse was well trained, and with Grant clinging to
him in that awkward position, and "bobbing" up and down
witii his motion, he started at a quick run. On the way
he had to jump an earth wall nearly four feet high. H(
made the leap splendidly, and though balls whistled and
shells exploded all around him, Grant had the good fortune:
to reach the fort safely. He found Twiggs, who gave the
order to forward the ammunition, but before it could start
our troops came pouring back With great, but fruitl(;.ss,
gallantry they had got into a place in which they could not
stay. As Grant himself afterward described it, they were
like the man who caught a wild boar. When friends came
up with congratulations, he replied :

"Yes, I did pretty well in catching him, but now I wish
somebody would come and help me U^t him go ! "

^jauS&fadlBUIiBtlWiMI

and

incil,

;rsist-

near

\meni

were

for a

were

One."

i regi-

tO go

I then

lie was 1

n forls

man in

re riui-

of th<t

;he sitle
and his

te side

St pass

^^»l

(Tin or to
d down

the way
;h. He
led and

fortune

.ave the
lid start

fruitU:ss,

lould not

ley were
Ids came

-i

(73)

I wish

I,IIK OK UI.VSSKS S. GRANT.

That nijrht cnd<;cl the fij^htinj^. The Fourth had lost five
officers and many mv.n. (irant's duties as quartermaster
of course excused him from j^oin<^ into battle, but he was
not the man to avail himself of any such privilege. Mis
gallantry and skill in riding for th(.' ammunition were th<;
theme of general admiration throughout the army.

Adjutant Hoskins being killed, Grant was now made;
adjutant of the P'ourth, and afterward perform(;d the duties
of that position in addition to those of quartermaster.

" Onward ! " is the word ; and, with his eye on the cloud-
capped and towering line of Sierra Madre, he joins the
wearisome march to the stronghold of Northern Mexico.
On the 20th of August, 1846, Grant finds himself on that
abrupt eminence which commands a prospect of Monterey
from the east. At his feet lies a cultivated valley, tessel-
lated with the varied green and yellow of orange and
acacia groves, and waving fields of corn and sugar-cane,
which stretch up to the very bastions of the easternmost
works of defence. Beyond the forts, the sunbeams glance
on the marble-like stucco of the cathedral and dwellings of
the city, which seems to be veiled even from the profane
gaze of the northern barbarians by the luxuriant foliage of
flowering tropical trees.

Behind all, rise heavenward the Saddle and Mitre moun-
tains, with their tremendous peaks, aptly compared to
"giants guarding the lovely bower at their feet, and pre-
pared to roll enormous rocks from their summits upon the
adventurous assailants."

Fort Teneria was right in front of the advancing army.
The morning of the 21st breaks clear and resplendent;
and Major Mansfield, who is in the front, reconnoitring,
sends back word that he has discovered a \ oint where that
foremost fort is assailable. Colonel Garland, witli two i'^fan-
try regiments, Bragg's battery, and the Baltimore battali i,is
descending the slope. Befon; they had reach" il the 1 /int
designated by Mansfield, tiie citadel enfilades them with
fire, and a masked battery in front showers them with sin .
and shell. Fort Teneria is still silent, but frowns like gnm
death. Meanwhile th(; T'ourth infantry, to which Grant

i*j»''*'-^:*^'''-'"''"'^'

till; MKXICAV WAR.

was attacluul, had been onJcreil to march by the left flank
towards the point of attack ; but, it^norant of the fatt; of
tli(,'ir comrades, they moved direcdy ajrainst the fort, when
a destructive fire sweeps from the earth two-thirds of their
number, and scatters the survivors in dismay. Fortunately
for the success of the day, two companies of Colont;! (iar-
land's discomfited storm in^i;^- party find shelter on the roof of a
tannery, within musket-rahge of Teneria, and, with the sure
aim of the rested rifle, pick off, one by one, the Mexican
nrunners. Under the cover of repeated volleys, the Tennc^s-
see and the Mississippi volunteers rush across an interven-
iivjf space of a hundred yards, and storm up the slope, over
the parapet, and through the embrasure. The work at the
ciast end is over for the day, and the Fourth infantry
bivouac in Teneria for the nij;ht. This was Grant's first
encounter with war "in all its t<;i»ror'i r'-r'i."

Grant discovers in tne mornin<' that F<';rt Diablo !)<is
been evacuated durinii^ 'v^ night, and is iVow ,,',;',')•" d by
R tht; Mississippi Volunteers ; nnd thr cheering newsrv .^--hes
him at breakfast that General Wortli ha« cnmed everv !<.. i
tied position on IJU' w^^stern acclivities. '('| "* jij^/frs of the
Bishop's Palace are now turned upon the towii in^in ilv?
west, and thos.- of Teneria and l)\iaLlo from tlu* east; i^r'
simultaneously from each of these directio'^s. aw /-ifl' ,.nen
are penetrating the suburbs, and gradu* \v approach'.; '
each other and the central plaza. The assailamifs tmd every
street barricaded with mason- work, every wall j '■ rred fcii
musketry, and on every second roof a sand-bag ilatlery.
Crawling from roof to roof, burrowing from house to house,
literally tunnelling covered v/ays through the .solid walls <»f
the dwelling, the shari)-shooters. from opposite directions,
liave arrived within four blocks of each other ; and between
;he two, huddled around the cathedral, is the Mexican
rrison. The cath(-dral is their powder-magazine ; and it
|i> no addition to their serenity of mind that Major Monroe
lis dropping into it explosive shells from a mortar battery
^n l""deration Hill. The final onslaught on the besieged
It ba , is arrested by a bugle, with a flag of truce ; and, on
th(! 24th of September, Ampudia capitulates.

M*'

LIl'K l)F ULYSSES S. GKANT.

!;|i •

Speedily there comes from General Scott a requisition for
Worth's and Twii^trs's division to join him in the grand
advance upon the city of Mexico, (irant's regiment is in-
cluded in iliis demand. He parted from his disheartened
companions when they were struggling on towards Buena
Vista, there to win imperishable laurels.

To Grant it was a half-year of enchantment. War as-
sunifid her most coinely guise, and wove round the en-

CJENKRAI. WINFIF.LD SCOTT.

tranced young warrior all her fascinating spells. It is im-
possible to describe the exhilaration with which he partici-
pated in that series of hard-fought engagements which bore
triumpjiantly the flag of the young republic from the shores
of the gulf to the lake-encircled metropolis of the ancient
Aztecs, in the footprints of previous conquerors, whose
names recalled the palmi(^st days of the proudest monar
chy ; through scenery grand and picturesque bevond all

THK >'KXI( AN WAR. 77

example ; alc^ni; the; Ijasc of \ t)lcanoes once crowned with
fire, now lifting eternal snow far into the azure depths of
air; amid the ruins of temples which once smoked with
human sacrifice; and along the majestic front of colossal
pyramids, which carry the mind back to a primeval race
;ind an extinct civilization. Nor was it any drawback to
ills enjoyment, that, with every step of this exciting cam-
paign, he was advancing in military knowledge and capacity,
and also in professional reputation and rank. He was
favorably noticed for his skill in gunnery, when that cordon

LIEUTENANT GRANT IS COMPLIMENTED FOR HIS GALLANTRY.

f earthworks was tightening round Vera Cruz the "Invin-
ible." He was complimented for his gallantry at Churu-

usco, when the /e/e de pant was carried by the bayonet
ilone

At the battle of Molino del Rey his conduct was so dis-
tinguished that he was appointed a brevet first-lieutenant
[o date from the day of the battle, but the honor was de-
clined, only however to be increased in its importance by a
[ommission being made out as full first-lieutenant. At

.hapultepec, and in fact in every engagement which took

lit; i

...If, ■'

yS Ull. OF I I.VSSKS S. GKANl".

place duriiiL;- the remainder of the campaign, he equally
distinguished himself.

Captain Horace Brooks, of the Second artillery, in his
report jf the battle of Chapultepec, says:

" I succeeded in reaching tiie fort with a few men. Here
Lieutenant U. S. Grant, and a few more men of the Fourth
infantry, found me, and, by a joint movement, after an ob-
stinate resistance, a strong field-work was carried, and the
enemy's riirht was completely turned."

STORMING Ol'- eilAI'Ul.TlCPEC. IN WHICH LIEUT. GRANT DID NOHLE SERVICE.

The report of Major Francis Lee, commanding the Fourth
infantry, at the same battle, says :

"At the first barrier the enemy was in strong force, whicli
rendered it necessary to advance with caution. This was,
done, and when the head of the battalion was within short j
musket range of the barrier, Lieutenant Grant, Fourth in-
fantry, and Captain Brooks," Second artillery, with a few I
men of their res[)ective regiments, by a handsome move-
ment to the left, turned the right flank of the enemy, anci|
the barrier was carried.

.aidK'S^^BaalM;*^ *

llli: MKXICAN WAR.

Brcvct-Colonc'l John Garland, commandinjr the First
brigade, in his report of tiie battle of Chapultepec, says :

'''The rear of the enemy had made a stand behind a
breast-work, from which they were driven by detachments
of the Second artillery, under Captain IJrooks, and the
I'oiirth infantry, under Lieutenant Grant, supported by
other n.'i^nments of the division, after a short but sharp
conflict. I recoo^nized the command as it came up, mounted
a howitzer on the top of a convent, which, under the direc-
tion of Lieutenant Grant, Quartermaster of the Fourth
infantry, and Lieutenant Ledrum, Third artillery, annoyed
the enemy considerably. I must not omit to call attention
to Lieutenant Grant, Fourth infantry, who acquitted him-
s(.'lf most nobly upon several occasions under my own
observation."

This particular mention was made the more complimen-
tary by the fact that, exclusive of the officers of his own
staff, Colonel Garland names but one other officer besides
Lieutenant Grant out of his whole brigade.

General Worth's report, September i6th, 1847, also
speaks highly of Lieutenant Grant.

His bravery was not without its reward, and he subse-
quently received the brevet of captain, the appointment to
date from September 13th, 1847, the day on which the bat-
tle was fought.

Among other gallant officers who were connected with the
Fourth regiment at the time of which we write, were Gen-
eral George Archibald McCall, the late commander of the
Pennsylvania Reserve corps, Brigadier-General Benjamin
Alvord, Major-General C. C. Augur, Brigadier-General H.
M. judah, the late Brigadier-General Alexander Hays, and
Brigadier-General David A. Russell.

Scott's campaign in Mexico was to Grant a second mili-
tary school, which rounded off and completed the education
he had acquired at first. It was a practical illustration,
lupon a grand scale and with sublime accompaniments, of
lth(i principles of military art with which he had already
Ibec.n imbued. Fngineering, which he had studied at West
jPoint, teaches, among other things, the modes in which

Lll'E OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

';■ :f

walled cities are approached and captured. On the gth
of March, 1847, Grant found himself before one of the two
walled cities in North America. Vera Cruz is surrounded
by a line of solidly built bastions and redans, with curtains
between, and terminating at one extremity with Fort San
lago, and at the other with Fort Conception. The harbor
is commanded by the famous fortification of San Juan
d'Ulloa, impregnable to assault, but which yielded once to
a bombardment after a resistance which was merely con-
temptible. The siege of Vera Cruz, though of short dura-
tion, illustrated many of the most important practical
principles of engineering. The first parallel was drawn at
a distance of eleven hundred yards, from which a battery
of three thirty-two pounders, and as many Paixhans, finally
succeeded in demolishing the curtain, and shattering the
redans and bastions, and destroying half the houses on the
land side. The bombs of the mortar batteries destroyed
all the combustible houses. The flag of truce appeared on
the third day ; and negotiations were opened, which ter-
minated in the surrender of Vera Cruz and San Juan
d'Ulloa. This was the first siege in which Grant was en-
gaged.

Where the national road crosses the Rio del Plan, you
instantly rise from the tierra calicnte into a more elevated
region, and, after an hour's march, the entrance of one of
the defiles. Here, on the left, rises a ridge, extending the
whole length of the pass ; and behind it rolls the rapid but
shallow river through a canon a hundred feet in depth.
Upon its acclivities, facing the road and in advantageous
positions, the Mexicans have planted their heavy batteries,
one above the other ; and the superior commanding all the
approaches to the inferior. Here, on your right, are elon-
gated mountain spurs, basing upon the road their slopes,
covered with impenetrable chaparral. They forbid any
diversion to the righi. Still farther west stand two conical
mounts, — Atalaya, masked from the road by one of the
spurs ; and Cerro Gordo, lifdng itself eight hundred feet
above the plain, and presenting to you an eastern face,
rugged, difficult of access, and strengthened by two tiers of

i^i^:-

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>^.6i»i''''* '■

■>-.

)atteries,

ki"'.

)MBARDMENT OF VERA CRUZ— GRANT'S FIRST SIEGE EXPERIENCE.
6 (81)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S, GRANT.

breastworks and abatis. Its summit is crowned bv a tower,
mountin«r nine guns, which sweeps the defile and the road
beyond it. As if this w-:re not enough to guard the pass
at the foot of Cerro Gordo, a battery of six guns is planted
directly on the road.

Grant sees in an instant that here is no merely engineer-
ing question. It needs but a glance at his left to show him
that no skill and courage can turn the enemy's right. To
the left of his line alone a flanking movement can be aimed:
and here on his right are these spurs ; and the resources

BATTLE OF CERRO GORDO.

of reconnoissance have been tasked in vain to find a path
way through them.

When Scotc reaches the ground, his experienced eye
speedily detects the sole expedient which can remove this
great obstruction from his path. "Let Pillow's brigade
seriously threaten, and if practicable carry, these batteries
of the enemy on the left of the road. Let Twiggs' division
before it reaches the defile, wheel sharp to the right into
this forest of chapparal, and cutting a pathway behind those
elongated ridges, and encircling all the Mexican works,

THE MEXICAN WAR.

debouch beyond them all into the national road. Assail
Ccrro Gordo, the key of the whole position, in the rear ;
and at the same time cut off the retreat of the enemy to
Jalapa." This was Scott's preliminary order of battle,
omitting only his directions to the artillery and cavalry re-
serve, to Worth — to follow and support the operations of
Twiggs, and the directions for the vigorous pursuit of the
foe after his intrenchments were carried.

The performance corresponds with the programme,
except that Twiggs, being annoyed by a party of skirmish-
ers in executing his movement, throws off to his left a
detachment to scatter them, which unexpectedly carries the
cone-shaped Atalaya, and encouraged thereby, scales Cerro
(iordo in front, and turns to flight one division of Santa
Anna's Mexican army before Twiggs* left, on the march,
has reached the Jalapa road to intercept it. Such was
Grant's first participation in a flanking movement. There
is another man in this army who will one day recall it.
Robert E. Lee is serving on Scott's staff as captain of

engmeers.

" The plan of attack," says Scott in his report, '* was finely
executed by this gallant army before tv/o o'clock p. m.
yesterday. About 3,000 men laid down their arms, with
the usual proportion of field and company officers, besides
I five generals, several of them of great distinction — Pinson,
Jarrero, La Vega, Noriega, and Obando. A sixth general,
|Vasquez, was killed in defending the battery tower in the
jrear of the line of defence, the capture of which gave us
[those glorious results."

Worth's division of 4,000 men, to which Grant's regiment
[Was attached, is immediately pushed on to the fortress of
*erote, which was captured without a struggle ; and from
thence they quietly march upon Puebla, and stack their
irms in tlie Grand Plaza of a city of 80,000 inhabitants,
lere, at an elevation of 7,000 feet above the sea, which
[empers the climate to a perpetual summer, in the centre
)f a valley of unrivalled fertility and beauty, which annually
)roduces two abundant crops, Grant passes the months of
July and August in the year 1847.

/ !;

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

On the 7th of August the order is given to advance, and
the troops, overloaded with their arms and knapsacks,
begin to climb the Cordilleras. Ten thousand feet higher
than the summit on which they stand, " the hill which
smokes " seems near enough to be touched by hand.
" Stretching far away at their feet were seen noble forests
of oak, sycamore, and cedar ; and beyond, yellow fields of
maize, and the towering maguey, intermingled with orchards
and blooming gardens. In the centre of the great basin
were beheld the lakes, occupying then a much larger por-
tion of its surface than at present ; their borders thickly
studded with towns and hamlets, and in their midst — like
some Indian empress with her coronal of pearls — the fair
city of Mexico, with her white towers and pyramidal tem-
ples, reposing, as it were, on the bosom of waters, the far-
famed 'Venice of the Aztecs.' High over all rose the
royal hill of Chapultepec, the residence of the Mexican
monarchs, crowned with the same grove of gigantic cy-
presses which at this day fling their broad shadows over
the land. In the distance, beyond the blue waters of the
lake, and nearly screened by intervening foliage, was seen
a shining speck, the rival capital Tezcuco ; and still farther
on, the dark belt of porphyry, girding the valley around
like a rich setting which Nature has devised for the fairest
of her jewels."

Descending from this loftiest point of roadway between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Grant encamped with the
rest of the army at Chalco in the valley of Mexico, and
advanced the next day to San Augustin, where, on the i8th
of September, ICS47, Scott concentrated all his troops, and
established his hospitals, depots, baggage and siege trains.
All the garrisons, except a small one at Peubla, had been
drawn in ; all communication with Vera Cruz and horae
abandoned.

When the resolution is adopted to advance by the south-
ern route, the. entrance to the San Antonio causeway is
immediately occupied by Worth's division. It consists of
two brigades. The Fourth infnntry, the Second and Third
artillery, with Duncan's field-battery, constitute the first, or

THE MEXICAN WAR.

Colonel Garland's brigade. The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth
regiments of infantry, with a light battery, constitute the
second, or Colonel Clarke's brigade.

The general of division under whom it was Grant's good
fortune to serve was Scott's right arm during the campaign:
wherever hard work was to be done, or perils encountered,
or glorv won, Worth was in the van. Garland and Clarke
were tue right and left arms of \^/^orth. Of Colonel Gar-
land, Worth himself says, that " he was conspicuous on
many fields of the Mexican war ; and by his bkill, conduct,
and courage in the last great combats, greatly added to an
already established reputation for patriotism and soldier-
ship."

On the 20th day of September Grant was standing with
his brigade comrades in an angle of the San Antonio cause-
way. They propose by this route to make an excursion to
the city of Mexico, and enter it by the San Antonio gate.
They possess some exciting information, which it is desir-
able that the reader shall also learn in order to enter into
the spirit of their adventure. They know that some oppo-
sition is to be anticipated to their jaunt. They can see,
that, half a mile ahead, the villagers of San Antonio have
thrown impediments across the causeway, which may pre-
maturely arrest their project. They know that some three
miles ahead, where this causeway crosses the Churubusco
rivulet, still more formal preparations are made for their
reception ; that a tete de pont has been erected with bastions,
connecting-curtains, wet ditch, everything in the most ap-
proved engineering style and finish, even to the four guns
run directly upon their narrow path ; and that, if the Mexi-
cans having them in charge are mischievously disposed,
quite serious consequences may there ensue. They know
that a breastwork of some 400 yards front connects this
Icte de pont with the convent church of San Pablo in the
hamlet of Churubusco ; and that, strange to say, a redoubt
and abatis obstruct the entrance into the sacred edifice,
which, moreover, mounts seven cannon on its consecrated
walls, crenelled also for musketry. They know, also, that
Santa Anna, with a following of 27,000 soldiers, has come

Hfi

< I

1.1 1

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

forth from his palace to this interesting locality for the pur-
pose of jTreetintj them upon their arrival. They know that
beyond the river and the bridge some 8,0(X) Mexican re-
serves are drawn np in line awaiting their advent. They
know that General Twiggs, with quite a large retinue, went
through the Pedregal, some five miles to the west, for the
purpose of visiting the fortified camp of General Valencia,
who, with a concourse of friends, has also emerged from the
city with hospitable intent. They know that it is the plan
of General Twiggs' party, after paying their respects to the
Mexican general, to pursue a circuitous path for the pur-
pose of avoiding the parade and ceremonies at Churubusco,
and to join Garland beyond the river in his attack on the
city.

Grant, with the brigade is awaiting the signal which shall
announce that Clarke has reached his point of destination.
His guns at length are heard. Garland's men rush im-
petuously upon the San-Antonio intrenchments, and drive
out the enemy in a long straggling column, which Clarke,
now charging from the meadows on its flank, cuts near the
centre ; hurling the rear upon the village of Dolores as
unworthy of further notice, but uniting with Garland in
scourging the severed head to the compatriot embrace of
Churubusco. But the Sixth infantry, which is on the lead,
suddenly comes to a halt. They discover the Convent of
Saii Pablo, with its formidable defences, on the left of the
causeway, the tete de pont garnished with heavy guns and
crowded with troops, the continuous line of infantry between
the two ; and beyond the river, far as the eye can reach,
stretch away the glittering bayonets of the reserves. A
tremendous raking volley from the tete de pont, and enfi-
lading fire from the convent, rendered this exposed highway
untenable ; and both brigades deploy through the cornfields
on their right, to strike the bridge-head on the flank.

Meanwhile, the division of Twiggs, having but six hours
ago annihilated the army of Valencia at Contreras, has
pushed on to its prom sed rendezvous here, and is now
hammering the convent, and the intrenchments which the
enemy presents on the right. Shields' and Pierce's brig-

*:(£\'*'''^-ik*^'\

J't ^'

TIIK MKXICAN WAR.

adcs have fordnd the river, and fallen on the enemy's re-
serves in the marshes beyond it. The battle rages at three
points at once — on the left, the right, the rear. Victory
wavers, and it is doubtful upon wiiich banner she will perch,
(iarland's and Clarke's brioades are stunned in their on-
slaught upon th(; (lank of the /e/e He pont. The Sixth
infantry stagger back, decimated, from their furious leap
upon its front. Duncan's battery is obliged to mask itself
before the heavier metal of its guns. Taylor's battery,
operating with Twiggs upon the right, crippled in men and
horses, is driven from its position by the expert gunnery
of San Pablo ; while the assailing infantry there are terribly
<ralled bv the sharpshooters of its tower and roof; and
Shields, on the meadows, is outflanked by the Mexican
cavalry.

One daring exploit redeems the fortunes of the day —
Lieutenant Longstreet, bearing the colors of the E^ighth
infantry, and leading the regiment which he inspirits
both by exhortation and example, leaps with it into the dry-
ditch of the tete de pont, escalades the curtain without lad-
der or scaling-implement, and, with the cold steel alone,
clears its bastions of defenders, and drives them over the
bridge upon their reserve. Quicker than thought, he turns
its captured guns upon San Pablo, which is still slaughter-
ing the columns of Twiggs upon the right. Lieutenant-
Colonel Duncan gallops forward with his battery. He
opens, at a distance of two himdred yards, upon the walls
around the convent, and drives the artillery-men from the
guns in that quarter, and the infantry from their intrench-
ments ; and then turns his battery upon the convent-tower.
While its garrison are half demoralized by this overwhelm-
ing attack of Duncan from the left, the stormers upon the
right capture the nearest salient which confronts them in
that direction ; the light artillery advance rapidly within
effective range ; San Pablo slackens fire ; and a dozen white
flags appear just as Captain Alexander of the Third infan-
try is entering it, sword in hand. The whole fortified
position of Churubusco is taken.

When the tete de pont, which had so long widistood

,1 '! \

|.:n..

LIFE OI- UI.VSSKS S. GRANT.

V •

Worth's rlivision, jj^ives way, with resistless power, it sweeps
across the bri(l<4e, over the ditch, overHovvini^ the fugitives
from the worlds and tiie unbroken battahons of the foe
upon the meadows. Shields, wiio is sorely beset by the
reserves, feels their ranks waver before the tide of victory,
until they are borne away in dismay, (jarland, with deafen-
ing shout' Ayres, with a captured M(!.xican tjiin ; Hoffman,
with a remnant of the <,^allant Sixth ; Harney, with his dra-
goons — while <i^oring the retreating Mexicans, intersect the
now exultintr lines of Shields.

Head-quarters are established at Tacubaya, the army is
cantoned there and in the neighboring village ; and then
ensues for a fortnight that ill-advised armistice and futile
attempt of Commissioner Trlst to conquer a peace from
Santa Anna in the field of diplomacy.

It is yet dark on the morning of the 8th of September,
when Grant, in regimental battle-line, confronts the last
fortified position upon which depends the fate of the enemy's
capital. Directly in his front rise the solid walls of Molino
del Rey, five hundred feet in length. On its right the Casa
Mata, or arsenal, presents a forbidding n^ass of heavy
masonry, pierced for musketry, and enveloped by a quad-
rangular field-work. Between the two is the station of the
enemy's field-battery and of the infantry deployed on either
side for its protection. On its left, wrapped in the solemn
shade of gigantic cypresses, towers from the summit of a
porphyritic rock the royal castle of Chapultepec.

The co-operating forceps for the single movement in
which Grant is personally concerned are all in position.
Garland is on the plain, staring directly into the eyes of the
Molino; and on the Tacubaya ridge, within five hundred
yards of it, Huger, with his matches lighted ; Wright, with
his forlorn hope in leash; Cadwallader and Kirby Smithy
as reserves against mishaps — all awaiting the opening of
an exciting drama. Morn has hardly purpled the east, be-
fore the heavy missiles of Huger's battering train pound
the walls and penetrate the roof of the Molino ; and
bugles sound, shouts run, along the line of the enemy's
defences, as the roused garrison begird themselves for

actiG
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. ;SU«vi8ti»^-

THE MEXICAN WAK.

action. At the first indication that the mason-work is
yieldinjj Wrijrht, with his iialf-lejj^ioii of stormers, advances
at double-quick down the Tacubaya slope ; and unchecked
by the ditch which environs the structure, unshaken by the
sheet of flame which flashes from the lij^jht banery, by the
musketry which showers upon them, by the canister and
L,frape which enfilade every approach, in spite of its sup-
ports, cai)tures the enemy's field-battery between the Casa
Mata and the Molino.

Garland now rapidly moves forward with Drum's section
of artillery, and carries an apparently impregnable position
under the guns of Chapultepec. The Fourth joins the on-
slaught of all arms which have closed in upon the Molino,
firing into its apertures, climbing to its roof, and striving,
with the butts of muskets and extemporized battering-
rams, to burst its doors. Major Buchanan of the Fourth,
with Alden and Grant, are forcing the southern gate.
Ayres and Anderson vault through an embrasure at the
northwest angle. A hand-to-hand fight ensues, from room
to room, from floor to floor, from roof to roof. In the main
apartment of the building, a stalwart Mexican gathers his
straggling comrades into a line which threatens to clear the
Molino of every assailant ; but the southern gate has
yielded, Buchanan and Grant appear with a file of the
Fourth infantry, and the Molino is finally captured beyond
peradventure. It is thus that Grant wins his first brevet.
Before noon, the Casa Mata is blown up, the Molino dis-
mantled, and the fatigued survivors of this desperate con-
test reposing on their laurels at head-quarters.

The next three days are devoted to a close and daring
reconnoissance of the southern avenues to the city by the
stafT of Scott. The Mexicans have, accordingly, fortified
these approaches with superior strength. In a personal
survey, he saw reason to change his direction ; but, in order
that the preconceived impression of Santa Anna may re-
main undisturbed, he leaves Colonel Riley's brigade to
threaten and manoeuvre here, but hastens himself to or-
C^anize the real advance upon the west and southwest cause-
ways.

.1 itV'h'^^

if I -I /

V;;!

)) .n".

i ^^J

'I,

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The first step in the inverted plan is to carry that isolated
mound, strongly defended, and all surmounted by the Castle
of Chapultepec. Heavy batteries, within easy range, arc
established. Pillow's and Quitman's division, reinforced
by storming parties from Worth and Twiggs, are held under
cover for assault. Bombardment and cannonade are com-
menced on the morning of the 1 2th, and continued until
nightfall. The signal for assault is given by nine o'clock
on the morning of the 13th; and the two assailing

LIEUTENANT GRANT'S REGIMENT ENTERING PUEBLA.

columns move forward with an alacrity which betokens
success.

Pillow's approach lies through that open grove of stately
cypresses, gray with the moss of ages, through a wilderness
cf wild shrub which marks the site of Montezuma's garden,
until he emerges upon the cleared and levelled area at the
foot of the rocky acclivity. Quitman's approach is along
the Tacubaya Road flanked with deep ditches, in the face
of crosscuts, obstructions, and batteries, defended by an

4 ?S

THE MEXICAN WAR.

army of men. After a succession of desperate struggles,
wliich upon any other day would have been gazetted as a
pitched battle, he enters the outer enclosure of Chapultepec
in time to co-operate with Pillow in the final assault of the
west.

The broken acclivity was still to be ascended, and a strong
redoubt midway to be carried, before reaching the castle
on the heights. It yielded to valor, and the shouts that
followed announced to the castle the fate that impended.
The enemy were steadily driven from shelter to shelter.
The retreat allowec. not time to fire a single mine, without
the certainty of the blowing up friend and foe. At length the
ditcii and wall of the main work were reached ; the scaling-
ladders were brought up and planted by the storming
parties. Some of the daring spirits first in the assault were
cast down, killed or wounded ; but a lodgement was soon
made ; streams of heroes followed ; all opposition was
overcome ; and several of our regimental colors flung out
from the upper walls, amidst long-continued shouts and
cheers, which sent dismay into the capital. No scene could
have been more animating or glorious.

While these grand events are transpiring, Worth's divi-
sion, stripped of its first brigade by Pillow's requisition, is
awaiting at the Molino its predestined occupation. The
order at length arrives ; and Garland leads cautiously
around the northern base of that consecrated hill. Grant
is with him, and wins an additional grade on this immortal
afternoon. When they reach the embankment, they per-
ceive that it is no place for organized operations. The
brigade is broken into detachments : a part are thrown out,
rioht and left, into the marsh, advancing behind every nat-
ural obstacle and cover; a part rush stealthily from arch to
arch. Garland is now approaching the first breastwork.
Behind it is the enemy in force, with his centre resting upon
't and his wings expanded. " When the head of the bat-
talion was in short musket-range of this barrier," writes
Major Lee, commander of the Fourth, " Lieutenant Grant
and Captain Brooks, with a few men of their respective
rt giments, by a handsome movement to the left, turned the

'.'i'lK*'

f ^1

1 1

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

rig-ht

of the enemy, and the barrier was carried.

The

soldiers display their habitual firmness and audacity. Worth
directs the movement with tactical exactness — massing his
scattered detachments upon the enemy in front, while care-
fully guarding his own flank ; throwing off artillery and
infantry into the marsh upon the left to turn an abatis, into
the marsh upon the right to clear his own and Quitman's
front, who is pursuing a divergent march to the capital.
Worth pushes his troops through a withering fire. They
capture a second battery; they silence and dismantle a third,
which enfilades their path. They have reached Campo
Santo, where the causeway wheels into the inhabited streets
of the city.

" We here came in front of another battery," writes Gen-
eral Worth in his report, " beyond which was the last de-
fence, or thG j^arifa of San Cosme. The approach to these
two defences was in a right line ; and the whole space was
literally swept by grape, canister, and shells, from a heavy
gun and howitzer ; added to w^hich, severe fires of musketry
were delivered from the tops of the adjacent houses and
churches. Garland's brigade was thrown to the right,
within and masked by the aqueduct, and instructed to dis-
lodge the enemy from the buildings in his front, and
endeavor to reach and turn the left of i\\Q garita. Clarke's
bris-ade was ordered to take the buildinyfs on the left of the
road, and carry the right of the garita. A mountain-how-
itzer was placed on the top of a commanding building on
the left, and anotlier on the Church of San Cosme on the
right ; both of which opened with great effect. The work of
the troops was tedious, and necessarily slow, but was favored
by the fire of the howitzers. I recognized the command as
it came up," writes Colonel Garland in his report of the
action, " mounted a howitzer on the top of a convent, which,
under the direction of Lieutenant Grant, quartermaster of
the Fourth infantry, and Lieutenant Lendrum, Third artil-
lery, annoyed the enemy considerably. I must not omit to
call attention to Lieutenant Grant, who acquitted himsell
most nobly upon several occasions under my observation."

While Grant is showering the roofs with his howitzer,

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LIEUT. (}RANT ACCOMPANYING GENERAL SCOTT WHILE ENTERING

THE CITY OF MEXICO.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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Garland is bush-fighting on one side of the street, and
Clarke burrowing on the other. General Quitman was
preparing to storm the citadel, when the city council, at four
o'clock in the morning, waited upon the commanding gen-
eral with a proposition which resulted in the capitulation of
Mexico upon terms imposed by General Scott. After dis-
missing the deputation, he communicated orders both to
Quitman and to Worth to feel their way cautiously toward
the centre of the city, and to occupy respectively the Grand
Plaza and the Alameda. Worth occupies the beautiful
park assigned to him, within three blocks of the national
palace ; there to encounter the assassin-like fire of the con-
victs, which the fugitive government had released from the
prisons, and distributed into every advantageous position
for the massacre of the United States troops, be it chu.oh,
convent, or even hospital. Heroic Garland is struck down,
wounded by the first fire.

Grant was a spectator of that splendid pageant on the
14th of September, the culminating felicity of Scott's long
military career — hir. ceremonious entrance, with all the
honors, into the city of Mexico.

After the assault and capture of the city of Mexico, in
which his bravery was again conspicuous. Grant for a while
became absorbed in the duties of regimental quartermaster.
His station being in the city, he made the acquaintance of
many of the officers of the United States army ; and after
the declaration of peace organized several excursions into
the neighboring country for the purpose of gathering infor-
mation. He lost no opportunity to become acquainted with
the Mexican people and their institutions. He was at this
time only twenty-five years old, had served two years in
camp and garrison under the best officers of the army, had
accompanied Taylor in his brilliant campaign from Corpus
Christi to Monterey, and finally, in the double capacity of
staff and company officer, had shared in the labor and honor
of Scott's memorable conquest. He took part in every
battle of the war except Buena Vista, and by zeal, energy
and courage, distinguished himself above most of his com-
panions holding the same rank.

THE MEXICAN WAR.

The following were the officers of the Fourth regiment
of United States regular infantry during the war with
Mexico:

Lieutenant-Colonel

John Garland, who participated in the whole of the Mexican war, and
commanded a brigade, received a brevet colonelcy from Resaca de la
Palma, and a brevet as brigadier-general from Churubusco. He wai»
severely wounded in the capture of the city of Mexico, was made colonel
of the Eighth regular infantry regiment in May, 1849, ^^^ died in the
city of New York June 5th, 1861.

Major

Francis Lee, who had entered upon the campaign as captain in the Sev-
enth regiment United States regular infantry, was brevetted lieutenant-
colonel from Churubusco, and colonel from El Molino del Rey. He
became colonel of the Second regiment of regular infantry October 18th,
1855, and died at St. Louis, Missouri, January 19th, 1859.

Captains.

George W. Allen (who had been brevetted major from Florida) was
further brevetted lieutenant-colonel from Resaca de la Palma. He was
next promoted to be a major of the Second regiment regular infantry,
and died at Vera Cruz on March 15th, 1848.

John Page was mortally wounded in the first battle, Palo Alto, and
died on the 12th of July, 1846.

William M. Graham (who had been brevetted major from Florida)
continued with the regiment until February, 1847, was promoted major
of the Second regiment of regular infantry on February i6th, 1847, ^^^
afterwards to lieutenant-colonel of the Eleventh United States infantry, a
regiment especially organized for the Mexican war. He was several
times wounded during the campaign, and was finally killed at El Molino
del Rey on September 8th, 1847.

Pitcairn Morrison was brevetted major from Resaca de la Palma, be-
came major of the Eighth regiment of United States infantry on Septem-
ber 26th, 1847, lieutenant-colonel of the Seventh regular infantry on June
9th, 1853, and colonel of the Eighth regular infantry June 6th, 1861, with
which rank he retired from the service during the fall of 1863.

George A. McCall was brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel from
Resaca de la Palma, and afterwards appointed to the Adjutant-General's
Department as inspector- general. He resigned the service on April 29th,
1853, ^"d came in as a volunteer at the commencement of the rebellion.

Gouverneur Morris was brevetted major from Resaca de la Palma, pro-
moted to major of the Third infantry on January 31st, 1850, and lieutenant-
colonel of the First infantry May 31st, 1857. He was retired from the
service on September 9th, 1861.

Robert C. Buchanan was brevetted major from Resaca de la Palma,

■':)

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and lieutenant-colonel from El Molino del Rey. He served through
the whole of the Mexican war with great credit, and was, in 1848, ap-
pointed acting inspector-general. He resumed his regimental position,
and was promoted major ot the regiment on February 3d, 1855, and lieu-
tenant-colonel on the 9th of September, 1861, which rank he held at the
commencement of 1864, when he was employed as Superintendent of
Volunteer Recruiting in the State of New Jersey.

Charles H. Larnard was brevetted major from Resaca de la Palma, and
was drowned in Puget's Sound, near Fort Madison, Washington Terri-
tory, on the 27th of March, 1854.

Benjamin Alvord was brevetted captain from Resaca de la Palma, and
major from the National Bridge. He became a paymaster, with the rank
of major, from June 22d, 1854, and during the rebellion was appointed a
brigadier-general of volunteers.

Henry L. Scott was appointed aide and acting adjutant-general to
General Scott, gained the brevet of major from Churubusco, and lieu-
tenant-colonel from Chapultepec. He became special aide to General
Scott on March 7th, 1855, and retired from the service on the 30th of
October, 1861.

First-Lieutenants.

Henry Prince, the adjutant of the regiment, was brevetted captain from
Churubusco, and was severely wounded at, and brevetted major from,
El Molino del Rey. He was appointed paymaster May 23d, 1855, and
brigadier-general of volunteers during the war of the rebellion.

Charles Hoskins, the former adjutant of the regiment, was killed at
Monterey September 21st, 1846.

Richard H. Graham was mortally wounded at Monterey September 21st,
1846, and died on October 12th, 1846.

John H. Gore was brevetted captain from Churubusco, and major from
El Molino del Rey. He died August ist, 1852, in the Bay of Panama,
New .Grenada.

Richard E. Cochran was killed in the second battle of the war, Resaca
de la Palma, on May 9th, 1846.

Theodore H. Porter was killed in a skirmish near the Rio Grande on
April 19th, 1846.

Sidney Smith was wounded at El Molino del Rey, and was mortally
wounded in the attack upon the city of Mexico op September 14th, 1847,
and died on September i6th, 1847.

Granville O. Haller served through the whole of the Mexican war, was
brevetted captain from El Molino del Rey, and major from Chapultepec ;
became captain in January, 1848, and major of the Seventh infantry
September 25th, 1861 ; and was summarily dismissed from the service dur-
ing the summer of 1863.

Henry D. Wallen was wounded at Palo Alto May 8th, 1846, became
adjutant from February, 1849, to May, 1850, captain from January 31st,
1850, and major of the Seventh infantry from November 25th, 1861. He
held this position at the beginning of 1864.

Henderson Ridgeley was acting assistant adjutant-general to Brigadier-

THE MEXICAN WAR.

General Lane, and was killed at the Pass of Guadalaxara on the 24th of
November, 1847.

Jenks Beaman participated in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de
la Palma, commanded his company in the battle of El Molino del Rey,
and died at Tampico on the 6th of May, 1848.

Second-Lieutenants.
Christopher R. Perry, after participating in part of the campaign, died
at sea, on his return home, October 8th, 1848.

Christophei C. Augur was aide to General Hopping, and, after the war
in Mexico, remained in the United States army. During the war of the
rebellion he became a major-general of volunteers.
Ulysses S. Grant.

Henry M. Judah was brevetted a first lieutenant from El Molino del
Rey, and captain from Chapultepec. During the war of the rebellion
he commanded a division in General Grant's Military Division of the
Mississippi.

James S. Woods was brevetted first lieutenant from Resaca de la Palma,
and was killed at Monterey September 21st, 1846.

Alexander Hays was brevetted first lieutenant from Resaca de la Palma,
and became acting assistant adjutant-general to Brigadier-General Lane.
He resigned the service on April 12th, 1848, and volunteered during the
war of the rebellion.

Abram B. Lincoln was wounded at, and brevetted first lieutenant from.
El Molino del Rey, and died at Pilatka, Florida, April 15th, 1852.

Thomas J. Montgomery commanded his company at the battles of
Churubusco and El Molino del Rey, became first lieutenant during De-
cember, 1847, ^"<^l captain in March, 1854, and died at Fort Steilacoom,
Washington Territory, November 22d, 1854.

David A. Russell was brevetted first lieutenant from the National
Bridge, and, remaining in the regular army after the war, became a brig-
adier-general of volunteers during the war of the rebellion.

Alexander P. Rodgers was wounded, and afterwards killed, at Chapul-
tepec September 13th, 1847.

Delancey Floyd Jones was brevetted first lieutenant from El Molino del
R.ey, but is no longer on the roll of army officers.

Maurice Maloney was brevetted first lieutenant from El Molino del
Rey, and captain from Chapultepec ; was wounded at the San Cosme
Gate on September 13th, 1847 '> became first lieutenant during May, 1848,
captain in November, 1854, and major of the First infantry September
i6th, 1862, which rank he held at the beginning of 1864.

Archibald B. Botts died on the ist of January, 1847, at Camargo,
Mexico.

Thomas R. McConnell was brevetted first lieutenant at El Molino del
Rey, and captain from Chapultepec; became captain in February, 1855,
and resigned the service on March nth, 1856.

Edmund Russell was wounded at Churubusco, was brevetted first lieu-
tenant from El Molino del Rey, and was killed by the Indians near Red
Bluff, California, March 24th, 1853.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Of the foregoing, the following only have occupied promi-
nent positions during the war of the rebellion :

Captain George Archibald McCall was appointed the
commander of the division of troops known as the '* Penn-
sylvania Reserve Corps," which consisted of three brigades
and fifteen regiments, and fought with the Army of the
Potomac, with the rank of brigadier-general o" volunteers,
from May 17th, 1861. He resigned his connection with the
United States service on March 31st, 1863.

Captain Robert C. Buchanan was appointed lieutenant-
colonel of the Fourth infantry on September 9th, 1861, and
afterwards nominated for a volunteer brigadier-general's
commission ; but being too far advanced in years to endure
the fatigues and laborious marches in the field during the
civil war, he was principally kept in command of posts and
garrisons within the Union lines.

Captain Benjamin Alvord became a brigadier-general of
volunteers during the war of the rebellion.

Lieutenant and Adjutant Henry Prince obtained a com-
mission as brigadier-general of volunteers, dating from
April 28th, 1862, and participated in the campaigns in North
Carolina and Virginia. At the beginning of 1864 '^^ was
in command of the Second division of the Third army
corps.

Lieutenant Christopher C. Augur distinguished himself
during the rebellion in the various capacities of brigade,
division, and corps commander, and, on January ist, 1864,
held the command of the Department of Washington, and
of the Twenty-second army corps, with head-quarters at
the national capital. Rank, major-general of volunteers,
from August 9th, 1862.

Lieutenant Henry M. Judah was appointed a brigadier-
general of volunteers on the 21st of March, 1862; distin-
guished himself in the pursuit of the rebel guerilla chief,
General John H. Morgan, and in the Eastern Tennessee
campaign of 1863. On January ist, 1864, he held the com-
mand of a division in the Twenty-third army corps, which
formed a part of General Grant's Military Division of the
Mississippi.

THE MEXICAN WAR.

Lieutenaitt Alexander Hays was appointed a brigadier-
general of volunteers from September 29th, 1862, he having
previously held the command of a company of the Sixteenth
reijiment of United States regular infantry. At the begin-
ning of 1864 he was in command of a division in the
Second army corps, then with the Army of the Potomac.

Lieutenant David A. Russell, having held the rank of major
of the Eighth regiment of regular infantry, was appointed
a brigadier-general of volunteers, on November 29th, 1862,
and distinguished himself during 1863, while in command
of a brigade, and afterwards of a division of the Second
army corps, then with the Army of the Potomac.

It will thus be seen that the young second lieutenant, of
the Mexican war, ha« far outstripped all his regimental com-
panions — many of whom then outranked him; and he has
done so by his military merit alone.

The struggles in Mexico having at last settled down into
the mere brigandage which always follows large wars, the
various volunteer troops of the United States army were
disbanded, and the regular regiments ordered back to the
United States. Lieutenant Grant came home with his regi-
ment — the Fourth regular infantry — and disembarked
within the harbor of New York. The regiment was then
distributed in companies and sections among the various
northern frontier defences, along the borders of the States
of Michigan and New York ; and in one of these forts the
young brevet captain commanded his company.

In 1848 he was married to Julia T. Dent, eldest daughter
of Mr. Frederick Dent, a successful and widely known
merchant of St. Louis, and after a short leave of absence
returned with his wife to Sackett's Harbor, where his regi-
ment was then stationed. He remained at Sackett's Har-
bor till 1849, and in September of that year he was again
appointed regimental quartermaster, which he held till 1853.

In the fall of 1849 ^^is regiment moved to Fort Brady,
near Detroit, where it rested two years and then returned to
Sackett's Harbor.

In June, 1851, the head-quarters of the Fourth were re-
moved to Sackett's Harbor, New York, a village of a thou-

, m

lOO

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

sand people. The spot was not far off where, a hundred
years before, in the old French war. Grant's grand-uncle,
and his great-grandfather, were killed. In the war of 1812,
too, Sackett's was a point of great importance, and the ren-
dezvous of the American fleet on the lake. Here Henry
Eckford made himself famous by building one man-of-war
in forty-five days from the time the first tree was cut for
her hull, and getting another hundred-gun frigate, one hun-
dred and eighty-four feet long, and of thirty-two hundred
tons burden, almost ready for launching in thirty-six days.
The unexpected declaration of peace caused work upon
her to be suspended. So the government built a wooden
house over her, and she perches now, looking just as Eck-
ford left her half a century ago, but with her huge timbers
a mass of powder post, and as soft as cork. Hard by stands
an old stone house, erected at the same time as a hotel,
and then the largest building between the Hudson and the
Pacific.

When Grant went to Sackett's Ha bor it contained sev-
eral old block-houses, built for Indian fighting. One still
stands, and by doing duty as a stable, shows to what base
uses we may return. The railroad has reduced Sackett's
to an uneasy urban ghost. It has a custom-house, but no
imports ; and a naval station, commanded by an admiral
who manifests the utmost efficiency compatible with the fact
that there is not a war vessel of any kind within his entire
department.

The Fourth was established in the pleasant Madison
Barracks, of stone, half a mile from the lake, which afforded
agreeable residences for the officers and their wives.

Grant, who still retained his capable and trustworthy
quartermaster-sergeant, had comparatively little to do but
sign his name to official documents and draw his pay. An
enthusiastic friend in the village now has hanging in his
parlor, framed and glazed, a notice dated July 2d, 1851, in-
viting sealed proposals for supplying the garrison for one
year with fresh beef, "of good, wholesome quality, necks
and shanks to be excluded," and signed, " U. S. Grant,
Brevet-Captain, and A. A. C. S., Fourth Infantry."

THE MEXICAN WAR.

lOI

In this quiet hamlet the quartermaster \\\>n his usual
reputation.

" I can't see," said the collector of customs to one of his
clerks, who had become much attached to Grant, "what you
find in that man to be so fond of his company."

The friend insisted that there was a great deal more in
" that man " than he had credit for ; that he was full of
knowledge, not only of affairs, but even of mechanics, and
could give much curious information about machinery.

He always seemed careless and at leisure, but close ob-
servers noticed that his eye took in much of which his tongue
gave no report. Then, as now, he would quietly scrutinize
a new visitor from head to foot, as if to read his character
through and through. Though by inclination a worshipper
with the Methodists, here he was a frequent, and his wife a
regular, attendant at the Episcopal church, and when
money was raised to erect a new house he joined in a sub-
scription paper, still preserved because it bears his auto-
graph.

Having seen the evil effects of liquor on brother officers
in peace times, he became a Son of Temperance soon after
reaching Sackett's and drank no spirits whatever during
his residence there. He also joined the Odd-Fellows, at-
tending all their weekly meetings, though not taking any
active part. But once chancing to be put upon a committe'i,
he dissented from the majority report which was made by
Messrs. Ford and Dana, one a lawyer, the other a bank
cashier, and both leading citizens. At first it was thought
a litde presuming that a minority report, signed simply
" U. S. Grant," should undertake to combat the views of
men of such prominerce and capacity. But the document
proved so able as to kindle a suspicion that after all the
quartermaster was quite competciu lo say his say when
occasion demanded.

A citizen of Sackett's Harbor relates that one quarrel
excited a mild approach to profanity. " I tt'l the tale as it
was told to me." Naturally, a horse was at the bottom of
it. Two acquaintances, Phillips and De Wolf, were on the
ice of the lake to " time " a horse they had just bought.

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LIKE OK ULYSSKS S. GRANT.

>fi

The first half-mile was clone in one twelve. De Wolf
shouted to urj^e the racer on to higher speed, at which the
animal showed a little restiveness. Phillips, expecting that
the next thing would be his heels through the dasher,
incontinently rolled out on the ice, taking the reins with
him. l)e Wolf dropped to the bottom of the sleigh, and
only recovered the lines after the frightened horse had run
two miles, at the imminent risk of his own and his driver's
neck. Grant saw the whole scene and bitterly upbraided
Phillips for deserting his friend ; but Phillips alleged that it
was involuntary, as he had been thrown from the sleigh.
Grant hotly replied :

"It's a lie! How could he fling you out and not
De Wolf? You are a coward. Never speak to me again.
If you do I'll kick you."

Petty races, and even contests between a soldiers' fire
company and a citizens* fire company interested the officers.
In sooth these military heroes, deprived of the spirit-stirring
drum, the ear-piercing fife, and other fascinations of the big
wars, that make ambition virtue, found themselves also de-
prived of the tranquil mind. They were sadly at a loss for
amusement and caught at anything. One writes me :

" Grant's life as an army officer was a very quiet, une-
ventful one. I was in the regiment with him during a por-
tion of the Mexican war, and afterward on the frontier,
but really can say nothing of his sayings or doings worth
mentioning. He went about a "ood deal with horse-fan-
ciers, took his drinks, smoked his pipe incessantly, played
loo, and at length, after going to Sackett's Harbor, joined
the 'Sons,' all in a very prosy, commonplace sort of
fashion. He read litde, though I remember his expressing
some liking for Reynolds' writings.

" During his whole connection with the regiment he
would have been considered, both by his brother officers
and himself, about as likely to reach the posidon of Pope
of Rome, as General-in-chief, or President of the United
States. He was regarded as a restless, energetic man, who
must have occupation, and plenty of it, for his own good,
but sincere and true and an amiable, good fellow. He was

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THK MEXICAN WAR.

103

modest and unambitious — such a man as in our land of
pretension and bluster could not be expected to go far.

" It required just such opportunities, events, and good
luck to bring out the strong qualities and soldierly merits
of Grant's character. Had he remained in the regular
service, I think he would have jogged on quietlv, doing duty
with his regiment. But if circumstances had i^hiccd him in
the cavalry, I believe he would have made his mark as a
cavalry leader. He had all the requisite qualities, the
physique and the moraler

The Fourth infantry was sent to Fort Columbus in the
harbor of New York, preparatory to sailing for the Pacific
coast, where a rush of emigration was then setting in toward
the newly discovered gold-fields, and troops were needed to
protect the growing settlements from the depredations of
Indians. The regiment proceeded by way of Panama, but
the Panama railroad had not then been built, and the transit
of the isthmus was attended with great difficulty, and much
exposure to the hurtful influences of the tropical climate.
During the passage, and after they had reached the Pacific
side, many of the officers and men fell sick and died of
fever and cholera, but Grant's constitution defied the ma-
laria, and enabled him to be of great assistance to his less
fortunate companions. The cholera became so general
that the regiment could not continue its voyage but was
compelled to encamp on one of the islands in the bay of
Panama, where it remained for several weeks. After it
reached Oregon, decimated in numbers, one battalion, in-
cluding Grant's company, was ordered to take post at
Columbia Barracks, near the Dalles of the Columbia river,
where it remained for some time, making occasional expe-
ditions against the hostile Indians, in all of which Grant
took an active part, adding to his varied experience, and
2:aining useful information in resfard to the Indian character
and the reserves of the neighbonng country. He soon
was ordered to Fort Vancouver, Oregon.

Grant departed with his regiment to this forlorn spot,
isolated from civilization on the east by an intervening
wilderness more than 2,000 miles in breadth^ and from

.VM.

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Kit!' ^'^*'

104

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

civilization. Vancouver is eighty miles from the sea, envel-
oped in the melancholy shade of primitive forests. When
Grant reached it, he found it still retained as one of the
central seats of traffic and distribution by the Hudson's
Bay Company, which, as everybody knows, is one of those
gigantic monopolies which were freely granted by Charles
II. to his favorites. Its charter gave it the exclusive right
to trade with the Indians around that great northern gulf
Step by step has its jurisdiction marched to the southward,
extending these same engrossing privileges over all British
North America. During the era of conflicting claims be-
tween the United States and Great Britain upon Oregon,
it had pushed these pretensions into that territory, wove
over it a network of chief and subordinate establishments,
and now exercised unlimited control over the nomadic
Indians whom the Fourth infantry had been despatched to
quell. The station of the company, in the centre of the
clearing, wore all the aspects of a military post. An im-
posing stockade enclosed an area of about seven acres, with
mounted bastions at two of its angles ; within were the
governor's residence, two small buildings for clerks, and a
range of dwellings for families ; without was another store-
house, under lease to the government; and a few hundred
yards farther to the east, rising from a plain upon the very
edge of immemorial woods, were the log-houses known as
the Columbia Barracks ; and within an arrow's flight of our
flag-staff is a group of hovels, occupied by Indians, servants,
and Kanackas. Four companies of the Fourth are here,
with Grant still quartermaster: one company is at Fort
Dallas, higher up the Columbia, and the remainder are so
distributed as to guard and keep open communication be-
tween Oregon and California, with assistant quartermasters
for their respective stations. V^ ' ' ' ' -

At this desolate station Grant vegetated for one year.
To his active mind it was inexpressibly irksome. With the
exception of quarterly and annual returns his office is a
sinecure, for supplies are all sent by steamer.

As he had to receive and ship supplies, his residence was
on the bank of the river, in a large two-story dwelling. It

was
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selling £
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tory, and
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"P to sej

THE MEXICAN WAR.

105

was sawed and framed in Boston, and carried around the
Horn to California; but in 1850 lumber grew so cheap in
San Francisco that Quartermaster Robert Allen bought it
for $1,000, and shipped it to Ingalls. After paying for its
transportation, it was the cheapest as it was the best house
at the post. It was known as "Quartermaster's Ranch."

Here in April, 1853, arrived Lieutenant George B. Mc-
Clellan, of the engineers, to survey the west end of a
proposed Northern Pacific Railway. Grant was kept busy
for some weeks in fitting out the expedition, and McClellan
was his guest. The two young officers, who had known
each other in Mexico, were thrown much together, eating
at the same table, and sleeping under the same roof, for
nearly three months. Did any suspicion ever stir their
hearts of the high place which one was just to miss, and the
other easily to gain ?

The former drum-major of the Fourth relates that he was
indebted to Grant for the unromantic but utilitarian sift of
a sow. Pigs were pigs in that market, thanks to the won-
derful development of California, and the recipient soon
found himself the possessor of a small fortune obtained by
selling a dozen at forty dollars apiece. An officer states
that he and the quartermaster shipped potatoes and other
produce to San Francisco, and sometimes obtained rich
returns.

Grant cared nothing for dancing, and very little for hunt-
ing. But he bought one of the finest horses in the Terri-
tory, and found his daily recreation in galloping through
the beautiful woods. A brother officer writes :

" One morning while sitting with some comrades in front
of the officers' quarters, we observed Grant riding on his
fine horse toward Major Hathaway's battery, which was in
park about 250 yards distant. As Grant drew near the
guns, and we were observing the motions of his fine animal,
we saw him gather the reins, take a tighter grip on his
cigar, pull down his hat firmly on his head, and seat him-
s'-'lf securely in his saddle. ' Grant is going to leap the
battery,* cried two or three of the officers, and we all stood
up to sej him do it. He ran his horse at the pieces, and

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io6

LIFF OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

put him over the four ^uns one after another as easily and
gracefully as a circus rider."

He remained at Fort Vancouver for more than a year,
widely known and liked. His quarters were the temporary
home of all visitors. He was an admirable host, and made
his guests thoroughly welcome. There was always quiet
enjoyment, and sometimes boisterous hilarity at the quar-
termaster's hearth, when old army friends or favorite
civilians were there for a nig^ht. His comrades did not fail
to notice the singular vividness and comprehensiveness
with which he narrated the stirring engagements of the
war, and how accurately his memory like an open book
reproduced not detached incidents, but the action of the
whole army as a unit — what it tried to do, what it accom-
plished or failed in, and what errors weakened its plan.
After one of these talks they would remark ;

" How clear-headed Sam Grant is in describing a battle !
He seems to have the whole thing in his head."

In August, 1853, he was promoted from a brevet captain
to a full captain in his regiment, to fill a vacancy caused by
the death of Captain Bliss, famous as Taylor's adjutant-
general during the Mexican war. Early in October he
started for Fort Humboldt, California, to take command of
his company, F. Shordy after, during a visit to San Fran-
cisco, in conjunction with three • tii-r officers, he leased the
Union Hotel on Kearny street- -row a part of the City
Hotel — for a sort of club billiard-room, at $500 per month.
Subscriptions were obtained, and the enterprise might have
been successful had the officers been better business men.
Grant could not give it his personal attention, agents were
derelict or dishonest, and the rents did not come in. After
advancing a good deal of money, he suffered as usual for
believing other men as just and honest as himself, and the
house was given up. The old lease is still preserved as
one of the curiosities of San Francisco.

Grant's commission as captain reached him after he had
been a year at Vancouver ; and he is forthwith ordered to
Humboldt Bay in California, where his company is now
Stationed. The Indians had been active in Humboldt

cou
relf(
com
quie
off
G
Hun
sevei
theli
hewn
chimr
by pie
and al
The
from (
by Jan
viais ai
naw CO
a saw-r
he boui
tlie dan
starting
compas
pijot-ho
scissors
top of h
safely u

^roiiud
to drive
men an(
'ngeniou
brigadiei
Senate.

to Abrah
" Mr. J

of mine,

^ J sail i
When

o-'" Ryan's

THE MEXICAN WAR.

107

county, and the same kind of alarms which for a season
relieved the inactivity of Vancouver had furnished the
company at Humboldt Bay with busy idleness ; but the
quiet of an uninhabited island is not more serene than that
of Humboldt Bay when Grant reached it.

Grant spent several months commanding his company at
Humboldt, a post 240 miles north of San Francisco, and
seventy south of the Oregon line, built for protection against
the Indians. The barracks and officers' quarters were of
hewn timber, plastered within, and adorned with outside
chimneys of stone. They stood on a plateau, surrounded
by pleasant prairies and dark woods of spruce and pine,
and affording a splendid view of Humboldt Bay.

The only town in the vicinity was Eureka, three miles
from the fort. It was originally and accurately surveyed
by James T. Ryan, with an instrument improvised of two
vials and a bit of wood. Ryan had all the versatility which
new countries brincr to the surface. He wanted to build
a saw-mill, but labor was high and machinery scarce. So
he bought the old steamer Santa Clara, and took her up
the dangerous coast to the new city of Eureka. Just before
starting his compass was stolen. He found a little river-
compass with the glass broken, and taking a pane from his
pilot-house window, cut out a circular piece with a pair of
scissors while holdir-g it under water, and fitted it into the
top of his instrument, by the aid of which he ran his steamer
safely into Humboldt Bay. Then raising her upon the
ground without moving the machinery, he used her power
to drive a saw-mill beside her, in which he employed sixty
men and cut out So.cxkd feet of lumber per day. This
ingenious and typical pioneer was afterwards elected a
brigadier-general of militia and a member of the California
Senate. In 1861 Senator McDougall thus introduced him
to Abraham Lincoln :

" Mr. President, this is General Ryan, a loyal neighbor
of mine, who can build a cathedral and preach in it, a ship
c J sail it, or an engine and run it."

When Grant was at Fort Humboldt, Eureka consisted
of Ryan's mill and twenty houses. It was a pleasant sign-

io8

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

' If:

ation, and its hospitality made it a favorite resort for the
officers. Ryan kept a barrel of whiskey always on tap, and
his well-furnished table was supplied with venison, ducks,
geese, snipe, grouse, chicken, sweet milk, and biscuits of
Genesee four; for in those days California obtained wheat
from New York instead of shipping her own to Gotham
and even to London, China, and Japan.

Communication with San Francisco was solely by water,
and ships were from ten days to six weeks on the way.
They brought mails without the least regularity. The
officers looked out anxiously every morning for a sail, and
when one appeared, galLped down to Eureka for their
letters or a stray newspaper. A number of Indians em-
ployed about the mill gave picturesqueness to the little
town. Sometimes an evening was enlivened with a dance,
when the few women of the neighborhood were in great
demand.

Among Ryan's possessions was a horse called Eclipse,
for which our captain had a special admiration. Twelve
years later, when Grant was at City Point, just before his
final campaign, Ryan called on him, and found him with
Sheridan and Sherman, their heads bent over a map.
Grant, who never forgets an old acquaintance, instantly
recognized him, inquired for his family, for the old saw-
mill, and particularly for Eclipse, saying :

"He was the finest horse I ever saw west of the Rocky
Mountains."

An officer remembers that, asked how he liked the clams
which abound there, Grant pronounced them " a first-rate
substitute for gutta-percha oysters."

He frequently visited his brother-in-law, Lewis Dent,
who was running a ferry-boat at Knight's Ferry, on the
Stanislaus river, and was at one time interested in that
enterprise. There are traditions in the neighborhood of
Grant's helping to run the boat, and once, when in a pecu-
liarly jovial mood, of his appearing on the road driving
three horses tandem at a spanking pace, with three buggies
in long procession whirling alter, to the amazement of the
^ullagers.

THE MEXICAN WAR.

109

In truth, some relief seemed necessary, for life at Hum-
boldt was insufferably dull. The line captain's duties were
fewer and less onerous than the quartermaster's had been,
and the discipline was far more rigid and irksome. No
greater misfortune could have happened to him than this
enforced idleness. He had little work, no family with him,
took no pleasure in the amusements of his brother officers
— dancing, billiards, hunting, fishing, and the like — and
riding alone, however inspiriting, may grow monotonous
after several months of it !

The buildings of the post erected by Quartermaster
Rufus Ingalls consisted of two-story barracks of lumber
for the soldiers, and one-story log quart*^rs, with balconies
looking out upon the river, for the officers.

The nearest civilization was not many miles away at Port-
land, Oregon, then a little settlemCiit in the woods with a
single street of one-story frame houses. Thither went our
martial heroes for dancing parties and other amusements,
though through the winter they had clever theatricals at
the garrison.

The neighboring land afforded excellent hunting of deer,
elk, bears, and blue grouse, and the clear lakes abounded
in ducks, geese, swans, and delicious trout. These luxu-
ries, and the finest salmon in the world, caught in the
Columbia, enabled the officers to fare sumptuously every
day.

Grant disliked this life, and was anxious to be once
more with his family. He therefore sent in his resignation,
to take effect July 31st, 1854, remarking to a friend:
" Whoever hears of me in ten years will hear of a well-to-do
old Missouri farmer."

At a period when his country was in i ^rfect repose,
when there was no call for army service, when the special
mission upon which he was exiled into the wilderness had
been fully performed, and there was nothing to resist the
paramount claim of the wife and children upon his protec-
tion, he resigned his commission in the army, and, hav-
ing obtained a leave of absence, joined his family at St.
Louis.

■iM

,!!■ ■■:"*

I lO

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

During the following seven years we find Grant as farmer
and collector at St. Louis, and leather dealer at Galena.
In a period of profound national peace, he discards his
epaulets, that he may enjoy domestic life. He throws up
his captain's pay, with the certain knowledge that he must
earn a livelihood for himself and family by the labor of his
hands and the sweat of his brow.

With no fortune of his own and with few acquaintances,
Grant was thrown at once upon his own resources. He
settled upon a small farm near St. Louis, which had been
presented to Mrs. Grant by her father. He threw aside
completely the habits of army life and went to work bravely
with his own hands to better his fortune. His first labor
was to assist in hewing the logs, and building a house upon
his farm. As soon as it was finished he occupied it with
hi. family, so that he might be entirely independent of the
world, as well as close to the fields he intended to cultivate.
Grant worked hard himself and displayed excellent judg-
ment in all that he did. To be sure his profits were not
large, at any time, but they were his only dependence.

He took great interest in his stock, and being fond of his
new occupation, he devoted himself to it with a will. Dur-
ing the winter season he employed men to clear land, and
chop wood, and hauled it to St. Louis .' * sale, driving one
team in person, while his little son drove another, thus sav-
ing the expense of two extra hands. He ploughed and
planted in thj spring, and when the summer had ripened
his crops he was the foremost hand in the harvest-field.

Several years before the war began, one of his friends,
happening to be at St. Louis, heard that Grant was living
near by, and drove out for the purpose of seeing him.
Calling at the house, he inquired for Captain Grant. The
servant who answered his summons at the door informed
him that the Captain would probably be found in the
meadow, harvesting. The officer walked down to the field,
as the servant suggested, but not discovering the Captain,
sat down in the shade of a tree for the purpose of waiting
for the approach of four men whom he saw mowing at a
distance. After a short time the mowers came abreast of

him,
that
his si;
Gn
could
othen
he ob;
by wo
it kepi
by wai
cents i
roof oi
and ha
month,
room,
put int(
Aftei
thing el
where 1
estate q
An o
have bo
hood. '
sorely s
nor wan
boring c
left with
sufficient
the build
"lam
place for
but Julia
Sabbath-
While
tJiat somi
from the
bright mo
sitting up
Wmself.

! i ; '■ '

THE MEXICAN WAR.

Ill

him, and going out to meet them he was surprised to find
that the leading mower, covered with perspiration, and in
his shirt-sleeves, was the friend for whom he was seeking.

Grant was economical as well as industrious, and if he
could not make money rapidly for himself, he could tell
others how to save it. While living at his father-in-law's,
he observed that all the rooms in the house were warmed
by wood fires, in ample old-fashioned fire-places, and that
it kept one man continually busy to cut fuel for them. Near
by was a colliery, the owners of which were paying fifty
cents apiece for stout saplings with which to shore up the
roof of their mine. Grant suggested that he could cut
and haul poles enough in one day to buy coal for an entire
month, and in two more to pay for a grate or stove in every
room. This was a new idea, and a few days thereafter was
put into successful application.

After four years of farming. Grant resolved to try some-
thing else. He leased his farm, and removed to St. Louis,
where he established and conducted for a short time a real
estate office.

An old citizen declares, that in those days he could not
have borrowed a hundred dollars in that country neighbor-
hood. This may be an exaggeration of the fact that he was
sorely straitened for money ; but he was neither penurious
nor wanting in public spirit. For a poor widow in a neigh-
boring county, who had been burned out and her children
left without shelter, he raised, by personal effort, a sum
sufficient to relieve her. And when asked to contribute for
the building of a new church, he replied:

"I am very glad to; we ought to have a comfortable
place for preaching. I don't attend as much as I should,
but Julia and the children do. We ought also to have a
Sabbath-school in the neighborhood."

While living at Wishtonwish one winter, he discovered
that some interloper was cutting and carrying away wood
from the Hardscrabble tract, two miles distant. On a
bright moonlight night he started to catch the thief. While
sitting upon a stump, he heard a team coming, and hid
himself. A burly fellow, who rented a neighboring farm,

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(112)

stopp

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with a

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iuige tre
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The w

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,jjfi»ii^i .;^ri.ViiV4

THE MEXICAN WAR.

stopped liis horses within fifty feet of him, chopped a tree,
cut it up, loaded it, and then started for the main road.
Grant took a short cut, intercepted him, and accosted him
with an air of surprise:

" Halloo, Bill ! going to St. Louis with your wood, I sup-
pose ? "

" Y— es."

" How much do you ask for it ? "

"About four dollars."

•' Well I'll take it. Bring it over to my house."

" No ; I have promised it to a man in town."

" But I must have it. Now there's no use in hesitating ;
you must haul this load to my house, and pay me twenty
dollars for what you have cut and carried away before.
That won't be more than half-price, you know."

"if I don't, I suppose you'll sue me before the squire?"

" No, we won't trouble the squire or the public, but will
settle the matter right here and now."

And the captain, his sense of humor giving way to his
indignation, sprang forward and seized by the collar the
huge trespasser, who instantly cried :

" Hold on ! I'll do it ; but don't say a word to any-
body."

The wood was delivered, the money paid, and the thiev-
insf discontinued.

Grant's neighbors found him. though very sociable, silent
about persons of whom he could not speak well. Often he
kept his hearers sitting up until midnight around the wide-
mouthed cheerful fireplace at Hardscrabble or Whitehaven,
listening intently to his vivid narrations of army expe-
riences. Though exceedingly amiable, and ready to give
or take a joke, he was possessed of a certain dignity which
made it impossible to impose upon or be too iamiliar with
him. '

He was called the most industrious farmer in the whole
country. His hands had grown hard and horny, and his
frame rheumatic and bent, as if from premature old age.
Yet in those four years he had been unable to "make both
ends meet," and his father had advanced him some two

ill If

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^oney lo,

TIIK MEXICAN WAK.

Its

thousand dollars. Fanning was a failure, and it was time
to find some other employment.

On the I St day of January, 1859, Grant formed a part-
nership with H. Bo(rj;^s, under the firm, Bogies & Grant,
General Agents, Collect Rent, Negotiate Loans, Buy and
Sell Real Estate, No. 35 Pine street, St. Louis, Mo. The
partners knew each other so well, that no written agree-
ment was necessary.

At first, Grant left his family at Hardscrabble. He could
not afford quarters at a iiotel or even at a boarding-house,
but Boggs, who lived on South Fifteenth street, had an
unfurnished room which he was invited to occupy. He
lived in it in genuine camp style. There was no carpet,
and a bedstead with one mattress and a wash-bowl standinir
upon a chair were the only furniture. Here Grant remained
for two months, taking his breakfasts and suppers at the
house, and on Saturday nights walking out to Hardscrabble.
He was always at his city home of an evening, and was very
quiet and companionable.

Harly in the spring he sold at auction his farming tools
and stock and rented Hardscrabble. Then he removed to
St. Louis, and took up his residence in a little frame house
on the corner of Seventh and Lynch streets. It was near
the river, not altogether a pleasant neigliborhood, but the
rent was only twenty-five dollars per month.

The old office of Boggs & Grant yet stands — though
in the changed numbering it is now designated as 219 — in
Pine street, one of the narrow St. Louis thoroughfares
which unfortunately have never been burned out and
widened since the old French rule. The law-firm occupied
the entire lower floor of the ancient brick dwelling, of which
we present an accurate view. It consisted of two large
rooms, connected by folding doors. Beside a front window
looking out on the street stood the desk of Bcggs & Grant.
Here, talking through the open window with customers on
the sidewalk, Boggs negotiated many a loan and heard the
gossip of many a summer afternoon. The projecting sign
bore the words : " Boggs & Grant. Real Estate Agents.
Money loaned on Real Estate security."

"it

,r;,f ■

■ft i"C

? Ill

I "J.

'1 ■ '^'V-l

Ii6

LlFli OF ULYSSES S. GKANl,

Kogijs, who had a good many houses to rent, and a
good many tenants to collect ol, inducted his new partner
into the busiiu:ss by taking him about town and introduc-
ing iiim to all the leading customers. Then, at the sug-
gestion of Colonel Dent, he lelt Grant to look alter the
business while he visited Philadelphia, where, as a youni;
man, he had resided for many years and formed acquaint-
ances among wealthy citizens. Money in Philadelphia
was worth but five or six per cent., while in St. Louis ten
per cent, was legal interest and fifteen often the current
rate.

He succeeded in effecting an arrangement with one capi-
talist in Philadelphia and another in New York to let the
firm have four hundred thousand dollars at eight per cent.,
to loan out in small sun secured on real estate. Returnin<r
to St. Louis early in I ^h, in excellent spirits, he adver-
tised that Boggs ik Grant were ready to advance money on
real estate at ten per cent., the borrower paying the two
per cent, additional to cover expenses of examining tides
and necrotiating the loan.

Like all advertisements which offer money instead of
asking it, this brought hundreds of applicants, but the firm
rejected some as unsafe, and the attorneys of the Eastern
capitalists — who, it was agreed, must be satisfied with tlu;
securities — refused to accept others. The end of the prom-
ising scheme was that Bogn^s & Grant made about enough
out of it to pay the expenses of the senior partner's eastern
trip.

The captain engaged in the new business with all his
energy, though incapacitated somewhat for the first four
months by ague and rheumatism which he brought from
Hardscrabble. Often, during the spring afternoons, his
"chill " would come on, and so weaken him that McClellan
or Hillyer had to support him to the Third street omnibus,
by which he rode homeward.

Boggs, on his return, found that Grant had diligently
collected the rents, and let all the vacant houses to good
tenants, except one, in which a plausible but undesirable
woman had established herself. She was afterward got rid

_.-7.-.rrfi;^)!^." .js?-_.,=

r~ -"5|^^^ -^^-.i^/i. iiii^^'i- ir-"

RESIDENCE OF CAFI'AIN GKANT AND MRS. GRANT IN AND

ABOUT ST., LOUIS.

(■«7)

ii8

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

i:*-

of only by the combined and persistent efforts of the land-
lord and the two agents.

If Grant ever nej^lected his duties, it was when he called
upon some army officer with a bill for rent. Then he some-
times would light his cigar, discuss for an afternoon the old
campaigns, and quite forget that he was junior partner in
the firm of Boggs & Grant, real estate agents, with an un-
receipted bill for rent in his pocket.

His quickness at figures was of great service to Boggs
when a customer stopped at the window to get a note dis-
counted at a trifle higher than the le^'^al rate. Nevertheless,
the senior partner, from the serene heights of long business
experience, rather looked down upon the junior, who care-
fully performed a clerk's duties, and meekly accepted a
round scolding when of a morning, as sometimes happened,
he was late at the office. Occasionally it would be ten or
eleven o'clock before he took his place at the desk, pleading
in extenuation that Mrs. Grant, who had several children to
care for, was late with the breakfast. The " scrabble " '
town was quite as hard as it had been in the country. t\
lady, whose husband had requested her to call on Mrs.
Grant, asked on her return :

" Why did you send me there ? The house is shabbily
furnished, and they must be very poor."

The husband replied that Grant was ?, most estimable
gentleman, though with Hctle busiiicss capacity. On further
acquaintance she became devotedly attached to Mrs. Grant,
and formed a friendship which still continues.

Grant traded Hardscrabble with an attache of the court-
house for a frame cottage on the corner of Ninth and Barton
streetiij with a high roof and pleasant overhanging shade-
trees. To this dwelling, then quite in the outskirts of the
town, he removed in July, 1859, and occupied it during the
remainder of his residence in St. Louis.

When Grant took the house, there was a mortgage upon
it for fifteen hundred dollars, which the former owner as-
sumed, giving as security a deed of trust on Hardscrabble.
A year or two later, when the deed fell due, he failed to pay
it ; so Grant was compelled to sue for the recovery of Hard-

THE MEXICAN WAR.

119

scrabble, and several years of litigation followed. After
Donelson and Vicksburg, when the case was in court in
St, Louis, an old woman who had lived near by was on the
witness stand. In reply to questions, she stated in detail
who had lived in this house. One year it was Jones, the
next Smith, and so on.

" Who lived in it in 1859 ? " asked the lawyer.

" Some man by the name of Grant," she replied.

*' Do you know where he is now ? "

•' I think he is somewhere in the war. // seems to me I
have heard of him there!'

So great was the law's delay, that only in 1867 did Grant
recover Hardscrabble. He afterwards bought Wishton-
wish and the Whitehaven house, with six hundred acres
of the old place.

The earnest captain tried hard for success in business.
He dressed plainly, and walked in and out of the busy
office without attracting any attention. The three attor-
neys thought him laboring under some special depression
of spirits. His eyes, always sad, were then unusually so.
His favorite theme was still the batdes he had fouirht, but
he related them in a matter-of-fact way, without the least
halo of imaginatioii or romance. He was minutely ac-
quainted with the Italian war then in progress. He studied
newspapers, pored over maps, and frequently said :

" This movement was a mistake. If I commanded the
army, I would do thus and so."

The attorney^ would smile, and think it of very little
consequence what their humble acquaintance would do
under such impossible circumstances. They did not be-
lieve much in village Hampdens, or mute inglorious Mil-
tons, but they enjoyed his chat. When night came, he
would not go home as long as any one remained to talk or
listen.

Hillyer and he discussed politics a good deal, for an anti-
slavery controversy was raging in the slave State of Mis-
souri. Hillyer's sympathies were republican. Grant's dem-
ocratic. Hillyer, quick and fluent, would lead his oppo-
nent off to side issues, but Grant, following slowly, always

"mWk

< i 1.;

1 I'

' Cm

i I "'Mm

' <j4}

•m 1

?I.J

'lit

I20

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

\Vi':'.

brought him back to the main question, and held him to it
tenaciously.

The firm did not make enough to support two families.
Grant's friends were glad to lend him money, for his genu-
ineness and uprightness had won greatly upon them ; but
still they looked upon him in that patronizing way with
which egotistic Success is wont to regard modest and be-
wildered Unpracticality. They thought him a little out of
place on this bustling sphere — one of the "people such^as
hang on the world's skirts rather than actually btilong to
it." Still they were a good deal drawn to him, and ear-
nestly hoped — the most ambitious hope they had for him —
that some day he might succeed in earning a good liveli-
hood.

The partners had many conferences upon their uftairs,
and Grant saw the necessity for some change, just then
the county engineership of St. Louis became vacant. It
was a post worth $1,900 a year, and one for which Grant's
West Point education rendered him thoroughly competent.
Therefore he determined to get it, and thus increase the
revenues of the firm. The appointment rested with the
county commissioners, to whom he wrote the following
business-like application :

St. Louis, August x$fA, 1859.
Hon. County Commission frs, St. Louis County, Missouri.

Gentlemen: — I beg leave to submit myself as an a])plicant for tlie
office of county engineer, should tlie office be rendered vacant, and at the
same time to submit the names of a few <:itizens who have bi^ n kind
enough to recommend me for the office. I have made no effort to get z
large number of names, nor the names of persons with whom I am not
personally acquainted. I enclose herewith also a statement from Prof.
J. J. Reynolds, who was a classmate of mine at West Point, as to (lunlirt-
cations.

Should your honorable body see proper to give me the appointment, I
pledge myself to give the office my entire attention, and shall hope to
give general satisfaction. Very respectfully

Your obedient servant,
U. S. Grant.

This document is still preserved among the records of

THE MEXICAN WAR.

121

the county. On the back it bears these endorsements — the
first official, the rest exuberant :

"Application of U. S. Grant to be appointed County Engineer. Re-
jected.

"Attest, S. W. Eagar, Jr.,

^^ Secretary Board of St. Louis County Commissioners.^*

**Note. — The within-named Captain U. S. Grant is now a Major-Gen-
eral in the United States Army, and is in command of the Department
of tlie Tennessee. September, 1862."

**Nota Bene. — Captain U. S. Grant is now Lieutenant-General of the
United States, and the highest officer in the service. May 2Sth, 1864."
"The hero of Vicksburg."
"Captured Richmond April, 1865."
"Captured the whole Confederate army, 1865."
"General United States army, 1866."

One inscription more remains to be made before the
record of Grant's official positions under the republic is
complete.

The appended recommendation ran thus:

The undersigned take pleasure in recommending Captain U. S. Grant
iM -J. suitable person for County Engineer of St. Louis County:

N. J. Eaton,
John P. Helfenstein,
F. Overstoltz,
,L. A. Benoist,
James M. Hughes,
Lemuel G. Pardee,
James C. Moody,
Felix Coste,

C. S. Purkitt,

J. Addison Barrett,

D. M. Frost,

Edward Walsh,

Robert M. Renick,
Robert- J. Hornsby,
G. W. Fishback,
J. McKnight,
J. G'Fallon,
John F. Darby,
Thomas E. Tutt,
T.' Grimsley,
S. B. Churchill,
J. M. Mitchell,
J. G. McClellan,

Tayl

August ist, 1859.
Charles A. Pope,
W. S. Hillyer,
Wi'liam L. Pipkin,
K. McKenzie,
Banian & Co.,
C. W. Ford,
A. S. Robinson,
George W. Moore,
R. A. Barnes,
Tliomas Marshall,
John Horn,
or Blow.

All the signers were prominent citizens ; many afterward
became members of the Confederate army. Blow was a
Wholesale druggist ; Benoist & Co., an old family of bank-
ers ; Pope, an eminent siircreon ; Robinson, a bank cashier;

I'll!

122

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

■i'i

McKenzie, a well-known Scotch settler, foimerly of the
Hudson Bay Company ; Ford, local superintendent of the
United States Express; Fishback, editor of the St. Louis
Democrat: Coste, executor of the estate of B''yan MuUan-
phy, an eccentric Irish citizen, who left three-quarters of a
million of dollars for the benefit of immigrants passing
through St. Louis; and Frost, an ex-captain, whom Grant
had known in the army. He it was who, just after the
rebellion began, was captured with his camp of Confeder-
ates near St. Louis by General Nathaniel Lyon. He is now
a reconstructed Confederate farmer residing near the city.
Ford and Fishback are still in their old positions. Hillyer, of
the law-firm, was on Grant's staff during the war, rose to the
rank of brigadier-general, and is now connected with the
internal revenue in New York. Moody was Hillyer's
partner, afterward a circuit judge, impeached by the Mis-
souri Legislature for some construction of law which it
reprobated. McClellan was of the same firm, and is still
practising his profession just across the street from the old
office.

Grant's friends worked hard for him, and his class-
mate, J. J. Reynolds, sent in the strongest assurances of
his fitness. His claims were duly canvassed by the com-
missioners, but politics determined almost everything.
There were five members of the board — Lightner, Taussig,
and Farrar, Republicans, and Easton and Tippet, Demo-
crats. Grant, from his political antecedents, was supposed
to have democratic proclivities, for in those days there was
more truth than satire in the witticism which defined an
"old Whig" as "one who takes his whiskey regularly,
and votes the Democratic ticket occasionally."

There was no other special objection to him. His ability
as an engineer was accorded. He was not much known,
though the commissioners had occasionally seen him about
town, a trifle shabby in dress, with pantaloons tucked in
his boots. They supposed him a good office man, but
hardly equal to the high responsibility of keeping the
roads in order. He might answer for a clerk, but in this
county engineership talent and efficiency were needed !

THE MEXICAN WAR.

123

There was another appHcant, C. E. Salomon, a brother
of Governor Salomon, of Wisconsin. He was a German,
known to be a good surveyor, and frequently seen at
his professional work. His superior activity was an advan-
tage, and he was also strongly pressed by the German
citizens, who cast more than half of the entire vote of the
county. Grant stood second in the estimation of the com-
missioners, though there were many other applicants. But
Salomon quite overshadowed him, and the record shows
the result :

"September 2 2d, 1859. Ordered by the board that C. E.
Salomon be, and he is hereby appointed, County Engineer,
to hold until otherwise ordered by this board, at a salary
of one hundred and sixty dollars per month."

The vote stood three for Salomon, two for Grant. During
the war Salomon became colonel of a German regiment,
and fought under General Lyon. Grant believes that his
failure to get it was most fortunate; that if he had obtained
it he might, perhaps, have plodded along until now in the
St. Louis court-house. But his disappointment was bitter.
Nineteen hundred dollars per annum was the purse of For-
tunatus to the modest captain, and, with unusual earnestness,
he longed for the position. The obtaining of it would have
gladdened his heart far more than the Generalship or the
Presidency in later years. It was not a question of per-
sonal feeling, but of making sure provision for the loved
ones at home.

This project failing, in September, after a life of less than
nine months, the firm of Boggs & Grant, real estate agents
and money lenders, came to an untimely end.

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■5

CHAPTER III.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

grant's determined loyalty — The breaking out of the rebellion — President Lincoln calls
for 7S,ooo men — Grant drills a company at Galena — Offers his services — Assists in
the organization of the Illinois troops — Appointed Colonel of the Twenly-lirst
Illinois Regiment — His services in Missouri — Appointed Brigadier-General — Cap-
ture of Paducah — Battle of Belmont — Grant's lesson — The value of numbers — A
letter of Grant to his father — General Grant appointed comnian<ler of the District
of Cairo — A grand reconnoissance — Fitting out gunboats — Foris Henry and Don-
elson — Commander of the District of West Tennessee — General C. F. Smith put
in charge of the army — His death — Grant in charge again.

Captain Grant next obtained a temporary position in
the St. Louis custom-house, but in less than a month the
collector died, and he was again out of employment.
Through the fall and winter he sought work in many
places, but found it nowhere. These were dark days, but
he bore them calmly and patiently. Early in the new year,
he sent in this second application for the engineership,
based on a current rumor:

St. Louis, February i^th, i860.
President County Commissioners :

Sir: — Should the ofifice of county engineer be vacated by the will of
your honorable l)0(iy, I would respectfully renew the application m.ide by
me in August last for that appointment. I would also beg leave to refer
you to the application and recommendations then submitted, and on file
with your board.

I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. Grant.

But the vacancy did not occur, and he was destined to
live no longer in St. Louis. Now, his old acquaintances
are fond of talking of tlie shy, unpractical man, whose
future they so little suspected, but whose slightest words
they recall with keen interest. One lady remembers his
almost girlish fondness for her flower-garden, a taste which
he has manifested through his entire life.

(«4)

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

125

He never told coarse stories and was never profane.
His strongest language was the pointless Western impre-
cation, " Dog on it," or the mild oath, " By lightning."
The restraining influence of his mother's teachings oper-
ated so powerfully that he has never uttered an oath in his
life. At least his nearest friends assert this with so much
emphasis and unanimity that I thini< the solitary exception
already related must be fabulous. H i says : " I always dis-
liked to hear anybody swear except Rawlins." Old army
comrades who remember the peculiarly vigorous and elo-
quent anathemas of the chief of staff will understand the
exception.

In one respect had Grant been specially fortunate. Dur-
ing all these years of poverty and struggle, his wife brought
to him that utter devotion, sympathy, faith, and love of a
sweet, true-hearted woman, which has buoyed up so many
a sufferer weighed down by heavy burdens. Her tender-
ness and fidelity were so warmly returned, that she looks
back on their life in St. Louis as one of exceeding hap-
piness.

They had now four little mouths to feed ; so, in the
spring of i860. Grant paid a visit to his fiither, at Coving-
ton. Kentucky, to discuss his future. For six years Jesse
had left the chief conduct of his Galena business in the
hands of Simpson and Orvil, though he still owned it, and
the name of the house stood "J. R. Grant." To the
brothers the father referred the case of Ulysses. They
offered him a place in the store at an annual salary of six
hundred dollars for the present. If he liked and proved
useful, Jesse intended to give him an interest, but not so
large a one as to his brothers, who had assisted in building
up the concern.

The father had already gratified his ambition for a com-
petency. Six years later he found himself worth one hun-
dred thousand dollars, and determined to make over his
property to his children. Ulysses desired none of it, in-
sisting that he had done nothing toward accumulating it,
and that the government had provided amply for iiim. So
Jesse only gave one thousand dollars each to the children

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i.s

1 (

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'f 1,

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1 M r"'

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126

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

of Ulysses, to aid in educating them, and divided the re-
mainder between his other surviving sons and daughters.

In March, i860, Ulysses removed to Galena, Illinois, on
the Galena river, four miles above its junction with the Mis-
sissippi. The little city of six or seven thousand peopl<;
has a curious Swiss look. The river cuts it in twain, and
the narrow and crowded main street threads the valley,
while on the north side a bluff rises like a roof for two
hundred feet.

Upon the summit, and in terraces along the side, perch
most of the residences. One ascends to them by wooden
steps, leaving the top of the tallest spire far below.

Galena, in the midst of the richest lead region in the
world, underlying half a dozen counties of Illinois, Iowa,
and Wisconsin, had fourteen thousand inhabitants a quarter
of a century ago. Then all the lead was brough : to the
city to be shipped ; people and wagons crowded the narrow
streets, and a Tower of Babel went up in the form of an
enormous brick hotel, containing two hundred rooms. Its
owners, who named it the De Soto House, builded rasher
than they knew. If the ghostly form of De Soto stalks
through its deserted halls, they must remind him of the pri-
meval quiet which he found on reaching the Mississippi.
The intrusive railway, giving to half a dozen little stations
equal facilities for shipping lead, has cut down the mag-
nihcent expectations of Galena, and left her far behind
Dubuque, Iowa, nineteen miles distant, and on the other
side of the Mississippi.

Near Galena, in early days, Winfield Scott, Jefferson
Davis, Albert Sidney Johnston, David E. Twiggs, and other
well-known army officers, were frequently stationed. E. D.
Baker, the Oregon senator, who was killed at the head of
his reoiment at Ball's Bluff in 1861, and William H.
Hooper, Congressional delegate from Utah, were both old
residents of the vicinity. At Hazel Green, Wisconsin, ten
miles north, sleeps James G. Percival, the modest and
lovable poet, the accomplished linguist and savant.

Grant's father-in-law. Colonel Dent, was likewise familiar
with Galena in early days, and erected one of the very first

-■> . ;

>•

_, h ,,v,^«^^^^^-J^

RESIDENCE IN I860.

CAPTAIN GRANT'S RESIDENCE AND HIS FATHER'S
STORE IN GALENA, ILL.

(»*7)

I I

jii .(•'

i 'iff

^rttf«

•^ .ijS

1*1

128

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAN I.

buildinfjs. He traded with the miners, suppHed the military
posts above with provisions, and ascended to the Falls of
St. Anthony on the first steamer which ever ventured up to
that point. Indian warriors, squaws, papooses, and dogs,
on the approach of the boat, fled to the nearest American
lort, and reported that an evil spirit, belching fire and
smoke, was coming to destroy them.

Grant took a little dwelling on the top of a picturesque
bluff, and he had to climb stairs two hundred feet high
every time he went home from the store. The leather-
house had a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and
its annual business reached the same amount. It dealt in
shoe-findings, saddlery, hardware, French calf, fancy linings,
and morocco, all bought in the East, and in domestic
leather tanned in the chestnut-oak woods of Ohio, from
hides purchased in Galena.

The captain cheerfully began his new duties. He wore
a rouirh workinsr dress and his favorite slouched hat, and
smoked a clay pipe incessantly. He was temperate in
everything else, for he had totally abstained from drink
for several years. He was courteous and popular with all
who met him on business, but never sought acquaintances.
He was a very poor salesman, could not chaffer, and did not
always know the price of an article. So, whenever a diffi-
cult or an important customer was to be dealt with, Orvil,
Simpson, or one of the clerks took him in charge.

He weighed leather for filling orders, and bought hides,
which he frequently unloaded and carried into the store on
his shoulders. One day Rowley, clerk of the Circuit
Court, sent down for leather to cover a desk in his office.
The captain walked up to the court-house with the leather
on his back, measured it, cut it, and tacked it on. A year
and a half later. Grant was a major-general in the field, and
Rowley a captain on his staff.

During one of the periodic depressions of western cur-
rency, the house bought pork and shipped it to New York
to pay Eastern bills, and save the enormous price of ex-
change. One day some farmers, who had brought a load
of pork, asked for gold instead of notes, to pay their taxes.

WAR OF THE KEBELLION.

129

The clerk offered it at a rate which Grant thought exorbi
tant, so he sug^rested that they go to the bank and learn
the current premium. The result was that they saved
twelve dollars.

In truth, Grant felt out of place. The life was distaste-
ful to him. Jesse spent a few weeks in Gale^na every year,
hut the business was mainly in the hands of Orvil, thirteen
years the younger, a fact which could not have been pleas-
ant to the elder brother. An old neighbor remarks:

"Though very unnoticeable he attended to business
faithfully and talked a great deal, but always about places
that he had seen — never of what he had read. His con-
versation was entertaining, but fact, and not fancy, inter-
ested him."

" I first encountered him," says another, " coming down
the hill toward the store with Orvil. He wore a blue
overcoat and old slouched hat, and looked like a pri.ate
soldier. He had not more than three intimates in the
whole town."

The bread and butter question was still a serious one.
The rent of the dwelling was only one hundred and
twenty-five dollars per annum. Much of the time Mrs.
Grant had no servant, but took the whole care of her house
and the four children. Her husband had no extra\>agant
habiis ; though not naturally frugal, he was now so perforce.
Still, the six hundred dollars a year proved utterly inade-
quate to support him. It was raised to eight hundred, but
even upon this he was unable to live. The want of money
hampered him, and he went to the war considerably in debt,
but paid every dollar from his earliest earnings in the army.

The patriotic ardor of Grant and all the loyal West was
inflamed in 1S61, by the attacks made by the Confederates
upon the arsenals and forts of the United States, and when
Beauregard opened fire upon Fort Sumter on the nth
of April, 1 861, he concluded to tender his services to the
governor of Illinois.

Four days afterward President Lincoln issued his call
for seventy-five thousand three months' men ; four days
later a company was enrolled at Galena, and Grant being
9

AiuM

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iilS

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

1*1

the only man in the town who knew anything whatever of
mihtary matters, the duty of drilling this company was
naturally assigned to him ; still four days later, he went
with it to Springfield, and reported to the governor for
service.

From Springfield he addressed a letter to the adjutant-
general of the army, offering his services to the govern-
ment for whatever duty it might be thought his past ex-
perience would fit him, but to this letter he received no
reply. About this time he visited his father at Covington.
Ky., and wliilc there he took occasion to go twice to Cin-
jinnati, where General McClellan, then commanding the
Ohio militia, had established his head-quarters, hoping that
his past acquaintance with that general might secure for
him an offer of employment. But in this, too, he was disap-
pointed.

Finally, about the first of May, Governor Yates, after
asking him if he could tell how many men and ofiicers
there weic in a company and in a regiment — which was
more than his excellency yet knew — took Grant into his
office as clerk and military adviser to himself and his
adjutant-general. The latter had no printed forms for
transacting the important business of his office. Grant
ruled 'sheets of paper until blanks could be printed, sys-
tematized the whole business, and turned it off with the
greatest ease. He consulted no books, having at his finger-
ends all needed information ; yet he did his work so unde-
monstradvely that neither governor nor adjutant-general
was particularly impressed with his capacity.

The oftice work once reduced to mere clerical routine,
Grant assumed mor: Important duties. On the 4th of
Ma\' he was put in command of Camp Yates, during the
temporary absence of Captain Pope. Next he mustered
in several new regiments, including the Twenty-first, at
Mattoon. He was called "captain," but he had neither
uniform nor commission.

T/ie Vicksbtu'g Sun, of May 13th, commented with
glee upon a report of "one Captain U. S. Grant," to the
governor, thai Ill.'nois boasted just nine hundred muskets,

of w
a hic.
with

"one
To

"W
inonts
not as
" To
hesitat
feiv me
I (ioicbt
By tl:
in, and
His old
Jii-st acr
He did 1
that Mc
tiinatejy,
occasion
Meani
infantry,
a large
in tile Ml
and the
J'ebeJIion
a compar
first. CliI
't. to conti
Tile trc
It became!
The govej
about thii
store, ask(

* (/node afteii
f " became
Missouri.

WAR OK THE REIJKLLIUN.

13^

of which only sixty were in serviceable condition. It {\rv.w
a kulicrous picture of the Prairie State and i>er ex-captain,
with three-score rusty ^i^uns, coming- to conquer the South.
Tiiey learned somethin*^ more in Vicksburg, by and by, of
"one Captain U. S. Grant" and of Illinois soldiers.

Toward the close of May he went home on a brief visit.
Oil his way back to Springfield a friend asked:

"Why don't you put in for one of these IlHnois regi-
ments ? As things are going, I don't know why you are
not as much entitled to a colonelcy as any one."

" To tell you the truth," replied Grant, after a moment's
hesitation, " I would rather like a regiment, ycl *^>cre are
few men really competent to command a llumsand soldiers, and
I doubt IV he t her I am one of them."

By the loth of June all the regiments harl been mustered
in, and Grant went on a visit to his father, in Covington.
His old friend McClellan was in command at Cincinnati,
just across the river, and Grant called upon him twice.
He did not propose to ask for an appointment, but thought
that McClellan might invite him to come on his sLaff. I^or-
tunately, he did not find that general at his office on either
occasion.

Meanwhile there was trouble in the Twenty-first Illinois
inHintry, at Camp Yates. Colonel Goode, its commander,
a large fine-looking man, a Kentucklan by birth, had been
in the Mexican war, the Lopez Expedition against Cuba,
and the Kansas border troubles. At the outbreak of the
rebellion he was city clerk at Decatur, Illinois. He raised
a company, and finally rose to the colonelcy of the Twenty-
first. But what experience ever taught one, not born to
it, to control men ?

The troops became insubordinate ; many deserted ; and
it became evident that the colonel was utt-erly incompetent.
The governor, therefore, refused to commission him,'" and
about this time, meeting a book-keeper from the Galena
store, asked :

* Gnode afterward sought to re-enter the regiment as a private, but was refused. He
then became a Peace Democrat, and in 1868 met his death in a personal rencounter in

Missouri.

1 •" -{l

» i^

1.^.2

IIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

:i!r

"What kind of a man is this Captain Grant? Though
anxious to serve, he seems rehictant to take any high posi-
tion. He even dedined my offer to recommend him to
Washington for a brigadier-generalship, saying he didn't
want ofiice till he had earned it. What docs he want ? "

" The way to deal with him," replied the book-keeper,
" is to ask him no questions, but simply order him to duty.
He will obey promptly,"

Thereupon the governor despatched to Grant:

" You are this day appointed colonel of the Twenty-first
Illinois Volunteers, and requested to take command at
once."

This was on Saturday, Before the telegram reached
Covington Grant had started on his return. Spending
Sunday with his old classmate, J. J. Reynolds, at Terrc
Haute, Indiana, he was again in Springfield on Monday
morning, and immediately began tb.e duties of his new-
position. Of his commission, dated on the i6th of June,
Yates declares :

" It w^as the most glorious day of my life when I
sigfued it."

Colonel Grant found his new regiment in the worst pos-
sible condition. The men mostly without tents, without
uniforms, and as ragged as Falstaff's recruits, wore their
oldest clothes, after the manner of volunteers about to get
new suits from the government. They were chiefly farmers'
sons, of fine physique — the best raw material for good sol-
diers, but utterly demoralized by want of discipline. Gen
eral John E. Smith. says of the colonel's first visit to his
command :

" I went with him to camp, and shall never forget the
scene wdien his men first saw him. Grant was dressed in
citizen's clothes, an old coat worn out at the elbows, and a
badly damaged hat. His men, though ragged and bare-
footed themselves, had formed a high estimate of what a
colonel should be, and when Grant walked in among them,
they began making fun of him. They cried in derision.
'What a colonel!' 'D — n such a colonel,' and made all
sorts of fun of him. And one of them, to show off to the

other:

him, a

j)ii.sh 1

TIk

was n(

calls w

them I

port, n

rowed,

the fin

coats.

" Thi
their clc
, Heti
few of ti
and offic
L'ood dij
the best
men gre
who are i
Before
Galena,
horses, o
With gei
dred, he
old partn
the proce
One S
Washbu.
liours, ab
't- Gran
ness were
enthusias
Jark day
The re
but it re-(
for aid.
"Iwoul
"Order
tion."

WAR OF THE REHELLION.

13:

Others, got behind his back and commenced sparring at
him, and while he was doing this anotlier gave him such a
push that he hit Grant between the shoulders."

The soldiers soon learned that their quiet commander
was not to be trifled with. One of the first morning roll-
calls was an hour late. Grant observing it, simply sent
them back to their quarters. There being no morning re-
port, no rations came in that day; so they begged, bor-
rowed, and bought food wherever they could find it. At
the first dress parade several officers appeared without
coats. Said Grant, sharply:

"This is a dress parade. Officers are expected to wear
their clothes. Dismiss the men to quarters."

He turned and walked away without another word. A
few of these sharp penalties and admonitions brought men
and officers to their duty. In ten days diere was tolerably
good discipline, and ultimately the regiment became one of
the best in the service. Notwithstanding his severity, the
men grew attached to him, as soldiers always do to officers
who are just, self-controlled, and "know their business."

Before taking the field. Grant paid another flying visit to
Galena. He must have an outfit, and no gifts of swords,
horses, or money, poured in during these days of obscurity.
With genuine human nature, instead of applying to his kin-
dred, he procured the indorsement of Collins, his father's
old partner, to his note for three hundred dollars, and with
the proceeds bought horse and uniform.

One Sunday afternoon, during this visit, he rode over to
Washburne's, in whose library the two talked for several
hours, about the rebellion and the means necessary to crush
it. Grant's intelligence, self-abnegation, and clear-headed-
ness were so palpable that they won for him a powerful and
enthusiastic friendship, w^hich was never to be shaken in
dark days yet to come.

The regiment had been mustered in for only thirty days,
but it re-enlisted for the war. Soon after Missouri called
for aid. Governor Yates said :

"I would send another regiment, if I had transportation."

"Order mine," replied Grant; "I will find transporta-
tion."

' "m

M-

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'34

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

■Ml

Yates did order it to Mexico, in northern Missouri, and
Grant marched his men across the country, as the shortest
and best way to make soldiers of them. They started in
high feather, a good deal more troublesome to their *riciiJs
than they seemed likely ever to be to their enemies. But
the colonel soon put a stop to depredations. The first
night he had a number of men tied up by the thumbs,
and in a few days they were as disciplined and orderly on
the march as of late they had been in camp.

In a week they reached their destination. Pope was in
command of north Missouri. Grant, diough a junior colo-
nel, was placed in charge of a brigade. His men had
nothing to do but guard railway trains and bridges, and
occasionally make short marches in pursuit of the swanuing
bushwhackers. Oti one excursion, several soldiers obtained
whiskey, and soon began to stagger. Grant immediately
halted the regiment, went through the ranks, examined
each canteen and emptied out liquor wherever he found it.
He had the men tied behind baggage wagons till they grew
sober, and sharply reprimanded the officers for permitting
such a gross abuse.

While in civil life he once said to a friend :
" If a man wants promotion in the army, he should
resign and take advantage of the first war to go in for
promotion. He is morally sure of a higher position."
Now, encountering Grant in the field, this friend asked:
"Well, are yo?i going in for promotion now?"
" No ; I am nicely fixed at Galena. To tell you the truth,
I would not go back to the regular army short of a colo-
nelcy, and I know very well that I could not get that,"

Notwithstanding his love of discipline, his heart was ten-
der and lenient, A colonel asked his counsel as to how he
should deal with a boyish volunteer who had left an excel-
lent home, but was now falling into bad company, gambling,
and neglect of duty. Grant replied :

" The army is a hard place. It will ruin a great many
young men. Talk to him and try to teach him more self-
control. Do everything to counteract the evil influences
of camp-life, but don't punish him, unless you find it abso-
lutely necessary, for that brings a sense of degradation,"

Shor
"C
at ni}
table,
and I
to a r

tnirty-
printe
reque;
in the
The
Eighth
ner of
a briga
tion vo
only or
the top
lowed i
Near]
day, th
to th
on the
Pope,
nothin^
brough
" Col
"Wl
"Yoi
Gran
" I ha
quest o
Thus
with th(
from hh
"We
to Flori(
was repc

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

I3i)

The regimental chaplain was in the head-quarters mess.
Shortly after he joined the regiment Grant said to him :

" Chaplain, when I was at home, and ministers stopped
at my house, I always invited them to ask a blessing at the
table. I suppose it is quite as much needed here as there,
and I shall be glad to have you do it whenever we sit down
to a meal."

In Julv began a special session of Congrt. -js. Illinois had
thirty-six regiments in the field. President Lincoln sent a
printed notice to each of her senators and representatives,
requesting them to recommend four soldiers for brigadiers,
in the desired order of rank.

The delegation met at the parlor of Senator Trumbull, in
Eiehth street. Washburne, urgino- that the northwest cor-
ner of the State had sent many troops, and was entitled to
a brigadier, placed Grant in nomination. Then the delega-
tion voted for each candidate separately. Grant was the
only one who received every vote, therefore he stood at
the top of the list. Hurlbut, Prentiss, and McClernand fol-
lowed in the order named.

Nearly forty other appointments were made the same
day, the 7th of August, but the commissions dated back
to the 17th of May. Grant stood number seventeen
on the list. Above him were Franklin, Sherman, Buell,
Pope, Hooker, Kearny, and Fitz John Porter. He knew
nothing of his good fortune until one morning the chaplain
brought him a morning paper from St, Louis, saying:

"Colonel, I have some news here that will interest you."

"What is it?"

" You are made a brioadier-sfeneral."

Grant read the announcement and replied:

" I had no suspicion of it. It never came from any re-
quest of mine. It must be some of Washburne's work."

Thus, after two months of command. Grant's connection
with the Twenty-first regiment ended. An account of it
from his own hand concludes :

"We did make one march, however, from Salt River, Mo.,
to Florida, Mo., and return, in search of Tom Harris, who
was reported in that neighborhood with the enemy.

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IJFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

It was impossible to get nearer than a «^la)''s march of him.
From Salt River the regiment went to Mexico, Mo., where
it remained for two weeks, thence to Ironton, passing
through St. Louis on the 7th of August, where I was
assigned to duty as a brigadier-general, and turned over
the command of tlie regiment to that gallant and Christian
officer. Colonel Alexander, who afterward yielded up his
life while nobly leading it in the battle of Chickamauga."

Early in August he was assigned to duty as a brigadier-
general. His name having been suggested by the Hon.
E. B. Washburne, and unanimously recommended by the
Congressional delegation from Illinois, the President ap-
pointed him to that rank to date from May 17th, 1861, one
month anterior to his appointment of colonel by Governor
Yates. He was immediately assigned to the command of
the district of Southeastern Missouri, includinir the south-
eastern part of the Stale from which it took its name,
Southern Illinois, and all of the territory in Western Ken-
tucky and Tennessee, then or afterwards under the control
of the national forces. Simultaneously with this assign-
ment he was ordered by telegraph to proceed to St. Louir,
and report in person at the head-quarters of the depart-
ment. In order that no time should be lost, a special train
was sent from St. Louis for him ; but when the General
presented himself the same day at head-quarters as directed,
they were so surrounded by sentinels, and hedged about
with aids-de-camp in waiting, that he was delayed over
twenty-four hours before he could reach the presence of
General Fremont. Having received his instructions, on
the 1st of September, he went at once to Cairo, where he
established his head-quarters, and assumed the command
*o which he had been assigned.

At this time the Confederates under Polk held Colum-
bus, a strong point commanding the river twenty miks
below Cairo, and in connection with Bragg, at Bowling
Green, were making vigorous efforts to provoke Kentucky
into an abandonment of her assumed neutrality. They
had also a force operating in Southeastern Missouri, under
Thompson ; they controlled the Mississippi river through

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

^Z1

out its length, below the mouth of the Ohio ; held the Ten-
nessee and the Cumberland, and seemed to be looking to
tlie control of the Ohio, by the seizure of Paducah and
other strong points on the western border of Kentucky.
Perceiving the true condition of affairs almost at a glance,
and properly appreciating the strategic importance of
Paducah, situated at the confluence of the Tennessee and
Ohio rivers. Grant determined at once to forestall the
movement which Polk had already begun toward that
point; and on the 5th of September he signified his inten-
tions to Fremont and the Legislature ot Kentucky. On
the night of the same day, having received no counter-
manding order from Fremont, and ha^'ing made an
arrangement with Commodore Foote for a convoy of two
(Tunboats, he set out with two regiments of infantry and
one battery of field artillery, embarked upon steam trans-
ports. An accident to one of the transports caused a
slight detention to his flotilla. Nevertheless, it arrived at
Paducah by half-past eight o'clock the next day. A small
force of the Confederate army, under General Tilghman,
had reached there before the national troops, but fled upon
their approach, leaving Grant to take quiet possession of
the town, and the stores already gathered there. Having
disembarked the troops and occupied the telegraph office,
railroad depot, and marine hospital, he issued a proclama-
tion, saying that he had nothing to do with opinions, and
would deal only with armed rebellion, its aiders and abet-
tors. The same day he returned to Cairo, where he found
p(;rmission from Fremont to take Paducah, if he thought
himself strong enough. But, in the meandme, Fremont
had sent him, by telegraph, a severe reprimand for corre-
sponding with the Kentucky State authorities in regard to
his contemplated movement, and informed him that Gen-
eral C. F. Smith had been assigned to the command of
Paducah, with orders to report directly to Fremont's head-
quarters. As a matter of course Grant's promptitude *vas an
exasp(;rating blow to the disunionists in Kentucky, and was
severely denounced by the authorities there as a flagrant
viokition of the neutrality declared by a sovereign State.

138

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Its effect was to give the national forces firm control of the
Ohio river, as well as of the lower Tennessee and Cum-
berland. At the same time it served to unmask the real
intention of the Confederate leaders, while it strengthened
the hands of the Union men in the Legislature sufficiently
to enable them to carry resolutions favoring the Union
cause, thus putting an end forever to the fiction of Ken-
tucky neutrality. During the next ten weeks Grant was
prohibited from engaging in important operations, and by
the order of Fremont was kept in a strictly defensive
attitude.

The foresight and promptitude exhibited by Grant in
making himself master of Paducah were characteristic of
the man. The same qualities were destined to secure him
victory on many a battle-field, and to carry him afterward:^
to the highest position in the land. In obedience to in-
structions from General Fremont to make some co-opera-
tive movements, Grant, who had already greatly strength-
ened Paducah by erecting fortifications, had thrown a
pontoon-bridge across the Ohio, half a mile below the
town, had seized and occupied Smith Bend, and had thus
cut the Confederates off from two important sources of
supply, resolved to threaten Columbus by attacking Bel-
mont, a small village and landing-place on tlie Missouri
side of the river and directly opposite Columbus. He had
learned that the Confederate General Price was receiving
reinforcements from Polk ; and he hoped that, by making
himself master of Belmont, he would break up the connec-
tion between them. Havinqf arranged some side move-
ments for the purpose of distracting the attention of Polk,
Grant, with about three thousand troops, in four steam
transports, and having for convoy the two wooden gun-
boats Tyler and Lexington, sailed down the Mississippi
from Cairo on the evening of November 6th. At Island
No. I, eleven miles above Columbus, they halted for the
night. There Grant learned that Polk was sending troops
across to cut off Oglesby, whom, in compliance with Fre-
mont's request, he had previously sent off to assist Carlin
in driving Thompson into Arkansas. At an early hour on

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

139

the following morning he landed his forces at Hunter's
Point, on the Missouri side of the river, and about three
miles above Belmont. A battalion was left to guard the
transports. The remainder advanced and ^..rmed in line
about two miles above the village. The gunboats mean-
while moved down and opened fire on the Confederate
batteries on the Iron Banks. The centre of the attacking
column was under Colonel Fouke, the right under Colonel
Hiiford, the left under Colonel Logan. It was evident that
Polk had been taken by surprise. General Smith, whom
Grant had sent ahead the day before, was threatening him
at Mayfield, in his rear, and he had been making his
preparations to resist an attack in that direction. Dollins
and Delano's cavalry were ordered forward to scour the
woods. It was not long before they encountered the
enemy, in considerable force. About a mile and a half
from the enemy's camp the line of battle was formed.
Behind an abatis of felled trees which surrounded the
camp lay the Thirteenth Arkansas and Ninth Tennessee.
There was also opposite Grant's left a battery of seven
guns, commanded by Colonel Beltzhoover. This battery
was protected by Colonel Wright's Tennessee regiment.
In the face of a destructive fire, on the national forces
rushed. Meanwhile the batteries of Columbus had shifted
the heavy fire from the gunboats to the advancing line.
The guns, however, were not in range, and as yet they
did no harm. Nothing daunted, Grant pressed forward
his men. In spite of the galling fire, onward they moved,
charging over the fallen timber, capturing the battery and
driving the enemy back across the low ground towards the
ri,'er, and compelling some of them to take to their boats.
Ir a brief space of time the heavy guns at Columbus were
got into range, and the deadly bullets crashed through the
woods, over and among the advancing and triumphant
Federals. A second and a third time was the retreating
foe overtaken ; and although reinforced and disposed to
resist to the last, they were ultimately routed, some of
them seeking shelter behind buildings near the river, some
in the woods above the camp, and others under cover of

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140

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the batteries at Columbus. It was a complete victory.
The national troops gave themselves up to the wildest
excitement. As yet discipline in the army was loose. In
the face of Polk's batteries, three cheers were given for tlie
Union ; and while some of the soldiers were delivering
stump speeches, others were rifling the baggage or supply-
ing themselves with the arms which the discomfited Con-
federates had thrown down in their flight.

Although the victory was complete, the place was un-
tenable, commanded as it was by the heavy guns of Col-
umbus. While these were brought to bear upon the
national troops in the midst of their wild abandonment,
Polk ordered General Cheatham to cross the river above
with his regiments, for the purpose of cutting Grant off
from his flotilla. At the same time he himself crossed
with two regiments to take part in the pursuit. Five
thousand fresh men were thus at hand to hinder or harass
the retreat. Grant, however, was equal to the situation.
Getting his men in order, he pressed forward to the land-
ing-place. While compelled to cut his way through the
ranks of the enemy, he was exposed to a raking fire from
the Confederate batteries on the Iron Banks. The fight-
ing was terrific. After severe suffering the landing-place
was reached ; and under cover of the gunboats, which had
come up, and which kept the enemy at bay, the embarka-
tion was completed. By five o'clock in the afternoon, the
flotilla, with the entire force on board, was on its way back
to Cairo. Grant carried with him, in addition to all his
own men, two of Beltzhoover's heavy guns. The esti-
mated national lo3s was 480 men in killed, wounded and
missing. That of the enemy was 642.

This was the first battle of any magnitude in that theatre
of operations, 7Md is justly claimed by Grant as a substan-
tial and important victory. Officers and men had behaved
with great gallantry. Colonels Logan, Lauman, Dougherty,
and Fouke, and General McClernand led their men with
conspicuous bravery throughout the action, while Grant
himself exhibited his usual coolness and determination. In
the heat of the action his horse was killed under him. After

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

141

tlie larger part of his command had reached the transports,
he went out again, accompanied by an aid-de-camp, for the
purpose of withdrawing the battahon that had been left to
cover the landing, and such small partit.'s as had not yet got
in, but had gone only a few rods when he found himself i'l
front of the entire Confederate line not sixty paces distant.
Being dressed in a soldier's blouse, the Confederates took
no particular notice of him. He saw that all his stragglers
had been picked up or cut off, and therefore turned to ride
towards the boat, but as the Confederates continued to ad-
vance rapidly in the same direction, he was compelled to
put his horse to his best speed, and succeeded in reaching
the boat just as she was pushing off. The Confederates,
now under Polk in person, reached the shore a few minutes
afterwards, and opened a severe musketry fire on the trans-
ports, but as they fired low, little or no damage was done.
The gunboats replied with canister and grap(> and drove
them ba^k in confusion.

The Confederates claimed this as a great victory, but noth-
inq^ is more certain than that Grant accomplished his pur-
pose, captured and burnt the Confederate camps, took their
artillery and compelled Pillow's command of five regiments
to seek safety under cover of the river bank. After the
Confederate force had been doubled by two additional brig-
ades, and had succeeded in surrounding Grant, the latter
again broke the Confederate lines and forced his way to the
transports, inflicting almost twice as much loss upon the
enemy as he had received. Oglesby's movement was en-
tirely protected, and the Confederates in all that region
were thrown upon the defensive, lest their strong places
should be wrested from them. The national troops engage.d
in the batde of Belmont had no doubt whatever that they
had gained a substantial victory, and the memory of their
deeds gave them a confidence and steadiness in action
which transformed them at once into veterans.

The following is from a private letter from Geneial
Grant to his father, written on the nic^ht of the 8th:

" Day before yesterday I left Cairo with about three
thousand men in five steamers, convoyed by two gunboats.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and proceeded down the river to within about twelve miles
of Columbus. The next morning the boats were dropped
down just out of ranj^^e of the enemy's batteri('s, and tht:
troops debarked. During this operation our gunboats
exercised the Confederates by throwing shells into their
camps and batteries. When all ready, we proceeded about
one mile toward Belmont, opposite Columbus, when I
formed the troops into line, and ordered two companies
from each regiment to deploy as skirmishers, and push on
through the woods and discover the position of the enemy.
They had gone but a little way when they were fired upon,
and the ball may be said to have fairly opened.

" The whole command, with the exception of a small
reserve, was then deployed in like manner and ordered
f'vvard. The order was obeyed with great alacrity, the
men all showing great courage. I can say with great grat-
ification that every colonel, without a single exception, set
an example, to their commands that inspired a confidence
that will always insure victory when there is the slightest
possibility of <^aining one.

" From here we fought our way from tree to tree through
the woods to Belmont, about two and a half miles, the
enemy contesting every foot of ground. Here the t;nemy
had strengthened their position by felling the trees for two
or three hundred yards and sharpening their limbs, making-
a sort of abatis. Our men charged through, making the
victory complete, giving us possession of their camp and
garrison equipage, artillery, and everything else.

" We got a great many prisoners. The majority, how-
ever, succeeded in getting aboard their steamers and push-
ing across the river. We burned everything possible and
started back, having accomplished all that we went for, and
even more. Belmont i^ entirely covered by the batteries
from Columbus, and is worth nothing as a military position —
cannot be held without Columbus.

"The object of the expeclition was to prevent the enemy
from sending a force into Missouri to cut off troops I had
sent there for a special purpose, and to prevent reinforc-
ing Price.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

" Besides being well fortified at Columbus, their number
far exceeded ours, and it would have been folly to have
attacked them. We found the Confederates well armed
and brave. On our return, stragglers, that had been left
ill our rear (now front), fired into us, and more recrossed
the river and gave us battle for a full mile, and afterward
at the boats when we were embarking.

"There was no hasty retreating or running away. Tak-
ing into account the object of the expedition, the victory
was complete. It has given us confidence in the officers
and men of this command, that will enable us to lead them
in any future engagement without fear of the result. Gen-
era' McClernand (who, by the way, acted with great cool-
ness and courage throughout, and proved that he is a
soldier as vv^ell as a statesman) and myself each had our
jiorses shot under us. Most of the field-officers met with
tiie same loss, beside nearly one-third of them being them-
selves killed or wounded. As near as I can ascertain, our
loss was about two hundred and fifty killed and wounded."

General McClernand, in his official report of this batde,
after speaking of the hotness of the engagement, and nar-
row escapes of some of his officers, makes use of the follow-

innf words

" Here the projectiles from the enemy s heavy guns at
Columbus, and their artillery at Belmont, crashed through
the woods over and among us. . . . And here, too, many
of our officers were killed or wounded; nor shall I omit to
add, that this gallant conduct was stimulated by your
(Grant's) presence, and inspired by your example. Here
your horse was killed under you."

After the United States troops had returned to their base

of operations at Cairo, General Grant issued the following

order :

Head-quarters, District of Southeast Missouri,
Cairo, November ?>th, 1861.
The general commanding this mihtary district returns his thanks to
the troops under his command at the battle of Belmont on yesterday.

It has been his fortune to have been in all the battles fought in Mexico
l)y General Scott "and Taylor, save Buena Vista, and he never saw one
more hotly contested, or where troops behaved with more gallantry.

' .«

144

LIFE (3F ULYSSES S. GRANT.

■^

Such coijrngc will insure victory wherever our flag may be borne and
protected by such a class of men.

To the brave men who fell, the sympathy of the country is due, ami
will be niunifebted in a manner unmistakable.

U. S. Grant, Brigadier- General commantiing.

But, while General Grant was engaged in congratulating
those who had returned safe, he was not unmindful of the
sufferers who had fallen wounded into the hant^, of the
enemy. Knowing the incomplc.o state of the medical and
surgical departments of the Confederate army opposed to
him, he adilressed the following despatch to the Confeder-
ate general under a Hag of truce :

Head-quarters, District of Southeast Missouri,
Cairo, November ?^th, 1861.
Genera/ eommanding forces, Columbus, Ky.

Sir : — In the skirmish of yesterday, in which both parties behaved
with so much gallantry, many unfortunate men were left upon the field
of battle, whom it was impossible to provide for. I now send, in the
interest of humanity, to have these unfortunates collected and medical
attendance secured them. Major Webster, Chief of Engineers, District
Southeast Missouri, goes bearer of this, and will express to you my views
upon the course that should be pursued under the circumstances, such as
those of yesterday.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. Grant, Brigadier-General commanding.

To this communication the commander of the Confederate
post returned the following answer:

Head-quarters, First Division, Western Department,
Columbus, Kv., November %th, 1861.
Brigadier-General U. S. Grant, U. S. A.

I have received your note in regard to yom* wounded and killed on the
battle-field, after yesterday's engagement. The lateness of the hour at
which my troops returned to the principal scene of action prevented my
bestowing the care upon the wounded which I desired.

Such attentions as were practicable were shown them, and measures
were taken at an early hour this morning to have them all brought into
my hospitals. Provision was also made for taking care of your dead.
The permission you desire under your flag of truce to aid in attention to
your wounded is granted with ])leasure, under such restrictions as tlic
exigencies of our service may require. In your note you say nothing oi
an exchange of prisoners, though you send me a private message as to your

WAR OF THE KEItKI.i.lDN.

145

willingness to release certain wounded men, and some invalids taken
troin our list of sick in camps, and cxj)ect, in return, a ( orrosponding
ntimber of your wounded prisoners. My own feelings would pronii)t
iiu' to waive ayain the unimportant afTectation of declining to recognize
these States as belligerents, in the interests of humanity ; hut my gov-
ernment requires all prisoners to he placed at the disposal of the Secre-
tary of War. I have despatched him to know if the case of the severely
wounded held by me will form an exception.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

L. Polk, Major-General C. S. A.

After General Halleck had assumed the command of the
Department of the Missouri, he began to organize the samcj
into proper miHtary districts, so as to allow each district
commander to have full control of the section of country
embraced within his lines.

On the 20th of December, 1861, General Halleck, appre-
ciating the military ability of General Grant, issued an
order defining what should constitute the District of Cairo,
and extending the command until it became one of the
largest divisions in the country. He then appointed General
Grant to be chief commander of the same. In accordance
with that appointment, General Grant assumed the com-
mand of the new district on December 21st, 1S61, and an-
p^'Hced the same in the following order:

Head-quarteus, District of Cairo,
Cairo, December 2\st, 1861.
fral Order No. 22.]
A\ pursuance of Special Order No. 78, from Head-quarters, Department
01 the Missouri, the name of this Military District will be known as the
"District of Cairo," and will include all the southern part of Illinois,
that part of Kentucky west of the Cumberland river, and the southern
counties of Missouri, south of Cape Girardeau.

The force at Shawneetown will be under the immediate command of
Colonel T. H. Cavanaugh, Sixth Illinois cavalry, who will consolidate
the reports of his command weekly, and forward to these head- quarters.
All troops that are, or may be, stationed along the banks of the Ohio,
on both sides of the river, east of Caledonia, and to the mouth of the
Cumberland, will be included in the command, having head-quarters at
Paducah, Ky.

Brigadier-General E. A. Paine is assigned to the command of the
foices at Bird's Point, Missouri.
All supplies of ordnance, quartermaster and commissary stores, will
10

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146

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

be obtained through the chiefs of each of these departmeriis, at district
head-quarters, where not otherwise provided for.

For the information of that portion of this command, newly attached,
the following list of Staff Officers is published :

Captain John A. Rawlins, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Captain Clark B. Lagow, Aide-de-Camp.

Captain William S. Hillyer, Aide-de-Camp.

Major John Riggin, Jr., Volunteer Aide-de-Camp.

Captain R. B. Hatch, Assistant Quartermaster U. S. Volunteers,
C! ief Quartermaster.

Captain W. VV. Leland, A. C. S. U. S. Volunteers, Chief Com-
missary.

Captain W. F. Brinck, Ordnance Officer.

Surgeon James Simons, U. S. A., Medical Director.

Assistant Surgeon J. P. Taggart, U. S. A., Medical Purveyor.

Major I. N. Cook, Pay-Master.

Colonel J. D. Webster, Chief of Staff, and Chief of Engineers.
By order, U. S. Grant, Brigadier- General comtnattding.

General Grant at once began organizing, under his per-
sonal supervision, the new troops added to his command,
and as soon as deemed fit for such service, they were sent
to the various posts belonging to the district, including
Fort Jefferson and Paducah, in Kentucky. By this plan
of operation General Grant had all his troops well in hand,
and yet so distributed that it was a matter of great diffi-
culty, if not an actual impossibility, for the enemy to learn
his strength.

On the loth of January, the forces under the immediate
command of General McClernand left Cairo in transports,
and disembarked at Fort Jefferson. The transports were
protected by two gunboats, which were next ordered to
lie off the fort. The Confederates, with three armed vessels,
attacked these gunboats the next morning; but, after a
brisk engagement, had to beat a retreat — the Union vessels
chasing them until they took refuge under the guns of
Columbus.

As picket-shooting had existed to a fearful extent in the
vicinity of Cairo, General Grant, on the nth of January,
issued an order, as follows :

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

147

Head-quarters, Cxmo, January nth, 1862.
Brigadier-General Paine, Bird's Point.

I understand that four of our pickets were shot this morning. If this
is so, and appearances indicate that the assassins were citizens, not
regularly organized in the rebel army, the whole country should be
cleared out for six miles around, and word given that all citizens, mak-
ing their apjjearance within those limits, are liable to V>e shot.

To execute this, patrols should be sent out in all directions, and bring
into camp, at Bird's Point, all citizens, together with their subsistence,
and require them to remain, under penalty of death and destruction of
tiieir property, until properly relieved.

Let no harm befoll these people, if they quietly submit ; but bring
them in and place them in camp below the breastwork, and have them
properly guarded.

T/ic intention is not to make political prisoners of these people, but to cut
of a dam^crous class of sf^ics.

This a|)plies to all classes and conditions, age and sex. If, however,
women and children prefer other protection than we can afford them,
they may be allowed to retire beyond the limits indicated — not to return
until authorized.

By order of U. S. Grant, Brigadier-General commanding.

As General Grant states in the above order, it was ne-
cessary to keep spies away from his vicinity, as he was then
about to start on a perilous expedition. He had already
divided his forces into three columns — under Generals
Paine, McClernand and C. F. Smith — General Grant com-
manding the whole expedition in person.

Before startinq: on this adventure General Grant issued
the following order to his troops :

Head-quarters, District of Cairo,
Cairo, January \T,th, 1862.
[General Order No. 3.]

During the absence of the expedition, now starting upon soil occujjied
almost solely by the rebel army, and when it is a fair inference that
every stranger met is an enemy, the following orders will be observed :

Troopi , on marching, will be kept in the ranks ; company officers being
held strictly accountable for all stragglers from their companies. No
firing wi)l be allowed in camp or on the march not strictly required in
the performance of duty. While in camp no privilege will be granted to
officers or soldiers to leave their regimental grounds, and all violations of
this order must be promptly and summarily punished.

Disgrace having been brought upon our brave fellows by the bad con-
duct of some of their members, showing on all occasions, when marching
through territory occufiied by sympathizers of the enemy, a total disregard

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148

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

of the rights of citizens, and being guilty of wanton destruction of pri-
vate property, the general commanding desires and intends to e7iforce a
change in this respect.

The interpreting of confiscation acts by troops themselves has a de-
moralizing eftect — weakens them in exact proportions to the demoraliza-
tion, and makes open and armed enemies of many who, from opposite
treatment, would become friends, or, at most, non-combatants.

It is ordered, therefore, that the severest punishment be inflicted upon
every soldier who is guilty of taking, or destroying, private property;
and any commissioned officer, guilty of like conduct, or of countenancing
it, shall be deprived of his sword and expelled from the camp, not to be
I)ermitted to return.

On the march cavalry advance guards will be thrown out, also flank
guards of cavalry or infantry, when practicable. A rear-guard of in fan trv
will be required to see that no teams, baggage, or disabled soldiers are
left behind. It will be the duty of company commanders to see that
rolls of their company are called immediately upon going into camp each
day, and every member accounted for.

By order, U. S. Grant, Brigadier-General comvmnding.

On the morning of Tuesday, January 14th, 1862, General
McClernand's column moved forward from Fort Jefferson,
and the cokimns under Generals Paine and Smith, at Padu-
cah, commenced similar movements. The three columns
combined made a force of nineteen regiments of infantry,
four regiments of volunteer cavalry, two companies of reg-
ular cavalry, and seven batteries of artillery.

At the time this expedition crmmenced its march the
Mississippi river was nearly fil'ed with floating ice, thus
making the transportation of troops a serious difficulty.
Demonstrations were made by General McClernand's
column, as if with the intention of attackin^jf Columbus in
the rear, by way of Blandville, Kentucky, while the real
object was to concentrate with the troops marching from
Paducah, Kentucky. The feint proved successful, and a
great alarm was manifested by the Confederate forces in
Columbus.

As General McClernand's column advanced, it was at
intervals joined by a regiment from the other columns, and,
on the night of January 15th, his force encamped in line ot
batde ten miles to the rear of Columbus, threatening that
post by two roads.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

149

Here General dant, who had been with the column
from Paducah, came up with this part of the expedition,
and personally superintended the disposition of tht; troops.

The first division was next mornint;- marched to Milburn,
apparendy en roiUe for Mayfield ; but instead of following
that path, the troops, after passing through Milburn, turned
northward, so as to communicate with the force from
Paducah ; and, on the 1 7th, were within eight miles of
Lovelace ville. They then turned westward, and, on the
nights of the i8th and 19th, encamped about a mile from
Blandville. On January 20th the column returned to Fort
Jefferson. During the interval between the 14th and 20th
of January, the infantry of this column marched over
seventy-five miles, and the cavalry about one hundred and
forty miles, over icy and miry roads, and during a most
inclement season. This march was a very heavy one for
troops who had never before been in the field. The re-
connoissance developed the fact that the Confederate army
was not in large force west of the Paducah and Mayfield
railroad, except, perhaps, in the Confederate works at
Columbus, and led to the discovery of valuable side-roads,
not laid down in any map of that dme. It also showed
that Columbus was far from being as strong as was sup-
posed, and that it could be attacked in the rear by several
different roads, along which troops could be moved.

As soon as General Grant had communicated with
General McClernand, at his encampment, on the night of
the 15th, and had received his report, he at once discovered
the mere shell of Confederate defence which held that part
of the State of Kentucky, and allowing General McCler-
nand's column to keep up the appearance of an advance,
he withdrew the other two columns to Cairo. He had, in
fact, accomplished and ascertained all that he had desired
when he first moved.

During the fall and winter of 1861 several gunboats had
been ordered to be constructed on the Mississippi river,
above Cairo, and by this time the majority of them were
completed. In order to obtain sailors to luan these gun-
boats. General Grant issued the following importan ler:

i'5t

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I50

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Head-quarters, District of Cairo,
Cairo, January zoth, 1S62.
Circular.

Commanders ot regiments will report to these head-quarters, without
delay, the number of river and seafaring men of their rcsi/ective com-
mands, who are willing to be transferred from the military to the gun-
boat service. Seeing the importance of fitting out our gunboats as
speedily as i)ossible, it is hoped there will be no delay or objections
raised by company or regimental commanders in responding to this call.
Men thus volunteering will be discharged at the end of one year, or at
the end of the war, should it terminate sooner.

By order, U. S. Grant, Bri^adier-Gcncral comniainling.

A fe*.' days afterwards. General McClernand's forces
were withdrawn from Kentucky, and again rendezvoused
at Cairo, tiie coinmander being placed in temporary charge
of the district during the necessary absence of General
Grant.

A few days soon developed the whole object of the
movement made by General Grant's forces in th(; western
part of the State of Kentucky. It must also not be for-
gotten that his troops still held the posts at Paducah and
Smithland, at the mouth of the Tennessee and Cumberland
rivers.

By keeping up a false show of an advance upon the rear
of Columbus, which had several times been attacked in die
front by armed vessels, the Confederates were led to believe
that post to be in actual danger, and consequently concen-
trated all their available forces in that vicinity.

Immediately on receiving permission from Halleck to
proceed with his proposed plan. Grant made arrangements
for the attack on Fort Henry. He had at his disposal
some seventeen thousand men. It was arranged that Flao-
ofhcer Foote, with a flotilla of seven gunboats, should
move along the Ohio, steer up the Tennessee, and open
the attack, while Grant, on the land side, should render
what assistance was necessary and cut off all retreat. On
Monday, the 2d of F-^bni^ry, Foote left Cairo, and on the
morning of Tue..v-ay was a few miles below Fort Henry.
Grant, in the meaiitine, with 'he divisions of McClernand
and C. F. Smith, had eniibirked in transports which were

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

151

convoyed by the flotilla. These landed a few miles below
the fort; and Foote proceeded up the river, having orders
from Grant to move slowly and shell the woods, in order to
discover whether there were any concealed batteries. On
the morning of the 6th it was und'^rstood that everything
was in readiness for the attack, which was to be made si-
nuiltaneously on land and water. A heavy thunder-storm
had raged the previous night ; and, as a consequence, the
roads were heavy and the streams so swollen that bridges
had to be built for the passage of the artillery. 1 he land
forces thus encountering unlooked-for obstacles, were con-
siderably delayed. Shordy after twelve o'clock Foote
opened fire upon the fort. 13eginning at a thousand yards'
distance, he gradually ran his vessels to within six hundred
yards of the enemy. The firing for a time was vigorously
returned; but Foote pressed on with irresistible bravery,
and his men worked with a will and as if they meant to
win. It was evident to Tilghman from the first that it was
next to impossible for him to hold the foot. A series of
accidents occurred inside the fort. A rifled twenty-four-
pounder burst, killing and wounding a number of the men.
A forty-two pounder accidentally burst, and killed three
of the gunners. In a short time the well-directed fire from
the eunboats had dismounted seven of ihe iruns and made
them useless ; the flag-staff also was shot away. The gar-
rison became completely demoralized. It was in vain tiiat
Tilghman attempted to replace the exhausted gunners.
The troops in the camp outside the fort made good their
escape, some by the Dover road, leading to Fort Donelson,
others on board a steamer which was lying a littie above
Fort Henry. Foote had promised to reduce the fo't within
an hour. When he made that promise he counted on as-
sistance from the forces on the land side. Without any
such aid — for the land forces had not yet arrived on the
scene — he made good his word, for the hour had scarcely
expired when the white flag was raised. The main body
of his troops having made good their escape, Tilghman,
with his staff and some sixty artilleristr, surrendered to the
victorious Foote, In killed and wounded the Confederate

1!l '^

152

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

loss was twenty-one men. The only serious damage sus-
tained by the fleet in the river was on board the ironclad
Essex. A shot from the enemy had penetrated her boiler,
and some twenty-nine officers and men, including Com-
mander Porter, were seriously scalded.

The capture of Fort Henry was felt by the South to be
a damaging blow, and it led to bitter murmuring and even
loud complaints against the authorities at Richmond. It
was justly regarded by the North as a victory of great
importance. It was full of instruction, inasmuch as it
proved the value of gunboats on the narrow rivers of the
WesL, especially when acting in conjunction with land forces.
"Fort Henry is ours !" said Halleck in his despatch to
McClellan. " The flag of the Union is re-established on
the soil of Tennessee. It will never be removed." Foote
was formally thanked by the secretary of the navy. "The
country," he was told, "appreciates your gallant deeds, and
this department desires to convey to you and your brave
associates its profound tlianks for the service you have
rendered."

After the fall of Fort Henry, preparations were made
for an attack on Fort Donelson with as little delay as pos-
sible. General Halleck felt it to be his duty to do his ut-
most to streno-then the army under Grant's command, and
accordingly reinforcements were hurried forward from
Buell's army, from vSt. Louis, Halleck's head-quarters, from
Cincinnati, and from Kansas.

Fort Donelson, as has already been stated, was distant
from Fort Henry about twelve miles, and was situated near
the town of Dover, on the west bank of the Cumberland,
on a platform of elevated ground, which at its highest
point rises from the river about one hundred feet. It was
about forty miles above the point where the Cumberland,
after draining the highlands of southeastern Kentucky and
northeastern Tennessee, empties its waters into the Ohio.
The entire work co^'ered one hundred acres. The country
around was rugged and heavily wooded. Naturally a
strong position, everything had been done which art and
science could accomplish to make it impregnable. On the

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WAR OF THE rr>,ELLION.

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water side it was especially strong, the batteries being ad-
mirably planted and well mounted. Including the light
artillery, there were in the fort at the moment of the attack
not fewer than ninety-five pieces. With the men who had
made good their escape thither from Fort Henry, the
strength of the garrison amounted to twenty-one thousand
men. All around the works on the land side, abatis had
been formed by felling timber and half chopping off the
smaller trees.

As soon as it became evident that Fort Donelson was
likely to be attacked, Johnston exerted himself to the
utmost to make the position invulnerable. Reinforcements
were hurried forward from Bowling Green ; the work was
pushed day and night; and a fortified line two and a half
miles in length, enclosing the town of Dover, was drawn
along the high ground, which commanded the avenues of
approach. Gideon J. Pillow arrived with his command on
the loih and took control. Simeon B. Buckner, at the head
of the reinforcements from Bowling Green, arrived on the
nth. On the 13th John B. Floyd, who hadcome from Vir-
ginia with his followers, in obedience to orders received
from Johnston, appeared upon the scene, and, outranking
Pillow, took the chief command.

On the evening of the day which witnessed the capture
of Fort Henry, a flotilla under Lieutenant Phelps sailed up
the Tennessee river, for the purpose of ascertaining the
condition of the banks in the upper waters. The recon-
noissance was completely successful. It was found that
there was no real hindrance to a southward movement. The
country was comparatively unprotected ; and the people
seemed impatient to be delivered from the dreadful tyranny
under which they were groaning. On the i ith of February
a council of war was held; and the question was put:
"Shall we march on Donelson, or shall we wait for further
reinforcements ? " The decision was in favor of immediate
action. Foote was busy getting ready with his gunboats ;
and the delay hitherto was mainly on that account. It was
all-important that the gunboats should participate in the
attack, but it was felt that every hour was adding to the

,1 I (

1, I » I

154

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

4ii

enemy's strenc^th. At the head of 15,000 men, on Wed-
nesday, the 1 2th, Grant moved from Fort Henry upon
Donelson. The foremost brigade advanced by the tele-
grapli read, the otliers moved by the road whicli leads to
Dover. For the month of February the day was beautiful.
The atmesphere was warm and balmy, like a day in sprinir.
In their march over the hilly country, the advancing troops
experienced but litde difficulty. Before sundown Grant
was before the fort, and what remained of daylight he

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A VIEW OF THK COUN IKY, SHOWING FOKT DONELSON IN THE DISTANCE.

spent in brinijing his troops into position. During the
night there v^^as little idleness. Batteries were posted, and
the line of battle was forn:ed. Meanwhile Foote was mov-
ing up the Cumberland w'ith his gunboats, convoying trans-
ports, which were to consdtute Lewis Wallace's Third
division. It was Grant's intention, should the gunboats
arrive, to begin the attack in the morning. McClernand's
division, consisting of the four brigades of Oglesby, Wal-
lace, McArthur, and Morrisou, was posted on the right.

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WAR OF '1H1-: KKHKLLION.

155

C, F. Smith's division, composed of the brigades of Cook,
Laiiinan, and M. L. Smith, was posted on the left. Lewis
Wallace's division, so soon as it arrived, was to take its
position in the centre. The line extended some four miles,
the right sweeping round almost to Dover, the left resting
on Hickman's creek, where, at the house of a Mrs. Crisp,
Grant established his head-quarters.

Morning dawned, but there was no sign of the gunboats.
Grant was unwilling to hazard a general engagement until
the expected forces arrived. Karly in the forenoon, how-
ever, a cannonade was opened, and some lively work was
done by Berge's sharpshooters, who, concealed behind the
trees, picked off not a few .of the Confederate gunners.
Ahout noon an attempt was made to effect a lodgement
upon the Confederate intrenchments. McClernand ordered
Colonel Wallace to capture a formidable battery, known as
the Middle Redoubt. The troops employed for this pur-
pose were Illinois regiments — the Seventeenth, Major
Smith ; the Forty-eighth, Colonel Hayn ; and the l'"orty-
nintli, Colonel Morrison, McAllister's battery covering
them. Hayn, being the senior colonel, took command
of the attacking party. The attack was made in the most
spirited manner. But the enemy was strongly posted ;
and although the national troops beliaved with the utmost
gallantry in the presence of overwhelming numbers and
under a most galling fire, they were ultimately repulsed.
An equally unsuccessful effort was made on the left l)y a
portion of Lanman's brigade. In both cases the national
loss was heavy. When the darkness came on, the troops,
not a little dispirited, had fallen back to the ground occu-
pied by them in the morning.

The night of the 13th presented a striking contrast to
the beautiful spring-like morning. The afternoon had be-
come chilly, and toward evening rain fell in torrents. The
rain was succeeded by sleet and snow, and at midnight a
severe frost set in, the mercury falling to ten degrees below
the freezing point. The men were without tents, and many
of the soldiers were not even provided with blankets. Fires
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156

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

enemy's guns. Scantily supplied with food, and with the
pitiful cries of the wounded calling for water resounding in
their ears, they were compelled to spend the weary hours
resting on their arms. It was one of those sad nights
often repeated before the war reached its close.

The morning of the 14th dawned with apparently bright-
ening prospects for the Federal arms. Fully realizing the
peril of the situation, and the necessity of using every avail-
able man, Grant had, at the close of the contest the night
previous, sent a courier to General Lewis Wallace, who
had been left behind with a small garrison at Fort Henry,
commanding him to hasten at once to the scene of action.
Wallace, with his garrison, which consisted of the Eleventh
Indiana, the Eighth Missouri, and Company A, Chicago
artillery, in charge of a battery, was ready by the break of
day. After such a night, the gror.nd was not in the best
condition for the movement of infantry and artillery, but
the men were in excellent spirits, and in spite of the drift-
ing snow which blew in their faces they made good time,
Wallace being able to report at Grant's head-quarters before
the hour of noon. On their arrival Lewis Wallace's little
band found the Union soldiers in high hope and expecta-
tion. During the course of the night Foote, with the gun-
boats and transports, the latter bringing the Third or Wal-
lace's division, about 10,000 strong, had arrived. Their
landing had been safely effected ; they were already around
Grant's head-quarters, and when Wallace appeared on the
scene he was immediately placed in command and took his
position in the centre, with Smith on the left and McCler-
nand on the right. By this fresh accession of strength,
Grant was enablea to complete the investment of the fort
and its outworks ; and for the first time since he com-
menced to grapple with the enemy he had the advantage
of superior numbers. Supplies having arrived in abun-
dance, rations were liberally supplied to the half-famished
men, and preparations were made for a general assault.

The experience of the previous day had been such that.
even with largely increased forces, General Grant was
unwilling to make any rash attack from the land side. Tht:

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

157

fort was powerfully mounted, and without the aid of earth-
works and trenches, an attack made from the land si.de,
whether upon a particular point or on the entire enemy's
works, however it might result finally, could not fail to be
attended by an enormous sacrifice of life. Grant's instruc-
tions to his generals were that they should preserve the
line of investment intact, being ready to repel any atte:npt
which the enemy might make, either in the way of assault
or escape.

The gunboats had done so well at Fort Henry that per-
haps too much was expected of them at Fort Donelson.
At all events, it was arranged that the gunboats should
have the honor of opening the assault. At three o'clock
in the afternoon Foote moved forward with four ironclads
and two wooden boats. In addition to these there was the
gunboat " Carondelet," Commander Walke, which had ar-
rived two days before. The armored vessels moved in
front. While yet a mile and a half distant the gunboats
opened fire, the batteries on the fort remaining perfectly
silent. Onv/ard the litde fleet moved, still belching forth
destruction, but meeting with no response. Suddenly,
however, when within 400 yards of the batteries, a plung-
ing fire was opened upon it by twenty heavy guns, placed
hijjh on the hillside, the shot falling with dreadful precision
and effect. In face of this terrible fire Foote pressed closer
and closer. The well-directed fire of the gunboats had
silenced the upper battery of four guns. The columbiad
and thirty-two-pound rifle now told with fatal effect on the
ironclads, while the shot and shell from the ships fell
powerless on the heavy sand-banks which protected the
enemy's guns. A heavy shot had cut away the rudder-
chains of the " Louisville," and she drifted helplessly down
the current. The flagship "St. Louis" was soon in a
similar plight, Commodore Foote himself being wounded.
The other two armored vessels had suffered severely, a
heavy rifled cannon having burst on board the " Caron-
delet." The batde had lasted one hour and a half. It was
useless to prolong the struggle. Orders were given to
withdraw ; and as the flotilla moved back down the river,

\>l

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158

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

it received some severe parting- blows from the shore bat-
teries, some of the fugitives from which had returned and
resumed their guns. It was another failure. The strength
of the place had not been properly gauged. What was
practicable and easy at Fort Henry was impossible at Fort
Donelson. In the attack the nationals lost fifty-four men
in killed and wounded. The Confederates lost not a man,
nor were their batteries in any way injured. Fifty-nine
shots had struck the "St. Louis;" thirty-five the " Louis-
ville;" thirty-five the " Carondelet," and twenty-one the
" Pittsburgh."

Two days had now been wasted, and two experiments in
the way of attack had been made, with signal want of suc-
cess. All had been done on the river side which could be
done with the means now at Grant's command. Any fresh
attempt made on the land side was certainly as perilous as
ever. A new plan had become necessary. It was accord-
ingly arranged in a conference between Grant and Foote,
on the evening of Friday, that the commodore should re-
turn to Cairo, repair and augment his fleet, and return with
a naval force adequate to the requirements of the situation.
Grant resolved meanwhile to go on perfecting his line of
investment, so strengthening his weak points as to shut the
Confederates effectually within their intrenchments, and so
cutting off their supplies as possibly to starve or frighten
them into a surrender.

From the position enclosed within the Confederate lines
two roads led towards Nashville — the Wynn's Ferry road,
running from Dover through Charlotte ; and the other an
obscure and at best an undesirable road, crossing the flats
of the Cumberland. The latter road was submerged by
the overflow of the river. There remained, therefore, but
the one way of escape, if escape was to be attempted, and
that was the Wynn's Ferry road. But this road was effec-
tually covered by McClernand's division, the right wing of
the Union army. Pillow's division, which formed the Con-
federate left, was to make a vigorous attack upon the
Union right flank; and Buckner's division, drawn from the
right, a few men being left in the intrenchments to main-

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

159

tain an appearance, was to strike at the same time tlie
riijlit flank of' the Union centre, which rested upon the
Wynn's Ferry road. It was hoped that if Pillow's attack
should prove successful, McClernand's division, the Union
rjolit, would be forced back upon Wallace's division, the
Union centre, and that Buckner, striking the divided
masses in flank, would roll both divisions back in confu-
sion on that of Smith, the Union left. In such a case, the
Wynn's Ferry road would be effectually opened as a way
of escape, and possibly Grant's forces might be routed and
driven to their transports. It was a daring and well-con-
ceived plan ; and, as we shall by-and-by see, so far as it
was faithfully executed, it was a complete success.

On the morning of Saturday, the 15th of Februar)^ at
the early hour of five o'clock, Pillow's column, eight thou-
sand strong, accompanied by Forrest's cavalry, thirty heavy
guns, and a full complement of artillery, was already in
motion. Pillow was resolved, as he said in his high-sound-
ing style, " to roll the enemy in full retreat over upon Gen-
eral Buckner," and then, by an attack in flank and rear, to
"cut up the enemy and put him completely to rout." He
went to his work with a will, and as if he meant to make
his purpose good. McClernand was well posted to resist
the assailants ; but, although this point has been disputed,
there can be no reasonable doubt that he was taken by
surprise. His division was arranged in three brigades —
McArthur's on the right, Oglesby's in the centre, W. H. L.
Wallace's on the left. Pillow's onslaught was swift and
furious. It fell mainly upon the two right brigades, Mc-
Arthur's and Oglesby's. The Confederate line covered
the front of these bricrades, and extended some distance
beyond the right flank. In the struggle which ensued,
there was no lack of heroism on either side. At a critical
moment, timely and effective assistance was rendered by
the sister brigade of W. H. L. Wallace, Colonel John A.
Logan, at the head of his brave regiment, the Thirty-first
Illinois, exerting himself by word and deed to sustain and
cheer the men. In such a struggle, however, enthusiasm
is but a sorry compensation for lack of numbers. The sol-

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diers did their best. Inch by inch the ground was con-
tested. Overpowered, however, and outflanked, the two
brigades were turned and forced from their position.
Meanwhile Buckner, who had moved his troops over from
the extreme Confederate right, formed them in front of
McClernand's left brigade, Colonel W. H. Wallace. It
will thus be seen that the whole hostile mass — the entire
concentrated strength of the Confederate army — was
pressing upon McClernand's division, the right wing of the
Union army. The left brigade soon followed the example
of the other two — it fell back from its position ; and by
nine o'clock the entire position occupied in the beginnini]^
of the contest by the right wing of the national army was
in the possession of the Confederates. The Wynn's Ferry-
road was open.

The tide was still in favor of the Confederates. So far
they had boldly carried out their plan, and successfully ac-
complished their purpose. The national army was, indeed,
at this particular moment in a very critical condition. The
situation was all the more alarming that Grant, who had
not been present all the morning, Mas not yet on the field.
At 2 A. M. he had gone on board a gunboat to hold a con-
sultation with Commodore Foote, who, it will be remem-
bered, was wounded in the struggle the day previous. It
is more than possible that if Grant had been on the field
from the commencement of the contest, McClernand would
have been able to hold his ground. In the absence of the
general-in-chief there was no officer, during all those prcQ[-
nant hours, who could assume the right to combine and
direct the entire forces in the field. The division next to
McClernand was that of Lewis Wallace. When Wallace
first heard the firing, he concluded that McClernand had
resumed the attack. At about 8 a. m. he received a mes-
sage from McClernand asking assistance. Not knowing
what to do, he sent the message to head-quarters ; but
General Grant was still absent. Later he received an-
other message from McClernand, disclosing the fact that
his men were being pressed back by'overwhelming num-
bers. Thereupon Wallace detached two brigades, and

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

i6i

sent them under Colonel Cruft. Cruft, however, was in
some way misled too far to the right, and being forced to
fight his way, he arrived only in time to share the fate of
the whole right wing. Seeing flocks of fugitives crowding
up in the rear of his own line, Wallace promptly put in
motion his remaining brigade under Colonel Thayer. The
cohimn had marched but a short distance when McCler-
naiui's brigades were met, retiring to the left — retiring in
aood order and slowly, complaining of many things, but
complaining most of all that their ammunition was ex-
hausted. The brave fellows seemed to feel as if they had
no right to be in that position. The enemy was following
but slowly. Wallace had time to deploy his brigade on
the crest of a hill which crossed the line along which the
enemy was moving towards the left. Here he presented a
firm front at right angles to his former front, and behind
him the defeated troops of the right wing rallied and re-
formed. In this position they awaited the approach of
Pillow and Buckner. Mortified with the defeat of the
morning, the troops of the right wing had no sooner filled
their cartridges than they took their places and were ready
for action. When, therefore, the Confederates advanced
and began to ascend the crest, so terrific was the fire that
they reeled and staggered and broke, falling back in wild
confusion. A second time they attempted to charge ; but
the second repulse was more disastrous than the first.
The men could not again be brought into line. Some of
them fled precipitately to their works ; the remainder were
brought to a stand on the ground occupied by the national
right wing in the early morning.

Grant had now appeared on the field. It was about
noon when the Confederates were driven back to their
trenches. The battle had lulled ; but everything was yet
in confusion. The chief must have bitterly regretted the
fact of his own absence from the scene of action in the
early part of the day. But it was no time now for idle and
worthless lamentation. It was action that was needed —
prompt, decided, vigorous action. Grant was not slow to
'come to a conclusion, although it is simply absurd to say

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1 62

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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that in this instance he made up his mind at once. About
three o'clock in the afternoon he called McClernand arul
Wallace aside for consultation. They were all on horse-
back. Grant held in his hand some despatches, to which
now and then he nervously turned his eyes. His face was
flushed and revealed hioh excitement. He said something
about the necessity of falling back and intrenchini^ — about
waiting, for reinforcements and Foote's new flotilla. It was
suggested by one of the other two that in consequence ol
McClernand's defeat the road to Clarksville was uncovered,
and that the enemy might escape if he chose. All of a
sudden Grant gave orders that the right wing should re-
take the ground which it had lost in the morning, and tliat
the left wing, under Smith, should make a simultaneous
attack on the Confederate right. General Grant has since
given us his own reason for the course which he resolved
to pursue. "On riding upon the field," he says, "I saw
that either side was ready to give way if the other showed
a bold front. I took the opportunity, and ordered an ad-
vance of the whole line."

The orders were promptly executed. Wallace took
charge of the troops which had been engaged and which
had suffered so much in the morning and early part of the
day, and whose duty it was to resume lost ground. The
ground was rough and badly blocked with wood. There
were, besides, bloody memorials of the morning's struggle.
The ns'^ionals, however, pressed on, the Confederates vig-
orously resisting. For more than an hour the conflict
raged fiercely, and the result seemed doubtful. Ultimately,
however, the Confederates yielded to the fierce energy of
their assailants, and were compelled to retire within their
own intrenchments. In the hour of victory almost com-
plete, when within one hundred and fifty yards of the
enemy's works, Wallace was astonished by an order from
the general-in-chief, commanding him to halt and retire his
troops, as a new plan of operations had been arranged for
the morrow. He felt satisfied that Grant was ignorant of
the success which had attended his movement. Darkness,
however, was at hand. He contented himself, therefore,

WAR OF THE UEUELLIDN.

163

^vitll liolding the jrround he had taken, and disobeyed
orders only to the e.\t(.iu of bivouacking^ on the field of vic-
tory. Smith was equally successful in his attack on the
Confederate ri<jht. Huckner, who in abandoning the left
made it the easy prey of Wallace, arrived too late at his
old i)osition on the right to save it from the dashing energy
of Smith. In spite of all that he could do, the enemy was
forced from his intrenchments and driven inside the work.

All along the line, the ground lost in the morning had
btM'ii reclaimed. Nay, more: on both the left and the
rJLiht tiie enemy had found it necessary to abandon his own
chosen ground and to retire more and more under the
works of the fort. When darkness fell, Grant had reason
to feel satisfied. He had by his single will converted a
day of disaster into a day of triumph. The fruit of victory
was not yet in iiis hantls, but it was ripe and ready to fall.
So ended the third day at Fort Donelson.

The night which followed was one of the saddest yet ex-
perienced in the history of the war. The cold was intense,
the thermometer indicating more than twenty degrees
below the freezing point. The ice-covered branches of the
trees swayed and crackled in the night breeze. Camp-life
had not yet become a luxury. There were no tents, and
even the blanket had not become a necessary part of the
soldier's equipage. General Grant found a sleeping-place
in a negro hut. General Smith lay down on the frozen
ground. The soldier slept as he best might, leaning on his
musket or resting on his knapsack. Four thousand brave
Americans lay scattered over the battle-field, many of them
dead, some of them freezing to death, the feeble but piteous
cries of the latter filling the weary hours with woe. It is
in scenes such as these that true humanity stands forth con-
spicuous and commands universal admiration. With such
a background, goodness, pure, true, and unselfish, shines as
if with a heavenly light. General Lewis Wallace, to his
lionor be it said, with many of his men, filled with his
spirit and fired by his example, worked far into the morning
liours, ministering to the wounded on both sides, and with
Hndly hands burying the dead.

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i64

LIKK <Jb ULYSSKS S. GRANT.

Grant had made all necessary arrangements for resum-
ing the attack along the whole line on the following (Sun-
day) morning. Such attack, however, was not to be neces-
sary. A council of war was held at Pillow's head-quarters,
late on Saturday night. Floyd, Pillow, Buckner, and their
staff-officers were all present. Some bad temper was re-
vealed ; and on many points there was difference of opin
ion. On one point they were agreed — that another sortie
would be absolutely disastrous. Buckner did not believe
that he could hold his position half an hour after dayli^'ht.
In his judgment there was no escape from a surrender,
Floyd and Pillow were equally of opinion that the situation
was desperate, and that there was nothing for them but
immediate capitulation. It was ultimately agreed that
Buckner should assume the command, and that Floyd and
Pillow should be allowed to make their escape, Floyd tak-
ing with him his Virginia brigade. Floyd surrendered the
command. Pillow, who was next in rank, said, '* I pass it."
Buckner called for writing materials and a bugler; and
Floyd and Pillow hastened off to save their precious lives.
Pillow crossed the river in a scow. Floyd and his men
went on board a steai er at the wharf, and steered oft
amid the curses and hisses of their former companions in
arms. It was a shameful transaction ; but Buckner's con-
duct was honorable throughout. Floyd had now appeared
in his true character.

When on the morning of Sunday, the i6th of February,
the light broke along the lines, there was no conviction
more general among the national soldiers than that the
stirring scenes of the previous day were about to be re-
peated, and repeated, perhaps, in more aggravated and
bloody form ; nor was there disposition anywhere to shirk
the ordeal. Suddenly, however, the clear notes of the
bugle were heard sounding a parley ; and as the gray dawn
passed away before the brighter light of the opening day.
a white flag was seen waving over the fort. It was a token
of r> willingness to surrender. A letter was received by
Grant from Buckner, asking for the appointment of com-
missioners to settle upon terms of capitulation, and

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAN'I'.

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suggesting an armistice till noon. The letter reads as
follows :

Hkad-quarters, Fort Donklson, rebniary xdlh, 1S62.
Sir: — In consideration of all the circiunstances governing the present
situation of affairs at this station, I propose to the commanding offn cr of
the Federal forces the appointment of commissioners to njTree upon tirms
of capitulation of the forces and post under my commanJ. ; and, in tluit
view, suggest an armistice until twelve o'clock to-day.
I am, sir, very respectftilly, your obedient servant,

S. H. IJucKNKK, Ihig.-Gen. C. S. A.

To Brigadier-General U. S. Grant, commanding United States
forces near Fort Uonelson.

The General read this without a word. Then he handed

it to Smith, who read it also.

Grant. — "Well, what do you think ? "

Smith. — "I think, no terms with traitors, by !"

The chief sat down, wrote this answer as fast as his pen

could move, and passed it to Smith :

Head-quarters Army in the Field,
Crt//// «<fa/* DoNELSON, February iGi/i, 1862.
General S. B. Buckner, Confederate Army :

Yours of this date j)roposing armistice, and appointment of commis-
sioners to settle terms of capitulation, is just received. No terms except
an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to
move immediately upon your works.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. Grant, Brigadier- General.

The gray-haired veteran read it, and exclaimed :

" By , it couldn't be better ! "

Then he went away with the despatch. Not another
word passed between them, and Smith did not remain in
the cabin more than ten minutes. The phrase, afterward
so famous, "I propose to move immediately upon your
works," was not in the least "buncombe," but literally ex-
pressed Grant's intentions. The moment Smith left, he
despatched Riggin to McClernand and Wallace, with in-
structions to press forward right into the enemy's works as
soon as the signal should be given. But Buckner made
haste to reply :

f';

WAR OF THK KKHKLIJON.

167

HKAli-QLARTKRH, DovER, Tenn., February lOih, 1862.
To nuKJ.-flKN. U. S. (Irant, U. S. Army :

Sir: — The distribution of the forces iiiulcr my (ommand, incidint to
an iiiifxpertt'd change of commanders, and the overwhelming force under
your command, compel me, notwithstanding the brilliant success of the
Confederate arms yesterday, to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous
icruis which you propose.

I am, sir, your very obedient servant,

S. 13. HucKNER, Brig,- Gen. C. S. A.

Grant rec(!ived this with his usual serenity, ordered his
horse, and with his staff rode over to Buckner, whom he
had known at the MiHtary Academy. Buckner invited his
Ljucsts to breakfast, and gave them some vile Confederate
coffee. Then the two enemies of an hour before, smoking
pacifically, discussed the surrender. Buckner asked sul/-
sistence for his men, and kindnesses for some wounded
officers. Grant acceded to these requests. H( decided,
also, that officers mitjht retain their side-arms and ^ ' rsonal
baggage, but that horses and all public property must be
i^ivcn up. Buckner was annoyed that Grant had been able
lo invest Donelson with so small a force.

" If I had been in command," said ' e, " you would not
have reached the fort so easily.

" If you had," replied Grant, " I should have waited for
reinforcements. But I knew Pillow would never come out
of" his works to fight."

Smith soon arrived. Buckner, being an old army officer,
liad known him well, and as they shook hands he said :

"That charge of yours last night was a splendid affair."

" Yes, yes," replied the veteran ; " the men did well —
they did well; but it was no affair of mine; I simply
obeyed General Grant's orders."

Grant permitt' d the Second Iowa, in recognition of its
gallantry, to rais( its flag o-vpr the captured fort. Before
noon the Union troops, in bright blue, marched in from
three points, witli reaming banners, gleaming muskets,
bands playing, men singing and cheering, and the gun-
boats firing a snlute.

The Confederates, in faded gray, stood mournfully beside
the great piles of muskets and shot-guns, wondering at the

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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" Northern horde." Many, from the mountains of Tennes-
see and Kentucky, were Union men at heart. Their garb
was modey. Some had blankets wrapped around them,
others old pieces of carpet, quilts, and buffalo robes.
Tlieir arms consisted of single and double barrelled shot-
guns, old Kentucky rifles, and flint-lock muskets, with here
and there a modern piece.

All the fighting had been in the woods. There were
some leaves still on the trees, and the Confederates in gray
were so near the color of the landscape that it was difficult
to detect them. The Union men came unsuspectin<4ly
right upon them, to meet deadly reception from their
double-barrelled shot-guns, the most effective weapons in
a close contest.

The Confederate water-battery was very strong, but tlie
fort itself was a wilderness of zigzags and abatis spreading
over a large area, formidable to the eye but really weak,
and not bearing any logical relation to each other.

The hills and ravines, so lately torn and crimsoned by
fierce fighting, are now smoothed by rains and overgrown
with shrubs and vines. The tremendous fortifications can
hardly be seen, and ere long it will be impossible to trace
their outlines. Tlie thick mounds, too, have almost disap-
peared. Where they sleep who died for us, kindly Nature
strews her waving grass and her springing llowers, just as
she covers the scars and wounds in our hearts with her
fragrant lilies of resignation and her tender willows of
memory.

About 15,000 prisoners, 17,600 small arms, and 65 guns
constituted the prize which fell into the hands of the
national commander. His losses were 2,041, of whom 425
were killed. Grant paid a high compliment to his soldiers.

The investment of Donelson had been followed by the
evacuation of Bowling Green ; its fall was followed by the
abandonment of Nashville. This, however, was not all.
Polk found it necessary to evacuate Columbus and tall
back on Island No. 10. The so-called Gibraltar of the
West was forthwith occupied by national troops. The
Southern line of defence was completely broken down.

WAR OF THE KEKELLION.

169

General Grant had nobly accomplished the task which he
had undertaken. Henceforward he was regarded as one
of the strongest pillars of the national cause.

After the fall of Donelson, it was only natural that Gen-
eral Grant should, for a time at least, become the popular
favorite. All over the Union his praises were liberally
sounded ; and by not a few who had acquired an insight
into his character he was hailed already as the coming man.
His sphere of action had been greatly enlarged. General
Halleck, as if to mark his appreciation of Grant's noble
services, had assigned him to the command of the new Dis-
trict of West Tennessee, a command which extended from
Cairo to the northern borders of Mississippi, and embraced
the entire country between the Mississippi and Cumberland
rivers. General Grant took immediate steps, to turn to
account the victories which he had won, and to press the
enemy still farther to the south. I le established his head-
quarters at Fort Henry, where General Lewis Wallace was
in command. We have seen already that Foote's flotilla
was withdrawn from the Cumberland, that part of it had
gone up the Tennessee river, and that Foote himself, with a
powerful naval armament, had gone down the Mississippi
for the purpose of co-operating with the land troops against
G^lumbus, Hickman, Island No. 10, and New Madrid.

It seems to have been the conviction of all the Union
commanders — of Halleck, of Buell, of Grant — that a lodge-
ment should be made at or near Corinth in Northern Mis-
sissippi. The possession of Corinth or Florence or Tus-
cumbia, but particularly Corinth, would give the national
forc(!s control of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, the
key to the great railway communications between the Mis-
sissippi and the East, as well as the border slave States and
the Gulf of Mexico. It would facilitate the capture of Mem-
phis, because it would place it more completely at the mercy
of the troops now moving down the Mississippi ; and it
would render effective assistance to General Curtis, who,
as we have seen, was at this moment carrying on important
operations in Arkansas. While adopting vigorous meas-
ures for the purpose of giving effect to the general plan.

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LIKE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Grant had the mortification to receive an order from Hal-
leek, instructing him to turn over his command to General
C. F. Smith, and to remain himself at Fort Henry.

In such circumstances such an order must have been
humiliating in the last degree to General Grant; and it is
not surprising that, stung to the quick as he must have
been, he should have asked to be relieved from duty. As
a general rule, it is unwise to attach too much importance
to individuals in a great national contest. No one man is
absolutely indispensable. It is undeniable, however, that
the retirement of General Grant at this particular juncture
might have materially affected the future history of the great
national struggle now fairly begun, and already bearing
upon it somewhat of the impress of his character and
genius. Complying with a request for an interview, Grant
had, on the 27th of February, gone on a visit to Buell, up
the Cumberland to Nashville. In the meantime Hallcck
had ordered him to ascend the Tennessee, then in full flood,
and establish himself on the Memphis and Charleston rail-
road at or near Corinth. On the ist of March, Halleck
ordered him to fall back from the Cumberland to the Ten-
nessee, with the view of carrying out the orders previously
given. It was supposed at this moment that the Confeder-
ates had retreated to Chattanooga. Sherman meanwhile
received orders to seize all steamboats passing Paducah,
and to send them up the Tennessee for the transportation
of Grant's army. On hearing that Grant had gone up the
Cumberland, Halleck telegraphed to him : " Why don't you
obey my orders? Why don't you answer my letters ? Turn
over the command of the Tennessee expedition to General
C. F. Smith, and remain yourself at Fort Henry," At the
same time Halleck wrote complainingly to McClellan at
Washington, saying he could get no reports from Grant,
whose troops were demoralized by their victory. To Grant
himself Halleck wrote, stating that his repeated neglect of
positive orders to report his strength had created great
dissatisfaction, and seriously interfered with the general
military arrangements ; and that his going to Nashville
when he? ought to have been with his troops, had given

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

171

such offence at Washington that it had been considered
advisable to arrest him on his return. It is possible that,
judged by the highest forms of military law, Grant, in some
of the particulars charged, was to blame. It is possible,
too, that Halleck, who was a man of the old school, and
strict to the letter of the law, was officious overmuch.
Grant, however, had his explanation ready. He had not
received Halleck's order in time ; he had gone to Nashville
for the good of the service, and not for personal pleasure
or for any selfish motive ; he had reported every day, had
written on an average more than once a day, and had done
his best to obey orders from head-quarters ; he had not per-
mitted his troops to maraud ; on the contrary, he had sent
the marauders on to St. Louis. He submitted to instruc-
tions by turning the army over to General Smith. He
asked, however, that he might be relieved. The explana-
tions so far satisfied Halleck that he requested the author-
ities at Washington to allow the matter to drop. Smith,
however, remained in command, but, as the reader will
soon discover, only for a brief period.

The temporary change of commanders did not allow
any intermission of the work. The expedition up the Ten-
nessee was hurried forward. An acquisition was found in
Sherman, who, in compliance with orders from Halleck,
reported to Smith.

' M,l'

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' /tli'iii

CHAPTER IV.

WAR OF THE REBELLION — Continued.

Death of General Smith — (leneral Oram again in cliarjje — The plans of the Confed.
erates — Buell ordered to join Grant — Johnston's proclamation — The battle of Shiloh
— The morning of the 6th of April -The nationals attacked — A tremendous on.
slaught — Grant not on the field — His arrival — Sherman's bravery — Sherman and
Prentiss driven from their ground — The Confederates gaining ground— Four divi-
sion camps plundered — Three divisions routed — Wallace morially wounded — The
situation desperate — Driven to a corner of the field — Both armies exhausted-
Johnston wounded and carried from the field — Beauregard in C(jmmand — The
battery on the crest of the hill — A valley of death — The second day — The battle
resumed — Lewis Wallace and Buell now on the field— Beauregard attempts to turn
the national left — The Confederates pressed back — The nationals gaining ground
all along the line — The battle ended — Unexampled l>ravery on both sides — Mag-
nanin.ity of General Grant — Major-General Grant— Beauregard retreats to Corinth
— He strengthens his position — IlallecU at Corinth — tJrant second in command—
Halleck's complaint against Grant — Battle of luka — Battle of Corinth — Grant's
order of congratulation — He assumes conunand of the Department of the Ten-
nessee — Important reconnoissances.

The illness of General Smith, which resulted in death on
the 25th if April, brought Grant again to the front. On die
1 7th of March hearrived at Savannah, Tennessee, established
his head-quarters, and took command. The entire force
was about 33,000 men. General Buell, after repeated so-
licitations that he might be permitted to abandon Nashville,
cross Tennessee and join his forces to tiiose of Grant, with
a view to counteract the Confederate concentration at Co-
rinth, had at last obtained Halleck's consent. The Army of
the Ohio, which numbered some 40,000 men, was therefore
already on its march. ; and by the 20th of March it had
reached Columbia. The roads were bad and the weather
stormy; but it was not unreasonable to conclude that Buell
would be able to accomplish the distance in time.

When Halleck heard that Johnston had disappeared
from Murfreesboro', and that his object was to join Beaii-
(172)

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

173

regard at Corinth, he ordered Buell to hurry forward to
the aid of Grant, and counteract as far as possible the
Confederate concentration. There had been unnecessary
delay, which permitted the Confederate generals to unite
their strength ; and now the weather and the roads were
such that, although Buell's army was at Columbia on the
20th, it took full seventeen days to reach Pittsburgh Land-
ing, a distance of only ninety miles.

At this time Breckenridge, with the Confederate right,
which consisted of eleven thousand men, was stationed at
Burnsville ; Hardee and Bragg, with more than twenty
thousand men, formed the centre at Corinth ; and Polk at
1 lindman, with ten thousand men, were on the left, to the
north of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.

On the 3d of April, their available strength being forty
thousand men, the Confederates commenced their onward
march. The roads were in a terrible condition, and in
consequence the progress made was slow. It was intended
to attack the national army on the 5th ; but the attack was
delayed in consequence of a heavy rainstorm which fell in
thiC afternoon. That night they were distant from the na-
tional pickets only about three-quarters of a mile.

The night of the 5th was wild and stormy. The next
morning (Sunday) rose bright and clear. The recent rains,
wiiile they had filled the creeks and streams, had given an
air of freshness to the surrounding country. In the Union
camp it was still unknown towards wh?.t point the enemy
might be moving; but there was watchfulness everywhere.
Prentiss' guards had been doubled the night before ; and
his pickets were out one mile and a half Sherman's troops
had already breakfasted, and were formed into line. With
the early dawn Hardee's corps, which formed the first Con-
federate line, was in motion. Quickly but silently they
passed across the ravine of Lick creek and the ground
which separated it from the outlying divisions of the
Union army. It was the more easy for them to move
noiselessly that the fallen leaves, being soaked with rain,
made no rustling sound under the footsteps of the men.
The onslaught was tremendous.

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LIFK OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

When the first shots were fired, Grant was not on the
ground. He had gone down the river to Savannah, some
nine miles off, to have an interview with Buell. .Soon as

GENERAL SHERMAN.

he heard the first guns, he hastened to the scene of action.
Leaving a letter for Buell, and ordering Nelson, who had

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

»75

arrived with a portion of Bncll's forces, to hurry forward,
he took a steamboat for Pitisburoh Landino-. Haltinor at
Crump's Landing, he gave directions to Lewis Wallace to
follow at once. It was eight o'clock before Grant reached
the field of Shiloh. He saw that he had to fight the com-
bined Confederate force, and wiUiout the aid of Biiell.
What the Confederate strength was Grant could only guess.
The combined army was over forty thousand strong.
Grant had an available force of thirty-three thousand men.
He believed he could depend upon Lewis Wallace, who
had five thousand more. Some severe work, however, had
r.iready been done. There was a considerable gap between
Prentiss' ri^ht and Sherman's left. It was into this gap
that Hardee tried to force hims( If, his ol»ject being to out-
flank and turn both lines. In the beginning of the conflict
Sherman's left was sorely pressed and suffered terribly.
But that active and skilful general was present in the
thickest of the fight.

All, however, was in vain. In poured tho Confederates
in ever-increasinir numbets. Bra<'t> had come to the aid
of Hardee ; and Polk, with the th.ird Confederate line, was
already moving toward Sherman's rear. IJy nine o'clock
a very large portion of Sherman's division was virtually
out of the fight ; and before ten Pn ntiss liad been forced
from his ground, his camp captured and plundered, his di-
vision thrown into confusion, and he himself isolated from
his men. But for the pluck and skill of Sh(!rman, the
batde at this stage might have been lost. P^eeling the
pressure of the enemy and in danger of being caught in
the rear, he swung round upon his right as upon a pivot,
coming out at a right angle and taking entirely new ground.

'Phe falling back of Sherman, while it enabled him to
prolong the contest and successfully to prevent attack in
the rear, left McClernand's division completely exposed.
On this, therefore, the Confederate forces fell with tremen-
dous energy. For a time McClernand boldly and even
successfully resisted, most effective aid being rendered by
Dresser's powerful rifled cannon. Regiment after regi-
ment of the Confederates rushed through the abandoned

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176

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

h'!

camps and pressed forward only to be cut to pieces by the
deadly rifle shot. Ultimately, however, the force of over
whelminjj numbers began to tell on McClernand's lines.
He was forced to retire, not, however, except in the most
perfect order, fighting as he went, and bravely contestin^r
every inch of ground. By eleven o'clock this division was
on a line with Hurlbut, close to W. H. L. Wallace, with
Sherman to the right.

Meanwhile Stewart's brigade, of Sherman's division,
which was posted on the extreme left of the national line,
about two miles from Pittsburgh Landing, on the Hamburg
road, near Lake Creek, where Buell was expected to land,
was, in consequence of the falling back of the other divi-
sions, in an extremely perilous position.

The battle had raged since the early morning. About
ten. Grant visited Sherman't^ camp, and finding that the
supply of cartridges was short, he organized a train of am-
munition wagons to run between the camp and the Land-
ing — an arrangement beset with great difficulty, in conse-
quence of the large number of fugitives who were forcinjj^
their way through the narrow road. By twelve o'clock
noon, the Confederates had possession of the ground oc-
cupied in the morning by the first line of the national
army ; and the camps of Sherman, McClernand, Prentiss,
and Stewart had been captured and plundered. Three of
the five divisions of that army had been completely routed.
The ground being entirely cleared before them — Prentiss'
brigade, as we have seen, being demolished and Stewart
having been compelled to retreat, McClernand, too, and
Sherman having both yielded on the right — the Confeder-
ates, apparently resolved to push matters to a crisis, rushed
with tremendous fury upon Hurlbut, who still maintained
his original position, and who had been joined by Prentiss
and some two thousand of his men. W. H. L. Wallace
flew to the aid of Hurlbut, taking with him the Missouri
batteries of Stone, Richardson, and Weber. Hurlbut, who
had hitherto been in the open fields, now fell back into the
woods which lay between his camp and the river, and there,
nobly aided by Wallace, who fought like a hero of old.

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MKK OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

gallantly resisted the foe for several weary hours. Upon
this compact body of national troops three most desperate!
charges were made, as If upon a wall of iron. In one of
these encounters General W. H. L. Wallace fell, mortally
wounded. McArthur took the command ; but in spite of
their best efforts, both he and Hurlbut were compelled to
retire a little farther down and towards the river. In the
confusion, Prentiss and his company getting isolated, were
captured, sent to the Confederate rear, and finally marched
to Corinth as prisoners of war.

Grant had been pressed into a corner of the battle-field,
his army at this time occupying a space of not more than
four hundred acres on the very verge of the river. J\^
yet there were no signs of Genera! Lewis Wallace. Buell,
too, had failed to come to time. Five of the Union camps
had been captured; and many guns and prisoners had
fallen into the enemy's hands.

The Confederates, however, were less strong than they
Beenied. Success had broken their ranks ; and the hard
work of the day had produced its natural fruit. The men
were completely worn out. Some of their best men had
perished. Generals Gladdon and Hindman had been
killed ; and about half-past two o'clock, when pressing his
men towards the Landing, and almost recklessly exposing
himself, Commander-in-chief Johnston received a riilc
bullet in the leg, which proved fatal. There was a lull in
the fight after Johnston fvill ; but Beauregard assumed com-
mand; and the struggle for possession of Pittsburj^h
Landing was resumed with fresh energy. Beauregard
felt that there was no time to lose ; for night and Buell

were commg.

The entire strength of the Confederate army was at
this stage being pressed against the national left. It
seemed to be the object of Beauregard to turn the na-
tional line or force them into the river. In any case, he
was determined to seize the Landing. Happily, as the re-
sult proved, a deep ravine lay between the Confederates
and the nationals, who, cooped up as they were, still
covered the Landing. This ravine was impassable for

WAR OF THE REBEM-ION.

179

artillery and cavalry. In consequence of the heavy rains,
the bottom was wet and the sides slippery. The ravine led
down to the river; and at its mouth the two gunboats
Tyler and Lexington had taken position, their commanders
having obtained permission from General Grant to exercise
their discretion in shelling the woods and sweeping the
ravine. On the brow of his side of the ravine General
Grant had hastily flung up some earthworks in the form of
a half-moon. To several siege guns which were parked
there, Colonel Webster, Grant's chief of staff, added a
number of guns which had belonged to light batteries, now
broken up, and thus secured a semi-circular defence of
about fifty cannon. This hurriedly improvised battery
reached round nearly to the Corinth road. Volunteers
were called for; and Dr. Cornyn, surgeon of the First
Missouri artillery, having offered his services, his example
was quickly followed. I'he Confederate assault was led by
Chalmers, Withers, Cheatham, Ruggles, Anderson, Stuart,
Pond, and Stevens. It was a perilous attempt, but it was
bravely made. Down the steep sides of the ravine they
nished, uttering their favorite and familiar cry. For a mo-
ment it seemed as if all was lost, and as if Beauregard was
about to crown the day's work by a final crushing blow.
The slippery sides of the ravine, and the slush and mud
at the bottom, greatly hindered the movements of the at-
tacking party. At a signal given, Webster's guns from
their fifty mouths opened fire in front ; while the Tyler and
Lexington, striking the Confederates on the flank, swept
the ravine with their eight-inch shells. The Confederates
had fallen into a trap. Every onward movement was vig-
orously repulsed. Again and again and yet again did the
Confederates face the terrible fire, rushing across the ravine
as if they would storm the battery in front ; but it was
only to be mowed down like grass or driven back like
sheep. The ravine was filled with the wounded and the
dead. So dense was the smoke that the entire scene was
wrapped in almost midnight darkness — a darkness relieved
only by the swift- recurring rifle flash and the cannon's
blaze. Beauregard, seeing that it was useless to prolong

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the striijTgle, withdrew his men. The firing; now erased
and Cirant was left master of the j^roiincl. Befon; ilu;
close of the struggle, Nelson, with Ikiell's advance, had
arrived on the held ; and Lewis Wallace, having at last
found his way, was coming up with his five thousand n\(n.
The dreary hours of the night were sufficiently filled
with horrors. The gunboats kept up an incessant cannon-
ade, in some places setting the woods on fire. The
wounded on both sides vainly sought to escape from the
grasp of this new and terrible destroyer. Happily a lu.avy
rain-storm fell upon the scene of agony, and the fire was
extinguished. Shortly after the firing had ceased, Grant

ISUKNINC; HORSKS AT SHU.OH

visited Sherman; and as it was the opinion of both that the
Confederates were exhausted, it was agreed that the atlack
should be resumed early in the morning. Subsequently
Grant visited each of the division commanders, giving the
necessary instructions, and then flung himself on the wet
ground and snatched a few hours' rest, with his head rest-
ing on the stump of a tree. During the night Lewis Wal-
lace came up, and 15uell arrived in person. All nitj^ht
through steamboats kept busily plying between Savannah
Dnd Pittsburgh Landing, bringing up the remaining divisions
of Buell's army. Nelson's division was all on the field by

WAR OK THE KKHKLLIUN.

l8l

nine o'clock i'. m. Crittenden's arrived a litde later; and
by five in the morning McCook's division, which was the
last li) come up, having had to wait for boats, was all safely
disembarked. Twenty-seven thousand men were thus
added to the national army.

With the early light of the morning of the 7th of April,
whicii came in with a drizzling rain, the troops were in po-
sition and ready to make the attack. The fresh troops
were placed in line, as they came upon the field, considera-
bly in advance, and upon the ground abandoned by Beau-
rcL ird after the failure of his last attack. Nelson was on
th left; then in order Crittenden, McCook, Hurlbut,
McClernand, Sherman, and Lewis Wallace. Thomson, of
Wallace's division, with his field-guns, was the first to dis-
turb the silence of the morning and to awaken the echoes
of the forest. The response was vigorous; but the fresh
troops of Wallace stood bravely to their work. At this
moment Grant arrived, and ordered Wallace to press for-
ward and attack the Confederate left under Bragg, who,
since the death of Johnston, was second in command. This
was gallantly done, the Confederates being compelled to
abandon the high ground, which was soon occupied by
Wallace's troops. Here a halt was made, Wallace expect-
ing^ Sherman to come to his aid.

Meanwhile the two armies had come into collision at the
other extremities of their lines. Buell's force, which lay
nearest to Pittsburgh Landing, composed the centre and left
of Grant's new line of battle. The divisions of Nelson and
Crittenden only were ready, when Wallace's guns were
heard booming to the right. They moved forward at once,
Nelson's division leading. Their artillery had not yet ar-
rived ; but the batteries of Mendenhall and Terrill, of the
regular service, were placed at their disposal. Nelson had
moved half a mile, at least, before he felt the enemy. At
the first touch he seemed to yield ; but it was only for a
moment. At this point Beauregard had gathered up his
strength and was resolved to strike a deadly blow. If he
could turn the national left, he might still make himself
master of the Landing. His onslaught was tremendous.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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Mendenhall's battery was hurried into action, and the ad-
vancing Confederates were driven back in confusion by a
tempest of grape and canister. Hazen's brigade charged,
captured one of Beauregard's batteries, and turned it with
deadly effect on the foe. Once more the Confederates
came up, with redoubled strength, and Hazen fell back
before the advancing tide. Terrill's battery of McCook's
division was now got into position. Pouring forth shell
from his ten-pounders and grape and canister from his
brass twelves, Terrill did splendid and effective work. For
two hours the artillery conflict raged.

Sherman's captured camp was still in the Confederate
rear, and to this as an objective point the national line kept
slowly but steadily advancing. Sherman and Wallace, car-
rying out Grant's instructions to the letter, have advanced
under a terrible fire and have reached the ridge occupied
by the former on Sunday morning. The little log-church
in Shiloh has again become a conspicuous object in the
battle-field. Beauregard, despairing of success on the left,
had, by countermarching his troops, greatly strengthened
himself in front of the enemy's right. The struggle at I 'is
point was protracted and severe. Sherman and Wal'.ice
held their ground; and it soon became apparent that Beau-
regard's strength was all but exhausted.

At the same time that the Confederate general had con-
centrated his troops against the national right, he did not
neglect an opportunity which seemed to present itself more
towards what might be called the national centre. Notic-
ing a slight gap between Crittenden and McCook, he en-
deavored to force a passage between them. Here he made
his last effort — his last decided stand. It was all in vain.
McCook's division stood like a wall of iron. The Confed-
erate centre now began to yield. All along the line fro.ii
Nelson on the left to Sherman and Wallace on the right,
the nationals were pressing forward. Everywhere the
enemy was seen retiring. It was now half-past five o'clock;
and the wearied national troops being in no mood to pur-
sue the foe, the retreat w>^.s the more easily conducted.
The two days' fighting had resulted in the loss of over

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

183

tv/cnty thousand men — the Confederate killed and wounded
amounting to more than ten thousand, the nationals to
nearly twelve thousand.

General Halleck only did what was right when he thanked
Generals Grant and Buell, "and the officers and men of their
respective commands, for the bravery and endurance with
which they sustained the general attack of the enemy on the
6th. and the heroic manner in which on the 7th they defeated

GENERAL GRANT AT PITTSBURGH LANDING— SCENE ON THE SECOND

DAY'S FIGHTING.

and routed the entire Confederate army." General Grant
showed his magnanimity when, in writing to the War De-
partment, he said : " Sherman held with raw troops the key-
point of the Landing. It is no disparagement to any other
officer to say that I do not believe there was another division
commander on the field who had the skill and enterprise to
have done it. To his individual efforts I am indebted for
the success of the battle."
Towards the close of the triumphant day General Grant,

1 84

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

.,lf

who seemed to be everywhere present, met the First Ohio
regiment near a position occupied by the Confederates,
which it was very important at that juncture to take. He
halted the regiment, and placed himself at its head. The
troops recognized him with an enthusiastic cheer. General
Grant ordered them "to charge," and led them in person,
as much exposed as any private to the fire of the foe.
They would have followed him to the cannon's mouth. An
exhausted and retreating regiment, animated by the sight,
closed up their wavering ranks, and with cheers joined in
the charge. The foe was swept pell-mell from the spot;
and thus one of the most important points of the battle-
field was gained.

The news of this splendid victory spread like lightning.
The name of Grant was hailed with joy, while the deeds of
his gallant army were read with eager delight by every
loyal citizen and true soldier throughout the land. The
President hastened to express his gratitude to Grant by
sending him the commission of Major-General. Everybody
rejoiced at this act of justice except General Halleck, who
did all in his power to give exclusive credit for the victory
to C. F. Smith, and to secure for that officer the reward
which Grant had so honestly won. On the other hand.
Grant never for a moment withheld the praise which was
due to his subordinates, but with the least possible delay
recommended all who earned it for promotion, and yet there
were some among them who did not scruple to charge him
with incompetency, or to circulate calumnious reports
against his private character.

The victory at Shiloh broke down the second line of Con-
federate defence, as the fall of Donelson had broken down
the first.

After his defeat on the yth of April Beauregard retired
in good order to Corinth. The retreat was conducted in
circumstances of great inconvenience and hardship, and the
successful manner in which it was accomplished was a tri-
umph of military genius on the part of the Confederate
commander. Arriving at Corinth, Beauregard made all
needed preparations for whatever attack might be made.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

185

As a strategic point, for the South at least, Corinth had
already been shorn of much of its value. When Buell set
out from Nashville to reinforce Grant at Shiloh, he sent
General Mitchell southward, with instructions to destroy,
as far as possible, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.
On the 4th of April Mitchell was at Shelbyville, whence
he hastened forward by forced marches to Huntsville, tak-
ing the town by surprise at an early hour on the morning
of the iith, and capturing seventeen locomotives, more
than one hundred passenger cars, a large amount of sup-
plies of every kind, with about one hundred and sixty
prisoners. At Huntsville the railroad lines were torn up
both to the east and west of the town. From Huntsville
he sent one expedition eastward as far as Stevenson, and
another expedition westward as far as Decatur and Tus-
cumbia, the object of both expeditions being to capture
what could be had and to destroy the railroads. On the
1 6th of April Mitchell could say to his soldiers : " You have
struck blow after blow with a rapidity unparalleled. Steven-
son fell, sixty miles to the east of Huntsville. Decatur and
Tuscumbia have been in like manner seized and are now oc-
cupied. In three days you have extended your front of opera-
tions more than one hundred miles, and your morning guns
at Tuscumbia may now be heard by your comrades on the
batde-field made glorious by their victory before Corinth."
Mitchell had placed his army midway between Corinth and
Nashville, and opened communication with Buell, and had
added another hundred miles of the Tennessee to the free
navigation of the North. Under date of May ist, writing
to the secretary of war, he could say : *' The campaign is
ended, and I now occupy Huntsville in perfect security;
while all of Alabama north of the Tennessee river floats no
flag but that of the Union." It was not without good rea-
son that Mitchell was commissioned a major-general of
volunteers. The importance of Corinth had been fully
recognized by Halleck and Grant as well as by Buell and
Mitchell. A few days after the battle of Shiloh, General
Sherman, with some fresh troops from Buell's army, moved
up the Tennessee to the mouth of Bear Creek, and there

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

destroyed the railroad bridge which spans the river at that
place.

On the 1 2th Halleck arrived at Pittsburgh Landing and
took command in person of the " Grand Army of the Ten-
nessee ; " for such now was its title. Grant was placed
second in command, without any real duty. The manner
in which he had fought the battle of Shiloh was not satis-
factory to his chief; and he was compelled for a second
time to submit to uncalled-for humiliation. Grant bore his
punishment with the best grace possible. Halleck, as if on
second thoughts, did what he could to reassure him, in-
forming him that no censure \vas intended, and that his
position was that which was due to his rank. Halleck's
objection to Grant's conduct in the late contest was that he
had not shown sufficient caution — that he had erred, in
fact, in not throwing up whatever fortifications were pos-
sible in the circumstances between himself and the enemy.
As if to justify his complaint, and to show what shoukl
have been done at Shiloh, Halleck moved forward with a
caution which became painful, intrenching himself at every
step. Blame now fell upon him in turn. He was cautious
overmuch. It was tauntingly said that it took him six
weeks to march fifteen miles.

Shortly afterwards, Halleck went to Washington, for the
purpose of entering upon the duties of General-in-Chief,
to which position he had been called by the President, but
before starting, he offered the command of the army to
Colonel Robert Allen, chief supervising quartermaster in
the West, an educated soldier and an able man. It was
only when Allen positively declined, that the command was
restored to Grant, but with still restricted authority. He
was ordered to garrison a large number of points and to
send reinforcements to Buell, in doing which he was thrown
upon the defensive. But while Halleck was thus scattering
the national forces, the Confederates had been taught a
lesson, which made them concentrate all their available
means, east of the Mississippi.

Corinth was the strategic point in Grant's department.
The Tennessee river being too low for steamers in summer,

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

187

he drew his supplies from Columbus, Kentucky, which com-
pelled him to keep open one hundred and fifty miles of
railway through a guerrilla infested region.

Garrisoning Corinth, Bolivar and Jackson, all important
points, his force was too small to defend easily his great
department, much less to take the offensive. Bragg, with
a large army, was now moving toward Kentucky, so every
man that could be spared was taken from Grant, while Van
Dorn and Price constandy threatened him. He was sadly
hampered and harassed, but watched the enemy vigilantly,
and remodelled and strengthened the Corinth fortidcations
— a fact soon to prove of vital importance.

Slaves still flocked to the national camps. Congress had
prohibited officers or soldiers from returning them to their
masters, under pain of dismissal from the service. Per
contra, Halleck's Order No. Three was still in force. Of
course, it was impossible to harmonize instructions which
conflicted so positively; but Grant on August nth, with
characteristic subordination, attempted it, and issued the
following :

Recent acts of Congress prohibit the army from returning fugitives
from labor to their claimants, and authorize the employment of such
persons in the service of the government. The following orders are
therefore published for the guidance of the army in this military district
in this matter :

I. All fugitives thus employed myst be registered, the names of the
fugitive and claimants given, and must be borne upon the morning re-
ports of the command in which they are kept, showing how tliey are em-
ployed.

II. Fugitive slaves may be employed as laborers in the quartermaster's,
subsistence, and engineer departments, and whenever by such employ-
ment a soldier may be saved to the ranks. They may be employed as
teamsters, as company cooks (not exceeding four to a company), or as
hospital attendants and nurses. Officers may employ them as private
servants, in which latter case the fugitive will not be paid or rationed by
the government. Negroes not thus employed will be deemed " unauthor-
ized persons," and must be excluded from the camps.

HI. Officers and soldiers are positively prohibited from enticing slaves
to leave their masters. When it becomes necessary to employ this kind
of labor, commanding officers of posts or troops must send details (always
under the charge of a suitable commissioned officer), to press into service
the slaves of disloyal persons to the number required.'-'

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

One day while Grant and his staff were riding down to
take a drintc from a sulphur sprini^ a few miles south of his
head-quarters, they heard a musket shot from a log-hut
near by. A mother and daughter came running out, per-
sued by a Union soldier, who had fired his gun to terrify
them, and then attempted violence. Quick as thought the
general sprang from his horse, wrenched away the musket,
and with the butt of it felled the brute to the earth, where he
lay with no sign of life except a little quivering of the
foot.

"I guess you have killed him, general," remarked one
of his staff officers.

" If I have, it only served him right," rejoined Grant.

But the miscreant recovered, and was taken back to his
quarters.

On the loth of September, Price having reached North-
ern Mississippi with his army of about twelve thousand men,
started towards luka, where he arrived on the 19th, having
driven in small detachments of the national troops from
Jacinto and Chewalla. He made a feint of following Bragg
in his northern march, in the hope that Grant would pursue
him, and thus leave Corinth an easy prey to Van Dorn.
But Grant, whose head-quarters were at Jackson, Tennessee,
was too sagacious to fall into such a trap. Knowing from
his scouts that Van Dorn could not reach Corinth for four
or five days yet, he determined to crush Price by sending
out a heavy force under Ord and Rosecrans, who had suc-
ceeded Pope. He therefore threw Ord towards luka, on
the north side of the railroad, reinforcing him by Ross'
brigade from Bolivar, bringing his force up to about five
thousand men, and directed Rosecrans, with about nine
thousand men in all, to move towards luka by the way of
Jacinto and Fulton — hoping thus to cut off the Confederate
retrc^at and to concentrate a force sufficient to overwhelm
Price. This combined movement commenced at an early
hour on the i8th of September, and although the distances
to be overcome did not exceed in either case thirty miles,
the Confederates discovered it before it was fairly executed.
For some reason not satisfactorily explained, Rosecrans

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

failed to occupy the Fulton road. The junction of Ord and
Rosecrans did not take place till after the latter had had a
desperate and only partially successful engagement with
Price on the 19th, in front of luka. Rosecrans' troops
fought well, but owing to the exceedingly difficult nature
of the ground, he was not able to bring his whole com-
mand into action. The Confederates were defeated after a
sanguinary batde, and under cover of night retreated south-
ward by the Fulton road. Their loss is stated by Pollard
the historian "at about eight hundred killed and wounded,"
not counting over a thousand prisoners left in the hands of
the victors.

On the 22d Grant ordered the pursuit to be discontinued,
and directed Rosecrans to return to Corinth, where he ar-
rived on the 26th. Ord was sent to Bolivar, and Hurlbut
in the direction of Pocahontas. Price, by a wide circuit,
joined Van Dorn at Ripley. The united force then moved
in the direction of Pocnhontas.

On the 2d of October, Van Dorn and Price, with three
divisions, advanced thence towards Corinth by the way of
Che walla.

Shordy after Halleck left for Washington, Grant, seeing
that the old work;^ were too extensive to be held by any rea-
sonable force, directed the construction of an inner and
much shorter line of intrenchments at Corinth, and by the
time the Confederates made their appearance in front of
these works they were sufficiently near completion to be
used for defensive purposes. Rosecrans had withdrawn
his outposts upon the first appearance of the enemy and
formed his line over a mile in front of the fortifications.
The Confederates advancing on the Chewalla road, soon
drove in Stanley's advanced brigade, which, being sup-
ported by another, made head for a time. But the Con-
federates, continually developing their front, soon hotly en-
gaged Davies' division also, and finally the entire line.
Pushing their attack with great vigor, they finally compelled
Rosecrans to fall back with the loss of two guns, and to
occupy the fortifications.

At an early hour on the morning of the 4th, the action

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

191

was renewed by the Confederates, who opened upon the
Union lines with their batteries, and at half-past nine o'clock,
I'rice assaulted the Union centre with desperate determina-
tion. A storm of canister and grape was poured upon the
Confederate columns, but with only partial effect. Cheered
on by their officers, they renewed the attack, now become
[Tcnoral, and soon succeeded in breaking Davies' division
I ]d in forcing the head of their column inl j the town. But
kosecrans concentrated a heavy fire of artillery upon them,
and [jushing forward the Tenth Ohio, and Fifth Minnesota
regiments, followed closely by Sullivan's brigade, succeeded
in chiving the Confederate's beyond the works and in re-
establishing Davies' line. In the meanwhile Van Dorn had
formed the right of his army into column of attack, and
under cover of a heavy skirmish line, was leading it in
person to the assault of the Union left. But Rosecrans
was ready on that side also. Stanley's division and the
iieavy guns of Battery Robinet, manned by the veterans
of the First Regular infantry, made answer to the Con-
federate musketry, and with round shot, shell, grape and
canister, played dire havoc among the advancing troops.
But still they held their forward course till within fifty yards
of our national works. Here they received a deadly rifle
fire, and after struggling bravely for a minute to face it,
they were compelled to fall back. Again the Confederate
leaders led their men forward, to the very ditches and para-
pets of the defenses, but again were they bloodily repulsed;
this time, however, to be followed by the gallant soldiers of
Ohio and Missouri, who, seeing the enemy falter, poured
over the works and drove them, routed and broken, back
to the woods from which they had advanced. The battle
had spent its fury, the Confederates were no longer able
to niaUe head, and lost no time in withdrawing their disor-
ganized battalions to a place of safety. They left dead,
upon the field, 1,420 officers and men, and more than
5,000 wounded, besides losing 2,248 prisoners, 41 colors
and 2 guns. The next day Rosecans, reinforced by Mc^
Fherson's brigade, began the pursuit, but he had lost
eighteen hours and could not regain the aJvantage which

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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had thus escaped. The following extract from Grant's
order of congratulation tells the rest of the story :

The enemy chose his own time and place of attack, and knowing the
troops of the West as he does, and with great facilities of knowing their
numbers, never would have made the attempt, except with a superior
force numerically. Ikit for the undaunted bravery of officers and sol-
diers, who have yet to learn defeat, the efforts of the enemy must have
proven successful.

Whilst one division of the army, under Major-General Rosecrans, was
resisting and repelling the onslaught of the Confederate hosts at Cor-
inth, another from Bolivar, under Major-General Hurlbut, was marcliing
upon the enemy's rear, driving in their pickets and cavalry, and attract-
ing the attention of a large force of infantry and artillery. On the
following day, under Major-General Ord, these forces advanced with
unsurpassed gallantry, driving the enemy back across the Hatchie, over
ground where it is almost incredible that a superior force should be driven
by an inferior, capturing two of the batteries, (eight guns,) many hundred
small arms, and several hundred prisoners.

To these two divisions of the army all praise is due, and will he
awarded by a grateful country.

Between them there should be, and I trust are, the warmest bonds of
brotherhood. Each was risking life in the same cause, and, on this oc-
casion, risking it also to save and assist the other. No troops could do
more than these separate armies. Each did all possible for it to do in
the places assigned it.

As in all great battles, so in this, it becomes our fate to mourn the
loss of many brave and faithful officers and soldiers, who have given up
their lives as a sacrifice for a great principle. The nation mourns for
them.

In this campaign of fifteen days, although weakened by
detachments sent to Buell and hampered by imperative in-
structions from Halleck to hold the points which had been
garrisoned under his orders, Grant had fought and won two
battles, against superior forces of the enemy, and had
shown his capacity, if permitted to concentrate his forces
and leave conquered territory to take care of itself, to as-
sume the offensive with ample force to sweep every vestiji^e
of Confederate power from Mississippi. This is the only
period in his military career when he was compelled to re-
ceive attack rather than give it, and nothing could have
been more galling to his feelings.

On the 1 6th of October, 1862, General Grant's depart-
ment was extended so as to embrace the State of Mississippi

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DIAGUAMS SHOWING THE POSITIONS OF THE ARMIES AT THE BATTLE OP
MURFREESBOnO' OR STONE RIVER.

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

193

as far as Vicksburg, and on assuming command he issued
the lollowing orders :

Headquarters, Department of the Tennessee,
Jackson, Tenn., October 25///, 1862.
[Grneral Orders No. i.]

I. In compliance with General Orders, No. 159, A. G. O., War De-
partment, of date October 161I1, 1862, the undersigned hereby assumes
coniniaiui of the De])artment of the 'iennessee, whicli inchides Cairo, Fort
Henry and Fort Donelson, Northern Mississippi, and the portions of
Kentucky anci Tennessee west of liie Tennessee river.

II. Head-quarters of the Department of the Tennessee will reinain,
until further orders, at Jackson, 'Iennessee.

III. All orders of the District of Wtat Tennessee will continue in force
in the department. U. S. Grant,

Major- General eominatiding.

On the 1st of November he issued a lengthy order es-
tablishing certain important regulations in regard to the
movements of trains, limiting the allowance of baggage
and camp equipage, and otherwise placing his army in such
a condition that it could move in the enemy's country with
the greatest activity, and not be encumbered with long
lines of wagons, as has too frequently been the case during
the progress of the rebellion.

A day or two before this last order was issued, a large
body of cavalry had made a successful reconnoissance
below Ripley, and had occupied that place and Orizaba,
and on the 4th of November, General Grant, with several
divisions of the army, occupied La Grange, and established
his head-quarters there.

On the 8th of November, 1862, he ordered a force, con-
sisting of about ten thousand infantry under command of
General McPherson, and about fifteen hundred cavalry under
Colonel Lee, to make a reconnoissance for the purpose of
ascertaining the exact position of the enemy. Near Lamar,
a village about twelve miles south of La Grange, the cavalry
encountered the enemy's pickets, and soon afterwards a
force of cavalry, whom, alter a short skirmish, they drove
into the hills. One portion of Colonel Lee's force was
subsequently sent down towards Hudsonville, while he him-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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self, with about seven hundred of his men, attacked the
Confederates aiid compelled them to retreat, leaving their
dead and wounded in the hands of the nationals. For his
gallant conduct on this and several previous occasions,
Colonel Lee was recommended by General Grant for pro-
motion.

On the 9th of November, stringent orders were issued,
having for their object the prevention of depredations by
tiie troops, and authorizing the stoppage of the pay of en-
tire divisions for the full amount of damages committed
by any soldier to whom the act could not be definitely
traced. On the i ith of the month the officers of General
Grant's staff were officially announced; on the 14th, a camp
for the reception of fu'jjitive slaves was established at Grand
Junction ; two days later, one of the provisions of the
order of the 9th was enforced, by the levy of about twelve
hundred dollars upon the Twentieth Illinois regiment, to
reimburse certain store-keepers for property stolen and in-
jured by a portion of the regiment, the identity of the
actual criminals being undiscovered; and on the 19th, an
order was promulgated, requiring persons, before purchas-
ing cotton or other Southern products, to have a special
permit from the local provost-marshal; prohibiting pur-
chasers from going beyond the lines to trade; and granting
licenses to loyal persons within the department to keep for
sale to residents who have taken the oath of allegiance,
articles " of prime necessity for families."

r ir:, P

CHAPTER V.

WAR OF THE REBELLION — Continued.

After tlie bstt'e of Corinth — Rensons for Grant's inaction — Reinforcements — The expe-
dition to the Yazoo — Sherman and Porter — Grant to move against remherlon —
I lolly Springs — Van Dorn's raid — Holly Spiiiigs C;ii tured — Murphy's cowardice—
Forresl's raid — Grant's supplies cut off— Murphy dismissed the army — Sherman and
Porter on their way down tlie Mississippi — McClernand's appointinent — Sherman
and Porter at the mouth of the Yazoo — Vick>burg — Walnut Hills — Haines' Bluff—
Ciiickasaw bayou — Dangerous battle-ground — The preparations of the Confederates
— Harfield's plantation — General Frank P. Blair — The morning of the 29th of
November — The attack — Blair and Thayer — Their bravery — Morgan's failure —
Morgan L. Smith wounded — Blair, Thayer, and DeCourcy compelleil to fall back
— Tlie Sixth Missouri — Sherman mortified — Another attack resolved upon — End o'
the second campaign against Vickshurg — Reflections — Sherman's mi-take — Biaif
the hero of Chickasaw bayou — Back at the mouth of the Yazoo — Arrival of Mc-
Clcrnand — Sherman superseded — McCleinand's General Order No. I — Arkansas
post — At the mouth of the White river — The Arkansas liver — Fort Hindman—
Strength of the fortress — Landing of the troops — Porter and his gunboats — The
morning of the nth of Deceml)er — The guns of the fort silenced — Steele's men
performing prodigies of valor — Morgan's advance interrupted by the ravine-
Bravery of Burbridge — The prize of victory — McClernand's report — Little Rock—
I)es Arc and Duval's Bluff captured — F'orl Hindman dismantled and blown up —
The army and the flotilla at Napoleon — Instructions from Grant — Back at Milliken's
Iknd.

AiTER the battle of Corinth, on the 4th of October, 1862,
the army, under General Grant, fell back to the position
which it formerly occupied, and remained in comparative
inactivity until the beginninir of November. It was sta-
tioned from Memphis to Bridgeport, Tennessee, along the
Memphis and Charleston railroad. Its strong points were
Memphis, Grand Junction, and Corinth. The army was
arranged in four divisions. Grant's head-quarters were at
Jackson, Tennessee, a point in the West where tlie Central
Mississippi railroad unites with the Mobile and Ohio.

General Grant had not abandoned the plan which was
inaugurated at Henry and Donelson. His whole soul was

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196

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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bent on the capture of Vicksburg. The removal of Mal-
leck to Washington had devolved upon him the entire care
of the department of the Tennessee, which included, in
addition to Cairo, Forts Henry and Donelson, the whole
of Northern Mississippi, and those portions of Tennessee
and Kentucky west of the Tennessee river. The army
which had fought xnd won at Shiloh, at Corinth, and at
luka, had been greatly weakened, a large proportion of
its strength having been sent to Kentucky to resist the
invasion of Bragg. It was necessary, therefore, for Grant,
iwhile perfecting his plans and rearranging his troops, to
wait for reinforcements. As soon as the reinforcements
arrived, he was ready to move.

The national gunboats had swept the Mississippi from
Cairo to Memphis ; and, between those two points, every
Confederate stronghold had been deserted or destroyed.
Farragut, with a portion of his fleet, had pushed his way up
to Vicksburg after the capture of New Orleans. He was
accompanied by General F. Williams, with an infantry force
of four regiments. While Farragut bombarded the city,
Williams was cuttincr a canal, with a view of divertinof the
waters of the Mississippi from their proper channel, thus
leaving Vicksburg high and dry on all sides. The siege
lasted some seventy days. It was all to no purpose. Far-
ragut, who failed to make any serious impression on the
Confederate works, began to fear for his own safety. ! ■
canal, also, proved a complete failure. The fleet a.ici • j
land force both found it necessary to retire, and Vicksburg
remained to obstruct the navigation of the great river.

On the 4th of November Grant began to move. He
transferred his head-quarters from Jackson to La Grange,
some few miles to the west of Grand Junction. He soon
discovered that the Confederates, under General John C
Pemberton, who had superseded Van Dorn, were in con-
siderable strength immediately in his front. Pemberton, in
fact, had taken a strong position behind two lines of de-
fences, the outer being the Yallabusha, and the inner being
the Tallahatchie — two streams which, after their junction,
form the Yazoo river.

N if.

198

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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On the 8th he sent out McPherson with 10,000 infantry
and 1,500 cavalry, with instructions to drive from Lamar a
body of Confederates who were holding the railroad. Mc-
Pherson accomplished his task in the most effectual man-
ner, the Confederates having been driven back as far as
Holly Springs.

About the 17th of November Grant summoned Shermarr
to meet him at Columbus, and at the interview which there
took place the views of the two generals were freely ex-
changed. Grant explaining to Sherman his plan and givin^r
him his orders. It was at Sherman's sueirestion that a
portion of Curtis' army, which, as we have seen in a pre-
vious chapter, was stationed at Helena, should Le brought
over to Delta, with a view to co-operate with Grant in his
general movement towards Vicksburg. They numbered
some 7,000 men, and were under the joint command of
Generals A. P. Hovey and C. C. Washburne. Ordered to
scour the country to the south and east, in the rear of the
Confederate army, to destroy the railroads and bridges, so
as to cut off supplies, and generally to prepare the way for
Grant's advance, they accomplished their task in the most
effectual manner, and then returned to the Mississippi.
Pemberton, on discovering that the railroads were badly
damaged, and that the rolling stock was destroyed. Grant
meanwhile pressing on his front, deemed it prudent to fall
back on Grenada.

On the 1st of December Grant was at Holly Springs,
On the 5th he was at Oxford, where he established his
head-quarters.

On the 5th of December, Sherman on his way to join
Grant, and bringing with him from Memphis some 16,000
men, arrived at College Hill, about ten miles from Oxford,
whence he reported to his chief. On the 8th he received
from Grant a letter, requesting his immediate presence at
Oxford, and enclosing a message from Halleck to Grant,
authorizing the latter to move his troops as he thought
best, to retain till further orders all Curtis' troops now in
his department, to telegraph to General Allen in St. Louis
for all the steamboats he might need, and to ask Porter to

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

199

co-operate with his gimboats. On his arrival at Oxford
Sherman found Grant surrounded by his staff. The new
plan was discussed and approved. It will be seen that
Grant had made up his mind that, for the safety of his men
as well as for the final success of the expedition, it was
necessary to take full advantage of the river communication
with Vicksburg.

Grant had been left complete control of the move-
ment, Halleck having offered no special advice and im-
posed no conditions. Sherman, who commanded the right
wing of Grant's army, was appointed to tlie command of the
river expedition, and received his instructions. Grant de-
sired Sherman appointed to this command in preference to
McClernand, who had influence with the President, and was
known to be intriguing for an independent command on
the Mississippi. Sherman was ordered to take command
of the forces at Memphis, and those also at Helena and
Delta, under General Steele, to descend the river by trans-
ports, with the gunboat fleet as a convoy, commanded by
Admiral Porter, and to attack Vicksburg by the 29th of
November. McClernand was to take the forces at Cairo,
and to proceed to Vicksburg, so as to be in time to lend
Sherman effective aid as soon as he made the attack.
Grant himself was to move rapidly on the Confederates to
the north and east of Vicksburg, to follow them if they
should retreat towards the city, and to take part with
Sherman, if necessary, in the reduction of the place. Grant
knew that it was unsafe to trust for supplies solely to the
enemy's country. He had, therefore, repaired the Central
Mississippi railroad as far as Oxford, where, for the present,
he had established his head-quarters ; and Holly Springs,
which was entrusted to the care of Colonel R. C. Murp'iy,
was retained as a grand depot and hospital.

General Grant had taken great care that no misfortune
should befall him in liis rear. He had left small but ade-
quate garrisons at Columbus, Humboldt, Trenton, Jackson,
Bolivar, Corinth, Holly Springs, Coldwater, Davis' Mills
and Middlebury. He had taken particular care of Holly
Springs, for he knew that the treasures at that place pre-

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200

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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sented a powerful temptation to Van Dorn. On the night
of the 19th he warned Murphy of his danger, and informed
him that he had sent 4,000 men to enable him to repel any
attack which might be made upon him. Murphy, it would
seem, paid little heed to the instructions given him. He
made no extra preparations to resist the enemy.

On the morning of the 20th, at daybreak. Van Dorn,
executing a brilliant cavalry operation, rushed upon the
place with tremendous fury. Murphy offered no resistance.
The Second Illinois, however, refused to surrender, and
gallantly fought their way out with a loss of only seven
men. Murphy, with the rest of his men, accepted a parole.
Van Dorn seized all the property, valued at over $1,500,-
000, taking with him what he could carry and destroying
the remainder. He set fire to the buildings, not even
sparing the hospital, which was filled with sick and wounded
soldiers. This was the second time that Murphy had been
guilty of such conduct. He did the same thing at luka.
General Grant was wild with rage. It was his opinion that
with "all the cotton, public stores, and substantial buildings
about the depot," Murphy ought to have been able to keep
the assailants at bay until relief arrived. It was only four
hours after the catastrophe when the 4,000 men sent to his
aid arrived on the spot. Grant was particularly incensed
at Murphy for accepting a parole for himself and his men.
A cartel had been agreed to by the rival commanders ; and
it had been stipulated that each party should take care of
his own prisoners. If Murphy had refused parole for him-
self and men. Van Dorn would have been "compelled to
release them unconditionally, or to have abandoned all
further aggressive movements for the time being." In a
severe order, on the 9th of January, General Grant dis-
missed Murphy from the army, the order to take effect
" from December 20th, the date of his cowardly and dis-
graceful conduct."

On the same day that Van Dorn made his raid on Holly
Springs, an attack was made by a Confederate force on
Davis* Mills, a little farther to the north. In the neighbor-
hood of Jackson, Tennessee, a vital point ' Grant's line

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

20 1

of communications, an attack was made by a body of cav-
alry, under Forrest, on tiie 19th.

General Grant's plan of the campaign had failed. On
the 20th, the very day on which Van Dorn and Forrest
struck the blow which compelled Grant to fall back and
abandon his part of the joint undertaking, Sherman took
his departure from Memphis. Taking with him over
20,000 troops in transports, he left, as a guard to the city, a
strong force of infantry and cavalry, and the siege guns in
position, with a complement of gunners. On the following
day. at Friar's Point, he was joined by Admiral Porter, in
his tlag-ship, " Black Hawk," with the " Marmora," Captain
Getty, and the " Conestoga," Captain Selfridge, which were
to act as a convoy. The remainder of Porter's fleet was
at the mouth of the Yazoo. On the same evening, the
2 1 St, the troops at Helena embarked in transports and
came to Friar's Point. Sherman's force was now at least
30,000 strong. All the arrangements were completed, and
the joint expedition was moving down the river the fol-
lowing morning.

On the 1 8th of December an order from the President
reached Grant, directing him to divide all his forces into
four army corps, to assign one corps to McClernand, and
to place him at the head of the troops destined for the at-
tack upon Vicksburg. Grant could hardly fail to see in
this order a blow aiined at himself. It is not much to be
wondered at if Grant was staggered by this order, and if
he was slow to put it in execution. He was in the midst
of his preparations for an onward march. The reconstruc-
tion of his army, according to the instructions received, oc-
cupied him the whole of the 19th. The disaster at Holly
Springs, compelling a backward movement, occurred on
the 20th, and the raids of Forrest on the same day de-
prived him of the use of the telegraph. As it was, Sher-
man had proceeded down the river before any counter-in-
structions reached Memphis. If Sherman had any reason
to fear a counter-order, his haste to get ready and his
prompt departure but revealed the soldierly spirit and true
diaracter of the man. As the result proved, it was well

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202

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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for Sherman, well for General Grant, and well for the na-
tion at lari^e that Lincoln's order did not take efile.ct before
the 20th of December.

On Christmas day the expedition under Sherman and
Porter had reached Milliken's Bend, when Sherman de-
tached Burbridge's brigade, of A. J. Smith's division, to
break up the railroad leading from Vicksburg to Shrcve-
port, Louisiana. Leaving A. J. Smith's division to await
the arrival, the remaining divisions proceeded, on the 26th,
to the mouth of the Yazoo, and up that river to Johnson's
plantation, some thirteen miles, and there disembark(;d.
The disembarkation was conducted without any opposition.
Steele's division landed farthest up the river, above what
is called Chickasaw Bayou ; Morgan's division a little lower
down, at the house of Johnson, which had been burned by
the gunboats on a former occasion ; Morgan L. Smith's di-
vision below that of Morgan ; and A. J. Smith's, which ar-
rived next night, below that of M. L. Smith. The ground
on which Sherman now foiuid himself presented obstacles
of which formerly he had but a very imperfect conception.

Vicksbursf is built on a range of bluffs known as le
Walnut Hills. These hills, which take their rise a little be-
low the city, extend for the most part in a northeasterly
direction, terminating in Haines' Bluff, a distance of some
thirteen or fourteen miles. The configuration of these
hills has been compared to the ridge at Inkerman, to which,
it is said, they bear, in some particulars, a striking resem-
blance. Their average height is about two hundred feet.
Where the Mississippi touches their base at Vicksburg, and
for some miles both above and below, they are precipitous.
Along their entire length, indeed, from Vicksburg to
Haines' Bluff, their face is very abrupt, and cut up by nu-
merous valleys and ravines. The only approach to the
city by land from up the river is by climbing their almost
perpendicular front. The ground beyond is high, broken,
and somewhat rolling, gradually descending to the Big
Black river. The Yazoo, which skirts the ridge at Haines'
Bluff, about nine miles above Vicksburg by the road, along
tlie foot of the bluffs, flows in a southwestern direction, and

VICK5UURG AND PORT HUDSON-SCENE OF GRANTS GRKAT VICTOR V.

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Lli'E OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

before discharging its waters into the Mississippi crosses
an old arm of tiie river, which now forms a semicircular
lake.

The Yazoo evidently, in times gone by, clung to the foot
of the hills, and traces of its former whereabouts are to he
seen in the numerous bayous and channels by which tlie
intervening ground is cut up. One of these bayous puts
ofif from the Yazoo about one-third of the distance below
Haines' Bluff, running at right angles with the river until
it approaches the bluffs, when it turns and follows their
base until it empties itself into the Mississippi. It is called
Chickasaw Bayou. Between the bayou and the hills there
was an irregular strip of land, on which the trees had been
felled to form an abatis. It was dotted also with rifle-pits.
Rifle-trenches abounded, too, along the front of the bluffs,
and the heights above were crowned with batteries. About
a mile to the northeast of the bayou, and parallel with it,
there is a deep slough, which makes a sharp turn, as it ap-
proaches the bluffs, and enters Chickasaw Bayou at the
point where the latter is checked in its course, and turns to
flow alonof the base of the hills. There was thus a fortified
line some twelve or thirteen miles in length formed of
abatis and rifle-pits, with an impassable ditch in front, and
terminating in the powerful fixed batteries at Haines' Bluff
on the one hand, and in the heavy batteries and field-works
above Vicksburg on the other. The land lying betwecui
the Yazoo and the Chickasaw was not only low and
swampy, it was, except in one or two places where there
were plantations, densely wooded. The distance from
Johnson's Landing to the Chickasaw was about six miles.

General Sherman's army was organized in four divisions.
The first division, " comprising three brigades, was under
Brigadier-General George \fV. Morgan ; second division,
three brigades, under Brigadier-General Morgan L. Smith;
third division, three brigades, under Brigadier-General A. J.
Smith; fourth division, four brigades, under Brigadier-
Gen sral Frederick Steele. The brigade commanders of
the fourth division were Generals Frank P. Blair, John M.
Thayer, C. E. Hovey, and Colonel Hassendeubel. Ac-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. UKANI'.

cordln;^ to Shcrinan's plan of attack General Steele was to
iioltl tiic extreme left, General Morgan the left centre, Gen-
eral M. L. Smith the right centre, and General A. J. Smith
the extreme right. As tiie latter general had not yet ar
rived from Milliken's Bend, wiierc we left him waiting for
Burbridge, General Frank F. Blair, with his brigade, was
detached from Steele's division and placed on Morgan's
right.

On the 27th tlie army began to move. General Steele,
who had been ordered to take position on the farther side
of the slough above this bayou, experienctid great difficulty
in landing his troops. On the 27th Blair moved slowly to-
wards the bluffs, his desire being to give Steele time to
come into position on the left. He succeeded in silencing
one of the enemy's batteries at the point where he expected
Steele would be able to join him, and held his round.

On the 2oth the various divisions pressed 'vard, and
the national troops were in full possession c. tue Yazoo
side of the bayou, with one bridge thrown across and with
two bridges partially constructed. During the course of
the day, while rcconnoitering, General M. L. Smith was se-
verely wounded in the hip and compelled to retire to his
steamboat.

On the morning of the 29th all things were in readiness
for the attack. It was Sherman's object to make a lodge-
ment on the foot-hills and bluffs abreast of his position,
while diversions were being" made by the navy at Haines'
Bluff, and by the first division direcdy towards Vicksburg.
An attempt was made by A. J. Smith to throw a light-flying
bridge over the bayou more to the right. Sherman ex-
pected great things from General Morgan, who, as we have
seen, commanded the first division, and was to lead the at-
tack in person. Sherman pointed out to him the place
where he could pass the bayou, and received for answer:
** General, in ten minutes after you give the signal, I'll be
on those hills." His position was one of considerable diffi-
culty. The crossing was narrow, and immediately opposite,
at the base of the hills, there was a Confederate battery,
supported by infantry, posted on the spurs of the hills in

WAR OF rilE REHKLLION.

207

the rear. This was the real point of attack, but to distract
the attention of the enemy, Sherman's instructions were
that the initial movements should be made at the Hanks.

It was about noon before the si^jnal was ij^iven for a gen-
eral forward movement across the bayou and towards the
enemy's position. A heavy artillery fire was opened all
alont,^ the national line. It recalled the memory of luka
and Corinth. The Confederate batteries made a prompt
reply, and were soon followed by the infantry, which opened
a perfect tempest of lead on the advance ranks of Morgan
and A. J. Smith. In the midst of this fierce storm of can-
non-shot and musketry De Courcy's brigade, of Morgan's
division, succeeded in crossing the bayou ; but so terrific
was the fire that they took to cover behind the bank, and
could not be moved forward General Blair, meanwhile,
had crossed the bayou by tiic bridge above the angle, and
had reached the slough, the bottom of which was quicksand,
and the banks of which were covered with felled trees.
With great difficulty, and not until his ranks were thrown
into some disorder, was the crossing of the slouQ-h accom-
plished. This done, it was necessary before reaching the
enemy's works to traverse a sloping plateau, raked by a
dir(!ct and enfilading fire from heavy artillery, and swept by
a storm of bullets from the rifle-pits. Nothing daunted,
Blair and his brave brigade went bounding across the
plateau. Rushing upon the rifle-pits, they captured the
first line and then the second, and made a desperate effort
to orain the crest of the hill on which the batteries were
planted.

Colonel Thayer, of Steele's division, had followed Blair
with his brigade over the same bridge. Entering the
abatis at the same point, he turned somewhat to the right,
and emerged upon the plateau almost simultaneously with
Blair, and about two hundred yards to his right. Unfortu-
nately, however, Thayer found that he was followed by
only one regiment : his second regiment, after his move-
ment had commenced, having been ordered to the support
of Morgan, and the other two regiments having followed
this one by mistake. Thayer discovered the mistake before

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2o8

LIFE OF ULVaSES S. GRANT.

he had fairly brought his troops into action, but he was too
brave a man to halt or hesitate in the circumstances. On
he pushed to the right of Blair, and rendered effective aid
in the capture of the second line of rifle-pits. Leaving- his
regiment to hold the position it had won, he hurried back,
with Blair's consent, to obtain reinforcements. The mo-
ments seemed hours. " It was a struggle," as has been
well said, " between three thousand in the open -ground
below and ten thousand behind intrenchments above.'
The hillsides bristled with bayonets and blazed with tb.e
fire of musketry, while from the angry mouths of huge
cannon destruction was poured forth upon the shattered
and rapidly thinning ranks of the assailants. Blair, impa-
tient for the return of Thayer, rushed back himself to per-
suade the advance of more troops. It was all in vain.
Both Thayer and himself failed in obtaining reinforcements.
No help reached them ; no diversion was made in their
favor. They had no choice but to order a retreat. Blair
and Thayer fell back with a loss of at least one-third of
their men ; and De Courcy, who had been attacked on the
flank by the Seventeenth and Twenty-Sixth Louisiana, lost
four flags, three hundred and thirty-two men made pris-
oners, and about five hundred small arms.

The attack was a complete failure. Somehow the signal
for attack was imperfectly understood. Stuart I'ad managed
to push across one regiment, the Sixth Missouri, which had
orders to undermine the bluff. The position of those men
was one which severely tried their faith and patience.
They were exposed to the vertical fire of the Confederate
sharpshooters who occupied the ridge, and a batallion of
the Thirteenth regulars, who were stationed opposite, and
who attempted to protect them from the Confederate fire,
proved equally dangerous with the enemy above. " Shoot
higher ! " shouted the nationals below the bluff. " Shoot
lower ! " cried the Confederates. After dark this regiment
was brought back over the bayoM. The remainder ot
Steele's division did not get up in time to be of any assist-
ance to Blair. Morgan failed to make good his promise.
He did not even obey his orders. General S.herman was

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

209

particularly severe on Morgan. To him and to his conduct
he attributed the failure of the attack.

Sherman resolved to make another attack, and arrange-
ments were made to push forward General Hovey to the
position from which Blair had been driven ; Morgan's di-
vision, with the brigades of Blair and Thayer, to follow and
support. For some reason it was not done, and next
morning it was found to be impossible, because of the in-
creased strength of the Confederates at the menaced point.
Firino^ was continued on both sides during Tuesday ; and
on Wednesday, the 31st, a flag of truce was sent in, and
the dead were buried and the wounded cared for.

Slierman was still dissatisfied, and resolved to make
another attack. After consulting with Admiral Porter it
was aereed that a combined naval and land assault should
be made on Haines' Bluff, the key of the Confederate po-
sition. Porter was to proceed up the Yazoo with his gun-
boats and open fire on the bluffs, while General Steele was
to land his divis'- "•. out of range of the enemy's guns, then
to push forwa^ „ and take the position by storm. The at-
tack was to be made during the dark hours. By two
o'clock on the morning of Thursday, the ist of January,
1863, the necessary arrangements were completed. A
heavy fog, however, had enveloped the entire district, and
so f'ense was it that Porter found it impossible to steer the
boats. It was utterly out of the question to make any fur-
ther efforts. On the night of the 29th of j'3ecember there
had been a tremendous rain-storm ; all the low o-round was
flooded, and the men, v»^ho had been bivouacking for five
successive days in those wretched swamps without fire,
were suffering cruelly from damp and cold. On the 2d of
January Sherman placed his troops on board the transports,
and the fleet sailed down to the mouth of the Yazoo. Thus
ended somewhat ingloriously the second campaign against
Vicksburg. Sherman had accomplished nothing. He had,
however, made great sacrifices ; his loss in killed and
wounded and prisoners amounting to nearly 2,000 men.
Such was the batde of Chickasaw Bayou, or, as it is some-
times named, the battle of Haines' Bluff.
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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The Confederates were jubilant after this first victory.
It was undoubtedly a qrreat triumph. General Peniberton,
not without reason, felt proud that he had baffled Grant in
person, compelling him to retreat, and that he had tem-
porarily, at least, saved Vicksburg by the defeat of the
greatest of Grant's lieutenants. These rejoicings in the
South were not unmixetl with sorrow. The more thouQht-
ful of the Confederates knew that defeat only intensified
the purpose of the North. Vicksburg had not yet fallen;
but Vicksburg, they felt, was doomed.

At the mouth of the Yazoo General McCiernand was
waiting with orders from the War Department to take
command of the entire expedition. That general, it will
be remembered, was appointed to this command b) the
direct influence of President Lincoln. With a modesty
which became a man of his high spirit, Sherman accepted
the situation, and explained to McCiernand what had been
done, accepting the entire responsibility of the failure.
Referring to the trains of cars which could be heard com-
ing into Vicksburg almost every hour, and the fresh troops
seen on the bluffs, he gave it as his opinion that Peniber-
ton's army must have been pressed back, and that Grant
must be at hand. He then learned, for the first time, what
had befallen Grant ; INIcClernand stating that Grant was
not coming at all, that the depot at Holly Springs had
been captured by Van Dorn, that Grant had fallen back
from Coffeeville and Oxford to Holly Springs and La
Grange, and that when he passed down, Ouimby's division,
of Grant's army, was actually at Memphis for stores. By
common consent, all further attempts against Vicksburt^
for the present were abandoned ; and the entire force lett
the Yazoo and retired to Milliken's Bend on the Mis-
sissippi.

On the 4th of January McCiernand issued his General
Order No. i, assuming command of what was to be called
the Army of the Mississippi, and, following the plan which
had been agreed upon at Washington, and which had been
adopted in the armies of the East, divided his forces into
two corps. The first was to be commanded by General

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

21 I

Morgan, and was to be composed of his own and A. J.
Smith's divisions ; and die second, to consist of Steele's
and Stuart's divisions, was to be commanded by Sherman.
The rest of the Army of the Tennessee was similarly di-
vided, Hurlbut being placed in command of one corps,
and McPherson in command of the other. The supreme
command of these four corps was retained by Grant.

Before the arrival of McClernand, Sherman and Porter
had agreed upon a plan for the reduction of Fort Hind-
man, or, as it was called, Arkansas Post. About forty or
forty-five miles from the mouth of the Arkansas there is a
piece of elevated ground, the first high land on the banks
of the river after leaving the Mississippi. At this point
the river makes a sharp bend. Here the French had a
trading-posL and a settlement as far back as 1685. The
Confederates had taken advantage of the place to erect
some fortifications, the principal work being named Fort
Hindman, after the famous guerrilla chief Behind these
works, they kept several steamboats, which were wont to
sweep down the river and intercept supplies. Sherman
had experienced some inconvenience from the existence of
this stronghold. He had left Memphis in such haste that
he had not been able to take with him a sufficient supply
of ammunition for his guns. The " Blue Winij," a small
steamer carrying a mail, towing some coal barges, and
having with her the necessary supplies, had been sent after
him. This boat had been pounced upon at the mouth of
the Arkansas, captured and, with all her supplies, taken up
to Fort Hindman. It war, Sherman's conviction, from the
moment he learned of the fate of the " Blue Wing," that
before any operation could be successfully conducted
ajj^ainst Vicksburg by way of the Mississippi, it would be
necessary to reduce Fort Hindman, and make an end of
the Arkansas pirates. Sherman communicated his pur-
pose to McClerniUid, and asked permission to go up the
Arkansas and clear oul the post. It was Sherman's ex-
pectation that he would be sent, with his own corps, alone
on this business ; but McClernand concluded to go himself,
and to take with him his whole force.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The troops, which had not yet disembarked from the
transports, were ordered to remain on board. Sherman's
corps was in two divisions. The first, which consisted of
three brigades, commanded respectively by Blair, Hovey
and Thayer, was under Brigadier-General Frederick Steele.
The second, which consisted of two brigades, commanded
by Colonels G. A. Smith and T. Kirby Smith, was under
Brigadier-General Stuart. The transports with the troops
oil board, convoyed by the gunboats, of which three were
iron-clads, proceeded up the Mississippi. The force under
McClernand amounted to some 26.000 or 27,000 men,
comprising forty regiments of infantry, ten batteries with
several guns of heavy calibre, and about 1,500 horse. On
the Sth of January the expedition was at the mouth of the
White river. On the morning of the 9th of January the
expedition, having ascended the White river, had reached
the mouth of the " cut-off." There was no delay in making
the passage through to the Arkansas, a distance of about
eight miles. Steaming up the Arkansas, the boats reached
Notrib's Farm, about four miles below Fort Hindman,
shordy after four o'clock in the afternoon. Here they
halted ; and during the night the artillery and wagons were
got on shore, the troops disembarking in the mornincr.
Arkansas Post is on the nordi side or left bank of the Ar-
kansas, at a point where the river makes a sharp elbow by
flowing north, then east, then again abrupdy to the south.
The principal work, as we have said, was Fort Hindman.
Its guns commanded Uie river as it stretched to the east
and after it bent toward the south. This fort was a regu-
lar square-bastioned work, one hundred yards each exte-
rior side, with a deep ditch about fifteen feet wide, and a
parapet eighteen feet high. It was armed with twelve
j^uns, two of which were eicht-inch and one nine-inch.
The garrison, which numbered only 5.000 men, was under
the command of General T. J. Churcl\ill, who was under
the direction of General T. H. Holmes, then commanding
at Litde Rock. Churchill had received instructions to
"hold on until help should arrive or all were dead."

The disparity of forces was great. It was 26,000 or

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

213

27,000 against 5,000. The strong position held by the
Confederates, however, did much to compensate for infe-
riority of numbers. The fort itself was strong; and its ap-
proaches were of the most difficult description. Fronting
on the river, it was protected on the west by a bayou, on
uie east by a swamp which did not quite reach the edge
of the water. Between the fort and the swamp there was
a ravine which stretched down to the river ; and the front
of this ravine was well fortified. The position had thus to
be approached through the elevated ground which lay
between the bayou and the swamp. The encampments of
the Confederates were established in front of the fort, in
the centre of the plateau dotted with clumps of trees.
There was an outer line of intrenchments which stretched
across the entire ground.

On the loth of January, the army was kept busy en-
deavoring to get a position in rear of the fort, Sherman on
the rlo-ht and Morcran on the left. Some mistakes were
made, in consequence of a want of knowledge of the
ground. In the afternoon, and while the land forces were
still seeking position. Porter was making good use of his
flotilla. As he moved up the river, he shelled the rifle-pits
along the levee, and drove the Confederates inside the fort.
When about four hundred yards from Fort Hindman, he
brought into action his three iron-clads — the Baron de
Kalb, the Louisville and the Cincinnati ; and for half an
hour the firing was kept up, the guns of the fort replying
vigorously.

On the morning of the 1 1 th McClernand, who had his
quarters still on board the Tigress, had come up and taken
a position in the woods to the rear. Early in the forenoon,
he sent a message to Sherman, asking him why the attack
was not begun. It had been understood beforehand that
the opening of fire by the gunboats on the fort should be
the signal for a general attack. Sherman replied that all
was ready; that he was within five or six hundred yards of
the enemy's works ; that the next movement must be a
direct assault alonij the whole line ; and that he was wait-
ing to hear from the gunboats. Half an hour or thereabout

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

■|l 1'.

afterwards was heard the clear, ringing sound of the navy
guns, the firing becoming louder and more rapid as they
neared the fort. The national field-pieces opened fire alona
the whole line. The thunder was terrific. The Confeder-
ates, most of whom were Texan volunteers, made a gallant
resistance. A i egiment of cavah y, abandoning their horses,
fought on foot, and rendered, for a time, effective service in
resisting the advance of the nationals. It was impossible
for them to resist the fierce onset made by overwhelminf
numbers. Sherman pressed forward on the right, Morgan
on the left, each driving the Confederates back, and gradu-
ally obtaining possession of the wooded ground in front of
the newly-erected parapet, but not without considerable
loss. The Confederate firing was heavy ; but the national
soldiers took advantage of the clumps of trees, and felled
logs to shield themselves from the storm of bullets. Gradu-
ally the edge of the woods was reached ; the ground was
clear; and there was nothing to protect them from the
decimating fire of the enemy.

Meanwhile, the gunboats were pouring a murderous fire
upon the fort, and sweeping the adjoining ground above
and below with grape and shrapnell. Porter had brought
into action not only the ironclads, but the ram Monarch,
Commander Ellet, and even the frailer vessels, as he tells
us, that amid the clouds of smoke they might "do the best
they could." It was not long until the effects of this terri-
fic firing began to be visible. All the adjoining ground
was cleared of the foe ; nearly all the artillery horses in the
fort were killed; and one by one the guns were being
silenced. Shortly after three o'clock the firing from the
fort altogether ceased. The cannonading, however, was
kept up by the gunboats. Porter, who had taken a regi-
ment on board, was proceeding with the Black Hawk to
attempt a landing, and to take possession, when a white
flag was raised in token of surrender. He immediately
ordered the firinof to cease.

He left the troops in the clearing at the edge of the
woods, fully exposed to the enemy's fire from the parapet
outside the fort. This line had three sections of field-

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

215

guns ; and they were handled, according to the testimony
of Sherman himself, with great skill and energy. Hovey
was wounded ; Thayer had his horse shot under him ; and
so thick and fast was the round-shot falling about Sherman
and his staff, that they felt it necessary to scatter, Sherman
himself dismounting. Morgan, at this crisis, unfortunately
found himself in front of the ravine, beyond which it was
impossible to pass. Sherman was now well engaged on
the right ; and Morgan, finding himself thus hindered, sent
a few regiments to his aid. The burden of the fight, as at
Chickasaw, had fallen on the brigades which now composed
the division of General Steele. Blair and Thayer and
Hovey performed prodigies of valor.

On the right, the Confederate batteries had been all but
silenced. Morgan's men, on the left, had done splendid
work before they were brought to a standstill at the ravine.
A. J. Smith's brigades had pressed the Confederates back,
step by step, until they were within two hundred yards of
the fort. Burbridge expressly distinguished himself. But
for the ravine, an attempt would have been made by the
One Hundred and Twentieth Ohio to scale, and carry by
assault, tlie eastern side of the fort. Almost at this
moment, however, Sherman, as his attention was arrested
by the flags of the gunboats visible above the parapet of
Fort Hindman, saw a man jump on the nearer parapet at
the point where entered the road which divided the penin-
sula. " Cease firing ! " he ordered ; and the words were
passed along the line with amazing rapidity. The firing
soon ceased. In a few seconds the fort was invaded on
every side by the national troops. Colonel Dayton was
ordered forward to the place where was hung out the large
white flag ; and as soon as his horse was seen on the para-
pet, Sherman advanced with his staff. It appeared after-
wards that the white flag was hung out without even the
knowledge of Churchill. It made little difference. The
battle had really been won on the land as well as on the
river side of the fort. The surrender was subsequently
made in due form — Colonel Dunnington, the commander
of the fort, surrendering to Admiral Porter, and Colonel

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Churchill surrendering to the military authorities. The
national loss in killed, wounded and missing- amounted to
977 men. On the Confederate side there were only sixty
killed and eighty wounded. Five thousand soldiers, with
their officers, made prisoners, and all the property of the
place, including some seventeen guns, constituted the prize
of victory. General Burbridge was singled out for the
honor of planting the national standard on Fort Hindman.
Such was the batde of Arkansas Post.

CHAPTER VI.

WAR OF THE REBELLION — Continued.

The Proclamation of Emancipation — A turning-point in history — " Vicksburg must be
taken "—Grant at Young's Point— The Wahiut Hills— The Yazoo— Haines' Bluff
— Lake Providence — Grant disappointed, but not discouraged — Sherman's opinion
— Grant's resolve — The new movement commenced — New Carthage — A tedious
and difficult march — Grierson's raid — Grand Gulf — The gunboats open fire — The
place too strong — Rodney — Bruinsburg — A landing effected — A useful diversion —
Sherman at Haines' Bluff — Safe on the east side — Grant's self-reliance — Port Gib-
son — The battle — The Confederates fall back — Hankinson's Ferry — "The City of
an Hundred Hills" — Jackson evacuited — Grant marches against Pemberton —
Pern )eiton prepares for battle — Airival of the National advance — The battle of
Champion Hills begun — Logan's success — The battle won after a terrible struggle
— McClernand too late — McClernand and Osterhaus ordered in pursuit — The Big
Black river — The burning of the bridges — The bridges reconstructed — On to
Vicksburg — Porter on the Yazoo — Sherman at Haines' Bluff — The fall of Vicks-
burg secured — Pemberton's situation — The assault of the 19th of May — A failure —
The assault of the 22d — Grant's reasons for avoiding further delay— Terrible
fighting — The bravery of the defenders — Grant resolves to take the place by a regu-
lar siege — Reinforceme:its — The investment completed — Siege operations com-
menced — Pemberton's situation becoming desperate — Pemberton's vacillation —
Distress of the garrison — The mining operations well advanced — The 25ih of
June — The first mine fired — The storming columns — The assault on Fort Hill — A
terrific cannonade — A repulse — The 1st of July — The destruction of the Redan —
An intercepted letter — Promised aid to Pemberton — Grant's instructions to Sher-
man — The 3d of July — The white flag — General Bowen and Colonel Montgomery
— A letter from Pemberton — He asks for an armistice and the appointment of com-
missioners — Grant refuses — " Unconditional surrender " — The interview between
Grant and Pemberton — Under the old oak, in viev. of both armies — The surrender
— The Fourth of July — A great triumph for Grant — The first soldier of the Repub-
lic — The results of the campaign.

The openingr of the year 1863 was made memorable by
the Proclamation of Emancipation. One of the immediate
results of this proclamation of emancipation was the organi-
zation of colored troops. Towards the close of 1863 there
were some fifty thousand colored men in actual service ;

(217)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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and this number was tripled before the close of 1864. h
was not, however, for some time to come that their influ-
ence on the field began to be felt. During the year 1863,
although colored troops, as we shall see, took part at the
siege of Port Hudson, and in other engagements, their
effect WPS comparatively unimportant. The introduction
of colored men into the army was regarded by many in the
light of a fresh revolution.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

The situation was now ripe for the vigorous prosecu-
tion of the siege of Vicksburg. The popular cry was " On
to Vicksburg! " and Grant's emphatic dictum was "Vicks-
burg must be taken." The army under General Grant had
been greatly reinforced ; and the general feeling was that
if the " Queen City of the Bluff" was to be reduced, it was
to be done by the hero of Donelson and Shiloh, of luka and
Corinth.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

219

Grant was to meet McClernand and Porter, with the
fleet and transports, at Milliken's Bend. On the iSth of
January, that meetin<r took place. McClernand and Sher-
man made immediaLe preparations to go down the Missis-
sii)pi to Young's Point; and Grant, without delay, returned
to Memphis, in order to hasten the transportation of his
troops to the neighborhood of Vieksburg. McClernand
assumed command of what was named the Army of the
Mississippi, after the battle of the Chickasaw, by virtue of
a confidential order from the War Department. In this
capacity, however, he was subject to orders from General
Grant, who was at the head of the Department of the Ten-
nessee. By an order of December 18th, 1862, from the
War D(!partment, the Western armies had been grouped
into five corps, viz. : the Thirteenth, Major-General Mc-
Clernand ; the Fourteenth, Major-General George H.
Thomas, in Middle Tennessee ; the Fifteenth, Major-Gen-
eral W. T. Sherman ; the Sixteenth, Major-General Hurl-
but, at Memphis ; and the Seventeenth, Major-General
McPherson, back of Memphis. This entire force was
placed under the control of General Grant. On the 2d of
February, 1863, the greater number of the troops intended
to be used in the operations against Vicksburg having
already reached their destination, Grant arrived at Young's
Point, and took command.

The failure of one plan never discouraged Grant. He
had not been successful in the first movements against
Vicksburg, but that was simply an incentive to make an-
0'. T effort. The same spirit which he had manifested at
Belmont when he was surrounded, at Donelson when his
right was repulsed, at Shiloh when his whole army was
driven back two miles, animated him still. The very day
that his communications were cut at Holly Springs, he be-
gan his preparations for the campaign on the Mississippi.
Vicksburg was the great stronghold of rebellion at the
West. It barred and commanded the great river; when it
fell, the Mississippi would be opened. As long as it stood,
the strength of the insurgents was defiant; the Northwest
was cut off from the sea. The Confederates threw im-

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220

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

mense bodies of troops into the State of Mississippi, to
defend and to cover the town ; they sent their best ^en(;r-
als to command these troops ; they boldly proclaimed
Vicksburg to be impregnable.

The town stands on the eastern bank of the Mississippi,
about nine miles south of the mouth of the Yazoo. Both
rivers are circuitous in a remarkable degree. The Missis-
sippi turns and winds so that it runs toward every point
of the compass within a distance of twenty miles. Just
below the mouth of the Yazoo one of the most extrao.cli-
nary of these bends occurs, the river running first south-
east, then northeast, and then with a sudden curve turning
to the southwest. Vicksburg is sitimted just south of this
last bend, on a long line of bluffs that stretches from the
Yazoo southwest for fifty miles. These hills rise several
hundred feet above the level of the stream, and reach two
or three miles into the interior. They are extremely
rugged and precipitous, particularly towards the river, so
that the streets in Vicksburg are built in terraces one above
the other, to the summit o( the liuge. 1 he entire country
on both banks of ;he Mississippi, outside of this narrow
line of hil)c, is one great marsh, thickly overgrown with un-
derbrush and forest trees, and intersected with innumerable
shallow streams, a region about as unfit for off'jnsive
military operations as it is possible to conceive. This
country was now completely flooded by the great rise in
the Mississippi, and the water stood to the depth of several
feet, everywhere except on the bluffs, and along the narrow
artificial banks called levees, erected by the inhabitants lo
protect their lands from the annual inundation. This year
the deluge was greater than had been known for many
seasons.

The works reached south from the Yazoo to a point on
the Mississippi called Warrenton, a distance of twenty
miles. They were defended on the water side by twenty-
eight guns, which commanded all approach by the river.
Every effort had been made to strengthen the fortifications.
Nature herself had done her best to render Vicksburg im-
pregnable ; these abrupt hills overlooking a tlat country for

! *

WAR or THE UKHELLION.

221

miles, the country submerged in water, a great river imme-
diately in front of the ridge, were in themselves extraordi-
nary obstacles; but when to these were added an army of
sixty thousand men, either in the town or in the region
covering it. and all available for its defence ; ritle-pits, for-
midable forts, obstructions in the river, and an armament
of over two hundred cannon, the difficulties in the way of
Grant seemed almost insurmountable. To oppose them he
had a force at this time of about fifty thousand troops.
Admiral Porter's co-operatin:;; ileet of gunboats numbered
sixty vessels of all classes, carrying two hundred and
eighty guns. Not half of these, however, were retained
near Vicksburg ; the others were occupied in patrolling the
river to Cairo, a distance of over six hundred miles.

('>rant's first business was to jret a footinfr on the eastern
bank of the river, where his troops could be established on
dry land ; but the Confederates held every foot of tenable
ground, and it was impossible to attack them in front with
any chance of success. The gunboats could be of no as-
sistance, for the enemy had a plunging fire, and could rake
the river in every direction, and transports could not ap-
proach close enough to land troops, as a single shot might
sink a steamer with her whole freight of soldiers. A land-
ing had already been tried by Sherman on the Yazoo,
twelve miles above the town, where the line of bluffji strikes
that river at Haines' Bluff; but though conducted with
skill and gallantry, it had signally failed in January, so that
it seemed as if Grant's ordinary strategy of direct and bold
attack must now be abandoned.

First of all it was determined to dig a canal across the
peninsula formed by the bend in the river in front of Vicks-
burg. The land on the opposite side runs out in the shape
of a tongue not more than a mile or two across ; the plan
was to cut through this, and let the waters of the Missis-
sippi in, so far from the town that transports could pass
through this artificial channel into the river below Vicks-
burg, and land troops on the south side of the city. The
engineers hoped that the whole course of the river might
be diverted from its usual direction by this canal, or at

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222

LIFE OF ULVSSES S. GRANT.

least that sufficient water could be induced to run throuo-h
to float vessels of draught sufficient for Grant's purposes.

Accordingly, for two months thousands of soldiers and
negroes were at work disfgincj, in full sisfht of the besieeed
city. Tiie troops were encamped all along the west bank
of the river immediately behind the levees. Their tents
were frequently submerged by the water, which yet showed
no appearance or promise of subsidence, and disease made
sad havoc among the soldiers. The tedious work, how-
ever, was prosecuted till the 8th of March, the canal was al-
most complete, when an additional and rapid rise in the
river broke the dam near the upper end of the canal, and
an irresistible torrent poured over the whole peninsula,
broke the levee, submerged all the camps, and spread for
miles into the interior. The troops had to flee for tl^eir
lives. Futile attempts were immediately made to repair
the damage, but en the 27th of March the plan was finally
abandoned, it being ascertained that the Confederates had
erected new batteries, which would completely command
the southern exit from the canal, and had even already
driven out the dredge-boats working there.

While this stupendous endeavor to convert one of the
natural features of the continent into an engine of war was
being prosecuted. Grant was directing still another attempt,
if possible more Titanic than the other. Seventy miles
above Vicksburg, on the west side of the Mississippi, is an
inland lake, formed by the old bed of the river, and a mile
distant from the present channel. This is named Lake
Providence, and is connected with various streams, or
bayous as they are called in that region, which in their turn
interlace and intersect, forming an uninterrupted communi-
cation at last with the Tensas, and from the Tensas with the
Wasiiita, and finally the Red river, which itself empties into
the Mississippi four hundred miles below Vicksburg. The
plan was to cut a canal a mile long, from the Mississippi
into Lake Providence, so as to let in the waters of the
great river; then to improve the navigation of these vari-
ous shallow creeks in the interior of Louisiana, to clear
away trees, dig out swamps, deepen channels, until an abso

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

223

lute water-course should be opened into the Red river, so
that the army might be moved on transports through these
bayous into the Mississippi below, and then be able to
march up and reach Vicksburg on the southern side. It
was, however, found impossible to secure a sufficient num-
ber of light-draught steamers to carry an army through
these shallow streams.

It was the impossibility of marching troops over the sub-
merged swamps that made Grant's principal difficulty. If it
had not been for this, he could at once have moved along
the western bank ; but neither men nor artillery nor stores
could be got through the inundated region ; so that still
another undertaking was begun ; this one on the eastern
side. The Yazoo pass is a narrow creek, three hundred
milcb ^bove Vicksburg, which formerly connected Moon
lake with the Mississippi river. The lake is similar to Lake
Providence, having been formed by the windings of the
Mississippi, which every now and then deviates from its
ancient course, and leaves a bed of standing water, miles
away from its more recent channel. Moon lake is connected
with two or three lan>e and navicrable streams ; the Cold
Water, the Tallahatchie, and the Yallabusha, which finally
unite, and form the Yazoo. The plan was to cut the levee
which interrupted the flow of tiie Mississippi into Yazoo
pass, and then, to carry troops into the Yazoo, to the hills
above Vicksburg, and so get the army on dry land.

The scheme was prosecuted with great vigor ; the
streams were deeper and wider than on the western side,
and the plan promised more success. But the Confederates
soon discovered the attempt, and hewed large trees into
the rivers to obstruct tlie advance. Troops on transports,
under cover of gunboats, were sent into the pass, and,
after infinite trouble and delay, succeeded in removing these
obstructions. But while this was going on, the enemy set
to work fortifying, and at the junction of the two rivers
which form the Yazoo, hundreds of miles from the Missis-
sippi, they erected a formidable work called Fort Pember-
ton. The gunboats made three attempts to silence its guns,
but the character of the stream was such that they could

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

not approach it properly for their purposes, and this attempt
also failed. Nothing was able to pass Fort Pembeiton.
Grant had by this time sent several thousand men into the
pass, and was making preparations to move an entire corps
in the same direction, when the utter impracticability of this
route was demonstrated.

Nearer to Vicksburg than the Yazoo pass, and on the
same side of the river, is another network of bayous, con-
necting the Mississippi with the Yazoo. These creeks are
more tortuous and clifficult, by far, than those which consti-
tute the pass ; they are choked up with trees ; so narrow-
that the branches from each side are interlaced, and so
crooked that it seemed impossible to navigate them. But
Grant conferred with Admiral Porter, and, after making a
reconnoissance himself, determined to send Sherman up
this route, so as, if possible, to strike the Yazoo river below
the point where the Confederate fort had been built, and
thus not only extricate the Union troops who had gone in
from above, but threaten the Confederate forces in the in-
terior, who would thus be placed between two national de-
tachments.

The difificulties encountered on this route, which was
called the Steele's bayou route, from one of the creeks on
the way, far transcended any of those which obstructed the
other expeditions. But Sherman and Porter pushed on;
the gunboats went in advance, to force, by their heavier
weight, a passage through the trees, so that the steamers
carrying troops might follow. For miles there was no hard
land where soldiers could march ; and the creeks were so
narrow, crooked, obstructed, and shallow, that only the very
smallest steamers, coal barges and tugs could make their
way. The gunboats thus got far ahead, and the Confeder-
ates, discovering this, placed obstructions not only in front
of the gunboats, but in their rear, so as to cut them off from
the troops. The sharpshooters of the enemy also annoyed
Porter from the banks, and Confederate artillery was
placed at intervals. This threatened the absolute loss of
the gunboat fleet, and Porter sent back for Sherman to
hurry to his rescue. Sherman got the news at night, but

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Wx^R OF THE REBELLION.

225

Started at once along a narrow strip of dry land which
fortunately existed here, led his troops by lighted candles
through the canebrake, and drove away the Confederate
assailants. Then, though with infinite difficulty, the obstruc-
tions in the rear were removed, and the gunboats set about
returning ; there was not room to turn, and they had to
back out for miles; but on the 27th of March the unsuc-
cessful expedition was back in front of Vicksburg.

Meanwhile, Grant had other enemies to contend with be-
sides the Confederates and the elements. There were con-
stant efforts being made to supersede him. McClernand
was still manoeuvring to obtain command of the expedition,
and was constantly annoying Grant by his insubordination
and inefficiency, yet Grant was not allowed to remove him.
Tiie country was dissatisfied with the lack of success, and
the government was impatient. But although of course all
these things were harassing in the extreme. Grant Jid not
allow them to interfere with his determination or his energy.
So long as he was continued in command, he would inter-
mit no exertion ; but it was painful indeed to feel that he
was losing the confidence of the country and the govern-
ment, through the machinations of inefficient rivals and
political subordinates, at a time when he needed all the
moral support that could be bestowed.

Every plan to reii I1 Vicksburg by water having failed.
Grant finally devisea another, which depended upon the
subsidence of the floods. It was now March, and before
lonof the overflow must begin to abate in some deoree. He
proposed to make use of a system of bayous starting from
near the Mississippi, opposite the mouth of the Yazoo, and
running to a point below Vicksburg, on the western shore.
Ry this route the supplies and artillery were to be trans-
ported on steamers, while the troops could march by land.
H'hcMi they should arrive below. Grant was ordered to send
a c-orps to Banks, who was now in New Orleans with a
laroe army, about to attack Port Hudson, the only other
fort yet held by the enemy on the Mississippi. After Port
Hudson should be taken, the plan was for Banks to come
up and co-operate with Grant in the attack on Vicksburg.
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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

But Grant's best officers opposed this plan. Those in
whose judgment and fidelity he had most confidence Im-
plored him not to risk the inevitable dangers of such a
campaign. Sherman especially urged him, in conversation
and in writing, not to undertake it. This scheme would
separate the army entirely from its base. Grant heard all
the arguments with patience and consideration, but they
did not move him a particle. He felt that the temper of
the country was despondent ; no success had occurred for
many weary months ; it was necessary to revive its spirit.
To make a retrograde movement, as Sherman proposed,
would elate the Confederates and depress his own troops,
while it would have a disastrous effect upon the courage of
the North. Besides which, Grant felt certain that he should
be victorious in this new campaign ; and though he noted
all the dangers, he calmly determined to incur them.

The orders for the movement were issued, and from that
moment Sherman's opposition ceased. He worked as hard
hereafter to insure success as he had striven before to pre-
vent the campaign. The movement was begun on the 2d
of March. The roads were intolerably bad ; bridges were
broken, streams overflowed, the results of the long inunda-
tion made the mud deep, and the troops plodded and
plunged along. When they reached the point where they
were to strike the Mississippi, below Vicksburg, the levee
was found to be broken, and they had to be ferried for two
miles ; but the labor and time consumed in moving an
entire army with all its stores in small boats were so great,
that a detour was made instead to a point lower down the
river, making the entire distance to march, from the point
of starting, seventy miles. Just at this juncture the river
fell, and the streams by which Grant expected to move his
artillery and supplies became unnavigable, so that all the
heavy ordnance and commissary stores had to be hauled
along the miserable muddy roads.

This could not possibly be accomplished in months ; and
to obviate the new difficulty. Grant now proposed a daring
scheme to the naval commander, who had been his able
and faithful coadjutor in all these eftbrts. Grant was to

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

run three steamers and ten barges by the Vicksburg bat-
teries, while seven of Porter's iron-clads should engage the
Confederates, covering the passage of the unarmed vessels.
Porter agreed, and on the i6th of April the attempt was
made. It was a dark night, and the gunboats led the way.
Soon, however, the Confederates set fire to houses on the
shore, and thus got light to direct their guns on the pass-
ing fleet. The storm of missiles was terrific ; every vessel
was struck, several were disabled, and one took fire, burn-
ing to the water's edge. The gunboats fought the batteries
manfully, and for two hours and forty minutes this wonder-
ful midnight battle raged. All the population of Vicksburg
came out to witness it, and the Union troops, in their dis-
tant camps, ./ere also spectators of the scene. But, with
a single exception, every transport and gunboat passed the
ordeal; only eight men were wounded, and the "Henry
Clay " was the only vessel destroyed.

This part of the enterprise was so successful, that ten
days afterwards, six other transports and twelve barges
made a similar attempt; one transport was sunk, but half
of the barges got safely by, so that Grant now had a good
supply of provisions below Vicksburg, and Porter's seven
gunboats were also there for use in any further movements.
Two corps of troops had meanwhile arrived by land, and
on the 29th of April a gunboat-attack was made, at Grant's
request, on a formidable work on the eastern shore, called
Grand Gulf This place was in reality an outwork of
Vicksburg; although fifty miles below the town, it was at
the first point where there was any hard land on which
troops could be landed. The hills here are as precipitous
as at Vicksburg, and thirteen heavy guns were mounted.
A gallant attempt by Porter to silence these guns was
made, but failed. Grant had his troops on transports ready
to land them, the moment the batteries were silenced ; and
when the impossibility of this was discovered, he imme-
diately went aboard Porter's flag-ship and asked him once
more to run his iron-clads by the batteries.

The night after the defeat before Grand Gulf he landed
his troops again on the western shore, and marched them

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

229

to a point below that work, and out of the reach of its
o-uns. Meanwhile the transports ran by the batteries,
while Porter again engaged the enemy, and then himself
passed below with his gunboats. During the morning, the
Thirteenth corps was once more embarked on the steamers.
Reconnoissances of the eastern shore had developed the
fact that there was little hard land even yet on that bank ;
but in the night, a negro brought information of a good
road leading from a place called Bruinsburg, six miles below
Grand Gulf, up to high ground in the interior. To Bruins-
burg, therefore, Grant moved with his advance.

Meanwhile, Sherman had been ordered to remain above,
and make an attack on the north of Vicksburg, merely to
distract the attention of the enemy from the important
movements on the southern side. In this he was assisted
by the gunboat force left there by Porter, and on the 29th
and 30th, a formidable demonstration succeeded in alarm-
ing and occupying the garrison at Vicksburg. Grant had
been very unwilling to order this demonstration, because
Sherman had already suffered unjustly in the estimation of
the country from his former failure in front of Vicksburg.
He told Sherman of this unwillingness, and the latter re-
plied : " I believe a diversion at Maine's Bluff is proper and
ricrht, and will make it, let whatever reports of repulses be
made."

Before beginning his march on the western bank, Grant
had given orders for a cavalry movement into the interior
of Mississippi, under Colonel Grierson. This was to start
from the northern boundary of the State, to destroy bridges,
cut railroads, and, avoidii>':>- large forces of the enemy, to do
all the damage possible to the Confederate communications,
isolating the garrison of Vicksburg, and alarming the in-
habitants of the entire State ; for the whole population of
the South was now at war. There were no able-bodied men
out of the Confederate service; those who were not in the
recrular army were spies and partisans, and Grant in his
turn determined to make war upon the people as well as
upon the armies of the South. His orders were constant
not to molest 0?' injure women or children ; not to do damage

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f J property ivithoiit some military object; but he deliberately
sought to destroy all the military resources of the rebellion.
Among these, none were more important than supplies of
food. The Confederate armies were kept up by m(>an.s of
the subsistence stores forwarded to them from the interior,
and Grant began now the plan of destroying those stores,
just as he would arms or ammunition.

This raid of Grierson's was eminently successful. It was
the first of those great expeditions which, penetrating into
distant regions that fancied themselves secure, brought
home the punishn^ent of rebellion to the quietest hamlets;
which carried destruction to the very source and root of
Confederate strength.

The Thirteenth corps, under McClernand, had the ad-
vance in crossing the Mississippi ; after them came two
divisions of the Seventeenth, under McPherson. These
were all landed at Bruinsburg, on the eastern shore, during
the 30th of April. They were supplied with three days'
rations, which they were ordered to make last five. Neither
tents nor baggage was taken ; no personal effects, even for
officers, were ferried across until all the troops were over.
Grant took not even his own horse, but borrowed on(^ on
the road from a soldier. Everything now depended on
rapidity of motion, and Admiral Porter loaned his gunboats
to ferry artillery and troops.

It was important to seize Port Gibson at once, so as to
hold these various roads. The possession of this place
secured Grand Gulf, which would be cut off entirely when-
ever Port Gibson fell. During the nijlit McClernancl's
advance came in contact with the Confederates a few miles
from the town, the cjarrison of Grand Gulf having- marched
promptly out to oppose the movement of Grant. At day-
light the battle began. The Confederates were about eleven
thousand strong ; Grant heard the firing at the Landinsj^,
and started at once for the front, arriving at ten o'clock.
The battle was even for several hours, the Confederates
having great advantages of position, but about noon
McPherson's corps arrived, giving Grant the superiority in
numbers ; he at once threw fresh troops both to the right

WAR OF THE REHELLION.

231

and left of McClernand. and before night the position was
completely turned, and the enemy driven in confusion to
Port Gibson. The ground was very rugged, and com-
pletely unknown to the Union army, so that Grant was
obliged to delay the pursuit until daylight, when, on push-
ino into the town, it was found to be evacuated. In this
battle Grant had about nineteen thousand men engaged ;
he lost over eight hundred men killed and wounded, and
took six hundred and fifty prisoners, besides killing and
wounding more than as many of the enemy. His success
was due entirely to the celerity and unexpected character
of his movements. The enemy was admirably posted on a
steep ridge, protected by a broken country covered with
tani^^led vine and underbrush, and the Confederates fought
well. Reinforcements of five thousand men had been or-
dered from Vicksburg and others from Jackson, but they
only arrived in time to share the flight.

In their retreat, they burnt the bridges over several
streams, and Grant next day was obliged to rebuild these,
before he could make any progress. But extraordinary
efibrts were made, the houses in the neighborhood were
torn down for timber, and of¥icers and men worked up to
their waists in the water. The two corps were pushed on,
that day and the next, about fifteen miles, to the Big Black
river, skirmishing with the enemy all the way. But Grand
Gulf was now uncovered, and Grant himself rode off in
that direction with a small escort. He found the town
already in possession of the naval forces, which had landed
early in the day.

Grant had not been undressed since crossing the river,
three days before, and now went aboard the gunboats,
where he borrowed a shirt, and wrote despatches nearly all
nis^ht. He ordered Sherman to move down on the opposite
side of the river and join the main army ; he informed the
government of his own movements, and gave orders to his
subordinates to forward supplies as rapidly as possible. All
his supplies, of every description, had to come seventy miles
by land on the western bank, then to be ferried across to
Bruinsburg, and so moved up to the army. Upon every-

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232

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

body he urged the overwhelming importance of celerity;
for as soon as the enemy should become aware that the
whole Union army was on the eastern bank, of course every
possible effort would be made to destroy it.

At Grand Gulf, Grant got word from Banks that changed
the whole character of his campaign. Heretofore he had
intended to march to Port Hvidson, several hundred miles,
and to join Banks in the attack on that place ; and wlien
this was over, both armies were to move up against Vicks-
burg. But Banks now sent him word that he could not be
at Port Hudson before the loth of May, and even after Port
Hudson had fallen, he could not march to Vicksl)urg with
more than 12,000 men. This information decided (irani
not to go to Banks at all. He would lose more than 1 2,000
men on the march to Po Hudson, and in the siege and
probable battles there ; so that he would be no stronger on
his return than now. Besides this, he had already won a
victory ; he had got his army on dry ground, where he had
been striving all winter to place it; he had captured Grand
Gulf, and was on the high road to Vicksburg or Jackson.
He made up his mind that night to commence the Vicks-
burg campaign. It was fortunate indeed for the country
that Banks sent him the message of delay.

Vicksburg now was only twenty miles off, with one large
river, the Big Black, in the way. It was defended by 52,000
men, either in the garrison or in the interior of the vStatc ;
this force was under Pemberton. Another but smaller
Confederate army at Jackson, fifty miles directly west from
Vicksburg, was eventually commanded by Jo Johnston ; at
this time it amounted to 10,000 or 12,000 men, thougli
before the campaign terminated it was quadrupled. To
oppose these two formidable bodies of troops, Grant would
have, when Sherman should arrive, not more than 35,000
men in column, and twenty light batteries. The Confed-
erates had at least 300 guns. They were also on the de-
fensive, and in a country with every inch of which they
were familiar, and where every inhabitant was their friend,
their partisan, their spy. The two Confederate forces, if
combined, would certainly largely outnumber, and perhaps

WAR OF THE RE«ELLIf)N.

233

crush the Union army. Instead, therefore, of moving at
once ai;ainst Vicksburg, Grant determined to push directly
between the two hostile forces, separate them completely,
and attack the smaller one before the other could come to
the rescue ; to drive it east as far as Jackson, where all the
railroads centre by which Vicksbur^; was supplied ; and
after destroying Johnston, and the Confederate stores and
communications at Jackson, to return and capture Vicks-
burg at his leisure.

To perform it, he must abandon his base of supplies en-
tirely ; for, if he moved east after Johnston, Pemberton
would be sure to fall upon his line of communications in
rear; and to guard this line would weaken Grant, so that
he could not be strong enough for the operations he con-
templated. He therefore sent word to have the greati;st
possible amount of supplies forwarded him before starting,
and determined to cut loose entirel) from his base, de-
pending on the country for all further rations and forage.
He gave no notice of his intention to the government in
advance, and it was lucky that he did not, for as soon as
Halleck discovered the plan, he sent word to Grant to re-
turn; but it was too late ; the order did not reach Grant till
the campaign was decided.

Sherman was hurried up, the greatest possible energy
inculcated upon everybody, dispositions made of the troops
which were to remain on the west side of the Mississippi
and at Grand Gulf, and, on the 7th of May, the venturous
column started for Jackson. Meanwdiile, Grant's horses
had arrived and his mess furniture. Hitherto he had de-
pended on the hospitality of his subordinates, not only for
a horse, but for every meal of the campaign. Sherman's
corps arrived just as the advance of the army was starting ;
and he was directed by Grant to take three da) s' rations
for men, and make them last seven. On the nth, Grant
informed Halleck, "As I shall communicate with Grand
Tiulf no more, you may not hear from me again for several
days. " This was the very day on which Halleck sent word
to Grant to return and co-operate with Banks. The two
despatches crossed each other on the way ; but there was

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I.ll'K UF ULYSSES S. (JKANT.

no teleqraph communication, and each was a week in
reachinj^ its destination.

On tliis Sunday nijj^ht, two friends and myself, anxious to
get to the front, left Young's Point upon a tug towing two
barges of forage and provisions, which (irant had ord(M\:d
to run the batteries. After we had been under fire from
the Vicksburg guns for three-(|uarters of an hour, and were
almost out of range, a shot exploded and sunk our tu<^ diul
fired our barges. Sixteen of us — out of the thirty-five on
board — had the good fortune to be picked up in the river
by the enemy, and one comrade and myself had the ill for-
tune, for nearly two years thereafter, to study the war and
rejoice in Grant's victories from successive southern i)risons.
Alter the prisons reached the magic numb(.'r of seven, we
luckily escaped.

On our abrupt advent into Vicksburg, the Confederate
officers cheerfully assured us that they expected to see Grant
a prisoner there within a few days. We replied that diey
would undoubtedly see him, but not exactly in the capacity
of a captive.

Colonel Grierson, who had left La Grange, Tennesse(;,
with 1,700 cavalry, after traversing Mississippi lengthwise,
destroying stores and arms, tearing up railways, burning
bridges, capturing militia, and carrying consternation through
the entire State, reached our lines at Baton Rouge, having
travelled 600 miles in fifteen days, and lost less than thirty
men in sick, wounded and missing. Nowhere did he meet
with any serious resistance, and his daring raid convinced
Grant that the Confederacy had become " a mere shell with
all its resisting power on the outer edge."

The general, now at the Big Black, and facing northward,
was between two wings of the enemy. On his left, Pein-
berton held Vicksburg and vicinity with 50,000 men. On
the right, the enemies' reinforcements were approaching
in unknown numbers. To annihilate this force before it
could join Pemberton, and still be able to cope with the
latter, would require rapid marching and more men than he
had, if he should attempt to keep open communication with
Grand Gulf, his present depot of supplies.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Early in the morning of the 12th of May, McPherson,
who held the extreme right, approaching the little town of
Raymond, encountered 5,000 Confederates under Gregg,
very strongly posted. The Union force was much the
larger, but not until after three hours of stubborn fighting
was the enemy driven back with a loss of 300 killed and
wounded, and many prisoners.

Grant, concentrating hi. main force to meet Pemberton's
army at Edwards' Depot, and Bolton north of him, had de-
signed sending only a little expedition eastward into Jackson
to destroy Confederate stores. But now Rawlins and Wilson
rode back to inform him that the enemy on McPherson's front
had retreated, not upon Vicksburg, but toward Jackson. He
instantly surmised that reinforcements enough to swell
Gregg's command to twelve or fourteen thousand must be
concentrating in that direction. Even if he should whip
Pemberton it would never do to turn toward Vicksburg,
leaving this enemy in the rear.

Simply asking one or two questions, and' without rising
from his chair, he wrote orders to turn the entire army to-
ward Jackson. This readiness to modify an old plan, or
substitute a new one on the instant when emergencies
required it, was one of his strongest and most characteristic
points. On cutting loose from Grand Gulf, he said :

" I think we can reduce Jackson, and reopen communica-
tions with the fleet above Vicksburg /;/ about five days!'

It was like Cortez burning his ships. Grant sent out
expeditions on every side for food and forage, and order-
ing no more supplies brought to his rear, turned back his
extra wagons, and left his field hospitals at Port Gibson
and Raymond in charge of Federal surgeons with flags of
truce.

He found in the country enough of provisions and forage.
abundance of horse and mule teams, and no end of negroes
delighted to drive them ; and thenceforth multitudes of
cattle, sheep, turkeys, chickens, and pigs, indiscriminately
mingled, followed in the wake of his army.

McPherson struck the railroad at Clinton, tore up the
track, burned bridges, and captured despatches showing

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

237

that Pemberton was still at Edwards Station, eighteen
miles east of Vicksburg, expecting an attack.

Sherman, after making a feint at Maine's Bluff to deceive
Pemberton. and then moving rapidly along the circuitous
land and n/er route upon which the rest of the army
preceded him, had now arrived with his fine corps eager
for work. He and McPherson were ordered to reduce
Jackson.

On the morning of May 14th both were marching upon
the town, McPherson along the railway from Clinton, ten
miles west, and Sherman across the country from a point
fourteen miles southwest They expected to arrive at the
same moment, but Sherman's roads were so muddy that it
was almost impossible to move artillery. His men, how-
ever, throwing away their boots and shoes, and floundering
through the mud up to their knees, shouted, laughed, and
sang, in the most exuberant spirits.

An hour before noon, in the midst of a driving rain, they
approached the city from the south, and were stopped by a
battery of six-pounders in a strip of woods, two miles out. Ar-
tillery skirmishing followed. Among the troops lying in a
field a shell exploded now and then, and with natural scruples
about keeping quiet tO be murdered many jumped up and
ran to the rear. Grant and staff, sitting twenty paces be-
hind them, under some spreading trees for protection from
the rain, persuaded them to return, until the storm of water
grew so much more uncomfortable than the storm of shot
that they sought shelter in some old shanties a hundred
yards away.

What virtue in a general is equal to promptness ? What
general ever had it in a higher degree than Grant? Only
the night before, Joseph E. Johr.ston, a most able Confed-
erate commander, had arrived on his front. Very soon
Johnston would have concentrated the scattered Confeder-
ates, and struck Grant on the flank before unitinsf with
Pemberton, for whom he was amply competent to furnish
brains. But our general falling upon him so unexpectedly
quite spoiled his game. McPherson, after three hours*
fighting on the v/est side, had already driven in the enemy,

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and Sherman soon swept forward. The Confederate can
noneers stood their ground until his infantry were within
six feet of them. Then they flung down their rammers and
surrendered, both they and tlieir captors, including Grant,
laughing heartily at their dare-devil tenacity. Soldi(M-s
soon gjt on familiar terms with death, and the tragedy of
war has frequent interludes of comedy.

Though squads of Confederate cavalry weie still in sight,
and though the staff expostulated, the chief, remarking that
he guessed there was no danger, galloped forward into the
city. Fred rode widi the party, and entered Jackson at the
head of it. The streets were full of gleeful negroes, while
from windows and half-open doors peered some anxious,
pallid faces. But snowy flags flew from the houses, and
many white families seemed overjoyed, for there was a
good deal of Union sentiment.

Grant and staff rode to the leading hotel — a large build-
ing near the capital, where Johnston had slept the night
before. They fancied themselves the first Yankees in
Jackson, but private enterprise had outrun official roudne,
and the muskets were ahead of the shoulder-straps. Three
of McPherson's cavalrymen were already raising the Stars
and Stripes upon the State-house. The people flocked
about the lioht-bearded, mud-stained greneral — who bore .10
mark of his rank — with all sorts of petitions, in response
to one of which he instantly stationed guards to protect the
inmates of the large Catholic convent.

The public stores had been left open, and the ransomed
black sinners, confident that their year of jubilee had come,
were making a haul of clothing and provisions. One, stag-
gering under an enormous burden of garments, was ac-
costed by a staff officer :

" HaPo, uncle ; haven't you got more than your share of
coats? '

•' Dunno, mass'r; if you likes one, take it."

The next morning details were sent out to destroy all
railways, machine shops, manufactories, and public stores.
A large cotton factory was reported filled with duck. The
owner piteously begged the general to spare it.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Grant — " Whom are you making duck for ? "
The proprietor answered, in evident embarrassment, that
his customers were many.

Grant — " Wilson, did you see any mark on that duck ? "
Wilson — " Yes ; it bears the stamp ' C. S. A.' "
Grant — " Then, sir, I guess your factory must be burned
with the rest."

Many alarmed citizens begged the general not to destroy
the town. He replied, that while everything belonging to
the Confederacy and all stores which could help it must be
burned, he would do all in his power to protect private
property. But he could not save it altogether. Our troops,
for once, deserved the favorite epithet of the enemy,
" Northern vandals," for they pillaged houses and fired a
hotel and a church. It has been urged in extenuation, that
several had previously suffered gross indignities while pris-
oners in Jackson.

The reinforcements that were coming up to the enemy
were obliged to make wide and long detours to join their
commander. But, although success had been so marked,
it was still not complete„ There was yet imminent danger
of a concentration of the two Confederate armies ; and be-
fore night Grant got possession of a despatch from John-
ston to Pemberton, directing the concentration so much to
be feared,

He determined to prevent this, and accordingly that
afternoon ordered McPherson to retrace his steps, march-
ing in the morning in the direction of Edwards' Station.
McClernand was also informed of the defeat of Johnston,
and of the danu:er of Confederate concentration. His
troops were at once faced about in the same direction as
McPherson's. The various corps were admirably located,
so as to converge on the same point, which was Bolton, a
station a few miles east of Edwards', where Pemberton was
known to be. The men were fatiofued, haA 1. p-Lc-^n march-
mg or fighting incessantly since the ych, i)i'.t there was no
time now for rest. Accordingly, early on J- =; ;nornJnc»-of
the 15th, the two corps had turned the'r S :t. towards
Vicksburg, and were in motion for the eneniv, Sherman

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAN I*.

was to spend that day destroying the munitions and mili-
tary resources in and around Jackson. Before night, Mc-
Pherson and McClernand were within supporting distance
of each other at Bolton, and ordered to march in the morn-
ing for Edwards' Station, while Pemberton still delayv'^d. in
disobedience of Johnston's orders. He did not dream that
Grant had no communications with the Mississippi, and his
idea was to march south and cut those communications.
On the morning of the 15th he moved for this purpose
southeast of Edwarcts' Station, away from Johnston, who
had by this time been driven north from Jackson, so that
the enemy was actually moving in an opposite direction,
while Grant was converging between them ; Pemberton
striving to cut Grant's communications with the Mississipj3i,
while Grant, who had cut them himself nine days before,
was returning to Vicksburg, and seeking Pemberton to de-
stroy him.

Pemberton moved slowly, and again received positive
orders from Johnston to join him. On the i6th he finally
concluded to obey, and reversed his column. But in the
night Grant had got word of Pemberton's exact force and
position, and of the design to attack the national rear. He
instantly despatched to Sherman to start at once from
Jackson to the support of the main army. "The figiit may
be brought on at any moment ; we sJiotild have every man
071 the Jieldy A national division was now coming up
alone from Grand Gulf, and this was also ordered to join
the main army. "Pass your troops to the front of your
trains, and keep the ammunition in front of all others'.'

Three roads lead to Edwards' Station from the east, and
on the northern one Grant had four divisions, under Mc-
Pherson, while on each of the others were two divisions, all
these last under McClernand. Sherman had not got up.
The advance of McClernand encountered Pemberton's
skirm'sners just as the reverse movement of die Confeder-
ate column began, and the enemy at once fell into an
admiraL.e position, cov'ering all three roads. The enemy's
left was on a hill called Champion's Hill, and by eleven
o'clock the force under McFlierson assaulted here. Grant

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

243

was with this portion of his command in person. The
enemy had 25,000 men, a defensive position, and, as usual,
complete knowledge of the country, of which, of course, the
national troops were entirely ignorant. The battle raged
with various fortune for several hours; the Union soldiers
(rained a point on the hill several times, but were driven
back as often, and Grant sent repeated orders to Mc-
Clernand to come up to the support; but that commander
allowed an inferior force to delay him, and, in spite of
Grant's positive directions to attack, he did not obey.
Finally, Grant sent troops to the extreme Confederate left
and rear, .and these produced such an effect that, combined
with another direct attack in front the enemy gave way,
and the hill was carried, McClernand not having been en-
jraged at 2i\\. One of his divisions had been on the right
with Grant all dav, and in the thickest of the fight, but
those under McClernand's direct command were not in the
battle.

The rout of the enemy was complete, and as McCler-
nand now came up in force, Grant sent these fresh troops
in pursuit. Grant had not had more than fifteen thousand
men engaged. He lost about two thousand four hundred
men in the battle of Champion's Hill, which was by far the
hardest fought in the whole campaign. The enemy's lo«s
was between three thousand and four thousand killed and
wounded, and as many more prisoners, besides thirty can-
non. In addition to this, one whole division was cut off
from the bulk of the Confederate army in the precipitous
fliLjht. It struiicrled alonor, makinor a wide detour, and re-
ported to Johnston several days afterwards, but Pemberton
never commanded !<" a^ain. The moral effects of this vie-
tory were prodigious. The Confederate troops broke anr'
fled in every direction ; artillerymen deserted their guns in
the retreat, and many of the soldiers threw away their
small arms, and gave themselves up prisoners before they
were asked. The pursuit was continued till after dark,
reachinor fifteen miles. Grant himself was with the ad-
vance, and his party got so far ahead of the main column,
that they were obliged to return to a more secure position

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GliANT.

for the night. That night Grant received Halleck's orders
to return to the Mississippi and co-operate with Banks;
but the best way to return now was to proceed in his
career of victory.

It was nothing but the marvellous energy and prompt-
ness of Grant that won this battle. Pemberton was
actually moving to join Johnston when he was struck by
Grant; had the national commander delayed a day, the
concentration would have been effected ; but it was now
forever impossible.

The next day the pursuit was pushed on ; Sherman hav-
ing arrived at Bolton by the close of the 15th, he was or-
dered to move at once to the right of the rest of the
command. Grant reached the Big Black river, the only
one now between his army and Vicksburg, early in the
morning of the 17th, his advance having started b(;fore
daylight. At the crossing of the railroad over this river,
the enemy had established a formidable work ; here the
river makes a bend like a horse-shoe, open towards tlie
east, and the line of fortificat.ons was across this opening,
reaching from the river above to the river a^ain below.
The ground in front was swampy and exposed to the
enemy's fire, while still beyond, on the western bank of the
river, rose steep bluffs, commanding the country for miles.
This point was defended by twenty cannon and four
thousand troops, who ought to have held it against direct
assault forever. But the Union troops were inspired by
the long series of successes, while the enemy was exhausted
with disaster and retreat. At the first attack, by only
about eleven hundred men, the enemy fled in dismay,
abandoning all their guns, and only seeking to reach the
river. The panic spread to the troops on the opposite
shore, who set fire to the bridge, and nearly eighteen hun-
dred prisoners, with eighteen pieces of artillery, were cap-
tured. Grant lost only two hundred and fifty men.

But their depression now was terrible. Many left their
ranks, and vowed they would surrender rather than tiglit
again under Pemberton. The people of the country joined
them, and all fled into Vicksburg, from the conqueror who

WAV. OF THE REBELLION.

245

had won five battles in less than twenty days, captured six
thousand five hundred of the enemy, and killed and
wounded six thousand more. He had done this, after
starting with an average of two days* rations, and he had
subsisted his own army, besides beating two of the enemy's,
and lost only seven hundred killed and three thousand four
hundred wounded.

After rebuilding the bridges out of the wood of houses
torn down for the purpose, he pressed rapidly on, and on
the 1 8th of May Vicksburg was besieged.

The country around Vicksburg is broken and difficult in
an extraordinary degree ; full of rough hills and rougher
ravine;;, with numerous creaks running between the various
heiL,^hts. and a thick growth of underbrush or forest cover-
inof tlie sides of the cliffs and chasms ; a region expressly
adapted for defence. These natural advantages had been
developed to their utmost by tlie enemy, whose line of
works, located on the most salient ridges, reached entirely
around the city. Numerous detached forts were built at
intervals, and between these stretched an uninterrupted
line of rifle-pits, not less than eight miles long. Outside
of the parapet, the enemy had formed an unusually diffi-
cult abatis of fallen trees. Within these lines, Pemberton
had now nearly thirty-five thousand men, for he was of
course reinforced by the garrison proper, of the town. A
humlred guns at least were also ready to repel assault.
Johnston, however, feared that even with all these defences,
natural and artificial, Pemberton would finally be compelled
to surrender; he therefore ordered his subordinate to
evacuate the place. But again Grant's promptness inter-
vened to frustrate the plans of his antagonist. Pemberton
held a council of war on the i8th of May, and while it was
still deliberating, Grant took his position on the outside
and invested Vicksburg. The Union line at first was in-
complete. Sherman had the right, McPherson the centre,
and McClernand at this time the extreme left ; but the
troops of the last-named officer did not extend to the Mis-
sissippi ; while Sherman's right rested on the .very hills
from which he had been repelled in January before.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Grant did not delay operations, but the day after arriving
before the town, he ordered an assault. With his usual
tactics, he wished to take advantage of the demoralization
of uie enemy, before they had time to recover. Accord-
ingly, on the 19th of May, all three of his corps coin-
manders were instructed to charge against the (.'ntiiiy's
line; but the sight of the lofty hills shutting in Vicksbiirg
on every hand, these hundred cannon directed against the
assailants, the reinforcement of eight thousand men in gar-
rison, and the knowledge of the extraordinary difficiiliies
Grant must overcome before he could carry the works, so
strong by nature and by art, reanimated the defenders.
The corps of Sherman and of McPherson pushed up close
to the enemy's works, but neither was able to make an im-
pression ; and McClernand, whose troops were farther
from the city than either of the others, did not get up in
time to really participate in the assault. The effort was
therefore unsuccessful ; no entrance was gained ; but posi-
tions close to the enemy were obtained and held, which
proved of vast importance during the siege.

Grant now spent two days in resting his troops after the
wonderful campaign through which they had passed; in
bringing up supplies, from the new base which was estab-
lished on the Yazoo ; and in preparing for a second and
more determined assault ; for he was loath to begin the
tedious processes of a siege. His men, exhilarated by the
success of the brilliant campaign, were also unlikely to set
to work in the trenches with zeal until they knew that no
other means would even yet suffice to conquer Vicksburg.
After their successes at Champion's Hill and the Big
Black, they thought themselves irresistible. Besides this,
Johnston's army, sdll near Jackson, was daily receivinj^ re-
inforcements, and would soon, perhaps, equal Grant's in
nv.mbers, and be able to raise the siege.

On the 22d of May a second assault was ordered. It
was preceded by a vigorous bombardment both from the
fleet and from a line of a hundred cannon mounted along
the hills in the interior. At ten, the various columns
moved against the enemy's works. The attack was made

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

247

witli j^reat vigor all alonor the line ; the men moved by the
roatls when this was practicable, and elsewhere down into
tlie ravines and up the precipitous sides, on which the hos-
tile fortifications awaited them. But the difficulties were
insurmountable ; the assailants were exposed for a distance
of several hundred yards to the artillery and musketry fire
of llu! besieged; they got entangled in the brushwood;
they were shot down before they could scale the hills.
Everywhere they were repelled ; and although prodigies of
valor had been performed, it was all in vain. The national
h<^ in front of each had been planted on the enemy's
works, and still remained there, but the troops were unable
to penetrate farther, while the enemy dared not take the
nai;s away. The battle was over, and no result was

jrainetl

At this moment McClcrnand sent a despatch to Grant,
announcing the capture of two forts. This message was
three times repeated, and Grant was urged to order an-
other assault, to support the advantage said to have been
gained by McCk^rnand. Supposing that McClernand
must know when a fort was gained. Grant complied with
the request, and a second assault was ordered by Sher-
man's and McPherson's worn-out men. This met with a
similar result with the former one ; the loss of life was
nearly doubled, and no more success was attained ; while it
proved that McClernand had originally secured no advan-
tage like that which he had proclaimed. He had carried no
fort, and when the assault he requested was renewed solely
to support him, he did not himself attain any advantage
beyond what the others had already procured.

At niofht three thousand national soldiers had been
killed or wounded ; about thirty thousand had been
encrajjed. Pemberton declared that he had eighteen
thousand five hundred men in the trenches ; he lost about
one thousand soldiers in this fight. The disparity of course
was occasioned by the enemy being under cover. Shortly
after this assault, McClernand was relieved by General
Ord, at the command of Grant.

Johnston now was reinforced, till his army amounted to

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

forty thousand men, and moved up on Grant's rear to re-
lieve the city. But Grant now commanded seventy thou-
sand soldiers, half of whom he kept in the trenches, and the
oilur half he formed into a corps of observation against
Johnston. These built a line of works facing east, protect-
ing the besiegers, who were thus enclosed between two
lines — one in front and one in rear.

Towards the last of June the sufferings of the besieged
became very great. They were forced to put the men on
quarter rations, and finally, after it became apparent to
Pemberton that all hope of rescue had disappeared ; when
it was certain that Jolmston, with his forty thousand men,
would not dare attack Grant in rear, although he would he
supported by the entire garrison in front ; when neither the
siege could be raised nor the garrison escape ; when the
blockade by land and river was so effectual, that attempts
to build boats and cross the Mississippi were detected;
when scouts were intercepted, bringing word to Pemberton
that Johnston could do no more for him, and from Pember-
ton, that his supplies of food and ammunition were both
exhausted ; when for forty-seven days the besiegers and
besieged had lain in the hot trenches, working, digging,
mining, countermining, assaulting, repelling, advancing,
retreating, sickening, dying ; those inside almost starving,
those outside often suffering from lack of water; both sides
exposed to miasma and heat, and rain, and fatigue, and in-
cessant danger from bursting shells and sharpshooters'
rifles, and sudden attacks by night and day — finally, the
mighty siege was about to terminate.

On the 3d of July, Pemberton made overtures to Grant,
and the same day a meeting of the two generals was held
between their lines, and in sight of both armies. It took
place under an oak tree, which has since been cut down to
furnish mementos of the occasion The troops for miles
around hung over their parapets on either side, watching
the interview on which the destinies of the two armies de-
pended. But Pemberton was haughty, and refused the
simple surrender which Grant demanded. In the night,
however, he consulted with his subordinates, and came to a

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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better mind. By morning, he had agreed to deliver up the
garrison, with all its munitions, as prisoners of v,^ar. Grant
did not wish the trouble of feeding another army, and
could not, in many weeks, procure transports sufficient to
send his prisoners North ; he therefore stipulated that they
should be paroled and sent into the interior, not to fight
again until exchanged. Nearly the same terms which
Napoleon granted to the Austrians at the famous sur-
render of Ulm.

On the 4th of July, therefore, the capture was consum-
mated. Grant generously allowed the officers to retain
their swords, and both officers and men their private
property ; but the muskets were all stacked by the enemy
themselves outside their works, between the lines. It took
them nearly all day to march out of their defences, and lay
down their colors and their arms, the national army
looking on.

The value of the reduction of Vicksburg was not only
great in a moral, political and strategical point of view;
but it possessed still further importance by inflicting a severe
loss upon the enemy, in both men and material.

The following is a rough estimate of the number
of officers, soldiers and ordnance, which fell into the
hands of the United States authorities with the city of
Vicksburg:

One Lieutenant-General, John C. Pemberton, late com-
mandant of the army for the defence of Vicksburg.

Nineteen major and brigadier-generals, as follows;
Major-General Bowen, Major-General Martin L. Smith and
Major-General Forney ; Brigadier-Generals Barton, Coch-
ran, Lee, Vaughn, Reynolds, Baldwin, Harris, Taylor,
Cummings, Stevenson of Georgia, Hebart, Wall of Texas,
commanding Texan Legion ; Moore, Schoep, Buford and
Cockerell.

Over four thousand field, line and staff officer^.

About twenty-three thousand effective men, non-com-
missioned officers and privates, and over six thousand men
in hospital.

Ninety siege-guns.

\ ;l

WAR OF THE REBELLION. 25 1

One hundred and twenty-eight field-pieces.

Thirty-five thousand (approximately) muskets and rifles,
principally Enfield, and in excellent order.

Powder and shell for ordnance of different calibre in
abundance.

A large quantity of miscellaneous matter, such as wag-
ons, a few animals, armorers' tools, machinery, etc.

Among the military establishments taken possession of
were the arsenal, well supplied with unused rifles, and the
foundry, with all conveniences for casting shot, shell and
cannon, and capable of doing a great deal of other work
of a similar character, such as casting.

Tiie troops taken prisoners were mainly composed of
Mississippians, called •' The State troops," Georgians, Ala-
bamians, Louisianians, Missourians and regulars.

The following is a table compiled from various sources,
and showing, at a glance, the estimated losses of the enemy,
in men, from the commencement of the campaign, on April
3otii, to the final surrender of the city :

Prisoners,

Lieutenant-General i

Major and brigadier-generals 19

Field, staff and line oflficers 4,600

Non-commissioned officers and privates 30,000

Total, without regard to rank 34>620

Killed, Wounded and Stragglers.

Killed in battles and skirmishes 1,000

Wounded in battles and skirmishes 4,000

Captured in hospitals in Vicksburg and elsewhere 6,000

Stragglers, including men cut off and unable to rejoin

their commands 800

Total 11,800

Recapitulation.

Total prisoners 34»620

Killed, wounded and in hospital 11,000

Stragglers, etc 800

Making a loss to the enemy, in sixty-five days, of. 46,420

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252 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The following table also shows the losses of material
sustained by the enemy during the same length of time :

/^u'/(/ Artillery. Pieces.

Captured in battle 83

At Vicksburg 128

Total 211

Sie}!^e Artillery.
At Vicksburg 90

Captured Small-Arms.

In battle 10,000

At Vicksburg 35)Ooo

Total 45.000

Recapitulation.

Artillery captured 301

Muskets and rifles 45,000

Besides this, a number of field-pieces and siege-guns were destroyed
at Jackson, Haine's and Snyder's Bluffs, which are not included in the
above estimate.

General Grant, in his official report, sums up the Union
losses, during the series of battles of the Vicksburg cam-
paign, as follows :

Killed. VVoundtd. Missing. Total.

Port Gibson 130 718 5 853

Fourteen-Mile Creek (skirmish)... 4 24 — 28

Raymond 69 341 32 442

Jackson 40 240 6 286

Champion's Hill 426 1,842 189 2,457

Big Black Railroad Bridge 29 242 2 273

Vi'ksburg 245 3,688 303 4,236

Grand Total 943 7,095 537 8,^75

General Recapitulation.

Confederate losses in killed, wounded, stragglers and

prisoners 46,420

Union losses in killed, wounded, stragglers and pris-
oners 8,575

Balance in favor of Grant..., 37>845

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

253

In addition, therefore, to the immense quantity of stores
secured with the reduction of Viclcsburg, a balance of
nearly thirty-eight thousand men had to be placed to the
credit of Grant's services during this campaign.

The following extract, from General Grant's report, will
show how the army subsisted during the first twenty days
of the Vicksburg campaign :

" In the march from Bruinsburg to Vicksburg, covering
a period of twenty days, before supplies could be obtained
from the government stores, only five days' rations were
issued, and three days of those were taken in haversacks
at the start, and were soon exhausted. All other subsist-
ence was obtained from the country through which we
passed. The march was commenced without wagons, ex-
cept such as could be picked up through the country. The
country was abundantly supplied with corn, bacon, beef and
mutton. The troops enjoyed excellent health, and no
army ever appeared in better spirits, or felt more confident
of success."

General Halleck, in his Annual Report of the War, thus
speaks of the administration and success of the Depart-
ment of the Tennessee :

" At the date of my last Annual Report, Major-General
Grant occupied West Tennessee and the northern boundary
of Mississippi. The object of the campaign of this army
was the opening of the Mississippi river, in conjunction
with the army of General Banks.

"General Grant was instructed to drive the enemy in the
interior as far south as possible, and destroy their railroad
communications ; then to fall back to Memphis and embark
his available forces on transports, and with the assistance of
the fleet of Admiral Porter, reduce Vicksburg. The first
part of this plan was most successfully executed, but the
rii^^ht wing of the army sent against Vicksburg, under
Major-General Sherman, found that place much stronger
than was expected.

"Two attacks were made on the 28th and 29th of Decem-
ber; but failing in their object, our troops were withdrawn,
and while waiting for reinforcements from General Grant,

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254

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

moved up the Arkansas river to Arkansas Post, which
place was, with the assistance of the gunboats, captured on
the nth of January.

"General Grant now assumed the immediate command
of the army on the Mississippi, which was largely reinforced.
Being satisfied by the result of General Sherman's ojjcra-
tions that the north line of the enemy's works was too
strong to be carried without a very heavy loss, he din.cted
his attention to opening the canal, which had been com-
menced the year before by General Williams, across tiie
peninsula on the west bank of the river.

"This canal had been improperly located — its upper
terminus being in an eddy, and the lower terminus hv.mr
exposed to the enemy's guns; nevertheless, it was thou'j^ht
that it could be completed sooner than a new one could be
constructed. While working parties under Captain Prince,
chief-engineer of that army, were diligently employed upon
this canal, General Grant directed his attention to several
other projects for turning the enemy's position. These
are fully described in his official report. The canal proving
impracticable, and his other plans being unsuccessful, he
determined to move his army by land down the west bank
of the river, some seventy miles, while transports for cross-
ing should run past the enemy's batteries at Vicksburg.

"The danger of running the batteries being very great,
and the roads on the west side in horrible condition, this
was a difficult and hazardous expedient ; but it seemed to
be the only possible solution of the problem. The execu-
tion of th». plan, however, was greatly facilitated by Admiral
Farragut, who had run two of his vessels past the enemy's
batteries at Port Hudson and Grand Gulf, and cleared the
river of the enemy's boats below Vicksburg ; and finally,
through the indomitable energy of the commanding general
and the admirable dispositions of Admiral Porter for run-
ning the enemy's batteries, the operation was completely
successful.

"The army crossed the river at Bruinsburg, April 30tli,
turned Grand Gulf, and engaged the enemy near Port Gib-
son on the 1st, and at Fourteen-Mile Creek on the 3d of

! I . i

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

255

]^ay. The enemy was defeated in both engagements, with
heavy loss. General Grant now moved his forct^s by rapid
marches to the north, in order to separate the garrison of
Vicksburg from the covering army of Johnston. This
movement was followed by the battles of * Raymond,'
May 1 2th; of 'Jackson,' May 14th; of 'Champion's Hill,'
May 1 6th, and of 'Big Black River Bridge,' May 17th —
in all of which our troops were victorious. General Grant
now proceeded to invest Vicksburg.

"In order to facilitate General Grant's operations by de-
stroying the enemy's lines of communication, and prevent
the early concentration of any reinforcements, Colonel (now
Brigadier-General) Grierson was sent with a cavalry lorce
from La Grange on the 1 7th of April to traverse the interior
of the State of Mississippi. This expedition was most
successfully conducted. It destroyed many of the enemy's
railroad bridges, depots and much rolling stock, and
reached Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in safety on the 2d of
May. On returning to Vicksburg, General Grant found
his forces insufficient to entirely invest the enemy's works.
There was, therefore, danger that the two bodies of the
enemy under Pemberton and Johnston might yet effect a
junction, as it was known that the latter was being largely
reinforced from Bragg's army in Middle and East 'I'ennes-
see. Under these circumstances General Grant determined
to attempt to carry the place by assault.

"Two unsuccessful attacks were made May 19th and
22d ; but as reinforcements reached him in a few days
after, sufficiently large to enable him to completely invest
the Confederate defences, he resorted to the slower hut
more certain operations of a regular siege. By the 3d of
July his saps were so far advanced as to render his success
certain, and on that day General Pemberton proposed an
armistice and capitulation, which were finally accepted, and
Vicksburg surrendered on the 4th of July.

"When we consider the character of the country in which
this army operated, the formidable obstacles to be over-
come, the number of forces and the strength of the enemy's
works, we cannot fail to admire the courage and endurance

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LIFE LW UI.YSSES S. GRANT.

of the troops, and the skill and darlnrr of their commander.
No more brilliant exploit can be found in military history.
It has been alleged, and the allegation has been widely cir-
culated by the press, that General Grant, in the conduct
of his campaign, positively disobeyed the instructions of
his superiors. It is hardly necessary to remark that (]v.r\-
eral Grant never disobeyed an order or instruction, hut
always carried out to the best of his ability every wish or
suggestion made to him by the government. Moreover
he has never complained that the government did not
furnish him all the means and assistance in its power, to
facilitate the execution of any plan he saw fit to adopt."

When the news of this glorious victory officially reached
the President, he wrote an autograph letter to General
Grant, of which document the following is a copy:

ExEcurivR Mansion, Washington, y^/y 13///, 1863.
To Major-Gknehal (jRANt :

My Dear General: I do not remember that you and lever met
personally. I write tliis now as a grateful acknowledgment for ihe almost
inestimable service you have done tht country. I wish to say a word fur-
ther. When you first reached the vicinity of Vicksburg, I thouglit you
should do what you finally did — march the troops across the neik, run
the batteries with the transports, and thus go below ; and I never had
any faith, except a general hope that you knew better than I, tlial the
Yazoo Pass expedition and tl. like could succeed. When you got below
and took Port Gibson, Grand o^ulf, and vicinity, I thought you should go
down the river and join General Banks ; and when you turned northward
east of the Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make a
personal acknowledgment that you were right and l was wrong.

Yours, very truly,

A. I^INCOLH.

A new.spaper of strong Southern proclivities, after the
surrender of Vicksburg, wrote the following:

" We pardon General Grant's smoking a cigar as he
entered the smoulder;, \g ruins of the town of Vicksburg.
A little stage effect is admissiole in great captains, consid-
ering that Napoleon at Milan wore the little cocked hat
and sword of Marengo, and that snuff was the inevitable
concomitant of victory in the great Frederick. General
Grant is a noble fellow, and by the terms of capitulation
he accorded to the heroic garrison showed himself as gen-

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ViCKSBURG, Miss., Sept. 2gth, 1863.
Col. Markland — Dear Sir: — Having exhausted every other re-
source for procuring a cow, I now send to you to get one of those at
the Quartermaster's and Commissary's quarters.

Yours truly,

U. S. Grant, Afq/.-Gett,

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WAK OF THK KKHKIJ.ION.

257

croiis as Napoleon was to Wiirmser at the; surrender of
Mantua. His deed will read well in history, and he lias
secured to himself a name which posterity will pronounce
with veneration and j^rratitude. There is no general in this
country or in Kurope that has done harder work than Gen-
( ral (irant, and none that has better <; raced his victories by
the exercise of humanity and virtue What we learn of the
terms of capitulation is sufficient to prove General Grant
to he a generous soldier and a man. A truly brave man
respects bravery in others, and when the sword is sheathed
considers himself free to follow the dictates of humanity.
(i( iicral Grant is not a general that marks his progress by
prodamations to frighten unarmed men, women, and chil-
dren ; he fulminates no arbitrary edicts against the press ;
he does not make war on newspapers and their corre-
spondents ; he flatters no one to get himself puffed ; but he
is terrible in arms and magnanimous after the batth-. Go
on, brave General Grant; pursue the cours* yoi have
marked out for yourself, and Clio, the pensive muse, she
records your deeds, will rejoice at her manly theme."

Among the results of the fall of Vicksburg is one that
must not be overlooked — Port Hudson. As soon as the
•garrison had surrendered General Grant notified General
Banks of the fact, and that officer at on<.e imparted the
■rlorious intelligence to his command. Like lightning the
welcome news flew along the line, and the Union pickets
joyously informed the Confederate sentinels that their
boasted stronghold had fallen. It did not take long for the
tidings to reach the enemy's head-quarters, and the same
day the commandant at Port Hudson sent the following
despatch to General Banks :

Head-quarters, Port Hudson, \.k.,July ith, 1863.
Gkn'ehai. ; Having r^'ceived infi rmation from your troops that Vicks-
burg has been surrender. I make thi> communication to ask you to give
me tlie official p-^surancc whether this s true or not, and if trtie, J ask for
a cessation of h stilities, \w\ a view t< the consideration of terms for sur-
rendering this position.
I am, Gencial, very respcv (.fully, your obedient servant,

Frank rxARDNER,
Maj r-Gener. > covimandur: C<>nfcderate States forces.
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258

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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General Banks, early the next morning, replied in the
afifirmative, and the following announces the result of the
surrender :

Head-quarters, Department of the Gulf,
Nineteenth Army Corps, Port Hudson, y«^ io//t, i86^.

To General H. W. Halleck :

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that, with this post, there fell
into our hands over five thousand five hundred prisoners, including one
major-general and one brigadier-general ; twenty pieces of heavy artil-
lery, five complete? batteries, numbering thirty-one pieces of field artil-
lery ; a good supply of projectiles for light and heavy guns, 44,800 pouiuls
of cannon-powder, five thousand stand of arms, and one hundred and
fifty thousand rounds of small-arm ammunition, besides a small amount
of stores of various kinds. We captured also two steamers, one of which
is very valuable. They will be of great service at this time.

I am. General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. P. Banks, Major- General Commanding,

On the day that Grant received propositions for Pember-
ton's surrender, he sent orders to Sherman to get his com-
mand in readiness to march against Johnston's army; and on
the 4th, as soon as the capture of the town was consummated,
he sent Sherman in pursuit of the enemy outside. Johnston,
however, fell back in haste when he heard of the fall of
Vicksburg, and a hot chase was made, Sherman following
as far as Jackson ; but thence Johnston escaped into the inte-
rior, Sherman not pursuing farther. Great destruction was
again made of railroads and resources, at and around Jack-
son, and the undisturbed possession of the State of Missis-
sippi was thus secured; Sherman then returned to Vicks-
burg, and the troops were allowed a month or two of rest
after their long labors in the trenches and the field.

Honors, of course, were heaped upon Grant after this
unprecedented triumph. He was made a major-general in
the regular army; the President and the general-in-chiel
each wrote him letters of congratulation; the legislatures
of various States passed resolutions of thanks; swords
were presented to him ; and his name passed to the head
of all the defenders of the Union.

St 1.'?

CHAPTER VII.
WAR OF THE REBELLION — Continued.

Grant p;oes to New Orleans — Consults with Banks — Thrown from his horse — Rosecnns
at Chattanooga — Grant assigned to the command of the Military Division of the
Mississippi — Rosecrans relieved by Thomas — Army of the Cumberland besieged in
Cliatlanooga — Grant telegraphs to Chattanooga — Bragg on Lookout Mountain-^
Precarious situation of the Army of the Cumberland — Grant equal to the emergency
— Ke-possession of Lookout valley — Sherman ajipraaching from Memphis — Prepa-
ralicns for battle—Battle of Lookout Mountain — Battle of Chattanooga — Grant's
generalship — Voles of thanks and a gold medal for General Grant — The grade of
lieutenant-general revived — Grant ordered to Waslington — Receives his commis-
sion — Visits the Army of the Potomac— Assumes command of the armies of the
United States — Joins the Arr.y of the Potomac.

In August General Grant went to New Orleans to con-
sult with Banks about a combined movement against Mo-
bile, which he still hoped he could persuade the govern-
ment to allow ; and while there, he was thrown from his
horse at a review, and received a hurt that lamed him for
months. For twenty days he was confined to one position,
and while thus suffering, word came to him of great appre-
hensions felt by the government for the safety of the Union
army at Chattanooga.

This place, on the confines of Tennessee and Northern
Georgia, and shut in by the Cumberland mountains and
the Tennessee river, is at the junction of two great rail-
roads, one passing north and south, the other east and
west. It was parallel in military importance to Corinth
farther west; and, since the beginning of the war, the
efforts of national commanders had been directed to secure
its possession. If this were obtained, Richmond, the Con-
federate capita], was cut off from all direct communication
with the centre and west of the rebellious region. In
September, by a series of masterly movements, Rosecrans
succeeded in driving the enemy's army that defended Chat-

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260

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

tanooga a few miles south of it, and hinisdf stepped in to
occupy the town. But it was certain that the enemy would
make an effort to refrain the prize, and Grant was directed
to send all his available force to the support of Rosecrans.

Grant did not get these orders I'ntil his return from New
Orleans, and, though still confined to his bed, at once
despatched a whole corps under Sherman towards Chat-
tanooga. All expedition was made for the movement, hut
the distance was nearly a thousand miles by the shortest
route ; half of this was by the river, and transports had to
be procured; then there were 400 miles to be marched
through a hostile country. Long before Sherman could
reach Rosecrans, the latter had been attacked by a superior
force and driven into Chattanooga. The government b :-
came greatly alarmed, and at once sent for Grant to take
command of Rosecrans' army. He started, still a cripple,
sailed up the Mississippi to Cairo, and then went by rail to
Louisville ; on the way he met the secretary of war, and
received from him an order placing him in command of all
the armies west of the Alleghenies, except those of Banks
in Louisiana and Texas. His immediate task was to secure
Chattanooga and the army there, which was now besieged,
and to relieve East Tennessee, where Burnside also was
in great straits, in command of another and smaller army.

He had now absolute command of 200,000 men ; but
these were widely separated. He had a territory reachinof
from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi to hold and to
guard, and large hostile armies to intercept and overthrow.
At Chattanooga the army which Rosecrans had commanded
was crowded into a small area south of the Tennessee, and
encircled by mountains, on which the enemy, so lately vic-
torious, were encamped ; there was but one railroad line
of communication with this town, and that the enemy had
just cut off; so that the solitary route by which all supplies
could reach Chattanooga was a rugged mountain road
seventy miles long, and now almost impassable on account
of heavy rains. The army was on half rations, 10,000 mules
and horses had died of starvation, and there seemed no
possibility of rescue. Burnside was 200 miles away in

MAP OF CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA, SHOWING SOME
IMPORTANT CAMPAIGNS UNDER (JKNERAI. GRANT.

(261)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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East Tennessee, equally isolated though not besieged ; and
Sherman was in Mississippi, with 400 miles to march before
he could relieve Chattanooga ; and even when he reached
that place, unless the enemy were driven away, he would
only add to the miseries of the Union troops, as those
already there could not be supplied with either food or
ammunition. This was the condition of affairs when Grant
assumed his new command.

His first act was to place General George H. Thomas in
the position lately occupied by Rosecrans. Grant assumed
command on the 19th of October, but could not reach Chat-
tanooga on account of the break in communication, until
the 23d. He telegraphed Thomas, however, on the 19th,
" Hold Chattanooga at all hazards; " and Thomas replied,
" I will hold the town till we starve." Grant reached Chat-
tanooga after dark, and that night was spent in looking
over maps and studying the situation, apparently the
gloomiest one in which a commander could be placed.

Next morning he made a reconnoissance of the country
in the neighborhood of Lookout Mountain, and immediately
gave directions for an aggressive movement in that direc-
tion. Portions of two corps from the Army of the Potomac
had been sent by Halleck to relieve Rosecrans, some weeks
before ; but these were still at Bridgeport, sixty miles away
to the west, as their presence at Chattanooga would only
serve to enhance the difficulties of supply. But Grant di-
rected these troops, under Hooker, to move up to the
western side of Lookout Mountain, which is only a mile or
two in width, and at the same time ordered a co-operative
movement from Chattanooga. Troops were sent on the
night of the 27th, in boats, dcwn the Tennessee, who eluded
the Confederate pickets, till they reached a point called
Brown's Ferry, on the south side of the river, some nine
miles below the town. Here they landed, seized the ferry,
drove in or captured the enemy's out-guards, and main-
tained themselves while a bridge was laid, and a consider-
able force, that had been sent on the north side of the
river, could be moved across the bridge. By ten o'clock,
on the 28th, the position was secured. On the morning of

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

263

the 26th Hooker had moved from Bridgeport ; at six on the
eveniiii^ of the 28th he had marciied around the foot of
Lookout Mountain without serious opposition, secured the
railroad, and connected with the force at Brown's Ferry.

The enemy, however, at once saw how important it was
that this connection should be broken ; for, if Grant was
abl(! to maintain it, his railroad communication would be
op(Mi again with the north, and supplies of men, ammuni-
tion, and provisions could be sent him. Accordingly, that
niglit they attacked Hooker in force, and a severe battle
ensued, the result of which was that the enemy was driven
off in confusion, and the railroad secured to Grant. The
Union troops lost over four hundred men in killed and
wounded, but the price was not too great to pay, for it
s ;cured the army in Chattanooga. Thus, in five days after
Grant's arrival, the rail *oad to Nashville was opened, and
the immediate danger repelled. Bragg, indeed, was now
on the defensive, not Grant ; for Hooker's position threat-
ened Lookout Mountain, and it was certain that as soon as
supplie? and ammunition could be procured, an offensive
operation would begin. The army and the country were
electrified at this immediate effect of Grant's presence, this
reversal of the entire situation ; while the enemy were
chagrined in an equal degree.

Still, Grant's dififiiculties were gigantic. Burnside's
twenty-five thousand men were a hundred miles from any
navigable river by which they could be supplied, and farther
yet from a railroad; they had to be supplied by a route
over six hundred miles long ; while Sherman, in his march
from the Mississippi, had to be met with provisions at
various points; and all these lines of supply ran through a
hostile country. Grant directed and superintended these
operations as closely as he did the tactical movements in a
battle ; he even instructed Sherman what roads he should
take: he sent word to Admiral Porter to convoy the
steamers that carried supplies, and that officer, never hesi-
tating, furnished the protection desired.

But, on the 4th of November, Bragg, feeling the ne-
cessity of doing something to compensate for the disaster

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LIFE or ULYSSKS S. GRANT.

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he had incurred at lirown's Ferry, sent an entire ch.jjs,
under Longstreet, into East Tennessee, to destroy J'l.n.
side, (irant got word of the movemtnt at once, and his
situation became vastly more complicated. If Slurman
had been up, he would have rejoiced at Bragg's move nii lu,
for he should at once have attacked th(! enemy in ins front,
now weakened by this abstraction. But the strengtii ot
Bragg's position, on the precipitous ritlge and on the lotty
crest of Lookout, was such, that no assault could be made
until further reinforcements arrived. Meanwhile, Burnside
was in immediate peril.

Grant at once despatched word to Sherman of this new
danger, and urged him to increased speed. Still, Slur-
man's difficulties were grcit; he had rivers to cross wiure
there were no bridges, mountains to climb, eiiemies lo
meet; but, on the 13th of November, he rt'ached Bridnc-
port with his conmiand, and was summoned at once in ^xr-
son to Chattanooga.

The battle-field of Chattanooga is an irregular iieid,
with Missionar)' Ridge on the east and the Tennessee nw.r
on the west. On what was Grant's left, Chickamaui^a
creek empties into the Tennessee, and at the extreme ri^ht
is Lookout Mountain ; both extremities were in the hands
of the enemy. Grant's plan was to bring Sherman alono
the north side of the river, from Brown's Ferry to the point
opposite Chickamauga creek, then to cross this portion ot
the command so as to form his new lelt; Thomas was lo
be the centre, and to attack Missionary Ridge directly in
his front ; while Hooker, on the right, would assail and
carry Lookout Mountain. Sherman's principal endeavor
was to be to reach and turn the northern extremity of
Missionary Ridge, behind which was Chickamauga Station,
on the southern railroad, where Bragg's base and depot ol
supplies were situated ; Sherman was to move up froni
Brown's Ferry along a road concealed from the enemy by
the opposite mountains : but as Bragg seemed to be ex-
pecting an attack on his left flank. Grant ordered Sherman
to confirm this notion, by advancing one division in that
direction, and building large camp-fires there at night.

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At this crisis, (irant got word that Hiirnsitle and Lonc^-
street had really begun the battle for the possession of
East Tennessee, and still Sherman was delayed by inoic
rains, and freshets, and broken bridges. In consequence
of these obstacles, Siierman did not arrive at his post on
the north side of the Tennessee until the 23d of November.

During the night of the 2 2d, however, a deserter from
Bragg's army brought news that a division of the enemy
was being sent to Longstreet; and Grant had other rea-
sons for supposing that Bragg might be intending to fall
back from Missionary Ridge. He accordingly ordered an
advance by Thomas to ascertain the truth of this report.
It would not do to let Bragg escape, without the battle for
which the national commander had been waiting and pre-
paring so long. Thomas accordingly moved a whole corps
forward to develop the strength of the enemy. The move-
ment was measured, and the enemy so little anticipated it,
that even after the troops wero in line, the enemy leaned
lazily on their muskets, mistaking the advance for a parade.
They were soon undeceived by a heavy fire of musketry,
and in fifteen minutes their whole advanced line of rifle-pits
was carried, and nothing remained in the possession of the
enemy west of the rifle-pits but the line at the foot of iIk;
ridge. Intrenchments were at once thrown up by Grant,
protecting the ground thus gained, and Thomas' whole
army was moved forward about a mile. Only one hundred
men had been killed or wounded, but over two hundred
of the enemy were captured. This success infused great
animation into the Army of the Cumberland.

Meanwhile Sherman was laboring up on the ngrth bank
of the Tennessee, where pontoon boats were hidden in the
creeks that empty from that side of the river; and during
the night of the 23d these were floated to the enemy's
picket-station, at the mouth of the Chickamauga. Troops
were landed, the enemy's pickets seized, intrenchments
thrown up, and by daylight eight thousand Union soldiers
were ashore. Immediately the buildipo- of the bridge
began. At twenty minutes past twelve o'clock it was com-
plete, and at one o'clock Sherman began his march at the

WAK OF THE UEBELLION.

267

head of twenty thousand men for the northern end of
Missionary Ridge. He began the fight by three and a
half, pushed his troops up the hill, and before nijuht hatl
oaincd possession of an important hill which he had sup-
posed was the extremity of Missionary Ridge ; this, how-
ever, he discovered to be separated from the ridge by a
deep ravine, which would cost him 'ear to cross. He in-
trenched, however, during the night, preparing for his
errand attack on the morrow.

Thomas' command this day remained in the position that
had been gained the day before, waiting for the two wings
of the grand army to get into position for the combined
effort which Grant intended to make. Hooker, meanwhile,
had moved his troops against Lookout Mountain with
energy and skill ; and Bragg, who had become alarmed at
Thomas' dispositions the day before, withdrew a portion of
his force on the mountain to reinforce his centre and rijjht.
This rendered Hooker's task easier, and by four o'clock he
had climbed the mountain, in spite of prodigious natural
difficulties, carried important works at its base and on the
sides, and established important connection with the right
of Thomas' command. Thomas also connected on his left
with Sherman, so that, on the night of the 24th, Grant's
line was all advanced and in direct communication. Battles
had been fought by the centre and each wing, and each
had been successful. Hooker's fight had thus far been
the hardest, and late in the afternoon his progress was ob-
scured from those in the valley by heavy clouds that set-
tled on the mountain side, so that his troops seemed fight-
ing in mid-air. That night the enemy evacuated the crest
of the mountain, falling back on Bragg, and early in the
morning the stars and stripes waved on the summit of
Lookout.

Grant was busy all night sending directions to his three
armies. He directed Sherman and Hooker to advance at
dawn, eac^h attracting as much force of the enemy as pos-
sible to one extremity, and when this was accomplished
Thomas was to attack the weakened centre. Grant him-
self remained on a mound near Thomas' command, from

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LIKE OF ULYSSKS S. (iUANT.

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which he could watch all the evolutions in the field. He
was so near to Missionary Ridge, that when day dawned
Bragi^'s head-quarters could be plainly seen.

Sherman biiiran his attack shortly after daylight, ilu;
ground in his front was extremely difficult, and had htax
strongly fortified. It was held in great force, for it was the
key-point of the field, if this height was carried the Om-
federate army was cut off from its base, and from all coni-
municadon with other portions of the Confederacy. Sher-
man assaulted with great vigor and gained some ground;
after this he repeatedly advanced, and was more than once
repelled, losing, however, none of the ground originally
seized. The fight here was fierce and stubborn, and Hragg
repeatedly sent large reinforcements to maintain the posi-
tion. Hooker, too, descended from Lookout Mountain to
move against Bragg's new left. The enemy, retrcaiins^
from the mountain in the night, liowever, had destroyed all
the bridges, so that Hooker was delayed until nearly two
o'clock before he reached the ridge. Sherman, meanwhile,
was bearing the brunt of the battle, and Grant finally per-
ceiving the enemy in a large column moving towards
Sherman, he determined that the hour had come for
Thomas to advance.

Accordingly he himself gave the order, and two whole
corps moved forward in one grand line against Missionary
Ridge. Sherman fighting on the north end, not five miles
away, Hooker in the plain to the south, and here, at
Grant's feet, four divisions of men on the run, their bayo-
nets glancing in the afternoon sun. The enemy at the foot
of the hill were unable to resist the effect of this waving,
glittering mass of steel ; they flung themselves in the
trenches, and the national troops passed over, sending
their prisoners hurriedly to the rear across the open plain.
The order had been for the men to halt when the first line
of pits was carried, and to reform before they attempted to
mount the hill ; but now their blood was up, and it was iin
possible to restrain them. A tremendous fire of artillery
poured down upon them from the ridge, nearly five hundred
feet high, and half way up was another line of trenches,

DIAGRAM I.

WATtPS'SOK.Vr.

iJlAGRAMS SHOWING THE POSITIONS OF THE ARMIES AT THE BATTLES
OF CHICKAMAUGA AND MISSIONARY RIDGE.

(269)

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270

LIKK OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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from which more deadly musketry now struck down many
a gallant soldier. lUit the line stopped not for this; ilie
flags went on in advance, first one ahead and then another.
and at last all along the ridge Grant's colors were pl,'uit<(l
on the enemy's line. Still there was another line of work;
on the crest, and now the ascent became almost perpen-
dicular. The storm of musketry and artillery bccaiiK;
more furious, but the men lay on their faces to avoid it,
working their way thus up the front of the mountain.

The enemy was seized at once with a panic which all the
exertions of Bragg and his officers could not restrain ; here
and there a slight resistance was offered, but the gr(;at
mass of the enemy's army went tumbling in confusion
down the eastern side of the ridge, the national soldiers
not even stopping to reload their pieces, but driving the
enemy with stones. At this moment Hooker appeared on
the enemy's left and completed the rout; Bragg was
obliged not only to give up the ground in front of Thomas
and Hooker, but to withdraw his right, which still offered
resistance to Sherman. Grant had ridden up at onct; on
the ridge to direct the pursuit, and forty pieces of artillery
were captured in the open field, Sheridan, then a division
commander in Thomas' armj', pursued for seven miles.
Six thousand prisoners were taken before morning. Look-
out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and all the rifle-pits in
Chattanooga valley were Grant's, The great Confederate
army that had threatened him so long was routed and in
disgraceful flight, and early on the 26th Sherman took
possession of Chickamauga Station.

That day and the next the pursuit was continued, Hooker
in the advance. Everywhere the road was strewn with the
wrecks of the dissolving army. On the 27th Hooker came
up with Bragg's rear-guard at a gap in the mountains, and
here the enemy made his last stand. A fight of several
hours occurred, but the enemy finally withdrew, leaving the
place in the hands of Grant, who now directed the pursuit
to be discontinued. It was necessary to send reinforce-
ments at once to Burnside.

Grant lost in this series of battles seven hundred and

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

271

fifty-srvcn killed, four thousand five hundred and twenty-
nine wounded, and thrcti hundred and thirty missing ; the
enemy, three hundred and sixty-one killed, two thousand
one hundred and eij^hty wounded, and over six thousand
prisoners, besides forty cannon. Their loss in killed and
wounded was smaller, because they fought with every im-
aginable advantage of cover and position. They had forty-
tive thousand men engaged, and Grant had about sixty
thousand ; but the extraordinary position they occupied
was worth to them, according to all the rules of the military
art, five times an equal number of assailants. Bragg said,
in hi"^ official report of the fight, that the strength of the
positi )n was such that a line of skirmishers ought to have
mauitamed it agamst any assaultmg column.

The news of the splendid victories in Tennessee filled
the loyal States with rejoicing. Mr. Lincoln appointed a
day of thanksgiving •• for this great advancement of the
national cause ; " while Congress, in grateful appreciation
of the glorious victories he had gained, passed a joint reso-
lution of thanks to General Grant and the troops which
had fought under him. Tliey also ordered a gold medal,
with suitable emblems and devices, to be struck and pre-
sented to him, and Legislatures of various States presented
him with a vote of thanks. But, better than all this, a
movement was at once set on foot by the Hon. E. B.
Washburne, member of Congress from Illinois, to revive
the grade of lieutenant-general, and to call General Grant
to the chief command of all the armies of the United States.
On the 1st of March, 1864, ^^^^ ^^^^ became a law by the
approval of President Lincoln. A resolution requesting
Mr. Lincoln to appoint General Grant was also passed by
Congress. On the next day Mr. Lincoln sent to the Senate
the nomination of Ulysses S. Grant, to be lieutenant-gen-
eral. The nomination was confirmed at once, and an order
was sent directing Grant to repair to Washington for the
purpose of receiving his commission. Before leaving Nash-
ville he wrote to Sherman, his faithful lieutenant :

"Whilst I have been eminently successful in this war, in
at least gaining the confidence of the public, no one feels

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

more than I do how much of this success is due to the
energy, skill, and the harmonious putting forth of that
energy and skill, of those whom it has been my good for-
tune to have occupying subordinate positions under me.
There are many officers to whom these remarks are appli-
cable to a greater or less degree, proportionate to their
ability as soldiers ; but what I want, is to express my thanks
to you and McPherson as the men to whom, above all
others, I feel indebted for whatever I have had of success,
How far your advice and assistance have been of help to
me, you know ; how far your execution of whatever has
been given you to do entitles you to the reward I am re-
ceiving, you cannot know as well as I. I feel all the grati-
tude this letter would express, giving it the most flattering
construction."

This letter was intended as much for McPherson as for
Sherman, and while it reflects the highest credit upon the
magnanimous heart of the writer, it does those able and
gallant generals no more than simple justice. Grant had
that about him which drew true men irresistibly towards
him, causing them to cheerfully exert their entire strength
in the performance of the duties assigned them. No man
was ever more devotedly or worthily served by those who
came within his immediate influence, and no man ever re-
warded merit more unselfishly or promptly.

Sherman, in replying to Grant's letter, says:

"You do yourself injustice, and us too much honor, in
assigning to us too large a share of the merits which have
led to your high advancement. I know you approve the
friendship I have ever professed to you, and will permit me
to continue to manifest it on all proper occasions.

" You are now Washincfton's leiritimate successor, and
occupy a position of almost dangerous elevation ; but i*
you can continue as heretofore, to be yourself, simple, hon-
est and unpretending, you will enjoy through life the re-
spect and love of friends and the homage of millions ot
human beings, that will award you a large share in securing
to them and their descendants a government of law and
stability.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

273

"I repeat, you do McPherson and myself too much
honor. At Belmont you manifested your traits — neither
of us being near. At Donelson, also, you illustrated your
whole character. I was not near, and McPherson in too
subordinate a capacity to influence you.

" Until you had won Donelson, I confess I was almost
cowed by the terrible array of anarchical elements that pre-
sented themselves at every point ; but that admitted a ray
of light, which I have followed since.

"I believe you are as brave, patriotic and just as the
great prototype, Washington ; as unselfish, kind-hearted
and honest as a man should be ; but the chief characteristic
is the simple faith in success you have always manifested,
which I can liken to nothing else than the faith the Chris-
tian has in the Saviour.

"This faith gave you victory at Shiloh and Vicksburg.
Also, when you have completed your best preparations,
you go into battle without hesitation, as at Chattanooga —
no doubts, no answers — and I tell you, it was this that made
us act with confidence. I knew wherever I was, that you
thought of me ; and if I got in a tight place you would help
me out if alive.

"My only point of doubt v/as in your knowledge of
grand strategy, and of books of science and history ; but I
confess your common sense seems to have supplied all
these.

"Now as to the future. Don't stay in Washington.
Come West ; take to yourself the whole Mississippi Valley.
Let us make it dead sure ; and I tell you the Atlantic slopes
and Pacific shores will follow its destiny as sure as the limbs
of a tree live or die with the main trunk. We have done
much, but still much remains. Time and time's influences
are with us. We could almost afford to sit still and let
these influences work. Here lies the seat of coming em-
pire ; and from the West, where our task is done, we will
make short work of Charleston and Richmond, and the im-
poverished coast of the Atlantic."
18

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CHAPTER VIII.

WAR OF THE REBELLION — Continued.

Grant with the Army of the Potomac — The situation of military affairs — General Grint's
plan of operations — Butler's and Sigel's positions — Lee at Orange Court-House—
Grant's instructions to General Meade — The engagement at Parker's Store — Wilson
encounters Stuart's cavalry — The battle of the Wilderness — Sheridan's operations—
Alsop's Farm — Spoltsylvania Court-House — Death of General Sedgwick — Han-
cock's success — Cold Harbor — Sheridan's raid — Burnside's and Sigel's cooperative
movements — Hunter's and Sheridan's operations in the Shenandoah V.-iUey.

On the 8th of March Grant arrived at the capital, and
the next day, at one o'clock, he was received by the Presi-
dent in the Cabinet Chamber. The different Cabinet offi-
cers, General Halleck, and a few other persons were there
by the President's invitation. General Grant was accom-
panied by an aid-de-camp. Colonel Comstock, and General
Rawlins, his chief-of-staff, and after being introduced to the
Cabinet was addressed as follows, by the President:

" General Grant : — The expression of the nation's ap-
probation of what you have already done, and its reliance
on you for what remains to be done in the existing great
struggle, are now presented with this commission, consti-
tuting you Lieutenant-General in the Army of the United
States. With this high honor devolves on you an addi-
tional responsibility. As the country herein trusts you, so,
under God, it will sustain you. I scarcely need to add, that
with what I here speak for the nation, goes my own hearty
personal concurrence."

General Grant replied with feeling:

"Mr. President: — I accept the commission with grati-
tude for the high honor conferred. With the aid of the
noble armies that have fought on so many battle-fields for
our common country, it will be my earnest endeavor not to
disappoint your expectations. I feel the full weight of the

(274)

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276

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

responsibilities now devolving on me ; and I know that if
they are met, it will be due to those armies, and, above all,
to the favor of that Providence which leads both nations
and men."

The next day the President assigned the new lieutenant-
general to the command of all the armies, with his head-
quarters in the field. Grant made a hurried trip to the
Army of the Potomac at Culpeper Court-House, to confer
with General Meade, and then returned to Nashville for
the purpose of making arrangements to enter upon the
performance of the duties of his new position. Here, on
the 1 7th day of March, he issued his order assuming com-
mand of the armies of the United States, and announced
that till further notice his head-quarters would be with the
Army of the Potomac. At his request the Secretary of
War had already assigned Sherman to the Military Divi-
sion of the Mississippi, including the Department of Ar-
kansas in addition to those departments already within it ;
McPherson succeeded Sherman in the command of the
Department of the Tennessee ; and, as a matter of course,
Halleck, who had so long filled the place of general-in-
chief, was relieved from that position, i le was, however,
soon afterwards assigned to duty in Washington by Gen-
eral Grant as chief-of-staff of the army, for which position,
charged with the details of military administration, it was
thought, his capacities peculiarly fitted him.

On the 23d of March, Grant arrived at Washington, and
on the next day he took actual command — his first act
being to reorganize the Army of the Potomac by consoH-
dating it into three corps — to be known thereafter as the
Second, Fifth, and Sixth, to be commanded respectively by
Major-Generals Hancock, Warren, and Sedgwick. The
Ninth corps, under Burnside, lately from East Tennessee,
had been reorganized at Annapolis, and was added to the
Army of the Potomac, but acted for a time independently
of Meade, on account of Burnside's older commission.
Generals Barlow, Gibbon, Birney, J. B. Carr, Wads worth,
Crawford, Robinson, Griffin, Wright, and Prince, com-
manded divisions. The cavalry of the army was consoli-

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

277

dated into a corps under General Sheridan, with Generals
Gregg, Torbert, and Wilson commanding divisions. These
officers had all distinguished themselves in the war, and
were selected for their services and their zeal in the
national cause.

The stafil organization of the Army of the Potomac re-
mained unchanged, with Brigadier-General H. J. Hunt as
Chief of Artillery ; Major J. C. Duane, Chief of Engineers ;
Brigadier-General Rufus Ingalls, Chief Quartermaster.
Major-General A. A. Humphreys, an able officer of engi-
neers, distinguished also as a division commander, was
Chief-of-Staff; while Brigadier-General Seth Williams was
Adjutant-General.

Tiie law creating the grade of lieutenant-general enabled
Grc It to reorganize his own staff also. General Rawlins,
his constant companion from the beginning of the war, was
retained as Chief-of-Staff, and Colonel T. S. Bowers as
Adjutant-General ; Colonel Wilson, his Inspector-General,
who had been promoted to be brigadier-general after
Chattanooga, and had been ordered to Washington for the
purpose of reorganizing the Cavalry Bureau, was assigned
to the command of a division under Sheridan. His place
on the staff was filled by Colonel Comstock of the Engi-
neer corps ; Colonel Horace Porter and Colonel O. E.
Babcock, two young officers of the regular army, who had
already given great promise of usefulness and ability, were
designated as Aids-de-Camp ; while Colonels Adam Badeau
and Ely S. Parker (a hereditary chief of the Six Nations)
were assigned as Military Secretaries.

No clearer statement of the situation of military affairs,
or of the plan of operations adopted for the future conduct
of the war can be made, than that given in General Grant's
own words :

" From an early period in the rebellion," he says, in his
comprehensive and admirable report, "I had been impressed
with the idea that active and continuous operations of all
the troops that could be brought into the field, regardless
of season and weather, were necessary to a speedy termin-
ation of the war. The resources of the enemy and his

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LIFE OF ULVSSES S. GRANT.

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numerical strength were far inferior to ours ; but, as an off-
set to this, we had a vast territory, with a population hostile
to the government, to garrison, and long lines of river and
railroad communications to protect, to enable us to supply
the operating armies.

" The armies in the East and West acted independently,
and without concert, like a balky team — no two ever pullino-
together — enabling the enemy to use to great advantage
his interior lines of communication for transporting troops
from East to West, reinforcing the army most vigorously
pressed, and to furlough large numbers during seasons of
inactivity on our part, to go to their homes and do the
work of providing for the support of their armies. It was
a question whether our numerical strength and resources
were not more than balanced by these disadvantages and
the enemy's superior position.

" From the first I was firm in the conviction that no peace
could be had that would be stable and conducive to the
happiness of the people, both North and South, until the
military power of the rebellion was entirely broken.

"I therefore determined, first, to use the greatest number
of troops practicable against the armed force of the enemy,
preventing him from using the same force at different
seasons against first one and then another of our armies,
and the possibility of repose for refitting and producing
necessary supplies for carrying on resistance ; second, to
hammer continuously against the armed force of the enemy
and his resources, until, by mere attrition, if in no other
way, there should be nothing left to him but an equal sub-
mission with the loyal sections of our common country to
the constitution and laws of the land.

" These views have been kept constantly in mind, and
orders given and campaigns made to carry them out.
Whether they might have been better in conception and
execution is for the people, who mourn the loss of friends
fallen, and who have to pay the pecuniary cost, to say.
All I can say is, that what I have done has been done con-
scientiously, to the best of my ability, and in what I con-
ceived to be for the best interests of the whole country.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

279

"At the date when this report begins, the situation of the
contending forces was about as follows: The Mississippi
river was strongly garrisoned by Federal troops from St.
Louis, Missouri, to its mouth. The line of the Arkansas
was also held, thus giving us armed possession of all west
of the Mississippi north of that stream. A few points in
Southern Louisiana, not remote from the river, were held
by us, together with a small garrison at and near the mouth
of the Rio Grande. All the balance of the vast territory
of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, was in the almost un-
disputed possession of the enemy, with an army of probably
not less than 80,000 effective men that could have been
brought into the field, had there been sufificient opposition
to have brought them out. The let-alofie-policy had de-
moralized this force so that probably but little more than
one-half of it was ever present in garrison at any one time.
But the one-half, or 40,000 men, with the bands of guerrillas
scattered through Missouri, Arkansas, and along the Mis-
sissippi river, and the disloyal character of much of the
population, compelled the use of a large number of troops
to keep navigation open on the river, and to protect the
loyal people to the west of it. To the east of the Missis-
sippi we held substantially with the line of the Tennessee
and Holston rivers, running eastward to include nearly all
of the State of Tennessee. South of Chattanooga a small
foothold had been obtained in Georgia, sufificient to protect
East Tennessee from incursions from the enemy's force at
Dalton, Georgia. West Virginia was substantially within
our lines. Virginia, with the exception of the northern
border, the Potomac river, a small area about the mouth of
lames river covered by the troops at Norfolk and Fort
Monroe, and the territory covered by the Army of the
Potomac lying along the Rapidan, was in the possession
of the enemy. Along the sea-coast, footholds had been
obtained at Plymouth, Washington, and Newbern, in North
Carolina ; Beaufort, Folly, and Morris islands, Hilton Head,
Fort Pulaski, and Port Royal, in South Carolina ; Fer-
nandina and St. Augustine, in Florida. Key West and
Pensacula were also in our possession, while all the im-
portant ports were blockaded by the navy.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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" Behind the Union lines there were many bands of
guerillas, and a large population disloyal to the govern-
ment, making it necessary to guard every foot of road or
river used in supplying our armies. In the South a reign
of military despotism prevailed, which made every man and
boy capable of bearing arms a soldier, and those who could
not bear arms in the field acted as provosts for collecting
deserters and returning them. This enabled the enemy to
bring almost his entire strength into the field.

" The enemy had concentrated the bulic of his forces east
of the Mississippi into two armies, commanded by Generals
R. E. Lee and J. E. Johnston, his ablest and best generals.
The army commanded by Lee occupied the south bank of
the Rapidan, extending from Mine Run westward, strongly
intrenched in position at Dalton, Georgia, covering and de-
fending Atlanta, Georgia, a place of great importance as a
railroad centre, against the armies under Major-General
W. T. Sherman. In addition to these armies, he had a
large cavalry force under Forrest in Northeast Mississippi;
a considerable force, of all arms, in the Shenandoah valley,
and in the western part of Virginia and extreme eastern
part of Tennessee ; and also confronting our sea-coast gar-
risons, and hold'ng blockaded ports where we had no foot-
hold upon land.

"These two armies, and the cities covered and de-
fended by them, were the main objective points of the
campaign.

" Major-General W. T. Sherman, who was appointed to
the command of the military division of the Mississippi,
embracing all the armies and territory east of the Missis-
sippi river to the Alleghenies, and the department of
Arkansas, west of the Mississippi, had the immediate com-
mand of the armies operating against Johnston.

" Major-General George G. Meade had the immediate
command of the Army of the Potomac, from where I exer-
cised general supervision of the movements of all our
armies.

" General Sherman was instructed to move against John-
ston's army, to break it up, and to go into the interior of

GKANT WRI'IING DKSPA'ICH WHII.K AKMY WAS CROSSING THK KAPIUAN.

THK LAST CAVALRY CHARGK OK THE WAR.

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WAR OF THE REHELLION.

281

the enemy's country as far as he could, inflicting all the
damage he could upon their war resources. If the enemy
in his front showed signs of joining Lee, to follow him up
to the full extent of his ability, while I would prevent the
concentration of Lee upon him if it was in the power of the
Army of the Potomac to do so. More specific written
instructions were not given, for the reason that I had talked
over with him the plans of the campaign, and was satisfied
that he understood them and would execute them to the
fullest extent possible.

"Major-General N. P. Banks, then on an expedition up
Red river against Shreveport, Louisiana (which had been
organized previous to my appointment to command), was
notified by me, on the 1 5th of March, of the importance it
was that Shreveport shou'd be taken at the earliest pos-
sible day, and that if he found that the taking of it would
occupy from ten to fifteen days' more time than General
Sherman had given his troops to be absent from their
command, he would send them back at the time specified
by General Sherman, even if it led to the abandonment of
the main object of the Red river expedition, for this force
was necessary to movements east of the Mississippi ; that
should his expedition prove successful, he would hold
Shreveport and the Red river with such force as he might
deem necessary, and return the balance of his troops to the
neighborhood of New Orleans, commencing no move for
the further acquisition of territory unless it was to make
that then held by him more easily held ; that it might be a
part of the spring campaign to move against Mobile ; that
it certainly would be if troops enough could be obtained to
make it without embarrassing other movements ; that New
Orleans would be the point of departure for suc'i an ex-
pedition ; also, that I had directed General Steele to make
a real move from Arkansas, as suggested by him (General
Banks), instead of a demonstration, as Steele thought
advisable.

" On the 2 1 St of March, in addition to the foregoing noti-
fication and directions, he was instructed as follows :

"' I. If successful in your expedition against Shreveport,

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282

LIFE OK ULYSSES S. CI RANT.

that you turn over the defence of the Red river to General
Steele and the navy.

" • 2. That you abandon Texas entirely, with the exception
of your hold upon the Rio Grande. This can be held with
4,cxx) men, if they will turn their attention immediately to
fortifying their positions. At least one-half of the force
required for this service might be taken from the colored
troops.

*• ' 3. By properly fortifying on the Mississippi river, the
fora^ to guard it from Port Hudson to New Orleans can l)e
reduced to 10,000 men, if not to a less number ; 6,000 more
would then hold all the rest of the territory necessary to
hold until active operations can be resumed west of the
river. According to your last return, this would give you
a force of over 30,000 effective men with which to move
against Mobile. To this I expect to add 5,000 men from
Missouri. If, however, you think the force here stated too
small to hold the territory regarded as necessary to hold
possession of, I would say, concentrate at least 25,000 men
of your present command for operations against Mobile,
With these, and such additions as I can give you from else-
where, lose no time in making a demonstration, to be fol-
lowed by an attack upon Mobile. Two or more ironclads
will be ordered to report to Admiral Farragut. This ij^ives
him a strong naval fleet with which to co-operate. You can
make your own arraigements with the Admiral for his co-
operation, and select your own line of approach. My own
idea of the matter is, that Pascagoula should be your base;
but, from your long service in the Gulf department, you
will know best about the matter. It is intended that your
movements shall be co-operative with movements elsewhere,
and you cannot now start too soon. All I would now add
is, that you commence the concentration of your force's at
once. Preserve a profound secrecy of what you intend
doing, and start at the earliest possible moment..'

" Major-General Meade was instructed that Lee's army
would be his objective point ; that wherever Lee went he
would go also. For his movement two plans presented
themselves : — one to cross the Rapidan below Lee, moving

WAR OF THE REBKLLION.

283

by his right flank ; the other above, moving by his left.
Each presented advantages over the other, with corre-
sponding objections. By crossing above, Lee would be cut
off from all chance of ignoring Richmond or going North
on a raid. But if we took this route, all we did would have
to be done whilst the rations we started with held out ; be-
sides it separated us from Butler, so that he could not be
directed how to co-operate. If we took the other route,
Brandy Station could be used as a base of supplies until
another was secured on the York or James rivers. Of
these, however, it was decided to take the lower route.

"The following letter of instructions was addressed to
Major-General B. F. Butler:

"Fort Monroe, Va., April 2, 1864.

" ' General : In the spring campaign, which it is desirable shall com-
mence at as early a day as practicable, it is proposed to have co-operative
action of all the armies in the field, as far as this object can be accom-
plished,

" ' It will not be possible to unite our armies into two or three large
ones, to act as so many units, owing to the absolute necessity of holding
on to the territory already taken from the enemy. But, generally speaking,
concentration can be practically effected by armies moving to the interior
of the enemy's country from the territory they have to guard. By such
movement they interpose themselves between the enemy and the country
to be guarded, thereby reducing the number necessary to guard important
points, or at least occupy the attention of a part of the enemy's force, if
no greater object is gained. Lee's army and Richmond being the greater
objects towards which our attention must be directed in the next campaign,
it is desirable to unite all the force we can against them. The necessity
of covering Washington with the Army of the Potomac, and of covering
your department with your army, makes it impossible to unite these forces
at the beginning of any move. I propose, therefore, what comes nearest
this of anything that seems practicable : The Army of the Potomac will
act from its present base, Lee's army being the objective point. You will
collect all the forces from your command that can be spared from garrison
duty — I should say not less than 20,000 effective men — to operate on the
south side of James river, Richmond being your objective point. To the
force you already have will be added about 10,000 men from South Caro-
lina, under Major-General Gilmore, who will command them in person.
Major-General W. F. Smith is ordered to report to you, to command the
troops sent into the field from your own department.

" * General Gilmore will be ordered to report to you at Fortress Monroe,
with all the troops on transports, by the i8th instant, or as soon thereafter
as practicable. Should you not receive notice by that time to move, you

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

will make such disposition of them and your other forces as you raa^
deem best calculated to dective the enemy as to the real move to be
made.

" ' When you are notified to move, take City Point with as much force
as possible. Fortify, or rather intrench at once, and concentrate all your
troops for the field there as rapidly as you can. From City Point, direc-
tions cannot be given at this time for your further movements.

" 'The fact that has already been stated — that is, that Richmond is to
be your objective point, and that there is to be co-operation between your
force and the Army of the Potomac — must be your guide. This indicates
the necessity of your holding close to the south bank of the James river
as you advance. Then, should the enemy be forced into his intrench-
ments in Richmond, the Army of the Potomac would follow, and by
means of transports the two armies would be a unit.

" 'AH the minor details of your advance are left entirely to your direc-
tion. If, however, you think it practicable to use your cavalry south of
you, so as to cut the railroad about Hick's Ford about the time of the
general advance, it would be of immense advantage.

" 'You will please forward, for my information, at the earliest practi-
cable day, all orders, details, and instructions you may give for the exe-
cution of this order.'

"On the 1 6th these instructions were substantially re-
iterated. On the 19th, in order to secure full co-operation
between his army and that of General Meade, he was in-
formed that I expected him to move from Fort Monroe the
same day that General Meade moved from Culpeper. The
exact time I was to telegraph him as soon as it was fixed,
and that it would not be earlier than the 27th of April ; that
it was my intention to fight Lee between Culpeper and
Richmond if he would stand. Should he, however, fall
back into Richmond, I would follow up, and make a junction
with his (General Butler's) army on the James river ; that,
could I be certain he would be able to invest Richmond on
the south side so as to have his left resting on the James,
above the city, I would form a junction there ; that circum-
stances might make this course advisable anyhow ; that he
should use every exertion to secure footing as far up the
south side of the river as he could, and as soon as possible,
after the receipt of orders to move ; that if he could not
carry the city, he should at least detain as large a force as
possible.

" In co-operation v/ith the main movements against Lee

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

285

and Johnston, I was desirous of using all other troops nec-
essarily kept in departments remote from the fields of im-
mediate operations, and also those kept in the background
for the protection of our extended lines between the loyal
States and the armies operating against them.

" A very considerable force, under command of Major-
General Sigel, was so held for the protection of West Vir-
ginia, and the frontiers of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Whilst these troops could not be withdrawn to distant
fields without exposing the North to invasion by compara-
tively small bodies of the enemy, they could act directly to
their front and give better protection than if lying idle in
garrison. By such movement they would either compel
the enemy to detach largely for the protection of his sup-
plies and lines of communication, or he would lose them.

" General Sigel was therefore directed to organize all his
available force into two expeditions, to move from Beverly
and Charleston, under command of Generals Ord and
Crook, against the East Tennessee and Virginia railroad.
Subsequently, General Ord having been relieved at his own
request, General Sigel was instructed, at his own suggestior,
to give up the expedition by Beverly, and to form two col-
umns, one under General Crook, on the Kanawha, num-
bering about 10,000 men, and one on the Shenandoah,
numbering about 7,000 men, the one on tiie Shenandoah to
assemble between Cumberland and the Shenandoah, and
the infantry and artillery advanced to Cedar Creek, with
such cavalry as could be made available at the moment, to
threaten the enemy in the Shenandoah Valley, and advance
as far as possible ; while General Crook would take pos-
session of Lewisburg with part of his force and move down
the Tennessee railroad, doing as much damage as he could,
destroying the New River bridge and the salt-works at
Saltville, Virginia.

" Owing to the weather and bad condition of the roads,
operations were delayed iTitil the ist of May, v/hen, every-
thing being in readiness and the roads favorable, orders
were given for a general movement of all the armies not
later than the 4th of May.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

" My first object being to break the military power of the
rebellion, and capture ^:he enemy's important strongholds,
made me desirous thai General Butler should succeed in
his movement against Richmond, as that would tend more
than anything else, unless it were the capture of Lee's
army, to accomplish this desired result in the East. If he
failed, it was my determination, by hard fighting, either to
compel Lee to retreat, or to so cripple him that he could
not detach a large force to go North, and still retain enough
for the defence of Richmond. It was well understood, by
both Generals Butler and Meade, before starting on the
campaign, that it was my intention to put both their armies
south of the James river, in case of failure to destroy Lee
without it.

" Before giving General Butler his instructions, I visited
him at Fort Monroe, and, in conversation, pointed out the
apparent importance of getting possession of Petersburg,
and destroying railroad communication as far south as
possible. Believing, however, in the practicability of cap-
turing Richmond, unless it was reinforced, I made that
the objective point of his operations. As the Army of the
Potomac was to move simultaneously with him, Lee could
not detach from his army with safety, and the enemy did
not have troops elsewhere to bring to the defence of the
city in time to meet a rapid movement from the north 01
James river.

" I may here state that, commanding all the armies as I
did. I tried, as far as possible, to leave General Meade in
independent command of the Army of the Potomac. My
instructions for that army were all through him, and were
general in their nature, leaving all the details and the exe-
cution to him."

The particular plan of operations for the Army of the
Potomac has been severely criticised by various writers
upon the war. From the first Grant was "firm in the con-
viction that no peace could be had that would be stable and
conducive to the happiness of the people, both North and
South, until the military power of the rebellion was entirely
broken." How he expected to break this military power is

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

287

stated with clearness, and is based upon the soundest mili-
tary principles :

"1 therefore determined, first to use the greatest number
of troops practicable against the armed force of the enemy,
preventing him from using the same force at different sea-

FORTIFICATIONS IN AND AROUND WASHINGTON CITY,

sons against first one and then another of our armies;"
and, "second, to hammer Cv,..tinuously against the armed
force of the enemy and his resources, until by mere attri-
lion, if in no other way, there should be nothing left to him
but an equal submission with the loyal section of our

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288

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

common country, to the Constitution and the laws of the
land."

It will be observed that he says nothing here in reference
to strategic points, converging or diverging lines of opera-
tions, but has steadily kept in view only the armed forces
of the enemy. But as if to leave no room for doubt on
this point, he instructed Meade that Lee's army, the very
head and front of the Confederate cause, " would be his
objective point ; that wherever Lee went, he would go also."
In the entire range of all that has ever been said, either by
the writers or the fighters, there cannot be found a more
comprehensive plan of a great war, nor a more judicious
statement of the principles upon which it should be con-
ducted. If it be true, as has been stated, that the General
who conceived and carried this plan into execution, although
educated as a soldier, never read a treatise on grand tactics
or strategy, and, like Bagration, knew nothing of those
sciences, except what he learned from his own experience
and reflection, his countrymen may justly ascribe to him the
possession of military genius of the highest order.

The position of Lee's army was as well known as that
of the Army of the Potomac, when Grant moved his head-
quarters to Culpeper Court-House ; but even if there had
been a reasonable doubt on this point, past experience had
shown that the national forces would not be permitted to
get far in the right direction without obtaining the desired
information. This fact alone ought to have settled, as it
did, all questions in reference to the line of operations to
be pursued in the coming campaign ; and yet it is claimed
that Grant should have withdrawn from Lee's front, marched
to Washington or Acquia creek, transported his army to
the James, and there begun his campaign, by moving directly
upon Richmond or its communications. It is asserted, in
support of this plan, that Grant himself, before being called
to the command of all the armies, wrote a letter to Halleck
recommending a plan similar to that devised by Generals
Franklin and Smith. The country has good reason to be
thankful that Grant, when he became charged with the
actual responsibility of making and executing a plan for the

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

289

Army of the Potomac, saw sufficient reason, after careful
investigation and study, to change his views, and adopt a
plan more strictly in accordance with the principles of war.
The Army of the Potomac had already tried the Peninsula
route to its sore cost. The long array of unfortunate
events, beginning with the seven days' battle, including the
dosing events of Pope's disastrous campaign ; the indeci-
sive battle of Antietam ; the bloody disaster of Fredericks-
burg; the inglorious failure of Chancellorsville, scarcely
counterbalanced by the expulsion of Lee from Pennsylvania
by the uncompleted victory of Gettysburg, the Mine Run
campaign, followed by the rapid retreat on Washington,
had their beginning in the attempt to take Richmond by
advancing upon it by the way of the Peninsula.

It was by holding his army well in hand that Lee was
enabled to plant himself with such address across Grant's
line of march, in time to prepare those intrenched posi-
tions which covered him almost as effectivelv as the regular
intrenchments of Richmond could have done. It was this
and not the physical features of the theatre of operations
which gave the overland campaign its destructive pecu-
liarities, — making it "a kind of running siege" instead of
a campaign subject to the ordinary rules of warfare.

Grant has been also severely criticised for permitting
Butler to advance from Fortress Monroe, and Sigel from
West Virfrinia, instead of unitinof them with Meade before
the campaign began ; but it must not be forgotten that
Buder was united with Meade before the army reached
Richmond, and that Sigel's advance from West Virginia
was made with troops "which, under no circumstances,
could be withdrawn to distant fields, without exposing the
North to invasion." It was hoped, too, that the latter
command, if it did not succeed in breaking up important
railroad communications, would at least neutralize the
large force which must necessarily be detached by Lee for
their protection. Its success in the latter respect was suf-
fidently realized in the earlier stages of the campaign, as
well as subsequendy when, under Crook, it formed a part
of Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The defensive line occupied by Lee at Orange Court-
House was well selected and thoroughly strengthened.
Covered by the Rapidan, a stream of considerable size with
steep banks and difficult fords, flanked on the east by the
Wilderness, and on the west by the foot-hills of the Blue
Ridge, a direct attack was entirely out of the question, and
to turn it was exceedingly difficult. But Grant was not
the man to remain long in doubt as to what policy to pur-
sue. A turning movement towards his right, avoiding the
Wilderness, throwing him into the open country, and more
direcdy upon the Confederate lines of communication,
seemed to promise better results in case of immediate suc-
cess ; but on the other hand it would carry him away from
his own communications and leave him in greater danger
in case of a drawn batde, or a counter attack from the
enemy. He hoped to be able to crush Lee at a single
blow or at most in a few days, but he was too sagacious to
count certainly upon this. He therefore determined to
move by the left flank, crossing the Rapidan by the lower
fords and pushing through the Wilderness towards the open
country in the direction of Spottsylvania. Accordingly on
the 3d of May all arrangements having been perfected, the
troops fully equipped, a'rmed, and supplied with three days'
cooked rations, the cavalry and artillery horses newly shod
and the army concentrated in the neighborhood of Culpeper
and Brandy Station, he issued his instructions to Meade for
the movement to begin. That officer arranged the details as
follows : Wilson with the Third cavalry division, about
3,000 strong, was ordered to move from his camp near
Stevensburg at one o'clock, on the morning of Thursday,
May 4th, and to cross the Rapidan at Germania Ford, cov-
ering the construction of a pontoon bridge at that place
and clearing the way for the infantry of Warren's corps,
which was directed to follow close upon him. As soon as
Warren's advanced division had crossed the river, Wilson
was to move out by the old W^ilderness Tavern and take
the road to Parker's store, scouting the country in all di-
rections and keeping the infantry informed of the enemy's
movements. Sedsfwick was directed to follow Warren,

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MAP OF THE COUNTRY FROM CULPEPER COURT-HOUSE TO RICHMOND. VA.

(291)

292

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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keeping close up. Gregg, with the Second cavalry division,
about 3,500 strong, was ordered to move at the same time
to Ely's Ford, still lower down the river, covering the
march and clearing the way for Hancock's corps towards
Chancellorsville. Torbert with the First cavalry division,
about 3,500 strong, was to cover the trains and the rear of
the army; strongly picketing the river from Rapidan Sta-
tion to Germania Ford, and holding the line from Mitchell's
Station to Culpeper; as soon as the crossing should be
secured he was to rejoin Sheridan at Chancellorsville.

Precisely at midnight the movement began. Wilson's
advance guard crossed the river at 3.50 a. m.. driving back
the Confederate pickets, and by six o'clock the bridge ^\as
laid and his division formed in line a mile in advance of the
ford. Warren began crossing soon afterwards, and by
noon his advanced division, covered by the cavalry, had
reached Wilderness Tavern, at the crossing of the Orange
Turnpike and the Germania Ford roads, where he biv-
ouacked for the night. Sedgwick kept w-ell closed up,
crossed the bridge during the afternoon, and encamped h
fore dark about a mile beyond the ford. Hancock's corps
reached the river also at an early hour in the morning,
found the cavalry across and the bridge ready, and there-
fore lost but little time in following, camping for the night
on Hooker's old battle-ground. Neither column had en-
countered the enemy, except the small force of pickets
which had been watching the river. These were rapidly
driven back by Wilson's advance, and were pursued by a
small force as far as Mine Run. The country was thor-
oughly scouted along all the roads leading towards the
stream without encountering Lee's forces in any strength.
The crossing was evidently a surprise, but the Confederate
general was in no manner cast down by it. He knew that
he could not hold the line of the Rapidan, a fordable river,
so strongly as to keep it intact, and therefore wisely held
his army concentrated in an advantageous position, ready
to strike in whatever direction circumstances might require.
His pickets gave him dmely notice, and with ready deter
mination he moved to the attack.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

293

On the morning of tlie 5th of May Grant's army, between
90,000 and 100,000 strong, lay in the Wilderness in the fol-
lowing order : Wilson at Parker's store, Warren and Sedg-
wick on the road from Germania Ford to Wilderness Tavern,
Hancock at Chancellorsville, Sheridan with Gregg and Tor-
bert near by. The orders of the day did not contemplate
a battle, although the troops were disposed in such a man-
ner as to be prepared for attack. Wilson was directed to
move at five o'clock a. m. to Craig's meeting-house on the
Cathcirpen road, keeping out parties on the Orange Court-
Hoiise pike and plank-road, and sending scouts well out on
all the roads to the south and west. VVarren was directed
to move at the same hour to Parker's store, extending his
right towards Sedgwick, who was to move to old Wilderness
Tavern as soon as the roads were clear. Hancock was to
march towards Shady Grove Church, extending his right
towards Warren's left at Parker's store. Sheridan, with
Gregg and Torbert, was directed against the enemy's cavalry
at Hamilton Crossing. Wilson moved promptly at the
hour designated, leaving the Fifth New York cavalry, Col-
onel John Hammond commanding, to hold Parker's store
till relieved by Warren's advance ; but by dawn this gallant
regiment was hotly attacked, of which due notice was given
to the troops in the rear.

Lee had taken his determination to fall upon Grant while
still entangled in the Wilderness, and during the night put
his entire army in motion by the two roads leading from his
position to Fredericksburg, intersecting the roads from the
Rapidan to Richmond at right angles. Ewell's corps was
thrown forward on the old turnpike, and Hill's on the plank-
road, while Longstreet's corps, which had occupied the ex-
treme left of Lee's line, was rapidly withdrawn from Gor-
donsville, and ordered to the front. The two armies had
bivouacked within five or six miles of each other, and both
were on the alert at an early hour.

Grifiin's division of Warren's corps had been thrown to
the right of old Wilderness Tavern on the turnpike the
evening before, relieving the cavalry and posting its own
pickets well out.

111

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Warren had hardly got his column in motion when his
covering division was attacked with great vehemence, his
pickets falling back rapidly. His orders to Crawford, com-
manding his advance division, were to push forward to
Parker's as rapidly as possible, but that ofificer, although
informed by Colonel Mcintosh, who commanded a brigade
of Wilson's division, and had just joined Hammond's hard-
pressed regiment, that the enemy was advancing in force,
moved with great deliberation, and did not reach Parker's
at all. The intensity of the enemy's attack in the mean-
time had increased to such a pitch that a general battle was
now certain. Warren lost no time in deploying Wads-
worth's division abreast of and to the left of Griffin's on
the plank-road. Robinson's division was held in reserve,
with one brigade in line on Wadsworth's left. Wright's di-
vision of the Sixth corps was also ordered into position on
the right of this line. With this force a vigorous attack
was made upon the advancing enemy, driving them back
rapidly and in confusion : the heaviest of the fighting being
done by Ayres' and Bartlett's brigades. But Ewell's lead-
ing division was soon supported by the rest of his corps,
and in turn drove back Warren's entire line. The woods
were so tangled and thick that the alignment could not be
kept ; Crawford's division was separated from Wadsworth,
and the latter from the main force formed on the turnpike;
■while Wright, for a similar reason, found it impossible to
bring his division properly to Warren's support. Under
such circumstances these sub-divisions of his command
were unable to make head against the force bearing down
upon them, although they stri'ggled gallantly.

Warren had, therefore, nothing to do but to withdraw his
troops to a new line somewhat to the rear but still in front
of Wilderness Run.

Grant directed Meade to recall Hancock's column, which
had moved at the appointed time southward by the way of
Todd's Tavern. It was ordered to countermarch by the
Brock road, and take position on Warren's left. In the
meantime Hill's corps moving on the Orange plank-road
had encountered Hammond's regiment, and, after a severe

WAR OF THE KEHEI.I.ICtX.

295

Pfir^ap^cment, in which Colonels Hammond and Mcintosh
beiiavcd widi great gallantry, had driven it from Parker's,
but not till Getty's division of die Sixth corps had reached
the cross-roads four miles to the eastward, and put itself in
position to check Hill's advance. The intention of the
latter was evidently to march down the Orange plank-road
till he reached the Brock road, and then turning to the
northward to throw himself upon what he supposed to be
the llank of Grant's army. Fortunately his purpose was
counteracted by the immovable stand made by Getty at the
intersection of the roads. Hancock reached this position
at three o'clock, and after beginning the construction of a
line of breastworks along the Brock road, he was ordered
to advance against Hill, and if possible drive him beyond
the position at Parker's store. A few minutes past four
o'clock the attack was made in fine style by Getty's division,
which encountered the enemy in great strength only a few
hundred yards to the front. Hancock went to his support
with Birney's and Mott's divisions, and soon afterwards
the greater part of Gibbon's and Barlow's divisions, with
all the artillery, became engaged, pressing forward with
great ardor; but our troops could not carry the enemy's
jjosition or break their lines, although they did not relin-
quish the effort until after nightfall.

In order to relieve the pressure on Hancock's front, and
to strike Hill on the flank, Warren was directed to send a
force from his left towards Parker's store. Wadsworth's
division and Baxter's brigade were selected, and began the
movement at about four o'clock, but they experienced such
difficulty in penetrating the tangled forest that it was dark
before Wadsworth could make himself felt by the enemy.
Wilson's division, in the meantime, reached Craig's meet-
ing-house at an early hour in the morning, and just beyond
there encountered the Confederate cavalry under Stuart,
driving it rapidly back more than a mile. His ammunition
becoming exhausted, he was in turn repulsed, and shortly
afterwards ascertained that the Confederate infantry had
dislodged his regiment from Parker's store, and interposed
between him the main army. Uniting his division as

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LI IK OF UI.YSSKS S. flKANT.

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rapidly as possible, he struck across the country, and, alu^
severe rij^luinj^s succeeded in forminj^ a junction with
Grei^ji^'s division at Todd's Tavern. Sheridan, havini.
learncnl early in the day that the enemy's cavalry at I laiiiil-
ton CrossinL,^ had rejoined Lee, concentrated his corps on
the left of the army, confronting; the Confederate cavalry
under Stuart, defeating all his attempts to reach our trains,
and holdin^j;' all the country from Hancock's left, by th(,'
way of Todd's Tavern, to Piney Branch Church. The
Ninth corps, under Hurnside. had been instructed to hold
a position on the north side of the Rapidan for tvvent\ -lour
hours after the army had crossed. It was now ordered to
the front, and, after a lonjT^ and fatitjuin^^ march, reached
the field on the morninir of the 6th, where it was assi_t,nied
a position between Warren and Hancock. Longsfeet was
also hastening to reinforce Lee.

The operations of the 5th, as has been seen, .e of
somewhat desultory character, the principal efforts of both
armies being to secure a position for delivering batde fa-
vorably. It has been said that Grant's moving columns were
surprised and caught in Hank, but this is not so; for al-
though he had hoped to get through the Wilderness before
encountering Lee, he had disposed of his forces to the best
possible advantage, in anticiijation of a battle.

I'he field upon which the contending armies were con-
centrated is one of the most remarkable ever known. It
is a wild and desolate reuion of worn-out tobacco-fields,
covered with scraggy oaks and pines, sassafras and hazel,
and intersected with narrow roads and deep ravines. It is
a strange battle-ground ; yet it is here, amid these jungles,
on these narrow wood roads, and in these deep ravines,
that is about to be fought one of the mightiest and most
bloody, if not most decisive, battles of the war. Manifestly,
Grant had not intended that the battle should take place in
the forest. He felt proud because of the success which had
attended the crossing of the Rapidan. It was confessedly
a perilous operation ; and the fact that it had been accom-
plished " in the face of an active, large, well-appointed, and
ably-commanded army," was well fitted to relieve his mind

WAR OF THE KKHKIXION.

297

of the most "serious apprehensions " It was his hope, if
not liis conviction, that another day s march would enable
liim to push the army beyond the Wilderness, anil, usinj^
it;is a mask, to advance rapidly on (iordonsville, and take
a position between Lee's army and the Confederate capital,
it was (irant's expectation, in fact, that Lee, as soon as he
was made aware of the movements of the national army,
would fall back towards Richmond. With this end in view,
Sheridan was instructed to move, with Grey^g's and Tor-
bcrt's divisions, ai^ainst the Confederate cavalry in the
direction of Hamilton's Crossin*,^; Wilson, with the Third
cavalry division, was to move to Craig's Meeting-House
on the Catharpin Road, and thence to send out detach-
ments along the different avenues by which the enemy
mi<,^ht approach ; Hancock, with his Second corps, was to
advance to Shady Grove Church, and thence to extend his
right towards the Fifth corps, at Parker's Store ; Warren,
with his Fifth corps, was to move to Parker's Store, and to
extend his right towards the Old Wilderness Tavern,
where Sedgwick was ordered to take position.

On the morning of Thursday, the 5th of May, these
orders were put in execution. As early as five o clock
the different columns were in motion, and pushing towards
the positions respectively assigned them.

The ground on which the struggle was about to begin —
a struggle greatly more severe than was anticipated by the
national leaders — was a sort of clearance in the forest. As
seen from Warren's head-quarters, near the Old Wilder-
ness Tavern, there was a little brook flowing in a north-
easterly direction. The brook is bridged at the turnpike,
which soon afterwards rises to a ridge, on the southern
slope of which is Major Lacy's house, in the midst of a
lawn and green meadows. Beyond, the hills were covered
with pines and cedars. On the right of the turnpike the
thicket was very dense. A little more to the right was a
ravine which divided the forces of Griffin and Ewell. At
noon the preparations were completed ; and Warren, with
the divisions of Griffin and Wadsworth, advanced to the
attack. It was made with tremendous energy, and at first

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRA^t.

with complete ruccess. The Confederate advance, whidi
consisted of Johnson's division alone, was easily driven
back ; and if the brigades of Ayres and Bartlett had been
more vigorously supported, Ewell's corps might have been
involved in hopeless disaster. As it was the nadonals, in
what seemed the moment of victory, were speedily brought
to a standstill. Johnson had been driven back to the
main body of Ewell's command. Rodes, with his fresh
division, rushed to the rescue, when the shattered column
quickly reformed. At this moment the battle racked \\r\
tremendous fury. It had been intended that Warren s
right should be sustained by Wright's division, of the Sixth
corps ; but owing to the denseness tf the woods, and the
total absence of roads, Wright was unable to get up in
time. On Warren's exposed flank, therefore, the Confed-
erates fell with fearful energy. The tide of battle was mow
turned. Griffin's brigades, overwhelmed by the force of
the enemy, were driven back with the loss of two guns and
several prisoners. Wadsworth's division, on the left, had
been equally unfortunate. In striving to form a connec-
tion with that of Griffin, it had moved in a wrong direction,
completely exposing its left flank. On this the Confeder-
ates opened a murderous fire, compelling the entire divi-
sion to fall back in disorder. McCandless' brigade, of
Crawford's division, which was stationed to the left of
Wadsworth, fared even worse. Occupying an isolated
position, and exposed at all points, it offered peculiar
temptation for attack. The Confederates rushed upon it
with great fury and in overwhelming numbers. For a
moment it seemed as if the entire brigade was doomed to
capture or destruction. After severe fighting, McCandless
succeeded in cutting his way through, but not without the
loss of two whole regiments. Warren, having thus lost
all he had gained by the first successful onset, and having
sacrificed at least 3,000 men, fell back and formed a new
line of battle more to the rear, but still in front of the Old
Wilderness Tavern, and across the turnpike.

While Warren was thus engaged in the centre, Sedgwick,
with the Sixth corps, having come up, was ready to take

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

299

position on his right. Hancock, however, had not had
time to return, as ordered, and take position on his left.
Some four miles east of Parker's Store, as has already
been indicated, the plank-road is intersected by the Brock
road. Hill, it will be remembered, was pressing along tha
plank-road. Hancock, by the Brock road, was pushing
forward to the point of intersection. It was all-important
that this strategic point should not fall into the hands of
the enemy. As there was danger that Hill might reach
that point before the arrival of Hancock, Meade ordered
General Getty, with his division of the Sixth corps, to ad-
vance and hold the position. It was not, however, a
moment too soon, for Hill's divisions were already well
forward ; and Getty, long before the arrival of Hancock,
felt the presence and pressure of the foe. In spite of the
rapidly increasing weight of his antagonist, Getty stoutly
held his position. It was now near three o'clock in the
afternoon. Th re was a lull in the fight. Suddenly there
was heard a loud resounding cheer. It came from Han-
cock's men, who, with almost incredible rapidity, were
pushing through the defiles of the forest.

On his arrival, Hancock took position along the Brock
road facing westward. He immediately commenced to
throw up breastworks. These, however, were not yet
completed, when he was ordered to attack with his whole
corps, Getty supporting the advance. Birney, with his own
command and that of Mott, was thrown forward on Getty's
rifi^ht and left, on both sides of the plank-road. A section
I' of Ricketts' battery, and a company of the First Pennsyl-
vania artillery, followed close in the rear of the infantry.
It soon became manifest that the enemy was present in
great force, although such was the density of the forest
that neither army could see the other. Getty, strengthened
as he was by Birney and Mott, was making no head-
way. Hancock, now pushing forward the brigades of Car-
roll and Owen, of Gibbon's division, and the Irish brigade,
of the Second Delaware, under Colonel Smythe, made, to
use the language of General Lee, " repeated and desperate
^'issaults ; " but it was all in vain. Hill's corps, which

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

consisted of the divisions of Anderson, Heth and Wilcox,
all of them West Point men, not only successfully resisted
but repelled every attack. The afternoon was weariiio
away. During the heat of the fight, and when the
Confederates made one of their desperate and apparently-
successful onslaughts, the section of Ricketts' battery,
which was moved along the plank-road, was actually
captured, the men and horses suffering terribly. It was
soon, however, recaptured by Carroll's brigade, and after
wards withdrawn and replaced by a section of Dow's
Sixth Maine battery. Hancock had done his best, but ap.
parently in vain. Mott's command had already given wav;
and Hays, while attempting to fill up the break in the line,
was shot dead, at the head of his brigade.

The heavy and long-continued firing towards the junc-
tion of the plank and Brock roads had already attracted
the attention of Grant and Meade. It was evident that
the battle was fierce — that the Confederates were present
in great force, and that Getty and Hancock were being
taxed to the very utmost. By way of furnishing relief to
these two commanders, Wadsworth, with his own division
and Baxter's brigade, of Robinson's division, was ordered
to move southward through the forest, and strike Hill on
the flank and rear. Such was the density of the forest,
and so great were the obstacles encountered in the face
of skirmishers who were evidently familiar with every inch
of the ground, that darkness had set in before Wadsworth
was in a position to strike as directed. His troops rested
on their arms for the night, ready to take advantage of
their favored position in the morning. Towards midnight,
all was silent in the Wilderness. Hancock had failed to
drive Hill back on the plank-road. Hill had been equally
unsuccessful in his attempt to dislodge Hancock. All
along the line the nationals and Confederates lay so close
to each other that the soldiers of both armies drew water
from the same brook. As in the earlier part of the clay, a
ravine divided both the opposing armies in two. Han
cock was separated from Warren and Sedgwick. Ewell
was unable to form a connection wilh Hill. The battle-

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

301

crrouncl was thickly strewn with dead and dying men. Such
was the end of the first day in the Wilderness.

Night was spent by both commanders in preparing for
the conflict of the coming day. Burnside, it will be re-
membered, had been left at Culpeper Court-House with
the Ninth corps, his instructions being to hold that place for
at least twenty- four hours after the departure of the main
body of the army. He had already been ordered forward ;
and shortly after day-break, on the morning of the 6th, he
was on the field, and taking position between the troops of
Warren and Hancock. He had marched with great
rapidity a distance of thirty miles, and crossed both the Rap-
pahannock and the Rapidan. Grant's order was given as
soon as he h .2 reports of the different commanders.

It was simple. Attack along the whole line at five in the
morninof." Lee had decided to deliver an overwhelminof
blow on Grant's left ; but as it would be impossible to do
so before the arrival of Longstreet, he resolved to distract
attention, and so gain time by making a demonstration on
the national right. Just fifteen minutes before the time ap-
pointed by Grant for the general attack, a sudden discharge
of musketry in the direction of Sedgwick announced the
fact that Lee was as ready for battle as his antagonist.
This attack, however, was not pushed with vigor. Sedg-
wick was able to hold his own, and even to push his front
forward a few hundred yards. The general plan of battle,
as Grant had arranged it, was undisturbed.

At five o'clock precisely, Warren and Hancock advanced
to the attack. Hancock, however, was doomed to bear the
principal burden of the fight. With him, therefore, we
must remain and witness the tide of battle, as it ebbs and
flows in his front. Dreading an attack in great force, he
had taken the precaution to throw up earthworks on the
Brock road. Holdinof these works with his left, he threw
forward his right and centre, consisting of two divisions,
under Birney, Getty's command, and the brigades of Owen
and Carroll, of Gibbon's division. Half and half work
formed no part of Hancock's calculations. He meant to
strii<e a firm and decisive blow. While Birney and Getty

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

made the direct attack along- the plank-road and on both
sides of the same, Wadsworth, haviny^ worked his way
across that part of the Second corps which was advanciriL,^
along the right of the plank-road, was ready to strike Hill
clean on the left flank. The direct and flank movements
were made almost simultaneously ; and so furious was the
onset that, after an hour's severe fighting, the ground alono-
Hill's entire front was carried, and some parts of the line
driven back through the woods fully half a mile. Hill's
troops, in fact, could not be halted until they had overrun
the trains, artillery, and even the head-quarters of the
Confederate commander. The rifle-pits had been captured,
with many prisoners, and five stands of colors. It seemed
as if the battle were already won. Another vigorous onset,
and the presumption is that Lee's army will be crt in two.
The divisions of Heath and Wilcox, of Hill's corps, have
been literally shattered to pieces.

At this supreme moment the victors paused in their tri-
umphant progress. The pause was fatal. It was now
about seven o'clock. Hancock set about rearranmnfj his
troops and getting them into battle order. He had been
reinforced by Stevenson's division of Burnside's corps, and
Wadsworth's division was now brought into proper line of
battle. Getty's division, now completely exhausted, was
replaced by Webb's brigade from Gibbon's command on
the left, and Frank's, brigade, of Barlow's division, was
pushed forward from the same flank. In making these ar-
rangements, however, two precious hours were wasted.
These hours of inaction proved a great gain to the Con-
federates. Hill's remaining divisions found time to come
up. Longstreet, too, was already close at hand. Hancod^
was as yet ignorant of the near presence of Lonq^street.
He had looked for him in another direction. It was known
the night previous that he was marching up from Orange
Court-House, and the unavoidable conviction was that his
object was to strike Hancock in the left flank and rear. It
was because of this conviction that Hancock had only ad-
vanced his ri<j[ht divisions, leaving his left, under Gibbon,
in charofe of the works on the Brock road. Hancock had

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

303

coitectly judged. Longstreet had really been making such
a movement. So sudden, however, and so overwhelming
had been the attack on his front tliat Lee, fearing for the
safe'"' of his whole army, ordered Longstreet to discontinue
his tlank movement and to come to the assistance of Hill.
His arrangements completed, Hancock resumed the ad-
vance with great energy. The line in his front no longer
yielded to his touch. Again and again he attempted to
press back the enemy, but it was all in vain. The battle
now raged again with great fury, deeds of daring being
performed on both sides. Lee had exhibited great per-
sonal bravery. When Gregg's Texans came up he put
liiniself at their head, and was with difficulty dissuaded
from leading them to the attack. For two hours the tide
of batde ebbed and flowed. It soon began to be evident
tiiat Longstreet was present in force, and that he was di-
recting the movements of the Confederates in Hancock's
immediate front. Finding it impossible to make any head-
way, nay, feeling more and more the irresistible pressure
of the foe, Hancock ultimately falls back and reforms on
the orio^inal line alonu: the Brock road. It is now about
eleven o'clock. The situation is becomino- more critical
every moment. Wadsvvorth, after exhibiting great gallan-
try, has just fallen, pierced through the head with a bullet,
and his command is in utter rout. At this supreme moment,
when the Confederates seem about to reap the rewards of
victory, there is a sudden pause in the battle. Why, no
one could tell.- It afterwards appeared that, when about to
deal a decisive blow both cyn Hancock's front and left flank,
Longstreet was shot, by mistake, by his own men. He had
been riding with his staff at the head of his column, when
the cavalcade suddenly confronted a portion of the flanking
force, and was mistaken for a party of national horsemen.
It was an unfortunate occurrence for Longstreet, and, in-
deed, for the whole Confederate army ; but it was the sal-
vation of Hancock, and, probably, of the entire Army of
the Potomac.

Although the fighting had, so far, been mostly done by
the national left, the centre and riirht had not been idle.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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Sedgwick, who was attacked in the early morning, but who
had successfully maintained his position, had labored in vain
to carry certain intrenchments, behind which Ewell had
sheltered his men. His attempts had been frequently re-
peated ; his losses in consequence were great. Two of
Warren's divisions had been detached and sent to the as-
sistance of Hancock. The other two divisions held a
simply defensive attitude. It was part of the plan of the
day that Burnside, advancing through the opening between
Warren and Hancock, should co-operate in the general ad-
vance. It was not, however, until the afternoon that he
became engaged with the enemy, and the results were un-
important.

After the repulse of Hancock by Longstreet, there was
an almost unbroken lull along the whole line of batde until
about four o'clock. When Longstreet was wounded Lee
took formal charge of that part of the field. Hancock had
turned to good account the time which had been allowed
him. Reinforcements had been sent him by Meade; his
position had been gready strengthened ; and his front hav-
ing been cleared by a well-executed movement made by
Colonel Leasure, he was fully prepared to meet the enemy.
He had already received orders from Grant to resume the
attack at six o'clock. Shortly after four o'clock Lee, who
by this time had got the troops of Longstreet and Hill well
in hand, hurled them against Hancock's lines. The Con-
federate columns, four in number, came rolling forward.
Without halting or firing a shot they approached the edge
of the abatis, less than a hundred paces from Hancock's
front. Here they paused and opened a furious fire of mus-
ketry, which was kept up with great vigor. It had little effect,
however, on Hancock's men, who were safe behind their
breastworks, and who replied with becoming energy to the
Confederate musketeers. While this was going on a fire,
which had broken out in the woods in the afternoon, com-
municated with the log-breastworks, which soon became a
mass of flame. The smoke and flame, which were driven
by the wind in the faces of the nationals, thus preventing
them from firing from the parapet, gave an advantage to

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

305

the Confederates. Not slow to seize the opportunity Lee's
men rushed forward, broke through the first line, pressed

GENERAL GEORGE G. MEADE.

into the breastworks, and crowded them with their stand*
ards. At this critical moment, when some of the nationals
were already in full retreat towards Chancellors\ ille, Car-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

roll, of Gibbon's division, in obedience to orders from Gen-
eral Birney, rushed forward by the left flank, and, fallinjr
with tremendous fury on the Confederates, routed them
with great slaughter, reclaimed the works, and saved the
day.

Later in the day, and just before dark, a vigorous attack
\vas made by Ewell on the right and front of Sedgwick's
corps, on the extreme national right. It was a complete
surprise to the nationals ; and, although Sedgwick quickly
got his corps into order and repelled the attack, it was not
until Generals Seymour and Shaler, of Rickett's division,
had been captured, with about 4,000 of their officers and
men. It was now dark. The sound of batde ceased.
The wearied soldiers, lying in many cas( s besides dead or
wounded comrades, fell asleep on their arms. The piteous
moaninofs of the wounded alone disturbed the surrounding
solitude. The batde of the Wilderness, properly so-called,
was ended.

The two days' fighting had resulted in serious loss to
both armies. The loss on the national side reached the
high figure of 20,000 men, of whom probably 5,000 were
made prisoners. On the part of the Confederates the loss
was proportionately great, the lowest estimate being 10,000,
of whom but few were captured. Among the killed on the
national side were Generals Wadsworth, Hays, and Webb,
and Hancock, Getty, Gregg, Owen, Bartlett, and Carroll
were wounded, some of them severely. Of the Confed-
erate officers, Generals Jones, Jenkins, and Stafford were
killed, and Generals Longstreet, Pegram, Pickett, and
Hunter were wounded. Such a bush-fight had never been
fought before.

On the morning of the 7th of May the rival armies still
confronted each other in the Wilderness. Both were ex-
hausted, and on neither the one side nor the other was
there any disposition to renew the contest. In the national
ranks there were not a few who were of the opinion that a
backward march across the Rapidan would soon be ordered.
Such thoughts, however, found no place in the mind of
General Grant. His eye was fixed on Richmond. During

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

3oy

the course of the day it became mon; and more apparent
that L<-e was falling back in the direction of Richmond. It
was Grant's belief that Lee, convinced of his inability to
maintain the contest in the open field, had decided to retire
and await an attack behind his own works. His own mind
was quickly made up, and he resolved, by a flank move-
ment on the Confederate right, to interpose his whole force
between Lee and Richmond. Orders were given accord-
ingly, and shortly after nightfall the entire national army
was on its way to Spottsylvania Conrt-House, some thirteen
miles farther to the southeast. Warren led the way, fol-
lowed by Hancock, both on the Brock road. Sedgwick
and Burnside moved on an exterior route, by way of
Chanccllors^'ille, where, during the course of the afternoon,
the army trains had been parked. By this movement
Grant abandoned the Germania Ford, and gave Lee an
opportunity to cut off his communications. This, however,
was of the less consequence, that the latter general was
now under the necessity of taking care of his own com-
munications, his right flank being already seriously threat-
ened. Germania Ford, in fact, was now of little use to
Grant, and Lee might take possession or not as he thought
fit. Lee was not slow to discover the real object of his an-
tagonist, and to take measures accordingly. Anderson,
who now commanded Longstreet's corps, received orders
to move from the breastworks and take a position from
which he would be able to advance on Spottsylvania Court-
Hoiise in the early morning. Not finding a suitable place
for bivouacking, in consequence of the fire in the woods,
Anderson kept moving all night in the direction of the
Court-House. It thus happened that Warren and Ander-
son, the former by the Brock road, the latter by a parallel
road a little farther to the west, were simultaneously marcl>
ing to the same point.

It was about nine o'clock in the morning when Warren
began to move his column. His desire was to reach
Spottsylvania Court-House before the enemy could have
time to be there in anything like force. Unfortunately,
however, his course was greatly obstructed, and his pro-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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gress hindered. At Todd's Tavern he was delayed for
two hours, the road being blocked by Meade's cavalry
escort. About two miles farther on, and near one of the
tributaries of the Po, he was again brought to a stnndsiiH
by the cavalry division of General Merritt, who, the day
before, and up to a late hour of the night, had hccn
engaged fighting Stuart. At this point he lost ihree liours.
It was already daylight; and when he resumed ilie ad-
vance, the road was obstructed with barricades of heavy
trees. Considerable time was consumed in reniovmcf
these ; and it was not until eight o'clock on Sunday morn-
ing that the head of Warren's column, composed of two
brigades, under Robinson, emerged from the woods, and
took position on the open ground at what was called
Alsop's Farm. This open ground or clearing covered a
space of about 1 50 acres, and was distant from Spottsylva-
nia Court-House some two miles. At this point the road
from Todd's Tavern forks — one branch leading to the
CcHirt-House, and the other to Laurel Hill. The open
space was traversed by an inconsiderable stream called the
Ny ; and the ground beyond, which ascended towards
Spottsylvania, was again covered with woods. Warren's
advance was half way across the clearing, and on tin; point
of commencing the ascent of the crest, when, all of a sud-
den, the ridge blazed with cannon, and a murderous mus-
ketry fire burst forth from the woods. The national line
staggered and fell back. A stampede seemed to be immi-
nent. Robinson exerted himself to the utmost to hold his
men to their work. Getting his batteries into position on
the right, he returned the enemy's fire promptly and with
vigor. He was soon severely wounded in the knee; his
men, thus left without their leader, and retaining a recol-
lection of their bitter experience in the Wilderness, ftll back
to the woods, where, through the personal exertions of
General Warren himself, they were rallied and reformed
Soon afterwards came up Griffin's division, which met with
a similar reception, with a like result. Meanwhile, Craw-
ford's division and that of Wadsworth, now commanded
by Cutler, had reached the battle-ground.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

309

Crawford advanced on Grififin's left ; Cutler advanced on
his right; and, in a brief space, the woods on both Hanks
were cleared of the enemy. Warren's entire corps was
now tlniwn up in battle-line; and the troops, as if con-
vinced that another fierce and bloody battle was about to
be foii|;ht, proceeded of their own accord to throw up in-
trenchments. Such was the commencement of the great
struggle at Spottsylvania Court-House. The fighting had
been severe. The losses were heavy. On the national
side about 1,300 men were put hors du combat. Some of
the regiments were almost cut to pieces. The First Michi-
;ran, which went into the fight 200 strong, came out with
only 23 men uninjured. The heat was most intense ; and
large numbers of the men suffered from sunstroke. The
(;ngag(iment of Sunday morning, the 8th of May, is known
as the battle of Alsop's Farm.

It was the head of Longstreet's corps, commanded, as we
have aheady seen, by Anderson, with which Warren had
come in collision. If Anderson had not been at Spottsyl-
vania Court-House ahead of Warren, there can be no
doubt but that the story of that morning's fight would have
been altogether different. Every obstruction put in War-
ren's way was a benefit to Lee. Every moment Warren
was delayed was a double gain to the Confederates. But
for the fire in the woods, which hastened Anderson's on-
ward march, and but for the unforiimate obstructions which
hindered W^arren's progress, the national advance, it is rea-
sonable to presume, would first have reached the clearing
at Alsop's Farm. In such a case, the first great purpose of
General Grant would have been accomplished — General
Lee's right would have been turned. Ay it was, Lee had
succeeded in planting his army right across Grant's line of
march, and in establishing a powerful bulwark of defence
on the Spottsylvania Ridge. This movement upon Spott-
sylvania brought prominently into view, and shed fresh lus-
tre on, the great abilities of the two rival commanders.
The hand of Lee and the hand of Grant were distinctly
visible. Skill in combination, promptitude of action and
rapidity of movement entitled the one to the victory ; and

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

temporary failure only served to bring- into more conspicu-
ous relief the military science which characterized ihc
general plan of the other.

After the experience of the morning, Warren did not fed
himself strong enough to renew the attack. He ^awaited,
therefore, the arrival of Sedgwick, who came up in ilu; af
ternoon, and, in the absence of Meade, assumed command.
Meade, with the whole of Hancock's corps, except the divi-
sion of Gibbon, had remained at Todd's Tavern, where, it
was feared, the Confederates were about to make an attack
in force. With the two corps, Sedgwick believed himself
strong enougr. to attenjpt to drive the enemy from his
favored position on the ridge; but it was nearly suiulown
before his dispositions were completed. Towards evenino,
a fruitless assault was made by a New Jersey brigade,
under General Neill ; and General Crawford, who again at-
tempted to advance, war vigorously encountered by Kwell,
and driven back a full mile, with the loss of about loomcn
made prisopsrs. On the whole, ounday, the 8th, was an
ujifo;Uinate day for t]^e. nationals. In the race for Spott-
sylvania, th" Confederates were clearly the winners ; and
the prize was of almost inrstitnable value. On the nigln
of the above-mentioned day, Lee's army \\ias well forward,
and firmly intrenched on the high ground on the Spottsyl-
vania side of the clearing.

On the morning of Monday, the 9th, Meade's entire
army, having arrived, was formed in order of battle in front
of the Confederate lines. Sedgwick took position on the
left of Warren. Burnside was posted on ine left of Sedg-
wick. Hancock, who had come 11 ji from Todd's Tavern at
an early hour, formed in line on Warreii s right, on iiij^h
ground whicii overlooked the valley of the river I'o. The
disposition was, therefore, as follows: Burnside on the left
then Sedgwick; then Warren, with Hancock on the rit^hl.
The wings were thrown forward, so as to encircle the Con-
federate position. A small creek, a branch of the Ny, lay '
between the position of the enemy and that of Warren and
Sedgwick; it also separated Hancork from Warren,
Sheridan, with a strong cavalry forc^, set out, in the morn-

WAR OF TIIK RKIIKI.LION.

311

in<r, (^n a orrand raid, liis object being to cut Lee's railroad
communications with Richmond. The day was spent
chitlly in throwing up intrenchments, and otherwise pre-
paring for battle. Tliere were frequent skirmishes; and,
all day long, the Confederate sharpshooters, taking advan-
[[\(rc of their peculiarly favored position, were unusually
.ictiv(\ While the day was yet young, not a few of the na-
tionals had fallen victims to their unerring and deadly aim.
Among these was General Sedgwick. He had been stand-
ing in the breastworks, on the extreme right of his own
corps, and giving instructions as to the posting of some
mills. He was attended by members of his staff. The
balls of the sharpshooters were whistling past them, some
ol thcni dangerously near. One or two of those present
showed signs of nervousness. " Pooh ! pooh ! men," said
Sedgwick, " they could not hit an elephant at that distance."
He had scarcely uttered the words, when he fell dead on
the i^round, the blood streaming from his nostrils. A bul-
let had pierced his face just below the left eye. Death was
instantaneous. A serene smile rested on his features, as if
connected with his last words. The death of Sedgwick was
a severe blow to the National cause. He was one of the
most competent and most trusted soldiers in the Army of
the Potomac. He was sincerely lamented by the entire
army ; and, as soon as the fact of his death became known,
the nation mourned the loss of a true patriot, a brave sol-
dier and a true man. General Wricrht succeeded to the
command of the Sixth corps.

On the morning of Tuesday, the 10th, everything indi-
cated complete preparation for battle. Grant occupied
substantially the same position as on the previous day.
His line stretched about six miles on the north bank of the
Po, in the form of a crescent, the wings thrown forward.
I'he Second corps, across the Po, held a line on the right,
nearly parallel to the road froni Shady Grove Church to the
Court- fiouse ; the Fifth held the centre, on the east side of
thePo; the Sixth held the left, facing the Court-House;
the Ninth was still farther to the left; and in front of all
was a dense forest. Lee held Spottsylvania and the ground

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

to the north of the Court- House. His left rested on Glady
Run, bending to the north, and was shehered by strong
works; his right, curving also to the north, rested on the
Ny; his centre, slightly thrown forward, was posted on
commanding ground. The entire position was well sup-
ported by breastworks. Not much fighting had been done
on the Monday. Towards the evening, Hancock made a
movement across the Po, his object being to capture a
wagon train which was seen moving along the road leadincr
to Spottsylvania. The river was crossed without difficulty;
but night came on before the operation could be completed.
When morning dawned, the original object of the move-
ment no longer existed ; for the Confederate train was al-
ready safe behind the lines at the Court-House. Hancock,
however, was bent on giving effect to his purpose, to the
extent, at least, of securing a lodgement nearer the enemy's
position. In developing his movement, he found it neces-
sary again to cross the Po, which runs first almost due east,
and then, as it nears the Court-House, makes a sharp bend
to the south. Two miles west of the Court-House, it is
spanned by a wooden bridge. The approaches to the
bridge, however, were all so completely commanded by the
enemy, that a passage at that point was deemed impractica-
ble. Not to be hindered in his purpose, Hancock had just
succeeded in throwing across the brigade of Brooke, a
short distance above, when, by order of General Meade, the
whole movement was suspended. It had been decided at
head-quarters to make an attack on Laurel Hill, a strong
poi?ition in front of Warren and Wright ; and Hancock
was ordered to send two divisions to assist in the proposed
assault. The divisions of Gibbon and Birriey were at once
retired, the enemy taking advantage of the backward move-
ment, and falling heavily on Birney's rear. Barlow's di-
vision, of Hancock's corps, was left alone on the south side
of the Po. It was already almost too late ; for Barlow's
skirmishers were already yielding to the vigorous pressure
cf the enemy. Two brigades of the division were got off
without serious difficulty ; but the brigades of Brooke and
Brown were fiercely attacked, and compelled to hold off the

and
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GRANT'S HKAD-QUARTKkS NEAR CIIA ITANOOGA.

GRANT'S HEAU-gUAKTKUS IN THE WII.DKKNESS.

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

313

foe at every step of their backward proorress. The dififi-
culties of the!'- position were aggravat-^.d by a fire, which
broke out in the woods between them and the river.
Those five brigades, however, were not to be dismayed.
They succeeded at once in repelHng the assailants and in
recrossing the stream. The remarkable coolness and self-
possession of the men alone saved them from great disas-
ter. As it was, they sustained the loss of many men in
killed and wounded, and one gun — the first gun ever lost
by the Second corps. Not a few of the wounded were left
to perish in the flames.

Meanwhile, the nationals had made two unsuccessful at-
tempts on Laurel Hill. It had been attacked in the fore-
noon by the brigades of Webb and Carroll. It was attacked
more fiercely in the afternoon by the divisions of Crawford
and Cuder. These attempts but revealed the enorn ous
strength of the position. When Hancock arrived and joined
Warren, arrangements were made for a united assault by
the entire strength of the Fifth and Sixth corps. It was
now five o'clock in the afternoon. In the face of a most
withering fire, the nationals in thousands — now in steady
line, now as if in broken groups, their standard-bearers
always conspicuous — were seen struggling up the slopes,
and, at one or two point.., even penetrating the breastworks.
It was found impossible, however, to effect a lodgement or
to press on against the decimating fire. The nationals were
compelled to fall back, and not without dreadful loss. An
hour later, notwithstanding the fearful loss of life in the pre-
vious encounter, the assault was repeated. It was made, if
possible, with even greater bravery : it was repulsed with a
still more dreadful slaughter. The Army of the Potomac
hai already witnessed much dreadful work. It had never
benre witnessed such work as this. Not once, since the
commencement of the war, had such masses of men, in
obedience to orders, marched to destruction. In these two
assaults alone, the nationals lost nearly 6,000 men. Among
the killed were Generals J. C. Rice and T. G. Stevenson.

It was not, however, a day of disaster along the whole
line. To the left of Warren, a vigorous assault was made

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314

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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on what seemed a weak point in the Confederate Hne hy
two brigades of the Sixth corps — twelve picked regiments,
under Colonel Upton. The attack was a complete success.
The first line of intrenchments was carried ; and several
guns, with over 900 prisoners, were captured. Upton ex-
pected assistance from Mott ; but the latter failed to come
to the rescue. Unable, without support, to maintain the
advantage he had won, Upton fell back to the national lines,
carrying witii him his prisoners, but leaving the cajnured
ofuns behind.

Such was the terrible loth of May at Spottsylvania Court-
House. The losses on both sides, for the whole day, were
heavy. The national loss was estimated at 10,000. The
Confederate loss, including killed, wounded and missing,
was probably not under 9,000. On neither side, however,
was there any disposition to yield. On the contrary, both
commanders were resolved to renew the conflict on the
morrow ; and preparations were made accordingly.

On the morning of the nth day of May, General Cirant
sent a characteristic despatch to the secretary of war.
" We have now," he wrote, " ended the sixth day oF very
I ard fighting. The result to this time is much in our favor.
Our losses have been heavy, as well as those of the enemy.
I think the loss of the enemy must be greater. We have
taken over 5,000 prisoners in battle, while he has taken
from us but few, except stragglers. I propose to fight it out
on this line, if it takes all summery As to the wisdom of
the determination expressed in this final sentence, different
opinions have been entertained and expressed.

The 1 1 th was Wednesday. The morning rose bright and
clear. The two opposing armies lay in close proximity to
each other. As the day advanced there was some skirmish-
ing; but on neither side was any attempt made to provoke
a general engagement. Bodi commanders, it was evident,
were preparing for battle ; nor could doubt remain in any
mind that, whatever might be the result, another and even
more fearful encounter at Spottsylvania was imminent.
Grant was still bent on carrying out his policy of continuous
hammering. It was resolved, therefore, to strike a bold and

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

effective blow on the enemy's right centre. At that point,
and near the Landrum House, Lee's lines, formed a salient.
It was Grant's conviction that the point was vulnerable.
Hancock, who was chosen to strike the blow, was ordered
to leave his intrenchments in front of A. P. Hill, and, by
moving to the left, to take position between the Sixth and
Ninth corps. Wright was to extend his left, and to con-
centrate on that wing. Warren was to make a diversionary
movement on the Confederate left, in his own front, the
object being to give the enemy sufficient employment in
that direction, and so prevent the withdrawal of his troops
for the relief of the menaced point. Burnside, for a similar
reason, was to make a vigorous assault on the extreme left.
Rain fell heavily in the afternoon. When night came the
rain-storm had not abated ; and, as the moon was in its first
quarter, the night was dark and dismal. Soon after mid-
night, under cover of the darkness and the storm, Hancock
moved out from his intrenchments, and, guided by the com-
pass, passed in rear of Warren and Wright, and took posi-
tion within 1,200 yards of the enemy's front, at the point to
be attacked. Barlow's division, in two lines of masses, was
placed on the left ; Birney's division, in two deployed lines,
was placed on the right ; Mott's division, Hancock's Fourth,
supported Birney ; and Gibbon's division was held in re-
serve. Of the actual strength of the position about to be
attacked, the nationals knew nothing. Hancock was ready,
waiting for the first streak of early dawn, to launch forth
his brave battalions to victory or to death.

It is now half-past four o'clock on the morning of Thurs-
day, May the 12th. A heavy fog is resting on the entire
surrounding country ; and the feeble light of the rising sun
struggles hard to penetrate the gloom, Hancock's divi-
sions are already in motion. Steadily and silently they
move towards the salient — Barlow over open ground, which
extends up to the Confederate lines, Birney through the
thickly wooded ground more to the right. Not a shot has
yet been fired — not a word uttered. More than half of the
intervening distance has already been crossed. Suddenly,
there is a loud-resounding chfer, which rings along the

ih.

WAR OF THE KEUKLLION.

317

whole line. Spontaneously, the m°n take the double-quick.
They have reached the abatis, torn it up, and tossed it aside.
With wild cries, they rush bounding over the intrenchments,
Barlow and Birney's men entering almost simultaneously.
Inside the mirenchments there is a terrible hand-to-hand
struggle, the bayonet and the clubbed musket being freely
used. Some 4,000 men, including General Johnson, of
Ewell's corps, and General George H. Stewart, are sur-
rounded and captured; and with them thirty pieces of ar-
tillery and as many colors. Meanwhile, the remainder of
the Confederate force, stricken with terror and thrown into
the wildest confusion, have fallen back, seeking safety in the
rear.

This attack of Hancock's was justly regarded as the
most brilliant feat of arms yet accomplished in the cam-
paign. The officers were taken at their breakfast. The
captured generals were greatly mortified. When brought
into his presence, Hancock received them courteously, ex-
tending his hand. Johnson took it, but, with tears in his
eyes, declared that he would rather have died than been
made a prisoner. Stewart behaved with less gallantry.
Hancock had known him before. " How are you, Stew-
art ? " said Hancock, as he offered him his hand. The reply
was haughty and indignant. " I am General Stewart, of the
Confederate army ; and, under present circumstances, I de-
cline to take your hand." "And under any other circum-
stance, general," said Hancock, with great coolness, "I
should not have offered it."

An hour only had elapsed since the column of attack
was formed. Along witi the prisoners which he sent to
Grant, Hancock sent a n Jte hastily written in pencil, say-
ing: "I have finished up Johnson, and am now going into
Early." This second task, as we shall soon see, he found
to be less easy of accomplishment than the former. Early,
like Johnson, commanded a division of Ewell's corps. At
the point penetrated, Lee's army, as we have seen, formed
a salient. Hancock had, therefore, by his first success,
thrust a wed^e between the Confederate risfht and centre.
It was his hope that he would be able to cut Lee's army in

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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two ; and there can be no doubt that if sufficient provision
had been made promptly and in force, to follow up tlie ad-
vantage Hancock had won by his first brilliant assault, the
desired end would have been accomplished. As it was,
Hancock's troops, flushed with success, and incapable of
being restrained after the capture of the intrenchmcnts,
pressed on through the forest in the direction of Spottsyl-
vania, driving the flying enemy before them. At the dis-
tance of half a mile they were suddenly brought to a halt
in their triumphant career. They had reached a fresh line
of breastworks. Behind these works Ewell had taken
shelter, and reinforcements had reached him from the corps
of Anderson and Hill. Gathering themselves up for a
supreme effort, the Confederates, in overwhelming numbers
and in magnificent array, rushed from the breastworks, and,
falling with crushing weight on Hancock's men, now slightly
disordered by their fearless rush through the woods, drove
them back to the line which they had captured in the early
morning. Here, however, Hancock managed to rally his
troops ; and, getting them into line on the right and left of
the angle of the works, he stoutly resisted the fierce and
repeated onsets of the enemy, and firmly held his position.
His situation, however, was becoming every moment more
critical. Lee was resolved, if possible, to recover the lost
line of works ; and, with this end in view, he was putting
forth the most herculean efforts, and bringing his entire
strength to bear on the one point. It was now six o'clock
— one hour and a half since the first onset. Hancock was
still holding his position ; but relief was sorelv needed. At
this opportune moment, when most needed, relief came.
Wright, who had been hurried forward with his Sixth corps,
arrived on the ground, and took postion on the right of
the salient. Hancock, thus relieved, concentrated his
troops on the left of the angle. A little later, about eight
o'clock, and with a view to relieve the pressure on Han-
cock and Wrififht, Burnside and Warren were ordered to
attack along their whole fronts. The batde now raged
furiously at every point. No evidence was given that Lee
had changed his purpose. The last line at the salient was

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

319

still the object of his ambition. On Hancock and Wright
he dealt his heaviest and most terrific blows, Again and
^gain, and in rapid succession, he rolled against them his
heavy masses. He seemed resolved to dislodge ihcm.
Seeing this, and becoming convinced that Burnside and
Warren were producing no impression on their respective
fronts. Grant detached two divisions from the Fifth corps
— those of Cuder and Griffin — and sent them to the aid of
the Second and Sixth corps at the angle which was still
regarded as the prize of battle, and where was the focus
of the fight. Five times did Lee hurl his heavy columns
against the national lines entrusted with the defence of
this position. Five times, after severe hand-to-hand fight-
ing, in which the slaughter on both sides was dreadfiil, were
the attacking columns repulsed. It was not until after
midniijht that Lee withdrew his shattered and bleedinir
lines and reformed them in his interior position. Hancock
held the works he had captured in the morning. The
battle had lasted twenty hours. The losses on either side
were about lo.oco men.

Such was the great battle of Spottsylvania Court-House.
Although not a decisive victory, it was a positive gain to
the national cause. Its moral effect was great. It was one
of the bloodiest battles of the war.

On the morning of the 13th of May the two armies con-
fronted each other, Hancock holding his advanced position
and the Confederates firmly intrenched behind an inner and
shorter line. Lee's position, in truth, was as invulnerable
as ever. The troops on both sides, as well they might be,
were sorely exhausted. The rain which set in on the i ith
continued to fall. The ground in consequence was soaked,
and the roads were heavy. On this day there was some
manoeuvring, and a severe engagement, which lasted sev-
eral hours, took place between the forces of Burnside and
those of A. P. Hill. Nothing was gained on either side.
It was now the ninth day since the Army of the Potomac
crossed the Rapidan. In that brief space of time it had
lost nearly 30,000 men, including a large number of officers.
It was a fearful sacrifice of human life, sufficient to appall

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LIFE OF UI.YSSES S. GRANT.

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the stoutest heart. There were, indeed, throuirhoiir. the
land not a few, wlio, lookiiit^ only at the sacrifice, ami hcccl-
less of the results, pronounced the battles in the Wilder.
ncss and at Spottsylvania useless butcheries. Such was not
the opinion of the generals in the field. It was not ilic
opinion of Secretary of War Stanton, who nobly sustained
Grant, and who, by his daily bulletins, cheered and hiioyed
up the hopes of the people.

There were outside movements which were being- canied
on simultaneously with those events connected witli the
main army in the Wilderness and at Spottsylvania. These
were Sheridan's raid and the co-operative movemrnts of
Burnside and Sigel.

Sheridan, it will be rcr^nimbered, in obedience to orders,
set out on the morning (>. the 9th of May with portions of
the three divisions jfhis corps, commanded respectively by
Merrit, Wilson, and Gregg. His instructions were to en-
gage the enemy's cavalry, to destroy the Fredericksburfj
and Virginia Central railroads, to threaten Richmond, and
finally to communicate with and draw supplies from Butler's
force on the James river. Cutting loose from the main
army, he swept over the Po and the Ta, and crossini; the
North Anna he struck the Virginia Central and captured
Beaver Dam Station. Sending out his men, he destroyed
about ten miles of the track, also two locomotives, three
trains of cars, and 1,500,000 rations. There, too, he recap-
tured 400 nationals who had been made prisoners in tlie
Wilderness, and who were on their way to Richmond. At
Beaver Dam Station he was overtaken by a body of Con-
federate cavalry under General J. E. B. Stuart, who had
followed him from the Rapidan. Stuart fell upon him
heavily, both on ilank and rear, but Sheridan, al hough he
sustained some losses, was not hindered in his onward
progress. He crossed the South Anna at Ground-squirrel
bridge, and by daylight on the morning of the 1 1 th he had
captured Ashland Station on the Fredericksburg road.
After destroying six miles of the road, a train, and a lari^e
quantity of stores, he proceeded towards Richmond. On
the same day, at Yellowstone Tavern, a few miles north of

! i

WAR ()!• rm. ki:i!hi,i,i(>N.

321

Richtnond, he ac^ain caiiK; into collision with Stuart. A
severe contest ensuf d, Sheridan finally obtalninjiif possession

GENERAL SHERIDAN.

of the turnpike, and driving the Confederate cavalry back
towards Ashland and across the north fork of the Chicka-
liominy. In this encounter General Stuart was mortally

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wounded ; and thus passed out of sij^lit one of the mo;,t
conspicuous figures of the war. Sheridan pushed on, his
men greatly emboldened by their success at Yellowstone
Tavern ; and approaching Richmond, he made a bold dash
on the outer line of works. This he easily carried — Custer's
brigade capturing a section of artillery and loo pK^n.
Finding the second line too strong to be assailed with any
prospect of success, Sheridan retraced his steps, and rcr-"o(J
rapidly to the crossing of the Chickahominy at Meadow
Bridge. There he found the bridge partially destroyed,
with the enemy in some force in his front and pressin-^ also
on his rear. Repulsing the enemy in his rear, he rehuilt
the bridge under a most galling fire, and crossed a portion
of his troops. The remainder niade a detour by way of
Cold Harbor, and crossed the Chickahominy at Bottom
Bridge — ground rendered forever memorable by the Penin-
sular campaign. Haxall's Landing was reached on the
14th. Communication from that point was opened with
General Butler, supplies were received, and the wearied
troops were allowed three days to rest and refit. Sheridan
then returned leisurely by way of Baltimore Store, White
House and Hanover Court-House, and on the 25th of May
he rejoined the Army of the Potomac.

On the 19th of May, however, a Confederate corps came
out of its works on the extreme right of Grant, and at-
tacked him with great fury, but was repulsed with immense
loss. This was the last attack in force ever made by Lee
on Grant, though the war lasted ten months longer. The
battles of the Wilderness and of Spottsylvania so crippled
the enemy's strength and affected the Confederate spirits,
that their commander never again dared trust his troops
outside of their works in any great assault.

On the night of the 21st Grant began another move-
ment by the left flank, towards the North Anna river, with
a view again of placing himself between Lee and Richmond.
Of course, he exposed himself to the same risk of Lee
getting between him and Washington, but he always took
risks ; and Lee never ventured to avail himself of the
chance. As fast as Grant threatened to cut off the Con-

'111 ]

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

32:

federate communications, the enemy fell back to protect
them, and thus, when Grant reached the North Anna, Lee
was there before him, having necessarily, from his position
in all these movements, the shorter line. The North Anna,
houever, was crossed by a portion of Grant's army, despite
severe opposition.

Meanwhile, Butler had moved promptly, on the 4th of
May, seized City Point, at the mouth of the Appomattox
river, as well as Bermuda Hundred, on the opposite bank
ol that stream. His movements for some days afterwards,
however, were not productive of any result of importance.
On the 13th and 14th he moved up to the rear ol Drury's
Bluff, a fort on the south side of the James, and about
seven miles below Richmond. But the enemy had mean-
time collected all their scattered forces in North and South
Carolina; and, on the i6th, they attacked Butler, and
lorced him back to his intrenchments between the forks
of the James and Appomattox, where he was completely
safe indeed, but entirely useless for offensive operations.
Lee, in consequence, was able to reinforce his army in front
of Grant with at least a division brought from before Rich-
mond. Sigel's operation* 'i,«d also been unfortunate; he
iiacl advanced up the vaiicv of Virginia, as far as New
Market, where he f,. fe?*'..^ a severe defeat, and retreated
behind Cedar cre« k Jn -onsequence of this result,
Lee was able to brinsr sc ^ca.\ thousand reinforcements
from the Valley 01 vir^fhia to oppose the Army of the
Potomac.

Grant, however, learning that Confederate troops had
been moved from Butler's front to reinforce Lee, im-
mediately ordered Butler to send all his available force to
the Army of the Potomac, retaining only enough on the
south side of the James to secure what had already been
gained.

Before these reinforcements reached Grant, he had made
a third movement to the left, finding that the position of
the enemy on the North Anna was stronger than either.
of those they had previously held. On the night of the
26th the Union forces withdrew to the north bank of the

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANl'.

North Anna, then marched south and east, and crossed the
Pamunkey river at Hanovertown. The enemy, however,
made a corresponding movement, and, when Grant arrived
at Cold Harbor, and the Chickahominy, Lee was again in
his front.

Tile additions to the forces on each side had brought tiie
armies of both Lee and Grant up to nearly the numbers
with which they startec^ from the Rapidan, when both ap-
proached Cold Harbor, about ten miles from Richmond.
Several indecisive conflicts occurred here, and, on the i,d
of June, Grant ordered a general assault upon the enemy's
works, but met with the same result as at Spottsylvania ;
the enemy, behind his bulwarks, was doubled in streng^th,
according to all the estimates of the military art, and tht
national troops were unsuccessful in the attempt to pene-
trate the works. This was the only encounter of the
campaign in which Grant did not inflict upon the enemy a
damage which compensated for his own. When he
started from the Rapidan, Grant made up his mind that
only the annihilation of Lee's army, and the exhaustion of
all his forces, would allow the suppression of the rebellion.
All these battles — of the Wilderness, of Spottsylvania and
Cold Harbor — were fought and persisted in with the in-
tention of gradually weakening and finally destroying Lee.
They effected their purpose, at the price of precious lives,
it is true, but at that price the Union was saved, and could
alone be saved ; all other means had failed ; no skill had
proved sufficient, no courage had availed, until Grant came,
and dealt those tremendous blows, which were the real
death-blows from which the rebellion never recovered.
They did what he set out to do.

They not only depleted Lee so terribly that he never
again assaulted Grant, but they drove the Confederate
commander step by step from the Rapidan to the Jomes,
from which he never afterwards advanced except in the
direction of Appomattox Court-House. Grant at Cold
Harbor was master of the region between Richmond and
Washington ; his communication with the latter city was
open, while the enemy were shut up within the doomed

(325)

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326

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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town, which so many of our leaders had striven to reach in
vain.

When Grant started from the Rapidan, it had been his in-
tention to cross the James and attack Richmond on the south
side, unless he should sooner overthrow Lee on the way.
Richmond was supplied from the Fouth by three raihoads,
that run, one, the Weldon road, directly into North Caro-
lina, and so on through the Atlantic States ; a.. other, reach-
ing west to Chattanooga, and connecting with the entire
southwestern region of the attempted Confederacy; the
third, running southwest into the interior, as far as Danville.
Grant saw, by a glance at the map, that when these rail-
roads were in his power, Richmond must fall. Before the
campaign began, he declared to those in his confidence,
his intention to seize these roads, as soon as Lee should be
driven into Richmond. This was now accomplished. Lee
was within ten miles of the city which he defended and
Grant besieged. Lee's army and Richmond were now be-
come one objective point, and Grant at once set about
carrying out the secondary plan he had formed six weeks
before.

He marched his army across the James, making a fourth
movement to the left, in the very sight of the enemy, who
was too weak and had suffered too greatly to come out and
obstruct the operation. Grant's pickets were within hailing
distance of Lee's ; his army front was not five hundred
yards from the Confederate works at Cold Harbor ; but he
withdrew his forces from this close propinquity, made a
fourth flank movement in the very presence of his enemy,
built bridges across the Jamej: two thousand two hundred
feet in length, and crossed his whole army, with an immense
wagon train, without the loss of a man, Lee not daring
to come out of his works once, not offering the sliohtest
opposition to an operation of such combined delicacy and
magnitude.

During this campaign Grant had fought the batdes ot
the Wilderness, Spottsylva.Ia, North Anna and Cold Mar
bor, besides a dozen smaller skirmishes, some of which
rose to the proportions of an ordinary battle ; and alter

i i

WAR OF THE REBELLION,

I'^l

each fight he had advanced and Lee had withdrawn. While
covering and protecting Washington, the Union commander
had steadily proceeded from the Rapidan to the James.
He had lost, from the 5th of May to tiie i 2th of June, six
thousand filled, twenty-six thousand wounded, and nearly
seven thiiiisand missing; total, less than forty thousand
men, of whom half eventually returned to duty. The
losses of the enemy can never be definitely known, as
so many of their records have been destroyed ; but Grant
captured in this period over ten thousand of the enemy,
while his own loss in missing, as has already been stated,
was less than seven thousand , so that Grant took about
four thousand more prisoners than L^ e.

Grant was still following Lee and aiming at Richmond.
The James river was crossed on the 13th of June, 1864.

Meanwhile, Hunter, who had superseded Sigel, was sent
into the region to the northwest of Richmond, with the idea
of living off the country there, so as to destroy its supplies,
and, if possible, cut the enemy's communication with the
west. By this expedition, and another simultaneously de-
spatched under Sheridan towards Staunton, V^irginia, Grant
meant to act upon the principle with which he set out, of
weakening the enemy in every quarter at once. While he
himself should be making the main attack at the heart of
the rebellion, his subortlinates, in every part of the theatre
of war, were to exhaust, and annoy, and tire out the enemy.

The movements in Virginia were strictly co-operative.
They, too, were only a part ; their aim and object are ob-
scured, their greatness is not sufficiently apparent, if it is
forgotten that Grant was at the same time directing opera-
tions all over the continent; that he thought it worth while
to incur great risk here, because he thus withheld the enemy
from reinforcing their armies a thousand miles away. For
Sh(;rman was by this means able to slowly penetrate into
Georgia. By the time Grant had crossed the James. Sher-
man had driven Johnston back in battle and on the march
as far as Kenesaw mountain, a distance of fifty miles, and
Hunter had reached and invested Lynchburg. At the end
of what is called the Wilderness campaign. Grant had

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328

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

reached the James river ; the other great armi(\s cjf the
RepubHc were also penetrating^ to the very interior ot the
enemy's region ; the practical concentration that had been
aimed at was being effected ; the enemy were losing heart
and men and resources, as well as ground, all ot Avhich
could never be regained ; and though thci price that had
been paid was great, not otherwise or cheaper could the
result have been obtained. Through hre and blood and
suffering only are nations saved. Grant had every reason
to be satisfied that his plans had proceeded thus far to their
consummation. The enemy f'^lt certainly that the toils
were being drawn closer on every side ; that their new-
antagonist was a master ; that unity of action and clearness
of design and energy of effort had succeeded to distraction,
and indecision and spasmodic struggles on the part of the
Union. So far, the nation had great cause for gratitude to
God and its armies, and to him who, under God, was the
leader of those armies.

Before Grant began to rem.ove the Army of the Potomac
to the southern side of the James, he despatched Sheridan,
as has been seen, upon another of those raiding expedi-
tions which formed so important a part of his plan. Sheri-
dan, therefore, had been sent to destroy the Virginia Cen-
tral railroad, at the same time that Hunter had been moved
south from Wincliester, on .lie route that Sigel had at-
tempted at the outset of the Ccmipaign, The region where
Hunter was to operate is known as the Valley of Virginia,
and is one of the most fertile spots in the Union. It had
furnished supplies of vast importance to the Confederates
all through the war, and was the only really important
source yet left open to Lee on the north side of Richmond.
Grant planned for Sheridan and Hunter to advance towards
each other, from opposite directions, doing all the destruc-
tion possible to railroads, canals, and crops, and forming a
junction in the heart of the fruitful region. A^^'t the work
laid out for them was thoroughly done, they were, to join
the Army of the Potomac; either rnakuig a circuit io the
rear of Lee, or returning by Sheridan's rout -, a*; she. id
seem most advisable at the time.

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THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, THE SCENE Of SHERIDAN'S GREAT RAID.

(329)

330

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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Hunter drove the enemy in his front, occupied tempo-
rarily nearly all the Valley of Virginia, fought a battle in
which he carried everything before him, while Sheridan
moved up in the same direction, though from a different
starting-point, doing great damage to railroads and crops.
But Hunter thought it advisable to move westward itistead
of towards Sheridan, as had been planned and ordered;
so the junction was not formed, and Sheridan, meetino-
with greater opposition than his force alone was able to
overcome, returned to Grant, while Hunter marched direct
on Lynchburg, a place of the greatest importance in the
rear of Richmond. Lee at once perceived the necessity of
retaining Lynchburg, and despatched a large force, under
Early, to oppose Hunter. Grant had not hoped that Hun-
ter, without Sheridan, would be able to capture Lynchburg,
which, being on the Chattanooga railroad, must of necessity
be vigorously defended by Lee ; but Hunter had been so
successful thus far, that he made the attempt. Lee, how-
ever, having, as usual, a greatly shorter line, threw a force
into Lynchburg before Hunter reached it; and Hunter,
getting short of ammunition, was obliged to retire. He
had now no choice of routes, but was obliged to return
north by way of the Kanawha valley ; and this occupied
him several weeks, during whicli the region that it was in-
tended he should cover was necessarily left exposed.

Unfortunately, all this happened at the very moment
when Grant was making his movement across the James,
Grant, not knowing of Hunter's change of plan, supposed
of course that the latter was protecting the Shenandoah
valley; and proceeded with his movement to the south
side. W. F. Smith, who was in command of the troops
from Butler's army, was moved out in the night to White
House, on the York river, where he took transports, w Iiich
conveyed him by the Chesapeake bay and James rixcr, to
City Point and Bermuda Hundred. Butler, thus reinforced
with his .^wn troops, was to seize Petersburg, a point in die
interior lying directly op the road to Richmond. It was
imposs: l-le to advance farther up the James river than Ikr-
muda Hundred, on account of the elaborate defences with

MAI' SHOWING THE POSITIONS OF THE ARMIES NEAR PETERSBURG, VA.

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332

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

which that stream was guarded. Grant, however, hoped
to secure Petersburg by surprise, before the enemy could
become aware of his intention or fortify the place. Smith
moved with great secrecy and celerity, and meanwhile
Grant had directed the laying of a pontoon-bridge over the
James, by which the Army of the Potomac was to cross.
The bridge was laid some twenty miles from Petersbunr
which is on the Appomattox, about ten miles in a direct
line from the James. The idea was for Smith, who went
on transports, to advance rapidly and seize Petersburg,
while the Army of the Potomac would cross by the bridtre
and march up at once to his support. Smith reached
Petersburg early on the 15th of June, but did not assault
until sundown ; he then attacked with a part of his force,
and carried a portion of the Confederate lines with case,
capturing fifteen cannon and three hundred prisoners by
seven o'clock p. m. Meanwhile, the advance of the Army
of the Potomac had been hurried across the James, extra-
ordinary exertions had been made to supply it with rations,
and it was pushed rapidly forward to the support of Smith.
Hancock was in command of this advance. He reached
Petersburg before dark, and, being the senior officer, was
entitled to command. As Smith, however, had already
gained so great advantages, Hancock waived his rank and
offered his troops to Smith, to be used as that officer should
desire. Smith, however, thought he had accomplished
enough, and although it was a bright moonlight night, and
there were no indications that the Confederates were rein-
forced, he did not push the assault. In the night the enemy
discovered Grant's withdrawal from the north side and the
attack on Petersburg, and before morning Lee was in force
in front of Hancock and Smith.

Grant, meanwhile, had been superintending and expedi-
ting the crossing of the Army of the Potomac, and, early
on the 1 6th, rode up to Smith's lines hoping to find him in
possession of Petersburg ; for there had been ample time,
opportunity, and force. But he found the enemy fortifying,
Smith occupying an outer line, with Lee in strength behind
the enemy's works, and it was not till evening that the

WAR )F THE REBELLION.

33i

Army of the Potomac was up in sufificient force to assault
the now increased strength of the enemy. Attacks were
made on the i6th, 17th, and i8th, and important positions
(rained; but the enemy could not be dislodged from his
interior line.

Disappointed in his hopes of seizing the town, Grant now
determined to envelope Petersburg^ not attacking fortifica-
tions again, but extending his line as far as possible towards
two of the railroads, so important to Richmond, and which
both passed through Petersburg. Lee, of course, perceived
this change in Grant's tactics, and, as Hunter was at this
time advancing against Lynchburg, the enemy were able to
send off a corps with safety to repel Hunter.

But Grant was not idle, although he had determined to
cease assaulting Petersburg. His aim was to reach the
South-Side road, and he despatched two small divisions of
cavalry, under Wilson, to strike that road at a distance of
fifteen miles from Petersburg. Wilson reached the road,
and destroyed it for a distance of many miles, doing serious
damage to the enemy's communications; but, in his return,
he was intercepted by a force sent out by Lee to pursue
him. He divided his command and endeavored to avoid
the enemy, but was foiled in the attempt, and only suc-
ceeded in rejoining the Army of the Potomac with the loss
of all his guns and trains.

Meanwhile Grant had effected a lodo^ement on the north
side of the James, at a point called Deep Bottom, some
miles nearer to Richmond than City Point; and, on the
26th of July, he moved a large force to that place, crossing
the James by a pontoon-bridge above Bermuda Hundred.
The object of this move was, if possible, to cut again the
enemy's railroads on the north side ; or, if it should seem
more desirable, to take advantage of the withdrawal of the
enemy's troops from before Petersburg, which this demon-
stration on the north side would necessitate, and explode
a mine which had been dug under the enemy's line at
Petersburg.

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CHAPTER IX.

WAR OF THE REBELLION — Continued.

Early's taid through ihe Shenandoah valley and Maryland — Threatening liuitininre and
Washington — An engagement in front of the defences of Washington — The Sixth
corps to the rescue — Sheridan's great raid up the Shenandoah valley — l'i-,lier'.s
Hill — The siege ol I'etersburg — Co-operation of Sherman — From Atlanta U> Savan-
nah — Thomas' campaign — Ilood defeated — Sheridan's victory at Five Forks— i.eu's
surrender at Appomattox — Magnanimous treatment of the Confederates by (jrant—
Assassination of President Lincoln — Andrew Johnson President — Surrender of
Johnston's army to Sherman — The collapse of the Confederate government— (!rati-
tude to Grant.

Lee was a crreat general, and as soon as he discovered
that Hunter was retreating westward from Lynchburg, and
that, in consequence, the Shenandoah valley was left open
and Washington uncovered, he determined to avail himself
of this opportunity. Before Grant could learn the fate of
Hunter, the Confederate chief despatched the corps which
had been sent to the defence of Lynchburg into the Shen-
andoah valley. The command was under Early, and moved
rapidly down the valley, reaching the neighborhood of
Harper's Ferry by the i st of July. Great alarm was imme-
diately felt at the national capital. The government had
relied so exclusively on Grant, that, he being absent in front
of Petersburg, all its action seemed paralyzed. He was
urged to move his army at once from the James back to
the Potomac, and abandon all the advantages he had
gained through the two months of fighting and marching,
in order to save the capital. He, however, had nc idea of
doing this. He felt that he had his hand at the throat of
the rebellion, and he meant never to let go his gra.sp. He
saw how vastly more important it was for him to maintain
his army at the vital military point; and he had the genius
to perceive that point, as well as the courage to do as he

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thought right, in spite of entreaties and advice from soldiers
and civilians of place and reputation at the rear.

But he still had no notion of losing Washington. He
despatched first one division, and then two more of the
Sixth corps to the defence of the region near the Potomac :
he sent orders to the officials at Washington to gather up
all the forces in that neighborhood, at Baltimore, and in the
garrison of the capital ; and at last sent the Nineteenth
corps, which he had ordered from Banks when he became
convinced that nothing effective against Mobile could be
done with the command of that officer during this cam-
paign. This corps arriving north at this crisis to join the
forces on the James, was immediately ordered by Grant to
Washington ; so that, before the Confederate force had
reached that city, the Union strength was sufficient to de-
fend it. Reinforcements came in rapidly from these various
quarters, and Grant telegraphed for General Wright, who
commanded the Sixth corps, to be placed at the head of
all the troops for the defence of Washington, and directed
that officer to move at once on the offensive against Early.
Wright obeyed promptly, and Early was driven back into
the valley. Hunter now arrived, after his circuitous return
from West Virginia, and joined Wright at the entrance of
the "alley ; he was the ranking officer and took comnrnd.

Thus Lee's plan of forcing Grant to abandon Richmond
for the sake of saving Washington was defeated. It had
been a skilful move on the military chessboard, and, with
many other generals to deal with, would have succeeded ;
but Grant never wavered for a moment. He had no more
idea of abandoning the goal at which he was aiming, on
account of any such distraction as Early's campaign, than
he had of returning to Washington after the battle of the
Wilderness. He knew what was his real object, and he
suffered nothing to divert his attention. Still, he was able
to carry on a manifold campaign. Because he chost; to
direct his principal strength against a certain point, was no
reason why he should not control all the subordinate move-
ments, which were to tend to the same object, through dif-
ferent channels.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

337

The Confederates had annoyed Grant by this valley
movement, and they were determined to pr rsist in it ; as,
in consequence of the addition to their strength, which the
fortifications of Petersburg afforded, they were able to
afford the subtraction of enough men to create a serious
distracting element in Grant's campaign near home. Lee
annoyed his antagon'st considerably for a wliile, until the
Union commander became provoked, and finally turned and
dealt a blow to the Confederates from which they never
recovered. The weapon with which he dealt the blow was
Sheridan.

The confusion and mismanagement, and alarm around
Washington during all these movements, had convinced
Grant that there existed the same necessity for one supreme
commander of all the forces in the neighborhood of the
capital. He determined that the four departments of West
Virginia, Washington, Susquehanna, and the Middle De-
partment must be consolidated, and that a capable soldier
must be placed at the head of them, who could be allowed
sufficient independence of action and discretion to secure
success in his movements, but who at the same time must
be really subordinate, and willing to m.?ke the movements
of his command thoroughly co-operative with those more
important ones of the army in front of Lee. Grant, there-
fore, visited Washington in person, informed the govern-
ment of his views, to which they immediately deferred, and
then went forward to the valley to view the situation for
himself, and determined what he wanted done and by whom.
He at once decided that the true course was to concentrate
all the troops in that region, and push the enemy as far as
possible. He, indeed, never believed in remaining on the
defensive. Sheridan, as commander of the cavalry of the
Army of the Potomac, had already displayed the charac-
teristics, the splendid vigor, the persistency, the determina-
tion, the sagacity, and the moral courage which Grant re-
quired for the position he was now creating. He sent for
vSheridan, who joined him at Monocacy, Maryland, and then
placed him in command. Sheridan was directed: "Con-
centrate all your available force ; and if it is found that the

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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enemy has moved north of the Potomac in large force, push
North, follow him, attack him wherever he can be found.
Follow him, if driven south of the Potomac, as long as it is
safe to do so." Two divisions of his old cavalry were sent
from the Army of the Potomac to assist in carrying out
these orders, and he was informed: "In pushing up th(^
Shenandoah valley it is desirable that nothing should be
left to invite the enemy to return. Take all provisions,
forage, stock, wanted for the use of your command; such
as cannot be consumed, destroy. The people should be
informed that so long as an army can subsist among them,
recurrences of these raids must be expected, and we are
determined to stop them at all hazards. Bear in mind, the
object is to drive the enemy south, and to do thh you want
to keep him always in sight. Be guided in your course by
the course he takes."

These orders show that he believed in always taking the
offensive, in concentration of troops and efforts, in "push-
ing," driving, following, attacking the enemy whenever he
could be found, in keeping him always in sight, but that he
was guided in his course by the course of the enemy.

During August and the early days of September he re-
mained near Winchester. By biding his time for weeks,
until the opportunity came for a telling blew, he proved his
discretion as he had already proved his valor.

The general's old regiment, the Fourth regular infantry,
which had been terribly cut up during the Wilderness cam-
paign, was now detailed as his body-guard. It did not
contain a single man who had belonged to it in the days
when he was lieutenant and captain, but all were zealous
in serving him, and plumed themselves not a little that he
began his career as a soldier in the " Old Fourth."

In August as an ordnance boat at the City Point wharves
was discharging ammunition, one case fell to the ground
and the whole cargo exploded, killing many men and de
stroying several steamers, and two millions of dollars'
worth of property.

The thundering reports shook the earth for miles, and
planks, fragments of human bodies, and clouds of other

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

missiles dropped about head-quarters like rain. Terror-
stricken officers and men ran wildly to and fro, vvonderinfy
if the general destruction of the universe had come, (jiant
only stepped out of his tent, took his cigar from his moinh,
glanced calmly around, and seeing that he could do no
good, returned quietly to his camp-chair.

General Grant was one of the plainest dressed men in
die army, and had always the welfare and comfort of his
men in mind. The following is an example of his kindness
toward his soldiers :

The first time General Grant left Culpeper Court-House,
where his head-quarters then were, for Washington, the
quartermaster made up a special train to accommodate the
sick and such as might have leave of absence. One pas-
senger car in the train was reserved for General Grant and
the two or three officers with him, and they did not attract
any esp'ecial attention as they passed into the car. The
general was always the plainest and least ostentatious man
in the army. All the cars of the train except the one re-
served for General Grant were soon crowded, and many
soldiers were standing on the platform of the station.

General Grant was sitting alone on the side of the car
next to the platform and near the door, when a soldier
came to the door and was told by the guard that he could
not come into that car. General Grant asked the ^uard
what the man wanted, and was told that he wanted to go
to Washington. The general then asked why he was not
permitted to come into the car, and was answered that
" This car is a special car for General Grant and his staff."
The general replied quickly, " Let him come in. I only
occupy one seat in this car." This was the first intimation
the guard had that General Grant and his staff were in the
car. The general then asked what the other men were
doing who were standing out on the platform, and being
told that they wanted to go to Washington, he said : " Let
all who can crowd in get in." The car was soon filled, one
private soldier taking a seat beside the general and engag-
ing him in conversation nearly all the way to Alexandria.,
not knowing with whom he was talking.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

34'

Having established Sheridan in command, and given him.
his orders, the lieutenant-general returned to City Point, to
hurry up the cavalry which was to join the new commander.
It was more than a month before Sheridan could get his
army ready to move, and the country, not knowing the man
as Grant did, got anxious. Pennsylvania and Maryland
seemed constantly threatened with invasion, and Grant paid
Sheridan another visit, not being willing to give him a posi-
tive order to attack, until he should once more see fjr him-
self the exact situation. This Sheridan explained, an-
nounced he could move the moment he was ordered, and
expressed every confidence of success. Grant declares
that he saw there were but two words of instruction to give
his subordinate: "Go in ; " in being, in military parlance, a
condensed form for " into battle." Grant asked Sheridan
if he could be ready by Tuesday, and the latter replied,
" Before daylight on Monday." He did prompdy what he
promised, and Grant declared, " The result was such that I
have never since deemed it necessary to visit General
Sheridan before giving him orders."

On the 19th of September Sheridan attacked Early and
defeated him with heavy loss, capturing several thousand
prisoners. The enemy rallied at Fisher's Hill, and was at-
tacked again, and again defeated on the 20th ; Sheridan
pursued him with great energy. On the 9th of October
still another battle occurred at Strasburg, when the enemy
was a third time defeated, losing eleven pieces of artillery.
On the night of the i8th, however, they returned and at-
tacked Sheridan's command, from which he was about
twenty miles distant at the time ; the national forces were
driven back with loss, but finally rallied ; just at this
moment Sheridan came upon the field, arranged his lines
to receive a new attack of the enemy, and in his turn as-
sumed the offensive, defeating the enemy with great slaugh-
ter, and the loss of their artillery, as well as all the trophies
which had been captured in the morning. Pursuit was
made to the head of the valley, and thus ended the last at«
tempt of the enemy to invade the North. Their force in
the valley was completely broken up, and neve* again

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GKANl".

assumed an orrranized independent form. Graur wur, i:ms
able to bring back the Sixth corps to the Army of the
Potomac, to send one division from Sheridan to the Army
of tile James, and anotlier to Sherman.

On the 13th of Aujjust Grant moved a lari^e force to the
north side of the James, so as to threaten Richmond from
that quarter, and compel Lee to bring back any troops lie
might be sending to the valley. It was discovered that
only a single division had been sent to Early ; but this
movement had the effect of drawing a large Confederate
force from the defences of Petersburg, in order to resist
the apprehended attack on Richmond. Grant at once sent
the Fifth corps to seize the Weldon railroad, which the
enemy held, and by which they drew many of their most
important supplies. A fierce battle ensued, witii heavy
losses on each side, but Grant gained possession of the
road, and the most furious efforts of tlie enemy were in-
sufficient to dislodge him. He never afterwards lost his
hold of that important avenue of communication between
the Confederate capital and the region farther south. On
the contrary, he constructed a railroad from City Point to
the Weldon road, and was thus able to transport his own
supplies to the extreme left of his now extended front.

Miles upon miles of fortifications now defended both
Richmond and Petersburg, and the besiegers themselves
had erected works as strong as those which they opposed.
The extension of Grant beyond the Weldon road forced
Lee also to reach out by his own right, or Grant would
have overlapped him. This extension of Lee, it sei med,
must weaken his force on the north side of the James ; so
Grant, on the 29th of September, made an advance against
the fortifications of Richmond. The strongest of all tiie
defences of that city was carried by assault, but this was
only one fort among many, and no odier success was
attained. The position was, however, so important and so
far .advanced, that Grant determined to maintain it. But-
ler's entire army was now moved to the north of the Janics,
to remain there. Desperate attempts were made by the
enemy to dislodge him, but all failed. Simultaneously with

iin

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

343

the capture of this position, afterwards known as Fort
Harrison, Meade made a movement on the extreme left of
the lines before Petersburi^, with a view of attacking, if tlie
enemy should be found materially weakened by a with-
drawal of troops to Butler's front. Several fights occurred,
but no result of significance, and Meade returned.

On the 27th of October another movement was made
to the left, with the view of ascertaining whether it would
be possible to overlap the enemy's right, and thus to reach
the South-Side road, whose possession would at once
secure the fall of Petersburg. This reconnoissance devel-
oped the fact, that the enemy's fortifications reached out
certainly to within six miles of the South-Side road, if not
farther, and, no opening for a successful assault presenting
itself, Grant returned within his own lines. In making the
return movement, Hancock was attacked, but immediately
faced his corps about and drove the enemy, with slaughter,
within their works.

Mt^anwhile another portion of Grant's great scheme was
proceeding under the skillful management of Sherman.
That commander was able to prosecute his campaign with-
out fear of interruption. He was certain that Grant would
not intermit his operations, and that no support from Lee
would be allowed to come to Johnston at a critical moment.
He himself was co-operating constantly with Grant, pre-
venting Johnston ^rom reinforcing Lee, and he had no fear
that his commander would for^ret or neoflect him. There
was perfect harmony between the chief and his great lieu-
tenant. So Sherman, moving from Chattanooga, on the
6th of May, had advanced in a series of skillful movements,
somewhat similar to those of Grant in the Wilderness.
The battles were not so fierce, the opposition not so obsti-
nate, but the campaign reflected immense credit on Sher-
man and his army ; and on the 2d of September it was
crowned with success. Atlanta, the first objective desig-
nated to Sherman by Grant, was captured, the result of the
last of a series of flank movements, which will always be
memorable in military history. Johnston had at first been
Sherman's antagonist, but falling into disfavor with the

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344

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Confederate authorities at Riclimond, he had, in July, been
superseded by Hood, an officer of vastly less ability, but
with a more reckless audacity. Hood assisted Sherman
materially by the unskillful character of his operations.

That which afforded not only Sherman, but Thomas and
even Grant, opportunity for the conception and execution
of some of their finest designs, was a movement under-
taken soon after the fall of Atlanta. Sherman, having
driven Hood's army steadily back a hundred and fifty miles,
and manoiuvred it out of Atlanta, the great railroad centre
in Middle Georgia, Hood now thought that, depleted and
disheartened as his soldiers were, he could assume the
offensive against the force by which he had been so often
defeated. Making a wide detour, he advanced to the right
of Sherman, and moved so as to strike the railroad in rear
of the Union army, along which all its supplies were con-
veyed from Chattanooga. Hood's idea evidently was to
interrupt all of Sherman's communications with the Nordi,
and thus isolate him in the interior of Georgia. Grant, as
has been heretofore explained, had never intended to allow
Sherman to be placed in this predicament ; but had intended
him, after he arrived at Atlanta, to push on still farther,
cutdng loo«^e from all communication, as Grant himself had
done at Vicksburg, and striking for the sea, either at
Mobile or Savannah, as might seem preferable. Mobile, it
was expected, would be the point ; and, with this view,
Grant had early ordered Banks to attack and take Mobile,
so that he might be ready to meet Sherman, when the lat-
ter pushed on in his interior march.

As soon, however, as it was apparent to Sherman that
Hood was attempting to i;<terrupt the railroad line between
Chattanooga and Atlanta — especially when he saw that this
was to be done with an entire army — he proposed a modi-
fication of the plan to Grant. Grant had intended Sher-
man to hold the line from Chattanooga to Atlanta, but to
cut loose entirely from the latter place ; Sherman suggested
the destruction of Atlanta, and the entire abandonment of
the line from Adanta to Chattanooga. Grant thought that,
in this event, Hood would strike for the North, and thai

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(345)

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346

I, IKK OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

♦ ' ' '

even now he was aiminnf at Middle Tennessee, while Sher-
man " would mi^et none but old men, little boys, and rail-
road jjuards in his march throujijh Georgia ; " but Slu^rman
was positive that Hood would be forced to turn and follow
iiini. He thought 'I'iiomas, who was now in command ol
Tennessee, would have no important enemy there. Grant
still insisted that Hood would avail himself of Sherman's
absence to attack Thomas ; but, after considering the mat-
ter a day, he sent the required permission to Sherman,
determining to collect reinforcements so rapidly forTlioinas,
that that officer should be able to withstand any force tin;
enemy might send against him. The government was
strongly in doubt about this whole movement, and even
after Grant had given Sherman authority for it, the general-
in-chief was telegraphed to reconsider once more. The
administration would not take the responsibility of pro-
hibiting any military operation that Grant ordered, but it
v/as anxious to show him how the movement was regarded
at Washington. Grant, however, was firm. He believed
that Sherman would meet with no serious opposition, and
that the moral effect of his march through the interior of
the enemy's country, cutting the Confederacy in two ai^ain,
as had been done when the Mississippi was opened, would
be prodigious. So the orders were not revoked, and Sher-
man began his preparations for the fiamous " march to the
sea."

On the 1 2th of November the message " all is well " was
telegraphed to Thomas, the wires were then cut, and Sher-
man's army stood alone. By the 14th all the troops had
arrived at or near Atlanta, and by orders of Sherman were
grouped into two wings, the right and left, commanded re-
spectively by Generals O. O. Howard and H. W. SIoLiini.
The total strength of the army was about 60,000 ; infantry
about 54,000; cavalry nearly 5,000; and artillery nearly
2,000.

He would be obliged to subsist off of the enemy's country
during his campaign, so that even an inferior force mi<,du
compel him to head for such a point as he could reach, in-
stead of one that he might prefer. No definite place where

WAK OF TUK RKBELLION.

347

he was to comt; out was therefore fixeci, but it was proba-
ble that it would be at Savannah or Mobile. Atlanta and
its fortifications were now destroyed, and two corps of

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lailroacl between Chattanooga and Atlanta was abandoned.
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348

LIFE OK UlA'SSES S. GRANT.

condition was in many respects similar to Grant's after
crossing thu Mississippi, in the Vicksburg campaign, except
in these two important particulars: Sherman's army was
twice as large as Grant's had been, and Sherman had no
enemy in his front, while Grant plunged in between two
hostile armies, one of them greatly larger than his own.

Grant now bent all his faculties to the task of preparin<(
Thomas to defend himself against Hood, who, as the gen-
eral-in-chief had foreseen, persisted in his northward and
offensive campaign into Tennessee, leaving the South alto-
gether open, and Sherman free to choose his route. "Had
I had the power to command both armies," said Grant, "1
should not have changed the orders under which Hood
seemed to be acting." Every effort was made to reinforce
Thomas before the Confederate army could reach him;
troops were withdrawn from Rosecrans in Missouri, from
A. J. Smith, who had belonged to the Red river expedition.
under Banks, and recruits and men on furlough were hur-
ried along every railroad from the North. . By dint of im-
mense exertions Thomas was reinforced sufficiently to be;
out of any extraordinary danger ; and, although he fell back
slowly before the advance of the enemy, he managed to
detain the enemy till the 30th of November, at F'nmklin,
where the main force of the Union army was posted, under
Schofield, Thomas himself having fallen back still farther,
to Nashville. Here the enemy attacked Schofield re-
peatedly, but were in every instance repulsed, losing 1,750
killed, 702 prisoners, and 3,800 wounded. Schofield's
entire loss was only 2,300. During the night, under
Thomas's orders, Schofield fell back to Nashville. This
was done solely in order to concentrate Thomas's whole
force.

On the 15th of December, Hood, having approached still
nearer to Nashville, Thomas attacked him, and, in a battle
lasting two days, defeated and drove him from the field in
utter confusion. Most of the Confederate artillery, and
many thousand prisoners, fell into the hands of Thomas.
The enemy retreated at once, but was closely pursued with
cavalry and Infantry to the Tennessee, abandoning most of

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

349

his artillery and transportation on the way. His army was
almost completely annihilated.

Meanwhile, a combined naval and military expedition,
planned by Grant a<jainst Fort Fisher, the defence of Wil-
niins^ton, at the mouth of the Cape Fear river, after meet-
ini,Mvith various delays and hindrances, was crowned with
complete success. This was a triumph of the utmost con-
sequence. Wilmington was the last remain inj^ place on
the sea-coast where the blockade maintained by the navy
was ineffectual, and through this port supplies of inestima-
ble value reached the interior. When this place was cap-
tured, the enemy were indeed shut in from the outside
world; and the ever-contracting coils seemed folding closer
and closer around the doomed and guilty disturbers of
their country's peace.

Sherman had penetrated to Savannah by Christmas day,
not a fortnight after the success of Thomas at Nashville.
As Grant had foreseen and foretold, he met no opposition
of importance on the route ; no battle was fought, and, in
the occasional skirmishes with a small body of cavalry that
hovered about his flanks, his outguards lost only a few
hundred men. The campaign was one great excursion.
The country wps found to be still abundant in supplie.s,
though the railroads could no longer carry its productions
to the armies at the enemy's front. Sherman destroyed
the railroads, the arsenals, bridges, and crops, everywhere
on the route, and marked his course with a broad swath of
ruin forty miles across. He reached the outworks of
Savannah in five weeks after he had started, captured a
tort tiiat protected it without nmch difficulty, and was met
at Savannah by fresh instructions from Grant, directing his
luture movements.

His inarch had been unique and interesting in' the ex-
treme. Certainly no great army ever marched before so
far through an enemy's country and encountered so litde
opposition. Grant had heard of him by spies and desert-
ers, and through the Confederate States' newspapers. He
had been able to follow his march on the maps with very
little anxiety, and had felt not half the solicitude for Sher-

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350

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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man that the danger in which Thomas had been placed oc-
casioned. He had actually started for Nashville, when the
news of Thomas' brilliant success met him on the way and
relieved his fears.

Thomas had so completely placed Hood's army /wrs du
combat that Grant determined to find other fields of opera-
tion for his surplus troops. Some were sent to Canby, who
had superseded Banks, and was ordered to organize the
expedition against Mobile, which Grant had contemplated
the year before ; Schofield, with his entire corps, was ordered
to be sent East, and the remainder of Thomas' available
command was to be collected at Eastport, on the Tennes-
see. Schofield's movement in the dead of winter was diffi
cult and painful in the extreme. On the 23d of January
his corps arrived at Washington ; then it was despatched to
Annapolis to wait till the ice in Chesapeake bay would
allow its transportation to the sea, for Grant intended to
send Schofield into North Carolina to co-operate with
Sherman.

The lieutenant-general had at first thouofht to brincr Sher-
man by sea from Savannah to City Point, and there, widi
the two great armies of the East and the West, to over-
whelm the last remaining stronghold and army of the rebel-
lion. Orders to this effect reached Sherman before he ar«
rived at Savannah. He answered promptly that he had
expected to march by land through the Carolinas and thus
join Grant, but that it would be at least six weeks after the
fall of Savannah before he could reach Raleioh, in North
Carolina, whereas by sea he could join Grant by the middle
of January. He, therefore, began at once his preparations
to obey Grant's orders. Grant, however, had before this
discovered that the difficulty of procuring ocean transpor-
tation for a whole army would be prodigious, and he was,
besides, pleased with Sherman's confidence of being able
to march through the Carolinas. H<?, therefore, despatched
directions on the 28th of December for Sherman to start
by land without delay, and march northward through North
and South Carolina, breaking up the railroads everywhere.
This campaign was likely to be vastly more difficult and

MAI' bhOWlNG THE KOU 1 L Ot bHERMANS ARMY TUROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA.

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352

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

hazardous than that which Sherman had already accom.
plished, for now he would meet an enemy. There were
still hostile troops on the sea-coast south of Richmond, all
of whom would be collected to oppose him, and Grant
feared lest the remnants of Hood's army might be brought
across from Mississippi, as a forlorn hope, in the last battles
of the rebellion.

Accordingly Schofield, with twenty-one thousand men,
was sent to North Carolina and instructed to take command
of twelve thousand more, already there, at Newbcrn and
Fort Fisher. He was then to move into the interior of the
State, striking for Goldsboro, in order to reach Sherman at
that point, as the latter should be coming north, and to fur-
nish him with a new base of supplies. A vast accumulation
of stores was also directed to be ready for the Western
army when it should reach Goldsboro. Schofield captured
Wilmington, and, after several skirmishes, which in any
other war would be called battles, he reached a point ten
miles from Cox's bridge, near Goldsboro, on the 2 2d of
March, 1865.

Sherman left Savannah on the ist of February, caused
the evacuation of Charleston, seized Columbia, had a battle
at Averysville, in which he was successful, and another at
Bentonsville, where he encountered Johnston, who had re-
cently been put in command of all the enemy's forces that
could be collected east of the Mississippi, and who were
not under arms at Richmond. The eniiaQfement was not
decisive, but Johnston retreated, and Sherman followed till,
on the 22d of March, he also arrived at Cox's bridge,
which Schofield reached the same day, coming from the sea.
Thus one of the most wonderful pieces of military combi-
nation that the world has ever seen was accomplished
under the orders, and according to the plans and instruc-
tions of Grant. A little more than four months previous
the ijeneral-in-chief had taken Schofield from Sherman's
moving column, and ordered him back to the support of
Thomas in Tennessee. At the same time that he brought
Schofield north from Atlanta, he sent Sherman south
through the heart of the Confederacy. The latter had

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

353

reached the Atlantic, and then marched north, capturing
cities and fighting enemies all through the Carolinas.
Schofield had fought and won the battle of Franklin, had
borne a distinguished part in the battle of Nashville, and
then brought his corps through snows and ice across the
continent in mid-winter to the Atlantic coast, sailed to
North Carolina, captured Wilmington, and advanced into
the interior of the State to rejoin and support his old com-
mander. Between them they had nearly traversed the
whole interior region of the enemy. Each arrived on the
same day at Goldsboro, having traversed thousands of
miles. No general ever conceived or executed such a
combination as this prior to Grant, and yet you shall hear
ignorant or hostile critics tell us that his success is owing
to luck. The magnificent scale of his operations; the
closeness, with which he followed and directed them all ; the
complicated nature of his various evolutions under a dozen
different commanders ; the marvellous skill with which he
was able to make Sherman march south and Schofield
north ; to get reinforcements to Thomas from Canby and
Rosecrans, at the critical moment, so as to secure the great
triumph of the battle of Nashville ; to capture Fort Fisher
and Wilmington, although at extraordinary risk and after
peculiar difficulties, just in time for thos<i captures to afford
immense assistance to other schemes ; subsequently to
bring Sherman north and to send Schofield south ; wtiile
all the while he himself was holding the main force and
greatest army of the rebellion not only at bay, but in terror
for its existence — this fact alone rendering all the operations
of his subordinates possible ; all this may be luck, but it is
such luck as never followed any soldier before in history ;
it is such luck as it is greatly to be desired shall always at-
tend the armies of the republic ; it is such luck as nations
have always recognized, securing for themselves the ad-
vantages it brings by placing its possessors in civil as well
as military power.

One beautiful and magnanimous trait of Grant deserves
to be chronicled here. While he assigned to his subordi-
nates all these brilliant and important parts of his plans,

V'.!

354

LIFE OF ULYSSES S, GRANT.

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and retained for himself not only the most difficult but the
least inspiring of all, he never manifested a particle of
jealousy at the reputation which he enabled Sherman, and
Sheridan, and Thomas, and Schofield, and Terry to acquire.
Not only did he urge upon the government the promotion
of those officers, as well as of Meade, but he sought every
other means to bring them into notice. His wonderful sa-
gacity was manifest in detecting not only their ability, when
nobody else perceived it, but in recognizing the peculiar
quality of each man's talent: the original genius of Slier-
man, which fitted him for the great march ; the brilhant
vigor of Sheridan, which enabled him to conquer Early;
the splendid determination of Thomas, which alo^ie re-
tarded Hood until the hour had come for his annihilation;
the sagacity of Schofield, the talent of Terry. But, more
than all this, when he had lain many weary months in front
of Petersburg, making movements all of which tended
gradually to his eventual success, but none of which re-
sulted so immediately in what the country desired as to be
recognized by the country ; while he was in reality con-
ceiving and inspiring and directing every one of his great
subordinates, he never sought to take from them an atom
of their own glory ; nor even when the ignorant bestowed
on the executor all the praise, did the conceiver attempt to
attribute to himself his own He was calm, patient, un-
selfish, magnanimous. He was not anxious for fame, but
for the salvation of the country. When Sherman pene-
trated to the Atlantic coast and accomplished his wonderful
march, Grant, who had taken all of its responsibility, was
still sitting quietly in front of Petersburg ; and the country
rang with applause for the brilliant lieutenant, affording no
share of this to the chief who had sent the lieutenant on
his errand, and by his other movements, a thousand miles
away, had rendered the success of the lieutenant possible.
It was even proposed in Congress to place Sherman in the
rank which Grant enjoyed. Sherman wrote on the subject
at once to Grant, saying that the proposition was without
his knowledge, and begging Grant to use his influence
against it. This, of course. Grant refused to do, and re-

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

355

plied to Sherman : " If you are put above me, I shall
always obey you just as you always have me." The history
of the world may be searched in vain to find a parallel of
magnanimity, friendship, and patriotism.

In January, 1865, foreseeing the approaching termination
of the war, and anxious to make the downfall of the Confed-
eracy complete, Grant directed Thomas to send out several
expeditions into the region between the Alleghenies and
the Mississippi, in order to accomplish the destrujtion of
all the remaining resources and com.munications of the
enemy. Stoneman was sent from East Tennessee into
South Carolina, to attract all attention from Sherman in his
northward march, and Wilson was ordered into central
Alabama, which was now entirely exposed and unprotected.
Canby also, who was in command of everything in the
region of the extreme southwest, was directed to organize
an expedition against Mobile, and Sheridan received orders
to move from the valley towards Lynchburg, in the rear of
Lee, so as to destroy every possible means by which the last
of the great Confederate armies could draw their supplies.
Thus, from every direction, raids were being made at and;
into the vitals of the rebellion, while Grant still held the
main army in his front. His plans had annihilated all of
the resources of the enemy ; his subordinates had attacked
all the Important outside points; his movements had con-
quered all the Confederate armies but one, and now he was
ready to deal the death-blow for which he and the nation
had been waiting so long. Now, at last, the country began
to perceive the consummate nature of his strategy ; now it
bejran to recognize the master in the movements of his sub-
ordinates; now it detected the unity of his plans, discover-
ing that Sherman and Sheridan and Schofield and Thomas
were moving towards one centre, and that that centre was
Grant ; that they were all inspired by one mind, and that
that mind was Grant's. The enemy, also, too plainly saw
and felt, for the first time, that they had a mpster; they
turned and writhed, they showed a bold front, but they
were aware that the hour had come, that their schemes had
been met by counter-schemes ; that they were outgener-

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356

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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ailed, outmanoeuvred, outmarched, outfought, outwitted
conquered, although the final blow was not yet struck.

In March, Grant ordered Sherman, who had now reached
Goldsboro, to come in person to City Point, and receive
verbal instructions. Before Sherman arrived, Sheridan
had completely destroyed all the canals and railroads to
the northwest of Lee, and was ordered to bring his whole
force to Grant, who now directed Sherman to prevent any
concentration between Lee and Johnston, and to be ready
to come to the support of Grant, if the latter should so in-
struct. Sherman spent a day at City Point, and returned
to his command.

On the 29th of March, Sheridan having arrived in front
of Petersburg, Grant began the final campaign of the war.
On the 25th, Lee had made an assault on Grant's lines,
which must have been a mere frantic stroke, with no hope
of success. It was promptly repelled, the enemy losing
heavily in killed and wounded, and Grant capturing two
thousand prisoners. Grant immediately took advantage
of this, and made a counter advance on the left, which was
successful, nearly a thousand more of the enemy being
captured, and many others killed and wounded, and a por-
tion of Lee's line taken and held. Grant had been ex-
tremely anxious for months lest the enemy should withdraw
from Richmond to Petersburg. He was unwilling to move
in attack with the Army of the Potomac until his great plans
for the entire continent should be further consummated;
until Sherman and Schofield could be brought so near, that
Lee could have no chance of escape, even if he attempted
it ; but now all things were ripened, every command was
in its right place ; from all directions he had brought his
armies, and, on the 29th of March, he moved.

Lee still, by superhuman exertions, had collected seventy
thousand men, besides the local militia of Richmond, and
the gunboat crews on the James, which amounted to at
least five thousand more, and which were always put into
a fight by the Confedtrate general. Grant left a large force
in front of the enemy's works, in order that, if the enemy
should be induced to come out and attack the national

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

357

column while in motion, the troops in the trenches might be
pushed against the fortifications in their fronts. Sheridan,
Grant detached and sent to the extreme left, to be ready to
cut and cross the two southern railroads which Lee still
retained, the South-Side and the Danville. With the re-
mainder of his force, Grant moved to the left for the last
time, and began tc feel the enemy. He soon discovered
that Lee was still confronting him at every point, and con-
ceived, therefore, that the enemy's line must be weakly
held. He determined, in consequence, to move no farther
out, but to send a corps of infantry to Sheridan, who was
still on the extreme left, so that he might turn the enemy's
right flank, while with the rest of the force Grant would
order a direct assault on the Confederate line. Meantime,
Lee had not yet lost all spirit ; he hoped still to gain some
advantage, under cover of which he could join Johnston,
when the two armies might perhaps be able to make a
campaign against Grant's united forces in the interior.
Accordingly, one or two feeble attacks were made by Lee,
but immediately repelled with loss. In these various opera-
tions, Sheridan was separated from Grant's left, with a view
to making the contemplated flank attack on Lee ; and the
latter discovering this, immediately reinforced his own right
largely, and. moved against Sheridan. Instead of retreat-
ing upon Grant with his whole command, to tell the story
of having encountered superior force, Sheridan deployed
his cavalry on foot, leaving mounted men only to take
charge of the horses. This skilful ruse compelled the
enemy also to deploy over a vast extent of woods and
broken country, and made his progress slow. Sheridan
now informed Grant of what had taken place, and Grant
promptly reinforced him with the Fifth corps. On the ist
of April, thus reinforced, Sheridan attacked Lee's right at
Five Forks, assaulted and carried the fortified position of
the enemy, capturing all his artillery, and between five
thousand and six thousand prisoners. The defeat was
decisive. The enemy fled in every direction, and the bulk
of the force that had been in front of Sheridan never was
able again to rejoin Lee.

358

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

I I

News of the victory reached Grant at nine o'clock in the
evening. He at once determined that the hour had come
lor the final assault. Without consulting any one, he wrote
a despatch to Meade, ordering an attack at midnight, all
along the lines in front of Petersburg, which were at least
ten miles long. The corps commanders, however, could
not be ready until dawn, and it was therefore postponed to
that time. Before daylight a prodigious bombardment was
begun, and at four o'clock the various columns moved to
the assault. Grant's calculations were correct ; the enemy's
works were carried in three different places. Lee's army
was cut in two or three parts ; many instantly fled across
the Appomattox, while the main portion retreated into the
city of Petersburg, which was still defended by an inner
line. Grant got his men up from the extended field which
they now occupied, and pursued the enemy into the town ;
several thousand prisoners and many guns were taken
before dark.

That night the enemy evacuated Petersburg and Rich-
mond, flying southwest towards Danville. So the goal that
our armies had been four years seeking to attain was won.
Grant did not wait a moment, but, without entering Rich-
mond in person, pushed on in pursuit at daylight, on the 3d,
leaving to a subordinate the glory of seizing the capital of
Virginia. The energy with which he now followed the un-
happy Lee was terrific ; he disposed his columns on two
roads, and marched with marvellous speed. Sheridan, Ord,
Meade, vied with each other in their efforts to overtake and
annihilate the last fighting force of the rebellion ; and the
men murmured at no labors or dangers. Meanwhile,
Grant, as he was pursuing Lee, sent orders to Sherman to
push at once against Johnston, so that the war might be
finished at once. " Confederate armies," he reminded him,
" are now the only strategic points to strike at." Sheridan,
with the Sixth corps, came up with Lee, on the 6th, at
Sailer's creek, struck the enemy in force, and captured six-
teen pieces of artillery and 7,0c :> prisoners, among whom
were seven generals. Ord also engaged the enemy on this
day at Farmville. Every day Lee made superhuman exer-

iM'iM

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

359

tions to get beyond the pursuer's reach ; everywhere found
himself circumvented, outmanoeuvred, or beaten down again.
No time was left him to get supplies ; his men were sub-
sisting on two ears of corn a piece per day, and the arrange-
ments he sought to make to procure them rations were
discovered and frustrated by Grant. A train of cars loaded
with supplies was captured by Sheridan, and a wagon-train
with rations was set on fire by artillery.

On the 7th of April, Grant addressed a note to Lee,
summoning him to surrender ; but Lee sought to gain time,
eithtr hoping yet to reach Johnston with some fragments
of his army, or at least to allow Johnston an opportunity to
escape. Lee said ho was not certain the emergency had
arisen to call for his surrender ; whereupon Sheridan was
tlirown around in front of Lee, and drove him from Appo-
mattox, capturing twenty-five pieces of artillery. This,
probably, rendered Lee less uncertain about the emergency.
But Grant declined entirely to treat for peace ; all he wanted
was surrender. He now sent the Twenty-fourth corps,
under Ord, and the Fifth, under Griffin, to support Sheri-
dan, thus completely surrounding Lee, who was fairly out-
marched ; Sheridan was planted square across his only road
of escape. The great cavalryman at once began to attack
Lee, who, at first believing there was no infantry in his front,
endeavored to drive Sheridan away ; but suddenly discov-
ering the presence of two corps of infantry, which he had
not deemed it possible could have marched fast enough to
pass his own troops, he at once sent word to Sheridan that
he was negotiating with Grant.

On the 9th of April, Lee asked for an interview with the
commander of the Union armies, for the purpose of sur-
rendering his forces, and early in the afternoon of that
memorable day the two antagonists met in a plain farm-
house, between the armies which had striven against each
other so long.

Lee had one stafif officer with him, and with Grant were
about a dozen of his subordinates — Sheridan, Ord, and his
own staff. And there Grant drew up the terms upon which
Lee surrendered. Grant first announced what he should

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(360)

LEE SURRENDERING TO GENERAL GRANT.

WAR OF THE KEDELLION.

361

demand, and Lee acquiesced. No one else spoke on the
subject. Grant then wrote out the stipulations ; they were
copied by staff officers ; Lee signed them, and the Armjr
of Northern Virginia was prisoner of war. The terms are
world renowned : " Officers and men were paroled, and al-
lowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by
United States authority so long as they observed their
paroles and the laws in force where they might reside."
All arms, artillery, and public property were to be turned
over to officers appointed by Grant. These were the stipu-
lations, as Lee consented to them ; but after he had signiiied
his acceptance, Grant inserted the clause that the side-arms
and private horses and baggage of the officers might be
retained. Lee seemed much gratified at this magnanimity,
which saved him and his officers the peculiar humiliation of
a formal surrender of their weapons. He asked, how about
the horses of the cavalry men, which in the Confederate
army were the property of the private soldier. Grant re-
plied that these were included in the surrender. Lee looked
at the paper again, and acquiesced in Grant's interpretation.
The latter then said, " 1 will not change the terms of the
surrender, General Lee, but I will instruct my officers, who
receive the paroles, to allow the men to retain their horses,
and take them home to work their little farms." Again Gen-
eral Lee expressed his appreciation of the generosity of his
conqueror, and declared that he thought this liberality
would have a very good effect. So the interview termi-
nated.

The next day. Grant and Lee met again on horseback, in
the open air, and for two hours discussed the situation of
affairs. Lee expressed a great desire for peace, believed
that his surrender was the end of the war; he acquiesced
in the abolition of slavery, the return of the seceded States,
and declared his wish for harmony. Grant urged him to
use his influence to bring about such a result. Subse-
quendy,on the same day, Longstreet, Gordon, Heath, Pickett,
Wilcox, W. H. F. Lee, and every other officer of high rank
in Lee's army, came in a body to pay their respects to Grant,
and, as they themselves expressed it, to thank him for the

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362

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

terms he had allowed him. All manifested the kindest
spirit. Many of Grant's officers were present at this re-
markable interview, and not a word was said on either side
calculated to wound the feelings of any one present. Many
of the enemy declared how unwillingly they had entered the
war ; all submitted fully to the inevitable ; many expected to
be exiled; rjne dreamed of retaining any property; they
expected all their lands to be confiscated, and themselves to
begin life all over again.

One of the few surviving eye-witnesses of Lee's sur-
render at Appomattox was interviewed some time ago con-
cerning General Jubal Early's recent denial of the story
that Lee's sword was tendered to Grant. The man's name
is Benjamin Jeffries, and he is a carpenter by trade and a
resident of Des Moines. He served through the war in a
Pennsylvania regiment, and at the time of Lee's surrender
was a member of Company A, One Hundred and Ninety-
first " Bucktails."

When asked as to the circumstances that followed the
close of the fighting at Appomattox, he said :

"After fighting ceased General Grant rode to the front,
where our regiment was deployed on the skirmish line, and
ordered that a guard be stationed across the road leading
down to the village and that no one be allowed to pass.
About two o'clock in the afternoon he returned, accom-
panied by an escort of 200 or 300 officers. Leaving all
but one aide behind, he rode through the lines and down
the slope towards the Court-House, a short distance off.
As he did so General Lee, accompanied by one aide, came
towards him from the opposite direction.

"About seventy-five yards from where we were stationed
on guard stood a small story-and-a-ha^f log-house, near
which grew a large apple tree. Grant a.-d Lee met at this
point and halted under this tree. Lee rode a large, hand-
some roan, while Grant was mounted on a small, black
horse. Dismounting, Lee drew his sword and offered it to
Grant, but Grant refused to accept it and, declining it with
a wave of his hand, it was put back in the scabbard. Then
Grant offered his hand to Lee and they shook hands, as did

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

363

their aides, and all engaged in conversation for about five
minutes, when, remounting, they rode away to the Court-
House, where the papers completing the terms of the sur-
render were drawn up.

" I saw the first meeting between General Gram and Gen-
eral Lee. I saw Grant refuse to take Lee's sword, for I
stood less than a hundred yards from them at the time, and
watched every movement they made. I have as vivid a
recollection of that scene as if it took place yesterday."

Colonel Charles Marshall, chief of General Lee's staff",
speaking of the surrender at Appomattox and of the meet-
ing of Generals Grant and Lee, says: "When shown into
the room General Grant advanced and shook hands with
General Lee. The Federal commander was in undress
uniform and without side-arms, while General Lee was in
full-dress uniform. General Grant, by way of apology to
General Lee for coming without his side-arms, said that his
sword was with his baggage and because of his desire to
reach the place for the conference he had hastened on in
undress uniform. This was the only allusion to a sword
that was made at the interview."

"After the terms of surrender were settled. General
Grant explained that he was advised that General Lee's
forces had a number of Federal prisoners, who, like their
captors, were out of rations. General Sheridan said that
he could supply 25,000 rations. Grant then instructed him
to send 25,000 rations to Lee's commissary. After the in-
terview Lee asked for General Williams and thanked
that officer for kindness shown to his son. General Custis
Lee, who had been captured several days before." When
Lee and Colonel Marshall rode off, the Federal officers
filled the front porch. Colonel Marshall is not sure that
Grant was among them, for his thoughts were busy with
other matters at the time.

General Badeau thus describes the surrender of Lee:

" The two armies came together in a long valley at the
foot of a ridge, and Appomattox was on a knoll between
the lines which could be seen for miles. The McLean
house (which Lee had selected as the place of meeting)

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364

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Stood a little apart, a plain building with a veranda in front.
Grant was met by Lee at the threshold. There was a nar-
row hall and a naked litde parlor containing a table and two
or three chairs. Into this the generals entered, each at first
accompanied only by a single aide-de-camp, but as many as
twenty Federal officers shortly followed, among whom were
Sheridan, Ord and the members of Grant's own staff. No
Confederate entered the room but Lee and Colonel
Marshall, who acted as his secretary. The two chiefs
shook hands, and Lee at once began a conversation, for he
appeared more unembarrassed than the victor. Tlie con-
versation at first related to the meeting of the two soldiers
in earlier years in Mexico, when Grant had been a subaltern
and Lee a staff officer of Scott. Lee, however, soon
adverted to the object of the interview. * I asked to see
you, General Grant,' he said, ' to ascertain upon what terms
you would receive the surrender of my army.' Grant re-
plied that the officers and men must become prisoners of
war, giving up, of course, all munitions, weapons and sup-
plies, but that a parole would be accepted, binding them to
go to their homes and remain there until exchanged or
released by proper authority. Lee said that he had ex-
pected some such terms as these, and made some other
remark not exactly relevant, whereupon Grant inquired:
' Do I understand. General Lee, that you accept these terms?'
' Yes,' said Lee, * and if you will put them into writing I
will sign them.'

" While Grant was writing he chanced to look up at Lee,
who sat nearly opposite, and at that moment noticed the
glitter of his sword. The sight suggested an alteration in
the terms, and he inserted the provision that officers should
be allowed to retain their side-arms, horses and persona!
property. Lee was evidently touched by this clemency,
and especially by the interpolation which saved so much to
the feelings of soldiers. He said at once that the con-
ditions were magnanimous, and would have a good effect
upon his army. Grant went even further than this, and
subsequently instructed the officers who received the paroles
to allow the cavalry and artillerymen to retain their horses

lLi'i

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

365

and take them home to work their Httle farms. Lee then
explained that his men were starving. They had lived, he
said, on two ears of corn a day for several days. There
was r train of cars, he said, at Lynchburg loaded with
rations which had come from Danville for his army. Would
Grant allow these to be distributed among the prisoners ?
Grant, however, informed him that this train had been cap-
tured the day before by Sheridan. Thus, at the moment
of his surrender, Lee was absolutely dependent for sup-
plies upon his conqueror. Grant, of course, acquiesced in
the request, and turning to the officer of the commissariat
on his staff, directed him to issue 25,000 rations that night
to the Army of Northern Virginia.

" The formal papers of surrender were now signed ; a few
more words were exchanged by the men who had opposed
each other so long ; they again shook hands and Lee went
to the porch. The national officers followed and saluted
him, and the military leader of the rebellion mounted his
horse and rode off to his army, he and his soldiers
prisoners of war."

The following description of the memorable beginning
of the month of March, 1865, is given by General Mahone,
then a general of the Confederate army, now a Republican
and readjuster United States Senator from Virginia :

"The first week in April found Lee's army encircling
Richmond and Petersburg, and practically surrounded by
the Union forces. Our object was to escape capture and
to retreat in such a manner that we could make a junction
with Johnston's army in North Carolina. My division on
the 2d of April was posted at Chesterfield Points, facing
the enemy. I was summoned to Lee and instructed to fall
back to Amelia Court-House, protecting the rear of the
Confederate retreat. At Amelia Court-House we expected
to find full rations for the men from Richmond, but were
disappointed. From the Court-House, our troops moved
by different routes along the line of the Richmond and Dan-
vilk Railroad, until we came to Sailer's creek. The army
moved up the creek, Longstreet's division in front, and"
mine bringing up the rear. The enemy was in hot pursuit,

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and we were closely pressed. At Rice's Station the
Federals attacked us, and Longstreet engaged them. J
had been summoned to Lee, and while we were talking
General Vanable rode up. Turning to Lee, he said:

" ' General, did you receive my message ? '

" ' What message ? ' Lee inquired.

" ' I informed you, sir, that the enemy had captured our
wagon train at Sailer's Creek,' was the response. Lee in-
stantly ordered me to move my division to the creek, and
as I rode off to execute the movement he accompanied me.
We soon reached the scene of the engagement, and the
sight that met our gaze, as from an eminence we looked
down upon the battle-field, made me sick at heart.

" The Federal cavalry had completely routed our men
and were pursuing them in every direction. Infantrymen
had thrown away their arms and were fleeing for life.
Teamsters had cut the traces of their harness and were
scampering away, leaving guns and wagons behind. One
single piece of artillery at a distance was occasionally firing
a shot without the slightest effect.

"Taking in the scene at a glance Lee exclaimed: 'My
God ! has this army dissolved ? ' There was that in his tone
and manner which convinced me that the end had come,
and for a second I was too much shocked to speak. Then
I told him that the army had not dissolved, and that one
command at least was ready to fight. The general rode
sadly away and I posted my men, being fully satisfied that
the enemy would not fight any more that night, for it was
then nearly dark. The day's fighting had practically ended,
and, after performing my duties, I rode down to the field,
where I found Lee sitting on his horse with a Confederate
flag, in his hand, surrounded by a shouting mob of demor-
alized Confederate soldiers. I took the flag from him and
the men were ordered to the rear under the command of
General Anderson.

" Our next move was to cross the Appomattox. I took
my command to High Bridge, three miles from Farmville,
where there were two bridges, one the high railroad bridge
and another an improvised wagon bridge. I met Generals

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

Gordon and Anderson near High Bridge, after moving my
men over, and had 4 talk with them. They believed that
the defeat at Sailer's Creek had settled the fate of the
Confederacy. I agreed with them that our army was
ruined. I told them that I thought the officer next in com-
mand to General Lee should see him quickly and inform
him that it was the judgment of his officers that we were
beaten. It was agreed that General Anderson should go
immediately to General Longstreet and have him tell Lee
our views. About two o'clock on the morning of the 7th
1 left the conference and went over the river to look after
my division. All that was known of Lee's movements was
that he would cross over to Farmville and unite wi'.h us
not far from that place, and we would continue the retreat
toward Lynchburg. I made a reconnoissance of the roads
in the dark, and returned to High Bridge about daylight.
The enemy's skirmish lines were advancing toward the
bridge, which, contrary to orders, had been burned.

"A brigade was sent out to check the advance of the
Federal skirmishers. I had found a road leading to Cum-
berland Church, which joined the main road over which Lee
was expected to approach. I formed my division in line
of batde and received an order from General Lee to hold
the enemy back. General Miles commanded the advance
of the Union forces and he attacked me and we repulsed
him ; but this temporary victory closed our short line of
battle, and he manoeuvred with his superior force to turn
our flank. I ran out a battery of artillery on the flank I
saw he was endeavoring to turn, and in a short time he had
captured our guns. Just then, fortunately, the advance of
Lee's forces came up, and a North Carolina division, con-
taining about a full regiment of men, charged the Federals
and recaptured the guns.

"Lee and Longstreet soon came up in force. During
the afternoon General Miles marched a brigade around
our flank and got in my rear. While he was executing
that movement I marched two brigades in the rear of Miles'
men and attacked them savagely. We nearly annihilated
the brigade, killing over seven hundred men in the action.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

In the meantime Anderson had communicated with Long,
street, and, while I knew nothing of wjiat had taken place
it was evident from the action of Longstreet and Lee that
the former had broached the subject of surrender, and that
the latter would not entertain the proposition.

" That night while I was preparing to cover the retreat
of our army, about ten o'clock, I saw a ball of fire sus-
pended over the head-quarters of the Union forces, which
meant a flag of truce. I obtained permission to receive
the flag, and sent a detachment with my provost-marshal
to meet the truce party. When the provost returned I
was resting myself in a negro cabin.

" * I have a letter for General Lee,' he said.

" * Yes, and J know what that means,' was my answer.

" ' It is a demand for the surrender of the Confederate
army.'

" I subsequently learned from General Grant himself that
this letter, demanding the surrender, was written on the
hotel porch in Farmville.

"An odd incident happened at this time," continued Gen-
eral Mahone, " and when you hear it you may think I am
very superstitious. On my march I always carried at the
head of my division an army wagon containing my personal
supplies. This wagon had been captured by the Union
soldiers. I knew this, because some of my men reported
that they had found letters belonging to me on the bodies
of some of Miles' troops killed that afternoon. After hand-
ing me the letter for General Lee the provost-marshal said :
' I have also something for you from General Miles.'

" ' Stop ! ' I exclaimed. ' I know what you have for me.
I have a presentiment that General Miles sen*- me my wife's
daguerreotype, which was in my trunk captured by the
Federal forces.* The provost took from his pocket the
daguerreotype and handed it to me with a letter from Gen-
eral Miles, stating the circumstances under which it had
been found. I sent my compliments to him for his civility,
and about eleven o'clock our army was in full retreat.

"We marched all night and the next day, until about
four o'clock in the afternoon, when we went into camp

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

369

three miles south of Appomattox Court-House. Longstreet
and Gordon were in front, and my division and General
Fields' division were drawn in line of battle to cover the
rear. At daylight we moved to Appomattox and then
halted. I received a message from Lee to come to the
front. I found him just this side of the court-house, with
Longstreet and his staff, warming themselves by a fire.
Lee asked his staff U retire, and then he said that he had
sent for me because he was in trouble.

"'Well, what is the matter now?' I asked.

'"I suppose you know that Grant h-is demanded our
surrender,' he replied.

"'No, I do not know it, but I suspected it,' was my an-
swer.

"'Well, he has demanded our surrender, and I want to
know what you think about it. We have only 8,cxdo mus-
kets and two organized bodies — yours and Fields'.'

'"I take your purpose. General Lee, to be to effect a
junction with Johnston in West North Carolina ? '

"'Yes, sir,' said the general.

"'In my judgment,' said !, "' this junction can be formed
only in one of two ways — first to cut through the enemy's
lines and fight our way out, and that can only be done at a
great cost of life. If successful we will only have a mere
remnant of the army left, and that remnant cannot be re-
cruited and equipped by a government in a wagon. I can-
not see how you could supply an army with munitions and
rations. We have another chance to get to Lynchburg,
but we will certainly be harassed every step of the way,
and when we get there we will be still farther away from
Johnston.' I told him that the time had come when I
thought he was called upon to perform the highest duty
that could devolve upon an individual, to undergo a test of
the highest degree of manhood ; that the time had come
when, in my judgment, it was his duty to surrender the
army ; that I believed it would be a crime under the circum-
stances to sacrifice the life of another man. I told him that
if the terms offered by General Grant were such as we were
entitled to receive I should surrender immediately. If not

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

I would fight it out here. He then handed me General
Grant's letter containing the proposed terms of surrender.
I read it and told him that I thought the terms were as
honorable as could be asked by a defeated army. Lee
turned questioningly to Longstreet, who simply said: *I
asfree with Mahone.'

" * What will the country say ? ' asked Lee.

'"You are the country now,' I answered. *Ol^ people
will approve.' He said he did not know where to lind
Grant, I told him to get on his horse and hunt him up.
He left Longstreet in command of the army, and rode away
in search of the Federal commander, accompanied only by a
courier. I went back to my division, which F"ields had put
in line of battle, and told him what had occurred at the
front.

" To avoid another engagement we sent out a fla^ of
truce. When the men formed in line they began digL,nn(r
trenches and otherwise arranging for what they supposed
to be an impending battle. They were ordered to stop
work. It was the first order of the kind they had ever re-
ceived under such circumstances. The soldiers seemed to
understand what it meant without knowing anything of the
events of the past twenty-four hours. As by instinct they
realized that the war had come to an end. Some of the
men began to cry, others threw their arms in joy around
the necks of their comrades. Many of them broke; their
sword-blades and threw away their bayonets. I hastened
out of sight of this affecting scene and reyoined General
Lee at a little stream near Appomattox Court-I louse,
Colonels Taylor and Stevens and several other officers
were with him. I had scarcely reached the general's side
when I saw a Union officer riding down the road from the
court-house accompanied by a courier. He approached
within 100 feet of General Lee, at the same time saluting
him, removing his hat, and took a note from his pocket,
which General Taylor received and carried to General Lee.
He read the note and answered it, and the Union officer
rode back to the Federal head-quarters. General Lee
stood in the dirt road. He took the note, tore it up in

I. "'»

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

371

little pieces and threw them upon the ground and with
his heel stamped them under the dirt and out of sight.
I mounted my horse and rode away and General Lee
went to meet General Grant. That is all I saw of the
surrender."

On the day of meeting Lee, Grant started for Wash-
ington. He was well aware that the war was closed. He
knew that after the surrender of Lee and the capture of
Richmond, no other force would remain in arms, and he was
anxious at once to proceed to lessen the expenditures of the
oovernment, and to muster out his soldiers. He hastened
from Appomattox to City Point, everywhere on the route
the inhabitants coming out " to see the man who had
whipped Lee." Then, without even yet stopping to enter
the capital that he had conquered, or the lines that had
withstood him so long ; without apparently a particle of the
natural and pardonable self-glorification of a victor under
such extraordinary circumstances, this man, as modest in
triumph as he had been persistent in difficulty, and saga-
cious in council, and daring in danger, went on to Wash-
ington, to engage in the unobtrusive but still vastly impor-
tant duties of retrenchment.

In this concluding and most glorious of all the campaigns
of the war, Grant had lost 7,000 men, in killed, wounded,
and missing. He had captured Petersburg and Richmond,
and won, by his subordinates, the battles of Five Forks and
Sailer's Creek, besides numerous smaller ones ; he had
broken the lines at Petersburg in three different places, cap-
tured 20,000 men in actual battle, and received the sur-
render of 27,000 others at Appomattox, and absolutely an-
nihilated an army of 70,000 soldiers. Ten thousand, at
least, of Lee's army deserted on the road from Richmond
to Appomattox, and at least 10,000 more were killed or
wounded. From Lee's own field-return, we learn his force
at the beginning of the campaign. Such an absolute anni-
hilation of an army never occurred before, in so short a
time, in the history of the world.

On the 29th of March, Richmond was in the possession
of the enemy; their de fa^^x) government was established

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and recognized over hundreds of thousands of miles ; the
forces of Lee lined fifty miles of works that defended Peters-
burg and the capital ; their greatest commander was at the
head of 70,000 veterans. In less than two weeks, Rich-

RUINS OF RICHMOND AFTER THE WAR.

mond and Petersburg were captured cities, the lines that
had defended them so long were useless, except as trophies
of the humiliation of those who built them ; their govern-
ment, so called, was a fugitive ; their army was not only de-

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

373

feated, but stricken out of existence ; its general, and ^ very
man under him who had not been killed, was a prisoner of
war.

Tills last campaign was so short that its history was
hardly reported at the time, and its results were so stupen-
dous, that its own amazing character has hardly yet been
recognized. For splendid marching, for repeated and
victorious battles, for capture of works thought to be im-
pregnable, for vigor and rapidity of movement, and remorse-
less energy, it will compare favorably with any achievements
of ancient or modern times.

The total loss during the entire year, among the troops
immediately under Grant, including those commanded by
Butler in the first month of the campaign, amounted to
12,695 killed, 47,822 wounded, and 20,498 missing; total,
82,720. Against this, it is impossible to set off an exact
statement of the losses of the enemy, for no reports were
ever made by them of the final battles of the war. There
was no one to whom to report. But Grant captured alone
66,512 Confederate soldiers in that time, besides the killed
or wounded. He absolutely annihilated every army op-
posed to him ; that of Lee, that of Early, of Beauregard,
and all the forces brought from West Virginia and North
and South Carolina to reinforce Lee ; leaving not a living
man at the last of all those armies who was not a prisoner.
So that, with forces not a fourth greater than those of his
antagonist, and in spite of the enormous advantages of
defensive breastworks everywhere enjoyed by that antago-
nist, and which far more than balanced Grant's superiority
in numbers, he accomplished military results that for com-
pleteness are utterly without precedent.

Thus ended the greatest civu war in history. Lee sur-
rendered on the 9th of April, and on the 1 3th Grant was
back in Washington, and at once urged upon the President
and the Secretary of War that, as the rebellion was a thing
of the past, the work of cutting down the military exj. ^nses
of the government should begin ; accordingly, on the day
of his arrival at the capital, the following announcement
was made to the country :

374

MI'K OF UIA'SSKS S. GRANT.

War Dki'Aktmkn r, Washington, April \^th, 6 /'. ^f,

Tlie Department, after iiuiture consideration and consultation with the
Lieutenant- Gi'iieral \\[>on the results of the recent campaign, has (ome to
the following determinations, which will be carried into effect by appro-
priate orders, to be immediately issued :

First, to stop all drafting and recruiting in the loyal States.

Second, to curtail purcliases of arms, ammunition, quartermasters' and
commissary supplies, and reduce the military establishment in its several
branches.

Third, to reduce the number of general and staff officers to tiie jk tiial
necessities of the service.

Fourth, to remove all military restrictions upon trade and commerce,
so far as may be consistent with public safety.

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These important reductions in expenditure announced to
the nation the absokite overthrow of the rebeUion and die
return to peace. The enthusiasm natural over the im-
mense success that had been gained at once broke out all
over the land. In Washington a great illumination of all
the public and many private buildings took place, and on
the 14th of April, the day after Grant's return, it was an-
nounced in the public journals that he would accompany the
President that evening to Ford's Theatre ; but Grant had
not seen his children for several months, and had a distaste
for public demonstrations. He therefore declined the
President's invitation, and started on the evening of the
14th for Burlington, New Jersey, where his children were
at school. Thus, fortunately for America, did Providence
again direct the movements of her greatest captain, and
preserved him in peace, as it had done in war, for the
future emergencies which he was destined to control.
That night, as is too well known in the history of the coun-
try, the President was assassinated at the theatre. It was
clearly proven, in the proceedings of the trial, that the con-
spirators intended also to take the life of him who had so
recently preserved the life of the country. The attempted
visit to Burlington took Grant unexpectedly out of the
reach of the assassin's blow. The Secretary of War at
once telegraphed to the general-in-chief. who returned the
same night to Washington, having got no farther than
Philadelphia.

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I.IFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

This extraordinary and melancholy event, and the novelty
of the arrangements which it imposed on the government,
retained Grant in Washington for several days. The
funeral of the President took place on the 19th of April;
his successor, Andrew Johnson, having been inaugurated
immediately upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, on the 15th.

In obedience to Grant's order, of the 5th of April, to
"push on from where you are, and let us see if we cannot
finish the job with Lee's and Johnston's armies," Sherman
had moved up at once against Johnston, who retreated
rapidly before him through Raleigh, which Sherman
entered on the 13th. The day preceding, news had
reached him of the surrender of Lee. On the 14th, a cor-
respondence was opened between Sherman and Johnston,
which resulted, on the i8th, in an agreement for a suspen-
sion of hostilities, and a m.emorandum or basis for peace,
subject, of course, to the approval of the President. The
memorandum was forwarded first to Grant, who imme-
diately perceived that the terms were such as the country
would not consent to, as they allowed the enemy to deposit
their arms and public property in the several State arsenals,
stipulated for the recognition of the Confederate State
governments by the authorities at Washington, secured to
the enemy, without exception, all their political rights and
franchises, as well as their rights of person and property,
and, in fact, announced a complete and absolute amnesty,
simply on condition of the disbandment of the Confederate
armies, the laying down of arms, and the resumption of
peaceful pursuits by those who composed those armies.
Nothing was said about the abolition of slavery, the right
of secession, punishment of past treason, or security against
future rebellion. Grant forwarded the papers to the Sec-
retary of War, and asked that a Cabinet meeting might be
called at once, to determine what action should be taken, for
there was no time to lose. Grant received Sherman's
despatches on the evening of the 20th, and the Cabinet
meeting was called before midnight. Grant was present.

The President and his Secretaries were unanimous in
condemning the action of Sherman ; indeed, their language

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

was so strong, that Grant, while agreeing fully with them
that the terms were inadmissible, yet felt it his duty to his
friend to defend his conduct from the imputations it excited.
He declared that the services Sherman had rendered the
country for more than four years entitled him to the most
lenient judgment on his act, and proved that whatever
might be said of his opinions, his motives were unques-
tioned. The President was especially indignant at Sher-
man's course, and the sympathy for the enemy which it was
thought to reveal.

Grant was instructed to start at once for Raleigh, and as-
sume command in person, revoking the terms, and there-
after take whatever action he thought fit. He started
before daybreak of the 2 1 st, and arrived at Raleigh on the
24th. There he informed Sherman of the disapproval of
his memorandum, and directed him to exact from Johnston
the same terms which had been granted to Lee. Sherman
at once notified Johnston that their arrangement had been
disapproved ; and a second set of stipulations was drawn
up, in conformity with Grant's instructions. Grant mag-
nanimously kept himself in the background ; he was not
present at any interview with Johnston, remaining at Ra-
leigh while Sherman went out to the front ; and his name
does not appear in the papers, except where, after the sig-
natures of Sherman and Johnston, he wrote, "Approved:
U. S. Grant." This the Confederate commander was not
aware of, and Grant actually went back to Washington
without Johnston's suspecting that he had been at Raleigh.
He allowed Sherman to receive the surrender, although he
could, in compliance with the especial authority and orders
given him in Washington, have had the glory of accepting
the capitulation of Johnston, as well as that of Lee. What
other living man would have been capable of such self-ab-
negation ? and yet, how infinitely greater the glory of de-
dining ! One hardly knows which to admire most, at this
supreme '^.risis in the history of the country and of the man
•—the. iuagnanimity manifested to his enemy at Appomat-
tox, or the generosity displayed to his friend at Raleigh.

Grant went immediately back to Washington, taking care

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

everywhere to defend Sherman ; throwing around his friend
the shield of his own great reputation, and assuring every-
body that Sherman's loyalty was as unquestioned as his

PRESIDKNT JOHNSON.

own. The indignation throughout the land was intense,
and nothing but Grant's own splendid fame, and the per-

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

379

sistency with which he fought for Sherman, saved that
illustrious soldier from insult, and perhaps degradation.

On the 28th of April, Grant was again at his head-quar-
ters, now established at Washington, and the same day
orders were issued for the reduction of the forces in tl\e
field and garrison, and the expenses of every department
in the army.

The various expeditions of Stoneman, Wilson and Canby
had meanwhile accomplished all that they were sent to do.
There was no force of consequence left in front of either
of them. Canby took possession of Mobile on the i ith of
April, Wilson roamed unmolested and almost unopposed
through the interior of Alabama, until he was arrested by
the news of the surrender of Lee, and Stoneman had a
similar career in North Carolina. But as soon as the
various Confederate forces, large or small, heard of the dis-
asters of Johnston and Lee, and the terms accorded to
them, they also made haste to offer themselves as candi-
dates for the same mercy extended to their comrades.
During the month of May, the last armies of any strength
left were those under Dick Taylor and Kirby Smith, who
surrendered on the same terms, and, by the ist of June, not
an armed enemy remained in the land.

The collapse of the ConfeH „racy was one of the most as-
tounding features connected with the war. Not a gun was
fired in hostility after the surrender of Lee. Not a soldier
held out ; not even a guerilla remained in arms ; none hesi-
tated not only to give a parole, but to volunteer an oath of
allegiance to the government they had offended. Great
part of this wonderful acquiescence in the results of the
war was owing to the magnanimity of the terms accorded
by Grant. No greater stroke of statesmanship can be
found recorded in history. Knowing, as he did, the ex-
hausted condition of the enemy — aware that they could
hope for no after success, and yet might prolong the fight-
ing for a ) v.dr in the interior, with small detachments ; par-
tisan bands, holding out here and there all over the coun-
try; collecting together as fast as they were separated;
renewing the fight after they seemed subdued — he deter-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

mined to grant them such terms that there would be neither
object nor excuse left them for such a course. Tlie con-
summate wisdom of his conduct was proved by the haste
which the enemy made to yield everything they had fouaht
for. They were ready not only to give up arms, but, as has
^een said, to iwear fidelity to the government. They ac-
quiesced in the abolition of slavery, they abandoned the
heresy of secession, and waited in humility to see what else
their conquerors would dictate. And they did this in excel-
lent spirit. They said they had staked all, and lost all;
they admitted it was fair that the government should treat
them as conquered rebels ; they were thankful for their
lives ; they did not know if their lands would be left them;
they dreamed not of political power ; they did not hope to
vote ; they only asked to be let live quietly under the flacr
they had outraged, and attempt in some slight degree to
build up their shattered fortunes. Many openly declared
they were even more likely to prosper than durinrr the
days when the rebellion had existed. Some announced
that they were glad that the war had ended as it did, and
were proud to be back again under the government under
which they had been born. The greatest general of the
rebellion asked for pardon.

General Lee and the Confederates had returned to their
desolated homes on their parole of honor. The victorious
Northern and Western armies, under command of Grant
and Sherman, were encamped in and around Washington
city. Jeftorson Davis was an inmate of a casement in Fort-
ress Moiiiue, and Edwin M. Stanton was the power behind
the throne who ran the government while Secretary of War.

Generals Grant and Rawlins were playing a game of bil-
liards in the National Hotel, and two civilians were indulg-
ing in that pastime on an opposite table. A major in the
regular army entered the spacious room in a hurry and
whispered to General Grant. The latter laid his cue on the
table, saying: "Rawlins, don't disturb the balls until I re-
turti," and hurried out. The writer remarked to his com-
panion : " Pay for the game and hurry out. There is some-
thing up."

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WAR OF THE REBELLION.

381

General Grant had reached the street, where, in front of
the hotel, stood a mounted sentinel. Grant ordered the
soldier to dismount and springing into the saddle put spurs
to the horse and rode up the avenue so fast as to attract
the attention of pedestrians. The first civilian questioned
the soldier as to the cause of such sudden haste on the paft
of General Grant, but was answered with the surprise of
one who knew nothing. The second citizen appeared,
saying, " What has become of Grant ? "

On being told of the General's break-neck ride up Penn-
sylvania avenue, it was decided to go to the war depart-
ment and learn the cause, if possible. Colonel Barroll, of
the Second regular infantry, and husband of Su^ Denin,
the actress, was disbursing officer in the quartermaster's
department, presided over by General Rucker, and to the
colonel one of the civilians went for informat.on. Asking
him if he knew the reason of General Grant's hasty action
and if he had seen the hero of the hour around the depart-
ment, Colonel Barroll answered, "Yes," but was surprised
at anybody's knowledge of the event. When told of what
transpired in the billiard room of the National Hotel, the
colonel said : " Well, as you are aware of the coming of
General Grant, I will tell you all about it, providing you
promise not to repeat it."

The promise being given, Colonel Barroll said : " Secre-
tary Stanton sent for me in reference to the execution of
certain orders, and while listening to his instructions Gen-
eral Grant came in. The secretary greeted the general
with a pleasant 'Good-morning,' which the latter returned,
and in continuation said : ' Mr. Secretary, I understand that
you have issued orders for the arrest of General Lee and
others, and desire to know if such orders have been placed
in the hands of any officer for execution.'

" ' I have issued writs for the arrest of all the prominent
Confederates, and officers will be despatched on the mission
pretty soon,' replied the Secretary.

"General Grant appeared cool, though laboring under
mental excitement, and quickly said :

"'Mr. Secretary, when General Lee surrendered to me

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382

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

at Appomattox Court-House, I gave him my word and
honor that neither he nor any of his followers would be dis-
turbed so long as they obeyed their parole of honor. I
have learned nothing to cause me to believe that any of my
late adversaries have broken their promises, and have come
here to make you aware of that fact, and would also sua.
gest that those orders be cancelled.'

"Secretary Stanton became terribly angry at beinw
spoken to in such a manner by his inferior officer, and said:

'"General Grant, are you aware whom you are talkino-
to ? I am the Secretary of War.'

"Quick as a flash, Grant answered back: 'And 1 am
General Grant. Issue those orders at your peril.' Then
turning on his heel. General Grant walked out of the room
as unconcerned as if nothing had happened.

"It is needless to say," continued Colonel Barroll, "that
neither General Lee nor any of his soldiers were arrested.
I was dismissed from the presence of the secretary with the
remark that my services in connection with the arrest of the
leading Confederates would be dispensed with until he took
time to consider, and I now wait the result of his decision."

Like some cases in law, that decision of the great War
Secretary was reserved for all time, but whether the t^ame
of billiards between Generals Grant and Rawiins was ever
played out to an end has never been definitely known,
thousfh it was surmised that with the aid of a consoling
cigar the game was finished.

Among the reminiscences of the silent soldier, that go to
show his sterling character, quiet manner and coolness, a
story told by a sergeant is as follows :

" One of the very marked features of General Grant's
life in the field was that no one ever came to his quarters
on legitimate business or was brought there a prisoner
who was not kindly and considerately treated. He was
punctilious in having all persons who came properly to his
quarters politely treated and cared for. He never gave
offence himself and would not tolerate it in others. No
officer in the army ever lived more plainly than General
Grant, and none was more willing to divide what he had.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

383

After a successful battle he never exhibited the slightest
boastful feeling. To have seen him and heard him talk
one would suppose he had had nothing to do with the bat-
tle if it were not for the orders he was dictating for the
future movements of the army, or for the burial of the
dead, or for the caring for the sick and wounded. When
Grant had been given command of all the armies in the
west he was not as well known in the east as he afterwards
was, and men began to inquire about him. Judge Porter
asked an old friend who had been made a pension agent,
what he knew about him. ' Only this,' was the reply, ' and
it singularly impresses me. An old gentleman came to
my office about his pension, whose name proved to be
[esse Grant. I asked if he knew this new general. He
askec^ * You mean Lis ? ' 'And then he told me that he
was his son, and he had just received a letter from him,
which he showed me. It read something like this : You
are perfectly right in thinking that I recognize my unfitness
to command this great army. But I look around me and
wonder who is more fit. I may not succeed. But if I am
beaten it will be so badly that I will never be heard of
attain,' No man ever saw General Grant speak or act as
if he were surprised. His staff officers would try to see if
they could not get him to exhibit surprise or astonishment
at some of their stories or by extravagant statements.
They never succeeded. When every one else was sur-
prised he never gave any indication that the matter of the
surprise was not perfectly familiar to him. In the most
trying times he was the coolest and most self-possessed.
Nothing ever disturbed, Grant's equanimity. He never lost
his head. You miofht tell him the most startlinof news in
regard to the enemy, but his face would never indicate that
it was news to him. If he was io;norant of a matter about
which you were talking, he would draw you out in such a
quiet way that you would never imagine that the whole
matter was not perfectly familiar to him. Upon one occa-
sion a rather cheeky individual was pestering General
Grant with questions about some of his campaigns, and the
results not being to his taste, finally told the general that

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

it was a common criticism passed upon him that he had the
soldiers, the money and the power, and that any man of
ordinary capabiHties would have succeeded with the same
opportunities. Grant slowly rolled his cigar from one side
of his mouth to the other, and answered quietly : ' I have
heard of these criticisms before. There is only one answer
that I can make. General Lee surrendered to me. He
didn't surrender to any other Union general, although I
believe there were several efforts made in that direction
before I assumed command of the army.' "

A sergeant of the Seventh Connecticut, now a resident
of New Haven, gives the following account of his first
meeting with General Grant when the army was lying
before Richmond : " Day after day we had nothing to do
but lie about the camp. On this day I was sergeant of the
guard, a detail of eight men being under my charge. Some
of the boys had swapped papers with the enemy, whose
picket-line was not far from ours, and had given me the
Richmond Gazette. I leaned my musket against the trunk
of a tree, and, sitting on the ground, braced my back
against the tree and read. It was not k ig before I became
interested in a story and forgot about picket duty, and even
the war. Suddenly I heard the tramp of a squadron of
cavalry, and looking up saw a number of horsemen ap-
proaching. I saw that some of my men were engaged with
some of the enemy in a game of poker. The officers did
not stop, but quietly rode past, not without looking at me
in a peculiar manner. Soon after a single horseman rode
up. He had on a slouch hat, an old blouse, and his
breeches were tucked in a pair of old boots. Riding up to
me, he said : 'Sergeant, what are your men doing here?'

"'On picket duty,' I replied.

" 'Where are your men ?'

"'Oh, over there playing poker,' I said, nodding my
head in their direction.

" I thought that he was a correspondent for some paper
and answered him saucily. Asking my name, regiment
and company, he lode away. I flung a parting shot at him
as he did so, asking him if he were not inquisitive. When

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

385

we were relieved I was called to the captain's head-quar-
ters, where I was informed that General Grant had pre-
ferred charges against me. It was he to whom I had been
impudent. When the captain told me that I was under
arrest, liable to be shot, I felt like sinking in the ground. A
court-martial was held, and I was ordered to be shot at
sunrise. In the few hours that I was in the guard-house I
seemed to live over my life again. Through the efforts of
General Hawley the sentence was not carried into effect.
I was punished, however, and for three days carried a knap-
sack filled with sand about the camp When General
Grant visited New Haven I called upon him. He recog-
nized me, and as I left he said: 'Always do your duty.'"

All proclaimed especially their admiration of Grant's
generosity. General Lee refused to present his petition
for amnesty until he had ascertained in advance that Grant
would recommend it. Mrs. Jefferson Davis wrote to Grant,
and went in person to see him, asking his all-powerful
influence to obtain a remission of some of the punishment
of her husband ; and throughout the South his praises
were on the lips of his conquered foes.

If this was so at the South, the North awarded him such
a unanimity of praise and affection as no American had
ever received before. Houses were furnished and pre-
sented to him, in Philadelphia, Washington, and Galena;
magnificent donations of money were placed at his disposal ;
whenever he stepped out of his house, crowds attended and
applauded him ; at every public place, theatre or church,
the audience or congregation rose at his entrance. If he
visited a town, the mayor and other authorities welcomed
him ; cities were illuminated because of his presence, pro-
cessions were formed in his honor, and the whole summer
of 1865 was one Ipng ovation. The nation felt that it could
not do enough for the man who had led its armies to vic-
tory ; men of every shade of political, religious, and social
opinion or position, united in these acclamations.

But amid them all Grant preserved a modesty as remark-
able as the ability which had won them. He made a tour
of several months through the Northern States, during
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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

which probably every distinguished man in the country
besides innumerable crowds of less illustrious, but quite as
hearty and patriotic friends, combined to do him honor; and
in all this period, his quiet, unobtrusive manner, his sim-
plicity of speech and dress, his equanimity and modesty,
were as much admired as his deeds. To see him, one
would never have suspected that the parade and celebra-
tion were on his acconnt. He never spoke of his achieve-
ments or his success; he never alluded to the demonstra-
tions in his honor ; he accepted and appreciated the kindness
that was offered him, thanked the people in the simplest
and plainest terms, and won their love, where before he
had only their admiration and their gratitude.

The writer has just come in possession of the following
letter, written by General Grant from Galena to his father-
in-law, Frederick Dent, then of St. Louis, and is of special
interest. We do not remember any other letter from the
general written at such an early date in which the whole
subject of the war is so fully treated :

Galena, April \<jth, 1861.

Mr. F. Dent — Dear Sir: I have but very little time to write, but as
in these exciting times we are very anxious to hear from you, and know
of no other way but by writing first to you, I must make time. We get
but little news by telegraph from St. Louis, but from all other points of
the country we are hearing all the time. The times are indeed startling,
but now is the time, particularly in the border slave States, for^ men to
prove their love of country. I know it is hard for men to apparentl)
•work with the Republican party, but now all party distinctions should be
lost sight of, and every true patriot be for maintaining the integrity of
the glorious old stars and stripes, the Constitution and the Union. The
North is responding to the President's call in such a manner that the
enemy may truly quake. I tell you there is no mistaking the feelings of
the people. The Government can call into the field not only 75,000
troops, but ten or twenty times 75,000 if it should be necessary, and
■find the means of maincaining them, too. It is all a mistake about the
Northern pocket being so sensitive. In times like "the present no people
are more ready to give their own time or of their abundant means. No
impartial man can conceal from himself the fact that in all these troubles
the Southerners have been the aggressors, and the Administration has
stood purely on the defensive — more on the defensive than she would
dared to have done but for her consciousness of strength and the certainty
of right prevailing in the end. The news to-day is that Virginia has gone
out of the Union. But for the influence she will have on the other border

MAP SHOWING THE ENTRANCES TO CAPE FEAR RIVER AND THE APPROACHES

TO WILMINGTON, N. C.

(387)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

slave States this is not much to be regretterl. Her position, or rather
that of Eastern Virginia, has been more reprehensible from the Ixginnin.-
than that of South Carolina. She should be made to bear a heavy i)ortioii
of the burden of the war for her guilt. In all this I can but see the doom
of slavery. The North does not want, nor will they want, to interfere
with the institution, but they will refuse for all time to give it protection,
unless the South shall return soon to their allegiance ; and then, too, this
disturbance will give such an impetus to the production of their staple,
cotton, in other parts of the world, that they can never recover the con-
trol of the market again for that commodity. This will reduce the vahie
of the negroes so much that they will never be worth fighting over again.

I have just received a letter from Fred. [Frederick Dent, Jr.] He
breathes forth the most patriotic sentiments. He is for the old flag as
long as there is a Union of two States fighting under its banner, and
when they dissolve he will go it alone. This is not his language, but it
is the idea not so well expressed as he expresses it.

Julia and the children are all well, and join me in love to you all.

I forgot to mention that Fred 1 another heir with some novel name
that I have forgotten.

Yo. , -.uly, U. S. Grant.

So passed the summer away. Meanwhile the President
had been endeavoring to reconstruct the Union. Upon the
assassination of Mr. Lincohi, there had been great fears
entertained by all moderate men that the harshness of
Andrew Johnson and his revengeful violence towards the
Confederates would postpone for a long time any real har-
mony. He had openly announced his belief that all trai-
tors should be hanged, and had threatened what severities
he would use, if he were President of the United States.
Grant himself was sincerely anxious on this matter. The
extreme violence of the President, when discussing Sher-
man's terms to the Confederates, increased this anxiety, and
at first it seemed as if it was destined to have ample cause.
The President denounced the Confederates bitterly, he re-
fused to pardon any, he kept many civilians imprisoned,
he was determined, he said, " to render treason odious ; "
he was anxious to try and to punish even those whom
Grant had paroled.

Repeatedly, when Grant was summoned to cabinet
meetings, the President wanted to know when the time
would come that Lee and other paroled ofificers could be
tried and punished; and Grant was obliged to intercede

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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and defend them. He maintained that the paroles pro-
tected them ; that they could not be tried while they obeyed
the laws and complied with the stipulations they had en-
tered into. He was obliged more than once to be very
emphatic on this point. He thought we had received a
very good equivalent for the lives of a few leaders, by
securing all their arms and getting themselves under our
control, bound by their oaths to obey the law ; and, having
received this consideration, he held that we ourselves were
bound in honor to maintain them in theirs.

Grant early recommended the pardon of General Lee,
on the ground that it would do much to secure harmony;
and favored that of General Johnston. He never lost a
chance to show a magnanimous spirit to his fallen foes;
and, owing to the feeling of the President, these chanc-s
were constant and numerous. So it came about that the
South looked to Grant ecpecially, as their guardian and
protector against Andrew Johnson.

But, as time wore on, the enmity of the President towards
those who had been enemies was modified. They made
haste to subscribe to his terms; whatever he told them to
do they did, and, pleased with this, he flattered himself that
he alone could reconstruct the Union. He appointed gov-
ernors; he exacted changes in the constitutions of the
seceded States; he established a policy — all without the
sanction of Congress, which was not in session, and had
no power to summon itseit, and which he persistently re-
fused to call together, lest it should obstruct his policy; so
that, by the i st of December, when Congress by law as-
sembled, he had built up a system of reconstruction, for
which neither the constitution nor the laws of the land
could afford any authority. It was true the times were
revolutionary, but his acts were autocratic, assuming to him-
self powers more extraordinary than any potentate in Eu-
rope ventures to exercise. He could easily have called the
Congress and consulted with them, and, if they differed
with him, he was but the execitive and they the legislative,
the law-making power of the government.

CHAPTER X.

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

Dissensions between President Johnson and Congress — Grant takes no part — Grant's
Southern tour— Open rupture l>etween President Johnson and Congress — The Phila«
delphia Southern Ccnvenlion — Grant promoted to the rank of General of the army,
expressly created for him — Mexico — Grant refuses a special mission to Mexico —
Sherman is sent in his place — Congressional reconstruction of the Southern States —
Grant's statesmanshiji — Opposition to President Johnson — Suspension of Stanton
— Grant appointed his successor — Stanton reinstated — Grant's controversy with
President Johnson — A spicy correspondence — Impeachment of Johnson — Grant
nominated for President.

Congress met, and it was apparent that Johnson's plan
was not approved by either House. He had not exacted
the guarantees which Congress insisted were necessary
from those lately in rebellion. He was willing lo admit
them at once to a full share in the government ; Congress
thoLiorht measures should be taken to secure what had been
won by the war. He seemed willing to withdraw the mili-
tary from the South ; Congress wished it to be retained.
He would permit those who had been prominent in treason
to retain that prominence in the rescued government; Con-
gress was unwilling for this. He made no provision for
the protection and elevation of the emancipated millions
of negroes ; Congress thought this was one of the first
duties of the nation.

Grant took no part in the contest between the two divi-
sions of the government. He was purely a military officer,
and unwilling to obtrude himself into civil affairs. He was
anxious for perfect harmony and peace to be re-established
throughout the land, and inclined to the most lenient treat-
ment of the Confederates, consistent with retaining the
advantages that had been so dearly bought. And although
he was not consulted in the policy originated by the Presi-
dent, yet. as the latter did not choose to call Congress

(391)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

together, and as it was necessary to construct some system
he acquiesced when the President enunciated his plan. But
he always thought and said, that whatever the President
did must be provisional ; he held that Congress, the repre-
sentative of the people, must eventually decide what the
law should be.

In November, before Congress had assembled, the Presi-
dent sent Grant to make a tour through the South, and to
report upon the condition of affairs. He returned in about
three weeks, having visited Richmond, North and South
Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Everywhere he was
received with great respect by the people. The governors
and mayors called to pay him their respects, the State leg-
islatures invited him to their chambers and rose in form to
greet him, addresses were made him, and though there
v/as no enthusiasm, there was a decided cordiality. In pri-
vate many of the most prominent civilians and generals of
the rebellion called on him.

His report to the President was dated December i8th,
1865. It stated that "the mass of thinking men of the
South accept the situation of affairs in good faith."
Slavery and the right of secession they had entirely aban-
doned, and some of their leading men even declared that
the result of the war was fortunate. Grant recommended,
however, that a strong military force should still be retained
at the South, although he believed that "the citizens of that
region were anxious to return to self-government within
the Union as soon as possible."

In February the quarrel between the President and Con-
gress came to an open breach. Grant had striven hard to
prevent this ; he felt the necessity of harmony between
these two branches of the government at this important
crisis, and went from one to another, using the immense
weight and influence which his achievements gave him to
heal the discord. Many Congressmen, also, were ex-
tremely unwilling to come to a rupture with the President
whom they had elected. But Mr. Johnson was determined
that his policy should prevail, and would listen to no over-
tures from Congress in which this was not stipulated.

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

393

The President, although he had enforced the abolition of
slavery upon the South, ordering the States to insert it in
their constitutions, was violently opposed to this necessary
corollary of emancipation — the rearrangement of repre-
sentation. He strove to form a new party which should
maintain his policy, and political strife at once arose all
over the land.

Grant had watched the course of events with great con-
cern ; he had no idea of relinquishing one iota of the re-
sults that he had attained. As early as January, 1866, he
issued an order directing that no officer of the army should
be sued, tried, or punished in any way by a civil court at
the South for acts done during or since the rebellion.
Complaints against 6fficers or soldiers by civilians or ex-
Confederates must be lodged with their military superiors
alone. Soon after this he refused the Governor of Ala-
bama permission to reorganize the militia of that State ; he
declared " he could not see the propriety of putting arms
into the hands of the militia until the rights of all classes
of citizens should be perfectly secure, and the regular
United States forces withdrawn." He also attempted to
restrain, or at least rebuke, the extremely offensive tone
which the Southern press had begun to assume, and directed
his subordinates to forward to his head-quarters copies of
any publications calculated to disturb the public peace, or
manifesting a revival of the old rebellious spirit. He was
not among those who forgot that there had ijeen a tre-
mendous rebellion and a terrible civil war. He knew too
well the cost that the country had paid to suppress that
rebellion, and watched the change in the feeling and temper
of the South closely, determined to do all in his power to
avert further trouble.

While the contest between the President and Congress
was at its height, a meeting of all those who supported
Mr. Johnson's views was called at Philadelphia. This was
attcndea by some excellent and patriotic men, who thought
less restrictive measures than those proposed by Congress
would best accomplish reconstruction. But the great bulk
of the men who had supported and carried on the war held

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

themselves aloof from this attempt to inaugurate a new
party.

A delegation was appointed by the Philadelphia convene
tion to present resolutions of sympathy to the President
approving of his policy rather than that of Congress. Mr!
Johnson was extremely anxious to gain the countenance of
Grant on this occasion. Accordingly, on the mornincr of
the arrival at the White House of the delegation from
Philadelphia, the President sent Grant a note, requesting
his presence at the Executive Mansion. Grant went to the
White House, expecting to transact business with the
President, and was ushered into the East Room where he
found several hundred delegates paying their respects.
The President made room for him at his side, and the dele-
gates, after speaking to Mr. Johnson, all turned and shook
hands with Grant. This was heralded all over the country
as a proof that Grant approved the President's course, and
had taken this means of showing his position.

Shortly afterwards the President determined to make a
tour to Chicago, and invited Grant to accompany him. It
had now become apparent that the lines were to be drawn
closely in politics, and that for Grant to accompany Mr.
Johnson on his tour would be taken zg an indication that
he was a supporter of the President. Grant was especially
anxious not to be regarded as a partisan ; the elections
were about to occur, and he was willing for the country to
decide which policy it would adopt. He begged the Presi-
dent to excuse him from going on this trip. But Mr.
Johnson repeatedly urged him to go, and finally, as a per-
sonal matter, renewed his invitation. It would have been
very indecorous in the general-in-chief to persist in refusal,
and, very much against his will, he accompanied Mr. John-
son on the famous tour. Grant kept himself as much as
possible in the background, and positively refused to make
any speeches, although repeatedly called on ; but, as he had
foreseen, the advocates of the President declared that his
presence during the trip was positive evidence of his ad-
herence to the presidential policy.

In July, 1866, he was promoted to a new rank, created

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

395

expressly for him by Congress — that of General of the
Army; it was the highest ever known in the American
army. The appointment was unanimously confirmed, and
the commission issued at once. It was everywhere under-
stood that this was done as a national and formal recogni-
tion of his illustrious services in the field.

In the fall of this year, the elections for the succeeding
Congress took place, the only question at issue being the
policy of reconstruction. The campaign was vigorous,
and the result unmistakably proclaimed the will of the
people. By large majorities the country spoke in favor of
the Congressional plan. The proposed amendment to the
Constitution was submitted to the various State Legisla-
tures at the North, and ratified by them, and Republican
members of the Fortieth Congress were elected all over
the land by increased majorities.

But Mr. Johnson was still far from submitting. He had
opposed Congress, appealing to the people ; but, when the
people decided against him, he was as determined as ever.
Grant, however, considered that " the will of the people is the
law of the land" and that it was the duty of every executive
officer not only to submit, but to " take care that the laws
be faithfully executed," no matter what his own opinions
might be of the justice or even constitutionality of those
laws. He now used every means to induce the Southern
people to accept the terms of reconstruction offered them
by Congress — to adopt the constitutional amendment, and
return in good faith to that Union which diey had striven
so hard to overthrow. His influence with Southerners had
been great ; no one of distinction at this time ever was in
Washington without visiting his house or his head-quarters,
and to all who came he proffered the same advice.

The invasion of Mexico, by the French, during the exist-
ence of the armed rebellion, was undoubtedly undertaken
in the interests of that rebellion ; and when our internal war
was over. Grant, regarding the French occupation as only
a part and parcel of the rebellion, was very anxious to
compel the evacuation of Mexico. He did not think it
would be necessary to resort to arms in order to accom-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

plish this, but he believed that a threat of war, in case the
evacuation was not immediate, would have the desired
effect.

He urged repeatedly and earnestly upon the govern-
ment, that now was the time, while we had still hundreds
of thousands of men in arms, to say to the Emperor of the
French, that we could not tolerate the occupation of Mexico
by a European power. Before our armies were disbanded,
he ordered Sheridan, with a large force, to the banks of tlie
Rio Grande, especially to watch the movements in Mexico,
and with the hope that he could persuade the government
to call peremptorily upon France to withdraw. But the
Secretary of State had no relish for such positive proceed-
ings. The President professed to wish to see the French
leave Mexico, but he never followed Grant's advice in the
matter. He never summoned France to leave, until he
knew that her troops were embarking. Still Grant kept
up for two years his anxious and earnest importunity on
this subject. He spurred on the unwilling government,
and whatever was accomplished in this matter was due, in
reality, to his pertinacity, and to the threat which the pres-
ence of Sheridan, with an army on the Rio Grande, con-
stantly offered to Louis Napoleon. Besides this. Grant
openly spoke in favor of his views — a course most unusual
with him — and fostered, by every means in his power, the
popular feeling against the French occupation. He con-
stantly advised that arms should be supplied the Mexicans
by our government ; he encouraged the Mexicans whom
he saw, to hold out ; and was, by far, the most active and
persistent friend of the Monroe doctrine in America. It is
not too much to assert, that it was this unintermitted effort
and influence of his, that stimulated the government and
menaced the Emperor of the French, and that finally se-
cured the evacuation of Mexico.

But for this the policy of the Secretary of State would
have lasted till now, and the Empire of Maximilian would
have still existed. No peculiar interest in Mexico had been
manifested by the government for months ; it was known
that the French Emperor was tardily preparing to withdraw

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GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

397

his troops ; there was not the shadow of a real cause for
the proposition; but all at once, in November, 1866, the
President informed Grant that he meant to send him to
Mexico. He was to go, not at the head of any army, but
on a diplomatic mission, in connection with Colonel L. D.
Campbell, who had recently been appointed minister to
Mexico ; but who, it was supposed, could not be confirmed.
by the Senate. There was no special object of the mission
announced; Grant was simply to go to Mexico, and ex-
amine, as well as he could, into the state of affairs ; he was
aiven no powers or authority, not even that of an ordinary
minister, and was not instructed or empowered either to
make demands, or to back his statements with menaces or
men. He was simply to give Lewis D. Campbell the
'' benefit of his advice^ ''ift carrying out the instructions of
the Secretary of Stated

The device was transparent to the far-seeing, honest
man, and he promptly declined to go. This was in conver-
sation with the President. But a day or two afterwards
the President returned to the subject, and urged the em-
bassy on Grant, saying he had sent for Sherman to take
his place in the meantime. Congress was about to assem-
ble, and the air was full of rumors that the President would
refuse to acknowledge the validity of Congress, and attempt
to disperse it by arms. Mr. Johnson had recently seemed
to have peculiar designs in regard to Maryland. Grant
remembered all this, and agam declined to leave the
country, this time in writing. After this, he was summoned
to a full cabinet meeting, where his detailed instructions
were read out by the Secretary of State, as if the objections
and refusal had been of no account. Grant was now
aroused, and, before the whole cabinet, declared his unwill-
ingness to leave. Whereupon the President, not answering
Grant, turned to the Attorney-General, and asked him
whether there was any reason why Grant should not obey
this order — whether he was ineligible to the position in any
way. Grant at once started to his feet, and exclaimed, " I
can answer that question, Mr. President, without appealing
to the Attorney-General. I am an American citizen, have

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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been guilty of no treason or other crime, and am eligible to
any civil office to which any other American is eligible. But
this is a purely civil duty, to which you would assion me,
and I cannot be compelled to undertake it. Any legal
military order you give me, I will obey ; but this is civil and
not military, and I decline the duty. No power on earth can
force me to it," and immediately left the cabinet-chamber.

Even after this, copies of his instructions were forwarded
to him through the Secretary of War, who was directed to
request him to proceed to Mexico. He now wrote a second
letter, declining most positively the duty assigned him.
But, meanwhile, Sherman had been sent for, and had ar-
rived. The country was rife with rumors of the object of
his coming ; the administration had to conjure up some
excuse for sending for him. The President, therefore,
urged iiim to accept the position of Secretary of War; 3ut
this Sherman peremptorily declined. So, after a day or
two, Grant was directed to turn over his instructions for the
Mexican mission to Sherman, and Sherman was sent to
Mexico with Campbell, while Grant was let alone. Sher-
man accomplished nothing by his mission, as neither he nor
any one else expected he would ; and, after a month or so,
he returned. For all that was done, he might as well have
remained in St. Louis ; but it was necessary to save the
credit of the administration, and he was made the scape
goat.

When it was definitely known that the terms upon which
readmission to the Union was proffered to those who had
been in rebellion had been refused, although those terms
had been submitted to the people of the North, and by
them ove-whelmingly approved. Congress at once set about
the work of reconstruction, whether the Southern States
agreed or not. It was accordingly decreed that the colored
people should vote on equal terms with the white. When
State constitutions, in conformity with this condition of affairs,
should be formed by this increased voting population, pre-
sented to Congress, and accepted by it, the military rule
should cease, and the Confederate States be admitted again
to an equal share in the government.

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

399

This is the Congressional system of reconstruction,
enacted by Congress, in March, 1867; it was passed over
the veto of the President, and, because of the President's
known and pronounced opposition to it, a supervisory
power over the military district commanders was given to
Grant.

From this time, however, he entered upon one of the
most difficult administrative positions that any soldier or
civilian was ever called upon to fill. A subordinate of the
President, he was yet in some important respects declared
independent of him ; and it was made his duty by the law
to carry out a policy which the President sought by every
possible means to thwart and destroy.

No statesman ever had so delicate or difficult a task be-
fore. To the performance of this task he brought great
sagacity, untiring patience, and a desire to do justice to all.
He believed that the old spirit of the war had revived at
the South to such a degree, that strenuous repression of it
was necessary. He advised the removal from office of all
persons who were not really anxious to renew their alle-
giance to the flag; at the same time he repeatedly urged
upon Congress the remission of the penalties of treason in
the case of those whose course proved that they were now
really loyal. By this spirit his whole course was guided.
He had no power to order the district commanders in the
discharge of their civil duties, but he advised them con-
stantly ; and, with a single exception, they always asked
and took his advice as orders.

Under his wise and really pacific management, the evil
spirit at the South began to subside, murders were less
common, justice was more frequent, the population itself
declared its satisfaction with military rule, its preference
for this to any other government. Meanwhile, the regis-
tration of the new voters commenced, and all things went
on smoothly. It seemed as if the reconstruction measures
must succeed, and peace was to come at last to this dis-
tracted land.

But now President Johnson discovered some loopholes
in the law through which he still might be able to frustrate

1^1^

400

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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the will of the representatives of the people. He had
been left the power to appoint the district commanders.
He had appointed them all — Sheridan, Schofield, Sicklesi
Pope and Ord ; all soldiers, who, before the war, wore with-
out any tinge of abolition sentiment ; all men wiio, since
the war, had evinced the strongest sympathy with the
original magnanimous policy inaugurated by Grant. But
all were men accustomed to obey the law ; ail strove
heartily to carry out the laws of Congress under which
they were appointed ; and it was through their united
endeavors that the success of the reconstruction measures
seemed likely to be ensured. The President endeavored
to thwart their action, and repeatedly obliged Grant to
defend them. He took the position that the reconstruction
acts were unconstitutional, and that, therefore, he was not
bound to obey them. Grant held that only the Supreme
Court could pronounce on this question of constitutionality
or unconstitutionality ; and that, till that tribunal should pro-
nounce, all officers, from the President down, were bound
to obey these laws. The Attorney-General gave opinions
in favor of many of the President's views, especially de-
claring that any person at the South who was willing to
take the oath of allegiance should be registered as a voter.
Congress had expressly directed that certain classes at the
South should be excluded from the franchise. The Presi-
dent directed Grant to forward this opinion to the district
commanders. He obeyed, but at the same time informed
them that the law made them their own interpreters of
their powers and duties ; and as the President did not
choose absolutely to direct him or them to act according to
this opinion, they did not do so. The President in the
summer of 1867 determined to remove Sheridan, as well
as the Secretary of War, who was the only member of his
cabinet not in harmony with him.

The President's unwillingness to conform to the measures
of Congress had been so great, that the national legislature,
on adjourning in the spring, had left itself at liberty to
meet again in July, if the action of the President rendered
this desirable. There was no doubt on the subject when

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

401

the time came. Congress met, and placed the subject of
reconstruction still more completely in the hands of the
(rencral of the army. It had been thought that Mr. John-
son would endeavor to remove Mr. Stanton, because of
his sympathy with Congress, and a law had been passed,
taking from the President the power to remove his cabinet
ministers without the consent of the Senate. The Presi-
dent had vetoed the bill, but it was passed over his veto,
he declaring it unconstitutional, and threatening not to obey
it; and after Congress again adjourned, he announced to
Grant his intention to remove the Secretary of War, and
to make Grant the successor of Stanton.

But Grant at once protested against the removal of
either Mr. Stanton or General Sheridan He did this in
conversation, when the matter was originally mentioned ;
afterwards, he addressed the President a letter, marked
" Private," in which he used the followinsf words :

"On the subject of the displacement of the Secretary of
War: His removal cannot be effected against his will
without the consent of the Senate. It is but a short time
since the United States Senate was in session, and why not
then have asked for his removal, if desired ? It certainly
was the intention of the lesi-lative branch of the ofovern-
ment to place cabinet ministers beyond the power of ex-
ecutive removal, and it is pretty well understood that, so
far as cabinet ministers are affected by the ' tenure-of-office
bill,' it was intended specially to protect the Secretary of
War, whom the country felt great confidence in. The
meaning of the law may be explained away by an astute
lawyer, but common sense, and the views of loyal people,
will oive it the effect intended by its framers."

This delayed the President's action for a week or so; but
on the 12th of August, Mr. Johnson, acting in strict con-
formity with the provisions of the tenure-of-office bill, sus-
pended Mr. Stanton from office as Secretary of War, and
appointed Grant ad interim in his stead. He had first re-
quested Mr. Stanton to resign ; but that officer declined,
stating that grave considerations of public duty impelled
him to this course.
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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. C.RANT.

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From the first clay till the last of his service as Sccrctarv
of War, he maintained, earnestly, the opinions whkh his
letters of August ist and 17th indicate. For a few days
after his entrance upon his new duties, nothing was said
about the removal of Sheridan, and Grant began to hope
that the removal of Stanton would satisfy Mr. Johnson.

On the 17th of August without further premonition
President Johnson directed Grant to issue an order nmov-
ing Sheridan, and substituting General George H. Thomas
in his stead. That sturdy patriot, hov.ever, had no idea of
being brought in to obstruct the laws of the land, and wrote
at once in the most urgent terms to request not to be sub-
stituted for Sheridan. Thereupon General W. S. Hancock
was appointed.

In announcing these orders to Grant, the Presideni in-
vited any remarks from the general-in-chief which he mitdu
choose to make, and the general replied in a letter, in
which he used the following patriotic words:

" I am pleased to avail myself of this opportunity to iiro^e,
earnesdy urge, i.ge in tiie name of a patriotic people, who
hr-.'e sacrificed hundreds of thousands of loyal lives, and
thousands of millions of treasure, to preserve the integrity
and Union < f this country, that this order be not insisted
on. It is unmistakably the expressed wish of the country
that General Sheridan should not be removed from his
present command. This is a Republic, where the will of
the people is the law of the land. I beg that their voice
may be heard. General Sheridan has performed his civil
duties faithfully and intelligently. His removal will only be
regarded as an effort to defeat the laws of Congress. It
will be interpreted by the unreconstructed element in the
South — those who did all tliey could to break up the
government by arms, rind now wish to be the only element
consulted a.-: to the method of restoring order — as a
triumph. It will emboldcin them to renewed opposition to
the will of the loyal masses, believing that they have the
executive with them."

In a short time the whole correspondence between the
President, himself, and Mr. Stanton, was given to the

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GENERAL OF THE ARMV.

403

country, in answer to several calls from Conj^ress, and the
position of Grant became established. To add the peculiar
iliitii.'S of a cabinet officer to those with which Grant was
alaady intrusted, by virtue of his position as general of the
army, and those imposed on him by the reconstruction laws,
was to make him almost more powerful than the President,
ami to oppress iiim with still heavier and more complicated
rus[)oiisibilities than any he had yet incurred. But he was
able, with wonderful sagacity, to act so as for a long while
to seem to command the approbation of all, even of the
adherents of the President. The following extracts froui
his correspondence with Mr. Stanton show his relatioi/-
with the man whom he had superseded :

"Sir: Enclosed herewith I have the honor to transmit
to you a copy of a letter just received from the President
of the United States, notifying me of my assignment as
Secretary of War, and directing me to assume those duties
at once. In notifying you of my acceptance, I cannot let
the opportunity pass without expressing to you my appre-
ciation of the zeal, patriotism, firmness and ability with
which you have ever discharged the duties of Secretary of
War."

To which Mr. Stanton replied in the following well-
chosen words :

. . " You will please accept my acknowledgment of the
kiiul terms in which you have notified me of your ac-
ceptance of the President's appointment, and my cordial
reciprocation of the sentiments expressed,"

At the same time, Grant's letters to the President had
sufficiently explained to the country his sympathy with the
policy of Congress. But as he was now ad interim Sec-
retary of War, it was necessary for him to attend cabinet
meetings, and therefore to be present at many political
discussions, for whose tendency he had neither interest nor
approbation. He therefore represented to the President
that, as he was only holding the office of Secretary of War
until another should be appointed, and that not by his own
suggestion or desire, and as his legitimate position was
that of General of the Army, who might be compelled to

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

serve under successive administrations, he should be ex-
cused from participation in the purely partisan duties of a
cabinet minister. The President at first paid no attention
to his request, but subsequently Grant renewed it re-
peatedly, and at last was accustomed to remain at cabinet
meetings only long enough to present his papers as Secre-
tary of War, and transact the purely official business of his
post. He was then in the habit of retiring. This indicated
very plainly to the President, and the other members of
his administration, that Grant was determined not to be
considered one of them in purely political matters.

He was sometimes requested to remain, and give his
opinions on matters not strictly within his province as Sec-
retary of War, and when he did so, those opinions were as
pronounced as possible. The discussion of the constitu-
tionality of the tenure-of-office bill, and other measures
connected with the reconstruction acts of Congress, was
frequent at such times, and Grant never left the President
or his cabinet in doubt as to his position — that, until the
Supreme Court should decide upon the constitutionality of
these laws, the government was bound to carry them out
in spirit and in letter to the utmost of its ability.

But although he refrained as much as possible from par-
ticipation in the political duties often expected from a
cabinet minister, he was earnest and energetic, from the
start, in the performance of all functions pertaining legiti-
mately to his office as Secretary of War. There were
many abuses which had crept into the administration of the
army during the protracted and costly civil war, which only
an experienced army officer would be likely to recognize,
and which a civilian might naturally suppose had existed
as a part of the unwritten constitution of the service.
These, and all other mismanagements, whether proceeding
from neglect or downright misdoing on the part of subor-
dinates or outsiders. Grant immediately set himself to work
to correct. Retrenchment, as usual, was the first subject
to attract his attention.

Finally Congress reassembled, and some check was put
upon the movements of the President. He was obliged,

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

405

by the tenure-of-office bill, to report to the Senate, within
twenty days after its meeting, the reasons ibr which he had
suspended the Secretary of War. This he did, and the
Senate, on the 13th of January, decided that the reasons
were insufficient. By the express language of the law, the
moment that the Senate decided this, Mr. Stanton was re-
instated in his office. It had become evident, several days
before, that the Senate would come to this determination,
and, as soon as Grant was convinced of this, on the nth
of January, two days prior to the action of the Senate, he
notified the President that he could not, without violation
of the law, and subjecting himself to the penalties of fine
and imprisonment, refuse to vacate the office of Secretary
of War the moment Mr. Stanton was reinstated by the
Senate.

He made this known to the President in person, as he
had previously promised to do, in case he came to such a
conclusion. The President, however, disputed Grant's
views, and strove to induce him to change his intention.
A lonof and earnest conversation ensued, each maintainine
his own opinions vigorously ; finally, it became late, and the
President said he would see Grant again, to which Grant
made no reply.

The next day was Sunday, and Lieutenant-General Sher-
man being in town, Grant sent him to the President to
urge the nomination to the Senate of some other person
as Secretary of War, so that the Senate might act, and Mr.
Stanton be relieved, and any unpleasant imbroglio avoided.
The person proposed by Grant was ex-Governor Cox, of
Ohio, who had been a major-general of volunteers during
the war, and afterwards elected Governor of Oiiio by the
Republican vote, but who was now out of office. His
position in politics was not so radical as that of many of
the President's opponentr, and Grant hoped, if the Presi-
dent could be induced to nominate Cox, that the Senate
would confirm him, and the difficulty might be bridged
over. Sherman saw the President, urged this action upon
him, and told him Grant was in favor of it ; many of the
President's advisers and. friends concurred. Saturday,

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Sunday and Monday passed, and the President did not act.
On Monday, the 1 3th of January, the Senate resolved that
the causes for removing- Mr. Stanton were insufticicnt.
The President, Stanton and Grant were officially notil.oc'
of the fact duringr the evenin|L;i^.

On the mornins^ of the 14th, Mr. Stanton took possession
of the office of Secretary of War, and (irant notified the
President in writinir that he liad received notice of tlu;
action of the Senate, and that his functions as Secretary of
War (!(/ interim ceased from the moment of his receipt of
the notice. The President sent Grant a message, by the
bearer of this letter, that he wanted to see Jiim at cabinet
meeting that day. Grant obeyed the summons, and was
addressed by the President as Mr. Secretary of War, and
asked to o|)en his budget. He at once remindeti Mr.
Johnson of the notification he had given him ; whereujjon
the President stated that Grant had promised to hold the
position of Secretary of War until displaced by the courts,
or at least to resign, so as to place the President Avhere
he would have been had Grant never accepted the ofi'ue.

The President now gave out to the public press state-
ments of Grant's course, which directly affected his honor;
and, after submitting" to this for a day or two, the geiu ral-
in-chief addressed the I'resident a letter on the subject, in
which he complained of the "gross misrepresentations"
which had been made, and asserted the facts as they Jiave
been given above. The President, in reply, reiterated cir-
cumstantially the charge which he had previously made in
cabinet meeting, and now declared that, in the presence of
the cabinet. Grant had acknowledoed the truth of those
charges ; and that he, the President, had read the offensive
newspaper article to four of his cabinet, who testified to the
accuracy of its statements.

Grant had no option, when thus assailed, b.it to defend
himself. Grant's reputation for veracity had never been
impugned before by his bitterest enemies; the President
had been frequently accused of deviation from truth ; and
the subordinate, repeating all that lie had declared, reas-
serted the correctness of his statement in his former letters.

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

407

'^anything' in the President's reply to it to the contrary not-
ijjil'hstandingy He then remarked : "And now, Mr. Pres-
ident, when my honor as a soldier and integrity as a man
have been so violently assailed, pardon me for sayini^ that
I can but regard this whole matter, from the beginning to
the end, as an attempt to involve me in the resistance of
l.iw, for which you hesitate to assume the responsibility in
orders, and thus to destroy my character before the coun-
try. I am, in a measure, confirmed in this conclusion by
your recent orders, directing me to disobey orders from
the Secretary of War — my superior and your subordinate
—without countermanding his authority to issue the orders
I am to disobey/' " Mr. President, nothing less than a
vindication of my personal honor and character could have
induced this correspondence on my part."

In re])ly to this, the President wrote another letter, to the
same effect as his earlier one, and appended to it letters of
four of his Cabinet ministers. The Secretary of the Navy,
addressing Mr. Johnson, declared that "The three points
specilicd in that letter, giving your recollection of his con-
versation, are correctly stated," which amounts simply to a
statement that the President gave his oion recollection of the
conversation correctly. The Secretary of the Treasury was
less equivocal, and was not unwilling to put himself on re-
cord as saying, " Your account of that conversation, sub-
tantially, in all important particulars, accords with my
recollection of it." Neither of these personages, however,
complied with the written request of the President, " to
state what was said in that conversation." The Secretary
of State only attempted " to give the general effect of the
conversation." His statement is long, but the gist of it is
contained in the following words, referring to the Presi-
dent's declaration that Grant had promised to agree to the
President's wish : " General Grant did not controvert, nor
can T say that he admitted the last statement !' So, Mr.
Seward was not willing to assert what the President had
openly and repeatedly proclaimed, that Grant, before the
Caomet.had admitted the truth of Mr. Johnson's statement.
Mr. leeward also suggested the explanation that Grant, on

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Monday, " did not expect the Senate to decide so promptly
as to anticipate further explanation between himself and
the President." The Secretary of the Interior answered in
detail ; but his statement in every important particular
corroborated Grant. He said that Grant had declared in
Cabinet meetinjr that " he came over on Saturday to inform
the President of the change in his views, and did so inform
him, and they continued to discuss the matter some time
and finally he left without any conclusion havin^r ])een
reached, expecting to see the President again on Monday."
The Postmaster-General, however, unhesitatingly and in
detail affirmed all that was important in the President's
letter, in direct contradiction of General Grant, Mr. Seward
and Mr. Browning.

The result was now before the country. An honest
soldier, noted for truth, impardality, outspoken frankness,
was pitted against a nest of wily politicians, against whom
charges of untruthfulness had often been made before.
The verdict was soon passed. Not a man in the land in
his heart believed that Grant had deceived the President,
and no one ventured to assert it except pardsan maligners.
Having failed in his endeavor to use Grant in order to
keep Mr. Stanton out of office, the President now applied
to Sherman. A second time he offered that general the
position of Secretary of War, which Sherman again per-
emptorily declined. The President then conferred on Sher-
man the brevet of General, so as to make him equal in rank
to Grant, when he might be ordered to supersede the Gen-
eral of the Army. Sherman was out of Washington when
his name was sent to the Senate for confirmation, but he at
once wrote and telegraphed to Senators that he did not wish
the brevet, and his own brother opposed it in the Senate ;
he was accordingly not confirmed. The President then sent
in the name of General George H. Thomas for tiie same
brevet, but that officer also peremptorily declined to be
placed in antagonism with his chief or on the side of the
President. He telegraphed promptly, declining the breve':,
declaring that, under the circumstances, it was no compli-
ment ; thus this attempt also fell to the ground.

I'M

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

409

And now came the most open and important step of the
President. In direct opposition to the law forbidding such
an act, he removed Mr. Stanton from the position of Secre-
tary of War. The Senate passed a resolution, by more
than a two thirds vote, declaring that Mr. Stanton was still
Secretary. The House of Representatives immediately
impeached the President for the act, and he was tried before
tlie bar of the Senate, — the only President who had ever
been summoned to this high court to answer for his acts.
A large majority of the Senate found him guilty, but the
Constitution required that two-thirds should so pronounce
him before he could be degraded from his office, and there
lacked one vote of this requisite two-thirds ; so the Presi-
dent remained in office.

Before the trial was completed, the representatives of the
Xadonal Union Republican party met at Chicago, in con-
vention, and the six hundred and fifty-two delegates, on the
first ballot, unanimously nominated Ulysses S. Grant as
their candidate for President. There had been ho doubt
for months that he would be the choice of the party, but
this extraordinary unanimity was unparalleled in the politi-
cal history of the country. The next night, an immense
concourse of people assembled at his house, the overflow
filling up the streets for a large distance outside, to con-
gratulate him on his nomination. Governor Boutwell, of
Massachusetts, was spokesman for the assemblage, and to
him Grant replied in his first political speech :

"Gentlemen: Being entirely unaccustomed to public speaking, and
without the desire to cultivate that power, it is impossible for me to find
appropriate language to thank you for this demonstration. All that I can
say is, that to whatever position I may be called by your will, I shall
endeavor to discharge its duties with fidelity and honesty of purpose.
Of my rectitude in the performance of public duties, you will have to
judge for yourselves by the record before you."

A convention of soldiers and sailors had met at Chicago,
at the same time with the Republican convention, and the
former also, with great unanimity, recommended Grant for
die Presidency. On the 29th of May, a committee from
this Soldiers and Sailors' Convention presented him a
formal address, to which Grant replied as follows :

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(410)

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

411

" Gentlemen of the Committee of Soldiers and Sailors :
<'I will say that it '"as never a desire of mine to be a candidate for
any political office. It is a source of gratification to me to feel that I
have the support of those who sustained me in the great rebellion through
which we have passed. If I did not feel I had the support of ti^.se, J
would have never consented to be a candidate. It was not a matter of
choice with me; but I hope, as I have accepted, that J will have your aid
and support, from now until November, as I had it during the rebellion "

There is little doubt that this appeal of their old chief to
the Union soldiers of the country will be answered as
warmly at the polls as it ever was in the field.

The same evening Grant was formally notified, by Gen-
eral J. R. Hawley, the President of the Republican Conven-
tion, of his nomination as President of the United States.
He replied in these words :

"Mr. President and Gentlemen of the National Union Convention :
"I will endeavor, in a very short time, to write you a letter accepting
the trust you have imposed upon me. Expressing my gratitude for the
confidence you have placed in me, I will now say but little orally, and
that is to thank you for the unanimity with which you have selected me
as a candidate for the Presidential office. I can say, in addition, I looked
on, during the progress of the proceedings at Chicago, with a great deal
of interest, and am gratified with the harmony and unanimity which
seem to have governed the deliberations of the convention.

" If chosen to fill the high office for which you have selected me, /
will give to its duties the same energy, the same spirit, and the same will
that I have given to the performance of all duties which have devolved upon
me heretofore. Whether I shall be able to perform those duties to your
entire satisfaction, time will determine. You have truly said, in the
course of your address, that / shall have no policy of my own to enforce
against the will of the people."

Some of the General's most intimate friends advised him

not to accept the nomination, urging his inexperience in

civil affcTs. To all such he replied:

"All yov. say to me is plain. I am aware of the difficulties awaiting
any man w.io takes that position with its present complications. I have
no ambition for the place. My profession is suited to my tastes and habits.
1 have arrived at its height, and been honored with a position to continue
for life, with a generous compensation, and satisfactory to the highest
aspirations of a soldier. It will be the greatest sacrifice of my life to give
this up to the turmoil of the Presidential office.

"But if the people ask it, I must yield. For some years the people of
America have trusted their sons and brothers and fathers to me, and every
step taken with them, in the period from Belmont to Appomattox, has
been tracked in the best blood of the country.

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412

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

" If now they need me to finish the work, I must accept the duty if in
doing so, I lay down the realizations of my most ambitious hopes."

General Grant's letter of acceptance of the nomination

was in these words : <,w.c.„,„^^«^»t t^ <- j^

"Washington, D. C, Afay 29, 1868.

«' To General Joseph R. Hawley,

Preddent of the National Union Republican Convention :
** In formally accepting the nomination of the National Union Repub-
lican Convention of the 21st instant, it seems proper that some state-
ment of views, beyond the mere acceptance of the nomination, shouM
be expressed. The proceedings of the convention were marked with wis-
dom, moderation and patriotism, and, I believe, express the feelings of
the great mass of those who sustained the country through its recent trials.
I endorse their resolutions. If elected to the office of President of the
United States, it will be my endeavor to administer all the laws in good
FAITH, with economy y and with the view of giving peace, quiet and protec-
Hon everywhere. In times like the present it is impossible, or at least
eminently improper, to lay down a policy to be adhered to, right or
wrong, through an administration of four years. New political issues,
not foreseen, are constantly arising ; the views of the public on old ones
are constantly changing, and a purely administrative officer should always
be left free to execute the will of the people. 1 have always respected
that will, and always shall. Peace, and universal prosperity, its sequence,
with economy of administration, will lighten the burden of taxation,
while it constantly reduces the national debt. Let us have peace.

" With great respect, your obedient servant, U. S. Grant."

The Democrats held their General Convention in the city
of New York, on the 4th of July, and nominated Horatio
Seymour, of New York, for the Presidency^ and General
Francis P. Blair, of Missouri, for the Vice-Presidency.
General Blair had taken a most active and prominent part
in the war on the Union side. The result of the election
was the choice of Grant and Colfax by the Electoral
Colleges ; they received 2 1 7 of the electoral votes, while
Seymour and Blair received but yy.

The States voting for Grant and Colfax were Alabama,
Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis-
souri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennes-
see, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin — 25. The States
voting for Seymour and Blair were Delaware, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and
Oregon — 8.

GENERAL OF THE ARMY.

4'3

Of the popular vote cast Grant and Colfax received
2,985,031, and Seymour and Blair received 2,648,830.

Some events of Mr. Johnson's administration deserve
special notice. One of these is the admission of the people
of Nebraska as a separate State in the Union. This took
place on the ist of March, 1867, the whole number of
States now constituting the Union being thereby swelled to
the number of thirty-seven, and all, according to the Con-
stitution, and according to the terms of their admission,
being " upon an equal footing with the original thirteen."
During the summer of the same year the territory of
Alaska, containing 500,000 square miles, was acquired by
purchase from Russia, at the price of ^5^7, 200,000 in coin.
A treaty was also made with Denmark during Mr. Johnson's
administration, for the islands of St. Thomas and St. John,
but was not ratified by the Senate. It may be further
noted that it was during his administration that ex-President
Buchanan died, at Wheatland, on the ist of June, 1868, in
the 78th year of his age. And it should also be noted that
just before the expiration of his term of office. Congress
proposed a new amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, known as the Fifteenth, to the States for
their ratification.

At the expiration of his term of office President Johnson
retired to his home in Greenville, Tennessee, where he
continued to reside until he was again called to the United
States Senate.

ii.ii

' I:'

CHAPTER XI.

PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT.

General Grant inaugurated, and the Forty-first Congress assembled on the 4th of Marck—
The Fifteenth Amendment to the (Constitution ralitied — The Civil Ri^^lns Hill passed—
Completion of the Pacific Railroad — Black Friday at New York — Virginia, Missis.
sippi and Texas re-admitted into the Union — Death of ex-Secretary of War Kdwin
Stanton — Reconstruction in (icorgia — Repeal of tlie Income Tax— Hie Geneva
Conference — Carpet-hag rule in South Carolina and Louisiana — Suspension of the
writ of habeas corpus — Great conflagration at Chicago— Property to tlie value ol
$2cx),ooo,ooo destroyed and 100,000 persons rendered homeless — The Modoc War-^
Death of Lincoln's Secretary of State, Seward, and General George (i. Meade-,
Removing the political disabilities of certain classes of former Confederates— Cenuin
exceptions — Horace Greeley nominated for the Presidency by the Democrats and
T pendent Repul)licans, and Ulysses S. Grant re-nominated by the Republican
Convention, at Philadelphia — Grant re-elected— Death of Greeley— Great fire at
Boston — The Credit Mobilier and Salary-Grab Swindles — The trouble in Louisiana.

For the purpose of having- no interregnum in the legisla-
tive department of the Government during the process of
the reconstruction measures, an act was passed by the
Fortieth Congress at its last session providing that the
Forty-first Congress should assemble on the 4th day of
March, 1869, immediately after the final adjournment of
the former Congrtjss, instead of December of that year.
On the day fixed the new Congress was organized just
after the old one had retired from the halls and at the
time of inauguration of the President-elect, U. S. Grant,

General Grant's old friend, Elihu Washburne, was iit first
made Secretary of State, but later resigned and was made
Minister to France. Alexander T. Stewart, of New York,
was nominated for the Treasury, but was discovered to be
disqualified by the act of \ 789, which provided that no
incumbent of the office should be "directly or indirectly
concerned or interested in carrying on the business of trade
or commerce," and George S. Boutwell, of Massachusetts,
was appointed in his stead. The other nominations were:
Jacob D. Cox, of Ohio, Secretary of the Interior ; Adolpli
E. Borie, of Pennsylvania, Secretarj' of the Navy, John M.

(4T4)

PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT.

415

Schofulcl, of Illinois, Secretary of War; John A. Cress-
well, of Maryland, Postmaster-General ; and E, Ro( kwood
Hoar, of Massachusetts, Attorney-General.

General Grant accepted the office of President at the
hands of the people as he had accepted promotions in the
line of duty heretofore, determined to do his best, under
all circumstances, according to his judgment. It had been
char(,^ed against him that he was not a statesman, but his
administration proved an able one, although the peace that
reigned did not permit of its being as conspicuous as
though troubles were crowding thick and fast.

Under his wise policy the work of reconstruction went
on more successfully perhaps than it could have done in
any other hands, unless indeed we except those of that
grand man who is cherished in the hearts of the people as
the " Martyr President."

In a message to Congress on the subject of public edu-
cation, President Grant wrote :

"The 'Father of his Country' in his farewell address, uses the lan-
guage, 'Promote, then, as a matter of primary importance, institutions
for the general diffusion of knowledge.' The adoption of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution completes the greatest civil change, and
constitutes the most important event that has ever occurred since the
nation came into life. The change will be beneficial in proportion to
the heed that is given to the urgent recommendations of Washington.
If these recommendations were important then, with a population of but
a few millions, how much more important now !

"1 therefore call upon Congress to take all the means within their con-
stitutional powers to promote and encourage popular education through
the country; and upon the people everywhere to see to it, that all who
possess and exercise political rights shall have the opportunity to acquire
the knowledge which will make their share in government a blessing and
not a danger. By such means only can the benefits contemplated by
this amendment to the Constitution be secured."

The pernicious system of political assessments, which
reached its climax in the celebrated circular to the depart-
ments, issued by the notorious Jay S. Hubbell during the
Garfield campaign, had already come into life, when Grant
was called to the chief magistracy. His views on this
important question are worth quoting, if only to show the
manly stand he took. He says :

"Tlie utmost fidelity and diligence will be expected of all officers in

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PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT.

419

of storm signals. General Myers was succeeded by
General William B. Hazen, who still holds the position.

The members of the General Assembly and members of
Congress were to be chosen this year, under the State
constitution of 1868, and in accordance with an act passed
by the Legislature chosen under that constitution. The
canvass opened early, and was conducted with a great
deal of spirit and energy, both through the press and by
speeches on the hustings. The election, according to law,
was to come off in the latter part of December, and was
to continue for four days, with a detachment of military
to attend the voting precincts, wherever they might be
required.

The result of the four days' December election in Georgia,
with the military guard at the polls, under the provisions of
the Enforcement act, was an overwhelming majority of the
Democratic party, and the redemption of the State from
carpet-hag rule. Governor Bullock, who had been declared
elected chief magistrate of the State in 1868, under the Re-
construction act of Congress, raised great complaints
against the elections. He charged fraud at the polls in
many parts of the State, notwithstanding the military were
present in force. He alleged that there had been gross
outrages, and divers violations of the Enforcement act.
A part of the State, particularly the Eighth Congressional
District, he declared to be in a state of rebellion.

A committee of the partisans of the governor were
deputed to visit Washington with a view of getting Presi-
dent Grant and Congress to make another turn of the recon-
struction screw upon Georgia. The committee waited upon
the President. He received them, and heard patiently all
they had to :^.ay, to which he replied: " Gendemen, the
people of Gtorgia may govern themselves as they
please, without any interference on my part, so long as they
violate no Federal law."

In the latter part of the last session of the Fortieth Con-
gress two important measures were passed. One was the
repeal of the income tax, which was very oppressive and
offensive in its enforcements. This passed on the 26th of

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

January, 1871. The other act referred to was the repeal
of the test oath, or iron-clad oath, as it was called, so far as
relates to the holding of Federal office by persons con-
nected with the Confederate cause. This act passed on
the 31st of January, 1871.

The Forty-second Congress convened in its first session
on the 4th of March, 1871, the first day of its term, as its
predecessor, the Forty-first, had done. It was, as the one
before, largely Radical in its composition, though nothinir
of great importance was done at this session.

President Grant, soon after entering upon his adminis-
tration, gave special attention to the damage done the
United States commerce by Confederate cruisers fitted out
in British ports, in violation of the laws of nadons. He
brought the subject to the nodce of the British ministry,
and urged an amicable adjustment of the question. It was
finally agreed between the two countries to establish a
Board of Commissioners, to determine upon all matters of
dispute in the premises. This board met at Geneva, Switz-
erland, on the 15th day of December, 1871, and after a pro-
tracted investigation and discussion of the principles in-
volved, awarded the United States the sum of $15,000,000,
the amount of damages for which England was jusdy liable.

Another important measure was that known as the Ku-
Klux Bill, designed to correct certain abuses in the South
in connection with the ballot, and in the course of which
trouble the right of habeas corpus was for a season sus-
pended in the northern counties of South Carolina.

On the 20th of June, 1871, Mr. Hoar resigned his posi-
tion as Attorney-General, and was succeeded by Amos T.
Ackerman, of Georgia, who held his office only until the
13th of the ensuing December, when he resigned and was
succeeded by George H. Williams, of Oregon. Mr. Cox,
of Ohio, also resigned the Interior Department, and was
succeeded by Columbus Delano, of the same State.

One of the greatest conflagrations ever known in the
United States occurred during this year. It w^as the burn-
ing of the city of Chicago, Illinois, on die 8th and Qdi of
October, 1871. The loss was estimated at nearly $200,-

PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT.

421

000,000 in property. Upwards of 17,000 houses were
biiriiod, and nearly 100,000 persons rendered homeless.
The saddest part, however, was the loss of 280 human lives.

The second session of the Forty-second Congress con-
vened in December of 1871 as usual. The most of its time
was taken up with the usual discussions preceding an ap-
proaching Presidential election. One act, however, of this
session deserves special notice. It was the act, passed the
9th day of May, removing the disabilities of certain classes
of Southern men as provided for ii the Fourteenth Amend-
ment of the Constitution. By this act at least 150,000
citizens of the Southern States were no longer prohibited
from holding office. Those excepted from the provisions
of this act were a^l the Senators and members of Congress
who had vacated their seats on the secession of the several
States ; all United States ministers abroad who had, in like
manner, resigned their positions ; and all graduates of West
Point and Annapolis who had adopted a similar course.

The Modoc Indians, who had been placed on a reserva-
tion in California, left it, and began depredations on the
frontier settlements. Open war broke out in 1872.
Several members of the Peace Commission, appointed by
President Grant, in 1869, to treat with Indians, met the
Modocs, and General Canby and Dr. Thomas were treach-
erously murdered.

The war was thereafter prosecuted with vigor, and the
Indians retired to some nearly inaccessible fastnesses
among the lava beds of that region. From these they
were at last driven, and Captain Jack, their leader, was
captured. He and three of his companions were hanged
October, 1873.

The Sioux Indians occupied a reservation among the
Black Hills, in the territories of Dakota and Wyoming.
Gold was discovered within the limits of the reservation,
and a bill was passed by Congress taking away that portion
of it lying in Dakota.

Tile Sioux organized for war, and United States troops
were sent against them. General George A. Custer, in
command of a portion of these, pushed across the couf ;;

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

from Missouri to the Yellowstone. Pressinor forward, re-
gardless of danger, he was met by an overwhelmino force
of Sioux under Sitting Bull, and he, with two hundred and
sixty-one men, nearly his entire force, were killed, June 25,
1876. The Indians afterward retired into the British pos-
sessions, where they were safe from the pursuit of the
United States troops.

On the 2 1 St of October was finally settled the last (jucs-
tion of boundary between the United States and Great
Britain. It related to the true channel between the United
States and Vancouver's Island. The matter had been re-
ferred to William, Emperor of Germany. He decided in
favor of the United States.

William H. Seward, Mr. Lincoln's great Secretary of
State, after making a successful voyage around the world,
died on the loth of October, 1872, in the seventy-second
year of his age. General George G. Meade, the victor at
Gettysburg, died 6th of November, 1872, in the fifty-seventh
year of his age.

During the fall of this year another exciting Presidential
election took place, whereof an account will now be given.

Quite a split had taken place in the Republican party.
A large portion of that organization had manifested decided
opposition to the renominalion and re-election of President
Grant. They assumed the name of Liberal Republicans
and held their convention at Cincinnati, Ohio, and put in
nomination for the Presidency Horace Greeley, the great
journalist of New York; and for the Vice-Presidency, R.
Gratz Brown, of Missouri. The Democrats held their con-
vention at Baltimore, on the 9th day of July, and, without
presenting a ticket of their own, simply inaorsed the nomi-
nation made by the Cincinnati Convention , while the re-
gular Republican Convention met on the 5th day of June,
at Philadelphia, and put in nomination for re-election Gen-
eral Ulysses S. Grant, of Illinois, for President, and for
Vice-President, Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts. The re-
sult of the election was -8i'< cl^^ctoral votes for Grant, and
286 for Wilson, foi- \ij^-Presice;.t. For B. Gratz Brown,
for Vice-President, 47.

PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT.

423

Mr. Greeley, having died soon after the popular election
in November, and before the meeting of the Hlectoral Col-
lews in December, the votes that he carried at the popular
election were only 65, and were scattered in the colleges
among a number of persons whose nam-^s had never been
connected with the office.

Another great calamity should also here be chronicled.
It is the great fire that occurred in Boston on the 9th and
10th of November, 1872. The loss of property was esti-
mated at ^80,000,000, and fifteen persons were consumec in
the tlames.

During the remaining portion of the last session of the
Forty-second Congress several important measures were
passed. The one which, perhaps, produced the greatest
effects upon the country was the act demonetizing silver,
and striking this precious metal from the list of coins with
debt-paying power The two metals, from time immemo-
rial, which had been recognized by civilized nations as
mone\\ were silver and ijold. At the time silver was dis-
placed on the list there were, upon the best estimates, in
round numbers, ;^8, 000,000.000 of gold and silver circulat-
ing as money in the world. Of this amount, ^4,500,000.000
was silver. The only unit of value in the United States
from the beginning of the government was the silver dollar,
which had never been changed. All the bonds that had
been issued by the United States had been made payable
in United States coin, either gold or silver, at its then stan-
dard value. Another subject that greatly agitated the
Congress and the countrv about the time was the Credit
Mobilier, about which so much was said and written, It
was at this session also that the celebrated Salary Grab Act,
as it was called, was passed.

Soon after the November elections of 1S72 very great
excitement took place in Louisiana. The grossest frauds
were charged upon Governor Warmouth, in his attempts
at manipulati ig the returning board, under the laws of that
State. The re'iult was two returning boards, each claiming
to be the riirhtful one. OwinQf to this confusion, two lems-
lative bodies set up to be each the rightful one. Kach one

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424

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

of these elected a Senator, claiming to be the rightful one,
to the United States Senate. And there were two rival
contestants to the Governorship of the State. The Senate
raised a commission, who went down to Louisiana and
made a thorough examination, and reported upon the facts,
which amounted, in a printed volume, to over a thousand
pages. Louisiana sent, in the latter part of December, a
large deputation of citizens, headed by ex-Justice of the
Supreme Court John A. Campbell, to urge President Grant
to afford them some relief, and especially to send Justice
Bradley, United States Circuit Judge, to Louisiana, and set
things right there. They waited upon the President on the
19th of December. The committee, having been intro-
duced to the President by Attorney-General WilHams,
judge Campbell explained the purpose of their comin|^r to
Washington, and gave a brief account of the condition of
affairs in Louisiana, in consequence of which commerce
was seriously affected, and trade generally so injured that
the people were dismayed, and this unfavorable condition
of affairs had not only injured that State, but other States
having close business relations with Louisiana.

As there was no prospect of a satisfactory solution of the
present trouble, by means of the agency now at work, the
people, through their committee, asked that, in this exi-
gency. Associate Justice Bradley, of the Supreme Court of
the United States, and Judge Woods, of the Circuit Court
of the United States, should take charge of the judicial
administration of the Circuit Court, sitting in New Orleans.

Judge Campbell said that when he occupied a seat on
the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States, he
was twice requested by the chief magistrate to perform
such duty in order that the force, power and influence of
the court should be felt and respected, and he also went
, there twice at his own instance.

He (lid not know of a more serious condition of affairs than
that which now existed in Louisiana, and could see no relief
except in the manner now suggested. The judges, whom
he mer?tioned, would have greater power and independence
than the judge who now presided in the Circuit Court.

PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT.

The course he had indicated promised a solutioa of the
.lifificulties so far as the judicial question was concerned.
Ill tiie second place, President Grant, living twelve hundred
miles distant from New Orleans, could not be expected to
have a knowledge of all the facts. What the people of
Louisiana wanted, what the President wanted, and what all
oood men desired was the right of this matter about which
there were conflicting statements and criminating remarks.

Th" people of that State, as represented by the com-
mittee, also ask the executive of the .United States to send
to New Orleans three independent, impartial, learned and
just men to make a full inquiry into all the facts, to take
testimony and thoroughly explore the situation. They
tlesire tiiat all the facts be reported to the President.

President Grant, in reply, said he supposed it was com-
petent for the Supreme Court to designate any one of its
members to proceed to Louisiana, but he did not think it
would be quite proper for him to make the request of
them. Congress had power to investigate the facts in the
case presented, but he did not propose to interfere with
the local affairs in that State by putting one set of officers
or another in power, although numerous telegrams, letters
and papers say he had done so.

He would not feel at liberty to make a request that Judge
Bradley go to New Orleans, particularly as he is wanted here
while the court is in session ; although if the court should
make the request, it would meet with his approbation.

Judge Campbell said there was no authority under the
Constitution and laws of the United States for a Federal
Court to interfere with the affairs of a State, such as had
taken place in Louisiana, and he briefly alluded to the
decree of the court and its effects in seating and unseating
persons 'ilected to office.

President Grant, during a colloquy with Judge Campbell,
said his understanding of the subject was, UiO court had
merely decided who were the legal canvassers, and, even if,
as stated in this case, the court exceed its authority, its
decision will have to be respected until the deci. ion shall
be set aside by a superior court.

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426

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

It would be dangerous for the President to set the pre
cedent of interfering with the decisions of courts.

In reply to the request of Judge Campbell that he would
send a committee of three honest men to go down and
investigate the matter, and send a report to Contrrcss, he
said he could not employ and compensate such men unless
by authority of Congress, nor could such committee admin-
ister oaths or compel the attendance of witnesses. He said
Congress had power — he hadn't.

Subs<?quent!y to this, as Congress had taken no action
on the subject, President Grant, on the 25th of February.
sent a message to Congress upon the subject, in the follow-
ing words :

" To the Senate and House of Representatives :

'•Your attention is respectfully invited to the condition of affairs in
the State of Louisiana. Grave complications have grown out of the
election there on the 6th of November last, chiefly attributable, it is
believed, to an organized attempt, on the part of those controlling the
election of officers and returns, to defeat in that election the will of a
majority of the electors of the State. Different persons are claiming the
executive office. Two bodies claim to be the legislative assembly of the
State, and the confusion and uncertainty produced in this way fall with
paralyzing .effect on all its interests. A controversy arose, as soon as the
election occurred, over its proceedings and results, but I declined to
interfere until suit involving this controversy to some extent was Ui be
brought in the Circuit Court of the United States, under and by virtue
of the act of May 3d, 1870, entitled, 'an act to enforce the right of
citizens of the United States to vote in the several States of the Union,
and for other purposes.' Finding resistance was made to the judicial
process in that suit without any opportunity, and in my judgment without
any right to review the judgment of the court ujion the jurisdictional or
other questions arising in the case, I directed the United States Marshal
to enforce such process, and to use, if necessary, troops for that jjurpose
in accordance with the thirteenth section of that act, which provides that
it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to employ such
part of the hind and naval forces of the United States, or of the militia,
as shall be necessary to aid in the execution of judicial process under
this act.

"Two bodies of persons claimed to be the returning board for the
State, and the Circuit Court in that case decided the one to which Lynch
belonged, usually designated by his name, was the lawful returning board,
and this decision has been repeatedly affirmed by the District and Su-
preme Courts of the State. Having no opportunity or power to canvass
the votes, and the exigencies of the case demanding an immediate de-
cision, I conceived it to be my duty to recognize those persons as elected

PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. OF. .NT.

427

wlio received and held their credentials to office from what then appealed
to me to be, and has since been decided by the Supreme Court of the
State to be, the legal returning board. Conformably to the decisions of
this bond, a full set ol" State officers has been installed and a legislative
assembly organized, constituting, if not a dej'ure, at least a de facto gov-
ernment, which, since some time in December last, has had possession of

I'RESIUENT GRANT LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE TO BE INAUGURATED.

the offices and been exercising the usual powers of the government ; but '
opposed to this has been another government claiming to control the af-
fairs of the State, and which has, to some extent, been pro forma or-
ganized.

" Recent investigation of the said election has developed so maay
frauds and forgeries as to make it doubtful what candidates received a

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LIKK OF ULYSSKS S. (iRANT.

rmjority of votes actually rast, and in view of those facts, a variitv uf
nrtion has been proposed. I have no specific recominendation to make
upon the subject, but if there is any practical way of removinjf these dif.
ticulties by legislation, then I earnestly re(|uest that such action be t;iken
at the present session of Congress. It seems advisable that I should state
now what course 1 shall feel bound to pursue in reference to the matter
in the event of no action by Congress at this time, subject to any satis-
factory arrangement that may be made by the parties to the contest
which, of all things is the most desirable. It will bj my duty, so far as
it may be necessary for me to act, to adhere to that government rccoi".
nized by me. To judge of the election and qualifications of its mcmhers
is theexclus ve province of the Senate, as it is als) the exclusive pi ivime
of the House to judge of the election and (pialifications of its nioinhers •
but as to the State offices filled and held under State laws, the decision
of the State judicial tribunal, it seems to me, ought to be respected. I
am extremely anxious to avoid any appearance of undue interference in
State affairs, and if Congress differ from me as to what ought to be done,
I respectfully urge its immediate decision to that effect. Otherwise I sliall
feel obliged, as far as I can, by the exercise of legitimate authority, to put an
end to the unhappy controversy which disturbs the peace and prostates
the business of Louisiana, by the recognition and support of that govern-
ment which is recognized and upheld by the courts of the State.

"U. S. Grant."

Congress took no notice of this message and left the state
of affairs in Louisiana without any action.

On the 4th of March, 1873, General Grant was inaiin^u-
rated for another four years. The ceremonies were vrrv
imposing, and the crowd immense. The inaugural was de-
livered from the usual place, the east portico of the cajjiiol.
Like the first, it was brief and pointed ; and though read
was received with great enthusiasm, notwithstanding tiie
severe inclemency of the weather.

The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice
Chase.

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CHAPTER Xli.

Second inauguration ol President Grant — Kellojjg recognized as the Governor of Louisiana
— Death of Ciiief Justice Salmon V. Chase — His successor Morri-on R. Waite,of Ohio
— Political disturbances at New Orleans — Monetary panic in 1873 — Death ofChaiies
Sumner and Vice-President Henry Wilson — Colorado the Centennial StatL>— Ihc '
Forty-fourth Congress largely Democratic — Michael Kerr, of Indiar.a, and, later on,
Samuel J. Randall, of Pennsylvania, elected Speaker — Opening of the CViiti;niiial
Exposition at Philadelphia — The looth birthday of th>: Republic celebrated at
Philadelphia — R. U. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden nominated f"r the Presidency.

On the failure of the Forty-second Congress, before its
adjournment, to take any action upon the state of affairs in
Louisiana, Grant, after his second inauguration, recognized
Kellogg as the Governor of the State in accordance with
what he announced he would do in his message to Con-
gress of the 25th of February. In this he acted in con-
formity to the decision of the highest judicial tribunal in the
State.

Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase f^uddenly died of paralysis
on the 7th of May, 1873, at the home of his daughter, in the
city of New York, and was succeeded some months after-
wards by the n-^mination and confirmation of Morrison R.
Waite, of Ohio.

In the fall of 1873 a severe commercial crisis, known as
the "Railroad Panic," burst upon the country. It was
caused by excessive speculation in railway stocks and the
reckless construction of railways in portions of the country
where they were not yet needed and which could not sup-
port them. The excitement began on the 17th of Sep-
tember, and on the 18th, 19th and 20th several of the
principal banking firms of New York and Philadelphia
suspended payment. The failure of these houses involved
hundreds of other firms in all parts of the country in their
ruin. The excitement became so intense that on the 20lh
the New York Stock Exchange closed its doors, and put a
stop to all sales of stocks in order to prevent a general
destruction of the values of all securides. The banks
(430) ,

SECOND TERM OF PRESIDENT GRANT.

431

were obliged to resort to the most stringent measures to
avoid being drawn into the common ruin.

President Grant and the Secretary of the Treasury has-
tened to New York to consult the capitalists of that city as
to the proper measures to be taken for the relief of the
business of the country. Various measures were urged
upon them. A strong appeal was made to the President
to lend the whole or the greater part of the treasury reserve
of forty-four million dollars of greenbacks to the banks to
furnish the Wall Street brokers with funds to setde there
losses and resume business. He at once declined to take
so grave a step, and, thanks to his firmness, the credit of
the United States was not placed at the mercy of the reck-
less men who had caused the trouble. The government,
as a measure of relief, consented to purchase a number of
its bonds of a certain class at a fair price, and thus enable
the holders who were in need of money to obtain it without
sacrificing their securities. On the 2 2d the excitement
in New York and the Eastern cities began to S'.ibside.
The trouble was not over, however. The stringency of
the money market which followed the first excitement
prevailed for fully a year, and affected all branches of the
industry of the country, and caused severe suffering from
loss of employment and lowering of wages to the working
classes.

The panic showed the extent to which railroad gambling
had demoralized the business and the people of the coun-
try. It showed that some of the strongest and most trusted
firms in the Union had lent themselves to the task of in-
ducing people to invest their money in the securities of
enterprises the success of which was, to say the least,
doubtful. It showed that the banks, the depositories of the
people's money, had, to an alarming extent, crippled them-
selves by neglecting their legitimate business and making
alvances on secu rides which in the hour of trial proved
worthless in many cases, uncertain in most. The money
needed for the use of the legitimate business of the country
had been placed at the mercy of the railroad gamblers and
had been used by them. The funds of helpless and de-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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pendent persons, of widows and orphan children, had been
used to pay fictitious dividends and advance schemes v/hich
had been stamped with the disapproval of the public. An
amount of recklessness and demoralization was revealed
in the management of the financial interests of the country
that starded even the most hardened. The lesson was se-
vere, but it was needed. The panic was followed by a better
and more healthful state of affairs. The business of the coun-
try slowly setded down within proper channels. Reckless-
ness was succeeded by prudence; extra vaj^ance by economy
in all quarters. The American people took their severe
lesson to heart, and resolutely set to work to secure the good
results that came to them from this harvest of misfortune.

In January, 1875, Congress passed an act providing for
the resumption of specie payments, and requiring that on
and after January ist, 1879, the legal tender notes of the
government shall be redeemed in specie. In the mean time
silver coin is to be substituted for the fractional paper
currency.

Vice-President Henry Wilson, on the 2 2d of November,

1875, sank under a stroke of paralysis, and died in the Vice-
President's apartments in the Capitol at Washington.

On the 4th of March, 1875, ^^e Territory of Colorado
was authorized by Congress to form a Constitution, and
was admitted into the Union as a State, the istof July,

1876, making the thirty-eighth member of the Confederacy,
and by which she received the appellation of the " Centen-
nial State."

The year 1875 completed the period of one hundred
years from the opening of the Revolution, and the leading
events of that period — the centennial anniversaries of the
battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill ; the Meck-
lenburg Declaration of Independence in Charlotte, North
Carolina — were all celebrated with appropriate commemor-
ative ceremonies. These were but preludes to the great
International Centennial of 1876 in celebration of the Decla-
ration of Independence on the 4th of July one hundred
years before.

The centennial year of American Independence was cele-

SECOND TERM OF PRESIDENT GKAN r.

433

bratcd in Plilladclpliia during die year 1876, with a grand
intcrnritional exhibition, which was inaugurated with impos-
inq^ ceremonies by President Grant, May loth, and con-
tinued open until November loth, a period ot one hundred
and fifty-nine days.

Its chief object was to show the progress of the nation in
arts and manufactures during the hrst century of its exist-
ence, but all foreign nations were invited to contribute, and
thirty-three of these exhibited their products. The space
occupied was seventy-five acres, an area far greater than
that of any previous exhibition.

As early as 1872 measures were set on foot for the proper
observance of the one hundredth anniversary of tlie inde-
pendence of the United States. It was resolved to com-
memorate the close of the first century of the Republic by
an Int'rnational Exhibition, to be held at Philadelphia in
1S76, in which all the nations of the world were invited to
participate. Preparations were at once set on foot for th(;
great celebration. The European governments, with great
cordiality, responded to the invitations extended to them by
the government of the United States, and on tlu; loth ot
May, 1876, the International Centennial Exhibition was
opened with the most imposing ceremonies, in the presence
of an immense concourse of citizens from all parts of the
Union, and of the President of the United States and the
Emperor of Brazil.

Tlie exhibition remained open from May loth to No-
vember 10th, 1S76, and was visited by several million
people from the various States of the Union, irom Canada,
South America and Europe. It was one of the grandest
and most notable events of the century.

On the fourdi day of July, 1876, the United States of
America completed the one hundredth year of their exist-
ance as an independent nation. The day was celebrated
with imposing ceremonies and with the most patriotic
enthusiasm in all parts of the Union. The celebrations
bc;^an on the night of the 3d of July, and were kept up
until near midnight on the 4th. Each of the great cities
of the Union vied with the others in the splendor and
28

434

LIKK OV UI.YhSES S. GRANT.

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completeness of ils rejoicings; but the most intercsiiivr of
all the celebrations was naturally that which was held at
Philadelphia, in which city the Declaration of lnd( peiulL-ncc
was adopted. The arranirements for the proper observaike
of the day were conlided to the United States Centennial
Commission, and extensive preparations were made to
conduct them on a scale of splendor wordiy of the j^lorlous
occasion.

It was wisely resolved by the Commission that as the
Declaration of Independence was siijned in Independence

OPENING CEREMONIES OF THE CENTENNIAL KXHIHITIOX.

Hall and proclaimed to the people in Independence Sfjuare,
the commemorative ceremonies should be so conducted as
to make the venerable building- the grand central figure of
all the demonstrations.

Being anxious that the Centennial celebration should do
its share in cementing the reunion of the Northern and
Southern States, the Commission began, at least a year
before the occasion, the formation of a " Centennial Le-
gion," consisting of a detachment of troops from each ot
the thirteen original States. The command of this splendid
body of picked troops was conferred upon General Am

SECOND TEUM OF PULSIUENr GRANT.

435

brosc E. Burnside, of Rhode Island, and General Harry
Heth, ot" Vir>iinia, was chosen Lieutenant-Colonel. Both
were veterans of the late civil war. The Legion was
readily made up, the best volunteer commands of the
(.HL^inal States bein/^ eager to serve in it.

For a week previous to the 4th of July crowds of people
1) gan to pour steadily into Philadelphia. VohnUeer
<;rLjanix;ations from the various States were constantly
arriving, and were either encamped at various points in
and around the Exhibition grounds, or were quartered at
the various hotels. By the night of the 3d of July it was
(.stimated that at least two hundred and fifty thousand
strangers were assembled in Philadelphia.

The Centennial ceremonies were begun on the morninjr
ot Saturday, the ist of July. The leading writers of the
U.iion had been invited to prepare memoirs of the great
men of our Revolutionary period, which were to be depos-
ited among tlie archives of the State- House, and all who
were able to accept the invitation assembled in Indep(,Mid-
ence Hall at eleven o'clock on the morning of July 1, 1876,
where they were joined by a number of invited guests.
The ceremonies were opened by an address from Colonel
Frank M. Etting, die chairman of the Committee on the
Restoration of Independence Hall, and a prayer by the
Rev. William White Bronson. Wliittier's Centennial Hymn
was then sung by a chorus of fifty voices. The names of
the authors were then called, to which each responded in
person or by proxy, and laid his memoir on the table in the
hall. The exercises were then brought to a close, and the
(ompany repaired to the stand in Independence Square,
where a large crowd had assembled.

IT.e ceremonies in the square were begun at half-past
twelve o'clock with Helfrich's Triumphal March, performed
by the Centennial Musical Association. Mr. John William
Wallace, the president of the day, then delivered a short
address, after which Whittier's Centennial Hymn was sung
by a chorus of one hundred and fifty voices, and Mr. Wil-
liam V. McKean reviewed at some length the great histor-
ical event in commemoration of which the ceremonies were

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held. After the band had played " God Sav(i America,"
the Hon. Leverett Salstonstall, ol Massachusetts, delivered
an address, which elicited warm applause. " The Voice of
the 01(1 Bell," a Centennial ode, was then siinii;-, and Gov-
ernor Henry Lippitt, of Rhode Island, made a short speech,
rhe band followed with a number of patriotic airs, and Mr.
Wallace announced the unavoidable absence of Cieneral
|ohn A. Uix, and introduced in his place TVederick De
Peyster, President of the New York Historical Society, who
made a few remarks. AftcM* a Centennial ode, by S. C.
I'pliam, had been suni( by the chorus, the Hon. Benjamin
Harris Brewster delivered an eloquent address, at the close
of which another Centennial Hymn, by William Fennimore,
was sung. .Senator Frank P. St(;vens, of Maryland, then
said a few wortls, after which the " Star-Span<^led Banner"
was sung, and the exercises w.^ re brougiit to a close by a
prayer from Bishop Stevens.

The celebration ushering in the 4th of July was begun
on the night of the 3d. A grand civic and torchlight pro-
(ession paraded the streets, which werci brilliantly illumin-
att;d along the whole line of march. The procession began
to move about half-past eight o'clock at night, and consisted
of deputations representative of the various trades of the
city, the Centennial Commissioners from the various foreign
countries taking part in the Exhibition, th(; Governors of a
number of States of the Union, officers of the army and
navy of the United States, civic and political associations,
and officers of foreign men-of-war visiting the city. Some
of the deputations bore torches, and these added to the
brilliancy of the scene. All along the line fireworks were
ascending into the air, and cheer after cheer went up from
the dense masses of enthusiastic spectators which filled the
sidewalks.

Crowds had collected around Independence Hall, filling
the street before it and the square in the re&r of it. An
orchestra and chorus were stationed on the stands in the
square to hail the opening of the 4th with music. The
movements of the procession were so timed that the head
of the column arrived in front of Independence Hall pre-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAN r.

cisely at midnight. The crowd, which had been noisy hut
good-natured, was hushed into silence as the hands ol iIk?
clock in the tower approached the midnij^ht hour, aiul one
hundred thousand people waited in breathless ca<((Tii(ss
the strokes which were to usher in the glorious day, .\s
the minute-hand swept slowly past the hour there was ,1
profound silence, and then c.'nie rollinj)^ out of the idty
steeple the deep, liquid tones of the new liberty bell, • oiind-
\n^ wonderfully solemn and sweet as they lloated down 10
the crowd below. Thirteen peals wcTe struck, and Uk;
first tone had hardly died away when there; went up lioin
the crowd such a shout as had never been heard in Phila-
delphia before. It was cauj^ht up and re-echoed all ovcr
the city, and at the same time the musicians and sin^^crs in
the square broke into the in-and strains of the " Star-Span-
jrled Banner." All the bells and steani whisdes in the city
joined in the sounds of rejoicini^, and fireworks and fin^arms
made the noise ten-fold louder. When the " Star-Span<r|e(i
Banner" was ended, the chorus in Independence Sciuanr
sano^ the " Doxology," in which the crowd joined h(;ariily,
and the band then played national airs.

The festivities were kept up until after two o'clock, an I
it was not until the first streaks of the dawn besjan to tino •
the sky that ti.e streets of the city resumed their w<)nt(;il
appearance.

The lull in the festivities was not of long duration. The
day was at hand, and it threatened to be mercilessly hot,
as indeed it was. As the sun arose in his full-orbed splon
dor, the thunder of cannon from the Navy Yard, from the
heights of Fairmount Park, and from the Swedish, Brazilian
and American war vessels in the Delaware, and the clans,^-
ing of bells from every steeple in the city, roused the few
who had managed to snatch an hour or two of sleep after
the fatigues of the night, and by six o'clock the streets were
ajrain thronfjed.

In view of the extreme heat of the weather, the military
parade had been ordered for an early hour of the day.

As soon as the parade was ended, the crowd turned into
Independence Square, which was soon filled. Four thou-

SECOND TLkM Ol' PKESIDENl' GRANT.

439

s;.ik1 persons were ^jivcn seats on the stanil, and a vast
crowd filled the s<[uare. As the invited jruests appeared
and took tlu'ir seats on the |)latform, tlie prominent person-
ages \vt;re cheered by the crowd. The liimperor of lira/.il
received a welcome that was especially noticeable for its
!i .ariiiiess.

At a few minutes after ten o'clock, General Hawley, the
President of the United States Centennial Commission,
appeared at the speaker's stand ,and signaled to the or-
chestra to be^in. As the music ceased, General Hawley
[vriiln came forward, and introduced, as the presidin<^ officer
of die day, the Hon. Thomas W. I'V'rry, Vice-l'resident of
t!i(* United States, who was received with loud cheers.
Alter a few remarks approi>riate to the occasion, Vice-Pres-
ident Ferry presented
to the audience the
Right Rc!verend Wil-
liain Bacon Stevens,
1). I)., the Protestant
P^piscopal Bishop of
Pennsylvania, whom he
introduced as the ec-
clesiastical successor of
the first chaplain of tlie
Continental Congress.
The bishop delivered a
solemn and impressive
prayer, during the ut-
terance of which the
whole audience stood
with uncovered heads,
silent and attentive,
unmindful of the blaz-
ing sun which poured
iicNiuiAL J. R, HAWLKY. down upou thcni.

When the prayer was ended the Vice-President then
announced that Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, a grand-
son of the patriot of the Revolution who offered the reso-
lution in Congress, that " these united colonies are and of

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IJFE or ULYSSES S. GRANT.

rijjht oiijrht to hv. free and independent states, ' wouKl n ail
the declaration of Independence from the orij^inal manu-
script, which President Grant had intrusted to ti)e mayor
of Philadelphia. The faded and crumblinc^ manusc riiit,
held togt'ther by a simple frame, was then exhibiled to tli(
crowd and was greeted with cheer alter cheer. Kicl.anl
Henry Lee, a soldierly-lookinjr Virj^nnian, then came forward
and read the Declaration ; but the enthusiasm of ihc crowd
was too <rrcat to permit them to listen to it quietly.

At the close of the reading Mr. John Welsh, chairman
of the Centennial Board of Finance, then, at the siij^i^ls-
tion of Vice-President Ferry, introduced Payard Taylor,
the poet of the day, who recited a noble ode, wliith wi's
listened to with deep attention, the audience occasionally
breaking out into aj)plause. When the poem was ended
the chorus sang " Our National Banner."

As the music died away, the Vice-President introduced
the Hon. William M. Hvarts, of New York, the orator ot
the day, Mr. Evarts was greeted with hearty cheers, alter
which he proceeded to deliver an eloquent and able ad-
dress, reviewing the lessons of the past c(.'ntury and dwell-
ing upon the great work America has performed lor die
world.

At night the city was brilliantly illuminated, and a ma^^
nificent display of fireworks was given by the municijal
authorities at old Fairmount.

During the fall of 1876 also occurred another Presi-
dential election. The Republican Convention ass( mbled
at Cincinnati, June 14th, and put in nomination for the
Presidency, Rutherford B. Hayes, of Ohio, and fcr die
Vice-Presidency, William A. Wheeler, of New York. The
Democratic Convention assembled at St. Louis, Missc^iri,
on the 27th day of June, and put in nomination for the
Presidency, Samuel J. Tilden, of New York, and for tlie
Vice-Presidency, Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana.

The result of the election was the closest ever before
held in the United States. Both sides claimed the success
of their tickets. The condition of affairs was assuming a
threatening aspect, when a proposition was made to provide

SECOND IIIKM (»!•• TUKSIUKM (JUAM'.

441

by law for a Joint High Commission to wlioiii tiic whoh?
siibjc.'ct siiould be referred. This was to consist of five;
members of tlu! House, five of the Senat(.* and five of the
Supreme Court. To the Commission tlius constituted, the
whole subject was referred by special act of Conj^ress.
The counting commenced as usual on the regular day before
both houses of Congress. When the disputed duplicated
n'turns were reached they were referred. State by State, to
the; joint High Commission. This Commission mad(* its
final decision on all the cases submitted to them, on ihc 2d
(lay of March, and according to dieir decision, Hayes and
Wheeler received one hundred and eighty-five votes, and
TiKlen and Hendricks one hundred and eighty-four votes.

The army appropriation bill of this session of Congress
faik'cl between the two houses. The Democrati< majority
in the House inserted a provision in the bill forbivMin^ » ■
use of any portion of the appropi iatioi in payment of
troops or expenses of transporting troop or the purpose
of interfering in any way with elections. This wgs »o pre-
vent in the future the state of things then existing in South
Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, and perhaps ,ome oth*;r places.
The Senate struck this provisic ' out of the l)ill. I .V* ) ^ouac
adhered to the provision, and the whole bill was lo^l.

General Grant, on the expiration of his second term,
retired from office, but remained in Washington City,
receiving marked demonstrations of the admiration of
his friends for some months before starting upon an ex-
tensive tour through Europe and the Eastern Condnent.

Unfortunately for the " hero of Appomattox," he admitted
to his friendship men who were not worthy of it, men who
were not so honest as himself, who abused the positions of
trust to which some of them were preferred.

Com. f into civil Hfe unprepared, save by natural excel-
lence 01 iudgment purity of intention, and firmness of re-
solve, his c'dministration brought the country each year to
that consu. imation of reduced expenses, lessened public
debts, unquestioned pi blic credits, and peace at home and
abroa*,, to wh.ch he stood pledged in assuming his respon-
sibilities.

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442

':n

SECOND TERM OF PRESIDENT GRANT.

443

In his second inaugural address, referring to tliis very
subject, he said :

"From my candidacy for my present office in 1868, to
the close of the last Presidential campaign, I have been the
subject of abuse and slander, scarcely ever equaled in polit-
ical history, which, to-day, I feel 1 can afford to disregard in
view of your verdict, which I gratefully accept as my vindi-
cation."

During the excitement attending the disputed election of
1876 Grant deported himself with the utmost fairness to-
ward all parties interested, and although undoubtedly grat-
ified at the finding of the commission appointed to decide
whether Hayes or Tilden had been elected, it is not saying
too much to assert that had the commission declared Mr.
Tilden elected, the General would have taken every means
to see him inducted into the high office he was about to
vacate.

The 4th of March, 1877, found him a free man, and he
laid down the burden of public life with a sigh of relief.
NW he was free, the ceremony of official existence could
be dispensed with, and he could again return to the simple
manner of livinof that most accorded with his tastes.

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Pi E

CHAPTER XIII.

GENERAL GRANT'S TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

M»'' ^'

! reparations for the Journey — Departure from Philadelphia — Arrival and Reception at
Liverpool — Visiting the Docks — Manchester — Leicester — Bedford— London — Pre-
sent'jil with the Freedom of ihe City — Dining with the Queen and the Prince of
Wales — Starting for the European Continent— Brussels — 'ihe Rhine — Frankfort —
Heidelberg — Switzerland — Strasburg — Metz — Return to England — Scotland — Pari-
—Visit to General MacMahon — Arrival of the ■• Vandalia " at Villa Franca —
Naples — Mount Vesuvius — Herculaneum and Pompeii — Sicily — Malta.

On the 4th of March, 1877, General Ulysses S. Grant
retired from the Presidency of the United States, his second
term of office expiring on that day.

It had for some time been General Grant's intention to
seek in foreign travel the rest and recreation he had been
so long denied by his constant official duties. For the first
lime since the spring of 1861 — ^a period of sixteen eventful
ind busy years to him — he was a private citizen, and free
to direct his movements according to his own pleasure.
He had successfully closed one of the greatest wars in his-
tory, had devoted eight years to a troubled and exciting
administration of the Chief Magistracy of the United
States, and was sorely in need of rest. This, as has been
said, he resolved to seek in travel in foreigfn lands.

He devoted the few weeks following his withdrawal from
office to arranging his private affairs, and engaged passage
for himself, Mrs. Grant, and his son Jesse, on the steamer
"Indiana," one of the American Line, sailing between Phil-
adelphia and Liverpool — the only Transadantic line flying
the American flag.

On the 9th of May, 1877, General Grant reached Phila-
delphia. It was his intention to pass the last week of his
stay in his own country with his friends in that city, who
were very numerous.

On the loth of May, the day after his arrival, he visited
the Permanent Exhibition — the successor of the Centennial
Exhibition — on the occasion of its opening. Just one year

(445)

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446

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

before this, General Grant, in his official capacity as Pres-
ident of the United States, had formally opened the great
World's Fair on the same spot.

Being desirous of rendering General Grant's stay abroad
as pleasant as possible, President Hayes caused the Sec-
retary of State to forward the following official note to
all thediplomatic representati ves of this government abroad-

" Dkpartment (jk State, Washington, May 23d, 1877,
** To the Diplomatic and Consular Officers of the United States :

" Gentlemen : General Ulysses S. Grant, the late President of tht
United States, sailed from Philadelphia on the 17th inst., for Liverpool.

" The route and extent of his travels, as well as the duration of his
sojourn abroad, were alike undetermined at the time of his departure,
the object of his journey being to secure a few months of rest and recre-
ation after sixteen years of unremitting and devoted labor in the military
and civil service of his country.

"The enthusiastic manifestations of popular regard and esteem for
General Grant shown by the people in all parts of the country that he
lias visited since his retirement frum official life, and attending his every
appearance in public from the day of that retirement up to the moment
of his departure for Kurope, indicate beyond question the high place he
holds in the grateful affections of his countrymen.

" Sharing in the largest measure this general public sentiment, and at
the same time expressing the wishes of the President, I desire to invite
the aid of the Diplomatic and Consular Officers of the Government to
make his journey a pleasant one should he visit their posts. I feel already
assured that you will find patriotic pleasure in anticipating the wishes of
the Department by showing him that attention and consideration which
is due from every officer of the Government to a citizen of the Republic
so signally distinguished both in official service and personal renown.

"I am, Gentlemen, your obedient Servant, Wm. M. Evarts."

The receptions and attentions indicated in Mr. Evarts'
letter, which were tendered to General Grant before his
departure, were of a grandiose character, especially those
given on the evening of the 14th of May by the Union
League Club of Philadelphia, and on the i6th by Mr.
George W. Childs, at the latter's residence.

On the morning of the departure, Mrs. Grant and Jesse
Grant, accompanied by a host of friends, were taken to the
" Indiana " by the United States revenue cutter '* Hamilton,"
while the General was escorted by a distinguished company
on board the steamer " Twilight." The occasion was utilized
to give General Grant a farewell breakfast, and among

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

447

those at the table in the saloon of the "Twilight" were
ex-Sccretaries Fish, Robeson and Chandler, Senator
Cameron, Governor Martranft, General Sherman and
Mayor Stokley.

Wlien the time came for speeches, General Sherman,
referring to the welcome extended by the populace crowded
on the banks of the Delaware to see their idol off on his
trip, said :

RECEPTION TO GENERAL GRANT AT THE HOUSE OF HIS
FRIEND, MR. GEORGE W. CHILDS.

" This proud welcome demands a response. General Grant leaves here
to-day with the highest rewards of his fellow-citizens, and on his arrival
at the other side there is no doubt he will be welcomed by friends with
as willing hands and warm hearts as those he leaves behind. Ex-Presi-
dent Grant — General Grant — while you, his fellow-citizens, speak of him
and regard him as ex-President Grant ; I cannot but think of the times of
the war, of General Grant, President of the United States for eight years,
yet I cannot but think of him as the General Grant of Fort Donelson.

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448

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

" I think of him as the man who, when the country was in the hour of
its peril, restored its hopes when he marched triumphant into Fort Don-
elson. After that none of us lelt the least doubt as to the future of our
country, and therefore, if the name of Washington is allied with tlie birth
of our country, that of Grant is forever identified with its preservation,
its perpetuation.

"It is not here alone on the shores of the Delaware that the peopli
love and respect you, but in Chicago and St. Paul, and in far-off San
Francisco, the prayers go up to-day that your voyage may be prosperous
and pleasant, (lod bless you and grant you a pleasant juuriiey andasiaio
return to your native land."

To this General Grant, who was deeply affected, re-
sponded :

" I feel much overcome by what I have heard. When the first toast
was ofTered, I supposed the last words liere for me had been spoken, and
I feel overcome by sentiments to which I have listened, and which I feel
I am altogether inadequate to r^^spond to. I don't think that the com-
pliments ought all to be paid to me or any one man in either of the posi-
tions wliich I was called upon to fill.

"That which I accomplished — which I was able to accomplish — I owe
to the assistance of able lieutenants. I was so fortunate as to be calltd
to the first position in the army of the nation, and I had the good for-
tune to select lieutenants who could have filled " — here the general
turned to Sherman — " had it been necessary, I believe some of these
lieutenants could have filled my place may be better than I did. I do
not, therefore, regard myself as entitled to all the praise.

'* I believe that my friend Sherman could have taken my place as a
soldier as well as I could, and the same will apply to Sheridan. And I
believe, finally, that if our country ever comes into trial agani, young
men will spring up equal to the occasion, nd if one fails, there will be
another to take his place. Just as there was if I had failed."

The modesty of this address shows General Grant in his
truest light, while its tact, and the easy, self-possessed way
with which it was delivered, were evidences of the develop-
ment of a new talent — that of ready speaking on the part
of one who had won the sobriquet of " The Silent Man."
We need not dwell upon tlie enthusiastic applause and
cheers with wliich the speech was received by the hearers.

When the "Twilight" reached the " Indiana," Mrs. Grant
and Jesse were already on board, and amid the booming
of cannon and the waving of salutes the ever memorahlf
trip around the world was begun.

The " Indiana " was a first-class steamer, and was com-
manded by Captain Sargeant, an accomplished navigator

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

449

and an amiable gentleman. She was regarded as one ot
the most comfortable vessels in the fleet of the American
line, and is a first-rate sailer. Both the company and the
officers of the ship exerted tiieinselves to render the voyage
of General and Mrs. Grant a pleasant one, and in this they
succeeded admirably.

The "Indiana" passed the Capes on the afternoor of
the 17th of May, and by sunset was fairly out at sea. The
voyage was unusually rouijh, but the (ieneral and Jesse

GENERAL L.RAN 1" LEAVING THE "TWILIGHT" TO EMBARK
ON THE "INDIANA."

proved themselves good sailors. Mrs. Grant suffered
somewhat from sea-sickness, but, on the whole, enjoyed the
voyage. With the exception of the rough weather, there
was nothing worthy of notice connected with the run across
the Atlantic, except the death and burial of a child of one
of the steerage passengers. The General and Jesse never
missed a meal, and the former smoked constantly — ^an ex-
cellent test of his sea-going qualities.

Once on board the " Indiana," General Grant seemed a
changed man. He dropped the silence and reserve that
had been for so many years among his chief characteristics,
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450

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and conversed freely and with animation, entered heartily
into the various amusements that were gotten up tobecniiie
the tedium of the voyage, and was by common consent
regarded as the most agreeable person on the ship. Said
Captain Sargeant in speaking of the General's hearty oood
nature during the voyage : " There is no one who can make
himself more entertaining or agreeable in his conversation
— when nobody has an axe to grind." Indeed the Captain
declared that he had found the General the most interesting
and entertaining talker he had ever met.

The voyage was of
great benefit to General
Grant, and on the first
day out he told the Cap-
tain that he felt better
than he had for sixteen
years, since the begin-
ning of the war, and that
he keenly relished the
consciousness that he
had no letters to read
and no telegraphic dis-
patches to attend to, but
was free to do nothing
but enjoy the voyage.

On the morning of the
27th of May the "In-
diana " arrived off the
coast of Ireland. Off
Fastnet Light she was
compelled to lie to for eight hours in a dense fog. It finally
lifted, however, and the passengers had a fine view of the
coast of Ireland. Queenstown harbor was reached about
seven o'clock, and the weather being rough, the "Indiana"
ran into the harbor to discharge her mails and such pas-
sengers as wished to land at Queenstown. A steam tug
came alongside, bearing Mr. John Russell Young, the
European correspondent of the New York Herald, and a
number of prominent citizens of Queenstown, who came

AT SEA.— A CHAT WITH THE CAPTAIN.

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 45 1

on board the steamer and heartily welcomed General Grant
to Ireland. They also cordially invited him to stay with
them awhile, as their guest.

On the afternoon of the 28th of May the "Indiana"
reached Liverpool. The shipping in the port was deco-
rated with the flags of ?M nadons, among which the Stars
and Stripes were conspicuous. The passengers were con-
veyed in a tender to the landing stage, where General
Grant was met by Mr. A. R. Walker, the Mayor of Liver-
pool, who welcomed him
to England's great sea-
port, and offered him the
hospitalities of the city, in
the following well-chosen
words :

" General Grant : I am
proud that it has fallen to my
lot, as Chief Magistrate of
Liverpool, to welcome to the
shores of England so distin-
guished a citizen of the United
States. You have, sir, stamped
your name on the history of
the world by your brilliant
career as a soldier, and still
more as a statesman in the
interests of peace. In the
name of Liverpool, whose in-
terests are so closely allied with
your great country, I bid you
heartily welcome, and I hope
Mrs. Grant and yourself will
enjoy your visit to old England."

General Grant expressed his thanks to the Mayor for his
kind reception, and was then introduced to a number of
prominent citizens of Liverpool, after which the whole party
drove to the Adelphi Hotel, where General Grant was to
stay during his sojourn in the city.

On the morning of the 29th, General Grant and party, ac-
companied by the Mayor of Liverpool and a deputation of
witizens, embarked on the tender " Vigilant," and proceeded
to the extreme end of the river wall, where they inspected
the new docks in process of construction.

ARRIVAL AT LIVERPOOL.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

After returning from the docks General Grant and his
party drove to the Town Hall, where they were entcruiincd
at luncheon by the Mayor. Numerous prominent citizens
were present. Afterward, with the Mayor, the party visited
the Newsroom and Exchange. The General's reception on
'Change by the crowd, which entirely filled the room, was
very cordial. He made a brief speech of thanks from the
balcony, which was received with reiterated cheerinir. The
Mayor, in the name of the city, tendered to General Grant
and his party a public banquet, to take place at some future
time.

Having inspected many celebrated institutions of Liver-
pool, General Grant and his party left Liverpool, on the
30th day of May, for Manchester.

After a reception at the Town Hall, General Grant and
party were taken to see the most famous manufactories of
Manchester, where the process of preparing the different
goods was explained to them. They then visited the great
warehouse of Sir James Watts, the Assize Courts and the
Royal Exchange.

Upon reaching London, General Grant found that the
American Minister, the Hon. Edwards Pierrepont, had
accepted for him a round of invitations that would occupy
his time far into the month of June.

On the morning after his arrival in London he went to
the Oaks at Epsom to witness the Derby Races, that sport
so dear to the English heart. The Prince of Wales, learning
that the General was on the grounds, expressed a desire to
meet him, and General Grant was accordingly presented
to the Prince, who cordially welcomed him to England. On
the evening of the same day, the General dined with the
Duke of Wellington at Apsley House. The Duke, in
tendering the invitation, had said that it seemed to him a fit
thing that General Grant's first dinner in London should be
at Apsley House — thus delicately intimating that he would
feel honored in receiving within the home of the great
conqueror of Napoleon the great scidier who had brought
the American struggle to a successful close.

On the 7th of June General Grant was presented at
Court and was cordially received by the Queen.

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND IHE WORLD. 453

Among the places visited in London by General Grant
were the Houses of Parhament, the Tower, St. Paul's
Cathedral, the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange, the
British Museum, the Mansion House and the Docks.

After a visit at Southampton, where Mrs. Sartoris, his
only daughter, Nellie, lived. General Grant returned to
London, and on the 1 5th he was formally presented with the
freedom of the city of London. This important ceremony

GENERAL GRANT MEETING THE PRINCE OF WALES.

look place at Guildhall. It constitutes the highest distinc-
tion the municipality of London can confer upon a person
it desires to honor, and has only once before been conferred
upon an American — the late George Peabody.

About eight hundred ladies and gentlemen, including
several members of the Government, American consuls,
merchants and the principal representatives of the trade
and commerce of London, were invited to meet the General

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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at luncheon, subsequent to the civic ceremony. Amon'»
the guests were Sir Stafford Northcote, Chancellor of the
Kxchequer, and many members of Parliament. The
entrance to the hall and the corridors of the Guildhall were
laid with crimson cloth. The walls were dc^corated with
mirrors and exotics. The guests began to arrive about
half-past eleven o'clock, and from that time until half-past
twelve a steady stream of carriages poured into the Guild-
hall yard. General Grant arrived about one o'clock.

The General was accompanied by Mrs. Grant and Minis-
ter and Mrs. Pierrepont. He was received at the entrance
of the Guildhall by a deputation consisting of four Alder-
men with their chairman, six members of the City Land
Committee, including the mover and seconder of the reso-
lution for presenting the freedom of thecity to the General,
and was by them conducted to the library, where he was
received by the Lord Mayor, and took a seat on the dais,
on the left hand of his Lordship, who occupied the chair as
President of a Special Court of the Common Council, at
which were assembled most of the members of the Corpo-
ration, the Aldermen wearing their scarlet robes and the
Common Councilmen their mazarin gowns.

The resolution of the Court was read by the Town Cleric,
and General Grant, after an address made by the Cham-
berlain, Mr. B. Scott, was admitted to the freedom of the
city, tile Chamberlain making the official announcement to
him in these words :

" The unprecedented facilities of modern travel, and the running to
and fro of all classes in our day, have brought to our shores unwonted
visitors from Asia, as well as from Europe — rulers of empires both an-
cient and of recent creation ; but amongst them all we have not as yet
received a President of the United States of America — a power great,
flourishing and free, but so youthful that it celebrated only last year it>
first centennial. A visit of the ruling President of those States is scarcely
to bs looked for, so highly valued are hi«. services at home during hi^
limited term of office ; you must bear with u^, therefore. General, if wo
make much of an Ex-President of the great republic of the Njiv Wuriti
visiting the old home of his fathers. It is true that those first fathjrs—
Pilgrim Fathers we now call them — chafed under the straitness of the
parental rule, and sought in distant climes the liberty then denied them
at home ; it is true, likewise, that their children subsequently resented
the interference, well intended if unwise, of their venerated parent, and

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE W«)I<LD.

455

manifested a spirit of independence of parental restraint not unbecoming
in groA^n-up sons of the Anglo-Saxon stock. Yet, for aU this, there is
furnished, from time to time, abundant evidence that both children and
parent have forgotten old differences and forgiven old wrongs ; that the
chiklren loiitiniie to revere the mother country, while she is not wanting
in mitcrnal pride at witnessing so numerous, so thriving and so freedom-
loving a race of descendants. If other indications were wanting of
mutual feelings of regard, we should find them, on the one hand, in the
very hospitib e and enthusiastic reception accorded to the Heir Appar-
ent to the British throne, and subsequently to H. K. H. Prince Arthur,
when, (luring your presidency, he visited your country ; and on the
other hand, in the cordial reception which, we are gratified to observe,
you have received from the hour when you set foot on the shores of Old
Ivtgliiud. In this spirit, and with these convlcliDns, the Corporation of
Ljiulon receives yuu to-day with all kindliness of welcome, desiring to
compliment you and your country in your person by conferring upon
you the honorary freedom of their ancient city — a freedom which had
existence more than eight centuries before your first ancestors set foot on
Plymouth Rock ; a freedom confirmed to the citizens, but not originated,
by the Norman conqueror, which has not yet lost its significance or its
value, although the liberty which it symbolizes has been extended to
other British subjects, and has become the inheritance of the great
Anglo-American family across the Atlantic. But we not only recognize
in you a citizsn of the United States, but one who has made a distin-
guished mark in American history — a soldier whose military capabilities
brought him to the front in the hour of his country's sorest trial, and
eiial)led him to strike the blow which terminated fratricidal war and re-
united his distracted country ; who also manifested magnanimity in the
hour of triumph, and amidst the national indignation created by the
assassination of the great and good Abraham Lincoln, by obtaining for
vanquished adversaries the rights of capitulated brethren in arms, when
some would have treated them as traitors to their country. We further
recognizi in you a President upon whom was laid the honor, and with it
th^ respjnsibility, during two terms of office, of a greater and more
diffi uU task than that which devolved upon you as a general in the field
—that of binding up the bleeding frame of society which had been rent
asunder when the deoaon of slavery was cast out. That the constitution
of the country over which you were thus called to preside survived so
fearful a shock, that we saw it proud and progressive, celebrating its centen-
nial during the last year of your official rule, evinces that the task which
your countrymen had committed to you did not miscarry in your hands.
" That such results have been possible must, in fairness, be attributed
in no considerable degree to the firm but conciliatory policy of your ad-
ministration at home and abroad, which is affirmed of you by the resolu-
tion of this honorable Court, whose exponent and mouthpiece I am this
day. May you greatly enjoy your visit to our country at this favored
season of the year, and may your life be long spared to witness in your
country and in our own — the two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon
family — a career of increasing amity, mutual respect and honest, if

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GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

45;

spirited, rivalry — rivalry in trade, commerce, agriculture and manufacture,
in the arts, science and literature ; rivalry in the highest of all arts, how
best to promote the well-being and to develop the industry of nations,
how to govern them for the largest good to the greatest number, and for
the advancement of peace, liberty, morality and the consequent happi-
ness of mankind. Nothing now remains, General, but that I should
present to you an illuminated copy of the resolutions of this honorable
Court, for the reception if which an appropriate casket is in course of
preparation; and, in conclusion, offer you, in the name of this honorable
Court, the right hand of fellowship as a citizen of London."

When the cheers which followed this speech had subsided,

General Grant replied as follows :

" It is a matter of some regret to me that I have never cultivated that
art of public speaking which might have enabled me to express in suitable
terms my gratitude for the compliment which has been paid to my country-
men and myself on this occasion. Were I in the habit of speaking in
public, I should claim the right to express my opinion, and what I believe
will be the opinion of my countrymen when the proceedings of this day
shall have been telegraphed to them. For myself, I have been very much
surprised at my reception at all places since the day I landed at Liverpool
up to my appearance in this, the greatest city in the world. It was
entirely unexpected, and it is particularly gratifying to me. I believe
that this honor is intended quite as much for the country which I have
had the opportunity of serving in different capacities, as for myself, and
I am glad that this is so, because I want to see the happiest relations
existing, not only between the United States and Great Britain, but also
between the United States and all other nations. Although a soldier by
education and profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war,
and I have never advocated it except as a means of peace. I hope that
we shall always settle our differences in all future negotiations as amicably
as we did in a recent instance. I believe that settlement has had a happy
eflfect on both countries, and that from month to month, and year to year,
the tie of common civilization and common blood is getting stronger
between the two countries. My Lord Mayor, ladies, and gentlemen, I
again thank you for the honor you have done me and my country to-day."

This reply was received with loud cheers, after which
General Grant signed his name to the roll of honorary
freemen of the city of London.

The Lord Mayor now conducted General Grant to the
e^reat hall, where a luncheon was served upon twenty tables.
After the health of the Queen was drunk, the Lord Mayor
in a cordial and tasteful speech proposed the health of Gen-
eral Grant, which was drunk with applause. General Grant,
in reply, said :

" My Lord Mayor, Ladies, and Gentlemen : Habits formed in early

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

life and early education press upon us as we grow older. I was brought
up a soldier — not to talking. I am not aware that I ever fouglit two
battles on the same day in the same place, and that I should be called
upon to make two speeches on the same day under the same roof is
beyond my understanding. What I do understand is, that I am much
indebted to all of you for the compliment you have paid me. All I can
do is to thank the Lord Mayor for his kind words, and to thank the
citizens of Great Britain here present in the name of my country and
for myself."

On the 1 6th of June General Grant and his family dined
at Kensington Palace, with the Princess Louise and the
Marquis of Lome. The next day they dined with Mr.
Morgan, an American banker, residing in London.

On the 19th of June General Grant dined with the Prince
of Wales, at Marlborough House, to meet the Emperor of
Brazil. Marlborough House is the London residence of
the Prince of Wales, and stands in Pall Mall, St. James'.
It was built by the great Duke of Marlborough, but was
purchased by the Crown in 181 7, for the Princess Charlotte
and Prince Leopold, the latter of whom afterwards became
the first King of Belgium. Queen Adelaide, the widow of
William IV., also lived here for a number of years. After
dinner the General visited the ofifice of the London 7t7nes,
and was shown over the establishment by Mr. J. C. Mac-
donald, the manager of the paper. On the 20th the Gen-
eral dined with Lord Ripon, and on the 21st with Minister
Pierrepont, to meet the Prince of Wales. On the 21st he
attended a reception given by Mrs. Hicks, an American
lady residing in London. In the evening, in company with
Mrs. Grant and General Badeau, he attended a perform-
ance of " Martha," at the Covent Garden Theatre. He
wore his uniform on this occasion, and as he entered the
curtain rose, showing the stage decorated with American
flags, and occupied by the full company. Madame Albani,
the prima donna of the evening, sang the " Star Spancjled
Banner" (the company joining in the chorus), accompanied
by the orchestra. During the singing the General and the
entire audience remained standing.

On the evening of the 22d General Grant attended a
banquet given by Trinity Board, at their handsome hall on
Tower Hill. This Board has charge of the pilotage, light-

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

459

houses, etc., of the United Kingdom. The Prince of Wales
presided at this banquet. Prince Leopold, Prince Christian,
the Prince of Leiningen, the Prince of Saxe-Weimar, the
Uuke of Wellington, the Marquis of Hertford, the Earl
of Derby, the Earl of Carnarvon, Sir Stafford Northcote»
Mr. Cross and Chief-Justice Sir Alexander Cockburn were
among the distinguished company present.

The Prince of Wales, referring to General Grant, in the
course of his speech, said:

"On the present occasion it is a matter of peculiar gratification to us
as Englishmen to receive as our guest General Grant. (Cheers.) I can
assure him for myself, and for all loyal subjects of the Queen, that it has
given us the greatest pleasure to see him as a guest in this country."

(Cheers.)

Earl Carnarvon proposed the health of the visitors, and
coupled with it General Grant's name. He said :

" Strangers of all classes, men of letters, arts, science, state, and all
that has been most worthy and great, have, as it were, come to this centre
of old civilization. I venture, without disparagement to any of those
illustrious guests, to say that never has there been one to whom we will-
ingly accord a freer, fuller, heartier welcome than we do to General Grant.

"On this occasion, not merely because we believe he has performed
the part of a distinguished general, nor because he has twice filled the
highest office which the citizens of his great country can fill, but because
we look upon him as representing that good-will and affection which
ought to subsist between us and the United States. It has been my duty
to be connected with the great Dominion of Canada, stretching several
thousand miles along the frontier of the United States, and. during the
last three or four years I can truthfully say that nothing impressed me
more than the interchange of friendly and good offices which took place
between the two countries under the auspices of President Grant."

General Grant replied that he felt more impressed than
he had possibly ever felt before on any occasion. He
came here under the impression that this was Trinity
House, and that trinity consisted of the army, navy and
peace. He thought it was a place of quietude, where
there would be no talk or toasts. He had been therefore
naturally surprised at hearing both. He had heard some
remarks from His Royal Highness which compelled him to
say a word in response. He begged to thank His High-
ness for these remarks. There had been other things said
during the evening highly gratifying to him.

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GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

461

On the morning of the 23d General Grant paid a visit
to Earl Russell, who was living in retirement at his home
at Peirbroke Lodge, in Richmond Park, a special gift to
him from the Queen. His visit was a pleasant one, and
the venerable English leader expressed himself as much
gratified by the attention shown him by the General.

On the 25th General Grant attended an entertainment
at the house of Mr. McHenry, the celebrated financier, and
in the evenirig took dinner with Lord Derby at his house
in St. James' Square.

On the afternoon of the 27th of June, General and Mrs.
Grant, accompanied by Jesse Grant, Mr. and Mrs. Pierre-
pont and General Badeau, to whom invitations had also
been extended, left London for Windsor. The trip was a
:hort one, the train reaching the latter place in forty-five
minutes from London. At half-past eight in the evening,
the Queen, surrounded by her Court, received her guests
in the beautiful corridor extending around the south and
east sides of the quadrangle, and leading to her private
apartments.

As the party were assembling for dinner the following
dispatch was received and delivered by the Queen to Gen-
eral (jrant : „ providence, Rhode Island.

"From General Hartranft, Commanaer-in- Chief, to General U. S.
Grant, Care of Her Majesty the Queen.

" Your comrades in national encampment assembled, in Rhode Island,
send heartiest greeting to their old commander, and desire, through
England's Queen, to tliank England for Grant's reception."

General Grant having communicated the contents of this

dispatch to Her Majesty, who expressed her gratification

at the hearty greeting, returned the following reply:

"Grateful for telegram. Conveyed message to the Queen. Thank my
old comrades."

The dinner passed off pleasantly, and during its progress
the band of the Grenadier Guards, stationed in the Quad-
rangle, discoursed sweet music. After the repast was over
the Queen conversed for a while with her guests, and at
ten o'clock withdrew, followed by her attendants. The re-
mainder of the evening, until half-past eleven, was spent in

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GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

463

conversation and playing whist with the members of the
Royal household. The next morning General Grant and
party returned to London.

Later in the day the General, in company with his son
Jesse and General Badeau, went to Liverpool, where the
General was a guest at a dinner given in his honor by the
mayor and corporation of that city. He thus fulfilled an
enjajrement made at

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the time of his landing
at Liverpool. Two
hundred and fifty per-
sons sat down to table,
and the dinner was in
all respects a marked
success. The mayor
proposed the health of
General Grant, and
the General responded
in one of his happiest
speeches. The next
morning the party re-
turned to London.

On the evening of
the Fourth there was a
reception at the Ameri-
can Legation. The
occasion was not a very
ceremonious one; and
with a single exception,
only Americans were
on guard that night. The exception was Monsignor
Capel. The dinner was informal and private. Most of the
distinguished Americans known to be passing through
London were invited, and were present.

With the Fourth of July festivities General Grant's first
visit to London came to an end. The season was over, and
the people were leaving the city for the seaside and the
other summer resorts patronized by the English. Dullness
was settling down upon London, and there was but litde to

GRANT'S RECEPTION AT THE
AMERICAN LEGATION.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

induce the General to remain in the metropolis. He there-
fore resolved to spend the remainder of the summer in a
brief run to the Continent of Europe. Accordingly, on the
morning of the 6th of July, he left London for Ostend, in
Belgium, where the General and his party passed the nigiit,
and the next morning set out by rail for Brussels. Attht;
ancient city of Ghent a halt was made. Accompanied hy
the American Consul at that place, the General and his par "
visited the principal points of interest in the city.

One of General Grant's first acts, after arriving in Brus-
sels, was to visit Mr. A. P. Merrill, the American Minister,
who was confined to his bed by illness.

On the 7th the General and his party visited the sicrhts
of the city, among them the Hotel de Ville, a beautiful
structure, founded in 1400, and celebrated as one of the
most perfect specimens of Gothic architecture in the worlc'
It abounds in exquisite and quaint sculptures, and is sur-
mounted by a pyramidal tower 368 feet in height. The
General and his companions were recived by the municipal
authorities, and were shown through the building. Amonij
the objects of interest exhibited was the Golden Book, which
contains the signatures of famous visitors to the place for
ge.ierations back. The General, at the request of the au-
thorities, inscribed his name in this volume. On the same
day the General received a call at his hotel from King Leo-
pold. They had a long and interesting conversation, and
separated mutually pleased with each other. On the 8th
General and Mrs. Grant returned the call of the King at
the palace. In the evening the King entertained the Gen-
eral at a banquet, at which a brilliant company was
present.

On Monday morning, July 9th, General Grant left Brus-
sels for Cologne, travelling in the royal railway carriage,
which the King had placed at his disposal. The distance
from Brussels to Cologne is one hundred and forty-one
miles, and the route lies through a charming and deeply in-
teresting region.

General Grant was met upon his arrival in the city by
the civil and military authorities of the place, and was cor-

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

465

dially welcomed by them to Cologne. He then visited the
prominent places of interest in the city.

On the morning of the loth General Grant and his party
embarked in one of the little steamers navigating the Rhine,
and ascended that river as far as Coblentz. The voyage
was delightful, the travellers passing the university town
of Bonn, and enjoying fine views of the Siebengebirge and
the Drachenfels, the scene of Siegfried's fight with and
victory over the dragon, whose blood made him invulner-
able. Rolandseck, with its ruined castle, and the island of
Nonnenweith, with its nunnery, or "kloster," reminding the
traveller of the sad legend of Roland and Hildegunde,
were passed, and in the afternoon the travellers entered the
magnificent region lying below Coblentz.

The balance of the day and the night were passed at
Coblentz, which town is situated between the rivers Rhine
and Moselle. It is triangular in shape, is defended by
powerful fortifications, and is the bulwark of Germany.

On the nth General Grant visited Wiesbaden, one of
the most beautiful and famous watering-places on the Con-
tinent; and on the 12th went to Frankfort, where he was
met by a committee of ten gentlemen, representing the
American citizens of the place, and conducted to the Hotel
de Russie. In the evening he was entertained by his fellow-
countrymen in Frankfort at dinner in the celebrated (Palmen
Garten, one hundred and fifty gentlemen being present on
the occasion. After dinner he strolled through the gardens,
which were densely crowded by persons who were anxious
to see him.

On the 1 3th the General and his party made an excur-
sion to Homburg, a noted watering-place, where he was
received by a committee of Americans, headed by ex-Gov-
ernor Ward, of New Jersey. This was formerly one of the
most noted gambling places in Europe, but in 1872 gaming
was suppressed by law. The General and his companions,
after seeing the sights of Homburg, drove to Salburg, near
which is a celebrated Roman camp, which is carefully pre-
served by the Prussian Government. The General was
received by the officers in charge of it, who caused the
30

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466

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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grave of a Roman soldier, who had been dead for over
eii^hteen hundred years, to be opened. Returnin_(i^ to Horn-
burnr, the General dined with his American friends, and
spent the balance of the evening- in strolling throui^li the
beautiful gardens of the Kursaal, which were brilliantly
illuminated in his honor. At eleven o'clock v. m. the party
took the cars for Frankfort. On the 14th some of thu noted
wine-cellars of Frankfort were visited, and there was a
dinner in the Zoological Gardens.

On Sunday morning, July 15th, the General and his party
proceeded from Frankfort to Heidelberg, the inter(isting
capital of the old Palatinate.

From there General Grant went to Baden-Baden, one of
the most noted as well as the most beautiful towns. A
brief and pleasant stay was made here, and the famous
Black Forest was visited, after which the party proceeded
to Switzerland.

The route travelled by the General and his party lay
through Basle, Lucerne, Interlaken and Berne, to Geneva.
But a brief halt was made at Basle, which ''es on both
sides of the Rhine, and in full view of the Black Forest
and the Jura.

From Basle the General and his party proceeded direct
to Lucerne, travelling by the Central Swiss Railway. After
visiting the most celebrated and beautiful places, includinjr
Berne, Lucerne, Thun, Interlaken, Geneva, Chamounix,
Mont Blanc, the lakes of Upper Italy, the Spliigen Pass,
the Via Mala, and availing himself of the benefits of the
celebrated Springs of Pfaeffers, General Grant proceeded,
via Zurich, direct to Strasburg and Metz, where he inspected
the fortifications and some of the most celebrated batde-
fields of the Franco-German War. y/a Antwerp, he re-
turned to England, reaching London on the 27th of August.
General Grant, having promised to visit Scodand, deter-
mined to devote to that purpose the first weeks following
his return from the Continent. He proceeded direct from
London to Edinburgh, where he arrived on the 31st of
August. He was received by the Lord Provost in a speech
marked by eloquence and warmth of feeling, and was the

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guest of that hi^h official during his stay in Scotland.
Among the lionors shown him was the presentation ot the
freedom of the city. This ceremony took place at the l-'roe
Assembly Hall, and in the presence of some two thousand
of the principal citizens of Edinburgh. The Lord Provost's
address was hearty and cordial, and General Grant said, in
reply:

" I am so filled with emotion that I hardly know how to thank you for
the honor conferred upon me by making me a burgess of this am lent
City of Edinburgh. I feel, that it is a great compliment to inu- and to
my country. Had I eloquence, I might dwell somewhat on the history
of the great men you have produced, or the numerous citizens of this
city and Scotland that have gone to America, and the record iliey have
made. We are proud of Scotchmen as citizens of America. Thev
make good citizens of our country, and they find it profitable to them-
selves. (Laughter.) I again thank you for the honor you have con-
ferred upon me."

General Grant visited the various points of int(^rest in
Edinburgh during his stay in that city, and was greatly
pleased with the beauty and splendor of the Scottish
metropolis.

On the evening of the day of his arrival in Scotland,
General Grant dined with the Lord Provost, and met
Major-General Stewart, the Commander-in-Chief of tiie
British Army in Scotland, and several other distinguished
officers.

The next day, Saturday, September ist, an excursion was
made to the Tay Bridge, after which the party sailed across
the Firth of Tay in the steam-tug "Elsinore," and landed at
Dundee, which city is picturesquely situated on the north
side of the Firth.

On the 13th of September General Grant made a visit
to Glasgow, and was formally presented with the freedom
of the city. The ceremony took place in the Town Hall,
one of the largest halls in the city, which was filled with an
audience representing the most prominent citizens of the
place. The Lord Provost, addressing General Grant in a
complimentary speech, delivered to him the address of the
Common Council in which the honorary freedom of the
city was conferred upon him. This address stated that the
Common Council of the city of Glasgow admitted and re-

xursion was
jailed across
nd landed at
)n the north

i'ALACE OF HOLYROOD— VISITED BY GENERAL GRANT.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ceived, and hereby admit "and receive, General Ulysses
Simpson Grant, ex-President of the United States of Amer-
ica, to be a burgess and guild brother of the city and royal
burgh of Glasgow, in recognition of his distinguished abil-
ities as a statesmen and administrator, his successful efforts
in the noble work of emancipating his country from the
horrors of slavery, and of his great services in promotino-
commerce and amity between the United States and Great
Britain."

The reading of this address was received with great ap-
plause. General Grant replied as follows :

" I rise to thank you for the great honor that has been conferred upon
me this day by making me a free burgess of this great city of Glasgow.
The honor is one that I shall cherish, and I shall always remember this
day. When I am back in my own country I will be able to refer with
pride not only to my visit to Glasgow, but to all the different towns in
this kingdom that I have had the pleasure and honor of visiting. (Ap-
plause). I find that I am being made so much a citizen of Scotland,
it will become a serious question where I shall go to vote. (Laughter
and applause). You have railroads and other facilities for getting from
one place to another, and I might vote frequently in Scotland by starting
early. I do not know how you punish that crime over here ; it is a crime
that is very often practised by people who come to our country and become
citizens there by adoption. In fact, I think they give the majority of
the votes. I do not refer to Scotchmen particularly, but to naturalized
citizens. But, to speak more seriously, ladies and gentlemen, I feel the
honor of this occasion, and I beg to thank you, ladies and gentlemen,
for the kind expression of your audience."

On the 14th of September the General visited Ayr, in
the vicinity of which the poet Burns was born. The humble
cottage in which he saw the light, the " Twa Brigs," "Al-
loway's auld haunted Kirk," the tomb of the poet, and the
other points of interest were each visited in their turn, the
excursion being one of the pleasantest of the General's
tour. The next excursion was through the picturesque re-
gion of Lochs Lomond and Catrine, at the close of which
General Grant and his party went to Inverary, the county-
town of Argyleshire. Here they spent a day or two, as
the guest of the Duke of Argyle, at his fine seat of In-
verary Castle, which lies near the town.

General Grant now set out on his return to England.
His route lay through the manufacturing districts of that

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

47^

kingdom, and everywhere he was welcomed with eri'
thiisiasm. He left Edinburgh on September 19th, and ar-
rived at Newcastle on the 20th. General and Mrs. Grant
drove direct to the Mansion House, the residence of the
Mayor, whose guests they were. In response to the calls
of the crowd without they appeared on the balcony, and
were loudly cheered. In the evening they dined with the
Mayor and two hundred invited guests.

On Friday, the 2 1 st, the General and his party began
tlieir inspection of the sights of the town. Mewcastle-up-
on-Tyne lies on the north bank of the Tyne, about ten miles
above its mouth.

The General visited the old Castle, of which the beaud-
ful Norman chapel is still preserved. An address was pre-
sented to the General by the Newcastle and Gateshead In-
corporated Chamber of Commerce, in which the natural
wealth, the manufactures and commerce of the Tyne district
were explained. " The various branches of the iron trade,"
the address continued, " includes melting the ore into pig
iron, the manufacture of all kinds of wrought iron, rails,
machines, ordnance, and the building of iron vessels, for
which our river is famous. The shipment of coal from the
town exceeds 7,109,000 tons per annum, and the number
of vessels annually leaving the river, engaged in the coal
trade or loaded with the produce of our manufactories, is
larger than the number leaving any other port in the world."

General Grant replied in suitable terms to this address,
and the party then drove to the new Tyne Swing Bridge,
which was inspected. They then embarked on the steamer
"Commodore." The shipping was decorated with flags,
and salutes from cannon and the blowing of fog and steam
whisdes made a noisy demonstration. The General took
his posidon in the forward part of his boat, and bowed his
acknowledgments as she passed along.

On the 26th of September the General and his party
reached Sheffield, one of the principal manufacturing cities
of England From the station the party drove to Cutler's
Hall. The General was there received by the Mayor,
Aldermen and Councillors in their robes of office. Seats

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of honor were placed for him and Mrs. Grant by the chair
of the Mayor, who cordially welcomed the General to Shef-
field.

The next day, the 27th, the General and his party visited
a number of the manufacturing establishments of Sheffield.
In the evening there was a brilliant banquet at Cutler's.
Hall, at which speeches, complimentary to the General^
were made.

TOMB OF SHAKESPEARE IN THE CHURCH OF
STRATFORD-ON-AVON.

The next morning, September 28, the party left Sheffield
for Stratford-on-Avon, which place was reached at eleven
o'clock. The General and his companions were met at the
station by the Mayor, and were driven to the beautiful
Gardens, through which they strolled. Then the Church
of the Holy Cross and the Grammar School were visited.
At the latter place they were shown the seat occupied by
Shakespeare when a school-boy, and where he conned his
dr^ily task. Then followed a visit to the Shakespeare Me-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

morial, after which the party repaired to the Church of the
Holy Trinity, in which Shakespeare is buried. The house
in which he was born was also visited. It is now a Museum
and is filled with interesting relics of the immortal bard.
An excursion was also made to the cottage of Anne Hath-
away, whom Shakespeare married when he was but eighteen
years of age, and which lies about a mile distant from the
town. An address was presented to him in a casket made
of the wood of a mulberry tree planted by Shakespeare.

On the 29th the General and his party left Stratford for
Leamington, one of the prettiest and most noted watering-
places of England.

Upon the arrival of the train the General and his party
found the town decorated with flags, and with a triumphal
arch, bearing the inscription, "Welcome to the Royal
Borough." The General was received by a guard of
honor of the Leamington Volunteers. The Mayor de-
livered a complimentary address of welcome, which was
cordially replied to by General Grant. The sights of the
town were then visited, and excursions were made to Kenil-
worth and Warwick Castles.

General and Mrs. Grant now brought their journey
through the midland counties to a close, and hastening to
Southampton, spent some days with their daughter, Mrs.
Sartoris.

On the loth of October General Grant went to Birming-
ham, in compliance with a promise made some time before
to visit that city. He was met by the Mayor and city
authorities, and was conducted to the Town Hall, where he
was presented with addresses from the City Corporation,
the Workingmen and the Midland International Arbitration
Union. The Mayor delivered an eloquent speech of wel-
come, which was responded to by General Grant, who also
replied in suitable terms to the other addresses. After
these ceremonies the General visited the Free Library, the
Art Gallery and several other places of interest, and then
went to the residence of Mr. Chamberlain, Member of Par-
liament for Birmingham, whose guest he was during his
stay in the city.

GENERAL GRANT S TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

475

On the 24th of October, 1877, General Grant, accompanied
by his wife, his son Jesse, and Mr. John Russell Young, left
Charing Cross in a special train for Folkestone, from which
point the passage of the Channel was to be made. A crowd of
Americans assembled at the station to bid him farewell,
and the train departed amid their hearty cheers.

Just before Paris was reached General Noyes, the
American Minister to France, General Torbert, the
American Consul-General at Paris, and an aid-de-camp of

GENERAL GRANT VISITS THE GARDENS OF THE PALAIS ROYAL, PARIS.

Marshal MacMahon entered the car. The aid-de-camp, in
the name of the President of the French Republic, v-el-
comed General Grant to France. At the depot a large
crowd of Americans assembled to welcome him.

General Grant remained in Paris from the 24th of Oc-
tober until near the middle of December.

It would not be possible to give here a detailed descrip-
tion of all the places in Paris visited by General Grant, so
we must content ourselves with describing a few of the

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most prominent, and with a general view of the beautiful
city.

On the 25th of October, the day following his arrival
General Grant made a formal visit to Marshal MacMahon'
the President of the French Republic, and was cordially
received by him. He was accompanied by Mrs. Grant.
Madame MacMahon acted as interpreter upon this oc-
casion. The Marshal said he was much gratified to make
the acquaintance of so illustrious a soldier. He offered to
open all the French military establishments to his inspec-
tion, and to furnish him means of knowing everythincr he
desired concerning French military affairs. General Grant
accepted the offer with thanks.

On the 29th of October General Noyes, the American
Minister to France, held a reception in honor of General
Grant at his residence in the Avenue Josephine. It was a
very brilliant affair.

The reception, which followed the banquet, was attended
by President MacMahon, who wore the Grand Cordon of
the Legion of Honor. A large number of Americans, the
entire Diplomatic Corps, and the e/t^e of French society
were present at the reception. The rooms were beautifully
decorated and the building was illuminated.

On the I St of November Marshal MacMahon entertained
General Grant at a State dinner at the Elysee. It was at-
tended by the entire Cabinet, the American Minister, and
a brilliant company of distinguished Frenchmen, and a
number of ladies, including Mrs. Grant and Madame Mac-
Mahon.

After a short trip through Southern France General
Grant and his party went, ma Marseilles and Nice, to Villa
Franca.

Here the General found the United States war steamer
" Vandalia," which had been ordered by the American
Government to convey him and his party to Egypt and
such other places on the Mediterranean as he should desire
to visit.

On the 17th of December, 1S77, the "Vandalia" cast
anchor in the harbor of Naples.

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On the following clay General Grant visited Mount Ve-
suvius and the ruined city of Pompeii.
Mr. Yountr thus describes the visit:

" We arrived at Pompeii early in the morning, considering that we had
to ride fourteen or fifteen miles; but the norning was cold enough to he
giateful to our northern habits, and there was sunshine. Our coming had
b(*en expected, and we were welcomed by a handsome young guide, who
talked a form of English in a rather high key, as though we were a little
hard of hearing. This guide informed us that he had waited on General
Sheridan when he visited Pompeii. He was a soldier, and we learned
that the guides are all soldiers, who receive duty here as a reward for
meritorious service. There was some comfort in seeing Pompeii accom-
panied by a soldier, and a brave one. This especial guide was intelligent,
bright, and well up in all concerning Pompeii. We entered the town at
once through a gate leading through an embankment. Although Pom-
peii, so far as excavated, is as open to the air as New York, it is sur-
rounded by an earthen mound, resembling some of our railway embank-
ments in America.
Looking at it from
the outside you might
imagine it an em-
bankment, and ex-
pect to see a train of
cars whirling along
the surface. It is only
when you pass up a
stone-paved slope a
few paces that the
truth comes upon
you, and you see that
you are in the City
of Death. You see
before you a long,
narrow street run-
ning into other nar-
row streets. You
see quaint, curious
houses in ruins. You
see fragments, stat-
ues, mounds, walls.
You see curiously
painted walls. You
see where men and
women lived and
how they lived — all
silent and all dead

MRS. ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and there comes over you that appalling story which
has fascinated so many generations of men — the story of the destruction
of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

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" The Italian authorities did General Grant special honor on his visit
to Pompeii by directing that a house should be excavated. It is one of
the special compliments paid to visitors of renown. Chairs were arranged
for the General, Mrs. Grant, and some of us, and there quietly, in a
room that had known Pompeiian life seventeen centuries ago, we uwaiiud
the signal that was to dig up the ashes that had fallen from Vesuvius ilut
terrible night in August.

" We formed a group about the General, while the director gave the
workmen the signal. The spades dived into the ashes, while witli eager
eyes we looked on. Nothing came of any startling import. There were
two or three bronze ornaments, a loaf of bread wrapped in cloth, ihe
grain of the bread and the fibre of the cloth as clearly marked as when
this probable remnant of a humble meal was put aside by the rarofiil
housewife's hands. Beyond this and some fragments which wo could not
understand, this was all that came from the excavation of Pompeii.
The director was evidently disappointed. He expected a skeleton at
the very least to come out of the cruel ashes and welcome our renowned
guest, who had come so many thousand miles to this Roman entertain-
ment. He proposed to open another ruin, but one of our ' Vandalia '
friends, a very practical gentleman, remembered that it was cold and that
he had been walking a good deal and was hungry, and when he proposed
that, instead of excavating another ruin, we should ' excavate a beef-
steak ' at the restaurant near the gate of the sea, there was an approval.
The General, who had been leisurely smoking his cigar and studying the
scene with deep interest, quietly assented, and, thanking the director for
his courtesy, said he would give him no more trouble. So the laborers
shouldered their .shovels and marched off to their dinner, and we formed
in a straggling, slow procession, and marched down the street where
Nero rode in triumph, and across the Forum, where Cicero may have
thundered to listening thousands, and through the narrow streets, past
the wine-shops filled with jars which contain no wine— past the baker's,
whose loaves are nt) longer in demand — past the thrifty merchant's, with
his sign warning idlers away, a warning that has been well heeded by
generations of men — past the house of the tragic poet, whose measures
no longer burden the multitude, and down the smooth, slippery steps that
once led through the gate opening to the sea — steps over which fisher-
men trailed their nets and soldiers marched in stern procession — into the
doors of a very modern tavern. Pompeii was behind us, and a smiling
Italian waiter welcomed us to wine and corn, meat and bread, olives and
oranges. Around his wholesome board we gathered, and talked of the
day and the many marvels we had seen."

On the 2 2d the "Vandalia" sailed from Naples for
Sicily, and at noon on the 23d of December dropped
anchor in the harbor of Palermo.

On Christmas morning the ships in the harbor were
gayly dressed with flags and bunting in honor of the Gen-
eral. At noon the Prefect of Palermo came on board in

r ' Vandalia '

GENERAL GUANT's TOUR AROUNlJ THE WOULD. 48 1

his State barij^c, ami was received with a salute of fifteen
(runs. He tendered to General (irant the cordial hospital-
ities of the city; but as the duration of the General's stay
would not permit him to accept them, they were declined
with thanks. In the evenini,^ there was a i)leasant tlinner
in the ward room of the " Vantlalia," ^iven by the officers
of the ship in honor of General and Mrs. Grant.

From Palermo the "Vandalia" sailed for Malta, passing
throiiL^h the Straits of Messina. The passacfe of the straits

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GENERAL GRANT MEETING THE DUKE OF EDINBURG.

was made by daylight, and the travellers had a fine view
of the shores of the mainland of Italy and of Sicily.

At noon General Grant visited the Governor-General of
Malta. A regiment was drawn up in front of the palace
as a guard of honor. The governor received the General
and party at the door of the palace, surrounded by his
council and a group of Maltese noblemen.

On the following day a pleasant visit was made to the
Duke of Edinburgh on board the "Sultan." On the 31st
the "Vandalia" steamed out of the harbor of Valetta, and
turned her head toward the coast of Egypt.

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CHAPTER XIV.

General Grant and Party arrive at Alexandria, Kgypt — Leaving of the " Vundalia"— Arrjv.^i
at Cairo— Meeting; Stanley— A Visit lu tiic Khedive — L'p the Nile — liriijj ch liey-
Abydos — Telics — l.uxor — Karnak — Memjjiiis — Port Said — Palest. nu — ('iiiisianiiiiu
pie — Athens — Cnrinth- Syracuse — Rome — General (Irant visits Kin;; rmiicitu—
Call of C!aulinal MeClo.iUcy — The St. Peter's Catheilral — (icneral Grant at i lurcnce
W-nice, Milan, (.Jenoa — Heluni t) I'aris — Visits the International Exliihition -II(j|.
land — 'I'he Cleanest 'I'ow n in llic World — General Grant leaves for Gtriiiaiiy.

On the 5th of January, 1878, the coast of Hopyt was
sightetl, and on the same clay the " Vandalia" cast anchor
in the harbor of Alexandria.

The "Vandalia" had hardly anchored in the harbor of
Alexandria, when the governor of ♦^he district, the admiral
and the generals, pachas and be he consul-general and
the missionaries all came on boai .. The receptions lasted
an hour; and as each officer was saluted according to his
rank, and the salutes were returned, there was smoke
enough in the air for a naval engagement, and we could
almost fancy another batde of the Nile like that foiii^ht
only a short distance up the coast, one eventful day, nearly
eighty years ago. The governor, in the name of the Khe-
dive, welcomed General Grant to Egypt, and offered him a
palace in Cairo and a special steamer up the Nile. It is
Oriental etiquette to return calls as soon as possible, and,
accordingly, in the afternoon, the General, accompanied by
his son. Commander Robeson, Chief Engineer Trilley and
Lieutenant Handy, of the navy, landed in the official barge.
As this was an official visit, the " Vandalia " manned the
yards and fired twenty-one guns. These salutes were
responded to by the Egyptian vessels. A guard of honor
received the General at the palace, and the reception was
after the manner of the Orientals. We enter a spacious
chamber, and are seated on a cushioned seat or divan, ac-
cording to rank. The pacha offers the company cigarettes-
Then compliments are exchanged, the pacha saying how
proud Egypt is to see the illustrious stranger, and the

General answering that he anticipates great pleasure in
482

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BY GENERAL GRANT.

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visiting Egypt. The pacha gives a signal, and servants
enter, bearing Httle porcelain cups about as large as an
Ggg, in filagree' cases. This is the beverage — coffee — or,
as was the case with this special pacha, a hot drink spiced
with cinnamon. Then the conversation continues with
judicious pauses, the Orientals being slow in speech and
our General not apt to diffuse his opinions. In about five
minutes we arise and file down-stairs in slow, solemn fash-
ion, servants and guards saluting, and the visit is over.

The General and Mrs. Grant went to dine, and in the
evening we had a ball and a dinner at the liouse of our
Vice-Consul, Mr, Salvago. This was an exceedingly bril-
liant entertainment, and interesting in one respect espe-
cially, because it was heie that the General met my
renowned friend and colleague, Henry M. Stanley, just
fresh from the African wilderness. The General had heard
of Stanley being in town, and had charged me to seek him
out and ask him to come on board and dine. My letter
missed Stanley, and we met at the consul's. Stanley sat
on the right of the General, and they had a long conversa-
tion upon African matters and the practical results of the
work done by our intrepid friend.

At three o'clock on Monday we come to Cairo. There
is a guard, a carpet way and a group of officers and civil-
ians. The General, looking at the group, recognizes oW
friends. " Why," he says, " there's Coring, whom I have
not seen for thirty years;" and "Tiiere's Stone, who must
have been dyeing his hair to make it so white." The cars
stop, and General Stone enters, presenting the represent-
ative of the Khedive. This officer extends the welcome of
his highness, which General Grant accepts with thanks.
General Loring comes in, and receives a hearty greeting
from his old friend in early days and his enemy during; the
war. The General asks General Loring to ride with him,
while General Stone accompanies Mrs. Grant, and so we
drive off to the Palace of Kassr-el-Noussa — the palace
placed at General Grant's disposal by the Khedive.

The General dined with his family, and next day called
on the Khedive. We reached the palace shortly after

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eleven. There was a oruard of honor, and the officers ol
the household were ranged on the stairs. We had scarcely
entered whert the carriage of the Khedive was announced
The General received the Khedive, who was accompanied
by his secretary for foreign affairs, and welcomed him in

GENERAL GRANT VISITS THE KHEDIVE,

the grand saloon. The officers of the " Vandalla " were
present, and their striking uniforms, the picturesque cos-
tume of the Khedive and his attendants, and the splendid,
stately decorations of the room in which they assembled
made the group imposing. In the course of this conver-
sation, General Grant spoke of General Stone, now chief

1 '',' ?:T !''Wlfltll

GENERAL GRANTS TRIP AROUND THE WORLD.

487

of Staff to the Khedive. He said he had known General
Stone from boyhood, and did not think he had his superior
in our army; that he was a loyal and able man, and he
was pleased to see him holding so important a command.
The Khedive said he was very much pleased with General
Stone; that he found him a most useful as well as a most
able man, especially fitted to organize troops, and had
made him a member of his privy council. At the close of
the interview General Grant escorted the Khedive to his
carriage. Official calls were then made upon the two sons
of the Khedive, who at once returned the calls, and so
ended our official duties.

During their stay in Cairo General Grant and his party
made the usual visit to the Pyramids. The distance from
Cairo to the Pyramids is six
miles in an air line, but is
much greater by the road.

The Khedive placed a gov-
ernment steamer at the ser-
vice of General Grant for
the Nile voyage; and, after a
few days' stay in Cairo, "on
Wednesday, the i6th of Jan-
uary," says Mr. Young, in his
letter to the New York Her-
ald, "we embarked on the
Nile. As the hour of noon
passed, the drawbridge opened,
farewells were waved to the
many kind friends who had
gathered on the banks, and
we shot away from our moor-
ings, and out into the dark
waters of the mighty and mys-
terious stream.

"We had many friends to see us off, — General Stone,
Judge Batcheller and Jutlge Barringer, with their wives,
General Lorine, and others.

"At noon the signal for our journey is given and farewells

ISMAIL, EX-KHEDIVE OK EGYPT.

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488

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

are spoken, and we head, under full steam, for tlic
equator.

"Our party is thus composed: We have the General, his
wife and his youngest son, Jesse, Consul-General E. K.
Farnan, his wife, Khawasse Hassam, and three naval officers.
The Khedive has assigned us an officer of his household,
Sami Bey, a Circassian gentleman, educated in England.
Sami Bey is one of_ the heroes of our host, and we soon
came to like him, Moslem as he is, for his quaint, cordial,
kindly ways. 1 suppose we should call Sami Bey the execu-
tive officer of the expedition, as to him all resj)onsibility is
given. We have also with us, thanks to the kindness of
the Khedive, Emile Brugscli, one of the directors of die
Egyptian Museum. Mr. Brugsch is a German, brother to
the chief director, who has made the ^!^tiquities of Egypt a
study. Both were commissioners of the Egyptian De-
partment at the Centennial Exhibition. Mr. Brugsch
knows every tomb and column in the land. He has
lived for weeks in the temples and ruins, superintenchiii^f
excavations, cop)'ing inscriptions, deciphering hieroglyph-
ics, and his presence with us is an advantage that cannot
be overestimated, for it is given to him to point widi his
cane and unravel mystery after mystery of the marvels
engraved on the stones and rocks, while we stand by in
humble and listening wonder. "What a blank our trip
would be without Brugsch!" said the General, one day as
we were cominof back from a ruin — a ruin as absolute and
meaningless as the Aztec mounds in New Mexico, but
which our fine young friend had made as luminous as a
page in Herodotus.

"The Nile boats seem arranged to meet any emerijency
in the way of land ; for this river is sprawling, eccentric,
comprehensive, without any special channel — running one
way to-day, another next day. To know the river, there-
fore, must be soniething like knowing the temper of a
whimsical woman — you must court and woo her and wait
upon her humors.

" On the 21st of January we hauled up to the bank in the
town of (jirireh. We found Admiral Steadman and Mr.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Davis, of Boston, moored in their dahabeeah. and they re-
peated the same story tliat we heard all along the Nile.
that they had had a good time, a splendid time — could not
huve had a better time.

" ' Here,' said Brugsch, as we dismounted from our don-
keys and followed him into the ruins of the temple, 'here
we should all take off our hats, for here is the cradle, the
fountain-head of all the civilization of the world.' This
was a startling statement, but Brugsch is a serious gentle-
man and does not make extravagant speeches. Then he
told us about Abydos, which lay around us in ruins. This
was the oldest city in Egypt. It went back to Menes, the
first of the Egypdan kings, who, according to Hrunsch,
reigned 4,500 years before Christ. It is hard to disj)iite a
fact like this, and one of the party ventured to ask whether
the civilization of China and India did not antedate, or claim
to ant(idate, even Abydos. To be sure it did, but in China
and India you have traditions ; here are monuments.
Here, under the sands that we are crunching with our feet,
here first flowed forth that civilization which has streamed
over the world.

"We follow BrujTsch out of the chamber and from ruined
wall to wall. The ruins are on a grand scale. Abydos is
a temple which the Khedive is rescuing from the sand.
The city was in its time of considerable importance, hut
this was ages ago, ages and ages ; so that its glory was
dead even before Thebes becran to reign. Thebes is an old
city, and yet, I suppose, compared with Thebes, Abydos is
as much older as one of the buried Aztec towns in Central
America is older than New York.

"As we stood on the elevation, talking about Egypt and
the impressions made upon us by our journey, the scene
was very striking. There was the ruined temple ; here
were the gaping excavations, filled with bricks and pottery.
Here were our party; some gathering beads and skulls and
stones ; others having a lark with Sami Bey ; others follow-
ing Mrs. Grant as a body-guard as her donkey plodded liis
way along the slopes. Beyond, just beyond, were rolling
plains of shining sand — shining, burning sand — and, as the

P I;

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rkl.' This
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Mencs, the
3 Bru^scli,
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sk whether
Lte. or claim
Lit in China
lonuments.
di our feet,
s streamed

rom ruined
Abydos is
the sand,
rtancc, hut
; glory was
es is an old
Abydos is
in Central

Egypt and
% the scene
nple; here
nd pottery.
1 skulls and
lers follow-
plodded liis
ere rolling
•and, as the

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT,

shrinkinc"^ eye followed the plain and searched the hills, th(3re
was no sign of life. I have seen no scene in K^^ypt more
striking than this view from the mounds of Abydos.

" By the time we approached Thebes we were well up in
our Rameses, and knew all about Thebes, the mighty, the
magnificent Thebes, the city of a world's renown, of which
we had been reading and dreaming all these years. And
as Brugsch, leaning over the rail, talked about The^bes, we
listened and watched through the clear air for the first sion

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TEMPLE VISITED BY GENERAL GRANT.

of its glory. There were the mountains beyond, the very
mountains of which we had read, and there was the plain.
But where was Thebes ? We looked through our glasses
and saw at first only the brown caverned hills, the parched
fields and the shining sand. We looked again, and there,
sure enough, were the colossal statues of Memnon, two
broken pillars, so they seemed, with a clump of trees near
them. Only the fields, the sand and the hills beyond ; only
the same cluster of hovels on the shore and the two distant

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

493

columns. This was all that remained of the city that was
the g^lory of the ancient world.

" There was one, at least, in that small company whose
imajrination fell, and who could scarcely believe that so
much splendor could only be this barren plain. But this is
no time for moral reflections, as we are coming into the
town of Luxor, one fragment of the old city, and on the
shore opposite to Memnon. The population of Luxor is
on the river-bank ; all the consulates have their flags flying.
Rijrht at the landing-place is a neat, three-storied stone
building, painted white, with the American and Brazilian
flagfs on the roof.

"The town of Luxor, as it is called, is really a collection
of houses that have fastened upon the ruins of the old
temple. This temple is near the river, and has a fine fa<?ade.
It was built by Amunoph III. and Rameses II., who reigned
between thirteen and fifteen hundred years before Christ.
I am not very particular about the dates, because I have
learned that a century or two does not make much differ-
ence in writing about the Egyptian dynasties. In fact, the
scholars themselves have not agreed upon their chronology.
There is a fine obelisk here, the companion of the one now
standing in the Place de la Concorde, at Paris. There is a
statue of Rameses, of colossal size, now broken and partly
buried in the sand. The walls are covered with inscriptions
of the usual character — the glory of the king, his victories,
his majesty, his devotion to the gods, and the decree of the
gods that his name will live for millions of years.

"In the morning we made ready for our trip to Memnon
and the temple-home of P^ameses. We had to cross the
river, our boatmen singing their Arab music. And when
we landed on the other shore, we had, thanks to the fore-
thought of our consul at Thebes, a collection of stable
donkeys, with a well-mounted horse for the General.

"We had seen Thebes; we had even begun to grow
weary of Thebes. There was a dinner in state which had
to be eaten.

"It was served in the upper chamber of the house, and
the host sat on one side of the table, eating nothing, in a

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494

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAN I',

State of constant alarm, that made us symj)atliizc.' with him.
I suppose the honor of entertainintr the Cliief Magistrate
of the United States, and the fear lest he mijrht not do us
all the honor he wished, oppressed him. The dinner was
a stupendous affair, course after course in Oriental profu-
sion, until we could not even pay the dishes the compliment
of tastino them. Then came the coffee and the pipes.
During the dinner a group of Arab minstrels came in and
squatted on the floor. The leader of the band was l)lin(],
but his skill in handling his instrument was notable. It
was a rude instrument, of the violin class, the body of it a
cocoanut shell. He held it on the ground and played with
a bow, very much as one would play a violoncelh). He
played love-songs and narratives, and under the promptin^js
of Sami Bey, went through all the grades of his art.
" We were to see the wonder of the world in Karnak
" Karnak, which was not only a temple, but one in the
series of temples which constituted Thebes, is about a half-
mile from the river, a mile or two from the temple of Luxor.
The front wall, or propylon, is three hundred and seventy
feet broad, fifty feet deep, and the standing tower one hun-
dred and forty feet high. Leading up to this main entrance
is an avenue lined with statues and sphinxes, two hundred
feet long. When you enter this gate you enter an open
court-yard, two hundred and seventy-five feet by three hun-
dred and twenty-nine. There is a corridor, or cloister, on
either side ; in the middle a double line of columns, of which
one only remains. You now come to another wall, or pro-
pylon, as large as the entrance, and enter the great hall — the
most magnificent ruin in Egypt. The steps of the doorare
forty feet by ten. The room is one hundred and seventy feet
by three hundred and twenty-nine, and the roof was sup-
ported by one hundred and thirty-four columns. These
columns are all, or nearly all, standing, but the roof has
gone. The inscriptions on them are almost as clear as
though they had been cut yesterday, so gentle is this climate
in its dealings with time. They celebrate the victories and
virtues of the kings who reigned seventeen hundred years
before Christ, and promise the kings in the name of the

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ROCK TEMPLE OK IPSAMBUL— VISITED BY GENERAL GRANT,

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496

LI IE OF ULYSSES S. CIKANT.

pass

immortal gods that their glory shall live for ages. W
into a chamber very much in ruins and see an olnlisk
ninety-two feet high and eight square, — the largest in the
world. This monument commemorates the virtues of the
king's daughter, womanly and queenly virtues, which nu t
their reward, let us hope, thirty-five centuries ago. You
may form some idea of what the Egyptians could do in the
way of mechanics and engineering when you know that
this obelisk is a single block of granite ; that >t was broiij^^ht
from the quarry miles and miles away.

" Wherever we find walls we have inscriptions. The in-
scriptions are in hieroglyphic language — a langua^^e as
clear to schobrs now as the Latin or the Sanskrit. Bruo^sch
reads them off to us as glibly as though he were n .uhn<;
cigns from a Broadway store. The stories will hardly bear
repetition, for they are the same that we saw at Dendoreh,
at Abydos, all tbiough Egypt. They tell of battles and the
glory of the king Rameses, who is supposed to be the
Sesostris of the Grep^::^. "We have him leading his men to
attack .' f'/iLified place. Again we see him leading foot
soldiers and putting an enemy to the sword. We have him
leading his captives as an offering to the gods — and offer-
ing not only prisoners, but booty of great value. The
groups of prisoners are rudely done, but you see the type
of race clearly outlined. We knew the Hebrew by the
unmistakable cast of features — as marked as the face of
Lord Beaconsfield. We trace the Phoenician, the Etruscan,
as well as the negro typ'es from Ethiopia, and thus learn of
the warlike achievements of this monarch, whose fame is
carved all over Egypt, and about whose name there is an
interesting debate. Again c nd ar^?iii these war themes are
repeated, one king after another reciting his conquests and
his virtues, wars and treaties of peace. It seemed in the
building of these temples that the intention was to make
the walls monumental records of the achievements of vari-
ous reigns. When the walls were covered, or a king wished
to be especially gracious to the priests, or, as is more prob-
able, desired to employ h's soldiers, he would built a new
wing, or addition, to the tt 'nj^^e already existing, striving, if

GENEr;.\L GRANTS TOUR AROUND TIIK WORLD.

497

possible, to make his own addition more mao^nificent than
those of his predecessors. In this way came the Great
Hall of Karnak, and in every temple we have visited this
has been noticed. As a conseiquence, these stupendous,
inconceivable ruins were not the work of one prince and
(•nc <rcneration, but of many princes and many generations.
AikI, as there was always something to add and always a
n(.'\v ambition coming into play, we find these temples,
tombs, pyramids, obelisks all piled one upon the other, all
inspired by the one sentiment and all telling the same story.
It was because Thebes was the centre of a rich and fer-
tile province, sheltered from an enemy by the river and
the moimtains, that she was allowed to grow from century
to century in uninterrupted splendor. What that splendor
must have been we cannot imagine. Here are the records
and here are the ruins. If the records read like a tale of
enchantment, these ruins look like the work of gods. The
wodd does not show, except where we have evidences of
the convulsions of nature, a ruin as vast as that of Karnak.
Imai^ine a city covering the two banks of the Hudson, for
six or seven miles, all densely built, and you have an idea
of the extent of Thebes. But this vv^ill only give you an
idea of size. The buildings were not Broadways and Fifth
Avenues, but temples and colossal monuments and tombs,
the fjreatness of which, and the skill and patience necessary
to build them, exciting our wonder to-day — yes, to-day, rich
as we are with the achievements and possibilities of the
nineteenth century. Thebes in its day must have been a
wonder of the world, even of the ancient world which knew
Nineveh and Babylon. To-day all that remains are a few
villages of mud huts, a few houses in stone flying consular
flags, a plain here and there strewed with ruins, and under
the sands ruins even more stupendous than those we now
sec, which have not yet become manifest.

"Assouan was to be the end of our journey, the turning-
point of our Nile trip. •

" It was very warm when we gathered under the trees the
next morning to make ready for our journey to Philae.

We land and climb into the ruin. Philce is not specially
32

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498

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

interesting as a temple after you have seen Thebes and
Abydos. I can think of nothing useful to say about it, ex-
cept that as a ruin it is picturesque.

We had seen the Nile for a thousand miles from its
mouth, with no want of either comfort or luxury, and had
made the trip much more rapidly than is the custom; as
Saini Bey remarked, it had been the most rapid trip he had
ever known. Now, when there was no help for it, we
began to wish we had seen more of Dendoreh, and liad not
been content with so hurried a visit to Karnak — Karnak,
the grandest and most imposing ruin in tlie world.

We now returned to Cairo and remained for a few days,
making many interesting excursions and visits, and enjoy-
ing the continued hospitality of the Khedive.

Bidding adieu to our friends at Cairo, we started for
Port Said.

The " Vandalia "' sailed from Port Said in the afternoon
of February 9th, 1878, and the next morning the coast of
Palestine was in full view. The travellers were on deck
early, and they watched every point of this famous shore
as they steamed rapidly past it. Soon after breakfast the
"Vandalia" hove to off Jaffa. The American Consul, Mr.
Hardegg, came on board to welcome General Grant tc
Syria, and in a little while the General and his party went
ashore in the "Vandalia's" boat. Landing, they proc(;eded
at once to the residence of Mr. Hardegg, in the suburbs
of the town.

The party set out from Jaffa in the afternoon, going up
to Jerusalem by the road traversed by most modern trav-
ellers.

"We had expected to enter Jerusalem in our quiet, plain
way, pilgrims really coming to see the Holy City, awed by
its renowned memories. But, lo! and behold, here is an
army with banners, and we are commanded to enter as
conquerors, in a triumphal manner!

" We were taken to a hotel — the only one of any size in
the town. As I lean over tke balcony, I look out upon an
open street or market-place, where Arabs are selling fruits
and grain, and heavy-laden peasants are bearing skins

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

filled with water. The market-place swarms with Jews,
Arabs, Moslems, Christians. Horsemen are prancino-
about, while tlie comely young officer in command sits
waiting, calmly smoking his cigarette. A group of beg
gars, with petitions in their hands, crowd the door of the
hotel, waiting the coming of the man who, having ruled
forty millions of people, can, they believe, by a wave of
the hand, alleviate their woes."

General Grant reached Jerusalem on Monday, February
nth, and remained there until the following Saturday, vis-
iting the various points of interest, and making excursions
to Bethlehem, Bethany and other places.

During his stay in Jerusalem the General was the recip-
ient of distinguished attentions at the hands of the Turkish
authorities and the consuls. The Pacha called upon him
in state, and expressed his sense of the honor conferred
upon Palestine by the General's visit. The General re-
turned this call with due ceremony. The bishops and
patriarchs called, and blessed the General and the house
in which he lod<>ed. The Pacha entertained General Grant
and his party at a state dinner, which was a very pleasant
affair. The rest of the time was passed by the General in
siofht-seeinof.

Leaving Jerusalem, General (irant and his party jour-
neyed northward toward Damascus. The route lay by
Shiloh, where the Tabernacle wa> set up after the conquest
of the land by the Israelites, to Nabulus, where but a
brief stir was made.

From Nabulus the travellers pressed on rapidly to
Nazareth, passing Samaria, and striking across the great
plain of Esdraelon, the battle-field of Palestine. Distant
views were caught of the scene of Joshua's great victory,
of Mount Bilboa, of Jezreel, of the scene of Gideon's won-
derful exploits, of Mount Carmel, of Little Herm )n, of
Endor, of Mount Tabor, and of Nain, the scene of die
Saviour's miracle, and at last Nazareth was reached.

From Nazareth the travellers proceeded to Damas
cus. The route lay by tlv; Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, Lake
riuleh, Caisarea, Philippi and Mount Hermon, from

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT,

which the travellers passed out of the Holy Land into
Syria.

The stay at Damascus was brief, as General Grant was
anxious to push on and reach Constantinople. The party
saw the city thoroughly, however, and greatly enjoyed it.

From Damascus the party proceeded to Beyrout, the
principal seaport of Syria, where the "Vandalia" was in
waiting to convey them to Constantinople.

General Grant reached Constantinople on the 5t]i of
March, 1878. He was welcomed to the city by the Amer-
ican Minister and Consul, and by an aide-de-camp of the
Sultan.

Immediately upon arriving at Constantinople General
Grant paid a formal visit to the Sultan, who received him
most cordially, and ordered the Master of Ceremonies to
present the General with a pair of Arabian horses from the
Imperial stables.

When the visit to the Turkish capital came to a close,
the General and his party sailed for Greece. The run
from Constantinople to the harbor of Piraeus, the port of
Atliens, was a short and pleasant one. From Pineus a
short railway trip of a few miles took the party to Athens.
General Grant was cordially welcomed by General John
Meredith Read, the American Minister to Greece, and a
number of Americans, and was escorted to his hotel. The
first visit was naturally paid to the King, who received the
General with enthusiasm and presented him and his party
to the Queen. Both sovereigns and people showered atten-
tion upon General Grant, who was obliged to decline many
of them in consequence of the shortness of his stay. A
grand /c'/e was given to the General by the King and
Queen, which was attended by the most distinguished per-
sons of the country and by the foreign ministers. Every
effort was m.ide to render the visit enjoyable in the highest
degree.

Modern Athens owes its importance solely to the historic
renown of the ancient city on the site of which it stands.
It is in part a well-built city, with bright, gay streets, but in
some of the quarters dirt and squalor prevail. Among the

La,nd into

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joyed it.
yrout, the
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504

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

public buildings are the Royal Palace, a fine building, three
stories in height, the Chamber of Deputies, the Barracks,
the Mint, the Theatre, the* National Academy, the Museum
and the Polytechnic School. Like the ancient city, modern
Athens is built around the base of the hill of the Acropolis,
which towers up one hundred and fifty feet above it. I'Vom
the earliest times this rock has been the site of a fortress.
It rises almost perpendicularly above the city, and was the
site of the citadel and most sacred buildings of ancient
Athens. The walls stand on the very verge of the cliff,
and have a circumference of nearly 7,000 feet. They are
of great antiquity, being the work of many ages — of the
Pelagians of Themistocles, of Cymon, of Valerian, of the
Turks, and of the Venetians.

A visit was made to the bactle-field of Marathon, and on
the 1 8th of March the General and his party bade adieu to
Athens and embarked once more upon their ship. A visit
was made to Corinth, where several days were spent in
wandering through the ruins, and then the "Vandalia"
sailed for Syracuse, where a brief stoppage was made to
visit the ancient city. Then the "Vandalia" set sail once
more, this time for Naples, where the General and his party
terminated their Mediterranean voyage, and taking leave
of the "Vandalia" and her officers, set out for Rome.

General Grant and his party visited all the objects of in-
terest in the city, and spent many pleasant days in examin-
ing the wonders of ancient and modern Rome. The Eternal
City was deeply interesting to the General, and he studied
it with an eaorerness and attention that showed how irrcat
that interest was. St. Peter's — that grandest of all Christian
churches — the Capitol, the Vatican, the ruined Colosseum,
the monuments of the Caesars, and the remains of later
glories, each and all had a charm for him.

The General was fortunate in the time of his arrival at
Rome. The excitement over the election of the new Pope
had subsided, and Leo XIII. was comfortably seated in the
Chair of St. Peter. His Eminence, Cardinal McCloskey,
of New York, was present in Rome at the time, and im-
mediately upon General Grant's arrival called upon him,

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

505

and offered to secure for him any facilities he might desire
for seeing the churches, the Vatican and the objects of
interest under the immediate care of the Church. The
Cardinal also arranged for an interview between Genc^il
Grant and the Pope, and accordingly, on the 13th of March,
General and Mrs. Grant were formally presented to His
Holiness Pope Leo XIII., who received them cordially.

ST, PETER'S /.ND THE VATICAN— VISITED BY GENERAL, GRANT.

Cardinal McCloskey making the presentation. A pleasant
interview followed, and the parties separated mutually
pleased with each other.

Immediately upon the arrival of General Grant at Rome
lie was waited upon by an aide-de-camp of King Humbert,
^vho, in his sovereign's name, welcomed the General to
Rome, and placed at his disposal every facility he might

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

desire for secinor the monuments and museums of the
Eternal City. The General promptly called upon the Kin<r.
and an interestino- and cordial interview took place. (Jn
the 15th of April King^ Humbert entertained General Gram
at a magnificent state dinner, at which all the Italian mjn-
isters were present. This was one of the most distin-
guished honors ever conferred by an Italian sovereign upon
a citizen of a foreign country.

From Rome the travellers went to Florence, the favoi-Ite
of Italian cities with Americans, which was reached April
20, '878. The stay of the General and his party in this
beautiful city was brief, but very pleasant. The authorities
of the city showed him every attention in their powir, and
exerted themselves to make his visit a delightful one.

From Florence General Grant and his party went to
Venice by railway, and reached that city on the 23rd of
April. He was met at the station by the American Consiil-
General, Mr. John Harris, and a large party of AmcMJcans.
The city authorities were also present to welcome him to
Venice and to offer him the hospitalities of the city. Scv(;ral
speeches of a congratulatory character were made, to which
the General returned suitable replies, and then the travellers
were conducted to their hotel. Three days were passed in
Venice. They were very pleasant, and, as there was much
to see, were busy ones.

General Grant left Venice on the 26th of April, and
reached Milan on the 27th. He remained in that famous
city a week. He was received at the station, upon his ar-
rival, by the Prefect, Syndic and other city officials, and
welcomed to the metropolis of Northern Italy. During his
stay in Milan General Grant had a constant stream of
American visitors.

Paris was reached on the 7th of May, 1878, and General
Grant proceeded direct to his hotel. The International
Exposidon had been opened on the 3rd of May. and was
the absorbing topic in Paris. It was decided that General
Grant should make a formal visit to the Exposition, and in-
spect the American Department, and on the nth of June
General R. C. McCormick, Commissioner-General for the

CATHEDRAL OF MILAN— VISITED BY GENERAL GRANT.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

United States, called on General Grant and asknd him to
fix a time for his visit. The 17th of May, Saturday, beiiiF
the most convenient day, was appointed. On that oLxasion
General and Mrs. Grant, together with a large party ot
friends, visited the Exposition, and were received by the
officials of the American Department and escorted through
it. The General was much pleased with the display made
by his countrymen.

General Grant remained in Paris a little men; tiian a
month, enjoying a constant round of hospitality at the hands
of his countrymen and of distinguished Frenchmc^n. It was
during this visit that President MacMahon declared that
" France was honored by the presence of so illustrious a
soldier."

The G neral began to tire of Paris, however, and near
the middle of June set out for Holland, intending to make
a tour of Northern Europe before returning to France.

The travellers went direct to the Hague, the capital of
Holland, called by the Dutch s'Gravenhagen, where an im-
posing reception met General Grant at the railway station.
The General was presented to the King of the Nctiier-
lands, and was cordially received by him, and, durincr his
stay at the Hague, a fine review of Dutch troops was held
in his honor. He was entertained at luncheon by his Royal
Highness, Prince Frederick, the King's uncle, at the royal
villa of Hins in t'Bosch, or "The House in the Woods,'
about a mile and a half from the Hague, and the entertain-
ment proved one of the most delightful enjoyed by the
General during his visit abroad.

The General's time passed pleasantly at the Hague, for
in spite of their proverbial phlegm, the Dutch were en-
thusiastic over their distinguishc 1 visitor, and showered up-
on him marks of attention and respect.

From the Hague General Grant went to Rotterdam,
where he met with a cordial reception from the authorities
and from many of his own countrymen residing there.

During his stay in Rotterdam General Grant was enter-
tained by the Burgomaster of the city at a grand dinner,
which was numerously attended. Speeches were made and

' t

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

509

toasts were tlriink, cxpressingr the heartiest and most unaf-
f(;cial Iriundsliip lor General Cirant and for the United
Stale It was but a ride of a few hours from Rotterdam
to Ainsicrdani, to whicli the travellers proceeded next.

Diiriii!^ his stay in Ainst(;rdain General Grant was cntcr-
tainal at a nia;j[nificent banquet given in his honor by fifty
of tilt: leading merchants ot the city. It was attended by
all the dignitaries of the city and by a brilliant company.
It was one of the most splendid entertainments attended
by General Grant while in Europe. A visit was made to
the North Sea Canal in company with the directors of the
company, and the General carefully inspected that magnifi-
cent work. The excursion wound up with a superb colla-
tion oHered to the General by one of the directors. An-
other excursion was to Haarlem, where the grand organ of
the Church of St. Havon, the largest instrument in the
world, was played in honor of General Grant. Another
Lxcursion still was to Broek, a town six miles east of Am-
sterdam, and was of an amusing charater. This place
contains 9,000 inhabitants, and is noted for the wealth of
its residents, who "are principally landed proprietors or
retired merchants, but more celebrated for the extreme
cleanliness of its houses and streets, the attention to wliich
has been carried to an absurd and ridiculous excess. The
houses are mostly of wood, painted white and green ; the
fronts of many of them are painted in various colors; the
roofs are of polished tile, and the narrow streets are paved
with bricks or little stones set in patterns. Carriages can-
not enter the town ; you cannot even ride your horse through
it, but must lead him or leave him outside. The natives are
very much like the Turks : they take off their shoes before
enteriiin^ their houses, and walk in slippers or in their stock-
ings. Even the Emperor Alexander, when he visited Broek,
was obliged to comply with this custom."

Thus passed away two delightful weeks in Holland.
General Grant would have been glad to prolong his stay,
but he was anxious to be in Berlin during the European
Conorress, and was compelled to bid adieu to his pleasant
l^utch friends and hasten on. .

CHAPTER XV.

-■■'i'.

',' '

Arrival of General Grant at Hcrlin, the Capital of the (ierman Empire - 1 he KuiuiitaM
Congress — A Memorable Interview with rrince Hismarck — A visiito 1 'tiiniark, Nor
way and Sweden — A visit to Russia — Interview with the Czar and I'riiicc (Jort-
schakoff — Moscow — Warsaw — Vienna— General and Mrs. Grant dine with the Em-
peror and Empress of Austria — Municii — Return t', I'aris — A Tri|) u> Siuithcrn
France, Spain and Portugal — Ireland — Preparations for his Indian Tmir.

General Grant and party reached Berlin on tlie 26th of
June, 1878.

General Grant was much interested in Berlin, and indus-
triously visited its sights and places of interest, 1 le was
the recipi(Mit of many social attentions, and also met many
German officers who had served under him durin^^ the
American civil war, and who were eager to pay their re-
spects to their old chief.

The European Congress, for the final settlement of the
questions arising out of the war between Russia ami Turkey,
was in session at the time of the General's visit. Most of
the foreign representatives were known to Gen; ral (rrant,
he having met them in their respective countries. Visits of
ceremony were paid to each. As Prince Gortschakoff, the
Russian Plenipotentiary, was too much crippled with the
gout to make calls. General Grant called upon him, and had
a long and pleasant interview. The Prince urged him to
visit Russia, and assured him of a hearty and cordial recep-
tion by the Emperor and people.

Among the first to call to see General Grant was Prince
Bismarck, the German Prime Minister. The General was
absent at the time, and the visit of the Prince was repeated.

"The Prince wears an officer's uniform, and, on taking the
General's hand, he says, ' Glad to welcome General Grant
to Germany.'

" The General replied that there was no incident in his
German tour that interested him more than this opportunity
of meeting the Prince. Bismarck expressed surprise at
seeing the General so young a man, but on a comparison

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TOWN HALL, litRLlN— VISITED BY GENERAL GRANT.

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LIFE OF ULVSSES S. GRANT.

ol ages it was found that Bismarck was only seven years
the General's senior.

" * That,' said the Prince, ' shows the value of a military
life, for here you have the frame of a young man, while 1
feel like an old one.'

"The General, smiling, announced that he w^as at that

INTERVIEW BETWEEN GENERAL GRANT AND PKINCE BISMARCK.

period of life when he could have no higher compliment
paid him than being called a young man.

'* One of the Prince's first questions Yva3 about General
Sheridan.

" ' The General and I,' said the Prince, 'were fellow-cam-
paigners in France, and we became great friends.'

" The General made a reference to the deliberations of the
Congress, and hoped that there would be a peaceful result

seven years

was at that

GENERAL GRANT'S TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 513

« <

That is my hope and belief,' said the Prince. * That is
all 01 r interest in the matter. We have no business with
the Congress whatever, and are attending to the business
of others by calling a Congress. But Germany wants

PRINCE BISMARCK.

peare, and Europe v/ants peace, and all our labors are to
that end.'

"Prince Bismarck said the Emperor was especially sorry
that he could not in person show General Grant a review,
^nd that the Crown Prince would give him one. ' But,'
said the Prince, ' the old gentleman is so much of a soldier
and so fond of his army, that nothing would give him more
33

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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pleasure than to display it to so great a soldier as your-
self.'

"The General said that he had accepted the Crown Prince's
invitation to a review for next morning, but with a smile
continued : * The truth is I am more of a farmer than a
soldier. I take little or no interest in military affairs, and,
although I entered the army thirty-five years ago and have
been in two wars, in Mexico as a young lieutenant, and
later, I never went into the army without regret and never
retired without pleasure.*

" ' I suppose,' said the Prince, ' if you had had a large army
dt the beginning of the war it would have ended in a much
shorter time.'

"'We might have had no war at all,' said the General;
*but we cannot tell. Our war had many strange features
— there were many things which seemed odd enough at the
time, but which now seem providential. If we had had a
large regular army as it was then constituted, it might have
gone with the South. In fact, the Southern feeling in the
army among high officers was so strong that when the war
broke out the army dissolved. We had no army — then we
had to organize one. A great commander like Sherman or
Sheridan even then might have organized an army and put
down the rebellion in six months or a year, cr, at the farthest,
two years. But that would have saved slavery, perhaps,
and slavery meant the germs of new rebellion. There
had to be an end of slavery. Then we were fighting an
enemy with whom we could not make a peace. We had
to destroy him. No convention, no treaty was possible-
only destruction.'

" * It was a long war,' said the Prince, * and a great work
well done — and I suppose it means a long peace.'

" * I believe so,' said the General.

" The Prince asked the General when he might have the
pleasure of seeing Mrs. Grant. The General answered
that she would receive him at any convenient hour.

" ' Then,' said the Prince, ' I will come to-morrow before
the Congress meets.'

" Both gentlemen arose, and the General renewed the

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

5'3

expression of his pleasure at having seen a man who was
so well known and so highly esteemed in America.

"'General,' answered the Prince, 'the pleasure and the
honor are mine. Germany and America have always been
in such friendly relationship that nothing delights us more
than to meet Americans, and especially an American who
has done so much for his country, and whose name is so
much honored in Germany as your own.'

"The Prince and the General walked sfde by side to the
door, and after shaking hands the General passed into the
square. The guard presented arms, the General lit a fresh
cigar, and slowly strolled home.

"' I am glad I have seen Bismarck,* the General remarked.
'He is a man whose manaer and bearing fully justify the
opinions one forms of him.' "

The next morning, at half-past seven, General Grant
attended a review given in his honor by the Crown Prince.
A furious rain was driving across the field at the time, but,
notwithstanding this, the manoeuvres were brilliantly exe-
cuted, all the branches of the service taking part in the
display. After the review, the General inspected one of
the military hospitals and the quarters of a cavalry regi-
ment. This was followed by an informal mess-room lunch
with the Crown Prince and his officers, during which the
General expressed his gratification at the spectacle he had
witnessed, and proposed the health of the Crown Prince.

About noon on the same day. Prince Bismarck returned
General Grant's visit, and was presented to Mrs. Grant.
The visit proved exceedingly pleasant to all parties.

Prince Bismarck entertained General Grant at a grand
dinner at the Radziwill Palace. After dinner the Prince
and General Grant adjourned to a cozy apartment in the
palace for a pleasant chat.

Among the notable incidents of General Grant's stay in
Berlin was the dinner given to him at the American Lega-
tion by Bayard Taylor, the American Minister, and a
pleasant reception at the same place. They were both quiet
and informal, but very pleasant.

From Berlin General Grant set out for Copenhagen,

I 1

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516

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. Gj'A^r.

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going by way of Hamburg, which place was reached on the
2d of July.

General Grant left Hamburg on the 6th of July, and pro-
ceeded direct to Copenhagen, travelling through Sclilcswi-r-
Holstein and Denmark.

There General Grant spent several very pleasant days,
exploring every portion of it, and was so much pleased with
the city that he would have been glad to stay longer, but
time was pressing, and he had to depart.

Leaving Copenhagen by steamer, the travellers sailed up
the Cattegat tc Gothenburg, in Sweden.

From Christiana Central Grant made the journey to
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, by rail, reaching tliat city
on the 24th of July, 1878. All along the route crowds
assembled at the stations to see and cheer the distinguished
American General; triumphal arches were erected, and
addresses of welcome were read at the prominent places.
Upon the arrival of the train at Stockholm, the General
was met by the city authorities and welcomed to Stockholm.
An imme'ise crowd had assembled at the station, and he
was loudly cheered as he passed out on his way to his hotel.

Embarking at Stockholm on board of one of the Baltic
steamers, General Grant and his party crossed the Baltic
Sea to St. Petersburg. The length of the voyage is about
four hundred miles. The passage was made in about two
days. As Cronstadt was approached, the weather cleared
up, and the steamer put out all her flags, and in honor of
General Grant ran up the Stars and Stripes to the fore-
mast. As the steamer drew near the outer forts, the
heavy granite structures were wreathed in smoke, and a
grand sahite of welcome thundered over the waves, As
other forts were passed, salutes were fired, and at lens^th
the steamer came to anchor in the harbor. A deputation
of the officials of the place came on board and welcomed
General Grant to Russia.

The trip to the city was a slior"- one, and, upon arriving
at his hotel, the General v^r.^s met by Mr. E. M. Stoughton,
the American Minister to Kus^ia, who warmly welcomed
him to St. Petersburg. Hv. . ,s iollowed by Prince Gort-

GENERAL GRANTS TOIR AROUND THE WORLD. 517

schakoff, the Hmperor's Aide-de-Camp, and several other
hicrh officers of the Imperial Court, who brought messages
of welcome from the Emperor. This was the 30th of July,
and it was arranged that the General should be presented
to the Czar the next day, July 31st. '

Accordingly, the presentation took place the next day.
The Emperor manifested great cordiality. The General
was presented by Prince Gortschakoff His Majesty talked
of his health and the General's travels. He seemed gready

ST, PETLRSnURG— REVIEW IN HONOR OF GENERAL GRANF.

interested in our national wards, the Indians, and made
several inquiries as to their mode of warfare.

At the close of the interview the Emperor accompanied
Grant to the door, saying: "Since the foundation of your
government the relations between Russia and America
have been of the friendliest character, and as long as 1
live nothing shall be spared to continue that friendship."

The General answered that although the two govern-
ments were directly opposite in character, the great ma-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

jority of the American people were in sympathy with
Russia, and would, he hoped, so continue.

General Grant also met the Grand Uuke Alexis, who
had visited the United States, and been entertained at the
White House during the General's Presidency.

An imperial yacht was placed at General Grant's dis-
posal, and the General and his party made a pleasant ex-
cursion to Peterhofif — the Versailles of St. Petcrsburir^
which commands a fine view of the Russian capital, Cion-
stadt and the Gulf of Finland. After visiting Peterhoff, a
visit was paid to the Russian man-of-war, " Peter the (ircat,"
where the General was saluted with twenty-one guns.

During liis stay in St. Petersburg General Grant was
received by the Czarewitch at a special audience. The
French Ambassador gave a dinner in his honor, and there
was a special review of the fire brigade of the city. The
Emperor was unfailing in his kind attentions, and caused
everything that could be done for the comfort of General
Grant and his party to be done widi promptness and cor-
diality.

On tlic 8th of August, General Grant and party set out
for Moscow. The distance is four hundred miles, and the
road which unites the two places, and which is a very s^ood
one, was built by two American contractors, Messrs. Win-
ans, of Baltimore, and Harrison, of Philadelphia. The r( ad
is also one of the straightest in existence, running in ahnost
a direct line between the two points.

The churches are numerous ; some of them arc very
elaborate, and contain many interesting historical relics.

A few pk^asant days were passed at Moscow, and then
General Grant determined not to return to St. Petersbnrg,
but to set off direct for Warsaw, in Russian Poland, six hun-
dred miles distant. The start was made promptly, and on
the 13th of August Warsaw was reached. The travellers
Avere very tired from their lon.r railway journey, and sev-
eral days were passed in the old Polish capital tc rest.
Then the journey was resumed, and on the night ot the
1 8th of August the party reached Vienna. The G(*neral
was met at the railroad station by Minister Kasson, the

pathy with

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

secretaries and members of the American Legation, and a
large number of the American residents. He was loudly
cheered as he stepped out of the railway carriage.

On the 2 1 St General and Mrs. Grant were entertained
by the imperial family, and dined with the Emperor in the
evening. During the morning Baron Steinberg accompa-
nied the Emperor's American guests to the Arsenal.

On the 2 2d Minister Kasson gave a diplomatic dinner
in honor of our ex-President, at which nearly all the foreicrn
Ambassadors were present. The members of the Aiistro-
Hungarian Cabinet attended the reception in tne evenincr,
and added to the brilliancy of tlie occasion. The General
expressed himself greatly pleased with Vienna. He was
gratified also at the marked attentions of the Emperor's
household and the earnest endeavor shown to honor him
as a citizen of the United States.

From Vienna the travellers went to Munich, the capital
of Bavaria, where several days were passed in seeini^ the
city and its rich art treasures. A halt was also made at
the venerable town of Augsburg, from which place the jour-
ney was continued through Ulm into Switzerland. Halts
were made at Schaffhausen and Zurich. On the 23d of
September, Mr. S. H. Byers, the American Consul at Zur-
ich, entertained General Grant at a dinner, at which the
Burgomaster and the city authorities were present. From
Zurich General Grant returned to Paris by way of Lyons.

On the 10th of October, 1878, General Grant and party
left Paris for a trip through Spain and Portugal.

"It was the intention of General Grant when he left
Paris," says Mr. Young, in his letter to T/ie New York
Herald, " to make a short visit to the Pyrenees, and espe-
cially Pau.

"When Vittoria was reached, there were all the authori-
ties out to see him, and Ik; was informed that in the
morning the King Alfonso would meet him. Ten o'clock
was the hour, and the place was a small city hall or palace,
where the King resides when he comes into his capital. At
ten the General called, and was escorted into an ante-room
where were several aides and generals in attendance. He

i! . I i

Itpl^'

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE '..'ORLD.

521

passed into a small room, and was greeted by the King.
The room was a library, with books and a writing-table
covered with papers, as though His Majesty had been hard
at work. When the General entered, the King gave him
a seat and they entered into conversation. There was a
little fencing as to whether the conversation should be in
English or Spanish. The General said he knew Spanish
in Mexico, but thirty-five years had passed since it was
familiar to him and he would not venture upon it now.
The King was anxious to speak Spanish, but English and
French were the only languages used.

"At eleven o'clock General Grant, King Alfonso, and
a splendid retinue of generals, left the King's official resi-
dence to witness the manoeuvres which were to take place
on the historic field of Vittoria, where the French, under
Joseph Bonaparte and Jourdan, were finally crushed in
Spain by the allien under Wellington on June 21, 181 3.

" King Alfonso and General Grant rode at the head of
the column, side by side, His Majesty pointing out the
objects of interest to the right and the left, and, when the
vicinity of the famous field was reached, halting for a few
minutes to indicate to his guest the location of the different
armies on that famous June morning. As they proceeded
thence General Concha was called to the side of the King
and introduced to General Grant. Several other distin-
guished officers were then presented. The weather was
very fine, and the scene was one of great interest to the
American visitor. General Grant spent the day on horse-
back, witnessing the manoeuvres."

In the evening he dined with the King, and the next day
tliere was a grand review of the troops held in his honor.

From Vittoria General Grant went to Madrid, reaching
that city on the 28th of October. James Russell Lowell,
our Minister, met him at the station, when the General was
welcomed by Colonel Noeli, a Spanish officer of distinction,
who was detailed to attend him. Mr. Lowell gave the
General a dinner and a reception, where men of all parties
came to pay their respects to the ex-President. There was
a dinner at the Presidency of the Council, the only State

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

dinner given since the poor Queen died. There were
arsenals to be inspected and picture galleries, the royal
palace and the royal stables. There were long walks
about Madrid and long talks with Mr. Lowell, whom
General Grant had never met before, but for whom he
conceived a sincere attachment and esteem. There were
calls from all manner of public men, especially from
Captain-General Jovellar, with whom the General had
satisfying talks about Cuba, and one from Castelar, whom
the General was most anxious to see. Castelar had been
so friendly to the North in our war, and he had been also
a constitutional President of the Republic, and the General
was anxious to do him honor. He contemplated a dinner
to Castelar. But Spanish politics is full of torpedoes, and
the General was in some sort a guest of the nation, and it
was feared that the dinner might be construed into a
republican demonstration — an interference in other people's
affairs — and it was abandoned.

During his stay in Madrid General Grant visited the
Palace of the Escurial, which is about two hours distant
from Madrid. "This mammoth edifice, second only to the
Pyramids of Egypt in size and solidity, was commenced by
Philip II., to fulfil a vow made to San Lorenzo, that if the
battle of St. Quentin, which was fought on the saint's day,
should result favorably to him, he would erect a temple to
his honor; and also to obey the injunctions of his father,
the Emperor Charles V., to construct a tomb worthy of the
royal family, and most magnificently did he carry out both
purposes."

From Madrid General Grant went to Lisbon, the capital
of the kingdom of Portugal.

"The King of Portugal, on learning that General Grant
had arived in Lisbon, came to the city t.o meet him. There
was an audience at the palace, the General and his wife
meeting the King and Queen. The King, after greeting
the General in the splendid audience chamber, led him into
an inner apartment, away from the ministers and courtiers
who were in attendance on the ceremvony. They had a
long conversation relative to Portugal ar.d the United

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

523

States, the resources of the two countries, and the means
to promote the commercial relations between Portugal and
America. Portugal was, above all things, a conimercial
nation, and her history was a history of discovery and ex-
tending civilization. The King had been a naval officer,
and the conversation ran into ships of war and naval
warfare. There were other meetings between the King
and tiie General. The day after the palace reception was
the King's birthday, and there was a gala night at the
opera. The King and royal family came in state, and
during the interludes the General had long conversations
with His Majesty. The next evening there was a dinner
at the palace in honor of die General, the Ministry, and the
leading men of the court in attendance.

From Lisbon General Grant returned to Spain, and pro-
ceeded direct to Cordova.

"After a long ride it was pleasant to rest, even in the in-
different condition of comfort provided in a Spanish inn.
There was a visit to the theatre, a ramble about the streets,
which is General Grant's modern fashion of taking posses-
sion of a town ; there was a stroll up the Roman bridge,
the arches of which are as fresh as if the workmen had
just laid down their tools. There was a visit to a Moorish
mill, in which the millers were grinding wheat. There was
the casino and the ascent of a tower from which Andalusia
is seen spreading out before us, green and smiling. This
sums up Cordova.

From Cordova the travellers went to Seville, which was
reached on December 4th, 1878. "Our stay in Seville
was marked by an incident of a personal character worthy
of veneration — the visit of General Grant to the Duke of
Montpensier. The day after General Grant arrived in
Seville the Duke called on him, and the next day was
spent by the General and his party in the hospitable halls
and gardens of St. Elmo. The Duke regretted that, his
house being in mourning on account of the death of his
daughter, Queen Mercedes, he could not give General
Grant a more formal welcome than a quiet luncheon party.
The Duke, the Duchess and their daughter were present.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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and after luncheon the General and Duke spent an hour
or two strolling through the gardens, which are among the
most beautiful in Europe. The Duke spoke a great deal
of his relations with America, and especially of the part
which his nephews had played in the war against the
South."

After leaving Seville, the route of General Grant and
his party lay along the beautiful Guadalquiver to Cadiz,
sixty- seven miles distant. Cadiz was reached on the 6!.h
of December.

After a short visit to Gibraltar, General Grant returned
to Spain and journeyed directly north to Paris. But a
brief stay was made in Paris, General Grant and his party
proceeding immediately to England. He now determined
to redeem his promise to visit Ireland, and Mrs. Grant
decided to remain with her daughter, Mrs. Sartoris, in
England, during the General's absence in Ireland.

He left London by the regular mail train on January 2d,
1879, going by way of Holyhead and Kingstown. He
reached Dublin on January 3d, and was met by the repre-
sentatives of the corporation. He at once prepared to
visit the City Hall to meet the Lord Mayor. The city was
full of strangers, and much enthusiasm was manifested.
On arriving at the Mayor's official residence they were
cheered by a large crowd that had gathered to meet the
illustrious ex-President. The Lord Mayor, in presenting
the freedom of the city, referred to the cordiality always
existing between America and Ireland, and hoped that in
America General Grant would do everything he could to
help a people who sympathize with every American move-
ment. The parchment on which was engrossed the free-
dom of the city was enclosed in an ancient carved bog-oak
casket.

General Grant appeared to be highly impressed by the
generous language of the Lord Mayor. He replied sub-
stantially as follows: "I feel very proud of being made a
citizen of the principal city of Ireland, and no honor that 1
have received has given me greater satisfaction. I am by
birth the citizen of a country where there are more Irish-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

men, native born or by descent, than in all Ireland. When
in office I had the honor — and it was a great cjne, indeed—
of representing more Irishmen and descendants of Irish-
men than does Her Majesty the Queen of England. I am
not an eloquent speaker, and can simply thank you for the
great courtesy you have shown me." Three cheers were
given for General Grant at the close of his remarks, and
then three more were added for the people of the United
States.

In the evening General Grant was entertained by the
city authorities at a handsome banquet. The Lord Mayor
presided.

On the 4th, General Grant breakfasted with the Duke
of Marlborough, and the rest of the day was spent in stroll-
ing about Dublin and seeing the sights: of the city, and
Sunday was passed quietly at the Shelbourne Hotel.

On January 6th General Grant and his party left Dublin
for Londonderry. The weather was cold and stormy; but
in spite of this, large crowds had assembled at Dundalk,
Omagh, Strabane and other places, and cheered the Gen-
eral enthusiastically upon the arrival and departure of the
train. Londonderry was reached at two o'clock. An im-
mense crowd had assembled around the station, and Gen-
eral Grant's arrival was hailed with a storm of cheers.
The General was received by the Mayor in a compliment-
ary speech of welcome, to which he replied briefly.

The next morning was spent in exploring the sights of
the city, and the party left for Belfast, accompanied by Sir
Harvey Bruce, lieutenant of the county, Mr. Taylor, M. P.,
and other distinguished gendemen. At every station
crowds assembled to welcome and cheer General Grant,
and among those thus assembled were many old soldiers
who had served in the United States army under General
Grant during our recent Civil War, and who were eager
to greet their old commander. At Colerainc there was .an
immense crowd. General Grant, accompanied by the
Member of Parliament, Mr. Taylor, left the cars, entered
the waiting-room at the depot and received an address. In
reply, General Grant repeated the hope and belief expressed

I ■(•

GENERAL GRANT S TOUR AROUND THE WORI-D.

527

in his Dublin speech, that the period of depression was
ended, and that American prosperity was aiding Irish pros-
perity. At Ballymoney there was another crowd. As the
train neared Belfast a heavy rain began to fall.

The train reached Belfast station at half-past two o'clock.
The reception accorded General Grant was imposing and
extraordinary. The linen and other mills had stopped work,
and the workmen stood out in the rain in thousands. The
platform of the station was covered with scarlet carpet.
The Mayor and members of the City Council welcomed
the General, who descended from the car amid tremendous
cheers. Crowds ran after the carriages containing the city
authorities and their illustrious guest, and afterward sur-
rounded the hotel where the General was entertained.

The public buildings were draped with American and
English colors. Luncheon was served at four o'clock, and
the crowd, with undaunted valor, remained outside amid a
heavy storm and cheered at intervals.

The Belfast speakers made cordial allusions to many
people in America.

On the morning of the 8th, General Grant and his party,
accompanied by Mayor Brown, visited several of the large
mills and industrial establishments of the city.

At three o'clock in the afternoon the General left for
Dublin. Immense crowds had gathered at the hotel and
at the railway station. The Mayor, with Sir John Preston
and the American Consul, accompanied the General to the
depot. As the train moved off, the crowd gave tremen-
dous cheers, the Mayor taking the initiative.

At Portadown, Dundalk, Uroghcda and other stations
there were immense crowds, the populations apparently
turning out en masse. Grant was loudly cheered, and
thousands surrounded the car with the hope of being able
to shake the General by the hand, all wishing him a safe
journey.

When the train reached Dublin, Lord Mayor Barrington
and a considerable number of persons were on the plat-
form at the railway station, and cordially welcomed the
General. As soon as all the party had descended, the

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528

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Lord Mayor invited the General into his carriage, and
drove him to Westward Row, where the Irish mail train
was ready to depart, having been detained eight minutes
for the ex-President.

There was a most cordial farewell and a great shaking
of hands. The Mayor and his friends begged Grant to
return soon and make a longer stay. Soon Kingston was
reached, and in a few minutes the party were in tlie special
cabin which had been provided for them on board the mail
steamer. Special attention was paid to the General by the
officers of the vessel. Grant left the Irish shores at seven
o'clock.

London was reached on the morning of the 9th of Janu-
ary, and the General spent the day and evening at the
residence of Mr. John Welsh, the American Minister.

On Monday, 13th, General Grant and his party left
London for Paris, reaching that city the same evening.
The season was so far advanced that an immediate depar-
ture for India was necessary.

The General spent a week in Paris preparing for his
Indian voyage, and receiving many attentions at the hands
of the authorities and citizens. On the evening of the i6th
he was entertained by President MacMahon at a grand
dinner at the Elysee.

On the 2ist he left Paris with his party for Marseilles, to
embark at that place for India.

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CHAPTER XVI.

General Grant Embarks for India — On the Red Sea — Aden — Arrival at liombay^
Hospitalities to the General — Elephanta — Allahabad — Agra — Taj-Mahal— Jtvpore—
Visit to the Maharajah of Bhurtpoor — Delhi — Lucknow — Calcutta — A XWn at
Rangoon and Bangkok — Hong Kong — Canton — Shanghai — Tientsin — iVkin—ln.
terview with the Prince Regent of the Chinese Empire, Prince Kung — Chefoo— Tin;
Great Wall of China— Japan— Nagasaki — Yokohama — Tokio — Japanese Hospitality
— Grant the (Jiiest of Japan — Received and Visited by the Emperor — Festivities-
Departing for the United States.

"When General Grant returned from Ireland," says Mr.
Young, in his letter to T/ie New York Herald, he learned
that the American man-of-v/ar 'Richmond,' which was to
carry him to India, had not left the United States. The
warm season comes early, and all the General's advices
were to the effect that he should be out of India by the ist
of April. He concluded not to wait for the 'Richmond,'
and leave Marseilles for Alexandria on a steamer belongin^r
to the Messagerie Maritime, and connect at Suez with the
Peninsular and Oriental steamer. On the 24th of January,
at noon, our party embarked at Marseilles.

Our party, as made up for the India trip, is composed of
General Grant, Mrs. Grant, Colonel Frederick D. Grant,
Mr. A. E. Borie, formerly Secretary of the Navy; Dr.
Keating, of Philadelphia, a nephew of Mr. Borie, and John
Russell Young.

"At nine o'clock in the morning the last farewells were
spoken, we took our leave of the many kind and pleasant
friends we had made on the 'Venetia,' and went on board
the government yacht. Our landing was at the Apollo
Bunder — the spot where the Prince of Wales landed.

"Our home in Bombay is at the Government House, on
Malabar Point, in the suburbs of the city. Malabar Point
was in other days a holy place of the Hindoos. Here was
a temple, and it was also believed that if those who sinned
made a pilgrimage to the rocks there would be expiation
or regeneration oY soul." A State dinner at Malabar Point
closed General Grant's visit to Bombay.
(530)

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PAGODA OF CHILLENBAUM. INDIA— VISITED BY GENERAL GRANT.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAN'l".

On the 20th the party arrived at Tatulpur, and visiicU
the Marble Rocks, after which the journey was resumed to
Allahabad, where a short stay was made. On the 2 2d of
r""ebruary General Grant left Allahabad for Aj^ra, where he
arrived die next day. From At^ra General Grant and lijs
party went to Jeypore, to visit the Maharajah of that place;,
one of the wealthiest and most powerful of Indian Princes.
On his return to A^^ra General Grant stopped at lihurtpoor,
to visit the Maharajah of that place.

General Grant and his party left Agra on the ist of
March for Delhi, at which place they arrived in the after-
noon. "It was early morning, and the stars were out/'
says Mr. Young, in his letter to 77ie New York Herald,
"when we drove to the Agra station to take the train for
Delhi. On the afternoon of our arrival we were taken to
the palace, which is now used as a fort for the defence of
the city. Leaving Delhi General Grant and his i)arty
reached Lucknow on the 5th of March.'"

There are few sights in India more interesting than the
ruins of the Residency in Lucknow, where, during the
mutiny, a handful of English residents defended themselves
against the overwhelming forces of the Sepoys until n;-
lieved by Havelock and ^ir Colin Campbell. The story ot
that defence is one of the most brilliant in the annals of
heroism and will always redound to the honor of the
British name.

On the 8th of March, General Grant and his party left
Lucknow for Benares, arriving there at ten o'clock the
same evening. The day had been warm and enervating,
and our journey was through a country lacking in interest.

"We were all tired and drowsy and not wide awake
when the train shot into Benares station. The English
representative of the Viceroy, Mr. Daniells, came on the
train and welcomed the General to Benares. The General
and Mrs. Grr^nt, accompanied by the leading military and
civic Engli.sh representatives and native rajahs, walked
down the line with uncovered heads.

" Benares is the city of priests. Its population is less
than two hundred thousand. Of this number from twenty

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534

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

to twenty-five thousand are Brahmins. They j^ovt rii the
city and hold its temples, wells, shrines and streams. I'il-
gfrims are always arriving and going, and as the day of
General Grant's visit fell upon one of the holiest of Indian
festivals, we found it crowded with pilgrims. .Somctiiii(;s
as many as two hundred thousand come in the course of a
year. They come to die, to find absolution by bathin,; in
the sacred waters of the Ganges. The name comes fiom
a prince named Banar, who once ruled here."

On the 9th of March, General Grant and his party left
Benares for Calcutta, the capital of British India, and
reached thitt city early on the morning of the loth, after a
very fatiguing journey. The General drove off in the state
carriage, with a small escort of cavalry, to the Govern-
ment House, where preparations had been made by Lord
Lytton for the reception of himself and party.

" The Viceroy received General Grant with great kind-
ness. Lord Lytton said he was honored' in having as his
guest a gentleman whose career he had so long followed
witli interest and respect, and that it was especially agree-
able to him to meet one who had been chief magistrate of
a country in which he had spent three of the happiest years
of his life. Nothing could have been more considerate
than the reception. The Viceroy regretted that the duties
of his ofifice, which, on account of Burmese and Af<^han
complications and his departure for Simla, were unusually
pressing, prevented his seeing as much of the members of
the General's party as he wished. In the afternoon we
drove around the city and listened to the band. All the
English world of Calcutta spend the cool of the day in die
gardens, and the General and the Viceroy had a long stroll.
It was dark before we reached the Government House, and
we had just time to dress for a state dinner, the last to be
given by Lord Lytton before leaving Simla. This dinner
was made the occasion for presenting to General Grant the
leading members of the native families. We had had a
reception of this kind in Bombay, but the scene in Calcutta
was more brilliant.

The visit to Calcutta closed the Indian tour of General

rovorn tlie
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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Grant. "We left Calcutta at midnight, on the 17th of
March, in order to catch the tides in the Hoogly, on I)(jard
the steamer 'Simla,' of the British India Navigation Com-
pany. After a short visit at Rangoon and Bangkok, where
he was received with high honor by the officials and the
King of Siam, General Grant went to Singapore, and
from there sailed to Hong Kong, in China. This j)lace
was reached on the 20th of April. The General was
warmly welcomed by the United States Consul and a num-
ber of prominent merchants and citizens. A visit was paid
to the ynited States war steamer 'Ashuelot,' which was
lying in the harbor.

"A pleasant half-hour was spent aboard the 'Ashuelot,'
after which we again took the steam launch and proceeded
towards Murray pier, where preparations had been made
to receive us.

"As the ex-President stepped from the launch and
mounted the red covered stairway, the Governor came
forward, and, warmly shaking him by the hand, welcomed
him and Mrs. Grant to Hong Kong.

"Several pleasant days were passed at Hong Kong, and
then the General and his party proceeded up the river
to Canton,

" It was nine o'clock in the evening before we saw the
lights of Canton. The Chinese gunboats as we came to
an anchorage burned blue lights and fired rockets. The
landing was decorated with Chinese lanterns, and many ol
the junks in the river burned lights and displayed the
American flag. Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Scherzer, French Consul,
Dr. Carson, and other representatives of the European
colony, came on board to welcome us and to express a
disappointment that we had not arrived in time for a public
reception. The General and party landed without any
ceremony and went at once to the house of Mr. Lincoln,
where there was a late dinner. General Grant remained
at home during the morning to receive calls, while Mrs.
Grant and the remainder of the party wandered into the
city to shop and lock at the curious things, and especially
at the most curious thing of all, the city of Canton.

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A CHINESE PAGODA, AS SEEN BY GENERAL GRANT.

(537)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT,

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" The coming of General Grant had created a flutter in
the Chinese mind. No foreign barbarian of so high a rank
had ever visited the Celestial Kingdom. Coming from
America, a country which haJ always been friendly with
China, there were no resentments to gratify, and accord-
ingly, as soon as the Viceroy learned of the visit, he sent
word to our Consul that he would receive General Grant
with special honors.

The Viceroy is a Chinaman, and not of the governing
Tartar race. His manner was the perfection of courtesy
and cordiality. He said he knew how unworthy he was of
a visit from one so great as General Grant, but that this
unworthiness only increased the honor.

After General Grant had been presented, we were each
of us in turn welcomed by the Viceroy and presented to
his suite. Mr. Holcombe and the Chinese interpreter of
the Consul, a blue-button Mandarin, who speaks admirable
English, were our interpreters.

" During this interchange of compliments the reception-
room was filled with members and retainers of the court.
Mandarins, aids, soldiers — all ranks were present. The
whole scene was one of curiosity and excitem.ent. Tiie
Chinamen seemed anxious to do all they could to show us
how welcome was our coming ; but such a visit was a new
thing, and they had no precedent for the reception of a
stranger who had held so high a position as General Grant.
The question of who should call first had evidently been
much in the Viceroy's mind, for he said, apparendy with
the intention of assuaging any supposed feeling of annoy-
ance that might linger in the General's mind, that, of course,
that was not a call ; it was only the General on his way
about the town coming in to see him. The assurance was
certainly not necessary, and I only recall it as an illustra-
tion of the Oriental feature of our visit. After the civilities
were exchanged, the Viceroy led the General and party
into another room, where there were chairs and tables
around the room in a semi-circle. Between each couple
of chairs was a small table, on which were cups of tea.
The General was led to the place of honor in the centre,

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

539

and the Chinese clustered together in one corner. After
some persuasion, the Viceroy was induced to sit beside the
General, and the conversation proceeded. Nothing was
said beyond the usual compliments, which were only re-
peated in various forms."

The next day the Viceroy and the Chinese officials re-
turned the visit. On the 9th of May General Grant and
his party left Canton for Macao and Shanghai.

From the latter place the "Ashuelot" sailed for Tientsin,
at the mouth of the Peiho River, from which paint General
Grant intended visiting Pekin, the capital of China. His
Excellency Li Hung Chang, by far the greatest living-
general of China, was very attentive to General Grant,
and the General, on his part, conceived a high admiration
for the Viceroy.

"The great Viceroy, Li Hung Chang, took the deepest
interest in the coming of General Grant. He was of the
same age as the General. They won their victories at
tile same time — the Southern rebellion ending in April,
the Taeping rebellion in July, 1S65. As the Viceroy said
to a friend of mine, ' General Grant and I have suppressed
die two greatest rebellions known in history.' Those who
liave studied the Taeping rebellion will not think that Li
Hung Chang coupled himself with General Grant in a
spirit of boasting.

" The General formed a high opinion of the Viceroy as a
statesman of resolute and far-seeing character. This opin-
ion was formed after many conversations — official, cere-
monial and personal. The visit of the Viceroy to the
General was returned next day, May 29th, m great pomp.
There was a marine guard from the 'Ashuelot.* We went
to the viceregal palace in the Viceroy's yacht, and as we
steamed up the river every foot of ground, every spot on
the junks, was covered with people. At the landing troops
were drawn up. A chair lined with yellow silk, such a chair
as is only used by the Emperor, was awaiting the General.
As far as the eye could reach the multitude stood expectant
and gazing, and we went to the palace through a line of
troops who stood with arms at a present. Amid the firing

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GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

541

of £(11 ns, the beating of gongs, our procession slowly
marched to the palace door. The Viceroy, surrounded by
his mandarins and attendants, welcomed the General. At
the close of the interview the General and the Viceroy sat
for a photograph. This picture Li-Hung Chang wished to
preserve as a memento of the General's visit, and it was
taken in one of the palace rooms. A day or two later there
was a ceremonial dinner given in a temple. The dinner
was a princely affair, containing all the best dishes of
Chinese and European cookery, and, although the hour was
noon, the afternoon had far gone when it came to an end."

On the 31st of May General Grant and his party em-
barked on the Peiho River for Pekin.

"On the 3d day of June, shortly after midday, we saw in
the distance the wills and towers of Pekin. We passed
near a bridge where there had been a contest between the
French and Chinese during the Anglo-French expedition,
and one of the results of which was that the officer who
con^manded the French should be made a nobleman, under
the name of the Count Palikao, and had later adventures
in French History. As we neared the city the walls loomed
up and seemed harsh and forbidding, built with care and
strength as if to defend the city. We came to a gate and
were carried through a stone arched way, and halted, so
that a new escort could join the General's party.

"Within an hour or two after General Grant's arrival in
Pekin he was waited upon by the members of the Cabinet,
who came in a body, accompanied by the military and civil
governors of Pekin. These are the highest officials in
China, men of grace and stately demeanor. They were
received in Chinese fashion, seated around a table covered
with sweetmeats, and served with tea. The first Secretary
brought with him the card of prince K'lng, the Prince
Regent of the Empire, and said that His Imperial Highness
had charged him to present all kind wishes to General
Grant and to express the hope that the trip in China had
been pleasant. The Secretary also said that as soon as
^he Prince Regent heard from the Chinese Minister in
Paris that General Grant was coming to China, he sent

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GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

543

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orders to the officials to receive him with due honor. The
General said that he had received nothing but honor and
courtesy from China, and this answer pleased the Secretary,
who said he would be happy to carry it to the Prince Regent.

"As soon as General Grant arrived at Pekin he was
met by the Secretary of State, who brought the card of
Prince Kung, and said His Imperial Highness would be
glad to see General Grant at any time.

"The Prince met the General the next day. He expected
to see a uniformed person, a man of the dragon or lion
species, who could make a great noise. What he saw was
.1 quiet, middle-aged gentleman in evening dress, who had
ridden a long way in the dust and sun, and who was look-
ing in subdued dismay at servants who swarmed around
him with dishes of soups and sweetmeats, dishes of bird's
nest soup, sharks' fins, roast ducks, bamboo sprouts, and a
teapot with a hot, insipid tipple made of rice, tasting like
a remembrance of sherry, which was poured into small
silver cups. We were none of us hungry. We had had
luncheon, and we were on the programme for a special
banquet in the evening. Here was a profuse and sumptu-
ous entertainment. The dinner differed from those in
Tientsin, Canton and Shanghai, in the fact that it was more
quiet; there was no display of parade, no crowd of dusky
servants and retainers hanging around and looking on, as
thouoh at a comedy.

"There were some points in this first conversation that
1 gather up as illustrative of the character of the Prince
and his meeting with the General. I give them in the
form of a dialogue:

''General Grant- — I have long desired to visit China, but
have been too busy to do so before. I have been received
at every point of the trip with the greatest kindness, and
I want to thank your Imperial Highness for the manner in
which the Chinese authorities have welcomed me.

''Prince Kimg — When we heard of your coming we were
glad. We have long known and watched your course, and
we have always been friends with America. America has
never sought to oppress China, and we value very much

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GENERAL GRANT'S TOOR AROUND IHE WORLD.

54^

the friendship of your country and people. The Viceroy
at Tientsin wrote of your visit to him.

"■General Grant — I had a very pleasant visit to the Vice-
roy. He was anxious for me to visit Pekin and see you.
I do not wish to leave Pekin without saying how much
America values the prosperit) of China. As I said to the
Viceroy, that prosperity will be greatly aided by the devel-
opment of the country.

''Prince Kung-— Chinsi is not insensible to what has been
done by other nations.

"A Minister — China is a conservative country, an old
Empire governed by many traditions, and with a vast popu-
lation. The policy of China is not to move without
deliberation,

" General Grant — I think that progress in China should
come from inside, from her own people. I am clear on
that point. If her own people cannot do it, it will never be
done. You do not want the foreigner to come in and put
you in debt by lending you money and then taking your
country.

"The ministers all cordially assented to this proposition
with apparent alacrity."

During his stay at Pekin Prince Kung had an important
interview with General Grant, in which he asked him to
use his good offices with the government of Japan, in order
that an honorable and peaceable settlement of the question
at issue between the two countries concerning the Loo
Choc Islands might be had.

From Pekin General Grant returned to Tientsin, and
there met the "Richmond," which soon sailed for Cheefoo,
in order to enable the General and his party to see the
great wall of China at the point where it comes to an end
on the sea-shore.

From Chefoo the "Richmond" sailed direct for Naga-
saki, in Japan. "There was no special incident in our run
from China. On the morning of the 21st of June we found
ourselves threading our way through beautiful islands and
rocks rich with green, that stood like sentinels in the sea,
and hills on which were trees and gardens, and high, com-
35

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l.IKK OK ULYSSES S. GRAM.

manding cliffs, covurcd with j^rtien, and smootli. tranquil
waters, into tr.e Bay of Nagasaki.

"The 'Richmond' steamed between the hills, and came
to an anchorage. It was the early morning, and over \\\(y.
water v.ere shadows of cool, inviting green. lNai;a<^aki,

nestling on her hill
sides, looked cosy and
beautiful ; and, it licing
our first glimpse of a
Japanese town, we
studied it through our
glasses, studied every
feature — the scenery,
the picturesque attri-
butes of the city, the terraced hills that rose beyond,
every rood under cultivation ; the quaint, curious houses;
the multitudes of flags which showed tl at the town
knew of our coming and was preparing to do us
honor. We noted, also, that the wharves were lined with

c;I'.\i;k.\i. ckam' taking; a mounim; wm.k
(<n hoaku tlik stkamkk " richmom),"

RICHMOM).'

(547)

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1,1 IK OF ULYS8i:S S. GRAN 1".

a imiltituilc, and that tin; curious population W(;ro \vaiiiii;r
to sec the guest whom their nation honors and who is i^iiown
in common speech as the American Mikado, hi a short
time the Japanese liarge was seen cominjjf, with Princi'
Dati and Mr. Yoshida and the Governor, all in the; .>pli;n-
dor of court uniforms. Prince Dati said that he had been
commanded by the Empt;ror to meet General Grant on his
landinj^S to welcome him in the name of His Majesty, and
to attend upon him as the Emperor's personal represiMit-
ative so long as the (ieneral remained in Japan."

From Nagasaki the "Richmond" sailed to Yokohama,
which was reachetl on the 3d of July. There was a sj)cciai
train waiting, and in the afternoon the party started for i'okio.

"The ride to Tokio, the capital of Japan, was a litde less
than an hour, over a smooth road, and through a pheasant,
well-cultivated and apparendy prosperous country. As
the General descended from the train a committee of the
citizens advanced and asked to read an address, which
was accordingly read in both Japanese and English, and to
which General Grant made an admiraldc reply. The
General's carriage drove slowly in, surrounded by cavalry,
through line of infantry presenting arms, through a dense
mass of people, under an arch of llowers and evergreens,
until, amid the flourish of trumpets and the beating of
drums, he descended at the house that had been pre|)ared
for his reception — the Emperor's summer palace of Kurio
Kwan.

" The Emperor and Empress have agreeable faces, the
Emperor especially showing firmness and kindness. The
solemn etiquette that pervaded the audience-chamber was
peculiar, and might appear strange to those familiar with
the stately but cordial manners of a European Court. But
one must remember that die Emperor holds so high and
so sacred a place in the traditions, the religion and the
political system of Japan that even the ceremony of to-day
is so far in advance of anything of the kind ever known
•n Japan that it might be called a revolution. The Em-
peror, for instance, as our group was formed, advanced
and shook hands with the General.

GENEKAI. CJKANt's TOUK AKoUN'H THK WORM). 549

"Vhc first aiiditMict; of General (irant with the Emperor,
on the Fourth of July, was stately and formal. The Em-
peror, before our return from Nikko, sent a message to

(iENERAL GRANT MEETINCJ THK EMI'EROR OE JAI'AN.

the General that h(^ desired to see him informally. Many
little courtesies had been exchangred between the Empress
and Mrs. Grant, and the Emperor himself, throucfh his no-

550

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

blemen and Ministers, kept a constant watch over the
Cieneral's comfort. General Grant returned answer that
he was entirely at the pleasurt; of His Majesty. It was
arranged, consequently, that on the loth of Augi'st the
Emperor would come to the I'alace of Eurlo Kwan, where
General Grant and his party resided. On this occasion
the conversation lasted for -wo hours.

"General Grant said he would leave Japan with the
warmest feelings of friendship toward the Emperor and
the people. He would never cease to feel a deep interest
in their fortunes. He thanked the Emperor for his princely
hospitality. Taking his leave, the General and party
strolled back to the palace, and His Majesty drove away
to his own home in a distant part of the city.

"There were dinners and Je/cs and many pleasant par-
ties during our stay at Eurio Kwan.

"Among the most pleasing incidents of our last days in
Tokio was a dinner with Saiijo, the Prime Minister, who
entertained us in Parisian style, everything being as we
would have found it on the Champs Elysees.

"On Saturday, August 30th, 1879, General Grant took
his leave of the Emperor. A farewell to the Mikado
meant more in the eyes of General Grant than if it had
been the ordinary leave-taking of a monarch who had
shown him hospitality. He had received attentior.s fron,
the sovereign and jx^ople such as had never been given.
He had been honored not alone in his own person, but as
the representative of his country. In many ways the visit
of the General had taken a wide range, and what he would
say to the Emperor would have great importance, because
the words he uttered would go to every Japanese household.
General Grant's habit in answering speeches and nd^
dresses is to speak at the moment without previous thou^at
or preparation. On several occasions, when bodies of
j)eople made addresses to him, they sent copies in advance,
so that he might read them and prepare a response. Bm
he always declined these courtesies, saying that he wouki
wait until he heard the addresses in public, and his best re-
sponse would be what came to him on the instant. The

GENERAL GRANTS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD.

551

be in Of as we

farewell to the Emperor was so important, however, that
the General did what he has not done before during our
journey. He wrote out in advance the speech he proposed
making to His Majesty. I mention this circumstance sim-
ply because the incident is an exceptional one, and because
it showed General Grant's anxiety to say to the Emperor

OENliRAL GUAXr A'IsliS TllK JAl'ANESE J'OrTERV.

and the people of Japan what would be most becoming in
return for their kindness, and what would best conduce to
good relations between the two nations.

"At two in the afternoon the sound of the bugles and
the tramp of the horsemen announced the arrival of the
escort that was to accompany us to the imperial palace.
Prince Dati and Mr. Yoshida were in readiness, and a few

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552

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.,

minutes after two the state carriages came. General and
Mrs. Grant rode in the first carriage. On reachino the
palace, infantry received the General with military honors.
The Prime Minister, accompanied by the Ministers for the
Household and Foreign Affairs, were waiting at the door
when our party arrived. The princes of the imperial
family were present. The meeting was not so formal as
when we came to greet the Emperor and have an audience
of welcome. Then all the Cabinet were present, blazing
in uniforms and decorations. Then we were strangers,
now we are friends. On entering the audience-chamber —
the same plain and severely-furnished room in which we
had been received — the Emperor and Empress advanced
and shook hands with the General and Mrs. Grant. The
Emperor is not what you would call a graceful man, and
his manners are those of an anxious person not precisely
at his ease — wishing to please and make no mistake. But
on this farewell audience he seemed more easy and natural
than when we had seen him before.

" The audience with the Emperor was the end of all fes-
tivities; for, after taking leave of the head of the nation, It
would not have been becoming in others to offer enter-
tainments."

General Grant and party returned to Yokohama, and
there engaged passage on the Pacific Mail Steamer "City of
Tokio," which sailed for San Francisco on the 3d of Sep-
tember. * •

The voyage from Japan to San Francisco was pleasant
but uneventful. A head wind held the steamer back dur-
ing the latter part of the voyage, but the run, on the whole^
was enjoyable.

,,i(^^fv-

CHAPTER XVII.

HOME AGAIN.

Arrifal of the " City of Tokio " at San Francisco — Reception of General (Jrant— A Erilliant
Demonstration — Honors paid to him — A Trip to the Yosemite Valley — The General'!
Visit to Portland, Oregon, Sacramento, Carson City, Virginia City — The Sutro Tunnel,
Omaha and Burlington, Iowa — Arrival at Galena, HI. — Enthusiastic Reception at Chi-
cago, Logansport, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Louisville Cincinnati, Pittshurph and Phila-
delphia— A Short Trip through the Soutliern States, Cuba, Mexico — Returning Home.

The citizens of San Francisco determined to welcome
General Grant back to his native country in the most cor-
dial manner.

It was half past five o'clock when a puff of white smoke
from seaward, from the earthworks back of and above
Fort Point, and the booming of a heavy gun announced
that the steamer was near at hand. In a few moments the
entrance to the harbor was veiled in wreaths of smoke,
and as the batteries opened fire in succession the whole
channel was soon shrouded in clouds from their rapid dis-
charges. For some time the position of the approaching
ship could not be discovered, but shortly before six o'clock
theoudines of the huge hull of the "City of Tokio" loomed
through the obscurity of smoke and rapidly approaching
shades of evening lit up by the flashes of guns, and in a
few moments she glided into full view, surrounded by a
lleet of steamers and tugs, gay with flags and crowded
with guests, while the yacht squadron brought up the rear,
festooned from deck to truck with brilliant bunting. Cheer
after cheer burst from the assembled thousands as the
vessels rounded Telegraph Hill. The United States
steamer "Monterey," lying in the stream, added the roar of
her cruns to the general welcome, and the screaming of
luindreds of steam whistles announced that the "City of
rokio" had reached her anchorage.

The General and his party were transferred to the ferry
steamer "Oakland," and as she reached the dock the band
struck up " Home Again," and amid cheers from the crowd

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HOME AGAIN.

555

General Grant stepped once more upon the shore of his
native land.

General Grant was then conducted to his carriage and
escorted to his hotel by the grandest and most imposing
procession ever witnessed on the Pacific coast.

General Grant remained several weeks on the Pacific
coast, and while in San Francisco was the guest of the city
and the recipient of numerous and flattering attentions.

On the 23d of September, General and Mrs. Grant were
formally presented by the municipal authorities to the cit-
izens of San Francisco. The ceremonies took place at the
City Hall, and were elaborate and imposing.

On the morning of the 30th of September General Grant
and his party left San Francisco for a trip to the famous
valley of th^ Yosemite.

The Yosemite Valley was reached on the 2d of October.
A delightful visit to the noted points of this famous valley
ensued, and the party returned to San Francisco on the
8th of October.

On the afternoon of the 9th, General Grant and his party
sailed from San Francisco, on the steamer "St. Paul," for a
visit to Oregon. Vancouver was reached on the 13th of
October, at a quarter to six in the evening.

General Grant was met at Vancouver by the Governor
and other officers of the State of Oregon, and the journey
was continued to Portland, which was reached on the 14th.

While in Portland, General Grant was handsomely en-
tertained by the State and city authorities. His visit was
necessarily brief, and he returned to San Francisco on the
20th of October.

On the 2 2d of October General Grant and his party left
San Francisco for Sacramento, which was reached at one
o'clock in the afternoon.

In the evening the General received the citizens of Sac-
raniento at the Capitol.

General Grant and his party returned to San Francisco
on the 24th, reaching that city at noon, and were imme-
diately driven to the Palace Hotel.

On the night of the 25th, a magnificent banquet was

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556

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

given, at the Palace Hotel, in honor of General Grant. At
half-past eleven o'clock the FVesidential party bade good-
by, and the company took a special train for Nevada, beino
accompanied to the depot by many citizens.

On the 29th the General and his party visited the Sutro
tunnel. They left Vir^^nnia City at six o'clock and wen;
driven in four-in-hand turnouts over a fine mountain road
to the town of Sutro, where they arrived at eight o'clock,
the General expressing- himself as much pleased with the
early morning drive. His welcome was emphasized by the
ringing of bells, blowing of whistles of the company's
work-shops and by a heavy discharge of giant powder from
the mountain tops overlooking the town. The party were
received at the Sutro mansion by Mrs. Adolphe Sutro,
Superintendent H. H. Sheldon and officers of the company.
and after an examination of the works of the coinpany at
the mouth of the tunnel, and the reception of the citizens
of the town and vicinity, a sumptuous breakfast was served.

After returning to Virginia City, General Grant resumed
his journey eastward in a special train. Ogden was reached
at three o'clock on the afternoon of the 30th, and here the
General was received by Governor Emery, of Utah Ter-
ritory. A halt of only half an hour was made, and the
General was again speeding eastward. At Clu-yenne and
Omaha there were enthusiastic receptions. Upon the ar-
rival of the General at Omaha, a special train was sent
from Chicago to that place by the officials of the Chicao^o,
Burlington and Quincy Railroad to convey the General and
his party further eastward. Omaha was left on the morning
of the 3d of November. At Council Bluffs and other
points along the route the General was received with
enthusiasm.

Galena, III, the home of General Grant previous to the
war,' was reached on the 5th of November, where he was
enthusiastically received by his neighbors and friends.

A week's rest at his home in Galena was all that Gen
eral Grant permitted himself to enjoy. He had promised
to attend the reunion of the veterans of the Army of the
Tennessee, which was to be held at Chicago on; the 12th of

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Y bade good-
Jevada, beino

ted the Sutro
ck and were
ountain road
eight o'clock,
ased with the
lasized by the
le company's
powder from
le party were
lolphe Sutro,
the company.
e company at
)f the citizens
St was served,
rrant resumed
n was reached
, and here the
of Utah Ter-
ade, and the
Cheyenne and
Upon the ar-
ain was sent
the Chicajro,
t General and
n the morning
Ts and other
received with

revious to the
where he was
1 friends,
all that Gen
had promised
- Army of the
on, the 1 2th of

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

November, and on that day he set out from Galena to fulfil
his promise. Great preparations had been made in Cliicago
to ieceive him, and it was determined by the people that
their reception to General Grant should surpass anything
of the kind ever witnessed In this country.

The train from Galena, containing General Grant, arrived
at Park Row, on the south side, promptly at one o'clock.
At this time the rain was falling heavily, but in a few min-
utes the clouds lifted and the sun shone brightly. General
Grant alighted with his party from the special car of Presi-
dent Ackerman, of the Illinois Central Railroad, and took
a seat in the carriage provided for him.

The procession moved from Park Row north throucrh
Michigan Avenue to Washington Street, thence through
Clark to Washington, thence through Franklin to Monroe,
thence through La Salle to Madison, thence throu<;Ii Dear-
born to Adams, thence through Clark to Van Buren. thence
through State to Madison, and thence through Wabash
Avenue until dismissed. General Grant left the procession
at the Palmer House and reviewed it from a temporary
balcony.

After the review General Grant was formally welcomed
by Mayor Harrison, who spoke 'in the rotunda of the Pal-
mer House.

On the morning of the 13th of November the Union
Veteran Club gave a reception to General Grant at
McVicker's Theatre.

In a similar way General Grant was received by the citi-
zens of Logansport, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Louisville, Cin-
cinnati, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.

General Grant and his party passed the night on board
of the special train at Harrisburg. An early start was
made for Philadelphia, at which point the General's jour-
ney around the world came to an end. The great city had
made the most magnificent preparations for the reception
of its distinguished guest, and there can be no question
that the reception was one of the most tremendous ova-
tions ever tendered to any man in the United States, and
the moving column, which was more than twelve miles in

3 rant, arrived
; one o'clock.
in a few min-
itly. General
I car of Presi-
oad, and took

Dcr the Union
ral Grant at

GENERAL GRANTS RECEPTION IN VHILADELPIIIA.

THE I'ROCESSION PASSING INDEl'KNDENCK HALL.

(559)

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560

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

length, was admirably managed. It occupied six hours in
passing any given point.

The point at which Mayor Stokley was waiting to receive
General Grant was reached at twenty minutes past nine.
The General and his friends had moved into the fourth car
when the fifth was taken into West Philadelphia, and in this
car he received the Mayor. Upon entering the car, Mayor
Stokley raised his hat and cordially grasped the extended
hand of the ex-President, the latter holding his hat in his
left hand. The Mayor then welcomed the distinguished
guest to the city.

General Grant left the train at twenty-two minutes after
ten, accompanied by Mayor Stokley. Then followed Gov-
ernor Hoyt, Colonel Jones, the members of the Reception
Committee and others. There was a glad, a tumultuous
shout of welcome as General Grant was recognized by the
crowd. The Mayor and his guest entered a six-in-hand
barouche, aid drove off to take the place assigned in the
procession, which, from daylight, had been forming on
Broad and all the streets leading into it between Market
Street and Girard Avenue. The other members of tl ^
party followed in open carriages.

Any number of columns might be written about this tri-
umphal journey, whose itinerancy led down Broad to the
new public buildings, thence around into Market Street,
passing under an arch bearing the legend, — "All Honor to
the Great Hero of the Nineteenth Century;" down Market
to Fourth, through which the column passed to Chestnut.
The old Independence Hall was decorated and festooned
from the pavement to the roof, and in front was the grand
triumphal arch spanning Chestnut Street, decorated with
exquisite taste, and showing the motto, — "Philadelphia's
Welcome to the Patriot and Soldier."

Upon this archway were five hundred ladies. Far as
the perspective effect permitted the eye to see up the street
was a fluttering forest of flags and streamers.

To sum up the whole parade in one paragraph, it may
be said that the appearance of General Grant's carriage
was heralded blocks ahead, — to the ear by the shouts of

HOME AGAIN.

561

applause, and to the eye by the waving of hats and hand-
kerchiefs. Nowhere was any disapprobation shown, but
everywhere good liurnor and welcome. As his carriage
reached the front of Independence Hall, a few moments
before one o'clock, a round of applause greeted him, the
bell tolled forth a salute, and this was the signal for a gen-
eral outburst of enthusiasm all along the line.

General Grant remained in Philadelphia about a fortnight
and was the recipient of the heartiest and most cordial hos-
pitality at the hands of its citizens.

On the 27th General Grant, accompanied by Mrs. Grant,
General and Mrs. Sheridan, Colonel and Mrs. Fred Grant,
and Miss McKenna, left Philadelphia for Washington.

Washington was reached at a little after four o'clock in
the afternoon. Several days were spent in the National
Capital, one of which General Grant devoted to a visit to
the farm of his friend. General Beale, in the vicinity, where
his Arabian horses were being kept for him.

President Grant and party made a short trip through the
Southern States, and finally, on the 21st, they embarked on
the splendid new steamer "Admiral" for Havana.

At half-past eleven o'clock on the morning of January
22d the "Admiral" entered the harbor of Havana. On
landing, the party entered carriages belonging to the Cap-
tain-General and were driven to the palace, where, after
their reception at the foot of the staircase by General Cal-
lejas, Vice-Governor-General, and Joaquin Cirbonell, Secre-
tary of the Government, they entered and inspected the
palace.

On the 24th an official banquet was given to General
Grant at the palace. About eighty persons were present,
including General Caliejas, the Vice-Governor-General, the
intendants of the Treasury and army, Gene-al Arias, Gov-
ernor of the Province of Havana, members of the munici-
pality, the Bishop of Havana and other distinguished
persons. Those of the guests who were married were
accompanied by their ladies.

During his stay in Cuba General Grant visited many
points of interest in that island, and returned to Havana

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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about the ist of February. On the 2d of February lie
visited the Vento Water-Works, near Havana. On the
night of the 3d a grand ball was given at the Vict:- regal
Palace, in honor of the American visitors.

On the 13th of February General Grant and his party
bade adieu to their hospitable C'uban friends, and emljarked
on the steamship "City of Alexandria" for Vera Cruz, in
Mexico, where they were cordially received by the officials
and citizens. From Vera Cruz they went to Orizaba, and
a few days later to the city of Mexico.

"Upon Monday, February 23d, at 1 1 a. m.. Generals (irant
and Sheridan, with Colonel Fred Grant and their respec-
tive ladies, repaired to the national palace for the purpose
of an official call upon President Diaz.

"Tuesday afternoon carriages were taken to Molino del
Rey, which means simply 'King's Mills.' It was at the
portal in the wall surrounding these buildings that tlic des-
perate assault was made by the Americans which drove the
Mexicans out like rats toward Chapultepec, half a mile
away, and immortalized the spot in our national annals.
The ancient walls plainly show the rain marks of bullets
and of cannon-balls. A plain monument upon the crest of
a hill gives due token of the event. It was here that Gen-
eral Grant, then a young lieutenant, won his captaincy."

On the evening of the 1st of March, President Diaz
gave a grand banquet at the National Palace in honor of
General Granr All the members of the Cabinet and
Diplomatic Corps, with many other persons of distinction,
were present. After the banquet a festival took place.
The plaza was tastefully adorned and illuminated, and was
crowded with people.

On the 20th of March General Grant's visit to Mexico
came to an end. Bidding adieu to his Mexican friends at
the capital, he travelled by railway to Vera Cruz, retracing
the route by which he had reached the Mexican metropolis,
and on the 20th embarked on the steamship "City of
Mexico" for Galveston, where he was enthusiastically
received. From there he returned North via San Antonio
and Houston, Texas.

CHAPTLR XVIII.

GRANT IN PRIVATE LI IE.

General Grant at Home Again — He makes New York City His Permanent Residence-
Mrs. Grant Presented with a Resilience on Sixty-sixth Street — The Chicago Con-
vention of 1880 — The P'irm of Grant & Ward — The Fund of 5250,000 raised for
General Grant — Death of the Mother of General Grant— Histnry of the Failure of
Grant & Ward— A I/jan from William H. Vanderbilt— An Interesting Corre.
spondence.

General Grant's tour through the Southern States was of great
importance to the peace and welfare of the country at large, be-
cause it did more than any other eftbrt heretofore made to concil-
iate those formerly in rebellion against the government of the
United States. Everywhere he was received with great enthusiasm
and courtesy, especially by those who* had fought against him
during our civil war. His visits to Mexico and Cuba had been
prompted by the desire to see established closer commercial rela-
tions between those countries and the United States. Though not
traveling in an official capacity, he was recognized as the repre-
sentative of our country. It is due to General Grant that we now
enjoy a very advantageous commercial treaty with Mexico.

On his return from Mexico General Grant made New York City
his permanent residence. His many years of service for his country
liad brought him fame enough, but only a small fortune, and the
competence that he possessed had been greatly diminished by the
expenses incurred during his tour around the world. As he had
no home to call his own in that great city, his friends purchased a
superb brown-stone mansion in Sixty-sixth Street, one door from
Fifth Avenue, for the sum of ;^ 100.000, and presented it to Mrs.
Grant. There was a mortgage of jS6o,ooo on it, and although the
full amount was raised, only 54O,0OO were paid down on the
delivery of the deed, and the remainder was placed to Mrs. Grant's
credit in the bank. She made repeated efforts to raise the incum-
brance, but as it had a long term of years to run, the holder of the
mortgage would not discharge it. When the firm of Grant & Ward
was started, Mrs. Grant transferred her account to the house, and
with it the 1160,000 to pay off the mortgage on their home. That
sum went in the crash of the firm of Grant & Ward.

General Grant neither desired nor sought a nomination for a third
term at the hands of the Republican National Convention, which
met at Chicago in June, 1880. No man had more respect for the

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

unwritten law laid down by Washington, declaring a third term in
the Presidential chair inimical to the best interests of the Republic.
The extraordinary enthusiasm which had greeted General Grant
on his return home from his tour around the world undoubtedly
proved the fact that he was the most popular man in the United
States, and that no single man of any prominence in the Republi-
can party held the affection of the masses to so high a degree as he.

COL. FREDERICK D. GRANT.

This fact naturally turned the attention of the leaders of that
party to General Grant as the most fitting candidate for the highest
office in the gift of the people, and the one most sure to be elected.
They were fearful of consulting him beforehand; they dreaded to
allow him the opportunity of declining to be a candidate before the
convention, and flattered themselves with the hope that it he were
nominated, even against his will, they might be able to induce him
to remain in the field.

GRANT IN PRIVATE LIFE.

565

Such a firm hold did this delusion have on them, that for 36
ballots in the convention, 306 of the delegates cast their votes for
General Grant, and even on the decisive ballot, when General Gar-
field was nominated, refused to make the vote unanimous, exclaim-
ing: " The old guard dies, but never surrenders."

The steadfastness with which that band of three hundred and six
had clung to their champion was subsequently commemorated by
the striking off of medals, which were distributed to each one.

A short time afterward the firm of Grant & Ward was
started. As is well known, the firm later on failed, ruining its
members financially, and many persons, who had entrusted to its
care their wealth as well as their savings of many years.

On January nth, 1881, Senator Logan, of Illinois, introduced a
bill in the U. S. Senate to place General Grant on the retired lisi
with the rank and full pay of a general of the army. This bill
did not pass at that session and friends of the general voluntarily
raised a fund of ;$250,OC)0, the interest of which, amounting to
§15,000 per annum, he was to have the use of during his life; the
principal he could dispose of by will.

This fund was in no sense of the word a charitable gift, but
merely a just recognition of the invaluable services he had ren-
dered to his country. Though all of the contributors to the fund
were warm personal fiiends of the general, he had solicited
nothing from them, had thrown out no hint or suggestion that he
in any wise needed the gift. He was entirely ignorant of its being
raised until it was presented to him, and it was only after a great
deal of persuasion that he was induced to accept it.

For the rest of that year and the next General Grant led a very
retired life. On the nth of May, 1883, he suffered the loss' of his
mother, who died at the ripe age of eighty-four years, at the home
of her daughter, Mrs. Corbin, at Jersey City Heights. Heaven
had permitted her to live long enough to see honors showered on
her son, such as no mother had ever witnessed before.

On December 24th, of that year, a very serious accident befell
General Grant. In the evening he left his residence for the pur-
pose of paying a visit. The night was rainy and disagreeable, and
the sidewalk very slippery. He passed down the steps and crossed
to the curb, where his carriage was waiting; but just as he was
about entering the vehicle, slipped and fell. His body struck the
sharp end of the curb, severely bruising his side, and the weight of
the fall caused serious injury to his thigh, which deprived him of
all power to rise. The accident confined him to his bed for several
weeks, and it was some r lonths before he could leave his residence
again

The year 1884 was destined to be the saddest year of General

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Grant's life. On May 6th the firm of Grant & Ward closed its
doors; and, as was subsequently ascertained, ;$ 14,000,000 were
swept away in the crash, and with it the whole of General Grant's
fortune financially.

The General wished his three sons well established in business
and he had hoped and believed that he would do so when, in the

ULYSSES S. GRANT, Jr.

summer of 1880, they became partners of Ferdinand Ward in the
banking and brokerage business.

The firm started out with great brilliancy; and by a number of
apparently successful operations, Mr. Ward achieved the cogno-
men of the "Young Napoleon of Finance." Mr. James D. Fish,
President of the Marine National Bank, shortly after became a
partner, and in November of the same year General Grant himself
asked to be admitted to the firm. Neither the General nor his sons
had any experience in financial affairs, and trusted entirely to tlie

^ 11'^^^^:

GRANT IN PRIVATE LIFE.

567

nd Ward in the

honor and integrity of Mr. Ward, It now appears evident that he
carried on a number of real-estate and other speculations without
the knowledge of the other members of the firm, and used for this
purpose the moneys and credits of the firm, and of the Marine
National Bank.

The imaginary profits dwindled away into nothing; the deposits
of trusting creditors were used to avert the inevitable, and on the
Saturday previous to the failure the news came to the General like
a tliunder-clap, that unless a very large sum of money could be
immediately raised, he and his family would be ruined.

We will not attempt to picture the horror of the old warrior,
who for' sixty-two years of his life had borne his good name with-
out a stain or reproach upon it, and who now felt that, however
innocent, he would be made the target of the arrows of indignation
and reproach, which would be hurled from all sides as soon as the
terrible calamity should have happened. All night long he kept
considering some plan of escape, and on the next day, as a last
resource, and with but little hope in his heart, visited the residence
of Mr. W. H. Vanderbilt, and asked that millionaire to lend him
;$i 50,000 on his personal check.

It is true Mr. Vanderbilt at once gave him the required sum,
and the money was deposited in the Marine National Bank to the
credit c.' the firm of Grant & Ward. But this was a mere drop in
the bucket. It would not ward off the inevitable. On the fatal
Tuesday the Marine National Bank closed its doors, and a few
ininutes later the firm of Grant & Ward announced its inability to
pay its debts.

The outburst of indignation which General Grant feared would
be directed against him did arise, but only to "hange into a great
wave of sympathy for him and his as soon as it was ascertained
how wofully his confidence had been misplaced and abused, and to
what a wretched strait he and his family had been reduced.

Everything that an upright, conscientious man can do towards
satisfying his creditors had been done by the general ; and his
family, his respected wife, and his sons and their wives, had nobly
aided him in these efforts.

His debt to Mr. Vanderbilt weighed especially on his mind,
and he did not rest satisfied until he had been permitted to con-
fess judgment for the amount. Mr. Vanderbilt made a levy on
the personal property, including the valuable gifts received By the
general during his tour around the world, and the medals pre-
sented to him, and then offered to present them to Mrs. Grant.
At first she accepted the offer, but the general would not allow
her to receive them ; and as the only way to satisfy the old soldier's
fine sense of honor, Mr. Vanderbilt was finally obliged to request

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568

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the general to permit Mrs, Grant to remain in possession of them
until they could be presented to the nation and preserved in the
Smithsonian Institute at Washington.

In this connection wc publish the following correspondence

JESSE R. GRANT.

which reflects credit as well on Mr. Vanderbilt as on General
and Mrs. Grant.

" No. 640 Fifth AvENUE,/a«. 10, 1885.
**Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant:

" Dear Madam — So many misrepresentations have appeared in regard
to the loan made by me to General Grant, and reflecting unjustly upon
him and myself, that it seems proper to briefly recite the facts.

" On Sunday, the 4th of May, 1884, General Grant called at my house
anrl asked me to lend him $150,000 for one day. I gave him my check
without question, EJt because the transaction was business-like, but sim-

1 . '. e

GRANT IN I'RIVA'IE LIFE.

5^9

orrespondcnce.

as on General

ply because the request came from General Grant. The misfortunes
which overwhelmed him in the next twenty-four hours aroused the sym-
pathy and regret of the whole country. You and he sent me within a few
davs of the time, the deeds of your joint properties to cover this obligation,
and urged my acceptance on the ground that this was the only debt of
honor which the General had personally incurred, and these deeds I
returned. Daring my absence in Europe the General delivered to my
attorney mortgages upon all his own real estate, household effects and the
swords, medals and works of art which were the memorials of his victories
and the presents from governments all over the world. These securities
were in his judgment worth the $150,000.

" At his solicitation the necessary steps were taken by judgment, &c., to
reduce these properties to possession, and the articles mentioned have
been this day bought in by me, and the amounts bid applied in reduction
of the debt. New, that I am at liberty to treat these things as my own,
the disposition of the whole matter most in accord with my feelings is
this :

" [ present to you as your separate estate the debt and judgment I hold
against General Grant ; also the mortgages upon his real estate and all
tiie household furniture and ornaments, coupled only with the condition
that the swords, commissions, medals, gifts from the United Stat s,
States, cities and foreign governments, and all articles of historical va'ue
and interest shall at the General's death or, if you desire it, sooner be
presented to the government at Washington, where they will remain as
perpetual memorials of his fame and of the history of his time.

'' I enclose herewith assignments to you of the mortgages and judg-
ments, a bill of sale of the personal property and a deed of trust in which
the articles of historical interest are enumerated A copy of this trust
deed will, with your approval, be forwarded to the President of the
United States for deposit in t'le proper department.

"Truitiug that this action will meet with your acceptance and appro-
val, and with the kindest regards to your husband, I am yours respect-
fully, " W. H. VaNDERI!ILT."

To this General Grant replied :

" New York Cnv,/an. 10, 1885.

" Di'iir Sir .-—Mrs. Grant wishes me to answer your letter of this even-
ing to say that, while she appreciates your great generosity in transferring
to her the mortgages given to secure my debt of 8150,000, she cannot
accept it in whole. She accepts with pleasure the trust which applies to
articles enumerated in your letter to go to the government of the United
States, at my death or sooner, at her option. In this matter you have
anticipated the disposition which I had contemplated niaking of the
articles. They will be delivered to the government as soon as arrange-
ments can be made for their reception.

"Papers relating to all other property will be returned, with the re-
quest that you have it sold and the proceeds applied to the liquidation
of the debt which I so justly owe you. You have stated in your letter
with the minutest accuracy the history of the transaction which brought

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GRANT IN PRIVATE LIFE.

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tne in your debt. I have only to add that I regard your giving me your
check for the amount without inquiry, as an act of marked and unusual
friendship. The loan was to me personally. 1 got the money, as I
believed, to carry the Marine National Bank over a day, being assured
that the bank was solvent, but owmg to unusual calls, needed assistance
until it could call in its loans.

'< I cannot conclude without assuring you that Mrs. Grant's inability
to avail herself of your great kindness in no way lessens either her sense
of obligation or my own. Yours truly, " U. S. Grant."

" W. H. Vandp:rbilt, Esq."

Whereupon Mr. Vanderbiit wrote the following letter :
"General U. S. Grant : " No. 640 Fifth Avenue,////, ii, 1885.

" My Dear Sir : — On my return home last night I found your letter in
answer to mine to Mrs. Grant. I appreciate fully the sentiments which
actuate both Mrs. Grant and yourself in declining the part of my propo-
sition -relating to the real estate. I greatly regret that she feels it her
duty to make this decision, as I earnestly hoped that the spirit in which
the offer was made would overcome any scruples in accepting it. But I
must insist that I si xU not be defeated in a purpose to which I have
given so much thought, and which I have so much at heart. I will,
therefore, as fast as the money is received from the sales of the real estate,
deposit it in the Union Trust Company.

" With the money thus realized, I will at once create with that company
a trust, with the proper provisions for the income to be paid to Mrs. Grant
during her life, and giving the power to her to make such disposition of
the principal by her will as she may elect. Very truly yours,

" General U. S. (Irant." " Wllliam H. Vanderbilt.

General Grant first accepted the generous offer, as will be seen
from the following letter : ^ew York CirY,/a«. 11, 1885.

" Dear Sir : — Your letter of this date is received. Mrs. Grant and I
regret that you cannot accept our proposition to retain the property
which was mortgaged in good faith to secure a debt of honor. But
your generous determination compels us to no longfer resist. Yours, truly,

"W. H. Vanderbilt." "U. S. Grant."

Finally, Mrs. Grant declined the offer of Mr. Vanderbilt by the
following note : < ^^^ York, Sunday, /a«. 11, 1885.

''My Dear Mr. Vanderbilt: — Upon reading your letter of this
afternoon General Grant and myself felt that it would be ungracious
to refuse your princely and generous offer. Hence his note to you.
But upon reflection I find that I cannot, I will not, accept your munifi-
cence in any form.

I beg that you will pardon this apparent vacillation and consider this
answer definite and final.

With great regard and a sense of obligation that will always remain, I
am yours very gratefully, " Julia D. Grant."

"To Mr. William H. Vanderbilt.

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CHAPTER XIX.

GENERAL GRANT'S ILLNESS.

General Grant's Trouble and Illness — His Physicians Declare it a Cancer — Gener?!
Grant's Statement in Relation to the Failure of Grant and Ward — Nut Engaged in
Government Contracts — Ward's Methods— Grant's Opinion of his Partner— Young
Ulysses S. Grant on Ward.

There is no doubt, that the trouble arising from this ignominious
failure accelerated the illness, with which General Grant was threat-
ened for several months. A cancer, or a dangerous ulceration of
the throat had developed itself, in spite of the best endeavors of
the most prominent specialists of New York City to cure it. For
a while the General was able to take a daily airing in his carriage,
but soon he grew worse, and from the beginning of the month of
April up to the 20th anniversary of Lee's surrender at Appomattox,
his condition was such that his life was despaired of; some of tlic
bulletins issued by his physicians reading, " his death can only be
a question of hours or days."

One of his physicians, who makes a speciality of cancer, on the
8th of April said : " General Grant would have been dead weeks
ago but for the superior attendance he has had. His wii power
has done much to sustain him. He is reported to have said that
he wanted to die. I imagine that he said this when momentarily
depressed. But his stubbornness, the ' never licked ' feeling, as Abe
Lincoln used to say of him, forces itself to the front, and in my
belief, he hopes against hope. It's his nature to do this, and I am
of opinion that he couldn't help feeling so if he wanted to. Of
course this feeling is an aid to the physicians. From my knowledge
of cancer treatment I oelieve that the plan followed in his case is a
constant moistening of the throat with gargles and liquid nourish-
ment, thus allaying local inflammation as much as possible and
reserving injection remedies for emergencies.

While General Grant was lying on his death bed, the trial of
James D. Fish, the ex- President of the Marine Bank, which went
into bankruptcy on the same day with the firm of Grant & Ward,
on the charges of misapplying the funds of the bank and making
false entries on the books, was going on. It was essential to have
the General's testimony, and on the 6th of March District-Attorney
Root and Messrs. Smith and Clark, for the defense, went up to the
house of General Grant, accompanied by the court stenographer, in
order to take his deposition, which was afterwards read to the jury.
(572)

GENERAL GRANTS ILLNESS.

573

Counsel and stenographer reached the Grant residence in Sixty-
sixth Street about five o'clock, and were at once shown to the
patient's sick room on the second floor. Here they found the
General stretched out in an easy-chair, with his slippered feet in
another chair.

He gave his testimony from beginning to end with a seeming
desire to tell all he knew, and without apparent exhaustion, and
only a slight hoarseness was noticeable in an otherwise clear enun-
ciation. At the instance and by agreement of counsel for both
parties, the administering of the oath to the witness was waived, the
deposition to be taken and read with the same effect as though the
oath were administered. This complimentary action on the part of
counsel was entirely exceptional.

The direct examination was conducted by Counsellor Clark,
upon whose motion the witness was called. It ran over the entire
connection of General Grant with the collapsed firm, and, while
nothing of a very sensational character was brought out, there were
many points upon which the General failed to throw any light,
owing to his entire ignorance of the details of the business of the
firm.

The General at several points volunteered information which he
thought would throw light upon some point. He did not appear in
the least vindictive, nor did he at any time refer to Mr. Ward or to
any one else in words showing that he cherished any feelings other
than friendly for them.

The taking of testimony having been completed, the party broke
up into an informal conversation, speaking of mutual friends and
past occurrences, but the Grant sons were mindful of the fact that
their father's strength was waning, and cut the talking seance short
by a proposition to adjourn to the parlors on the floor below. This
left the old General alone with the faithful Harrison.

A letter dated July 6, 1882, and addressed to Fish, was identified
by General Grant as in his handwriting. He was asked by the
counsel for the government whether this letter was an answer to
any communication in reference to government contracts. General
Grant replied :

" No ; I had told Mr. Ward when it was mentioned that there
never must be any government contracts there. There is nothing
wrong in being engaged in government contracts more than in any-
thing else, unless made wrong by the acts of the individual, but I
had been President of the United States and I did not think it was
suitable for me to have my name connected with government con-
tracts, and I knew that there was no large profit in them, except by
dishonest measures. There are some men who got government
contracts year in and year out, and whether they managed their af-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

fairs dishonestly to make a profit or not — they are sometimes sup-
posed to — I did not think it was any place for me."

" And you did not find in that letter that you received any refer-
ence to anything of that sort ? "

" I did not find anything of that sort or I should have stopped;
but, as a matter of fact, I may never have seen that letter. Mr.
Ward may just simply have given me a statement of the contiiits
of that letter when at his office.'

" Did you at any time know or understand that the firm of Grant
& Ward had been engaged in government contracts or in furnishing
money to be used in carrying out government contracts ? "

General Grant drew no profits from the firm. He left his money
there, and never got it out. He said : " Ward came up to sec nic
the Sunday night before the failure, and asked me to go down with
him to see Mr. Newcomb to .see if he couldn't get $150,000 Irom
him ; that he had himself raised ;^230,ooo, and if he could r.iise
,$150,000 more, it would carry the Marine Bank through; that we
had 11660,000 in the Marine Bank, besides ;|J 1,300,000 of securities
in our vaults; that we should be inconvenienced very much if we
couldn't carry the bank through, and he said the Marine Bank was
all sound and solid if it had time to collect in or draw in a little of
its time loans. I went down there with him, and Mr. Newcomb
was not home, and he asked me if I knew William H. Vanderhilt
well enough to ask him, and I, after some little hesitation, said I
did, and Mr. Vanderbllt loaned it to me without hesitation at all.
He said, at the time he gave it to me, that he was lending this to
me, and that he had no recollection of ever having done such a
thing before, but that he would do it for me. Well, that has taken
all the remaining property that I had."

Ward said nothing to Grant about their debts to the Marine
Bank. Fish never said anything to Grant expressing di.strust of
Ward, nor did he (Grant) ever suspect Ward. " I had no distrust
of Ward the night before the failure, not the slightest; and I recol-
lect that my son, U. S. Grant, Jr., after the failure, said that ' l^'erd
would come out right yet ; he had no doubt he would come out
right;' for he had such profound friendship for his brother, Will
Ward, that he didn't believe it was possible for him to do a dis-
honest act. It took me a day or two to believe it was possible
that Ward had committed the act he had."

CHAPTER XX.

THK liKGINNlNG OF THE END.

■t '

General timnl growing worse — Arrival of his daughter, Mrs. Sartoris — The General
put oil the retired list of the U. S. Army by the efforts of Mr. Samuel J. Randall
— Hullctins issued about tlie health of the president — A curious dream — Fanatical
Temperance men— Smoking not the cause of General Grant's ailment — The Medi-
cal Recoril on the Case — Sympathy from all parts of the country, friend and foe —
The 2oth anniversary of Appomattox — The progress of Grant's illness — Improving
—Is it cancer or ulcer ? — Opinions of prominent Physicians — the men who were
daily visitors of the sick-room.

During this time the disea.se of General Grant had made such an
unfavorable progre.ss that it was deemed wise to call his only daugh-
ter, Mrs. Nellie Sartoris, who lives at Southampton, England, to
the sick-room of her father.

One evening, when General Grant was sitting in his bed-room,
his car caught the clatter of hurrying footsteps, and the sound of
youthful voices reached him. He had been waiting for that sound
for two days, and did not need preparation for it. Mrs. Grant
stepped out into the hallway. There were a few joyous exclama-
tions, and the next instant a slight figure in black, with brilliant
cheeks and bright eyes, was in his doorway, across the room, and
within his embrace all in an instant. It was his daughter Nellie,
whose presence alone had been needed to make the family union
complete. Colonel Fred. Grant and Jesse Grant followed their sis-
ter up stairs to greet the General. They had gone off in the morn-
ing to meet the Baltic and bring Mrs. Sartoris home, and had not
seen the General all day, but just then his eyes and thoughts were
only with the loving newcomer. Little was said by either, but the
General showed his devotion and pleasure over her return by little
caresses and smiles, and words of affection. Mrs. Sartoris did not
stay in the room long. It was evidently a tax on the General to
remain up, and although he would not admit it, she was quick to
see it, and, pleading her own weariness, left him after a half hour.
By 10.30 o'clock Dr. Douglas had finished his night's ministra-
tions, and had " good reason to believe " that General Grant was
asleep.

Mrs. Sartoris had been met at quarantine by her three brothers,
and they brought her to the city, with her maid and baggage, in a

revenue cutter.
For several years past every recurring session of Congress had

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576 LIFE OK ULYSSES S. GRANT.

been marked by the introduction of a bill to retire (icneral flrant
with the rank and pay of general for hfe. Tiiis simple aci ol justice
toward a man who has so amply deserved this recognition of his
eminent services has heretofore always failed of becoming a law, nn
accoimt of mean-spirited political divisions in the National Lct^isla-
ture. It needed the sight of the heroic old man, stretched 011 the
bed of sickness and pain, to awaken Congress to a tardy sense ofits

MRS. SARTORIS (N'KLLIE GRANT).

duty, and, by the efforts of Mr. Samuel J. Randall, a well-known
Congressman from Pennsylvania, the bill was passed on the ven'
last day of the session. It was at once ])resented to President
Arthur for signature, and he immediately signed it, remarking that
never since he had become President had it given him greater
pleasure to affix his signature to any act than to this bill.

From all parts of the country, especially from his old comrades,
inquiries came in relation to the health of the patient, and to avoid

Till-: liKGINNING ()!• illi; KM).

577

answering hun-
(Ircils of letters,
aiul to notify the
public of cvcry-
thin;.,' of any im-
portance in con-
iiL'Ction with this
case, d.iily bul-
letins were tele-
;4ra[)liccl all over
the i.incJ and ca-
tjcrly read by hun-
dreds of thou-
sands of Ameri-
can citizens. Even
from abroad many
anxious inquiries
were inadtr about
the state of health
of (jcneral Grant,
and the prospects
of this unfortu-
nate case. Nearly
everybody with
whom the Gen-
eral had the slight-
est actiuaintance
called to see him.
I'irst many were
permitted to see
the patient, but
when his illness
took an unfavor-
able turn, the
physicians inter-
posed a veto, and
from that time
only his most inti-
mate friends were
admitted to his
presence.

His immediate
family.cx-Senator
Chaffee, Parson
Newman, General
Badeau and his at-
tendants were the
only persons who
37

THE RESIDENCE OP GENERAL GRANT, NEW YORK CITV —
SHOWING THE I'ATIENT'S CIIAMIIER.

! i

578

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT

r i

' ' ' r'm ' A

\< • 1] II

;Hi'i;

were permitted to see him. On the morning of the 5th of April,
when General Grant rubbed his eyes, looking into the faces of those
clustered about him, he exclaimed :

" What a funny dream ! "

Dr. Shrady bobbed up in his chair in a second. Mrs. Sartoris was
dumfounded for, as the doctors say, the exclamation burst as natur-
ally from the sick man as from a school-boy. The gas was
burning above his bed and the face of the General was fresh-look-
ing. These favorable symptoms were noticed by the physician, and af-
ter the General's throat had been moistened and the cancer dressed he
was asked about his dream. He said it was too ridiculous to be
told. His daughter, Mrs. Sartoris, begged for the story, an 1 the
General rested himself more comfortably in his chair and then
said :

*' Well, it was like this : I dreamed that I was off travelling in
some far-away country. I had a satchel in my hand, and I was half
undressed. I don't know what was in the satchel, but I do know
there was no money in it nor in my pockets. I was very poor, anJ
alone. I remember saying to myself that my poverty should not
make me faint-hearted, because I had been poor so long. I jour-
neyed along and came to a fence with a stile in it. I mounted the
stile. I recall very well that I had an av/ful lot of trouble in
getting over that stile, and how clumsily I climbed the steps. But
I got over, and then to my surprise I discovered that my satchel
was on the other side. I said to myself, 'I shall go back for my
satchel ; I can't get along without that. Why, I don't know.'

" I started to get it, when a gentleman appeared on the scene and
said that I would have to pay duty on the satchel. It was on the
other side of the line. Now, I was in a quandary. I didn't Imvo ^
cent, and the law evidently was — no money no satchel. I con-
cluded that there was only one way to get my satchel^ and that was
to go home and borrow the money from Mrs. Grant. I went home,
and Mrs. Grant only had $\y, not sufficient to pay the duty. I was
then in great perplexity, when suddenly 1 woke up, and I tell you
frankly I was very glad I did so, for I was in a very terrible frame
of mind."

This was the story of the dream. Mrs. Sartoris Inughed. It
settled one point in Dr. Shrady's mind, and that was that any man
who could remember as the General did the details of a dream, and
tell it as easily as he did, certainly possessed all his faculties. The
dream put the General in very good spirits, and he sat back in his
chair composedly. Yet everyone knew that the jOy which all day
long brightened every nook and corner of the household was arti-
ficial, and, as the doctors said, the deadly cancer was still there, am/
would accomplish its work

)ff travelling in
, and I was half
but I do know
s very poor, anJ
erty should not
) long. I jour-
l mounted the
pt of trouble in
the steps. But
that my satchel
go back for my
on't know.'
on the scene and
It was on the
I didn't hv- u
satchel. I con-
hei; and that was

It. I went home,
the duty. I was
,, and 1 tell you
:ry terrible frame

oris laughed. It
/as that any man
_s of a dream.anci
is faculties. Be
e sat back in his
oy which all day
jusehold was arti
vasstilUhere,ami

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

579

It seems hard, after having had such a career as has General
Grant, after conquering enemies by the thousand, to be conquered
by so unromantic an ailment as a cancer. But the suffering that
this cancer has given General Grant has been a greater test of his
heroism than he has ever had on the field of battle. It is one
thing to ride at the head of an army, leading it on to batt'c, amid
the beating of drums and the braying of trumptts, and another to
sit quietly down in a room and await the messenger of death, amid
the most frightful sufft,*rings that can be inflicted upon a man.

On the 19th day of April three weeks had elapsed since the
physicians attending General Grant began their continuous watch.
In that time their patient has passed through three different stages
of a disease for which medical science has no other definition save
epithelioma, but which certain people not directly interested in the
case find it convenient, for the moment, to term malignant ulcera-
tion of the throat.

On eoch occasion the General was supposed to be on the brink
of the grave. The first serious outbreak occurred just before dawn
on the last Sunday in March, the 29th. Messengers were hastily
dispatched for the doctors, and their timely arrival alone prevented
a fatal term' :rtt; ^n. The last attack was occasioned by the rupture
of a small throat artery on Tuesday morning, April 7.

During these two days General Grant's life hung in the balance
of a weak man's struggle against hopeless fate. That he fought
his way through with such terrible odds against him, when each
successful rally postponed the dreaded end apparently but a few
hours, is at once another evidence of the wonderful vitality and
strength of body and mind that years ago made him the first soldier
as well as the first citizen in the land, and a tribute to the skill and
vigilance of his medical attendants

The improvement of General Grant anJ the relief from fear of
imnvjdiate death have cleared up much which was in doubt earlier
in the case. It has not been easy for the public to separate
distinctly the danger which sprang from the depression into which
Grant fell after the Grant and Ward failure and the risk arising
from the cancerous disease whose acute and immediate form was
■I malignant ulcerated sore throat. Neither one nor the other
would have put General Grant in immediate danger of his life.

From the start in this case, first the four physicians in the case, Drs.
Shrady, Douglas, Barker and Sands, while professionally unani-
'nous, have personally differed over some aspects of the case ; second,
the physicians have kept much more closely to the ambiguous, if
accurate, term, " a cancerous growth," than the public has in gen-
eral noticed ; third, there is a good deal of evidence that a change
took place in the treatment some time ago which marked,

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580

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

more or less, distinctly a recognition by the physicians that the
malignant inflammation and ulceration with which they had to do
furnished opportunity, not merely for local treatment to assuage
pain, but for more general remedies, directed to a wider purpose, a
treatment not inconsistent with the presence of cancer.

Although much has been said with reference to the physicians
and the members of General Grant's family, and although the doctors
have spent almost all their days in New York, yet it would be safe
to say that their faces would not be recognized by one out of every
thousand persons on Broadway. Whatever may be General Grant's
illness, it is certain that, on that Thursday morning when for the
first time brandy was used, Dr. Shrady snatched the soldier from his
grave, and thus on the tidal-wave of public opinion the two physi-
cians, Drs. Shrady and Douglas, have risen to the summit of medi-
cal fame. Therefore a slight description of these two clever practi-
tioners may not be out of place. Dr. Douglas has been with Gen-
eral Grant almost continuously for nearly six months. Day and
night he has been in the sick-room, and the bond of sympathy
which has been forged makes him very dear to the General and to
his wife and children. The doctor resides in charming apartments
on Fifty-ninth Street, and in his medical home he likes best to be
among his books. He is far advanced in life. The ceaseless months
of watching have done much to whiten the long silver beard that
falls over his breast and to dim his kindly gray eyes. His carriage
is quite erect. When he speaks he does so thoughtfully, giving one
the impression that he thinks first what questions will be asked him
next. A bit of history (which, by the way, was not intended for
the public) will illustrate his nature. The other day his carriage
was at the door, and a gentleman of the press asked him some
questions concerning his patient.

" Step into my carriage and we will discuss the question," the
doctor replied ; and then, later on, when the conversation turned on
where General Grant would go in case he got better, the reporter
said that mountain air would be beneficial to reporters, and would
not the doctor suggect for the General a place near New York so
the gentlemen of the press could make occasional trips to the city,
the doctor sat back in his carriage and said very thoughtfully :

" I shall lay the matter before the General and explain to him the
necessity of not going so far away from the city, and that if he does
the reporters cannot accompany him."

The good feeling of the physici^ has naturally been somewhat
ruffled at the careless way in which his opinions on the case have
been tossed about on the newspaper sea He has been so long on
the case that he knows every twist and turn of the disease, and
hence when irresponsible correspondents have been filling the mind

ully, giving one

ill be asked him

lot intended for

day his carriage

isked him some

le question," the
sation turned on
ter, the reporter
)rters, and would
iar New York so
trips to the city,
^oughtfuUy :
xplain to him the
id that if he does

_ been somewhat
)n the case have
been so long on
the disease, and
a filling the mind

GENERAL GRANT TAKING HIS DAILY WALK.

(581)

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582

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

with medical opinions as unique as the mind of man can conjure up,
Dr. Douglas has now and again delivered very impressive opinions
on humanity in general and far-away correspondents in particular.

There can hardly be imagined a greater difference between two,
men than that between Dr. Douglas and Dr. Shrady. The former's
face is full, slightly rounded, and his neck is set on very broad should
ders. Dr. Shrady's face is long and thin. The dark little goatee
on his chin makes one think unintentionally of French physicians
who, in dramas, stand, in the gray of the morning, medicine-case in
hand, waiting for quarreling lovers to settle their disputes at the
points of their swords. It is a very intelligent face. The lips are

REPORTERS WAITING TO INTERVIEW THE DOCTORS.

tightly drawn and the mouth decisive. When the physician speaks
you feel that he means what he says. As the editor of the Medical
Record, Dr. Shrady has already woven many chaplets of fame. His
principal glory must, however, come from his connection with the
case he has now on hand.

As to the decisiveness of Dr. Shrady, the struggle which General
Grant waged between life and death a week ago, fully illustrates it.
That General Grant's life was one of minutes every one present
believed. Human power had evidently been exhausted, and not
the gold of another CrcEsus or the lore of iEscuJapius could keep the

fl "'^

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

583

temperature down or calm the throbbing pulse. Dr. Shrady acted
then with the decision that saved the life of the dying man. The
morphia sped through the sick man's blood and the grave closed
again. A quick intellect and a varied fund of medical knowledge
are the characteristics of Dr. Shrady.

The new York newspapers have set on General Grant what they
term the death watch. He may die at any moment and may be
alive three months hence. But whenever he does die the news-
papers must instantly have the news ; hence some one must watch
the house for the newspapers all the time. The chief papers have
therefore hired a convenient room close to the Grant residence, and
there all day and ail night sit a group of reporters waiting for
General Grant to die. They have books and a card-table and the
daily newspapers, and whatever occurs to them may be of aid to
help pass away the wearisome hours. They are well paid for their
writing, and among them are some of the most trustworthy news-
paper men in the city. It is very responsible work, and men who
are of irregular habits are not selected for it.

At stated hours in the day and night the Grant mansion is visited,
and Colonel Fred. Grant tells the reporters how the General has
passed the preceding hours. Twice a day, and just before mid-
night, the physicians are seen, and they tell the reporters the con-
dition of their distinguished patient. The work speedily becomes
reduced to system, and the plan renders both the family and the
physicians much more freedom than when the bell was rung twenty-
five times a day by the representatives of the press in pursuit of in-
formation.

Probably it may not be kept open so long as was the room in
which the reporters waited for the death of Commodore Vander-
bilt. There the watch was kept up for just seven months, and a
jolly time, indeed, the boys had. The room became a club room,
known to half the newspaper men in town, and they dropped in
and out, and played cards and had a good tianc generally. Charles
O'Connor, too, gave the press of Now York much trouble and ex-
pense, and ended it by getting well, instead of dying. When, years
afterward, he did die, at Nantucket, he got a very brief notice. An-
other notable newspaper wait was in the long absence of the jury
in the Ikecher-Tilton suit. There, too, a room was hired, and the
newspaper men, all used it waiting for the verdict that never came.
The chief newspapers had obituary notices of General Grant, de-
scriptive of his last days, headings and everything save the bare
announcement of death all set in type and made up, ready to print
for several months before he died.

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CHAPTER XXI.

GENERAL GRANT'S LAST ILLNESS.

A brief sketch of General Giant's illness— Tts first symptoms — Doctors Barker, S;\n(ls,
Shrady and Douglas his physicians — : .r.iiu in iniiiiinent danger of life — A sulicuta-
neous injection of brandy saves his life — Celebration of Grant's birthday— Sympa-
thy from every part of the country — The General removed to Mt. McGregor near
Saratoga — Failing rapidly — Not able to speak — lie writes his farewell to his family,
his friends and his physician— Mis last injunctions.

The foUowiiijT brief sketch of General Grant's illness from the
time of its inception, is from an authoritative source, and contains
many details never before given to the public.

Early in the autumn of 1884 General Grant was visiting at the
house of Mr. George W. Childs, at Long Branch, and with his
family and friends was sitting on the piazza one bright afternoon.
In the course of conversation the General said: "I ate a peach the
other day, and ever since I have had a sore throat." Thereupon
he coughed considerably, and Mr. Childs suggested that he should
allow Dr. Da Costa, of Philadelphia, who was also visiting at the
house, to examine his throat. The Doctor did so, and decided in
his own mind, at that time, that the case was one of epithelioma, or
cancer of the throat. He at once advised the General to see his
family physician as soon as he arrived in New Yorlc.

"Who is your family physician?" asked Dr. Da Costa,

" Dr. Fordyce Barker," answered the General.

"Ah! ! am glad to hear that; you could not be in better hands,"
replied the doctor.

The General's throat continued to get sore, and troubled him
not a little. When he came to New York, he called upon Dr.
Barker, and asked him to look at it, which the doctor did, and
after prescribing for him, asked him to call upon Dr. J. H. Don<,rl;is.

In a few days the General and Mrs. Grant called upon Dr. Y)o\\g-
las. This was early in October, and since that time the doctor has
been his attending physician. Dr. Douglas is a specialist in throat
diseases.

As far back as that time, each of these physicians, and Dr. Barker
as well, agreed that the General had epithelioma, or cancer of tho
throat. Afterward they had a doubt as to the disease being epi-
thelioma, and the General was put under special treatment on or
about the 23d of October

During the months of November, December and January there
(584)

■ ■• I ■♦:,

ors Barker, Si\nds,
af life — A buhcuta-
birthilay— Syinpa-
It. McGregor near
rewell to his family,

Iness from the
J, and contains

visiting at the

, and with his

•ight afternoon.

ate a peacli the

t." Thereupon

that he should

vi.siting at the

and decided in

epithehoma, or

cral to see his

Costa.

better hands,"

troubled him

ailed upon Dr.

octor did, and

J. H. Don^^his.

pon Dr. Dong-

the doctor has

cialist in throat

and Dr. Barker
r cancer of the
»ase being cpi-
reatment on or

1 January there

(5^5)

5«6

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

!;i; ;'::■'■'■'

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was no appreciable change for the worse, except that one day the
General would feel very well, and the next day very much de
pressed. About the middle of February an alarming change was
noticed.

Drs. Barker and Douglas, being unwilling to shoulder the entire
responsibility of such an important case, decided to call some one
else in. Dr. Barker had met in consultation, a few days before, in
another case, Dr. Markoe; Dr. Douglas, in a similar way, had met
Dr. Sands; and it was agreed to ask these two physicians to
come in.

On the 19th of February all four physicians met at the residence
of General Grant, and looked at his throat. They decided that the
case was epithelioma. The result of this consultation was sup-
pressed until February 2 2d, when the newspapers gave a full ac-
count of it. Previously Drs. Elliott and Satterthwaite had examined
pieces of the throat under a microscope, and they, too, had decided
that the case was epithelioma.

The next consultation was held on March 8th. Dr. George F.
.Shrady attended this consultation. His opinion coincided with
that of the others ; but, the physicians thinking that there might
be one chance in a thousand against their diagnosis, again placed
General Grant under specific treatment for another disease.

As the case went on, Drs. Barker and Sands attended only in
consultation, the actual work devolving upon Drs. Douglas and
Shrady. In a few days the General grew much worse. Besides
the large ulcer in the throat, his system generally became very
much depressed and wasted.

During the latter part of March his life hung by a thread, and the
whole country awaited with feelings of the greatest apprehension
the news of each day. The doctors had now become convinced
that the disease was cav'cer of the tongue solely, and that all they
could do was to ease the General along until his inevitable death.
They remained in the house day and night. At times the General
became very much alarmed, and gave up all hope. There were in
the house Drs. Shrady aiid Douglas. Dr. Shrady had stayed up the
previous night alone, and was completely worn out. Dr. Douglas,
too, being an old man, was very tired. The family were up all
night, and with them was Dr. Newman. General Grant was very
low all night,and in the early morning had an alarming hemorrhage.
The family were gathered around him, every member crying. The
General reclined in one chair, with his pillow behind him, and rested
his feet on another chair. Dr. Shrady was sleeping in another
room. In rushed Dr. Douglas and roused him with the words,
"It's all over."

*' What !" said Shrady, " do you mean to say that the man is dead ?"

wmmu

'X •rfi

GENERAL GRANTS LAST ILLNESS.

587

he man is dead?"

" No ; not dead, but he will be in a few minutes. Nothing can
save him."

Dr. Shrady jumped up and ran into the room where the General
was. Mrs. Grant, weeping, reached out her hand and said : " Ulysses,
do you know me?"

The General's chin was resting upon his breast. He slowly
raised his head and said : " Yes."

Dr. Newman exclaimed: "It is all over; I will baptize him."
He went quickly into another room, got a silver bowl, filled it with
water, came back, dipped his hand into it, and said : '* I baptize
thee, Ulysses Simpson Grant, in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost."

The General slowly raised his head and remarked : " I thank
you." Then, turning to his family he raised one hand and uttered
the words : " I bless you all."

To Dr. Newman he observed, " Doctor, I intended to attend to
this myself."

Meanwhile Drs. Shrady and Douglas were consulting with each
other in the corner.

Dr. Douglas said : " He will die sure. He has gone ; the pulse
has left the wrist."

Dr. Shrady, as if struck by inspiration, replied : *' I will give him
brandy."

" You cannot do it ; he cannot swallow," said Dr. Douglas.

" I will give it to him hypodermically," answered Dr. Shrady.

"How much? " asked Dr. Douglas.

" A barrelful if necessary," retorted Dr. Shrady.

Dr. Shrady rushed into another room. *' Harrison," said he to
the man-servant, "have you any brandy?" Harrison answered
" Yes," and handed him some. Dr. Shrady rushed back and gave
Grant a syringe-full in each arm. The General revived, the pulse
returned to his wrist and his life was saved.

Dr. Newman walked into an adjoining, room with Dr Shrady and
asked ; " Doctor, how is he ?"

" I don't think he will die," said the doctor.

'* Our prayers hive been answered," said Dr. Newman.

The General rallied for a few days, and there was no other severe
attack until the night when the spells of choking came on. Then
he was convinced that he would soon die.

" I am choking to death," he said, in a feeble voice.

" Be quiet, be quiet, you won't," said Shrady ; " it will be over in
a moment."

Drs. Shrady and Douglas passed up and down the room, looked
at the reporters on the sidewalk in front of the house smoking
their cigars, and wished very much to change positions with them.

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588

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Since that time the GiMieral's system and appetite have grown much
better. It was no longer necessary to give him morphia to iiiducc
rest. During his severest attacks the physicians would almost be
of him not to take any, but he insisted, and it was given him in
small quantities only.

GENERAL GRANT's BIRTHDAY.

The 27th day of April, the sixty-third anniversary of the birth of
General Grant was celebrated by his many friends and comrades all
over the land. His state of health having g, eatly improved, he
had a happy birthday.

He went outdoors twice, met and talked with friends in the parlor
as well as in the library and joined his family at the birthday dinner,
enjoying the evening with them afterwards. The day passed as
quietly in the house as could be expected, and the General was
fortunately in condition to make a good deal of it for an invalid,
for besides seeing people and talking with them he was able to read
many of the messages of congratulation addressed to him.

The General rested in the last part of the afternoon, so that he
felt refreshed when dinner was announced at 6 30 o'clock. General
Badeau, Senator Chaffee, and Mr. and Mrs. Newman had joined
the family for this event. The family and guests had entered the
dining-room when the General came down stairs. He was joyfully
greeted and seemed very happy. In the centre of the table sixty-
three tapers were aflame amid banks of flowers. The mantelpiece
and windows were also bright and redolent with flowers. Dinner
occupied about two hours, the general sitting through it and
relishing as much as any one the pleasantries of the event. After
dinner there were family devotions. Then all went into the parlor.

At 10 o'clock, thoroughly wearied by the unwonted excitement
of the day, the General went to his room.

During the evening General Grant sent the following for publi-
cation :

" To the various army posts, societies, cities, public schools, states, corpora-
tions, and individuals, North and South, who have been so kind as to send me
congratulations on my 63d birthday, I wish to offer my gratefyl acknowledg-
ments. The despatches have been so numerous and so touching in tone that
it would have been impossible to answer them if I had been in perfect health.

" U. S. Grant."

Since that day the General lingered between life and death. Re-
peatedly he was able to take a ride to Central Park ; on other days
he was hardly able to rise from his easy-chair. At last it was
thought advisable by his physicians to remove the patient to the
country, and the kind offer of his cottage on Mt. McGregor, near
Saratoga, by Mr Jos. Drexel, the banker, was accepted.

It was not the General Grant of the portraits and busts with

]:.]

re grown much
rphia to induce
uld almost bc<;
as given him in

r of the birth of
id comrades all
y improved, he

ds in the parlor
birthday dinner,
: day passed as
he General was

for an invalid,
was able to read
;o him.

loon. so that he
'clock. General
man had joined
had entered the
He was joyfully
the table sixty-
rhe mantelpiece

owers. Dinner

through it and
le event. After

into the parlor.
)nted excitement

Aving for publi-

)ls, states, corpora-
kind as to send me
atefyl acknowledg-
uching in tone that
n in perfect health.
" U. S. GUANT."

and death. Re-
; on other days
At last it was
e patient to the
McGregor, near

ipted. .

and busts with

GENERAL GRANT IN HIS EASY CHAIR.

(589)

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590

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

which the public is familiar who left his home in Hast Sixty-sixth
street on the morning of June i6th, to take the cars for Sinitorra.
It was a bent, decrepit old man with shrunken limbs, on wIik h his
clothes hunfj pitifully loose, and one whose face was so waste 1 that
its thinness put it out of all proportion to the rest of the hc;i(l be
hind, which seemed abnormally large in consequence. A nuimiur
of surprise and pity escaped the lips of those who stood with IiLiuis
uncovered on the sidewalk over which the old soldier shufHcd to
his carriage. It was half-past 8 o'clock. The Grant housciiold
had been astir nearly two hours. Through the parlor windows the
furniture could be seen covered over as it was to remain until the
return of the family. Two carriages from a livery stable had taken
Mrs, F'red Grant, Jesse Grant, and his wife and child, and the
Colonel's children. Fienry, the white nurse, rode on the box of
one of the carriages, fhen the family carriage, a closed landau,
was driven in front of the door by the colored coachman. Twenty
or thirty persons gathered on the sidewalk on either side of the
house, and on the stoops up and down the street a few of the neigh-
bors stood and watched the house.

When Harrison, the General's man servant, appeared in thi* front
door with a valise the laborers on the new building on the opposite
side of lac street quitti"*^ n'ork, anu waited to see the General. I \c was
not twenty step.^ i elund Harrison. He tottered as he halted on the
top sten of the stoop. He wore his familiar old silk hat, now so large
for him that it resti d on hs ears. A white cravet circled his neck,
and hid from a cursory glance the frightful swelling on his neck.
A black Prince Albert coat, light trousers, a world too wide for his
shrunken limbs, completed his outer dress. He leaned on the
crooked handle of his stout walking stick, without which he never
stirs from his chair nowadays, as he looked up and down the hot
street. He felt his way down the steps by putting his cane a step
ahead of him, leaning on it, and then following it with his feet.
When he reached the sidewalk he made his way to the carriage
door. It was then that the low exclamation of pity escaped from
the spectators, for it was evident that th' hero h<. I little left beside
his indomitable will.

When the bystanders covered their heads and turned to look
after the departing carriage, more than one man said sadly to his
neighbor: "We will never see the General alive again in New
York."

General Grant walked into the station without aasistance. He
is not only ambitious but stubborn, and those who are caring for
him have learned that while his strength lasts he insists upon hav-
ing his own way. It is only when he a:->ks for help or attention in
any way that they venture to intrude liieir offers. At almost every

^ast Sixty-sixth
rs for Sar.itoj^a.
is, on which his
i so waste 1 that
of the hciid be
e. A murmur
ood witli heads
dicr sh 11 filed to
trant household
or windo'.vs thi:
•emain until the
stable had taken
child, and the
on the box of
closed landau,
hman. Twenty
her side of the
'ew of the ncigh-

arcd in th.^ front
; on the opposite
General. 1 U- was
he halted on the
lat, now so large
circled his neck,
ng on his neck,
too wide for his
leaned on the
which he never
id down the hot
T his cane a step
]t with his feet.
r to the carriage
iity escaped from
; little left beside

I^IN I. GRANT IKAVINU HIS RESIDENCE FOR AN A^'l'l'-RNOON WALK.

(590

'f ' !

il'

i; I

592

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

depot there were little knots of people who waved their hands and
handkerchiefs at the flying cars. At sight of the brown walls of the
riding school and of the dome of the observatory peeping over the
dense foliage at West Point, the General beckoned to the Doctor
and pointed across the river, nodding and smiling as though he
wanted them to know that he was pleased at the sight of the place
where, as a lad, he was schooled in the art of war. As long as he
could see the build-ings, even by bending down and looking out of
the furthermost window, he riveted his gaze on the beautiful pro-
montory.

The journey of 155 miles had been made in 195 minutes. There
was a stop of four minutes while the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Company's locomotive took the place of the Vanderbilt engine.

The run up the mountain would not have been disagreeable to a
tourist, but it was evident that it wearied the General more than all
the rest of his riding.

When the summit was reached and the train stopped Harrison
and the rurse were busy, and did not notice that the General had
stepped from the car to the platform and was walking up the
covered plar.k walk toward the cottage, his heavy .stick thumping
the boards at every step. He glanced for an instant at the little cot
with its white pillow and sheet resting on the grass by the side of
the path, and left there with the expectation that he could not
reach the cottage except as the occupant of that cot.

General Grant's second day on the mountain top passed without
developing any new phase in the disease from which he suffered.
The invalid enjoyed the change, and he spent almost the whole
day on the broad verandah that surrounds the Drexel cottafjc.
Most of the time he sat in a big, square cane-bottomed chair, with
some of the members of the family around him. While alone he
several times .started up and slowly paced the verandah.

During an interview Dr. Newman, the spiritual adviser and friend
of General Grant, made the following remarks : —

" Dr. Douglas is a fine fellow, and a careful, thoroughly scientific
man, but he has taken an unaccountable dislike to newspaper men
and they reciprocate the feeling with interest. Consequently he
snubs them frequently, and they lampoon him unmercifully. He
said the other day, that he believed that 'penny-a-liners' knew more
about the General's condition than he did, or, at lea.st, they thought
so. But I have always felt differently. I felt sorry for the poor
fellows who .stood out in the cold, the snow and the sleet all night
long in front of the General's house last spring, and frequently when
Douglas has refused to say a word I have stopped to give them a
thorough idea of th^ situation. My own views are shared by the
General. He is most sensibly affected by the thousand marks of

heir hands and

wn walls of the

:oping over the

to the Doctor

as though he
^ht of the place

As long as he
i lookuig out of
ic beautiful pro-

rninutes. There
Hudson Canal
rbilt engine.
lisagreeable to a
al more than all

opped Harrison
the General had
walking up the
• stick thumping
It at the little cot
ss by the side of
at he could not

)t.

3 passed without
?hich he suffered,
hnost the whole

Drexcl cottafjc.
onicd chair, with

While alone he
idah.
dviscr and friend

-oughly scientific

> newspaper men

Consequently he

imercifully. He

ners ' knew more

a.st, they thought

iny for the poor

le sleet all night

frequently when

d to give them a

re shared by the

ousand marks of

NfliWii

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j|^^n»w||

CiE.NliUAL GRANT SOON AFl'JiR HIS ARRIVAL AT MT. McGRliGOR.
3S (593)

"..;!

594

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

!' M

li!

!fl

love and esteem that have been showered upon him from every
quarter of the land, and while he is too big a man, too sensible to
have his head turned, he appreciates the motives and likes to have
proper inquiries answered."

" It must be a great solace to the old soldier in his suffering to
feel that he is so beloved by the entire nation."

" It is. It is the sympathy of the children that affects him most,
though. He gets hundreds of letters from little ones all over the
land, expressing hope that the General may recover.

" He loves children, and the thought that thousands and thou-
sands of them all over the land lisp prayers for his recovery cheers
him up as if by magic at times."

" The General has faith in the efficacy of these prayers ? " asked
the reporter.

" The General knows that he is afflicted with an incurable com-
plaint, and at times he is despondent, but he is a true Christian, and
has a Christian's profound belief in prayer. He has religious ser-
vices morning and evening, and takes great delight in them. I call
the General's a most beautiful Christian character."

Dr. Shrady, on the 25th of June, telegraphed to the Medical Re-
cord for its Saturday issue the following official bulletin of General
Grant's condition :

"The progress of the disease from which General Grant is suffering is, bar-
ring accidental complications, slow. Comparing the condition of the patient
with what it was a month ago, the changes which have taken place can be appre-
ciated. Taking this period of time into consideration, it can be said that the swell-
ing under the angle of the lower jaw, on the right side, has increased and has
become harder and more deeply fixed. It has shown a tendency to progress
in a direction downward and forward upon the right side of the neck, the in-
filtration extending into the neighboring glandular stiuctures. The lancinatini;
pains in those parts, although fortunately not frequent nor severe, have a sig-
nificance which cannot be ignored. The ulceration on the right side of the
base of the tongue has become deeper and more irregular, although its super-
ficial area has not perceptibly increased. This is the seat of the pain occasioned
in swallowing and when certain examinations in the throat are made. The
destructive process on the right side of the uvula is apparently quiescent, al-
though a new portion of the margin of the palatal curtain is showing a ten-
dency to break down. The voice has been reduced to a whisper, due partly
to inflammatory involvement of the vocal cords and partly to nervous atony
of the latter. There is some impairment of general strength and some loss in
weight, although the appetite is unchanged and the usual amount of nouri'^h-
ment is taken. The removal to Mt. McGregor has so far proved benetkial.
It has enabled the patient to recover lost ground, and thia, m a measure, has
counterbalanced the effects of his local malady."

In his moments of utmost distress there was no diminution of
General Grant's courage. In his intervals of relief from excruciat-
ing pain he welcomed his grandchildren to his side and took pleas-
ure while they played about him.

On June 23 he had so far regained his voice that he spent some

■l! 1

GENERAL GRANTS LAST ILLNESS.

595

his sufferintj to

irayers?" asked

time in conversation, but thernext day it had again depai.-d, and
when the physicians held their consultation they announced that
the disease was marked by uninterrupted progress. Emaciation
had brought his weight down to 130 pounds, a decrease of ten
pounds in two weeks. Anxious to build himself up, he endeavoured
to take as much food as possible, and he astonished the doctors by
his knowledge of the use of cocaine, by which the mucus was
cleared from his throat, and the necessity of employing morphia to
allay his pains and induce sleep. Fluctuations were incessant ; the
27th was the best day he had so far had upon the mountain ; and
when Harnson drew him in his chair up the bluff he wrote on his
tablets to a newspaper representative who stood by : " For a man
who has been accustomed to drive fast horses, this is a considerable
come down in point of speed." On the 29th he wrote this courage-
ous note for the benefit of some of the younger members of his
family :

Do as I do. I take it quietly. I give myself not the least concern. If I
knew that the end was to be to-morrow I would try and get rest in the mean-
time. As long as there's no progress there's hope.

LAST COMMUNICATIONS.

While the scientific dogma that there could be no obstacle to the
growth of the cancer was daily becoming better authenticated, it
was also beyond question that the removal to Mt. McGregor had
lengthened Grant's span of life. He knew it when he handed the
subjoined note to Dr. Douglas on June 30 :

The atmosphere here enables me to live in comparative comfort while I am
being treated, or whil nature is taking its course with my disease. I have no
ide;^. that I should ha\ been able to come here now if I remained in the city.
It is doubtful, indeed, whether 1 would have been alive. Now I would be
much better able to move back than to come at the time I did.

A medical consultation was held on July 4, and he was informed
that exhaustion would doubtless be the final result of his disease.
It was the twenty-second anniversary of his victory at Vicksburg,
but it was only alluded to when he wrote the date for his wife. The
succeeding week was one of ease and quiet. In accordance with
his wishes the amount of cocaine used in his throat was diminished,
he feeling that it lessened the force of his voice. On the 8th the
Mexican editors visiting the United States called on him, and for
them he wrote this last expression of his ideas of public policy :

My great interest in Mexico dates back to the war between the United States
and that country. My interest was increased when four European monarchies
attempted to set up their institutions on this continent, selecting Mexico, a
territory adjoining. It was an outrage on human rights for a foreign nation to
attempt to transfer her institutions and her rulers to the territory of a civilized
people without their consent. I hope Mexico may soon begin an upward aiivl
prosperous departure. She has all the conditions ; she has the people ; she has

^'^'lak

1, ■r^'''-, bi r

I llu-

596

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the soil; she has the climrtte, and she has the minerals. The conquest of
Mexico will not be an easy task in the future.

On July 10 General Grant was visited by ex-Confederate General
Simon B. Buckner, whom he captured at Fort Donelson. The in-
cident was made remarkable by Grant's communication to Buckner,
which may be quoted as his final message to his countrymen on
their national glory and the value of their institutions.

I have witnessed since my sickness just what I wished to see ever since the
war — harmony and good feeling between the sections. I have always con-
tended that if there had been nobody left but the soldiers we would have h;id

peace in a year. and are the only two that I know who do not seem

to be sa'isfied on the Southern :,ide. We have some on ours who failed to ac-
complish as much as they wished, or who did not get warmed up in the fi;^'ht
until it was all over, who have not had quite full satisfaction. The great ma-
jority, too, of those who did not go into the war have long since grown tired of
the long controversy. We may now well look forward to a perpetual peace at
home, and a national strength that will screen us against any foreign complica-
tion. I believe, myself, that ihe war -.vas worth all it coit us, fearful as 'hat
was. Since it was over I have visited every state in Europe, .id a num-
ber in the East. I know, as I did p.oi before, the value of our inheritance.

Monday, July 13, can be set down as the day of the invalid's last
rally. His strength had so improved, his spirits were so buoyant,
his sallies of humor so frequent, his voice so clear as to surprise the
physicians and to deceive others into the beliof that actual conva-
lescence had set in. But the former warned the family and the
country that science — in this case unerring — told them that this
epoch of betterment was only a phase of the disease, and did no
more than impede its march. Yet up to the 17th the Gjneral ums
in such good condition that Dr. Douglas was willing to permit iiim
to resume literary labor, but the i8th was characterized by mental
depression and physical weakness. Sunday, the iQtli, was an
auspicious day, and the swelling at the root of the ton;.^ue was
much decreased. On Monday, June 20, General Grant was carried
to the outlook on the mountain verge, and on the 2 1st the reaction
began which has terminated his life.

The early morning hours at the Grant cottage were corl and re-
freshing on Wednesday, the 22d of July. On the veranda, where
the incandescent electric lamps were burning all night, the ther-
mometer marked seventy-two de-jcrees. This wis the equable
temperature maintained in the sick room while General Grant re-
mained in New York, and to it was added, this morning, the sweet
smell from the pine trees that bend over the cottage roof A gentle
breeze, soft and delicious, swept miles and miles down tlie valley
and from the mountains. It stirred the curtains at the window
near which sat the sick man, and it fanned his face more gratefully
than could the careful hands that were watching near. Iktween
three and four o'clock this morning; the gray tin* of another day

GENERAL GKANT S LAST ILLNESS.

597

s. The cOiiquest of

& * —

;in* of another day

crept up the horizon beyond the green mountains, perhaps the last
earthly day of the sick man sitting within the cottage parlor.
Once, at nearly four o'clock, Mrs. Grant, attired in a loose gown, of
white, came out upon the veranda and seated herself in one of the
many deserted willow chairs that were scattered in groups about
the piazza. For ten minutes she sat motionless, and gazed away
to the east, where the gray tint of another day had grown to a
fuller promise. Her face rested against her hand, and she was
evidently wrapt in thought. Suddenly there came the sound of
coughing from within the cottage. The General was clearing his
throat of mucus. Mrs. Grant left the piazza quickly and seated
herself by the General's side slowly fanning his face. The cough-
ing was not severe. Colonel Fred. Grant entered the room while
the nurse was aiding his father and took a seat at the side and be-
hind the General. It was time to administer food. The nurse
touched the shoulder of Dr. Douglas, as he lay asleep on a couch
in the same room. He arose fully dressed, as he was all night, and
seated himself beside the patient. The food was given from a cup
and the mouth and throat were cleared by the doctor. It was after
four o'clock and the gray of the east had changed to pale orange
tints. When the physician laid aside his appliance General Grant
leaned forward in his chair, and signified a desire that a lamp
should be brought. The nurse brought a lamp, and held it at the
sick man's shoulder, and at the same moment the General turned
his face toward the light and upward to bid the nurse bring his pad
and pencil. His wish was not at the moment understood, and
turning a trifle further the General repeated his wish.

The General's face, as he spoke, appeared .strained and drawn, but
its color and fulness were not such as would be expected after such
suffering and care. The lips moved heavily and the whisper was
husky and low, but the nurse understood, and the pad and pencil
were brought. Then while the red light of the candle fell on his
downca.st face he wrote, but only briefly. The slip was handed to
Dr. Douglas, who at once turned it over to Colonel Grant, who had
arisen and stood beside his mother at the General's side. It was a
private family communication, and, when finished, the sick man re-
sumed his half reclining position with his head slightly inclined for-
ward and his elbows on the sides of the chair, while the fingers of
either hand wore interlocked each with the other beneath his chin.

It was 4.30 o'clock, and peaks of the mountains eastward were
darkly outlined against the reddening dawn. The faint glow crept
between the pines and birches, through the cottage windows, and
tinged the sick man's cheek with the dawn of what was believed by
the doctors to be his last day. At five o'clock Dr. Douglas was
aroused to send a summons to Dr. Sands. The General moved

i;ii' ;

% '-,•■ : •!■

;;.]^

:!:M

598

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

I i;

'] :' 1', rJ!

* ,/'^'

restlessly, and his eyes, for a few moments, gazed intently away
through the trees where a new day was beginning. Then he settled
down in his chair and dozed.

The message to Dr. Sands was sent only that the responsibility
of the case at the close of the night should be shared by the mem-
bers of the medical staff, and not with the thought that any aid
could be rendered by any person at that time or through the open-
ing day. The General was given stimulants, but he grew weaker
hour by hour.

The morning was clear, and the mercury at eleven o'clock regis-
tered eighty degrees. All visitors were kept from the cottage, and
a Sabbath day quiet prevailed about the spot. Drs, Douglas and
Newman were with the family, and the day was one of quiet waiting.
The General sat as he did last night, his eyes closed much of the
time, but coherent and clear whenever he spoke.

At I P.M. Dr. Douglass lett the cottage. He says the General
sat with his head inclined forward and eyes closed the greater part
of the time. The pulse was very wejik and fluttering.

With the declining day the physician believed the General would
also rapidly decline.

At 2 o'clock the members of the family and Dr. Newman were
grouped in the darkened room near General Grant. Observing
their evidences of feeling, the General said : " I do lot want any-
body to be distressed on my account "

The development of weakness of General Grant during the after-
noon was not particularly noticeable from hour to hour, but between
three o'clock and six o'clock there was a clearly marked increase of
weakness. At three o'clock it was possible to measure the pulse
beats, but at six o'clock one of the physicians stated that the pulse
could not be counted. There were two reasons existent for the ina-
bility of the doctors to catch the pulse-beats, they were so frequent
and so feeble. During the afternoon the blood-tide had so quick-
ened that it more rapidly wore the system and exhausted the frail
basis upon which might be placed a hope that the General would
rally.

The closed and silent cottage had all day suggested the enact-
ment of the last scene in General Grant's cai-thly career.

While the physicians were at dinner, Harrison came to the hotel
and called Dr. Douglas, who went at once and alone tc the cottage.
Soon afterward another messenger summoned Drs. Shrady and
Sands, and they repaired to the cottage, closely followed by Rev.
Dr. Newman. The exits of the doctors and clergyman from the
hotel were, however, so quietly effected, that few knew that they
had been summoned to the cottage. Arriving there, they found
General Grant again evidently sinking. The General seemed rest-

GENERAL GRANTS LAST ILLNESS.

599

less. "Would you like to lie down, father?" asked Colonel Fi^d
Grant, who noticed his father's restlessness. The General nodded,
and at the same moment essayed lo rise unassisted ; but the effort
was too great, and he sank back into the chair, and the Colonel
and nurse aided him to arise, and then supported him to the bed,
where he was carefully lowered to a reclining position and partly
on his face. Dr. Douglas then rolled the chairs back, and one of
the physicians has since remarked, that the General had left his
chair for the last time. The belief was that General Grant had at
lenfjth lain down to die. The family were all gathered around the
sick man, and again Dr. Newman, at about the same hour as on the
previous night, and at Mrs. Grant's request, knelt beside the Gen-
eral and prayed. Heads were bowed, and tears were on the cheeks
of men as well as women.

As the sun went down, a cool breeze sprang up, and laymen
tliought that the cool night would help General Grant to rally.
The doctors, however, were prepared to attend the General's death-
bed at a moment's notice. They stood somewhat apart, and the
family was near its fast-sinking head, and then, after an hour, death
seemed a little less rapidly gaining on the man it had pursued just
nine months; for it is just nine months ago that General Grant
walked into Dr. Douglas' office to seek his professional aid for the
cancer that has done what war could not. Then the doctors and
clergymen strolled out upon the piazza, and sat near the parlor
window, and Je.sse Grant joined them at times; but the other mem-
bers of the family remained in the sick room, and watched and
waited, while the General answered "yes" and "no" to several
questions.

At nine o'clock the General's pulse was up to on^ hundred and
sixty-five beats to the minute, and fluttering.

During the evening the extremities of the sick man had been
cold, and in the visible symptoms were the signs that nature puts
out when death is chilling the powers. The General, as the night
was passing, seemed to suffer no pain, though the lines of his face
were drawn and the furrows of the brow were knitted as he lay
upon the cot, beside which the family were constantly watching.

At eleven o'clock the General was not asleep. The hands and
forearms were colder than two hours before. The patient's mind
was yet clear and comprehensive of events and utterances about
him. Between ten and eleven o'clock Dr. Shrady had accosted the
General, and he answered in a husky voice and promptly.

The advent of July 23, marked a change in General Grant's con-
dition which was significant.

The chill at the extremities was increasing, and the use of hot
applications to keep warmth in the extremities and vital parts were

' f

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Ill

•i!

Ill ', : I , i

•41

'mm::

I,' 1 1

h t

600

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

resorted to. They were of some avail, but artificial warmth was
without power to reach the cause or stay the results of tlissolution,
which began on the 21st, and had been progressing steadily, though
gradually.

So weak had General Grant grown at three o'clock that, though
he frequently attempted to do so, he was unable any longer to clear
the gathering mucus from his throat. It accumulated and remained,
and as four o'clock drew and daylight came a point had been
reached when expectoration was impossible. There was not left
enough of strength, and from four o'clock on there was in the
throat the significant rattle of mucus that was filling the lungs and
clogging the throat. At three o'clock the General asked for water,
and after that 't is not remembered that he uttered any word. At
four o'clock tne breathing was quickened, and reached fifty to the
minute. One hour later the respirations had reached sixty, and
between five and six o'clock, the finger nails had become blue, and
the hands further evidenced the progress of numbness at the ex-
tremities, and at every breath the mucous clogging in the throat was
growing more noticeable.

A few minutes before eight o'clock Drs. Douglas, Shrady and
Sands stood on the cottage veranda conversing on the condition of
General Grant, and discussing the probabilities of his death and the
limit of life left the sick man. Mrs. Sartoris and stenographer
Dawson, were conversing a little distance away, when Henry, the
nurse, stepped hastily upon the piazza and spoke quietiy to the
physicians. He told them he thought the General was very near
to death. The medical men hastily entered the room where the
sick man was lying and approached his side.

Upon scanning the patient's face. Dr. Douglas ordered the family
to be summoned to the bedside. Haste was made, and Mrs. Grant,
Mr. Jesse Grant and wife, Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., and wife, and Mrs.
Colonel Grant were quickly beside the doctors at the sick man's
cot. Mrs, Sartoris and Mr. Dawson, had followed the doctors in
from the piazza, and the entire family waj oresent.

Colonel Grant seated himself at the head of the bed with his left
arm resting upon the pillow above the head of the General, who
was breathing rapidly and with slightly gasping respirations. Mrs.
Grant, calm, but with intense agitation bravely suppressed, took a
seat close by the bedside. She leaned slightly upon the cot, resting
upon her right elbow and gazing with tearful eyes into the General's
face. She found there, however, no token of recognition, for the
sick man was peacefully passing into another life. Mrs. Sartori.s
came behind her mother and, leaning over her shoulder, so wit-
nessed the close of a life in which she had constituted a strong
element of pride. Directly behind Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Sartoris,

GENERAL GRANT S LAST ILLNESS.

6oi

and at a little distance removed, stood Doctors Douglas, Shrady
and Sands, spectators of the closing of a life their efforts and
counsel had so prolonged. On the opposite of the bed from his
mother, and directly before her, stood Jesse Grant and Ulysses S.
Grant, Jr., and near the corner of the cot, on the same side as Jesse,
and near to each, was N. E. Dawson, the General's stenographer
and confidential secretary. At the foot of the bed, and gazing
directly down into the General's face, was Mrs. Colonel Fred. Grant,
Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., and Mrs. Jesse Grant, while somewhat
removed from the family circle Henry, the nurse, and Harrison, the
General's body servant, were respectively watching the closing life
of their master. The General's little grandchildren, Ulysses S.
Grant, Jr., and Nellie, were sleeping the sleep of childhood in the
nursery-room above. Otherwise the entire family and household
were gathered at the bedside of the dying man.

The doctors noted, on entering the room that the purplish tinge
which is one of nature's signals of final dissolution, had settled be-
neath the finger-nails. The hand that Dr. Douglas lifted was fast
growing colder. The pulse had fluttered beyond the point where
the physician could distinguish it from the pulse-beats in his own
finger-tips. The respiration was very rapid, and was a succession
of shallow, panting inhalations, but, happily, the approaching end
was becoming clearer, the rattling fulness of the throat and lungs,
and as the respirations grew quicker and more rapid at the close,
they also became less labored and almost noiseless. This fact was
in its results a comfort to the watchers by the bedside, to whom
was spared .lie scene of an agonizing or other than a peaceful, death.
The wife almost constantly stroked the face, forehead and hands of
the dying General, and at times, as the passionate longing to pre-
vent the event so near would rise within her, Mrs. Grant pressed
both his hands and leaning forward tenderly kissed the face of the
sinking man. Colonel Fred. Grant sat silently but with evident
feelin<]f, though his bearing was that of a soldierly son at the death-
bed of a hero father. U. S. Grant, Jr., was deeply moved, but Jesse
bore the scene steadily, and the ladies while watching with wet
cheeks were silent, as befitted the dignity of a life such as was
closing before them. The morning had passed five minutes beyond
eight o'clock, and there was not one of the strained and waiting
watchers but who could mark the nearness of the life-tide to its
final ebbing. Dr. Douglas noted the nearness of the supreme mo- "
nient, and quietly approached the bedside and bent over it, and
while he did so, the sorrow of the gray-haired physician seemed
allied with that of the family. Dr. Shrady also drew near. It was
seven minutes after eight o'clock and the eyes of the General were
closing. His breathing grew more hushed as the last functions of

?> !«i..:

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602

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the heart and lungs were hastened to the closing of the ex- Presi-
dent's life. A peaceful expression seemed to be deepening in the
firm and strong-lined face, and it was reflected as a closing comfort
in the sad hearts that beat quickly under the stress of loving sus-
pense. A minute more passed and was closing as the General
drew a deeper breath. There was an exhalation like that of one
relieved of long and anxious tension. The members of the family
were impelled each a step nearer the bed, and each awaited another
respiration, but it never came. There was absolute stillness in the
room, and a hush of expectaut suspense, and no sound broke the
silence save the singing of the birds in the pines outside the cottage,
and the measured throbbing on the engine that all night had waited
by the little mountain depot down the slope.

" It is all over," quietly spoke Dr. Douglas, and there came then
heavily to each witness the realization that General Grant was dead.
Then the doctor withdrew, the nurse closed down the eyelids and
composed the dead ' neral's head, after which each of the family
group pressed .0 the bedside one after the other and touched their
lips upon th2 quiet face so lately stilled.

After Drs. Doug'as and Shrady left the death-bed they conversed
feelingly of the latter hours of General Grant's life. The pulse lirst
had indicated failure, and the intellect was last to succumb in its
clearness and conscious tenacity, and that after midnight last night,
a circumstance at three o'clock indicated cognizance. " Do you
want anything, father ? " questioned Colonel Fred, at that hour.
" Water," whispered the General, huskily. But when offered water
and milk, they gurgled in his throat and were ejected, and that one
word of response was the last utterance of General Grant.

Dr. Douglas remarked that the peculiarity of General Grant's
death was explained by the remarkable vitality that seemed to pre-
sent an obstacle to the approach of death. It was a gradual passing
aways of the vital forces, and a reflex consciousness, the doctors
thought, was retained to the last. The General died of sheer ex-
haustion and a perfectly painless sinking away.

" Yes," interjected Dr. Shrady, " the General dreaded pain, and
when he felt he had begun sinking, he asked that he should not be
permitted to suffer. The promise was made, md it has been kept.
Since he commenced to sink on Tuesday night he was free from
pain." Towards the last no food was taken, but when a wet cloth
was pressed to his lips he would suck from it the water to moisten
his mouth. During the General's last night Dr. Shrady was con-
stantly within call. Dr. Douglas was all night at the cottage, and
Dr. Sands slept at the hotel after midnight.

Dr. Shrady sent, under the headline, " at last," to the Medical
Record the following official bulletin of General Grant's dying hours:

GENERAL GRANTS LAST ILLNESS.

603

f the ex-Prcsi-
lepenin^; in the
:losing comfort

of loving sus-
is the General
ike that of one
rs of the family
iwaitcd another

stillness in the
ound broke the
side the cottage,
light had waited

;here came then
Grant was dead.
the eyelids and
ch of the family
id touched their

1 they conversed
The pulse first
I succumb in its
Inight last night,
ince. " Do you
d. at that hour.
len offered water
ted, and that one

Grant.

General Grant's
it seemed to pre-
i gradual passing
less, the doctors
lied of sheer ex-

readed pain, and

he should not be

it has been kept.

le was free from

ivhen a wet cloth

water to moisten

Shrady was con-

; the cottage, and

" to the Medical
int's dying hours:

"Since our last bulletin was written the tinal change has come to General
Cifant. He passed peacefully away at 8 o'clock Thursday mornin}( On the
morning of the day previous Ur. Douglas summoned Drs. Sands and Shrady
10 meet him at Mt. McGregor, as General Grant was sinking, and deatn
seemed imminei.t. On their arrival the patient was found in a very prostrated
condition, with frequent and feeble pulse, rapid respiration and inability to
swallow. He was suffering no pain, but by his listless manner was apparently
(onscious that death was near. It was decided to sustain his vital powers to
the utmost, and make his approaching end as comfortable as possible. The
disposition to cough had ceased, and the respiration, although much acceler-
ated, was not mechanically impeded by accumulated mucous secretions. At
the time of the consultation he was in his easy chair, occupied so constantly by
him day and night for the past five months. Toward evening, by his own re-
quest, he was transferred to his bed, where h" rested quietly until his death.
As was anticipated by the medical gentlemen in attendance, he continued to
sink despite the stimulants locally applied and hypodermically administered.
The fear of a painful and agonizing death was, happily for him and his family,
not realized. He simply passed away by a gradual and easy cessation of the
heart's action. Thus he was spared much of the suffering which would have
been inevitable had his general strength allowed the throat disease to progress
in its usual way. For so much, at least, there is reason for thankfulness.'

4 a fy M

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111 i

CHAPTER XXII.

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

How he looked shortly after the war — Plain and unostentatious — Never used a rude word
—Always polite and considerate, abstemious and taciturn, modest and a profuund
thinker; straightforward and frank in all things, a true friend and p nia(,mnniniou'-
enemy — What (lenerals Beale, Sheridan, Horace Porter and In^aas said of tluir
old commander and friend — Mr. George W. Childs tells of some of Grant's clKiiac
teristics — Lx- Postmaster General Creswell's reminiscences— General Grant uiulci
fire — Grant and Johnson — What he did < n his arrival at Washington after taking
command of the armies of the United States — Senator Hnwley's recollectii)ns w
Grant's first nomination for President of the United States— Grant in April, 1861—
Farmer Grant's neighbors— Grant s kindness towards the Confederate General Pick-
ett — Col. McCauU on Grant's magnanimity— Grant taking risks— Mark Twain 01,
Grant— An official account of General Lee's surrender — Grant in battle.

NoTwrrHSTANDiiNG the long array of admirable performances that
have marked General Grant's career, there is scarcely any character
in history in reference to whose real merit so much doubt li;b
existed. The reasons for this are sufficiently indicated by a refer-
ence to the remarkable reticence of the man and his utter abhorrence
of the arts of the demagogue in whatever shape. He has studious!'
avoided sounding the trumpet of his own fame, either in public m
private, and has been so generous in awarding praise to others, tli »
the world has heard more of his subordinates than of himself Then,
too, at the very outset of his career in the great Civil War he was
denounced as being intemperate as well as incompetent. His
splendid campaign against Fort Donelson, resulting in the caj)tuR
of an entire army and in the infliction of the first staggering blow
upon the Confederacy, was so incomprehensible to the people at
large, but so persistently misrepresented, that many excellent per-
sons came to believe that Grant had retarded that victory instead of
having organized and achieved it by his own judgment and indomit
able courage. The bloody battle of Shiloh, followed by Ilallcck?
disgraceful siege at Corinth, convinced the public that Grant must
be entirely incompetent ; and it was not till after Vicksburg that tin
real truth began to be suspected. First it was McClernand who liaii
" furnished him with brains ; " then it was C. F. Smith who had la:
his army to victory ; then it was Halleck ; and finally Sherman ami
McPherson, to whom all praise was due. It was not until Vicks.
burg was followed by Chattanooga that the world came to look
upon Grant as possessing any merit of his own. It is a safe rule to
(604)

RELHJLLliC riONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

605

judge men by the results of a lifetime, but an unsafe one, particu-
larly in reference to military nu;n, to judge from past reputation or
isolated actions. In this day of skepticism there are but fewpjoplc
who believe entirely in ability, honor, vigor and manly virtue as the
sure means of making life successful. And fewer still who are able
■to separate from their estimate of successful characters the idea that
cJMnce or fate may not have had as much to do with brilliant
ichievements as real worth and ability.

A well-known author, some years ago, gives the following de-
scription of General Grant :

" Grant was a man somewhat under the medium size, thoii<;h his body
w:xs closely and powerfully built. His feet and hands were small and
ncMlly-shaped ; his dress plain and exceedingly iinoslcntatious ; his eyes
l,ir.,'e, d2e[), leonine and very stron.;, equally cap.iMc of blazing' with
a resolution that nothinjj could willistand, and ot shining' with the
Btc.uly li;.;ht of benevolence and amiability. Hit: temperament is admir-
ably compounded of the sanjjuine, nervous and lymphatic. His capacity
for lal)jr surpassed coaiprehension ; neither mental nor physical cxe. tion
sacin ;d to produce tlie least wear and tear upon him. He could ride at a
daslun;.,' gait, hour after h;iur, witl. the same case with which he planned a
bitlle or issued instructions for a campaign. He was never heard to give ut-
tcr.iucitoa rude w.)rd or a vulgar jest; no oatn has ever escaped his lips.
No unfeeling or undignified speech, and no thoughtless or ill-natured criticism
ever tell from him. It is lliis cj lality which made him so successful in the per-
son. il questions w!>ich arose between hun and his sul)ordinatt:: They usually
miiU) )k his slowness for dullness or a lack of spirit, and discovered
mistake only after cominittin.^ a fital error. Grant was as unsuspicious
and pure-hearted as a child, and as free from harmful intention ; but
he was stirred to the vc»-" depths of his nature by an act of inhumanity
or brutality of any sm* ,Ii, e meanness, ingratitude or uncharilaolencss ex-
cited hini to the cli,p'av < t the liveliest indignation. He was not slow in
the exhibition c jont»i i^it *r disgust for whatever was unmanly or unbe-
coming.

In issui 2^ ord .r ; to ni ; ::• . ■)rdinatCT or in asking a service at the hands of
a staff-offic :, '■■■.: -".'i' al v i _, scrupulously polite and respectful in manner.

" Graiit'^ ,>-.^..) i.;! ii il s antl tastes were exceedingly simple; he despised
the pomp and show ol empty parade. He lived plainly himself and could not
tolcr.uc ostentation or extravaga:icc in those about him. His mess was never
luxuriously, though always well furnished with army rations and such supplies
as could be transported readily in the limited number of wagons that he per-
miu:d to follow his headquarters. He was very abstemious, and during his
entire Western campaign the officers of his staff were forbidden to bring
wmcs or liquors into camp. He was the nu -.t modest of men, and notliing an-
noyed him more than a loud parade of personal opinion or personal
vanity. He h.id a retentive memory and was deeply interested in all
muters which concerned the interests of humanity, and particularly his
ovn country. His understanding was of that incisive character that
soon probed a question to the bottom, no matter how much the politicians
or newspapers labored to confuse it. His memory was stored with
pars inal incidents illustrative of men and manners in all parts of the
country, showing that he had been a profound student of human nature
throughout life; his appreciation of men and character has never been sur-
passed. This was well shown in the reorganization of the army after he be*

6o6

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

came Lieutenant-GeneraL It is well known that he did not fail in a sinjjle in-
stance where a change was made, in putting the right man in the right place.
He warmed towards a bold, outspoken and loyal nature ; full of ardor and zeal
himself, he naturally admired these qualities in others. Straightforward and
frank in all things himself, he respected these qualities wherever they were found.
Indeed the most striking peculiarity of his nature, both as a man and a gen-
eral, was a profound and undeviating truthfulness in all things. Those who
have known him best will bear willing testimony to the statement that he never
told a falsehood or made a voluntary misrepresentation of fact.

" Grant having been educated as a soldier at West Point, the first military
school of America, and having served under both Taylor and Scott, had, at
the outbreak of the Rebellion, received all the training, both theoretical and
practical, that was requisite to a thorough understanding of the military art
At the very outset of his career he showed plainly that he had not been an idle
or unobservant student of his profession. He did not make the usual mistake of
supposing that the private soldier was ignorant and thoughtless, and therefore
to be considered as a mere machine to be provided with a musket or sabre,
and then to be harassed into a reluctant performance of duty ; but was pro-
foundly impressed with the idea that the volunteers were intelligent citizens
of the republic, whose business had been to becotne acquainted with public
affairs.

" He held from the first that the government, in conducting the war,
should have acted upon the hereditary policy of the nation and disbanded the
regular army entirely, distributing its officers, non-commissioned officers and
privates among the raw and untrained volunteers. By this means one or two
commissioned ofificers and a few non-commissioned officers and privates of the
old army could have been put into each new regiment. The Confederates, hav-
ing no standing army to maintain, pursued exactly this course with their officers
educated for the military service, and although they had comparatively few,
their army for the first year of the war was under much better discipline than
ours.

" Grant knew that no genius, however remarkable, could command the n;i-
tional armies in a war of such magnitude without the assistance of lieutenants
who could be trusted to issue their own orders in the emergencies that were
sure to arise. He therefore gave more thought to the proper organization and
direction of armies upon the vital points of the enemy's territory and lines,
and to the selection of men competent to command them, than to issuing
the detailed orders of battle. Neither Sherman, nor Sheridan, nor Thomas,
nor Canby ever failed him.

"The quick judgment by which he discovered the enemy's plan to evacuate
Fort Donelson, and the sudden resolution which he based thereupon, to attack
at once, are evidences of something more than aggressive temper or mere
brute courage. The tactics of Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga Valley and
Missionary Ridge have never been surpassed. The grand tactics displayed
during the overland campaign are worthy of the highest commendation, and
had the execution of details been as faultless as the conception of the move-
ments, there would have been nothing to regret. Grant's conduct at Bel-
mont, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg and in the Wilderness was all thai
could have been wished, and shows, beyond chance of dispute, that he pos-
sessed, in the highest degree, that ' two-o'clock-in-the-morning courage
which Napoleon declared to be the rarest thing among generals. His unvaried
course of success through four years of warfare shows that he was entitled to be
ranked in the category of generals who never lost a campaign or a battle, and
the easy simplicity with which he did the most extraordinary things pointed
strongly to the possession of a remarkable genius for war."

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

607

I in a single in-
Ihe right place.
■ aitlor and zeal
ghtforward and
hey were found.
nan and a gcn-
s. Those who
nt that he never

the first military
id Scott, had, at
theoretical and
the niilitary art.
not been an idle
usual mistake of
;ss, and therefore
musket or sabre,
ity ; but was pro-
\telligent citizens
inted with public

ducting the war,
tnd disbanded the
oned officers and
means one or two
ind privates of the
;:onfederates. hav-
; with their officers
:omparatively few,
ter discipline than

command the na-
mce of lieutenants
agencies that were
r organization and
territory and lines,
m, than to issuing
dan, nor Thomas,

•s plaa to evacuate
lereupon, to attack
■-e temper or mere
anooga Valley ana
[d tactics displayed
•■ommendation, and
ption of the move-
;s conduct at Bel-
prness was all th;ii
fspute, that he pos-
'. morning courage
Irais His unvaried
,e was entitled to be

ien or a battle, and
fary things pointed

General Edward F. Beale, of Washington, in an interview portrays
the character of General Grant in the following well-chosen words :

" I have been a very intimate friend of General Grant for the past fifteen
years. My first acquaintance with him was not a personal one, however. It
was through the news of his victories at Donelson. We were then in Cali-
fornia, where everything was cast in gloom. We had no railroads nor tele-
graph, and all the previous news we had was that everything was going against
us. We felt as if we were sitting on a powder magazine which was apt to
explode at any moment. When we heard of Grant's victories we felt that a
man had arrived at last who could save his country.

" Later, my acquaintance with General Grant ripened into the warmest
friendship. To say that I considered him a great man does not express it.
He was the greatest Jman I know of He fought and won battles the like
of which have never occurred in modern times. Everybody is familiar
with his military and other public achievements, but in his private life
his personal characteristics shone with equal brilliancy.

" His three most prominent and admirable traits were guilelessness of char-
acter, even temperament and great magnanimity. As I said, and as you
know, my friendship with General Grant was of the most intimate nature. In
all my daily companionship with him, at home or abroad, I never heard
General Grant make a remark which could not be repeated with propriety
before a room full of ladies. His character was wholly pure and free from
guile.

" His even disposition was something wonderful to me, and I have seen
him tried almost beyond human endurance. He never cursed and swoie at
people, and he never lost control of himself. He was always able to do what
he considered right.

"When General Grant has been a visitor at my house, children would
overwhelm him with requests for his autograph. Often when we would return
home late at night from some reception, tired and sleepy, on this table would
be a pile of autograph albums a foot or two high. Mrs. Beale would say :

Come, General, it is time to retire. You are tired and need rest. Don't stop
to write in those books to-night, but wait till morning.' ' No,' General Grant
would reply ; ' I'll do it to-night. These books belong to little children and
they will stop for them on their way to school in the morning and I don't
want to disappoint them,' and he would write in every one.

"He had a wonderful faculty as a writer. His mind grasped the whole
subject, and he wrote without hesitation, I have seen him write for hours
without stopping for a word. He made fewer corrections in his writing than
any one 1 ever knew.

" During his military experiences he had learned that it was his duty to do
the engineering and planning and to leave the details to his lieutenants. In
this way he became accustomed to placing the most implicit confidence in
those near him, for he supposed they would do their duty as he would his.
So that to confidence in others alone can his terrible misfortunes in New York
be attributed."

At .1 recent dinner of the Gridiron Club at Washington, it was
the privilege of the writer of this article to be seated next General
Sheridan, who is not only a charming companion but a very enter-
taining conversationalist upon topics in which he feels an interest.
Hie suffering and dying condition of General Grant naturally
became one of the topics of conversation. General Sheridan spoke
of General Grant in connection with his physical suffering with a

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608

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

feeling and tenderness that exhibited genuine affection for his old
companion-in-arms, and related some facts which cannot fail to be of
special interest at this time. The conversation was conducted with
all the freedom that marks a casual dinner table talk. In the course
of conversation General Sheridan remarked :

" It is sad to think of General Grant dying under such physical torture as is
inflicted by his terrible disease, and under such mental anguisii as I know he
endures in consequence of the unfortunate business faihuc that overwhelmed
him and his family. I could never comprehend why the old man |all old
soldiers call General Grant " the old man " j went into business, and parlicu-
larly why he set himself up in Wall street. Trom »'ie time he imbibed this
business notion I have thought General Cirant had lost that abundance of
caution that has characterized all his movements. I have listened to him talic
about making money in perfect amazement. He imagined that he had a
talent for making money, and that his sons also possessed this talent to a
nmarkable degree. He seemed never to tire of talking about this when we
were so situated as to be free from intrusion, and when we could talk with
freedom of by-gone days. Now I knew very well that General Grant did not
possess any talent or genius for making money. His nature is too generous
and confiding for that. His talent in conneriion with money was in an oppo-
site direction, and caused iiim to get clear of money in a very short lime. He
could never keep money before he set up in Wall street, and you know he is a
very briglit fellow who can keep money after he gets there.

" What most surprised me, however, was that he should talk so much nl)out
this newly discovered talent. He talked persistently, and Gram always talked
well when he felt free to talk, about accumulating a larger fortune, and as 1
nodced his earnestness of manner, 1 sometimes thouj^ht that I underrated him
in this particular. Still I could not entirely divest myself of the aijprehcnsioii
I felt on his account, and ids very persistency and earnestness added to my
fears. Why, I never knew (irant to talk about the great abilities which he did
possess and which the world has recognized. No one ever heard him talk
about his great military talerits or boast about his splendid achievements in
the field. And yet ChMut knew he had extraordinary abilities in ihr.t direction,
because his s'.xcessful movements and ilie biilliantand dccisivj results that
attended them showed him this. Indeed, CJeneral Grant had greater talent
for conducting campaigns and fighting armies than he was really aw.irc
of. Nobody, however, ever heard him talk about what he posscsseil in
this direction, and the simple fact that he descanted to me with so much
earnestness and frccpicncy on his supposed money-making talents, started a
suspicion in my mint! that his previously strong mental forces were liri akini; iii),
and that he was rapidly moving away from his previous well-established lines
of prudence and safety. No, the ' old man ' should have never gone into camp
in Wall street, but should have settled down into private life after he returned
from his tour of the world and enjoyed that peace ami c]uiet he so much
needed after twenty years of constant application and arduous labor in the
field and in the executive chamber. This might not have averted disease, hut
I- woidd have averted financial disaster and the terrible mental distress which
1 know he is now undergoing, and which is far more poignant than the gnaw-
ing of his flesh by cancer.

Later in the evening, the Lieutenant-General spoke of the reluct-
ance with which General Grant left the army to become President
of the United States.

You have seen statements,'' said General Sheridan, "to the effect that the old

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

609

on for his old

lot fail to be of

;onductecl with

In the course

sical torture as is
lish as 1 know he
ihat overwhelmed
old man |all old
less, and pailicu-
; he imbibed this
hat abundance of
itencd to him talk
;d that he had a
d this talent to a
)out this when we
c could talk with
eral Grant did not
ire is too gennoiis
:y was in an opi)o-
i-y short lime. He
I you know he is a

talk so much about
jrant always talked
r fortune, and as 1
it I underrated him
f the apprclicnsiou
tness added to my
ilities which he did
er heard him talk
achievements in
s in lli;'.c direction,
ecisiv'j results that
had greater talent
was really aware
be possessed in
me witir so nnich
g talents, started a
s wcrebnalcmi: u|i,
U-cstablislied hues
vcr gone into camp
e after he returned
quiet he so imicli
•duous labor in the
averted disease, hut
ental distress which
ant than the gn^w-

jkeofthc rcluct-
cconic President

he effect that the old

man laid plans to secure the nomination for the Presidency in 1868. There is
no foundation for such statements, and I know whereof I speak. I know what
his feelings and desires were at that time touching his future. He wanted,
above all things, to remain with the army which he loved and whose idol he
was and is still, and had no ambition whatever to become President. He
doubted his ability to discharge the duties of President, but above all he had
no taste nor inclination for political office. I know this," said the Lieuten.vnt-
General, with emphasis, " and I know that he was disposed to refuse the use of
his name for a nomination for the Presidency, and ha would have refused it
hid it not been for myself and other general officers of the army, and perhaps
of the navy, who persuaded him to sacrifice his own feelings and desires in
response to the call that was being inade upon him. I came to Washington
for the special purpose of discussing this matter with General Grant, having
previously learned of his disinclinatior. It was apparent that there was a
popular desire in the Northern States to have Grant for Preside n'., Indeed I
believe this desire approached unanimity, and had the ' old man ' ^aid the word
he could have had the nomination from either party, such was the high an*
universal estimate in which he was held. But Grant was no politician then,
as he is no financier in his own affairs now. I felt that it was his duty to listen
to the popular voice calling upon him to accept new duties and fresh respon-
sibilities, and become Chief Magiscrate. - i that particular period there was a
great deal of bad feeling in the country growing cuit of President Johnson's
quarrel with Congress, and the frecjuent disturbances in the Southern States,
which wci-e perhaps incidental to the sudden and violent changes made in all
the conditions that existed in those States prior to the war, caused a feeling ol
great uneasiness throughout the country. We who were in the army regarded
these storm indications with greater alarm than was generally supposed, and
felt that it was of the very highest importance for the interests and welfare of
the country, as well as for our own individual interests and comfort, that a
man should succeed to the Presidency who possessed the fullest measure of
public confidence, and whose presence in the executive office would give as-
surance of peace and order. I knew General Grant was the one person best
calculated to fill these conditions and restore and maintain public confidence
and trancjuiHity. Therefore I and others close to General Grant urged him to
listen to the call from the people and become President of the United States.
He finally yielded to these importunities, but with reluctance."

One of the most frequent callers at General Grant's residence was
General Horace Porter. They were together in the war, and have
been on terms of close and uninterrupted intimacv since. Speakinijj
one n'v^ht in admiration of the heroism with which General Grant
had borne his many ills, and of the nature of his sufferings, General
Porter said :

" I presume no tnan in this century has had the mental strain that was put
nn (General Grant from iSni to 1876. An important command devolved upon
him soon after the war licgan, and he was ahvavs weighted with heavy military
responsibilities. For four years he endured constant aoplication in a climate
to which he was unused and which was highly malarious. After the war he
was given no rest. He had to meet and overcome the difficulties attendant
upon Johnson's administration and the initial stages of reconstruction, and
heaped upon all that were eight exciting and important years of the Presidency.
Few men could have stood it.

"The effect of it on him did not appear, however, until his physical suffer-
ings began with his fall a year ago last December. Since then he has suffered

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6io

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

terribly; no one knows how much, for he never complains. After that fall,
when he injured his hip, pleurisy set in. It was a severe attack. Then he be-
gan to suffer from neuralgia, with intense pains in the head. His system had
been shocked by the f.iU. The neural;^ia helped to reduce it. As a means of
relieving the neuralgia he had several tseth drawn. He refused to take an
anaesthetic, and had them drawn at one sitting. That exercise of his wonder-
ful will, in his then debilitated condition, gave the system another shock, from
which it could not rally. Then this terrible disease of the tongue appeared
It has been ;v steady drain upon him, reducing his flesh rapidly and weakenin;r
him beyond any former experience. But he has stood it all without a iiiuinuir,
just as he lias taken all the reverses and trials of his life. To see him wasting
and sinking in this way is more touching and excites deeper sympathy among
his friends than if he made some sign of his sufferings, as ordinary men do, by
grumbling and complaint."

General Rufus Ingalls, who was a classmate of General Grant at
West Point and has held in'itnate relations with him most of the
time since, jrave some recollections of the great soldier. He said
that young Grant came to West Point in June, 1839, a boy of seven-
teen, with a fair, frank, yet rather firm-set face. He was several
inches below his full growth, and remained beardless even up to the
time of his graduation. His warrant described him as " U. S.
Grant," which was not a correct designation, and the mistake led
to a good deal of queer discussion of legal points by cadets as to
its effects upon his status as a member of the corps, and long after
the error was proved to have no important consequence it remained
a subject of pleasantry with Grant and his friends at the Point.
Being introduced at the Academy under the initials " U. S," the
cadets gave him the nickname of Uncle Sam, and this stuck to him
till he was commissioned, when it became shortened to Sam, and
as *' Sam Grant" he was known as long as he remained in the
army.

Cadet Grant had but a few intimate associates in the corps, but his
friendships were unreserved and lasting, his manner with his in-
timates very genial, and his cadet friends in those days thought him
one of the manliest and best of fellows. He was very conscientious
in matters of duty, and noticeably pure in mind and speech. He
has often said, in after-life, that he never went down to B-^nny
Haven's but once, when he was beguiled by Rufe Ingalls, a stanch
patron of that renowned establishment.

Grant went through the course of instruction with ease, and
probably might have graduated higher in the list if thert had been
anything to call out exertion en his part. The class was a large
one, numbering considerably over one hundred at the beginning 01'
the course, but only thirty-nine came out. '•-f t*^^ ordeal at the enu
of four years.

After the Mexican war, Grant was >.iat o^ed on tii' Pacific coast,
and here he would often intere; :L and somet mcs a-jton'' hhis brother

RECOLLECTIONS OF GEXEUAL GRANT.

6ii

olificcrs by his clear, luminous description of the actions in which
he had taken part as a subaltern, especially the important battle of
Monterey, and his criticism on the conduct of the respective sides
occasionally induced the prediction that, in the improbable con-
tin;4cncy of a great war, Sam Grant would make his mark. He
left the army in 1854, and, so far as his comrades on the Pacific
were concerned, wholly faded from view until he began to be heard
of as an enterprising division commander in the West in the early
part of the civil war.

llowevor mucii -)f his .success and fame General Grant may owe
to his native powjrs and youthful training, it seems beyond ques-
tion that his four years at the Military Academy and his experience
of actual war and campaigning in Mexico must be credited with a
[,'reat influence upon his after career as a commander. And, in the
same line of reflection, it is worth nothing that since h'> has been
ui the public view tiie qualities that especially marked his character
while a cadet have remained constant. In mature, as in youthful
life, he has always boen unobtrusive, quietly self-reliant, silent with
the many, free and ever joyous with intimates, constant in his
friendships and in language and conduct as guileless as a child.
When directing from his headquarters at City Point the operations
of al! the armies of the Union his knowledge of every fact of the
existing situation was always thorough and complete, and such as
to enable him to make clear what might be obscure to an unin-
formed mind.

Not anotlier in ui in the country knows as much about General
Grant as Mr. Gjorgj W. Childs, who has been his most intimate
friend for many years. Whenever General Grant came to this city
he stopped at the residence of Mr. Childs, with but a few exceptions,
when he mad-' short stays at the houses of Mr. Drexel or the late
Mr. A. 1'^ Borij, Secretary of the Navy during a portion of Presi-
dent Giant's ad ninistration.

''When I saw G :neral Grant on the 4th of March," said Mr. Childs, " he
realized that his life w is drawin.^ to a close, but secir.ed to regard the approach
of death calmly and without the slightest fear. While we were talking of the
efforts of his friends to have him placed on the retired list, he testified !)ow
kindly he felt towar 1 them, and spoke of the pleasure he felt at the kind
remarks of the newspapers advocating his retirement.

"While we were chatting I observed that it was half-past eleven o'clock,
and the General said : 'I suppose the Senate is adjourning now.' Just then I
received a telegram from Mr. Drexel, stating that Gener.al Grant had been
paced on the retired list. 'There, General,' said I. 'read that.' A smile of
pleasure illuminated his countenance, and for a monient he appeared \in:ihle
jo speak. Mrs. Grant entered the room and I told her the news. With a
heair.ing face she cried out : ' They have brought us back our old C(;;nmander.'
The scene was very affecting. The General could hardly express the delight
ne felt at the compliment which had been paid to him. He bore not the

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612

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

slightest ill-will toward those who had opposed the bill, for he is the most
magnanimous man I ever knew.

"The greatest soldier that ever lived, he is as kind and gentle as a woman.
He ft'equcntly told me how much it pained him '.o be accused of butchery.
He said lie was always overcome by a feeling of sadness before a battle at tlic
thouglit that many a poor fellow would never return from the field. He is
generoub to a fault, and has given away a fortune in charities. In this, like in
everything else, he was modest. The same modesty that prevented him from
asking for an appointment or a promotion caused him to maintain silence
concerning his gifts to the needy.

" 1 remember that when he was on one of his visits to me during his Presi-
dency, a great many jjcople called here to ask favors of him. Not carinj; to'
have him worried, 1 refuseil admittance to all whom I suspected of being on an
errand of that kind. One day a lady, who lived in the same block — in fact,
only a few doors from my house — called and asked to see him. 'You may
see her, (jeneral,' said I, laughinig: ' I guess she is not after an appointment''
He came back in a little while and said, ' You were wrong; she was after an
appointment.' 1 looked at him in astonishment, and he explained that the
lady wanted him to transfer the sister-in-law of Kdwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's
Secretary of War, from t!ie Mint, where she was then employed, and where
the work was too hard for her, to the Treasury Department. He requested me
to see the Assistant United States Treasurer in this city and ask him to ^nve
her a position. I did so, and the Assistant Treasurer told me he had no
vacancy. 'General (Grant's request is law, however,' said he, 'and I can make
room for Mrs. Stanton by removing a lady who has no need for a ]iosition
here.' This was done, and some time afterwards I met a son of Mr. Stanton
(the latter was dead at the time), who thanked me for getting his aunt the
appointment. ' General Grant appointed her,' said I. ' Oh, no,' said he,
'General Cl^arit himself told me that you had got the appointment for her.'
This is characteristic of the General, who is continually doing good and giving'
others the credit.

" He loves Philadelphia, and has a great many friends here. As an example
of his esteem for Philadelphians I will tell you of something that is not known
to any one but the General, the interested parties and myself Mr. A. E. Horie
was not the only Philadelphian who was offered a Cabinet position by (kneral
Grant. Four other gentlemen in this city were requested to become members
of his Cabinet. They declined, and the matter was never made public. They
are still living in this city and one of them has held a very high position.

" It was at my recommendation that General Grant took the cottage at Long
Uranch. It adjoins mine, and there is no fence between the two properties.
There the General has spent some of the happiest days of his life. He usually
got \\\) about seven o'clock in the morning, ate his breakfast and then took .a
drive of about ten miles. He went alone in his buggy. On hi-; return
he would look over his mail and read the newspapers. He dined at two
o'clock generally, although for some years his dinner hour was seven, with a
lunch at two.

" After the meal at 2 o'clock he took another drive, and in the evening he
sat on the porch and chatted with friends, many of whom visited him. We
called on each other evorv day, and he sometimes ^trolled over to my cottage
and talked with me while he enjoyed his cigar.

" While the General is fond of a fast horse, he never visited the racc-course.it
T^ing Br.Tnch, and never entered a sramhling-hous.'-\ He told me of a hnj^li-
able incident that occurred to him while taking one of his ten-mile drives. On
^he road, a shci distance ahead of him, he saw a countryman driving a mean-
'""'oking horse with a -^Iiabby bugiry. Determined not to take the dust fnvr.
iiuch a sorry turnout, h'i gave his horse the reins and tried to pass. But the

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT,

613

he is the moit

countryman also loo-iencd his lines and held his position. After quite an
exciting race the General saw ,ie was beaten and pulled up bis horse. The
countryman turned in his seat and, waving his hand, said, with a lau;^'h, ' I
made you take my dust, General,' and drove off The General enjoyed the
joke on himself very much, and said he would like to meet that man again,
but he never did.

"The last time General Grant appeared in public was at Ocean Grove. Gov-
ernor Oglesby, of Illinois, was with him and told me that when the cheers of
ten thousand people rang out at the sight of the old hero, he turned around
and saw the tears coursing slowly down the General's cheeks.

" I thought that it would be very hard for him to stop smoking when his phy-
sicians prohibited it. His indomitable will made the matter ea^y to him, how-
ever. 'Did you find it :'"*ficult to give up the weed?' 1 asked him. ' It was
hard during the first two days,' he replied, ' but after that I did not mind it, I
have no desire to smoke again.'

" It has been said that Hamilton Fish wrote the speech the General made at
the opening of the Centennial Exhibition. (General Grant wrote that speech m
this house, and I have the original manuscript."

Mr. Childs then produced the manuscript, handsomely bound in
morocco, with fly leaves of silk. The manuscript was written
clean!) , having but few erasures, and was corrected here and there
in lead pencil.

Uurnig Grant's last illness, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher delivered
the following euiogy in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn.

" General Grant is at death's door. It may be weeks, it may be months, i^
may be hours. I cannot help praying for him. I pray for him as I go along
tlic street, I do not pray that he may be saved — that is as the Lord wills.
(loinj; or staying is the same for him or for me, except that the part for him
will be glory, fr 1 trust that General Grant in the essential elements of his
character is a Christian. There are some remarkable things about him. No
man ever heard Grant speak an irreverent word. No man ever heard Ck'neral
Grant, even in the narration of a story, use profane language. Never on the
battle-field, never in those exigencieb where men are provoked, did any man
ever hear General (irant speak a word that was not in moderation and good
faith. I believe that the essential elements of his character are based upon
religion, and he is altogether a church-going man ; he has always believed in
It. bee what a wonderful career he has had in the latter part of his life. His
has been a hard life all the way through. His early life was not a pleasant
one— I mean after he left West Point. I need not say anything about that
great Civil War, where he was the Atlas upon whose shoulders the nation
rested. What toil ! If he had not had an iron constitution it would have
broken him down. When he came out of it and went to the presidency, for
V'hich he had never had any l. lining, and where his mistakes lay in fidelity
to friends, he showed a great mai'-nanimity of character. Ho does not doubt
friends easily. If he takes hold of one he sticks to him. and he is in that
regard credulous. And so h-s rredulity was abused. The mistakes of his
administration lav at the door of the good qualitic'^. of the man. I have been
with him a good deal and I have never heard him say a bad word about any
human being. 1 have never heard him utter a sentiment that might not
'wcomc a judge sitting coolly and calmly on the bench. He came out from
his public relations and entered into business, another storm came upon him.
It struck him just where it was hardest to bear. It made him, as it were, the
derision of men for the time. And, as he was in the war and in the Presi-

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614

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

dential chnir. he opened not his mouth in detraction, not even in answer, hut
stood and bore whatever was laid upon him. In all his financial troubles,
never a niurniuriujj word ! And then came disease, fateful disease, slowly
imderminin},' — goinjj steadily down, down, and not a murmur! Sublime
instance of fortitude and patience ! I cannot help praying for him in mv
thoughts. My thoughts rise up round about the throne in his behalf."

Mr. Beecher's pathetic words brought tears to the eyes of most
of his hearers, and it was plain to see that he had not a listener who
did not sympathize with the grand old soldier in his suffering, and
who did not heartily echo the great preacher's sentiments.

Mr. J. A. J. Creswell, who was in General Grant's Cabinet as
Postmaster-General for over five years, said:

" I had more admiration for General Grant than for any man I ever saw,
and it grieves me to the soul thit he should be ending his days in sutfer'i;;. 1
knew Lincoln and I knew Stanton, and these two, with Grant, made Mc dis-
tinguished trio — Grant, the great soldier; Stanton, the executive officer, and
Lincoln, the great arbiter. Grant's qualities of true manliness were more pro-
nounced than those of any man I ever knew. In all my close relations with
hmi while I was a member of his Cabinet I never heard him say a harsh or
petty thing; never heard him speak impulsively or use a profane word. His
relations with his family were most delightful and charming. There never
was a kinder or more indulgent father, and I never saw a more devoted couple
than General and Mrs. Grant. Of course everybody knows how he loved his
daughter. The meeting between them the other day was very touching, and
the emotion shown by the old warrior exhibited the depth of his affection.

"General Grant's great characteristic, however," continued .Mr. Creswcli,
" was his sublime and unflinching courage. It was of that kind tha^ no im-
pression could be made upor it by opposition. He discharged his duties al-
ways without selfishness, never stopping to consider how an action wduld
affect him personally. All he wanted to know was, What is just ? What is
right ? I remember an instance of this kind. At the time we had a postal
treaty with Japan which gave us almost entire control of Japanese postal ser-
vice. When their relations grew more intimate with us and with other nations
they desired to have charge of their own service, and took steps in that direc-
tion. After the Japanese Minister had talked with me about a treaty to th.it
effect I went to Grant and laid the matter before him. I found that he had
but one idea — to do what was right and just toward Japan.* I pointed out to
him that if he should sign such a treaty we would be surrendering our control
of the Japanese service and would be subjected to severe criticism, especially
on the Pacific coast. 'But isn't it right?' was his reply; 'can there bean;
doubt about it ? ' I told him I only wanted to advise him of the consec|uences.
He was satisfied that the treaty was just, and he signed it. I remember the
time when he refused to sign the bill — which appeared to be a deflection from
the course we had determined upon — for the resumption of specie payment.
There was an immense pressure brought to bear on Grant to sign it. Re-
publicans of prominence urged it, thinking it would prove a satisfactory hall-
way measure. I think Grant's personal inclination was to sign it. Secretary :
Fish and myself were the only ones in the Cabinet who opposed its approval. |
At the Cabinet meeting, when it was considered. Grant drew from his desk a
paper and read it. It was a message to Congress returning the bill with his
signature. I said, ' I regret very much that you should feel it your duty to
pursue such a course.' ' That isn't my view of the matter,' he replied. ' I
wanted to do what was best and wanted to test myself, so I wrote all I could

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

;n in answer, but
inimcial troubles,
ill disease, slowly
iiirmur ! Sublime
ir for liiiu in mv
s behalf."

e eyes of most
)t a listener who
,s suffcriuL;, and
imcnts.
ant's Cabinet as

' man I ever saw,
lays in suffer'v^'. 1
rant, made Me (lis-
icutivc officer, and
less were more prn-
close relations with
him say a harsh or
profane word. His
ninjr. There never
lore devoted couple
rs how he loved his
very toiichin*;, and
of his affecti(jn.
iniied Mr. Cresweh,
\t kind that no im-
r^ed his duties al-
an action would
.at is just ? What is
ne we had a postal
•ipanese pc^stal si-i-
d with other natmnj
steps in that dircc-
,)uut a treaty to that
oiuid that he had
I pointed out to
ndering our control
criticism, especially
can there beany
if the consequences.
It. I remember the
be a deflection from
of specie payment.
rant to siiin it. Ro-
a satisfactory hall-
, sign it. Secretary
pposed its approval.
■ew from his desk a
ig the bill with hi>
feel it your duty to
ter.' he replied. '
I wrote all I could

in behalf of the b'.l, but it doesn't satisfy me,' and he refused to sign it. If he
had signed it, it 'vould have caused us unlimited trouble.

" Grant never lost his head. When we came so near being engaged in a
war with Spain, on account of the ' Virginius' affair, there was a good deal of
excitement at the Cabinet meeting, and a v/ar with Spain was imminent.
Grant knew what war meant and by his coolness and sound judgment pre-
vented it. He was assisted in this by the Spanish representative in this coun-
try, who was a naval officer. He, too, knew what fighting meant, and these
two really prevented a war. In circumstances where most men would be apt
to lose their head — on the field of battle, for instance — (Grant's mind seemed
all the stronger and clearer. Rawlins told me once that in the confusion of
the battle-field Grant's orders were more e.xplicit and clearer than when every-
thing was quiet. He seemed never to get confused. I asked tii ant once if,
when giving orders for an engagement, he was not appalled by the great loss
of life which would ensue. He replied, ' No, it was war, but I realized what it
meant. I never gave such orders until I was satistied that it was the best
course to pursue, and then I was willing to shoulder the responsibility.' He
added that many men failed as commanders simply because of an unwilling-
ness to assume this responsibility. He spoke of two men who were fearless in
this respect — Sherman and S'aeridan. The latter in particular, he thought, was
possessed with ample courage to do what seemed best and be responsible for
the outcome. It wasn't rashness and heedlessness, but fearlessness in assum-
ing responsibility for results."'

" How was General Grant as a writer ? " asked the interviewer.

" He wrote with great facility,'' replied Mr. Cresweli. " His style, like his
character, was the embodiment of directness. He used few metaphors and
litUe ornamentation, and never two words where one would do, preferring
Saxon words to Latin or French. He never hesitated for a word and always
went right to the point. He wrote all his own papers, notwithstanding
the report to the contrary, and all his messages were framed and written by
him."

" How was he as a talker? " asked the reporter.

"Those who thought Grant couldn't talk made a mistake," was the reply.
" When he became intimate with one he would talk as much as any com-
panion should. I have heard him do nearly all the talking for an hour or two.
He was a good talker, but slow, sometimes hesitating for a w^rd, something he
never did in writing. He either had implicit confidence in a man or he had
none. He was quick to form an estimate of a man, and if his suspicions were
once aroused his firm jaw would shut like a trap, and he would remain cold
and silent and by his appearance would chill a speaker, no matter how earnest
he might be. He was always modest and unassuming, never presented him-
self as a hero on any occasion, and never introduced military subjects in con-
versation. He had a very quick eye, and it w.as surprising to me how he could
take in the whole topography at a glance. I remember once, while he was
visiting me at my farm, I took him a long drive .around the country. I took a
by-road, intending to strike the main road, but missed my way. Finally I
laughingly confessed it. 'Where did you want to go to?' he asked. 'I
wanted to strike a road which would take me to the village, which lies in that
direction.' He stood up in the buggy, and looking over the surrounding coun-
try, said : — ' If you will let down the fence here, drive over this field and then
through that gate up yonder I think you'll strike the road. You want to get
on that ridge.' ' Why do you think so .'' 1 asked. ' Well, you say the village
is in that direction (pointing) ; up there I see quite a settlement. The people
who live there will have a way to reach the village, and they couldn't find a
b^'tter way than along that ridge.' I did as he advised and found the road
just where he said I would. I expressed surprise at his accuracy and he said :

' 1;

6i6

Lll'E OK ULYSSES S. GRANT.

— ' It has been part of my business to find roads. A good soldier should be
able by seeing a portion of the country to form a good judgment of what tin-
rest is.' "

Mr. S. H. M. Bycrs's recollections of Grant, as he appeared on
and about the battle-field, are full of interest. He said:

"While I was standing by the pcntoon bridge, near Port Gibson, watching
the boys cross the bayou, I heard cleoring, and, looking round, saw an oiTkxt
on horseback in a major-general's uniform. He dismounted and came over
to the very spot where I was standing. I did not know his face, but something;
told me it was Grant, at that time the hero of the western army. This was tlic
first time I saw Grant. I think I still possess some of the feeling that over
came me at that moment, as I stood so near to one who held our lives in liis
hands. I heard him speak: 'Men, push right along; close up fast .-'nd iuiny
ovf.r,' Two or three men mounted on mules attempted to wedge |)ast the
soldiers on the bridge. Grant noticed it and quietly said, ' Licuten.int, send
those men to the rear.' There was no nonsense, no sentiment. He was there
for the one single purpose of getting that command across the river in tiie
shortest time possible. On a horse near by, and among the still mounted stafi',
sat the general's son, a bright-looking lad of about 14 years. Fastened to his
little waist by the broad yellow belt was his father's sword — that sword on
whose clear steel was soon to be engraved Vicksburg, Spottsylvania, the
Wilderness and Richmond. I next saw Grant on May 18, 1863, and this time
at the battle of Champion Hills, in rear of Vicksburg. He had crossed the
Mississippi River at Grand Gulf, and swung off east and north, had foiiglit the
battles of Port Gibson, Ra\mond and Jackson, and had overtaken I'ember-
ton's army hastening to the walls of Vicksburg. It was a very hot day and
we had marched hard, slept little and rested none. Among the miignolias on
Champion Hills, the enemy, 40,000 to 50,000 strong, turned on us. Sherman s
corps was already engaged far on the right as we approached the field in that
overpowering Mississippi sun. Our brigade was soon in line on the edge of a
meadow, or open field sloping toward the woods where the enemy were con-
cealed and steadily firing upon us. We were in the most trying position of
soldiers, for regulars even, being fired on without permission to return the
shots. We were standing two files deep, bearing as patiently as we could, not
a heavy but steady fire from infantry, while an occasional cannon-ball tore up
the turf in front or behind us. A good many men were falling, and the
wounded were being borne to the rear of the brigade, close to an old well,
whose wooden curb seemed to offer the only protection from bullets on the
exposed Une. 'Colonel, move your men a little by the left flank,' said a quiet,
though commanding voice. On looking round, 1 saw immediately behind us
Grant, the commander-in chief, mounted on a beautiful bay mare, and fol-
lowed by perhaps half a dozen of his staff. For some reason he dismounted,
and most of his officers were sent off bearing orders to other quarters of the
field. It was Grant under fire. The rattling musketry increased on our front,
and grew louder, too, on the left flank. Grant had led his horse to the left,
and thus kept near the company to which i belonged. He now stood leaning
complacently against his favorite steed. His was the only horse near the line,
and must, naturally, have attracted some of the enemy's fire. What if he
should be killed, I thought to myself, and the army be left without its com-
mander? In front of us was an enemy; behind us, and about us, and liable
to overcome and crush us, were his reinforcements. For days we had been
away from our base of supplies, and marching inside the enc^my's lines. What
if Grant should be killed and we be defeated here — in such a place and at
such a time? I am sure everyone who recognized him wished him away; but

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

617

there he stood— clear, calm and immovable. I was close enough to see his
:-:iiiiics. Kai nest they were, but sign of inward movement there was none.
It w.ib the same cool, calculating face I had seen before at the bridge, the
same careful, half-cynical face I afterward saw busied witli aff.iirs of state.
Whatever there may have been in his tcelings, there was no effort to conceal,
there was no pretense, no trick; whatever that face was, it was natural. Men
have often asked if Grant was personally brave in battle. Hravery, like n\any
other human qualities, is comparative. That Grant was fearless in battle would
be hard to say. If he possessed true bravery, he also possessed fear. Brave
men are not fearless men. He was eminently and above all things a cool
man, and that, I take it, was, in th« exciting times in wliich he lived, the first
great key to his success. He was called a born soldier, but was, in fact, nothing
of the kmd. lie was simply a man of correct methods and a fixed will."

President Johnson sent for General Grant on the morning of
Auj^ust 12, 1867, and told him that his relations with Secretary
Stanton were such that neither personal nor official intercourse could
continue between them, and had, in fact, practically ceased for some
time; that this rupture embarrassed the Presiilent in the discharge of
his official duties and was hurtful to the public interest, by reason
of the important functions devolving upon the War Department in
consequence often States being under mi'itary government; that he
did not wish to stimulate public agitation by exercising what he re-
garded as an undoubted right under the constitution, to remove the
Secretary from office, but would content himself by a suspension
under the provisions of the tenure of office act, trusting to the good
sense and patriotism of the Senate, when it met, to relieve the Gov-
ernment and himself from an intolerable situation, if Mr. Stanton
.siiould not meanwhile resign his office voluntarily. The President
told General Grant that he wished him to assume the office and
duties of Secretary of War, pending the suspension and prospective
removal of Mr. Stanton, with the double object of assuring the pub-
lic that nothing sinister was intended by the change, as had been
cliarged by a partisan press, and of conserving legitimate military
interests by putting at the head of the War Department the imme-
diate commander of the army.

General Grant argued against suspending Mr. Stanton while Con-
firess was not in session, deeming the time unfortunately chosen, if
the public tranquillity was to be regarded, and offered his services
in bringing about a modus vivcndi until a separation between the
head of the administration and his unwelcome Cabinet Minister
could be effected in some less disturbing manner than that pro-
posed. But Mr. Johnson was in a flame toward the Secretary and
would hear of nothing less than his suspension, and held that he was
measurably compromising his own dignity and the integrity of his
office in resorting to anything short of a summary dismissal. Be-
coining satisfied that the President could not be induced to change
his purpose, General Grant reluctantly consented to accept the

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

adintenm appointment, stipulating that he should be permitted to
go to the Secretary and break the news to him. Mr. Johnson a<^recd
to this at once, for the sole idea of the moment was to get Mr. Stan-
ton out of the War Department, and he cared naught about tlic in-
cidental details.

General Grant went to the War Department with his appointment
of Secretary of War ad interim, vice Stanton thereby suspended; and
explained the imperative circumstances under which he had accepted
it. Mr. Stanton acquiesced in the propriety of his action and, after
executing a formal protest, left him in possession of the office and
the records.

When the Senate refused to assent to the removal of Secretary
Stanton, General Grant surrendered his temporary charge to the
latter, which act led to a controversy with President Johnson so bitter
on the latter's part that, like the two Adamses, he refused to show
General Grant subsequently the courtesies usual from a retiring
President to his successor.

When General Grant was raised to the grade of Lieutenant-
General and appointed to the command of all the armies of the
United States he was called to Washington to confer with the
President as to the mode in which the war should be conducted.
Despite a general confidence in the final success of the national
cause, there were contingencies and anxieties that President Lincoln
felt should be known to and shared by the military leader in whom
the hopes of the country were now placed. Secretary Seward had
convincing reaco.~.j for knowing that the danerer of foreign interven-
tion had not passed away, and that any serious check to the federal
arms might bring it upon us go suddenly and effectively as to com-
pletely turn the tide of events. Secretary Chase was holding
gloomy views concerning the financial future, owing to the enor-
mous and steadily growing cost of the federal armaments. Secre-
tary Stanton, who never permitted himself to think of but one end,
had begun to doubt whether the means to that end would hold out
in sufficient measure and duration. President Lincdln embodied in
his own person the disquieting knowledge and the fears of all his
heads of departments. General Grant, away ofif in the West, hold-
ing little official communication with Washington, and personally a
stranger to the members of the administration, had comparatively lit-
tle knowledge of the general situation, and was of that mental habit
that concentrates a man's thoughts upon the thing of the moment.

He went out to General Meade's headquarters, and as the result
of a prolonged conference with that commander, in which he gained
some new views of a new situation, he resolved not to displace
Meade, either by assuming the immediate command himself or by
procuring the assignment of another to the command. It was

\iA,.\''^- '■] ! !

of Licutenant-
le armies of the
confer with the
Id be conducted,
i of the national
resident Lincoln
leader in whom
;ary Seward had
foreign interven-
ck to the federal
jvely as to com-
.se was holding
ng to the enor-
aments. Secre-
; of but one end,
would hold out
;dln embodied in
fears of all his
the West, hold-
and personally a
omparatively lit-
lat mental habit
of the moment.
.nd as the result
which he gained
not to displace
id himself or by
imand. It was

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

619

characteristic of Grant that, having made up his mind on this im-
portant matter, his decision was full and Anal. In spite of assur-
ances from friends at Washington, in the West and in Meade's own
army, that the removal of that officer was little short of a necessity,
he never entertained the thought of displacing him from first to
last, and so little did he interfere with the internal administration of
the Army of the Potomac that he did not propose Sheridan for the
command of the cavalry until he learned that Meade wished a
change, and although he repeatedly made known to Meade his
wish to displace Warren from the command of the Fifth Corps, he
yielded to the tenacity with which Meade clung to that officer, until
Sheridan took the matter into his own hands in an emergency.

Before opening the campaign, he startled the authorities at Wash-
ington by asking that General McClellan might be restored to active
duty, and became so urgent about it, taking such a high view of
McClellan's military abilities, that the President and Mr. Seward
supported him, and even Secretary Chase stood neutral. But the
passionate and fiery invective of Secretary Stanton prevailed over
all, and the Lieutenant-General was firmly informed that General
McClellan was an impossibility in any military situation. The Sec-
retary of War was not so unyielding as to General Buell, but that
stubborn soldier refused all overtures unless the injustice done him
by the War Department should be formally as well as substantially
expiated, and in this pursuit of a shadow lost his last chance of
crowning a military career full of merit, but also full of misfor-
tune.

The earlier results of General Grant's Eastern campaign were
Weill calculated to cause him to share the anxieties of those in
power at Washington, but when, on the very first day, Lee doubled
up the division of Ricketts and threatened, for the time being, to
lead a considerable part of the Army of the Potomac to Richmond
in a manner unexpected, he was the one calm man of thousands —
so stolidly calm as to mingle a touch of exasperation with surprise
in the minds of bystanders. And yet his calmness was not of the
unreasonable kind, for he believed in the leadership and discipline
of the troops, and deemed them equal to the repelling of the fierce
assault and the reformation of the broken line of battle, and his
cool calculation was in due course exemplified. Even on that
memorable day when, for the first time, the spirit seemed beaten
out of the Army of the Potomac by repeated and murderous as-
saults upon Petersburg, he calmly remarked to the agonized Meade
that having now proved the impossibility of carrying the works, it
was useless to make further attempts.

Three things are essential to the proper understanding of this
remark: — First, that the day before the arrival and assault the

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620

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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Fedv^ral scouts had reported that Lee's army had not come up, and
that there were less than ten thousand men in the works ; second,
that the first assault had satisfied Meade that Lee was there in force,
and that further attempt to storm the work was useless ; third, that
in consequence of the failurs of the assaults it took ten months
longer to effect the intended result at a time when General Grant
was being almost daily reminded from Washington that nothin<j
was so important as to bring the war to a close at once. In fact, so
urgent was the necessity for discounting time that the exchange of
prisoners was stopped, in hopes to bring the Confederacy to an end
by dearth of men to fill the insurgent ranks.

One more instance of Grant's quiet courage. When the powder
boat was exploded at City Point, filling the air about him with
smoke and exploding shells, he rose from his seat, looked about to
see what he could of the cause of the noise and destruction, and, a
few minutes afterward, in company with Ingalls, his quartermaster-
general and bosom friend, he was down on the blazing wharf, direct-
ing and helping in the extinguishment of the flames befoie they
reached the great piles of ammunition, covered by tarpaulins, to-
ward which the fire was rolling.

Senator Hawley was asked for some reminiscence of the Republi-
can National Convention of 1868, and General Grant's first nomi-
nation for the Presidency. He gave tjie following :

"At the Republican National Convention of 1868 all who were present will
remember the absolute unanimity and enthusiasm with which General Grant
received his first formal nomination for the Presidency, It was with difficulty
that the Convention could be restrained and confined to the regular orderly
procedure, for the vast multitude seemed determined to anticipate the pro-
ceedings, and nominate the General with one great shout; but those wlio
desired a more impressive and effective proceeding restrained all ii regularities,
and in due course of things the name of every State and Territory was called,
and the leader of each delegation formally gave its full vote for Ulysses S.
Grant, each successive announcement being received with a roll of applause,
and at the summing up of the whole, the Convention broke into a tremendous
and overwhelming demonstration that died away and rose again for many
minutes. It was but recording the unanimous wish of the party ; it was a result
which no man contrived and which no man could have prevented. As presi-
dent of the Convention, it became my duty to lead the committee that was
instructed to proceed to Washington and formally notify the General.

" Arriving .in Washington, the committee requested me to call upon the
General and ask him for his wishes concerning the more formal proceedings,
The late Senator Ferry, of Connecticut, accompanied me. General Grant
received us with his usual quiet and simple cordiality, and we sat with him for
possibly an hour in his liorary. The arrangements for the next day were
easily made, but the General seemed inclined to talk and, of course, we were
only too glad to listen. Some of his expressions I remember with exactness.
Others I can give correctly in substance.

" He said : ' If this were simply a matter of personal preference and satisfac-
tion, I would not wish to be President. I have now arrived at the extreme
limit of the ambition of a soldier. I was at the head of the army of the United

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

621

States during 'he great decisive war. I remain the head of that army, with
the country united and at peace, as I believe it is to be for many years — I hope
forever. The people speak kindly of me, even our fellow-citizens of the South,
many of them. If I remain where I am, as time passes and the animosities of
the war die away, I do not see why I should not be at peace with all men.
The pay of the position abundantly provides for myself and my family. What
more could a man wish ? To go into the Presidency opens altogether a new
field to me, in which there is to be a new strife to which 1 am not trained. It
may be that I should fail in giving satisfaction to the country. Then I should
go out at the end of my political service, having reduced the number of my
friends and lost my position as a soldier. That is a very disagreeable possi-
bility. But there is nothing to be said. There is no choice left for me. There
is nothing else to do.' This he repeated several times. ' I have no choice
whatever but submission.*

" He spoke with a serious respect for the great place and a sense of its
responsibilities. It is impossible that the gratitude of the people and the
unanimity with which he was sought should have been otherwise than agree-
able to any man. But at that moment he seemed to be dwelling upon the
pleasant things which he surrendered in accepting the nomination, and yet to
go forward with the simple obedience of a thorough soldier,

" When the committee called upon General Grant the next day I held in my
hand the manuscript of the few remarks in which 1 made the formal announce-
ment. The General replied without notes and without hesitation. The
accurate stenographic report shows that he replied with as much aptness as
though he had taken a day to prepare.

" The most precious autograph in my collection is the letter of acceptance
which was addressed to me as the president of the Convention, and in which
occurs the famous expression, ' Let us have peace.' It is all in his own hand
and contains only one correction."

Atnong the many writings of the dead General during his long ill-
ness, the following remarkable document has been kept religiously
secret by Dr. Douglas until July 28th, when he gave it to the press,
explaining that General Grant wrote it in his presence '^n Thursday,
July 2 :

"I ask you not to show this to any one, unless tne physicians you consult
with, until the end. Particularly, I want it kept from my family. If known to
one mm, the papers will get it. It would onjy distress them almost beyond
endurance to know it, and by reflex would distress me. I have not changed
my mind, materially, since 1 wrote you before in the same strain ; now, how-
ever, I know that I gain strength some days, but when I do go back, it is
beyond where I started to improve. I think the chances are very decidedly in
favor of you being able to keep me alive until the change of weather toward
Winter. Of course, there are contingencies that might arise at any time that
would carry me off very suddenly. The most probable of these is choking.
Under the circumstances life is not worth the living. I am very thankful (glad
was written for thankful, but scratched out, and thankful substitute, d) to have
been spaied this long, because it has enabled me to practically complete the
work in which I take so much interest. I cannot stir up strength enough to
review it, and make additions and subtractions that would suggest themselves
to me, and are not likely to suggest themselves to any one else.

" Under the above circumstances, I will be the happiest, the most pain I can
avoid.

"If there is to be any extraordinary cure, such as some people believe there
is to be, it will develop itself. I would say, therefore, to you and your
colleagues, to make me as comfortable as you can. If it is within God's

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622

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

providence that I should go now, I am ready to obey His call without a
murmur I should prefer going now to endunng my present suffering for a
single day without hope of recovery. As I have stated, I am thankful for tiie
providential extension of my time to enable me to continue my work. I am
further thankful, and in a greater degree thankful, because it has enabled me
to see for myself the happy harmony which has so suddenly sprung up between
those engaged but a few short years ago in deadly conflict. It has been an
inestimable blessing to one to hear the kind expressions toward me, in person,
from all parts of our country, from people of all nationalities, of all reIi<rions!
and of no religion, of Contederates and of National troops alike, of soldiers'
organizations, of mechanical, scientific, religious and other societies, em-
bracing almost every citizen in the land. They have brought joy to my heart,
if they have not effected a cure. So, to you and your colleagues, I acknowl-
edge my indebtedness for having brought me through the valley of the shadow
of death, to enable one to witness these thiugs.

[Signed] "U. S. Grant.

" Mt. McGregor, N. Y., July 2d, 1883."

As an interesting recollection of General Grant, Major Charles
McCann, of Confederate General Pickett's staff, who is authority
for the statement, related the following :

" Immediately after the surrender at Appomattox information reached Major-
General George E. Pickett, of Virginia, that Governor Holden, of North Caro-
lina was about to make a requisition for him as a fugitive from justice, to answer
charges of the murder of eight North Carolinians by execution in the neighbor-
hood of Newberne, in that State. These North Carolinians were Confederate
deserters, captured in the Federal service, who had been tried by court-martial
and summarily shot for desertion.

" General Pickett, fearing the power of Holden and knowing his influence
with President Johnson and Secretary Stanton, took the train for Washington
in order to lay the matter before General Grant, as commander-in-chief of the
United States Army. Pickett was very naturally nervous and suspicious as to
the result of his visit, not knowing what course General Grant would pursue in
the matter. He immediately called, however, on Adjutant-General Rawlins^s—
Grant being absent at the time — and stated his case. Rawlings advised him
to call early the next morning. It v/as a long and anxious night for Pickett.

" The next morning he took- his place promptly among the crowd of visitors
at army headquarters to await th^arrival of General Grant. As. length a com-
motion on the stairway indicated the approach of some one in authority. It
was Grant — army hat and cigar. Pickett was on the landing of the stairway , and
as Grant was about to pass he halted, and, recognizing Pickett, said, extending
his hand: ' How are you, Pickett?' They shook hands cordially and vigor-
ously. It was the first time they had met since 1845, on Vancouver's Island,
and Pickett, when afterward relating his experience, said that he immediately
felt much easier.

" When it came to Pickett's time to go in Grant asked, ' Rawlings, what is
it Pickett wants ? ' Rawlings at once briefly related the case, when Grant
promptly and with marked emphasis said : ' Rawlings, give him full protection.'
Then, turning to Pickett, he said : ' Come around and see me ; I am busy now
and can't talk much.* Pickett thanked the General and returned to his family
at Richmond, feeling a much happier man than when he started. Nothing
more was heard of Holden's demand for Pickett."

Colonel John A. McCaull, the opera manager, was in command

of the Confederate troops which raided Chambersburg and burned

the house of Colonel A. K. McClure. At a dinner which took place

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL G.RANT.

623

urn

at Philadelphia in April, 1885, these two gentlemen sat side by side,
and each rose to testify in tender but glowing words to the nobility,
simplicity and magnanimity of General Grant's character. Colonel
McCaull said :

" When the war was ended I had the honor to be the humble secretary of
the Vin^inia Commission which called upon General Grant to ask about the
terms of readmission of the Commonwealth. I shall never forget the simple
manner in which he said : ' Gentlemen, Virginia, that noble State, was one of
the last to leave the Union. I hope sincerely that she will be the first to be re-
admitted.' At that time the politics of the State were unsettled, and it was a
question whether she would come back as a Republican or as a Conservative —
what you call Democratic — State. The reconstruction committee was anxious
that she should be a certain Republican State before she was admitted, and
her admission was postponed. The next day General Grant, hearing of the
action of the committee, went down to his room in the Capitol and sent for
General Butler and Mr. Blaine, both leading membf^r-j of the committee, and
said: '(jentlemen, the readmission of Virginia to the Union is not a question of
politics. It is more than that. Virginia is a grand State. She asks to be
allowed to come back in the Union. Her readmission affects our common
country, and in the name of our common country, in the name of patriotism, I
ask you to arlmit Virginia.' "

Colonel McCaull added :

"I never was so impressed in my life with the simplicity, sincerity and
patriotism of any one as with the earnest manner in which General Grant made
this patriotic request."

Colonel McClure followed with an account of the meeting of
Grant and Lee. He said :

" The day before the surrender at Appomattox General Grant received a
letter from General Lee, asking for a meeting. Of course he knew it could
mean only one thing — ^an offer of surrender. He sat down and wrote an
answer agreeing to the meeting. The next day General Lee and his staff met
General Grant m their full uniforms. He was in plain undress suit, without
sword or other arms. Every one who knows General Grant knows that no one
understood better what military etiquette was. He knew that according to
etiquette General Lee could not properly tende^him his sword then, and there
is no doubt in my mind, and none in the minds of those who know General
Grant best, that he went in undress uniform deliberately and intentionally, and
that by so doing he meant to let his deed, rather than his words, express the
intention. Nothing could exceed this in delicacy and magnanimity. In the
history of the world no conqueror was ever so magnanimous to the conquered.''

A San Francisco Chronicle writer says :

"Military reputations are curious things. Soldiers know that Lee was a mere
desk general, without plan or dash. Before the war old General Scott, who
loved him, used to say that, with the exception of himself, Bob Lee was the
only man in this country who could handle fifty thousand men. He took this
reputation in the Southern army, and he was idolized. He was a courteous,
dignified man. His soldiers trusted him implicitly, and he had the inner
lines, so that it was reckoned he had won a victory every time he escaped
annihilation.

"President Davis was deferential to him, and the corps commanders re-
garded him as omniscient and invincible. But, in point of fact, there is not
one of his battles which military students will hereafter be required to study.

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V, LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

So with Stonewall Jackson. In the Southern annv he was enterprising, auda-
cious, swift in action ; but a man might easily make a reputation when he has
only commanders like Banks and Fremont to encounter. If Stonewall Jack-
son had lived long enough to meet such men as Sherman and Sheridan, his
fame might not have stood as high as it does.

"When our war broke out, the eyes of soldiers were fixed upon McClcHan,
Rosecrans, Stone, McDowell and I3uell. These were to be the coming men.
They all proved failures. Grant cut no figure in Mexico. Sherman was said
to be a crank. Sheridan was unknown. It required circumstances to develop
them. Grant showed, from the first, the intuitive capacity of the born sol-
dier.

"After the fall of Fort Donelson, a brother-in-arms took the liberty of draw-
ing his attention to the awful risk he had run by deviating from the rules of
war. The General replied : ' Yes, I know all that ; but I knew the men on
the other side, and I took the chances. You do not suppose 1 would have
acted so if Lee had been in command of the fort?' So wnen he resolved on
his march round Vicksburg by way of the river, he knew that he was acting
contrary to the rules of war; but he took the risks, and for fear of interference
from Washington, he would not let General Halleck know what he was doing
till he was past recall. Sure enough, as soon as telegrams could reach him,
Halleck countermanded the movement; but it was too late, and in due course
Vicksburg fell."

Captain Frank Smith, a soldier of Lee's army, copied the terms
of surrender between General U. S. Grant and R. E. Lee from the
original document. They are as follows :

" IIeauquarters Armv of the United States, )
Appomattox C. K., Va„ April 9, 1865. j
" Gen7. R. E. Lee, Comd'g C. S. A.

" General : In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 9th
inst., I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of No. Va. on the follow-
ing terms, to-wit: Roll of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate,
one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me, the other to be re-
tained by such officer or officers as you may designate, the officers to give
their individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the
United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental com-
mander to sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms,
art'Mery and public property are to be stacked and turned over to the officers ap-
pointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side arms of the
officers nor the private horses or baggage,
will be allowed to return to their homes.
States authority as long as they obser\'e
where they may reside. Very respectfully,
(Official.)

" O. Latrobe, a. a. G. y._: : .

"John Stephenson, A. D. C.

" John W. Kerr, A. A. G."

" Headquarters Army No. \'a., \
" Special Order No.— April 10, 1865. )

" The following special order is published for the information of all parties

concerned ; ' , ^ ,

" Headquarters Armies of the U. S., (
" Special Order No.— In the Field, loth April, 1865. j

" All officers and men of the Confederate service paroled at Appomattox C.
H., Va., who to reach their homes are compelled to pass through the lines of

This done, each officer and man
not to be disturbed by the United
their parole and the Liws in force
" U. S. Grant,
" Lieutenant-General.

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

625

erprlsing, auda-
on when he has
Stonewall Jack-
kd Sheridan, his

jpon McClcUan,
le coming men.
lerman was said
inces to develop
of the born sol-

: liberty of draw-
om the rules of
lew the men on
;e I would have
1 he resolved on
xt he was acting
ir of interference
hat he was doing
:ould reach him,
ind in due course

pied the terms
Lee from the

ITED States, 1
il 9. '865. I

r to you of the gtii
V^a. on the follow-
nadc in duplicate,
;he other to be re-
ic officers to give
government of the
r regimental com-
ands. The arms,
to the officers ap-
> side arms of the
h officer and man
ed by the United
the laws in force
U. S. Grant,
itenant-General.

IMY No. Va., \
HI 10, 1865. ).
ition of all parties

loF THE U. S., \
lApril, 1865. )
1 at Appomattox L,
lirough the lines of

the Union armies will be allowed to do so, and to pass free on all Government
and military railroads.
" By com'd of Lieut.-Gen'l Grant.

" E. S. Park, Lieut.-Col. & A. A. G.
" By com'd of Gen'l R. E. Lee.

" C. S. Venable, a. a. G.
(Ofificial.)
" 0. Latrobe, a. a. G.
'• John Stephenson, A. A. G.
"JNO. W. KicRR, A. A. G.

" Copied from the original at Appomattox Court-House, for Frank M. Smith,
of Company E, Fifth Texas Volunteers, A. N. Va., by Lieut. Baker."

General Adam Badeau, who has been one of the most constant
attendants at General Grant's residence during his illness, says:

"At the close of the war the man who had led the victorious armies was not
forty-three years of age. He had not changed in any essential qualities from
the captain in Mexico or the merchant in Galena. The characteristics of the
man were exactly those he manifested as a soldier — directness and steadiness
of purpose, clearness and certainty of judgment, self-reliance and immutable
determination.

" I asked him once how he could be so calm in terrible emergencies after
giving an order for a corps to go into battle or directing some intricate ma-
noeuvre. He replied that he had done his best, and could do no better. He
had done what he could, and he gave himself no anxiety about the judgment
or the decision.

"On the night of the battle of the Wilderness, when the right of his army
had been broken and turned, after he had given his orders for new dispositions,
he went to his tent and slept calmly till morning. * * Not that he was in-
different to human life or human sufifering. I have been with him when he left i
hurdle-race, unwilling to see men risk their necks needlessly, and he came
away from one of Blondin's exhibitions at Niagara angry and nervous at the
sight of one poor wretch in gaudy clothes crossing the whirlpool on a wire.
But he could subordinate such sensations when necessity required it."

In another place Badeau writes of Grant :

" His relation with the troops was peculiar. He never made speeches to
the soldiers, and, of course, never led ihem himself into battle, after he
assumed his high command. Hut in every battle they saw him certainly once
or twice far to the front as exposed as they, for there always seemed to come
a time in each engagement when he was unwilling to use the eyes or ears of
another, but must observe for himself in order to determine. The soldiers saw
all this. They knew, too, that when he rode around in camp it meant action,
and ihe sight of his blue overcoat, exactly like their own, it was a signal to
prepare for battle.

"After the battle of the wilderness he rode at night along the road where
Hancock's veterans lay, and when the men discovered it was Grant, and that
his face was turned toward Richmond, they knew in a moment they were not
to retire acrose the Rapidan as so often before, and they rose in the darkness
and cheered until the enemy thought it was a night attack and came out and
opened fire. When the works were carried at Petersburg, their enthusiasm
was, of course, unbounded, and whenever they caught a glimpse of him in the
Appomattox campaign the cheers were vociferous. After the surrender of Lee
they began without orders to salute him with cannon, and he directed the firing
to cease, less it should wound the feelings of the prisoners, who, he said, were
40

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626

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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once again our countrymen. Tliis sentiment he retained. Soon after tlu' i lose
of the war I was present when a committee of Congress, headed by Ll\ai ius
Sumner, waited on him to propose that a picture should be painted of tliu sur-
render of Lee to be placed m the rotunda of the Capitol, liut he told iIkih he
should never consent so f.vr as he was concerned, to any picture bciiv^ pl.ucd
in the Capitol to commemorate a victory in which our own countrymen were
the losers."

Mr. Thomas Donaldson, a friend of General Grant, thus describes
his characteristics, appearance, manners and his virtues :

" General Grant was about five feet seven inches in height. His shoulders
were broad and his body, after his 50th year, rather inclined to be rotuiid,
His weight in 1868 wis about 150 pounds; in 1877, 185 pounds; in iSS^,, i.S,
pounds ; in December, 1884, 152 pounds. His head was round, full and l.uj,'e,
with cars well formed and prominent. His hair, originally brown, bcg.m to
age, along with his whiskers, in 1875, '*'ifl became nearly gray after his ijcciini-
ary misfortunes of 1884. His beard for twenty five years was reddish brown
and worn short and full, with moustache. His eyes were blue, his nose rather
large and Grecian in shape. His lower jaw was square and massive.

" His face had a kindly expression and bore strongly marked lines about the
corners of the eyes and mouth. His manner of speech was slow and with a
slight hesitancy. He was modest by nature and cultivation as well. He fre-
quently expressed his co tempt for ostentation and avoided loud men as com-
panions. His face had the same mark upon it as there was upon President
Linc(/ln's — a large mole on th^ right side and near the corner of the mouth.

" His voice was thin and peculiar to himself, never loud but clear. Still, at
the end of a sentence or speech he sometimes ran his words closely to^ather,
A first glance at his face gave but small indication of what or who he w.is, but
it always forced a second look. There was nothing in his peisonal appearance
to show a man above the average of our intcllige t class. Sympathy and
affection were dee )set in him. As brave as a lion, in all the war facing death
constantly, not a loose word escaped him. His blue-gray eyes put on a more
far-away look and his j i\» set the firmer

"When he shook hanos with yon — after 1869— he drew gently back. A
ruffi.ui amongst the visitors at thj White House one d.iy in 1869 grasped his
hand as if to shake it and attempted to break his arm by wrenching it. His
hands were small, seldom gloved, and his feet small and neatly booti d. In
his dress he was plain and simple. His clothes were generally dark. His coat
was a frock or cut iw ly.

" March 4, 1869, when first inaugurated President, General Grant made his
first appearance in a tall silk hat. Ho always wore one after that.

' His watch-chain was a single strand of gold. In the army he wore a blue
blouse and no sword, a plain slouch hat, dark trousers and top-boots. Even
his horse equipments did not indicate his rank. When he went to Kurope in
1878 he was compelled to buy a new uniform, as his old one was worn out. He
bought but three while general of the army.

"At table he ate but little, a .d that of the plainest food, and in the latter
years of his life used no wine. As an escort for ladies, the assurance of one
of the brightest and most lovely women who has graced Washington sopial
life — that ' General Grant was the most acceptable of all the escorts she h-id
ever had f.t dinner' — is warrant enough for the statement that he was a
gentleman in social life and at the table.

" He 'vai fond of children and they of him — because of positive evidences of
benevolepce of both head and heart. He >tood fatigue readily, and could u'o
without food or sleep for a long time. On horseback he sat easily and rod:

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RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

627

with j^race, as West Point men usually do. He had a keen memory for those
wlio abused him, either by speech or in the press, and lu-ver forgot them. He
h.ited and liked with manlv vi},'or. He had one old-lime virtue, last becomiii;^^
obsolete, developed in the hiyhest— he liked his friends and would stand by them.

" His memory for men and events was clear and strong. A ne|)hew of a
member of Mr. Lincoln's cabinet, a private in a iNLiine ba ttry in the Army of
thi' Potomac, came in his private's jacket to visit his uncle, with Mr. Lincoln
and other members of his (Jaliinet on a steamer at City I'oint, Va. He dined with
tliem all, including (Icneral Grant. Four years atu rward Ckncral Ciraiit m.t
him in the street in Washington and said, — ' Why, Mr. Fcasenden.howare you .•''

" In 1869 the reduction of the regular army to a peace cstablisliment ren-
dered six hundred officers sup'.'rtluous. Hut when Con^Tcss jirocecdcd to mus-
ter them out. General Grant said, — 'Stop, if you remove them 1 will appoint
every one of them to the best civic positions within my |)rovincL\' Congress
todk the alarm and retired them with one year's pay each.

" He had an affectionate regard for the soldiers who had s rved with him ;
Sherman was his loving friend, to whom he used to say, ' When this atf i;r
(,uiy ceremony at which they were present) is over come around and let's have
a talk.' Sheridan he pronounced ' the best soldier of the century.' Jealousy
was not an clement of General (Grant's makeup,

" He liked horses, but preferred to drive them himself. In 1S77, when he
arrived at Liverpool, a four-in-hand met him. He got ii\, remarking to Consul
I'ackard, ' Ah, I would rather be behind a pair, in a buggy, with you for a
guest.' He had in early days of his public life a reputation for marked reti-
cence. He was called the ' Silent I^Ian.' He was not a reticent man in
private life. His conversational jjowers developed rapidly and he w.i > a splen-
did talker. The few speeches he made in public, beginning after 186;, were
models in brevity, force, and compact expression. Directness is evident in all
that he ever did. His reserve was natural, and an indication of the gentleness
with which he commanded and controlled. In acting upon any important
event in civil life, or in the war, he never by sign or word i idicated that there
was the least chance for a failure in what he was undertaking.

" The best picture of him up to 1866 is the phoiogra[)h taken by F. Gutekun^t,
of Philadelphia, in that year, in full uniform and wearing crape as mourning for
Mr. Lincoln. One taken by Taljor, of San Francisco, in 1879, '^''''^ docs him
justice, but the majority of the photographs of him indicate a much larger and
broader man than he was. In early life his path was over rugged ways, but
his adversities were lessons to him, and his failures eventually became ele-
ments in his success and made him the product and result of more than 300
years of Anglo-Saxon life on this continent.

"The greatest man of this century in the .Anglo-Sa-xon race — whom history
ttill place along with the higher and favored few, was in his every-day life a
common-place, simple, loveable man. He reached the summit of earthly glory,
and in domg it practiced the methods and ways of a gentleman.

The following are notable extracts from Grant's lettters,
speeches and conversations :

"Yoursof this date, proposing ai armistice and the appointment of commis-
sioners to settle on the terms of capitulation, is just received. No terms except
unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move
immediately on your works. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant."
— To General Buckncr, commanding Fort Donelson, February 16, 1S62.

"General : Your note of this d.ite, just received, proposes an armistice of sev-
eral hours for the purpose of arr inging terms of capitulation through cominis-
sioners to be appointed, etc. The effusion of blood you propose stopping by

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628

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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this course ran be ended at any time you may choose by an unconditinn.il sur-
render of the city and garrison. Men who have shown so much cndurnnre
and courage as those no« in Vicksburg will also challenge the respect of an
adversary, and, 1 can assure you, will be treated with all the respect due to
them as prisoners of war. I do not favor the proposition of appointing com-
missioners to arrange terms of capitulation, because I have no other terms
than those indicated above."- To General Pemberton. commanding at Vkkshiirc
1863.

" No theory of my own will ever stand in the way of my executing, in good
faith, any order I may receive from those in authority over me." — LettcrtoHecre-
liiry Chascy July^ 1864. ,

" I feel no inclination to retaliate for the offenses of irresponsible persons;
but if it is the policy of any general entrusted with the command of troons to
show no quarter, or to punish with death prisoners taken in battle, I wil ac-
cept the issue." — Letter to Confederate General Ihickner, 1863.

" The stability of this government and the unity of this nation depend solely
on the cor'lial support and the earnest loyalty of the people."- Address to Loyal
Citizens of Afemfihis, ylitj^ust, 1863.

" I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." — /n the Wilder-
ness, May II, 1864.

" \'ictory has crowned your valor and secured the purpose of your patriotic
hearts, and with the gratitude of your countrymen and the highest honors a
gro.it and free nation can accord, you will soon be permitted to return to your
homes and families conscious of having discharged the highest duty of
American citizens. To achieve these glorious triumphs, and to secure to your-
selves, your fellow-countrymen and posterity the blessings of free institutions,
tens of thousands of your gallant comrades have fallen and sealed the priceless
legacy with their lives. The graves of these a grateful nation bedews with
te;us, honors their memories and will ever cherish and support their striclieii
families." — Address to the Armies, June 2, 1865.

" It has been my fortune to see the armies of both the West and East fight
battles, and from what I have seen, I know there is no difference in their fight-
ing qualities. All that it was possible for men to do in battle they have done.
* * All have a proud record, and all sections can well congratulate them-
selves and each other for having done their full share in restoring the suprem-
acy of law over every foot of territory belonging to the United States, Let
them hope for perpetual peace and harmony with that enemy whose manhood,
however mistaken the cause, drew forth sucn herculean deeds of valor." — y?t-
port on the Operations of the Armies, 1865.

" This is a Republic where the will of the people is the law of the land. I beg
that their voice may be heard." — Letter to President Johnson, 1865.

" Peace and universal prosperity, its sequence, with economy of administra-
tion, will lighten the burden of taxation, whde it certainly reduces the national
debt. Let us have peace." — Letter Accepting Nomination, 1868.

" I shall on all subjects have a policy to recommend, none to enforce against
the will of the people. Lavs are to govern all alike — those opposed to as well
as those in favor of them. I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or
obnoxious laws so effectual as their strict execution." — Inaugural Addrai,
1869.

" To protect the national honor, every dollar of the government indebtedness
should be paid in gold, unless otherwise especially stipulated in the contract.
Let it be understood that no repudiatior of one farthing of our public debt will
be trusted in public places." — Inaugural Address, 1869.

RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GRANT.

629

-In the Wilder-

" We are a Rcpulilic whereof one man is as Kood as another before the law.
Under such a form of xovurnmcnt it is of the greatest importance that all should
be possessed of education and intelligence enough to ca>it a vote with a right
understanding of its meaning." — Annua/ A/essaj,^i; 1871.

" Let us all labor to add all needful guarantees for the more perfect security
of free thought, free speech and free press, pure morals, unfettered religi(jus
sentiments and of equal rights and privileges to all men, irrespective of nation-
ality, color or religion. Encourage tree rchools and resolve that not one doll.ir
of money appropriated to their support, no matter how raised, shall be appru-
priiited to the support of any sectarian school." — Aiiiin-ss at Reunion of Army
of the Tennessee, 1875.

" The compulsory support of the free schools and the disfranchisement of
all who cannot read and write the English language, after a fixed probation,
would meet my hearty approval." — Annual Messa^i^e, 1876.

" y am not a believer in any artificial method of making paper money ecfual
to coin when the coin is not owned or held ready to redeem the jiromise to
pay, for paper money is nothing more than promises to pay." — Veto Message
of Currency Bill

" Nothing would afford me greater happiness than to know, as I believe will
be the case, that at some future day the nations of the earth will agr- 1- iijio*^
some sort of congress, which shall take cognizance of int^ rnational tjj.uMtioii.,
of difficulty, and whose decisio is will be as bindi. '^ as ; •« decision of our
Supreme Court are binding on us." — To the Internaiional Arbitration Union,
Birmingham.

"I recognizethe fact that whatever there is of greatness in the Unifffd S':ites,
or indeed in any other country, is due to the lal)or performed. The lauorci s
the author of all greatness and wealth. Without labor there would be no
government, or no leading ol?,ss, or nothing to preserve With us, labor is
regarded as highly respectable." — To the Iro' -Fotinff^rs' Society, Uinni*'^hnm,
1877.

"If our country could be saved or ruined by the efforts of any one man, we
should not have a country and wc should not now be celebrating our Fourth
of July." — Speech at Hamburgh 1878.

"The humblest soldier who carried a musket is entitled to as much credit for
the results of the war as those who were in command." — Speech at Hamburg,

1878.

" With a people as honest and proud as the Americans, ind with so much
common sense, it is always a mistake to do a thing not entirely right for the sake
of expediency.

"When I was in the army I had a physique that could stand anything.
Whether I slept on the ground or in a tent, whether I slept one hour or ten in
the twenty-four, whether I had one meal or three or none, made no differ-
ence. I could lie down ar \ sleep in the rain without caring. But I was
many years yo '^er, and 1 could not hope to do that now.

"The only e> a general r -i trust are his own.

"A' hough a Idler by edu .uion and profession, I have never felt any sort,
of fo dness for \va and I havt never advocated it except as a means of peace."
—Spcch in Tj)ndo>. 1877.

"A general who will never take i chance in a battle will never fight one.
" I do not believe in Uick in war tny more than in luck in business.
" I would d al with n tions as equitable law requires individuals to treat with
each other.
" The president of the Chamber of Commerce in his remarks has alluded to

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530

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the personal friendship existing between the two nations, I will not sav the
two peoples, because we ; ■.e one people, but we are two nations haviivr ^
common destiny, and that destiny will be brilliant in proportion to the IVicnd-
ship and co-operation of the brethren on the two sides of the water." — SptYi/i
at Newcastle.

"The truth is, I am more of a farmer than a soldier. I take little or no interest
in military affairs, and, although I entered the army thirty-five years ago, and
have been in two wars, in Mexico as a young lieutenant, and later, 1 never
went into the army without regret and never retired without pleasure.

" There had to be an end of slavery. Then we were fighting an enemy with
whom we could not make a peace. We had to destroy him. No convention
no treaty, wai po?sible, only destruction.

"Too' long denial of guaranteed right is sure to lead to revolution, bli/odv
revolution, where 1 viffering must fall upon the innocent as well as the guilty.''
— Letter to Governor LhambtrUiin, 1876.

" I am not one of those who cry out against the Republic and charge it with
being ungrateful. 1 am sure that, as regards the American people as a nation
and as individuals, 1 have every reason under the sun, if any person reallv
has, to be satisfied with their treatment of me." — Speech in New York, 1880. '

" I have witnessed since my sickness just what I have wished to see ever
since the war — harmony and good feeling between the sections. 1 have
always contended that if there had been nobody left but the soldiers we should

have had peace in a year. and arc the only two that 1 know o.who

do not seem to be satisfied on the Southern ride. We have some on ours who
failed to accomplish as much as they wished, or who did not get warmed uo to
the fight until it was ?.\\ over, who have not had quite full satisfaction. The
great majority, too, of those who did not go into the war h?ve long since grown
tired of the long controversy. We may now well look forward to a perpctnal
peace at home and a nadonal strength that will screen us against any forei^ni
complication. I believe myself that the war was worth all it cost us, fearful
as that was." — Written to General Buckner.

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CHAPTER XXIII.

v' . ■:

THE NATION MOURNS THE DEATH. OF GENERAL GRANT.

Great Sorrow in all Parts of the Globe — Proclamations of President Cleveland and the
Governors of the States — General Kitz-John Porters Kind Words— Outward Signs of
Woe — Flags at Half- Mast and Black Emblems in the Streets— Citizens, Soldiers
and Officials pay Universal Tribute — The Southern Press.

Shortly after 8 o'clock on the morning of the 23d day of July the
President was informed of the death of General Grant. He imme-
diately directed that the flag on the White House should be placed
at half-mast. The lowering of the flag was the first intimation that
the citizens of Washington had of the death of the distinguished
man, although they had been anticipating it throughout the night.
A few minutes after the White House flag was placed at half-masc,
the flags on all the public buildings and many private ones were
placed in a like position. The bells of the city were tolled, and
citizens who heard them readily recognized their meaning. Business
men immediately began draping their houses with mourning, and
residences in a similar manner showed esteem for the deceased.

President Cleveland sent the following dispatch to Mrs. Grant, at

Mt. McGregor :

" Accept this expression of ny heartfelt sympathy in this hour of your great
affliction. The people of the Nation mourn with you, and would reach, if they
could, with kindly comfort, the depths of the sorrow which is yours alone, and
which only the pity of God can heal."

Upon the receipt of the news of the death of General Grant, the
following telegram was sent to Colonel Fred. Grant by General S.
S. Burdett, Commandcr-in Chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public :

" Expressing the profound grief of the Grand Army of the Republic upon the
death of the greatestof our comrades, on behalf of its 300000 members, I tender
t'> your honored mother, and to all the afflicted family, their heartfelt sympathy.
i pray you have me advised so soon as arrangements for the last sad rites are
determined upon."

The Chairman of the Citizens' Meeting to-night was requested to
convey to Mrs. Grant the expression of sympathy felt by the
citizens of Columbus, Ohio. The following was telegraphed by Ex-
Senator Thnrman :

" The City Council of the City of Columbus, Ohio, and the posts of the Grand
Army of the Republic, in this city assembled in public meeting, direct me to
convey to you and your family an expression of their profound sympathy in
your bereavement and their deep sense of the loss sustained by the country in
the death of General Grant. " A. G. Thuuman, Chairman."

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632

LIFE OF UI^YSSES S. GRANT.

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The following dispatch was received from Ex -President Hayes :

" Fremont, Ohio, July 23. — Please assure Mrs. Grant and the sorrowing family
that they have the deepest sympathy of Mrs. Hayes and myself.

•' R. B. Hayes."

The following are among the telegrams received by the family ;

" Augusta, Me., July 23. — Mrs. U. G. Giant : Please accept my profoundest
sympathy in your great bereavement. The entire Nation mourns the loss of
Its first soldier and its first citizen. "James G. Blai.Ml."

''Philadelphia, Pa., July 23. — Mrs. General Grant: I have heard with great
sorrow of General Grant's death. I offer full measure of sympathy.

"Samuel J. Randall, Berwyn, Pa."

" Fort Reno, I. T. July 23. — Colonel F. D. Grant : Will vou please express
to Mrs. Grant my grief at the loss of my dearest friend and comrade, and my
sincere sympathy and condolence with her in this hour of her great distress.

" P. H. Sheridan, Lieutenant-General."

" Washington, July 23. — To Colone! F. D. Grant. The painful news to me of
your father's death has just been received. The sympathy of myself and
family goes out from the depth of our hearts to your mother and all of you in
your great bereavement. The country is filled with sympathy and grief at this
news, but the greatness of its loss must grow upon it as the future unfolds the
coming years. " John A. Logan.''

The following proclamation was issued by President Cleveland
after a special Cabinet meeting :

" The President of the United States has just received the sad tidmgs of the
death of. that illustrious citizen and ex- President of the United States, General
Ulysses S. Grant, at Mt. McGregor, in the State of New York, to which
place he had lately been removed in the endeavor to prolong his life.

" In making this announcement to the people of the United States, the Presi
dent is impressed with the magnitude of the public loss of a great military
leader, who was, in the hour of victory, magnanimous; amid disaster serene
and self-sustained ; who, in every station, whether as a soldier or as a Chief
Magistrate, twice ciUed to power by his fellow-countrymen, trod unswervingly
the pathway of duty, undeterred by doubts, single-minded and straightforward,

" The entire country has witnessed with deep emotion his prolonged and
patient struggle with painful disease, and has watched by his couch of sulifering
with tearful sympathy.

" The destined end has come at last, and his spirit has returned to the Creator
who sent it forth. The great heart of the nation, that followed him when liv-
ing with love and pride, bows now in sorrow above him dead, tenderly mindful
of his virtues, his great patriotic services and of the loss occasioned by his death.

" In testimony of respect to the memory of General Grant, it is ordered that
the Executive Mansion and the several departments at Washington be draped
in mourning for a period of thirty days, and that all public business shall on
the day of the funeral be suspended ; and the Secretaries of War and the Navy
shall cause orders to be issued for appropriate military and naval honors to be
rendered on that day.

" In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the
United States to be affixed.

"Done at the City of Washington, this twenty-third day of July, A. D one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, and the independence of the United
States the one hundred and tenth. " Grover Cleveland.

" By the President.

" T. F. Bayard, Secretary of State."

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dent Hayes :

orrowing family

If.

. B. Hayes."

)y the family ;

my profoundest
urns the loss of
\ G. Blaine. "

heard with great

>athy.

, Berwyn, Pa."

u please express
lomrade, and my
• great distress.
nant-General."

ful news to me of
y of myself and
and all of you in
! and grief at this
uture unfolds the
IN A. Logan."

dent Cleveland

sad tidmgs of the
;d States, General
1 York, to which
his hfe.

States, the Presi-
great military
disaster serene
ler or as a Chief
rod unswervingly
straightforward,
is prolonged and
couch of suffering

ned to the Creator
ed him when liv-
, tenderly mindful
ined by his death.
, it is ordered that
ington be draped
business shall on
^ar and the Navy
ival honors to be

;ed the seal of the

. July, A. D one
ice of the United
;r Cleveland.

NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

^ZZ

Adjutant General Drum, by command of Lieutenant-General
Sheridan, issued the following order :

" In compliance with the instructions of the President, on the day of the
funeral at each military post the troops and cadets will be paraded, and the
order read to them, after which all labors for the day will cease.

" The National flag will be displayed at half-staff.

"At dawn of day thirteen guns will be fired, and afterward, at intervals of
thirty minutes, between the rising and setting of the sun, a single gun, and at
the close of the day a National salute of thirty-eight guns. The officers of the
army will wear crape on the left arm and on their swords, and the colors of
the battalion of engineers, of the several regiments, and of the United States.
Corps of cadets will be put in mourning for the period of six iponths."

Governor Hill, of New York, issued the followinc, proclamation:

" State of New York, Executive Chamber.

"Ulysses S. Grant, twice President of the United States, the defender of the
Union, the victorious leader of our soldiers, and General on the retired list of
the army, is dead.

" To the last he was the true soldier, strong in spirit, patient in suffering, brave
in death. His warfare is ended.

"After the close of his official life, and following that notable journey around
the world, whtn tributes of esteem from all nations were paid him, he chose
his home among the citizens of our State. He died upon our soil, in the
county of Saratoga, overlooking scenes made glorious by Revolutionary mem-
ories.

" It is fitting that the State which he chose as his home should especially
honor his memory.

" The words of grief and the tokens of sorrow by which we mark his death
shall honor, too, the offices which he held, and proclaim that praise which shall
ever be accorded to those who serve the Republic. Therefore it is hereby
directed that flags on the public buildings of the State be placed at half-mast
until his burial, and on that day, yet to be appointed, all ordinary business in
the Executive Chamber and the departments of the State government will be
suspended.

" The people of the State are called upon to display until his funeral emblems
of mourning, and it is requested that at that hour they cease from their busi-
ness and pay respect to the distinguished dead.

"Given under my hand and the privy seal of the State of New York, ^t the
Capitol, in the city of Albany, the 23d day of July, 1885.

" By the Governor, " David B. Hill."

pro-

Governor Pattison, of Pennsylvania, issued the followin
clamation :

" In the name of and by the authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania*
Robert E. Pattison, Governor of the said Commonwealth :

" Proclamation : The people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have
learned with profound regret of the death of the illustrious American soldier
and ex-President, Ulysses S. Grant. Emerging from the quiet walks of a citi-
zen's life, at a critical period in the history of his country, he rapidly attained
the highest renown in her military service, and on the return of peace was twice
called to occupy her chief chair of state. Brilliant and successful in war,
magnanimous and conservative in statesmanship, distinguished at home and
abroad for his personal virtues in private life, he filled the measure of a useful,
honorable and patriotic career, and he bequeathed to his fellow-citizens and
posterity a name that will forever be revered. Now, therefore, in view of the

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634

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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sad event which has filled the nation with deep sorrow, and as a fittrif,' mark
of respect to the memory of the eminent man who, in the providence of Cod
after a painful and patient struggle with disease and death, has closed liis mor'.
tal life, I do direct that the flags on the public buildings of the State be liLld
at half-mast until sundown on the day of his burial, and that on that ilav the
ordinary business of the several departments of the State government hJ sus-
pended. And I recommend to the people of the Commonwealth that, (lutin<r
the obsequies on that day, they do generally observe the great solemnity of
those hours by suspension of business, the tolling of bells and sucli otiier
marks of respect for the distinguished dead as to them may be deemed appro-
priate.

"Given under iny hand and the seal of the State at Harrisburg, this twen v-
fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
eighty-five and of the Commonwealth one hundred and tenth.

" RouKKT E. Pattison, Governor."

Governor Hoadly, of Ohio, issued a proclamation recommending

the proper observance of August 8th. Speaking of General Grant,

he says :

" 15y his labors and those of the brave men he led, the Union was restored,
and six millions of freedmen celebrate the blessings of liberty secmod for
themselves and their posterity. Tenacious in conflict, he was magnanimous in
victory, and the beneficent results of his ;^enerous dealings with his foes, and
their grateful response, comforted him in the face of death."

Governor Gray, of Indiana, was absent from Indianapolis at the
time of General Grant's death. Immediately upon his arrival ho
issued a proclamation announcing the General's death and recom-
mending a general suspension of business on the day of the funeral.

General Fitz-John Porter took occasion to speak about the death
of General Grant:

" We were boys together at West Point," he said, " and officers together in
Mexico Although in after-years he decided against me in a matter that con*
cerns what is dearer to me than life, I never regarded General Grant as mv
....emy. On the contrary, I always esteemed him highly for his great purity
of character. His conduct toward me shows that he was worthy of esteem.
He w^s the victim, for awhile, of misinformation, but repented deeply for his
hasty and incorrect judgment of my case. The very change proved his man-
liness, his nobility and his absolute purity of heart. It also proved his sterling
integrity and determination to do what was right and just. He had committed
himself as President of the United States and as General of the Army, but
when he examined into the facts, without hesitation he reversed his judgment
and made every effort a man could to undo an unintentional injustice. I re-
garded Grant as my friend and feel deeply his loss. I look upon his death as
a calamity to the country, and his record as one for the study of the youths of
the Republic.'' , ,

Washington, July 24, 1885.

Mrs. U. S. Grant: — Her Majesty, the Queen, commands me to convey to
yourself and family her sincere condolence on the deat': of General Grant.

British Minister.

The sympathy of Queen Victoria, the widow and mother, ten-
dered to Mrs. Grant, also a widow and a mother, affected her even
to tears. Next came the following missive from the Prince and

1-vH

General Grant,

NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

635

Princess of Wales, in whose hearts the flood-tide of humanity ever
bounds with warm and generous impulses :

London, -July 24, 1885.
Mrs. U. S. Grant: — Accept our deepest sympathy in the loss of your dis-
tiiifjuished husband. We shall always look back with gratification at having
had the advantage of knowing him personally.

Prince and Princess of Wales.

This was quickly followed by the subjoined despatch from ex-

Prcsidcnt Arthur :

Montreal, July 24, 1885.
Mrs. Grant : — I am greatly grieved to get the sad news of the General's
death. Pray accept my most sincere sympathy. Chester A. Arthur.

Among other telegrams received on the 25th day of July were
the following :

Atlanta, Ga., July 25, 1885.
Colonel F. D. Grant : — I sympathize deeply with your family. General
Grant was a brave and successful soldier and a generous adversary.

G. T. Heauregard.

Mrs. Grant : — Delaware tenders the warmest sympathy of her citizens in this
great hour of private and public grief. Charles C. Stockley.

Mrs. Grant: — I offer my expression of deep sympathy to the widow of the
great leader of the Union armies. Comte De Paris.

Methcrinston, July 24, 1885.
Mrs. Grant: — Allow me to offer sincere sympathy on your gicat loss.

LoRi> RiPON.

London, Jily 25, 1885.
Mrs. Grant: — Heartfelt sympathy for sad affliction befallen yoi.

Mr.^. Mackay,

Tokio, Japan, July 24, 1885.
Mine. General Grant : — I learned with much sorrow of the death of yotir
liuiband. 1 tender you my sincere condolence and deep sympathy

Prince Towhito.

New York, July 25, 1885.
Mrs. Grant: — In the name of the Imperial Government and my own, pray
accept the e.xpressiou of the deepest sympathy. Brazilian Minister.

Tokio, July 25, 1885.
Mrs. U. S. Grant : — By command, I present to you the condolence and sym-
pathy of their Majesties the Emueror and Empress, in the sad death of the
illustrious and honored friend of their Majesties. iTO Hirouume,

Jap.anese Imperial Household Minister.

Hot Springs, Ark., July 25, 1885.
My own grief is overwhelming for the loss of my truest friend, beloved class-
mate and noble con.rade. RuFUS Ingalls.

Executive Chamber, Augusta, Me , July 25, 1885,
Our people extend to Mrs. Grant and family their prof undest sympathy. In
accordance with the order of Executive Council of the State of Maine, I shall
altcnd the funeral ceremonies, accompanied by a committee from that body.

Frederick RoBiE, Governor.

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636

I ':T' /

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

President Diaz, of Mexico, sent a telegram expressing his sor-
row at the loss of so distinguished a soldier and statesman.
Ignacio Mariscal, the Mexican Premier, sent the following :
" By instructions of President Diaz I send you the most sincere c ondolence
of the Mexican Government for the loss of our great friend, the illustrious
General Grant, and personally I tender my own and my family's heartfelt
sympathy in your berea>rement.''

. Mrs, Frelinghuysen, widow of the late Secretary of State, tele-
graphed :

" Pray receive my loving sympathy. We feel deecly for you all. I so hij^'hlv
appreciated the General's kindness to me in my sorrow, even when he was
such a sufferer."

Confederate soldiers of Helena, Ark., sent a message of sympathy.

The following telegram was sent from Sandy Hook to Colonel

Fred. D. Grant by Secretary Endicott :

"Your telegram received cortaining the sad tidings of your father's death.
The sympathies of the Nation and the world are with you, but nowhere will
they be so near personal as in the army, which he commanded and the great
department of the Government with which he is so closely identified. Be
assured of my sincere sympathy with you and your fai.>ily in this great
affliction."

Governor Oglesby, of Illinois, was on the steamer ' Colonel Patter-
son," with the Grand Army of the Republic excursion from Quincy
to Nauvoo, when he learned at Keokuk of the death of General
Grant. The Governor made the soldier boys a brilliant speech, de-
voted entirely to a tribute to the old commander. He left the e.\-
cursion and went to Springfield to inaugurate means for a fitting
tribute in behalf of Illinois for the dead hero.

The news of General Grant's death spread with marvelous rapid-
ity, in New York City, and ten minutes after the telegraph had an-
nounced it to the newspaper offices it was known from the Battery
to Harlem. Flags were soon flying at half-mast all over the city,
and no one needed to be told the meaning of the gloomy signal.
Gradually signs of mourning spread through the streets. Long
streamers of black crape stretched from cornices to sidewalk. Busi-
ness flagged. Though the current of trade did not cease, it was
checked, and men found time to talk of the Nation's loss. Few
men, as they mingled in the turmoil of city life, did not feel touched
by a sense of personal sorrow. There were many silent tokens of
the universal grief. The half-masted flags and the mourning dra-
pery, the edging of black, which grew as by magi'' on every street,
the tolling of bells and the gathering here and there of official bodies
to take appropriate action were only a few of these manifestations.
Every face among thousands seemed to wear an expression of sorrow,
and crowds gathered before the bulletins which contained the barren
but moving statement that General Grant was dead. Likenesses of

NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

^Z7

y of State, tele-

the dead here in windows invariably gathered knots of people, and
ilie features were studied with a new and regretful interest. Even
some of the street-car lines decorated their platforms with sable-
bordered flags. At Coney Island the various bands performed special
programmes, and even in the scores of lesser halls in this city, where
people flock for music, the airs were subdued. The gayest excur-
sion boats on the bay and river carried their flags at half-mast, and
it is a fact that the merriment upon them was subdued. The first
building in the city to show signs of mourning was the Western
Union. The National, State and municipal flags soon after drooped
above the City Hall, and thence the line of mourning emblems ran
quickly up Broadway. By noon emblems of mourning were dis-
piaved on thousands of small stores. The Times, Tribune, IVorld
and Sun buildings were draped with especial effectiveness. Por-
traits of the Genera) framed in black and badges of white crape
with his features stamped upon them, and medals bearing his face
with the date and hour of his death, found ready sale upon the
streets. Every church in Trinity parish tolled its bells, and the sad
chimes soon rang from Murray Hill to the outskirts of Brooklyn
and Jersey City. Every fire-engine-house and police-station was
draped with black, as were the departments of the municipal gov-
ernment. Mayor Grace found it impossible to get a full meeting of
the Aldermen, but, in anticipation of their action, he sent an
official telegram of condolence to Mrs. Grant and offered a burial-
place in any of the parks in the city. Such of the exchanges as
had not already adopted resolutions did so, and this form of ex-
pression spread to countless organizations, — commercial, civic,
military and social throughout the country.

The N'czv York Herald said :

"The announcement nine months ago that General Grant had
fallen, shot by an assassin's bullet, would have stirred the nation
from core to circumference, and excitement utterly unprecedented
—unknown to modern life — would have taken possession of the
city and dominated the situation. During this greater part of a
busy and active year the nation had sat by the bedside of the
sufferer; had watched him during the sleepless hours of the night,
when pain and anguish made him sigh for the final outco ne ; had
followed with great interest the efforts of his doctors and the service
of his friends ; had hobbled with him on his crutch to the wmdow,
that he might reciprocate the courteous recognition of his com-
rades; had labored with him over the pages of his memoirs, and
had read with unaffected interest, the affectionate messages written
on the historic pad to his family and his friends ; had attended him
in that long and tedious trip to the mountain, where he sought a
possible relief, and in the long weeks had sunk from hopefulness to

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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hopelessness, and at last had attended him to the very vertre anj
confine of life's fitful fever. Therefore the end was not only ex-
pected, but was anticipated, so that its effect was largely dis-
counted.

" When Garfield was assassinated doubt and uncertainty canu; with
the news ; and although horror and disgust and apprehension wlic
apparent on every hand, there was no cessation of work, no factory
closed its doors, no exchange adjourned for the day. Hope told a
flattering tale, and for weeks, ami for months, while the illustrious
suffjrer lay and dozed upon his couch of pain, attended by iinfeij^nKd
sympathy and affectionate interest, everything went on in its accus-
tomed channel as in the olden time. This might have been antici-
pated in the present instance. There was no surprise of any sort
for those who have been looking nearly a year for the ticlinL,^,, of
General Grant's death. There was no startling sensation to be
sprung upon an unprepared people by ambitious panderers, or by
dealers in highly-spiced intelligence. Quietly, gravely, solcninly,
decorously as one's own family circle might sit in an adjoinni;'
room waiting for the death-throe whose painful conclusion the doc-
tor alone would care to see, has the nation waited for dissolution
so certain, — as certain as fate itself.

" At last it came !

" It came not with the force and vigor of a thunderbolt, not with a
quick flash of incisive lightning, not with the blast and fury of a
tornado, but in the calm announcement that the Christian hero, the
successful general, the two-term President, the world's guest, th;;
nation's favorite son, had finally succumbed, and in thj noiseless
seclusion of his bed-chamber, surrounded by his wife and children,
had with intelligence yielded up his spirit to its Maker in calm
confidence that a past so pregnant with good, so fraught witii
blessing, was a harbinger indeed of a happy future, a second tonn
beyond the skies, directed, fashioned and guided by the omnipotent
hand of the Creator himself

" The sad news of his demise spread like wild-fire, and before

many hours had elapsed the whole nation mourned the death ot

General Grant."

The NcW York Tribune said : "The foremost man of the Nation has closed
a career second to no other in the history of the Republic. The victoriouj
leader of the Nation in the greatest war of modern times, he was also a leader
of the people in civil life. All men have faults, and he was not ex<;mpt. Kut
a thankful people would gladly forget them and remember only the great deeds
andthe nobletraitsof characterwhich remain for the admiration of mankind. He
has gone where reticence will no longer be misunderstood. The faults of others
which he shouldered through life fall from him at the grave. He lives in the
memory of millions who owe to him their Nation's safety, a great soldier, a
faithful public servant, a devoted defender of public faith, a sincere patriot, a
noble man.'' . ...„».

i . J

tainty catm: with
prehension were
work, no fiictory
y. Hope told a
le the illustrious
Jed by uiifci'j^fiiL'd
t on in its acciis-
lave been antici-
jrise of any sort
r the tidint,fs of
sensation to be
panderers, or by
ravely, solciiinly,
in an adjoiniii;^'
1 elusion the doc-
;d for dissolution

NATIONAL MuUKNING FOR GEXEKAL GRANT.

639

The New York Times i7\\A : "The name of General Grant will be rcmem-
bertcl by Ameiicans as that of the saviour of their country in a crisis more ap-
palling' than any it has passed throii<;h since the United States became a na-
tion. His fame as a soldier will survive as lonjj as the history of our Nation is
read. The last of the two greatest Americans of their generation is gone.''

Tlie A'l'W York Sun said : " Thus another great and memorable figure in the
iiiter lustory of the Republic — the most memorable, perhaps, excepting Mr.
Lincoln, among all those who performed their parts in the immortal contest for
the preservation of the Union — passes away from among living men and takes
his |)l.ice on the records of history. What encouragement for patriotism, for
tidelity, for weariless defense of the ."eat interests of mankind ! And above
and beyond all, we sie the Democratic Republic greater than all persons, lur-
vivin^' every danger, ''ictorious over every foe, preserving the treasure of lib-
erty and law, and maintaining alive and undimmcd the hope and promise of
humanity."

The i\c-iU York Worfd ?,-\\(\ : " Let us speak of our great chieftain and think
of him only as a soldier whose fame has not a spot to mar its brilliancy. If his
civil career seems to invite criticism, let us bury it out of sight and honor him
as the great captain of the age ; as the devoted leader who led the armies of the
Union to triumph, striking the fetters from the slave, showing the magnanim-
ity of the hero in the hour of victory as he showed the courage of the hero in
the diy of battle, and restoring to us the American Republic stronger, more
honored and more glorious than it was when handed down to us by our Revo-
hitionary sires."

The news of the death of General Grant reached Galena, the old
home of the dead hero, at 7.20 a. m.. July 23d, via the Western
Union Telegraph at Dubuque. The first bell to make the general
announcement to the public was that of the First Presbyterian
Church, and was tolled by Dr. G. Newhall, whose patriotic wife
climbed through the church window and was the first one to toll
the bell announcing the death of President Garfield four years ago.
The first flag at half-mast was run up by W. H. Blewett on the
staff of the De Soto House, which General Grant made his head-
quarters the last time he visited Galena, two years ago. Soon after
the solemn tones of the first church bell fell upon the ears of our
people, the sad refrain was caught up by other church and fire
bells of the city, and flags at half-mast and other emblems of
mourning were displayed on public buildings, business houses and
private residences. Scarcely a building in the city was without
sombre drapery of some kind, in token of respect for the distin-
guished dead. The feeling in Galena was one of unbounded sorrow
over the calamity which had befallen the country. General Grant
was greatly beloved in Galena, and this sentiment was not confined
by any means to his personal friends, but extended to all classes of
our people. The news of his death, therefore, although not en-
tirely unexpected, was a great shock to the citizens of Galena,
the former home of the old commander, and brought tears to
hundreds of eyes and unalloyed sorrow to every heart. A public
meeting of the citizens was held at the Council chamber in the even-

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640

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GIIANT.

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ing, at which memorial addresses were delivered by Mayor R,
Barrett, General VV. R. Rowley, Grant's military secretary cliirintr
the Rebellion, Senator R. H. McClellan, Judge Wm. Spenslcy and
others. Rv'iolutions expressive of the sorrow experienced by tin;
people of Galena, over the death of General Grant, and sympathy
for the wife and family of the old commander, were unanimously
adopted and were ordered to be properly engrossed.

The people of the city of New Orleans and the entire State of
Louisiana had great respect and regard for General Grant, and the
news of his death was received with general regret. Flags were
placed at hsif-mast, the City Hall was closed, and Governor
McEnery issued a proclamation ordering the State-House at Baton
Rouge draped in mourning. The public sentiment was voiced by
the editorials in the different papers.

The Times- Di-mocrat s&\A: "As the mortal remains of Ulysses S. C.rant lie
in their casket, and solemn guns are booming ihe last salute for the dead
commander, we of the South forget the stern general who hurled his terrible
masses upon the ranks of our fathers and brethren; whose storms of shot and
shell mowed down our friends like wheat before the gleaner; rememberinsj
only the manly soldier who, in the hour of triumph, displayed the knif^litiy
chivalry that robs defeat of its bitterest pang; vanquished by his arms, in his
chivalric kindness we were doubly vanquished at Appomattox. Every soldier
heart in this wide land will pray God this morning that the generous meas-
ures he meted to his foe in time of victory may be remembered and meted
again to Ulysses S. Grant in this his hour of defeat and judgment."

The Evenins; States said: "General Grant is dead. Wherever the telegraph
has carried this not unexpected announcement there is profound rej;iet,
Twenty years have passed smce the best of his reputation was earned. That
has given time to make a juster estimate of the great soldier than was possible

Just after Appomattox. Much history has been written since then. All sides
lave been heard. Much documentary evidence has been sifted, and Grant's
unquestioned successes are now generally conceded to have been greatly due
to true military genius. Our people have had twenty years of time and abun-
dant opportunity to closely Fti'dy Grant's record, and the almost universal
verdict is that, outside of politics, he was fortunate enough to achieve deserved
greatness."

The Picayune said: "While the North remembers that General Grant
received the sword of Lee, t!ie South will not forget with what generous and
soldierly courtesy he returned it. We cheerfully recognize his high place in
history, and cannot think otherwise than regretfully of the misfortunes that
saddened the last days of his life. The hero of a great war, twice elected
President of the United States, the honored guest of kings and nations, the

{)ossessor of an ample fortune, the husband of a devoted wife, the father of
oving and happy children — what had he to expect but peace and prosperity
for his declining years? Alas! the answer has been written; we will not
repeat it. Brethren of the North and South, let us join mournful hands
together around that newly-opened grave, remembering that while all earthly
goods are evanescent, honor, truth and love are eternally secure."

The Evenins[ Item says : " Than his, a more checkered career was never pur-
sued by any human being. Its lights have flashed and its obscuring sbaf ows
have fallen as Rembrandt effects upon the great historic picture in which he

lat General Grant
vhat generous and
his high place in
le misfortunes that
war, twice elected
_ and nations, tiie
wife, the father of
ace and prosperity
■itten; we will not
n mournful hands
it while all earthly

NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

641

formed tliC central figure ! And now he takes his place among the honored
dead who yet speak — the teachers who instruct the coming generations by
an example which cannot die."

Ex-Congressman John S. Wise, of Virginia, speaking about
General Grant's death, said :

" 1 believe that our people in the South will mourn Grant's death more
sincerely than any man of their own present or past. Grant completely won
Vir>,'inia hy his course at Appomattox. He was pliiin, unassuming, unostenta-
tiuiis, and used to go about after the surrender talking to the soldiers in blue
and gray alike, wherever he met them. He was always approachable. On a
sleeping-car, from Philadelphia, one night, several years ago, I sat beside
General Grant, and fell into conversation with him, by mistake for the car
conductor. He didn't mind it the least, though it confused me not a little
when I discovered my mistake. Grant's entire course towards the South won
him the admiration and, in a large degree, the affection of our people, .vho
will deeply regret his death.''

Ex-Senator Wm. Pitt Kellogg, of Louisiana, at the Fifth Avenue

Hotel, said of General Grant :

"His highest quality was that of being just. He was, it is true, often sur-
rounded by men whose representations and opinions swayed his judgment,
owing to his confiding and trustinj^ nature; but when he came to know all the
circumstances of a case, to investigate ancl penetrate it in all its bearings, he
invariably formed a just judgment, from which he could not be moved. It
was one of Grant's high qualities that he would stand by a friend and btand
by what he believed to be right to the end."

Ex- Governor S. 13. Packard, of Louisiana, late Consul at Liver-
pool, said :

" 1 was well acquainted with General Grant and had unbounded admiration
for him. He was a loyal-souled frifind. I held the position of Marshal of
Louisiana for seven years under him. It was due to his counsel as much as
any man's that I consented to run for Governor of Louisiana, accepting a
nomination about the same time that Hayes was nominated for the Presi-
dency. I never saw General Grant afterwards. He hesitated to recognize
me at the outset, from perfectly honorable and hijrh-minded motives. He was
much ag^/icved because the Republican party did not approve his Southern
policy and so enable him to carry it into effect. Jiut he recognized that this
lack of support would make it a dangerous experiment to the peace of the
coimt'-y for him to assert his policy by force, which might have been necessary.
General Grant will stand in history as one of the very few great men of the
century." ■ •

The announcement of General Grant's death was received in
Canton, Miss., with sincere sorrow. All conceded that a great man
had passed away. His memory will be revered in the South be-
cause he quit fighting them when the war was over.

The Georgia Legislature passed resolutions of regret at the
death of General Grant, and adjourned for the day out of respect
to his memory.

Mayor Garland, of Springfield, 111., .sent the following dispatch,
July 23d, after a conference with the citizens :

To Mrs. U. S. Grant, Mt. McGregor, N. Y. — In behalf of the citizens of
41

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642

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Sprinqfield, the capital of the State of Ilinois, I tender to you a restiri}^ place
for General Grunt in this city, where your illustrious husband bcj,'an Ins ciirecr
as a soldier in the late war. James M. Garland, Mayor.

As Governor Oglcsby was absent from the city, this was thought
to be the best thing to do.

The following are among the thousands of telegrams received
from all parts of the world by members of the Grant family :

Washington, July 23.

To Colonel Fred Grant. — The Board of Commissioners of the United States
Soldiers' Home are unanimous in their desire that the remains of General
Grant may be buried within the grounds of that institution. The cuminis-
sioncrs have selected, subject to the approval of the family, an appropriate
and commanding eminence overlooking the city and surrounding country ns
an appropriate place of sepulchre. Letter by mail. E. Mac:I'"i;i;i.v.

In tne absence and by authority of Lieutenant-Gcncral Sheridan, Tresident
of the Board.

Mayor Grace, of New York City, by direction of the Aldermen,
sent the following dispatch :

Mrs. U. S. Grant, Mt. McGregor, N. Y.— In advance of official action, I am
instructed to tender to yourself and family the deep sympathy of the Common
Council and of the municipal authorities of the City of New York in your
bereavement. I am also authorized, by informal action of the authorities,
which will be made official to-morrow, to tender to you a last resting-place for
the remains of General Grant in any one of the parks in this city which you
may stlect. I am also authorized to offer the government room at the City
Hall for the purpose of allowing the body to lie in state. Mayor Gkace.

The first intimation that citizens of Brooklyn received of the sad
event was about a quarter past eight o'clock, when the bells on the
churches and city hall began to toll mournful and measured
cadence. " Grant is dead," passed from lip to lip on the streets, on
the avenues, on the boats, on the cars, everywhere, in fact, where
there were lips to repeat the mournful intelligence.

Simultaneously with the tolling of the bells the flags on all the
public buildings were* hoisted to half-mast, and within an hour
afterwards there was not a flagstaff in the city that had not its flag
floating from it. The spontaneity with which this was done was
only equalled by the zeal of the people in displaying mourning on
their residences. Indeed, the day had not half gone before all the
public and a vast number of the private buildings were draped in
mourning. In the evening the draping had so far progressed that
the sable emblems of mourning met the eye at every turn and in-
stinctively carried all beholders back to the day when all the
houses were draped as a tribute to the memory of President Gar-
field.

R. E Lee Camp of Confederate Veterans, at Richmond, Va.,
unanimously adopted the following resolutions :

Xesolved, That R. E. Lee Camp of Confederate Veterans, with profound sor«

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NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

643

ou a reitint^ place
d bcf^.in lus ciirccr
\RLAN1>, Mayor.

his was thou^'ht

egrarns received

nt family :

hington, July 23.
f the United StiUcs
etnains of Gcncrnl
on. The commis-
ly, .in appropriate
lundint; country as

E. MacI'KKI.y.
Jheridan, Trosident

)f the Aldermen,

official .iction, I am
thy of the Common
New York in your

of the authorities,
1st resting-place for
, this city which you
•nt room at the City

Mayor Gkace.

ceived of the sad
the bells on the

1 and measured
n the streets, on

re, in fact, where

|c flacjs on all the
within an hour
it had not its flag
lis was done was
|ing mourning on
;one before all the
•s were draped in
[r progressed that
kvery turn and in-
ay when all the
►f President Gar-
Richmond, Va.,
i, with profound sor-

row and sincere regret, receive the announcement of the death of Ulysses S.
Grant ;

Hi'soived, That the people of Virginia will ever cherish and revere the
memory of Ulysses S. Grant as an American soldier and citizen ;

Resolved, Th.it the people of the South, and especiallv the people of Virginia,
will always hold in grateful memory his uniform and unvarying kmdness of
purpose towards this people, and the constancy with which he maintained the
inviolability of the parole which he had granted to General Robert E. Lee and
his soldiers at the termination of the late civil strife.

Stonewall Jackson Canip of Confederate Veterans also adopted
resolutions, as follows:

Resolved, That, as a body of Confederate Veterans, we mourn with the na-
tion the loss of one of the greatest military leaders of this generation, which
has been sustained by the death of General U. S. Grant ;

Resolved, That we felt the blow-* he so well directed during the war between
the States, on the side of his honor and duty, and we appreciate the kmd terms
granted by him when our flag was folded at Appomattox, thus learning that a
great man, firm in war. could be gentle and generous in peace to his fallen friends.

The meeting of ex-Confederate and Federal soldiers of Galveston.
Texas, on the 24th of July, was largely attended, the gray outnum-
bering the blue. Colonel Robert G. Street, of the Fifty-first
Alabama Regiment, wa? active in calling the meeting. Judge Gus-
tave Cooke, late Colonel of Terry's Texas rangers, was chosen
Chairman. Among other prominent ex-Confederates present were
Adjutant-General Franklin, Major Lloyd, Captain R. L. Fulton,
Mayor of Galveston, Colonel Shannon, and General John M. Clai-
borne. After several eulogistic addresses, the following resolutions
were unanimously adopted :

Resolved, That the death of General Grant is cause for common sorrow to
all who love this, our common country ; to all who honor the great soldier,
most just and magnanimous in the hour of his greatest victory; to all who
admire the simple and homely virtues that give strength and nobility to man-
hood. That his misfortunes and long and painful illness, while awakening the
most widespread sympathy, have given the world the noble spectacle of the
quiet heroism that resides in the breast of a brave man, conscious of the recti-
tude of his own purposes in life, shining the more brightly amid the mingled
gloom of pecuniary disaster and the sensible approach of the victor, death.
To the praise of those who honor him, we add our tribute to the soldier and
man, to those who personally knew and loved him we tender our most
respectful sympathy.

San Francisco, Cal., July 23.

The tolling of fire-bells at six this morning announced to the inhabitants of
San Francisco the death of General Grant. Meetings were held this afternoon
by the Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade, Grand Army of the Republic
and other associations. All of them appointed committees to confer with the
Mayor and Board of Supervisors how to most appropriately show their grati-
tude for Grant's gfreat services to the country ana their respect for his memory.
Governor Stoneman proclaimed the day of the funeral a legal holiday and re-
commended that all business be suspended.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 23.

The news of the death of General Grant, although expected, cast a gloom
upon the city, and was received with universal sorrow. Flags on the goveri**

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LIFE OF ULYS.SE3 S. GRANT.

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ment, State, county and city buildings are at half-mast, and business houses
are generally draped with the emblems of mourning.

In a proclamation issued at noon, Governor Rusk, of Wisconsin,
after eulogizing the life of General Grant, ordered :

" That the flag upon the Capitol be displayed at half-staff each day until
sundown the day of the funeral ; that the Quartermaster-General cause a f^nn
to be fired every half-hour, beginning at sunrise and end at sunset on the 24:11
inst., and on the day of the funeral every half-hour, beginning at sunrise and
ending when the burial procesion moves; that the State offices be closed on
this day and on the day of the funeral, for all public business; that the, Capitol
be draped in mourning, and that the usual badge of mourning be worn by the
Wisconsin National Guards."

The following telegram was sent by Governor Rusk to Mrs.

Grant :

" In the hour of your great affliction, permit me, in behalf of the people of
Wisconsin, who gratefully remember the invaluable services rendered the
Nation by your distinguished husband, to assure you of their sincere and
heartfelt sympathy."

Choice of a burial-place :

" In regard to the place of burial, it is stated that about the !st of July the
General hr.id^d Colonel Fred Grant a slip of paper on which was written sub-
stantially this : ' There are three places from which I wi'<h a choice of burial-
place to be made : West Point — I would prefer this above others but for the
fact that my wife could not be placed beside me there. Galena, or some place
in Illinois — because from that State I received my first general's commission.
New York — because the people of that city befriended me in my need.' "

Receipt of the news of General Grant's death in Chicago ;

" Up flagstaff after flagstaff the colors crept, to be kissed and gently shaken
by the faint breezes of yesterday morn. Banner after banner floated o'er the city
— but a drooping banner, o'er a drooping city. No flag was pulled to the peak ;
at half-mast it sadly fluttered. On distant Mt. McGregor— a mount of
anguish for one great soul no longer — Grant lay dead ! Chicago mourned, for
in this latter day the greatest surviving son of her beloved commonwealth was
taken from her, yet leaving the immeasurable heritage of a hero's name,
Like the news of a disaster or the news of a victory, the ill-tidings swept from
house to house. IJy the breakfast table they found many a citizen. They left
him and his silent and thoughtful. It was an hour of review of a patriot's
career. The stripling who watched the tear well into his father's eye when the
news came home will never forget the hour, for he will never be convinced
that the man for whom his sire was not ashamed to weep had not been a man
full worthy of such tribute. The man that wept for Grant wept, too, for Lin-
coln. In the s.ght of two generations of lads did those tears fall. Such tears
vitalize impressions, and are histories writ in granite for the young.

" The city had been prepared for the unwelcome news by the s'gnificant
despatches of Wednesday evening. It seemed at last as though the ordeal
were over and the end come. Devotedly had tens, yea, hundreds of thousands,
watched the record of hif repining months, some wishing him recovery, some,

f)erhaps with just as tender a love and humanity, Avishing for his sake that re-
ease and the final victory over torment and disease might come in death.
But all were friends. In a government of the people and by the people the
servant that fights and governs for the people will never know the ingratitude
of his peers in life or suffer the oblivion of *their forgetfulness after death.

NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

645

, business houses

of Wisconsin,

Rusk to Mrs.

Yesterday Chicago received the news of General Grant's demise, an^' at once
prepared to do that noble memory honor. Upon the day of his burial Chicago,
fitly clad, will march with reverent step and mourning mien in the solemn
funeral train of the Nation's weeping sisterhood of cities.

" VVith the stars and stripes at half-mast Chicago turned to other proper
modes of exhibiting her understanding of the day and her common sorrow in
the country's loss. From window to window, here and there along a busines?
front, interwoven streamers of black and white were extended. This work is
but begun ; the city will be draped before the dawn of the conqueror's burial-
day. With artful hand, but with all suitable decorum, more than one great
shop-window will be founu ll.is morning transformed — a fit, though sombre
transformation that every house-holder iu his degree will do well to accom-
plish.

" The people mourn to-day — tiie people, all the people. The merchant may
be of but moderate means who keeps a store on West Van Huren, Madison,
and Randolph Streets, for instance, but he is not too poor, nor is his citizenship
so humble, that he does not associate the dead Grant with the living Union,
and place in token thereof some bit of mourning about his window and his
door. A piece of crape here, a streamer of black muslin there ; a flag with
colors tempered by the black drapings o'er its folds, and belore many hours
Chicago is a city of sorrow in aspect as truly she is a city of sorrow in heart.
There can be little ostentation in the symbolism of grief; therefore let no man,
however penniless and obscure, suppress all exhibition of his honest mourning
bec.iuse his flag is not silken and his crape but seedy. Ulysses S. Grant was
a plain man and his origin humble. He fought for the humble as well as the
great :

' What cause withholds you now to mourn for him ?'

" Official and municipal recognition, more or less, of the death of General
Grant, was made yesterday, and will doubtless be continued by organization
after organization until the merest youth, the proudest citizen, and the loneliest
veteran will, with quaver of voice, say ' aye ' when the voices of his fellows
are raised to indorse one universal tribute to the patriot, soldier and statesmar
of the people. The trains that bear their daily burdens to and from the city
will wear their mourning, as will many a vessel of the lakes. Along the
princely avenues and in alleys where the stoiy of his life is but slowly gleaned
from the daily press, men, women, and children will talk of Grant and forth-
with teach him, too. Across many a page of various lore there \. ill come faint
tracings of the ' turned rule,' and the reader's eye, accustomed to the mourn-
ing newspaper sheet, will seem to see those lines of black around pages where
the name of Grant will ne'ej- be found. But men, nevertheless, will put him
there ; and, as they read of stout hearts and sound heads ; of brains to devise
and will to execute ; of soldiers magnanimous in peace, but in onslaught resist-
less, they will see the name of another hero glow upon the page — that other
hero, greater than all his kind, the Nation's hero. Grant."

Action of the City Councils of Chicago in reference to the

death of General Grant :

" The City Council held a special meeting yesterday afternoon to take action
on the death of General Grant. Mayor Harrison presided. After the call for
the meeting had been read, the Mayor said that for several hours the atmos-
phere had been heavy and the clouds lowering. We had known for hours that
thunder might at any moment be heard and the lightning flash. Yet if a flash
came we would be startled as if it were entirely unexpected. Fcr weeks
America's hero had been on a bed of sickness, and yet we are startled by the
lightning which flashed forth the news of his end. When the bells tolled in

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646

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the morning there was a feeling of pain, of awe — aye, a shock that came to
all, every man, woman and child in the nation,

" The Mayor therefore felt it his duty to take such action as might be proper
General Grant occupied a position unique in this country. His was a figure
standing out boldly as none other stood during this century, and as no other
would stand out for centuries to come. Called from the lowly walks of life
he went out to battle for his country, and it was under his leadership that the
war of the rebellion happily terminated for the Union. Called to the I'resi-
dency, he served his country there eight years. When he laid down his official
rjbes he was welcomed in every land in the broad circle of the globe, and
treated with honors vouchsafed only to emperors. And now, when he has
been called from life, he is honored more as the representative of that sentiment
given at Appomattox, that the American people are one in heart and sympathy,
than as the successful General and ex-President. During the months of pain all
mankind had stood at his bedside, and the world's sympathy had been with him.

" There was no man or woman who had not forgotten in these hours all the
asperities of politics. Whether Southerner who fought for a lost cause or
Northerner who fought to preserve the Union, all mourn with the same depth
of grief his demise. His example in the last few months had done more than
all else to bury in one eternal doom the strife and bitterness of the past. It
was right that the city should take action. The nation mourned, and the nation
would be anxious to tread in silence at his funeral.

" The Mayor then suggested that some ceremony be adopted, to be held the
day of the funeral, such as was witnessed when President Garfield was laid to rest.

" Alderman Ryan offered the following resolution :

" Whereas, This Council has heard with profound and solemn regret of the
death of U. S. Grant, late commander of the American armies and President
of these United States, therefore,

" Resolved, That, as the death of General Grant is a calan)ity affecting the
entire nation, and is so regarded by the people of Chicago, the Mayor is hereby
authorized to take such stc|>s in behalf of the city on this occasion as may
seem fitting and appropriate.

" Alderman Shorey followed, feeling sure that the Council would respond as
one man to the sentiments of the Mayor, For a quarter of a century General
Grant, by his grand achievements, had attracted the attention and regard of
the world. He was an honor to his country and to the human race. He had
added one more name to the select few who were inscribed upon the nation's
roll of immortals. America had, indeed, acted her part well during the last
one hundred years, but he thought that it would be the unanimous voice that
among our distinguished men there was none, and would be none in the future,
whose name would be held in greater reverence than the hero whose demise
we were now called upon to mourn. Illinois had reason to be proud as well as
sad. When impartial history was written the name of Grant would be asso-
ciated with the immortal name of Lincoln. These two names added lustre of
which any State or nation might well be proud. During the most mature years
of his life General Grant lived amid the fiercest contention, civic as well as
military. As the Mayor had said, now that death has come, there were none
who cared to renew the asperities which attended those contentions. There
was not one who would not gladly, though sadly, bring laurel to put on the
grave of the dead hero.

Mayor Harrison sent the following telegram of sympathy to

Mrs. Grant: Chicago, July 23.

Mrs. Grant, Mt. McGregor, N. Y. — Madam : In the name of the city of
Chicago and on behalf of its municipal government and people, I tender to
you and to your children profound and most heartfelt sympathy.

NATIONAL MOURNING FOR GENERAL GRANT.

647

lock that came to

Yesterday General Grant, the honored citizen of Illinois, was your loving
husband and long-tried friend ; to-day his name and memory are cherished
by the American people. Carter H. Harrison, Mayor.

The news of Grant's death was received with sorrow at the
Board of Trade of Chicago. President Blake called the members
of the Board to ordc. on the floor, and said :

"Gentlemen of the Board : I address you as men, business men, practical
men, strong men, and yet as men who feel that there are times when grief is
not unmanly, when it is not unmanly to sorrow. ' Leaves have their time to
fall and flowers to wither at the north wind's wrath, and stars to set, but thou
hast all seasons for thine own, O Death.'

" Death must come to all alike ; rank or station or position cannot avert it ;
love cannot protect it; wealth cannot purchase immunity; it is God's ten-
dcrest way to speak to those left behind. He speaks to individuals and to
families, to communities and to States, to nations and to the world. He comes
in the person of his messenger, and He calls to a world to-day, ' Be still and
know that I am God.' Sympathy for that silent sufferer has gone up to him in
his chamber of agony, and now that he has passed away we can only bring our
united offerings of tribute to his greatness, to his memory."

Mr. Blake then offered the following resolutions :

Whereas, God, in His all-wise though inscrutable providence, has removed
by death our rightly honored and worthily distinguished soldier-citizen. General
and ex-President U. S. Grant, the Board of Trade of Chicago does hereby

Resolve, That it is with the deepest regret and keenest sorrow we learn of
this Nation's bereavement and loss in the death of him who has filled so large
a place in our history.

Resolved, That with pride we remember the nation's recognition of his worth
in calling him from the humblest walks of life, up to elevation after elevation,
till it placed him in the proudest position on earth, which he filled, as he did
every other, with modest ability, and we recall with great pleasure the glowing
tribute paid to his greatness and glory by the kingdoms of the entire world, as
they honored themselves in honoring him as their guest.

Resolved, That in the death of General Grant there has passed away a noble,
unflinching soldier, who achieved a glorious record for himself, while he
rendered invaluable service to his country in time of her great peril, and with
the rest of the stricken Nation and mourning world we join in offering our
tribute to his memory, and we extend to his afflicted family our tenderest sym-
pathy in this their time of grief and sorrow.

On hearing the university bell at Evanston 111., toll for the death
of General Grant, Miss Frances E. Willard, President of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the United States, com-
posed the following poem, entitled, " Grant is Dead :"

Toll bells from every steeple,
Tell the sorrow of the people,
Moan sullen guns and sigh
For the greatest who could die.

Grant is dead.

Never so firm were set those moveless lips as now,

Never so dauntless shone that massive brow.

The " Silent Man" has passed into the silent tomb.

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648 LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Ring out our grief, sweet bell,

The people's sorrow tell

For the greatest who could die.

Grant is dead.

" Let us have peace,"
Great heart that peace has come to thee.
Thy sword for freedom wrought,
And now thy sword is free,

While a rescued Nation stands , s.

' Mourning its fallen Chief.

The Southern with the Northern lands

Akin in honest grief,

The hands of black and whits

Shall clasp above thy grave.

Children of the Republic all.

No master and no slave.

Almost " all summer on this line '*

Thou steadily didst fight it out.

But death, the silent,

Matched at last our silent Chief,

And put to rout his brave defense.

Moan sullen guns and sigh

For the bravest who could die.

Grant is dead.

The huge world holds to-day
No fame so great, so wide,
As his whose steady eyes grew dim
On Mount McGregor's side

Only an hour ago, and yet the whole great world has learned
That Grant has died.

Oh heart of Christ ! what joy

Brings earth's new brotherhood : i

All lands as one,

Buckner, Grant's bed beside.

The priest and Protestant in converse kind ;

Prayers from all hearts, and Grant

Praying we " all might meet in better worlds,"

Toll bells from every steeple,

Tell the sorrow of the people.

So true in life, so calm and atrong,

Bravest of all. in death, suffering so long,

And without one complaint !

Moan sullen guns and sigh

For the greatest who could die.

Salute the Nation's head,

Our Grant is dead.

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CHAPTER XXIV.

TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

The press of the country had warm words of grief and respect
for General Grant.
The Constitution, of Atlanta, Ga., said :

" With the clearing cf the early mists, yesterday morning, which hovered over
Mt. McGregor, passed away the soul of General Grant, the most distin*
guished of living Americans — the general commanding the victorious armies of
his country, and twice President of the Republic. Washington, alone of all
men in our history, has equalled him in honors. General Grant was a great
commander. The operations of war, in which he was the leading figure of the
Union armies, were colossal. Its expenses to his government were over
54,000,000 per day. In the siege of Richmond he lost 70,000 men, and in a
single charge saw 3,000 men struck down.

" As a statesman he was honest, but without the larger wisdom of humanity or
statecraft Sincere, but credulous ; sphinx-like to the world, but easy to his
courtiers ; stubborn where he should have listened anxiously, and facile where
he should have been stubborn. In business he was weaker than in politics.
In both it must be said that his personal record was clean, and that he came
stainless, as to his own character, from contact with thieves and plotters. It is
as a great soldier, brave, simple, generous and victorious, that he will be best
remembered. It is as a soldier, even though his sword struck down her
cause, that ihe South loves to remember him. As the conqueror of Lee, refus-
ing to take the sword of that great leader, whose heart broke when he surren-
dered his arms ; as the thoughtful victor feeding the starving enemies from his
own wagons; as the high-minded man of honor, demanding the integrity of his
parole at the hands of a vindictive Secretary of War; as a dauntless man, stand-
ing alone, but determined, between the helpless South and the angry North,
he held, as he deserved, in all his trials, the deepest and fullest sympathy of
our people. He died as he had lived — brave, silent, uncomplaining. He
fought against death with manful strength, and when he was overpowered,
bowed his head without a word. When his life went out, a great name passed
into history, and a great heart was stilled forever.''

The Advertiser, of Montgomery, Alabama, expressed its sym-
pathy in the following article :

"A splendid sun has set, its light is out, and its dark places have followed
its bright ones below the trees and hills. It went down lingeringly, as if in
pain with parting from the scenes it lighted with more of majesty in its
gathering gloom than its ni>on had ever known. Those on whose downfall the
temple of his fame was buildcd will sow no thorns on his grave.

"Whatever were his faults, his errors and his failures, but yesterday he stood
in the eyes of all the world the foremost figure of the Western Continent. His
career was finished long years before he died, and when, nine months ago, the
wings of Death's angel blew a breath against his cheek to warn of his coming
doom, he was already an old man, around whose darkened life had gathered
the sympathy and pity of all men. Looking at the life and character of
General Gmnt from the broadest national standpoint, it is true to say that no
man since Washington has better illustrated the genius of American institu-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

tions or the temper of Americans as a people. The close of his military career
was in a generous treatment of his fallen foe that sent a thrill of grateful recog-
nition through the heart of the South. His conduct toward General Lee and
the Southern army at Appomattox, and his firm stand in defense of their rights
as prisoners, and his own honor as a soldier, will always be a model fur the
action of other victorious leaders, and is a green leaf that hides many a shadow-
on his subsequent career. But amid it all, no personal prostitution of his place
for money has ever been traced to his door. He never shirked a responsi-
bility, never deserted a friend; was an honest soldier, and made no war on
women."

The Courier, of Charleston, S. C, said :

" Happy he was, in one sense, in the time of his death. Had his life ended
but a few years ago, the mourning for the great leader would have been more
or less sectional in its manifestation. Dying as he now dies, the grief is as
widespread as the Union, and the sorrow is as national as his fame. Only
a little while ago General Grant belonge 1 to the victorious North. In his last
days he was .the foremost citizen of these United States, of North and South
alike.

" It was as General of the armies of the United States that General Grant was
held in most joyous and honorable remembrance by the North. And by the
act of North and South alike he died as General of the armies of the United
States. By this act the whole distance between 1865 and 1885 was bridged
over. The North had no thought save of the man of Appomattox, and the
South had no thought save of him who told the worn and ragged Confederate
soldiers of Lee's armies thiat they must take their horses home with them, as
they would need them for the spring sowing, and who threw his soldierly
honor into the scale when Andrew Johnson was hesitating whether he should,
by arresting General R. E. Lee, violate the terms of the Confederate surrender
and the sanctity of the parole. There is so much in General Grant's career
that is pleasant to remember, why should any one seek further his frailties to
disclose ? Long ago, in a message to the people of the United States, he used
words which seemed a mockery. There was then a peace which was worse
than war ; but peace has come throu.:jhout the land — peace in the North and
peace in the South. The country is one again in heart and thought and hope.
The great soldier, who laid in blood the foundations of this second and more
enduring Union, is now at rest."

The following editorials are from the Chicago Intcr-Occan :

" The most remarkal)le cirecr in American annals ha-* ended. In the broad
aspect of human affairs, in the measure of a public fame almost universal with
the races of men, history affords no parallel to the life and experience of
Ulysses S. Grant,' and presents no more momentous lesson in the character ot
true greatness. Through the profound sorrow of the nation, that will touch
millions of hearts as a personal grief, through the reverent sympathies of sister
tiations that will to-day drape about them the outward signs of mourning, tht ;
will be seen the clear radiance of this long, varied and extraordinary career,
tempering the affliction of mortal loss with the consolation of perpetual re-
nown. It is only in the shadow of death that we can fairly estimate the mag-
nitude and force of influence of such a life upon the world, for only then are
deeds viewed independently of the man ; only then are the jealousies that
make human nature envious of justice put aside; only then are the honors
and triumphs which ri<^alry diminished freely acknowledged and fully ac-
corded.

" Character rises above personality when material environments are with-

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TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

651

drawn, and in proportion as that personality was distinguished above the
ordinary in life will character be allowed eminence in the sublime esteem of
men. In this regard of General Grant, whose demise is hardly death, the
world sees a personal purity that mistakes could never affect, a moral excel-
lence that never suffered blemish and a spiritual force that lifted him from liie
obscurity of stern poverty and narrow circumstance to the brilliant sphere of
unshared admiration, a cynosure of the world.

"The lesson of Grant's life is an inspiration, not a reproach. From the tan-
yard to the Presidency it bears no blot that is not the smirch of partisan
malice ; from private toil to public state it shows no flaw that does not betray
the talons of envious detraction. Grant was not only great by achievement,
but he was equally great within himself, since the world affords no better ex-
ample of perfect self-mastery, a power t(> receive without assurance the hi_s,rhost
honors of his country, and to accept without ostentation the homage of the
world.

"At various times within the fateful quarter of a century rounded into an
epoch by his death. Grant held within his grasp, subject to the operation of
his single will, the destinies of this country, of which he was peculiarly rep-
resentative. A lesser man would have made greater profit from the oppor-
tunities. A man less strong within himself might have turned the victorious
patriots into a legion of personal adherents ; 'for (irant came from the murky
night of battle the peace-bearing demi-god of the Western world, and adula-
tion swelled to adoration as he marched his armies home.

" Cromwell righted the wrongs of England to carve for himself a protectorate
of imperial tyranny ; Grant was most the patriot when most in power. The
man was ever greater than the temptation, and there is no purer lustre in the
immortal crown of brilliant deeds tliat will grace the image of his fame than
the rare quality that sustained the balance of his character, reverence of uni-
versal justice.

" That Grant was misunderstood in much of hi.s life is true, and that he
suffered not a little through misconception is likely. Conscious of the fact
that his course was one of unf.iltering integrity, aware of the folly of
trying to correct the speech of deliberate deprecation and malicious slander,
and believing firmly in the ultimate tri'.imph of truth, he maintained a silence
that was never broken through twenty-five perplexing years with an offer of
self-defense or personal justification. The people have been his advocates.
The people have guarded with jealous zeal the sacred trust reposed in them.
And from the people he inspired to the last the sweet breath of a devotion that
had in it all the tenderness of affection, all the fondness of love.

"Throughout the land to-day tears flow from eyes that have looked hardily
and fearlessly into the deadly flame of fire belched from batteries and ranks
of hostile foes, with memories floating before them of who it was cheered on
the victorious charge ; and these veterans of the Northern armies will feel
more pain at heart in loss of the Old Commander than stirred them when shot
and shell swept from their sides some close, near tie of blood. These surviv-
ing soldiers will express what the entire Nation must feel — a profound grief—
not merely for a great man gone, but for the death of one who embraced in
his life the elements that make greatness dear to the common people, great-
ness with humanity, greatness with humility, greatness with manhood.

"It was a greatness of that quality which maintained the respect of those
who suffered to give it distinctness. In the heart of the South, that knew the
smart of his chastening. Grant has died no more than in the reverence of the
North, His character lives in the esteem of the Nation— a character that
sprung into strength and fullness from the obstructions of lowly life, bearing
with it an ever-abiding sympathy with lowly condition. The man who was
great enough to stand admired in the presence of kings and potentates, re-

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652

LIFE OF ULVSSES S. GliAST.

reiving the homage of nations that knew him alone in his glory, was also
great enough to hold and cherish the love of the common people, frorti whon
he came. Great as a soldier, great us a statesman, great in heart, great in
mind and great in character, Grant lived a noble career possible alone with an
American."

" The hand trembles that writes ' General Grant is dead.' When I.inrohi
fell the hearts of loyal men stood still, then turned in their extremity to
the man of Appomattox. The North and South stand together at the
grave of Grant and own a kindred sorrow for the man who, more than any
other, represented the dignity, the force and the magnanimity of the Lnion
cause.

" it is because the career of Grant so well illustrates the possibilities of
American hfe ; it is because he entered upon that career without fortune or in-
fluence, and with circumstances against him ; it is because he had ncitiicr ini-
Eressive presence no.' smooth tongue nor taking ways ; it is because he foii}.'ht
is way in silence to oe the foremost man of the age that Americans have
grown, independent of prejudices and opinions, to have a commonalty of in-
terest in him.

" The traditions of Appomatox quicken the heart-beats of Unionists and
Confederates. To speak of Grant in tiie last twenty years has been to speak
of the greatest military^ success of the century crowned by a soldierly magna-
nimity that wrung admiration from the fiercest of foes.

" This was the turning of the tide, the mingling of the waves of popular
sentiment, that have come in at the flood in the weeks of anxiety which now
give place to a common sorrow.

" There was never any make-believe about Grant. There is no make-
believe about the sorrow felt by 60,000,000 of people. He has been constantly
before the people for twenty-five years. Children have grown up with his
name on their lips, his character in mind. Men hnve grown gray in a kindly
watch over the incidents. of his every-day life. The Nation has grown stronj;
of heart and more considerate while holding him at arm's length always in
view.

" In this twenty-five years of conspicuous prominence General Grant was
studied as never was man before him. Enemies and admirers, beginning n'
opposite extremes of motive, came out in steady line at a common point of
agreement. He was a new type. He was the man of the people, wL
answered ' here ' and no more when the people called for something or soiiu'
one willing and ready to close with the exigencies of great crises. He volun
teered without protestations, accomplished without bluster and contemplated
results without boasting.

" These exceptional qualities invited study. The study invited analysis and
comparison, and now the people of his own country, of the civilized world, are
ready with their verdict. The standard may have been fixed when the loyal
people of the country were in the red glow of a supreme enthusiasm, but the
Southerners of this day will not alter a figure. Grant lived to the last fully up
to the line where he was placed by a people that idolized him And the
tender, simple and profound sorrow of this hour is that of a Nation that has
learned the full value of his work, and has arrived at a just appreciation ot the
character of the man, the soldier, the statesman, U. S. Grant.

" One of the most remarkable characteristics of General Grant was his utter
abhorrence of cruelty and of war for its own sake, or for the mere gratification
of ambition.

" The historical figures whom he most detested were Robespierre and Na-
poleon. It was not that he had studied the French revolution with any degree
of closeness, and saw in the horrors of the reign of terror and the wars of the
first empire the perversion and finally the subversion of what was originally

I'i; ' A ': :l '■ '^

is glory, was aho
2ople, Ironi whom
: in heart, great in
iible alone with an

.' ^Vhcn l.inroln
their extremity to
lid together at the
ho, more than any
imity of the Union

the possibilities ot
thout fortune or in-
he had ncitlier ini-
i because he fought
at Americans have

commonalty of in-

s of Unionists and
has been to speak
r a soldierly magna-

le waves of popular
anxiety which now

There is no make-
; has been constantly
grown up with his
kvn gray in a kindly
)n has grown slroni;
k's length always in

General Grant was
mirers, beginning n'
a common point of
of the people, wl.
soinetlung or somo
U crises. He volun-
r and contemplated

invited analysis and
le civilized world, are
xcd when the loyal
enthusiasm, but the
>d to the last fully up
ized him And the
of a Nation that has
St appreciation ot the

ant.^'

\ Grant was his utter

;he mere gratification

lobespierre and Na-
ition with any degree
and the wars of ttie
what was originally

TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

653

the grandest uprising in history ; hut his whole soul recoiled at the guillotine
and at the miseries of wholesale carnage. The city of Paris ran blood, and
for what ? to appease the thirst of a monster; the continent was wrapped in the
flames of war, and for what ? to gratify one man's lust of power and fame.
Such was the view General (irant took of those two men and their careers, and
he did not hesitate while in Paris, on his tour of the world, to testify to his de-
testation of them. He sought no public opportunity for so doing, only refusing
to visit the tomb of Napoleon, and in other quiet but significant ways register-
ing his opinions.

" This appreciation of the sacredness of human life was all the more re-
markable from the fact that when it came to military operations (ieneral
Grant never showed the slightest hesitancy on that score. Whatever the
situation seemed to him to demand he did without being checked by the
probable loss of life involved. In practical opera. ions he accepted the logic
of war in all its sequences. As in mechanics all forces, whether human, brute
or inanimate, are merely so miny horse-power, so in actual war General
Grant seemed to class indistinguishably men and armament as so much am-
raunition.

" When history comes to pa-s upon the nineteenth century, all contemporary
prejudices cold and forgotten, it will undoubtedly credit it with two great
soldiers, warriors worthy of immortality (or their military genius. Napoleon
and Grant. England might insist upon a place for Wellington, but he is not
to be named with either of the other two. He did, indeed, conquer the con-
queror, but that was only because the Nar»oleonic wars had depleted France
and united against it all Europe, and thus the Corsican's candle burnt at both
ends, and the Grand Duke chanced to ho'd the snuffers just in time to snip
the wick as the flame was in its last flicker. Napoleon's fame as a warrior was
without modern companionship until the exigencies of our war for the Union
developed the latent faculties of the soldier who has so recently gone to his
rest.

" But these supreme names stand more in contrast than in comparison.
Thoy are, indeed, on the same pedestal, but they face in opposite directions,
marking ideas of war which are in the sharpest conceivable contrast.

"Napoleon belongs to the same era as Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Omar,
Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and all that class of military leaders
who differed from bandit chiefs in the magnitude rather than the character of
their operations. A native of an island which never felt the breath of pro-
gress, the home of the vendetta. Napoleon belonged to the old regime, when
war for its own sake and for conquest was wagcel as a matter of course by the
strong a^fainst the weak. To all that immemorial era of unjustifiable carnage
he could at least say, ' part of which I am.'' It is certainly to be hoped that
his fame marks the end of that age.

" ,\fter the lapse of half a century, during which no really important war
was waged, nor any genius displayed, the mighty conflict opened in this
country which had as its underlying issue continental and perpetual peace. If
'he Union had been broken up, America, like Europe, would have been divided
into nations jealous of each other and often at war with each other. The sup-
pression of the rebellion was the most important peace measure conceivable.
It was the maintenance of civil institutions as a substitute for standing armies
and the arbitrament of gunpowder. General Grant was promoted to the
leadership solely for his military genius, but it was according to the especial
fitness of things that the hero of a war which meant above all else peace
should have been in his character and tastes pre-eminently pacific. He knew
the science of war, but it was with the object in view, rather than the means
necessarily employed, that he was en rapport, and in this, it may be added, he
was specially fitted to learn the Union army, made up as it w.as of soldiers

i 1,'.

654

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

who fought for principle and not from any love of fighting. Whntcvcr're-
lapses into the barbarism of old-fashioned war the world may yet sutfer, the
example set by the United States and its supreme military hero will nut be
forgotten ; nor can it cease to be a wholesome influence among the nations
protesting perpetually against any and all wars not absolutely demundcd by
the public good."

The Toronto Globe said : " He has filled a large space in the historv of
his country, and as the dust of current controversy settles down and the
mist of contemporary prejudice clears away, he will, we believe, be univer-
sally recognized, as one of her chief wortliies, one who had a great \vorI<
to do, and who, upon the whole, did it in a manful, honest and honorablo
fashion."

The New York Graphic said: "The qualities which made Ulysses S.Grant
a conspicuous and striking figure in the history of the United States never shone
with greater lu>-tre than during the lingering months when the hand of death
was pressing painfully upon him. Crippled in fortune and disabled by ac-
cident, the tidings came to him that his days were numbered by reason of an
insidious and enfeebling disease. Where most men would have given way to
despair, his spirit nerved and strengthened both intellect and body to sustained
effort, and he lived to finish his book and feel assured that those dependent
upon him would not be unprovided for. This struggle proved, more than any
battle he ever fought, the sterling mettle that was in the man. Peace to his
ashes ! In his entire career, filled with splendid services and distinctions as it
has been, there is nothing more noble or inspiring than the uncomplaining
gentleness and calmness with which he bore the painful probation leading to
his death."

The iVfw York 7r/f;ijr.t;« said : "Whollv free from ostentation, and even
from apparent consciousness o his exaltecl dignity as Commander-in-Chief of
the armies of the United States in presence of the enemy, unflinching as steel
in the performance of his military duty, though the grief of a pcopl rested
upon his shoulders, and as clearsighted as the eagle in his perception of this duty,
General Grant was as thoughtless of his own material advantage as was the su-
preme commander through the other great convulsion in our American history.
Outside of his military duty the famous General was tender-hearted as a
woman — too confiding, perhaps, in human virtue, which was sometimes absent
where he looked to find it. Day by day, during many months, touched with
emotion by the sufferings of the old hero, borne so patiently, men's minds have
recalled, especially among his whilom Southern foes, affecting instances of his
personal kindness to the vanquished, to non-combatants, to children and to
common soldiers of his own armies."'

The Brooklyn Union said : " The career of General Grant has been marked
by more vivid contrasts than that of perhaps any other American. His credit-
able service in the Mexican War was followed by a period of such dense ob-
scurity that there seemed no more chance of a future for him than for any
other plain worker in a tannery. The outbreak of the rebellion brought him
his opportunity, and within a brief space he had not only been hailed as the
saviour of the nation, but also recognized as one of the greatest generals of
history. The Presidency for eight years came to him without a struggle, and
later his trip around the world as the honored guest of all its chief rulers placed
him at the pinnacle of fame. From this dizzy height he was within a short
period dragged down to the humiliation of poverty through a business failure
which was rendered especially hard to bear by the discovery that he had been
innocently employed as a stool pigeon by a conscienceless swindler whom he
believed to be a faithful friend."

TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

655

ig. Whatpvcr'rc-
may yet siitter, the
r hero will not be
nong the riiiiions,
lely demanded by

in the history of
ties down and the
believe, be univcr-
had a great work
est and honorable

de Ulyss<;s S.Grant
I States never shone
;he hand of death
1 disabled l)y ac-
id by reason of an
I have given way to
id body to sustained
it those dejiendent
ved, more than any
lan. Peace to his
nd distinctions as it
the uncomplaining
■obation Icadin;,' to

[cntation, and even

mander-in-Chiefof

inflinching as steel

of a pcopl' rested

rception of this duty,

ntage as was the su-

ir American history.

nder-hearted as a

IS sometimes absent

)nths, touched with

.men's minds have

ting instances of his

to children and to

nt has been marked

lerican. His credit-

of such dense ob-

him than for any

ellion brought him

)een hailed as the

•eatest generals of

out a struggle, and

ts chief rulers placed

was within a short

_jh a business failure

ry that he had been

swindler whom he

The Brooklyn Eai^le said : " General Grant is dead, and one more figure of
heroic mould stands in the pantheon of American liberty. The patient, puri-
fied and dauntless spirit that vanished from the sight of man this morning will
henceforth live impcrishably in tiie memory of the Republic. Like gold from
the furnace of the refiner, the character of our greatest soldier emerges from
the crucible of diseasf: cleansed from every infirmity and fitted to circulate as ster-
ling coin in the moral exclanges of the world. To describe the event as a public
calamity, or invite the American people to bow down in sorrow, would be to use
the language of thoghtless conventionalism. In the presence ofa career dazzling
with splendid achievements, brought to a close under every circumstance that
could elevate the heart, allay the animosities and sweeten the sympathies of
mankind, there issmall room for lamentation, When the promise of youth is
nip|)cd in the bud, when genius is smitten to the dust in the press and middle
of lofty adventures, when the pillar of a people's hopes falls in the very hour
when its sustaining strength can least be spared, grief may well appear. Hut
no promise of dawning life has perished unfulfilled in the case of Ulysses S.
Grant; what he was born to do has been fully accomplished, and every hope
that rested upon his sword in days gone by is now an invincible guardian of
the land."

The Philadelphia Times said: " In all the more than century of American
greatness no man has more impressed his individuality upon the country and
the world than has General Grant. Washington was wiser than Grant ; Jef-
ferson was vastly abler and more philosophical : Jackson was more despotic and
yet more the man of sei.timent; Lincoln was more sagacious, more patient
and more tolerant, and Garfield was more scholarly and broader in statesman-
ship ; but no one man of cur history so distinctively emphasized his indi-
viduality in war and in peace, in the field and in statesmanship, as did
General Grant. He had none of the ornate characteristics of Clay ; none of
the ostentation of Scott; none of the impetuous qualities of Sherman. What
he was, he was of himself and by himself, a self-creation whose history puzzles
the reckoning of the world and makes romance pale before it. The thought-
less would scan the surface of his record from the multiplied ill-fortune of
early life to the highest stepping in the round of fame, and call it accident;
but accidents build no such structures of imperishable renown."

The Philadelphia Press said: "The nation's loss is not measured by the
vacant place. For nearly a decade Grant had been only a private citizen ; he
wielded no sceptre of authority ; he exercised no sway in the public councils;
but he was none the less one of the great reserve forces of the republic. He
was everywhere felt, not merely by what he had done, but by what he was.
Gladstone has laid down the reins of government ; Bismarck has practically
completed his colossal work; but all men know that England bereft of the one
or Germany deprived of the other would lose an element of moral power. So
Grant belonged to the order of kingly men, and his impress on mankind will
be emphasized, as all nations look to America to-day and feel that a pillar of
strength has fallen. Great men, said Burke, are the guide-posts and land-
marks of the state ; and Grant was the guide-post of a victorious war and a
landmark of a magnanimous peace. The American people themselves will
judge him now, after the calm evening and the serene repose of retirement,
more Justly than in the stress and storm of struggle."

The Boston Transcript said : " His generous and confiding nature was sucii
that even his mistakes, public and private, added to the universal respect now
accorded to his character. His habit of stoutly clinging to friends who abused
the opportunities they obtained through his exalted position is seen to have
been a rooted element of his nature which found its truest illustration in the
fidelity and singleness of purpose he brought to the service of his country in

, /

III

1 1.

-.1 '

i\:.

656

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

the crisis of its fnte. This grim, imperturbable man, of Cromwellian will and
Scotch ancestry, was a soldier in every fibre of his being. He was born fur
the camp and the battlf-rteld. If the cannon's roar did not serve to clear Ins
intellect, as was snid of one of Napoleon's famous marshals, it hardL-ned his
determination never to acknowledge defeat. When others believed iiiiiiort.int
battles lost he had just begun the serious work committed to his hand. He
w.-is slandered in the heat of the conflict by being stigmatized .as merely a do).'.
ged fighter — a reckless sacrificer of iiuman life — when no one welcomed the
close of hostilities that stopped the further efl'usion of blood with greater joy
and gratitude than did (leneral Grant."

The J\g7v Hiwen Pa/Ziu/ium said : " General Grant was great In every way.
He was not only a great soldier, but a great man. The qualities of mind with
which nature endowed him, I nked with a moral heroism equal to any emer-
gency — and never more strikingly illustr.ited than during the past few months
of terrible suffering — made him easily a leader of men and a master of aif.iirs.
As a soldier, patriot, statesman, citizen, he stands as the peer, if not the su-
perior, of any man of his day and genenition. Self-controlled, self-centred,
modest, brave, he was God's best gift to the Republic in her hour of direst need.
His record as a so'dier, as President, as a private citizen, taken as a whule,
is as clear and clean as that of any American who ever held the s.ime exalted
position. As a man he was faithful in friendship, unt.irnished in honor, kind
m feeling and generous and nolde in impulse. It has been said of him that he
never violated a confidence or betrayed a ciuse committed to his ki.eping.
Whatever mistakes he may have made lay at the door of his good qualities."

The Albany Express said : " It is a blessed and comforting reflection to
know that North and South, his political friends and foes, everywhere in the
land, have been drawing closer and closer in friendliness for the beloved of
the n<ition. He has conquered calumny. He has restored our faith in human
nature, by proving that the hearts of his enemies could be won ; enemies no
longer, but brothers in this common bond of love and grief which fills our
hearts to-day." •

The Portland Press, of Maine, said : " As the name of Washington instinc-
tively recalls the heroic struggle which made us a nation, so the name of
Grant will ever recall, not the many and important events of his civil adminis-
trations, fraught with deep moment to the nation though they were, but
the battles and sieges of that great struggle ending at Appomattox, which
preserved the Union, abolished slavery and made America in truth, as well as
name, the land of the free. Coupled with admiration for his military genius
will be admiral un for his patriotism and his unselfish devotion to his country.
Napoleon unsheathed the sword to gratify the lon'^ings of ambition. Personal
aggrandizement, the lust of power, were the mainsprings of the Corsican's
brilliant campaigns. The world admires his military genius, but it detests
the motives that kept it in action. But General Grant consecrated his genius
to the service of the nation, and from the day that he unsheathed his sword
until he returned it to its scabbard it was for his country that he planned .ind
fought and endured. Rarely, indeed, has the world beheld a commander
endowed with genius so brilliant as his ; but far more rarely has it held one so
gifted and yet so free from moral blemish. He was one of the vcrv few cap-
tains of ancient or modern times of whom it can be truthfully said that he
fought simply to maintain the supremacy of law and break down injustice."

The Detroit Post, of Michigan, said : " Only his greatness is immortal, <ind
win still live to influence the destiny and character of the nation he served and
loved. Whatever of animosities or differences may have marked his career
will now all be put away, and his memory will become the common herita;,'e
and pride of the whole American people, who will remember him everywhere

! ,1 . . :

TKIBUIES OF THE FkliSS.

657

•eat, in every way.
lilies of iniiul with
ual to any cincr-
I past few moiulis
I master of aCf.iirs.
:er, if not tlie sii-
led, self-cciUictl,
lour of direst need.
aken as a whole,
the same exalted
ed in honor, kind
said of him Uiat he
1 to his keeping,
i good (jualiucs."
»rtinjj reflection to
everywhere in the
for the beloved oi
our faith in human
: won ; enemies no
•ief which fills our

Washington instir.c-
I, so the name ol
f his civil adminis-
Th they were, but
Appomattox, which
in truth, as well ai
lis military !,'eniiis
tion to his country,
mbition. Personal
i of the Corsican'i
enius, but it detests
isecrated his genius
sheathed his sword
at he planned and
leld a commander
f has it held one so
if the verv few cap-
thfully said that he
down injustice."
ss is immortal, and
ation he served and
marked his career
le common heritajje
her him everywhere

>nly as ' one of the simple great ones gone,' whose virtues have helped greatly
((< make us what we are and >.ihall be, and who will forever shine in hihtury
for the admiration and emulation of mankind."

The Ptovitience Joiirnai oi Rhode Island said : " The lingering illness of Gen-
eral (jrant has been a sad tragedy. Lincoln's end was more tragic ; (Jarfield's
taking off was more startling, and had in it much of the same deep pathos.
Both Garfield and Grant excited the tcndcrest sympathy and pity by the heroic
struggle which each made against an inevitable fate. Hut there has been
something peculiarly sad in General (jrant's fight with death ; the disease
itself was so dreadful, the pain so agonizing, the struggle so hopeless from the
beginning, the treachery tnat enveloped the sufferer in utter financial ruin was
so I ruel and heartless. The mind can imagine few more pitiful pictures than
this of a great man silently and patiently bearing bodily pain and mental
agony, and warding off death till he could tell his story to the world and leave
to his children something of that which thieves had robbed him of.''

The Philadelphia Herald said : " Perhaps the most interesting and most
remarkable feature of General (Grant's character was its simplicity ; the com>
plete absence from it of affectation. He never posed. He never studied effects.
He had a plain, straightforward way of saying and doing things. No great
soldier whom this country or any other country has produced was like him in
this respect. None of our Presidents, with the exception of Jackson and Lin-
coin, were so simple and unpretentious.

"It would be impossible, after going over General Grant's life, to find any
act of his marked by grandiloquence or vanity or pride of station. His per-
sonal demeanor was modest and retiring. No matter how great or dramatic
the situation might be in the eyes of the world and of history, it could not
move him to make an undue assertion of himself. Some people used to call
this mere stolidity, but the glimpses which we have all had of his home-life
during the past few months show that this was a mistake, that he was a man
of sensitive feelings, and that what we once supposed was indifference was
simply his wonderful self-command."

The Syracuse Star said : " The American quality which the great commander
displayed in an exalted degree was steadfastness. At Shiloh by that quality
he held his army against the massive charges of Johnston, by that he wore
away the resisting power of the walls of Vicksburg, and by that he sustained
the desperate assaults of Lee in the last campaign before Richmond while he
closed an iron grasp about the struggling rebel chief. The wonderful resolute-
ness of this man entered into most of his sayings which have become renowned,
such as ' I shall fight it out on this line if it takes all summer ; ' ' 1 propose to
move immediately upon your works,' and it is an inseparable element in the
popular conception of his character. Having conceived a plan and fixed his
purpose upon an object, he proceeded with an energy that crumbled all in its
way. He represents to the American mind its cool, persistent heroism, as
Wellington reflects to the English mind a like virtue of its possessing ''

The /?////rt«<^/ //t-nj/df said :" There is one striking lesson in his life which
may be seen plainly now, and that is the supreme value of personal integrity.
This man was given all the honors and power to be had under our goverri-
mcnt ; he stood as the representative of the army of one-half of the country
which conquered the other half in a desperate struggle ; he acted as President
in a trying time, offended powerful men right and left, was attacked in politics
for a dozen years with a bitterness unequaled by anything in recent Americar*
history, and he was very unfortunately involved in a great financial failure at
last; but yet no man ever said that U. S. Grant was not honest. Because of
this— of this uprightness within the four fleshy walls of the man, so <irm and
strong as to command universal recognition — a feeling has been showu toward

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6s8

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

him in his sickness which was very significant and inexpressibly touchiiifj. AH
enmity has disappeared before it in sober fact, and even bitter rebels have
joined heartily in the common expression. It is very rarely that men win such
esteem from their fellows, and perhaps never in the world has one lived to see
it manifested as General Grant saw it."

The Cincinnati Commercial Ga::ctte said : " No man, or at least few men
ever lived who will stand higher in history than the dead soldier, Cienerai
Grant. For him to-day a great nation mourns. This is not assumed cither. It
is real. In life he had antagonisms. He had faults. The perfect man has never
lived. He was often judged unfairly. This is the fate of men who a?c thrown
into an active political life. General Grant is not an exception Washin"-
ton suffered more in this respect than he, Lincoln quite as much, and these are
the three great names that can be properly and equally linked together in the
cause of liberty and civilization, and the difference is so slight, if, indeed, there
is any difference, that it would be hard to tell which was the greatest. Wash-
ington passed inio history as the Father of his Country. Lincoln and Grant
have passed into history as the saviours of the country that Washington led
into exi.stence, and now these three are united."

The Boston Globe, Massachusetts, said : " It was the belief in olden time
that none could see the sacred cup sought by the knights of Arthur's Round
Table save he who had been chastened till perfect purity pervaded his beinfj.
In these days we look not for any stainless man, yet should we search the wide
world through we could not find one whom all men would say had passed
through the fiery furnace of greatness with less harm, had trodden the rough
road of adversity with more grandeur, than this man who has just died. From
the day when he entered Vicksburg, j^ast the day when he refused Lee's sword,
past the day when he laid off the robes of state, past the day when the treachery
of trusted wretches made him a dependent on the charity of others, down to ihe
day which ended the long fight with death, he endured praise and blame,
he passed through shame and glory, with a manliness that made him the first
of men."

The Ne7vark Adiiertiser&aSA: " 'i^ot in this generation will the American
Republic be called to lament the departure of a citizen so distinguished and so
beloved. Some high official may die and plunge into perfunctory mourning
the land over which he has held authority. IJut never again in the lifetniie of
mature men, now standing with throbbing hearts by the grave of Grant, can
the country be so deeply stirred by the departure of an American so eminent
and so firmly fixed in the affectionate respect of his fellow-m^n. The death of
Grant marks an epoch in the history of the United States. A noble and alto-
gether unique figure in our national life has disappeared fr m the haunts of
living men. He on whom his fellow-countrymen depended with an unshaken
confidence in the darkest hours of the Republic is no more. But so lonf; as
patriotism dwe^s among men, so long as marly courage and fixity ir lofty
purpose are respected, so long as valor and mighty service are held in hunor.
Grant's name and fame are secure. His mortal part may be dissolved, but the
nation on whose histoiy he shed so much lustre, and into whose stability he
built his life and labors, remains his enduring monument."

The Richmond Dispatch, of Virginia, said: "There was nothing small
about General Grant, no Punic faith, no perfidious element, no jealousy. His
chivalrous spirit would not permit him to ask Lee or his officers for their
swords or Lee's men for their horses. 'Go in peace,' was the substance of his
treatment of the heroes who surrendered at Appomattox Court-House. His
fidelity to his not assumed, hut presumed or supposed, obligations — his loyalty
to truth and justice —caused him to forbid that General Lee should be avrected
or annoyed by the federal authorities. Even Mosby, whom the Northern

TUIHUTES OF THE PRESS.

6d9

)ly touchinj;;. All
litter rebels have
lat men win such
. one lived to see

it least few men,
soldier, ("lenenil
isumcd cither. It
ct man has never
n who arc thrown
ption. Washin^-
ich, and these are
:d together in the
r, if, indeed, there
greatest. Wash-
incoln and Grant
t Washington led

ief in olden time
af Arthur's Round
crvadcd his being.
wc search the wide
Id say had passed
trodden the rough
IS just died. From
:fused Lee's sword,
when the treachery
)thers, down to ihe
iraise and blame,
made him the first

vill the American
stinguished and so
functory mourning
n in the lifetnne of
•ave of Grant, can
lerican so eminent
. n. The death of
A noble and alto-
r m the haunts of
with an unshaken
. But so long as
and fixity ir lofty
are held in hunor,
. dissolved, but the
whose stability he

las nothing small
no jealousy. His
k officers for their
[le substance of bis
Zourt-House. His
^tions— his loyalty
[should be avrected
Tiom the Northern

people styled a bushwhacker and guerrilla, v/as protected in all his rights by
Grant, and afterwards by him appointed to federal office. When investigation
convinced him that he and the army officers had wronged Kitz-John Porter,
he at once recanted his former belief and addressed himself to the task of
righting the wrong, never for a moment hesitating because General Logan
and nearly all the rest of the Republican Senators were arrayed against him.''

The Richmond IVhis:, of Virginia, said : " It is with sincere sorrow that we
announce the death of General U. S. Grant, wiiich occurred at Mount Mc-
Gregor, N. Y., on the morning of July 23, at eight minutes past eight.

"General Grant has been a sufferer from an incurable disease for several
months past. During his illness no word of complaint has escaped his lips;
resignedly he has borne his great sufferings, and peacefully he {'-issed away,
surrounded by his family.

"As a tribute of respect to the great soldier, patriot and statesman, we place
the columns of the IVkig in mourning."

The Norfolk Landmark, of Virginia, said : " The people of this Republic,
without regard to section or latitude, will lament the death of General (irant,
some account of which is elsewhere published. His end was peculiarly sad
and pathetic. His recent past was shadowed by misfortune, but we are
heartily glad that his disappointments were somewhat assuaged by his restora-
tion to the service of which he was once the most conspicuous ornament.
General Grant was a successful commander, and whatever may be tliought of
his relative rank among military celebrities of the world, he will always have
just credit for certain great qualities which he possessed in a remarkable
degree. He was brave, clear-headed, tenacious and capable of that self-
reliance which is so necessary to success m war, and he was not lacking in
the magnanimous temper which goes with courage."

The Wheeling Register, of West Virginia, said: "The hero and patiiot.
General Grant, after a long and brave struggle, has fought his last battle and
gone to reap his reward. The same indomitable spirit that ever moved him
in the many conflicts of the days gone by remained with him and supported
iiiin till the last. The world has been looking on in breathless silence, and
when all was over wires flashed the sad, but not unexpected, news from ocean
to ocean. The nation mourns the old commander, and in all parts of the
country fitting tributes are offered up to his memory. Sectional strife that once
engendt>red hatred is forgotten, and as the brave, battle-scarred veterans, who
once fought as enemies, inherit the old hero's last work, dedicated ' To the
Sohliers of the American Armies," so will they claim General Grant as all
their own. Though they may hold him as a sacred inheritance, yet he is not
all theirs. The greatness and nobleness of his character and the splendor of
his achievements reach out even beyond his own land and become the heri-
tage of the entire human race. The American people, regardless of party or
section, will ever cherish him as a hero, as a patriot, as a man, and the world
will deservingly do him reverence as one of her greatest and noblest."

The Indianapolis Journal, of Indiana, said: "'There were heroes before
Agamemnon;' so there will be heroes after Grant, but in his day and genera-
tion he had no equal. Stern in war, demanding everything that was neces-
sary to preserve the honor ?.nd dignity of his country, yet his magnanimity to
the conquered surpassed even his valor iii the field. His sole aim was the
honor, the glory and the perpetuity of his country. General Grant is dead.
A united country, T^'orth, South, East and West, mourns at the grave of its
grandest, greatest and yet most merciful soldier."

Va.^ Buffalo Commercial Advertiser iiW,^: "Grant is dead! The last battle
has been tought; he had to surrender; but how glorious has been the struggle!

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

iiiii

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how sublime the submission ! In Grant's life there was everything to appeal
to the ambition and the emulation of the living; in Grant's way of meeting
death there was everything to stimulate the fortitude, the admiration, the
imitation of his fellow-men who, like him, wait for the summons that humanity
must obey."

The news of the death of General Grant created a profound
impression in London. The flags at the American Exchange and
at the American Consulate were placed at half-mast the moment
the news reached the city. Large portraits of the dead hero,
draped in mourning, were placed over the balconies and doors of
both buildings. The whole front of the American Exchange was
also heavily draped.

Mr. Gladstone and Mr. John Bright were both much affected on
receiving a copy of the despatch announcing the death of General
Grant.

United States Minister Phelps, on being handed a copy of the
despatch announcing General Grant's death, expressed the greatest
concern at the sad event. He instantly ordered the building of the
American Legation to be draped in mourning and the flag placed
at half-mast.

A correspondent visited Mr. Gladstone's residence and was
received by Mrs. Gladstone. On making known his errand Mrs.
Gladstone expressed deep sorrow at the death of the cmiucnt
American, and immediately conducted him to Mr. Gladstone's
presence. The great man was writing at a desk in his library.

Mr. Gladstone said: — "I will willingly pay my humble tribute.

Let me write rather than speak it." He then wrote as follows:

" Mr. Gladstone has heard with regret the sad news of General Grant's
death. He ventures to assure the bereaved family of the symprithy iie feels
with them in their affliction at the loss of one who had rendered \:. r^untry
such signal services as a general and a statesman."

Mr. John Bright, in an interview at the Reform Club, .sai ■ ;

" I desire to express my sympathy with the family of General Grant in the
sorrow through which they are passing."

The London Dat'/y News said : " There have been few braver men thnn
Grant. England will sincerely regret his death. It is as a soldier that he will
be remembered. It is on his military services that his fame will rest. After
Lincoln's death Grant was decidedly the most popular man in the United
States. His quarrel with Johnson did not diminish this. He was essentially
a man of action, not of speech. His name will ever be associated with the
great and righteous struggle of which Lincoln was the brain and heart and
Grant the arm and weapon."

The London Daily Telegraph devoted two columns to a review of Grant's
military career. Editorially it said : " Yesterday the greatest and most successful
soldier that the United States has produced breathed his last. In no portion
of the United States have the financial disasters marking the close of < lenenil
Grant's career been regarded with more sympathy and regret than in England.
Beyond all others, he was best fitted to cope with the tremendous crisis which
made him, and when the grave closed over all that is mortal of Ulysses

TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

66i

Simpson Grant, it was felt that he left behind him no man cast in a simpler,
sincerer or more heroic mould."

The Pos/ said: "The American republic has lost one of its most illustrious
citizens. General Grant will be best remembered as the able soldier who pre-
vented the final severance of the great republic. It is thus that he will be
known to posterity. Though not a Napoleon or a Wellington, he handled
large armies and led them to victory."

The Sfandard said: "Although the death of General Grant was long
expected, the event is not the less deplored. We can only share with his
mourning countrymen in a sense of the loss of one whose career was so
notable, so honorable to himself and so useful to his native land. If that
were possible, he even rose in popularity when the nation saw the way he faced
poverty and ruin. Simple and modest, he was never cast down by reverses
nor elated by prosoerity. Never a great strategist, he knew only one course,
namely, to fight To-day, from Cape Cod to the Alaskan isles, the land will
once more resound with the fading memories of the war."

The news of General Grant's death caused universal regret
throughout the State of Kentucky. Men of prominence who were
soldiers, and men who have never seen the smoke of battle.united in
re-echoing the sentiment expressed by that gallant Southern soldier,
General Basil Duke, who said :

"All bitterness of feeling toward General Grant, which has been formerly
entertained, arising either out of the antagonisms of the war or the deeper
animosities of the reconstruction period, have long since passed away in this
regirn, at least, and he has had in the troubles which beset the latter years of
his life and in his last illness no profounder sympathy from any source than
from the tx-Confederate soldiery. They recognize in two acts of his life a
spirit for which they must be cordially grateful. They remember that immedi-
ately after the close of the war, when its resentments were yet fierce, and few
public men in the North dared speak kindly of the Southern people, even if
they felt so, and when it was the fashion to make treason odious, in the fa-
mous expression of Andy Johnson, General Grant, after an extended trip through
the Southern States, reported that the Southern r^ople would be true to their
pledges of peace, and that they ought to be trusted. The other instance is bet-
ter known and even more kindly remembered, when he forced Stanton to re-
cede from his purpose of arresting General Lee and revoking the paroles of the
Confederates. We had learned before, his pluck and tenacity in the field. We
realized after those exhibitions of his character that he had the courage to op-
pose his own people and political associates when he deemed them in the
wrong, and the highest order of generosity and patriotism. The Southern
people will always forgive what may have been General Grant's political errors
and faults, out of consideration for the high and manly qualities and intuitive
wisdom he displayed in every real emergency. Many men are shrewder poli-
ticians than he, who are not really a^ great statesmen. We lament his death
and honor his memory."

The daily papers all eulogized the dead General, and the several

posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, at their meetings, passed

resolutions of sorrow.

The Columbia Rei^stt. said: " The death of General Grant will be honestly
felt as a national affliction all over the wide Union, without reference to section
or party. Every man had his faults, and General Grant had his. Now that
he has gone, we will remember him at the South as the gallant old soldier who

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662

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

was generous to a fallen foe. As to his civil life, let it be swallowed up in the
life and services of the great chieftain who led the Northern armies through seas
of blood to final victory. Let us all remember General Grant from tlie^stand-
point from which most admired him, that of a true soldier and generous foe.
Without any experience whatever as a civilian, he was necessarily misled. Now-
that he is gone, the South will recall only the fact that he issued rations at once
to the beaten Confederates, and, as far as possible, generously administciod
to their comfort. We at the South shall all ever believe that if General (;rant
had followed his own natural instincts, it would have been reserved for no other
man to bridge the bloody chasm. He, of all Americans, could have most ef-
fectually done it, and those who tiiwarted this good purpose, which we know
the old General at one time had at heart, have deprived an illustrious name of
that splendid deed which would have so noblv rounded off the fame of Ulysses
S. Grant."

In speaking of the affliction the nation has suffered in the death
of General Grant, Harper's Weekly of August i, 1885, said:

" After a long and painful illness, borne with characteristic patience and
gentleness General Grant is dead. It is an event to be associated in our
history with the death of Washington, of Adams and Jeff -^.on. and of Lincoln;
for Grant, like them, was one of the greatest of Americans at a great epoch!
In the same sense that the sword of Washington secured our independence
did the sword of Grant maintain the Union, and of the war for the Union
Lincoln and Grant will be always the two conspicuous and representative
figures. Grant's distinction, also, is of that unalloyed quali y wliich is
characteristic both of Washington and Lincoln, it is a greatness unmixed
with personal ambition, the greatness of an honest patriot, not of a selfish
soldier like Marlborough, nor of an unprincipled conqueror like Najioleon.
No great national cause in which not only the welfare of a country but the
fate of human liberty was involved was ever more fortunate in its civic and its
military chiefs than the cause of American union in Lincoln and Grant.

" In the fierce height and frenzy of the war the same equable temperament,
th2 unshaken judgment, the cool comprehension, which have led to the denial
of military genius to Washington, withheld it also from Grant. But nn view
of the tniliiary situation was larger or juster than Grant's, and no famous
career was more signally succes-ful. He apprehended clearly the nature of
the armed contest, and knew when the Confederacy had become, in a military
sense. " a shell," as he described it. Always calm and self-possessed, of an
alert and decisive mind, upon the field he was firm without fury, swift without
eagerness, and confident without folly. Like Washington, he was prudent,
and like Lincoln, magnanimous. Had Lincoln died before the war ended, the
heart of the people would have sunk. Had Grant fallen upon the field, the
event of the war would \ ive seemed doubtful. He was an unconditional
victor, yet so manly, so simple, so single-hearted, that his adversaries in battle
cherished no ill-will, and no words of sympathy,- respect and admiration are
sincerer than those which they have spoken since his illness and anticipated
death. Between Grant and the chief soldiers to whom he was opposed there
was the mutual respect of men who recognize an honest conviction and delight
in heroic constancy, and nothing in history is finer than the generous feeling
between them of these later days.

" The death of Mr. Lincoln and the end of the war left Grant by far the most
eminent American and the inevitable President. He had little knowledge of
politics or pohticians, and he had cast but one vote before he was elected to
the Chief Magistracy. The argument that it is a trust requiring a certain civic
training and political knowledge was overruled by the fact of his universal
popularity as the hero of the war, by his strong and incorruptible character,

:■ :-f i"

TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

663

llowed up in the
mies through sens
It from the stand-
ind generous foe.
irily misled. Now
ed rations at once
usly administeretl
if General (irant
erved for no other
jld have most ef-
'., which we know
illustrious name of
e fame of Ulysses

;d in the death
55, said:

istic patience and

associated in our

n, and of Lincoln;

It a cjrcat epoch.

3ur independence

'ar for the Union

nd representative

quali y which is

reatness unmixed

t, not of a selfish

or like Napoleon.

I country but the

in its civic and its

and Grant.

ible temperament,

led to the denial

int. But no view

and no famous

arly the nature of

ome, in a military

-possessed, of an

fury, swift without

he was prudent,

he war ended, the

pon the field, the

an unconditional

versaries in battle

d admiration are

and anticipated

as opposed there

iction and delight

generous feeling

nt by far the most
ttle knowledge of
e was elected to
ng a certain civic
of his universal
iptible character,

and by the purity of his patriotism. It was, moreover, most fortunate, after the
chaos of Andrew Johnson's administration, which had inflamed feeling and
arrested the normal process of settlement, that the man who especially
represented the cause of the Union, not as a political partisan, but solely as a
magnanimous patriot, should be called to the highest office. His election
showed the practical unity of the Union sentiment, and its significance was
fully apprehended. His presence in the White House itself kept the peace,
and undoubtedly saved the country serious trouble. General Grant's want of
political training and unfamiliarity with public affiirs, and his necessary
dependence upon those whom he supposed to be political e.x ports, prevented
his dealing vigorously with the mischievous tendencies which are always
developed in the successful party after a civil convulsion. But panoplied in
the same honest and simple patriotism which had made bis military career illus-
trious, he was personally untouched by suspicion, and after a tour of the world in
which every country paid him homage, and an unwise effort of some political
friends to call him again into public life, he withdrew to an honored retirement.
15ut by the greatness of his services he was necessarily the most eminent
American citizen, and in his private, as in his public hfe, hewas still the centre
of constant interest and observation. And in these last days of suffering,
gradually declining to the inevitable end, the spectacle of his tranquil and
manly fortitude was one that will be long cherished, while the last great service
of the true patriot will never be forgotten. That service lay in the hearty and
unreserved friendliness of his tone of speech and feehng toward those who had
fought against the Union. His last magnanimous words breathe th' spirit
which can alone compose lingering differences and complete a moral reunion.
This highest of patriotic ends also he has served with his latest strength The
country which truly mourns him inay well receive the spirit of those words as
a benediction and an exhortation. In the best and truest sense the victorious
General in a civil war, the official leader and pride of a historic political party,
he died at peace with all men, and universally honored as a manly, simple,
true-hearted patriot. Twice he filled ti'e highest office in the country ; but it is
by the inestimable service which brought him into the Presidency, rather than
by his Presidency itself, that he will be remembered. He was silent, tenacious,
enduring, and as with every man to whom it is given to render the highest
service to his country, the clouds of differing judgment of incidents and details
will gradually yield to the pure and steady sunlight of permanent fame and
national gratitude."

General John A. Lopjan, United States Senator from Illinois,
wrote as follows :

" The nation mourns Ulysses S. Grant, and none more sincerely than his
old associates in arms. Emerging from obscurity, he rapidly developed into
one of the greatest men of the times. As a military genius and strategist, in
my judgment, he has had no equal since the days of Julius Cassar. As a
patriot and lover of his country, none surpassed him. As a man of sound
judgment in reference to matters pertaining to national affairs, he was the
equal of any one. He was a most confiding man : was strictly honest and
truthful, and believed implicitily in the honesty and truthfulness of every
one until the contrary was made to appear. If to have such confidence be a
fault, it was a grievous one in him, it being the cause of all the serious trouble
I ever knew him to have. As a husband and father, he was kindness itself.
Grant was a great man, and he was a good man.''

Hon. Joseph E. Brown, United States Senator from Georgia,
contributes the following, which expresses the feelings of the
South :—

''*■

f J

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

" The people of Georgia unite with the people of the whole Union in de-
ploring the death of that patriotic gentleman and magnificent soldier U. S.
Grant. The magnanimity of his character and the brillancy of his achieve-
ments have stamped him as one of the greatest soldiers of any age. His
name is a household word in every civilized nation, and his fame is the
common heritage of the whole American people, North, South, East and
West, Posterity will never cease to do honor to his memory, and the patriotic
hearts of unborn millions will swell with pride at the mention of his great
deeds."

Hon. Henry L. Dawes, United States Senator from Massachu-
setts, speaks thus of the dead General : —

" I thought I was prepared to hear of the death of General Grant with com-
posure; but I am mistaken. Now that it has come, I am overwhelmed with
the sense of irreparable loss, and with the retrospect of twenty-five years of
marvel and miracle to which I turn. I first saw him, a newly-made brigadier,
spending an evening just after the battle of Belmont, with his friend, E. b!
Washburne, in St. Louis. I next saw him when, covered with renown, he
came to Washington, in the worn garb of a fighting soldier, to receive, from
the hand of Abraham Lincoln, the commission of Lieutenant-General. 1 last
saw him when he had already entered upon that struggle to which alone he
was unequal ; and, after the final issue had become too painfully evident,
the conviction that, in the modest, unpretentious, and plain brigadier of few
words, I had met a man of rare endowments, took fast hold of me. In the
outset, how the whole outline of incomparable greatness has been filled and
rounded out to completeness, need not be told, now that the great life has
ended, and his work is finished. The world stands uncovered in the pres-
ence of this matchless character. Military greatness the judgment of man-
kind has already accorded to him ; but greatness in all else that became a
man was equally his due. In the cabinet, as well as on the field, in all that
is noble, as well as in all that is heroic, he was truly great. In dark days
and in prosperous, in the hour of peril, and in that of victory, he was greatest
among all the men with whom he lived. In all that is truthful, in all that is
generous, in all that is tender and lovable, he was equally great. A hero in
all that pertains to a remarkable life, he was a greater hero when death t.
Those who did not come near enough to him to know all he was, cannot
mourn him as those will who did ; but his countrymen and the world will
reverence his memory, and pay tribute to his worth and his greatness so long
as the nation he saved shall endure.''

Hon. Hamilton Fish, LL.D., Secretary of State durinor
the eight years that General Grant occupied the Presiden-
tial chair, wrote as follows of his intimate friend :

" My acquaintance with General Grant began in 1865, in Philadelphia, on
his first visit to the North, after the close of the war. Thereafter I saw him
frequently. His son (Col. Fred. D. Grant) was a cadet at West Point, and the
General and his family often went there to see him. My country residence is on
the Hudson River, immediately opposite West Point, and. on the occasion of one
of his visits, I invited him to make my house his home on such occasions, and
thereafter he and his family were frecjuently my guests. Thus acquaintance
grew into intimacy, and ripened into friendship.

" You ask, What were his most prominent traits of character? Well, with a
man so full of strong distinctive traits, it is hard to say which may be most
prominent; but I have been much impressed by his steady firmness and his

§enerous magnanimity. His whole military career manifested his firmness
oth of purpose and of action. His answer to the War Department, ' I will

TRIBUTES OF THE PRESS.

665

,e Union in de-
nt soldier U. B,
of his achieve-
any age. His
us fame is the
louth, East and
ind the patrioiic
ion of his great

Dm Massachu-

Grant with com-
^rerwhehned widi
jnty-five years of
-made brigadier,
his friend, E. B.
with renown, he
to receive, from
t-General. I last
:o which alone he
painfully evident,
I brigadier of few
Id of nie. In the
as been filled and
the great life has
vered in the pres-
udgment of man-
llse that became a
le field, in all that
lat. In dark days
J , he was greatest
iful, in all that is

;reat. A hero in
when death c,

1 he was, cannot
nd the world will

jreatness so long

State during
the Presiden-
nd:

Philadelphia, on
eafter I saw him
est Point, and the
ry residence is on
he occasion of one
ch occasions, and

1U9 acquaintance

■er? Well, with a
lich may be most

firmness and his
sted his firmness

partment, ' I will

fiirht it out on this line if it takes all summer,' was but the spontaneous utterance
of his general fixedness of purpose.

" He was generous and forgiving in the extreme ; not that he could not hate
well when he had cause for hating, but he never did hate without having or
thinking that he had sufficient cause, and was ever ready for an expl.ination
and reconciliation. With few exceptiohs his dislikes were not long cherished.
He was too busy and too generous o nurse them.

" His unselfish generosity at the fall of Richmond and the surrender of
Appomattox, stand out among the most noted instances of magnanimity on the
part of a conqueror. He sought no triumphal entry into the Confederate
capital, which had been the objective point of years of manoeuvering and of
fighting ; he fed the army which he had defeated, and gave to Lee and liis
army terms of capitulation and surrender that commanded the admiration of
the civilized world, and to this day receive the grateful acknowledgment of
those who were their recipients.

"After Sherman had accepted terms of surrender from Johnston, which the
Government had so far disapproved as to send Grant to supersede him, instead
of taking to himself the credit of Johnston's surrender, on terms satisfactory to
ttie Government and to the people, he telegraphed, ' Johnston has surrendered
to Sherman,' leaving the full credit to Sherman of what he himself had ac-
complished.

"On his tour throu n the South after the war, to investigate, for the Govern-
ment, the condition of the people, he showed a broad, generous spirit. His
report was denounced by some politicians in Washington as a 'white-washing
report ' ; but, had it been acted upon, there would have been no ' solid South,"
and the restoration of good feeling would have taken place soon after the war
had closed.

" His feeling toward the South was, throughout his civil administration, in
accord with that which he had exhibited in dictating the terms of surrender to
Lee — full of generosity and of confidence. That confidence arose from the
respect which a brave soldier has for the bravery and sincerity of those whom
he has fought, and was undoubtedly increased by his visit through the South
shortly after the war had closed,

"He was anxious to give appointments to Southern men ; but, in several
instances, gentlemen from the South, who had been engaged in the Rebellion,
and to whom he was willing to offer appointments, refused to accept them.

" The President, in the disposal of offices over the wide extent of the United
States, must depend upon the representations of others for his information as to
the character and capacity of the larger number of those who are to fill the
public offices on his appointment. These representations are not always
candid, and even when honestly given, are not always correct. Unfortunately
—perhaps owing to the quarrel between Andrew Johnson and the Congress, or
from whatever cause, and notwithstanding the very friendly and favorable
report of the feeling and the behavior of the Southern people made by Grant to
Conj^ress, after his tour through their states — the Southern men of note and of
prominence held themselves aloof, and not only would not volunteer advice,
but often withheld information when asked.

" The result was inevitable. At the close of the war, the condition of the
South, now opened to a new class of labor, seemed to afford a wide field for
industry and enterprise, and tempted a large class of men from the North,
whose business had been broken up by the war, to seek their fortunes, and to
cast their lot with the South.

"The South had had little experience in 'immigrant' population. It was
jealous and suspicious of the new comers ; perhaps, under the circumstances,
not unnaturally so, but very unfortunately so. Of those who went among
them, very many were men of character, enterprise and simple purpose,

,t'.';ll

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LIFE OF ULYSSES

GRANT.

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migrating with none other than a sincere desire of becoming part and parcel of
the community among whom they went. Others there wete — adventurers of
the ' Uugald Dalgetty ' stripe — ready to take whatever chance migln throw In
their way. Their 'chances " were advanced ijy the quarrel, then at its hci'ht
between President Johnson and the Congress, and thev lost no opportuiiitv of
playing upon the passions already urtduly excited. The North was tiod'ded
with accounts of indignities and outrages heaped upon Northern men, ami of
the continued disloyalty of the South; and the South, smarting under its (icfeat
and loss of property, isolated itself, and became uni.ed in a political coinhina-
tion bitter in its antagonism to the ruling power in the Nation. Such was the
condition when General Grant came to the Presidency, and found nearly all of
the federal offices at the South filled by men of Northern birth. He felt the
wrong of such condition, and desired to change it ; but the reticence of
Southern men, and their unwillingness to co-opera'e with him, or to <,nve
advice or information to aid him in the matter of appointments to office.'^left
him unable to carry his wishes in this regard into effect.

"His knowledge of men was generally accurate; but he was apt, in this
respect, as in others, to reach his conclusions rapidly, and was thus not
infrequently led to give his confidence where it was not deserved ; and it was
from the abuse of his confidence, thus reposied, that arose most of the censure
which, after the close of the war, was visited upon him.

" Where he gave his friendship, he gave it unreservedly — whether friendship
or confidence, he gave it unreservedly — and was slow to believe anything to
the discredit of those of whom he was fond.

"When he entered upon the Presidency he did so without much, if any, pre-
vious experience in civil administration. He soon, however, very soon, made
himself thoroughly familiar with all the questions that were brought to his
consideration, and he may truly be said to have applied himself to the great
problems of government.

" In his cabinet meetings his habit was to bring before his counselors such
questions as might have been suggested to him, either by frien ,, or as the
result of his own thought. He would generally ask of the members of his
Cabinet, in order or successively, their views, and would then reach his own
conclusion, and direct the course to be pursued which he thought best So far
as my own department was concerned, he kept thoroughly up with all the
questions that arose ; and, so far as I could judge, he was equally familiar
with the questions in each of the other departments.

" He was very free to accept the opinions and views of his cabinet, often
antagonistic to his own preconceived notions. As an instance of this, when
the inflation bill had passed Congress, and was strenuously urged upon him
for approval by many of his most influential friends in each house of Con-
gress, and by a majority of his Cabinet, he at ffrst reluctantly yielded to a
determination to approve the bill, and prepared a paper to be submitted to
Congress, explaining his reasons for approval of the bill, which paper was
laid before the Cabinet, but not read. I had most strenuously advocated his
vetoing the bill, and an evening or two previous to this Cabinet meeting, he
sent for me and read the paper. Having done it, he remarked : ' The more
I have written upon this, the more I don't like it; and I have determined to
veto the bill, and am preparing a message accordingly.' At the Cabinet
meeting hu stated that he had prepared a paper assigning the reasons for ap-
proving the bill, but had determined not to present it, and had written another
message, vetoing the bill, which he then read to the Cabinet and subsequently
sent to Congress. He had consulted his own good sense, and had given
careful study by himself to this important question affecting the currency.

" Another illustration of his readiness to yield a preconceived opinion is
afforded by his action concerning Ihe Treaty of Washington. After the be-

t : . I :

TRIDUTES OF THE PRESS.

667

f his cabinet, often
ance of this, when
y urged upon him
!ach house of Con-
tantly yielded to a

to be submitted to
, which paper was
)usly advocated his
abinet meeting, he
arked : * The more
lave determined to
■ At the Cabinet

the reasons for ap-
had written another
>t and subsequendy
,se, and had given

r the currency.

'nceived opinion is

ton. After the bc^

ginning of negotiations auout the treaty, it became necessary to determine
upon commissioners on the part of the United States I fcU it important that
the commission should not be partisan, and that th»^re should be at least one
Democrat on it. The suggestion at first did not strike the President as im-
portimt, and it was opposed by many of his confidential friends; but, on
presenting the question fully and strongly to him, he abandoned his position,
and decided the question in favor of appointing Judge Nelson as one of the
commissioners. Subsequently, when an arbitrator was to be appointed to the
tribunal at Geneva, strong objections were urged from various quarters against
the selection of Charles Francis Adams, which made an impression adverse to
him in the mind of General Grant — strongly adverse. But upon my urging
upon him that Mr. Adams was more familiar than any other man with tiie
incidents attending the escape of the rebel cruisers, that he had conducted the
legation in London during the rebellion with admirable discretion and under a
great deal of personal trial, and was entitled to recognition General Grant
cordially yielded his opposition and over-ruled the objections of many close
and confidential political advisers.

" So, too. was it in the appointment of Mr. Evarts as counsel. Pome things
had occurred at the close of Johnson's administration, while Mr. Evarts was
Attorney-General, which left a strong feeling of irritation in General Grant ;
but, on the representation of Mr. Evarts' ability, and his fitness for the position,
he yielded all personal feeling, and cordially agreed to his appointment. As
a general ruin, he asserted his own views tenaciously and firmly.

"Until his election to the Presidency, I don't think he had taken much in-
terest in party politics. He had been brought up — following the political views
of his father — in sympathy with the old Whig Party. Ikit, while in the army,
lie never voted until the election bet>veen Fremont and Buchanan, when, from
want of confidence in General Fremont's civil capacity, and being then out of
the army, he voted for Buchanan. And he often, jokingly, said to me, that
his ' first attempt in politics had been a great failure.'

" He was not indifferent to public criticism, but not unduly excited by it. I
never knew him but once to be led into an action of the policy or expediency
of which he had doubt by the critici«;m of the press or the pubhc. It was not
a very important matter, relating only to the cmploj ment of a certain individ-
ual in the conveyance of a message, whom a hostile journal had boastfully said
should never again be thus employed.

" 1 never met any one who formed, in advance, better estimates of elections
that were about to take place than General Grant. On the evening preceding
the Presidential election of 1872, I was sitting with him, and he gave the pro-
bable result in each of the states. I noted it down, and found that it varied in
each state almost inappreciably.

" He was not a great reader. He wrote with fluency, tersely, strongly, and
with great rapidity. He was methodical in his habits and punctilious in the
discharge of whatever duties might be before him.

" He had no historical models, but worked out his own course from his good
sense and thoughtfulness. He formed his opinions, apparently, from intuition.
" 1 think he was the most scrupulously truthful man 1 ever met. He had little
idea of the value of money, and had no tendency to its accumulation. He
was lavish in his expenditures and generous in his charities. He gave to all
who asked of him, being often unnecessarily and unwisely profuse in his dona-
tions. I have not infrequently known him to give sums from five to ten times
the amount of what the applicants could have reasonably or probably ex-
pected.

" In his family he was the fondest and most indulgent and liberal of hus-
bands and fathers.
" He had a large fund of humor, enjoyed a good story and had the faculty

GRANT.

of telling a good story, and of telling it well. I never heard him use a prnfune
or an obscene word.

" The habit of public speaking came to him after the end of his Presidency.
While he was President, on one occasion, a large body of clergymen callJci
upon, and made him a long address to which he hud to reply, and which he
always disliked to do. After a sentence or two I noticed that his voice faltered,
and, fearing that he might be at a loss what next to say, standing next to hini
1 caused a diversion by beginning to cough violently so as to interrupt his
speech. He afterwaru told me how fortunate it was for him that i had
//liU cough, as he had felt his knees begin to shake, and did not think he could
have spoken another word.

" His indignation was always intense against any case of marital infidelity;
and 1 have known an instance of his refusing consideration of applicalions'in
favor of an individual of high public |ios:''on, who lay under such a charjje.
And once, where a man of much political influence, who had been thus guilty,
recommended and was urging upon him some action, the General remarked',
after his withdrawal : ' That man had better take care of his own moral con-
duct than come and give advice to me on any question.'

" He was strongly impressed with reUgious views, and was a firm believer in
the fundamental principles of Christianity. He was brought up in connection
with the Methodist Church, which he attended in Washington. On the Sun-
day either succeeding or preceding — I don't remember which — his second
election in 1872, he invited his Cabinet, in a body, to accompany him to the
Metropolitan Church in Washington, which he was in the habit of attending,
to listen to a sermon from Dr. Newman appropriate to the occasion. The
moral side of questions of a public nature, or otherwise, whether presented by
his cabinet or friends, always had influence with him.

"His memory was minute and accurate to a degree. He was not fond of
talking of the war, or of his battles; but, when he could be induced, or led
to the subject, he would carry it through, giving the incidents of a fight,
stating minutely, at the various stages of the engagement, the location of each
division, or separate corps, or regiment,

"I asked him once: "General, in case we should get into another war,
how about our armies ?'

" ' Well,' he said, ' we have the best men in the world to lead them. No
three men living are more capable of leading an army, or conducting a
campaign than t le men we have. There is a difference between fighting, and
planning and conducting a campaign ; but there are no three men living
bettvr fitted to plan a campaign, and to lead armies than Sherman, Sheridan
and Schofield.'

" I said : ' But I hope we may have no war until these gentlemen may be
too old to lead our armies. What then ?'

" ' There are young men coming up who will quite fill their places.'

" ' Such as who .-"

" He answered : ' Upton, McKenzie, Wilson ; and there are more.'

"He said that during the batdes around Richmond he placed McKenzie
in charge of the cavalry operating with Sheridan, and this assignment of
command at once added tifty per cent, to the efficiency of that division of
cavalry.

" You ask, ' What position will General Grant take in the history of his
country ? ' I hope it will not be considered irreverent to say that Washington,
Lincoln and Grant will be regarded as a political trinity — the one the founder,
the second the liberator, and the third the saviour of the United States. It is
admirably illustrated in that medallion in which they are represented as the
pafer, the liberator and the salvator. Tha work of each was necessary to the
compledon of the whole.

him use a profane

ret into another war,

CHAPTER XXV.

TRIBUTE OF THE HON. EDWARDS PIERREPONT.

Hon. Edwards Pierrepont, LL.D., D. C. L., Ex-United States
Minister to England, gives the following personal recollections of
General Grant :

" I first met General Grant on his visit to Washington, after his
victories in the Southwest, early in 1864. The Secretary of War,
Mr. Stanton, with whom I was intimate, invited me to meet
General Grant privately with himself, which I did. I had seen no
picture of him, and had heard no description,

" I was disappointed in his appearance, but struck by the firmness
of his mouth, the fine build of his head, and the exceeding fineness
of his hair. He had a thoughtful face and a kind blue eye.

" For more than twenty years I have known him well, and under
a preat variety of circumstances. He was quite the most remark-
able man that I ever knew. He was the hero, not of a chivalric
age, nor of imperial splendor, but a hero of our age, and of our
institutions, the natural product of a Government such as the world
has never seen, whose possibilities are not yet imagined.

" In 1867, while General Grant was living in Washington, I was
employed by Mr. Seward, then Secretary of State, and Mr. Stans-
buiy, Attorney-General, to conduct the trial against John H. Surratt
as an aider in the murder of President Lincoln ; and I then met
General Grant daily for some six weeks ; and, during that long
trial, he often sat by my side in the court room. He told me of an
incident during the last days of the war which seemed to have
left a deep impression upon his mind, and I related it to the
jury, in General Grant's presence, in summing up the case, as
follows :

'"On the 14th of April, 1865, Abraham Lincoln called together his Cabinet.
We had at that time been receiving most cheering news ; but still upon his
soul there lay a heavy gloom, and he remarked ; " I am very anxious to heat
from Sherman." The reply was : " You will hear good news from Sherman ;
there cannot be any doubt .ibout that." General Grant was there, and he
Icnew Sherman, and he took occasion to assure the President that the news
from Sherman would be all right. " I don't know," replied Mr. Lincoln, and
then repeated what he had before said, " I am very anxious to hear from
Sherman," adding the remark : " I feel some great disaster is coming upon us.
Last night I wai visited by a strange dream — the same dream that, in the
darkness of the night, has three times before visited me ; before the battle of
Bull Run, before the battle of Stone River, and before the battle of Chancei-

(669)

6/0

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ii .(

'i.

il^

l^^M ,

lorsvillc it came to me, nnd the followinj,' day came the news of disaster, Tliii
same dream came to me last ni^'lit in my sleep, and 1 feci as if some •^tiiM
calamity is to befall the nation, in which I am to be personally affeclcd. ' In
a few hours afterward — he did not hear from Sherman ; but the urlam canie
again and led his spirit up to God who gave it.'

" Twelve years later, General Grant recalled this, as we were
talking, late at night, in my library in London. I said:

"'General, what did you think of that? Was Mr. Lincoln
superstitious ?'

" * Yes,' he replied. ' I believe all great men are more or less
superstitious ' ; and he said no more.

"The same evening I was making many inquiries of him about
the takingofVicksburg. which I had heard military men in London
name as one of the greatest of military achievements. He said;
' You know, about that time, they thought in Washington that I
was too slow, and Mr. Lincoln said " he thought they had better
try me a little longer." Before the movement on Vicksburjj, I
called a Council of War, and was advised not to make the move-
ment; the opinion was that it would be aj^Tinst all well-settled
rules of war, because it would enable the ene- to cut off my liase
of supplies; but I knew that the Governtnenl ^ishington would

cut off my base of supplies anyhow, if I did not go ahead, and I
gave the order.'

" Intimate as I have been with him for so many years, I never
once knew him to speak of his victories unless specially interro-
gated, and no one would ever have supposed that he had been in
battle from any remark of his.

" I was a member of General Grant's Cabinet during the cele-
brated whiskey trials, which so agitated the country, and about
which so many falsehoods have been told, and in consequence of
which so much abuse was heaped upon the General I necessarily,
from my position there, knew all the facts ; and I have kept a care-
ful record of them, and I shall give them to the world in detail.
They are too long to be given in this communication ; but when
they are given, no one will be disposed to blame General Grant.
He acted throughout according to the best information which he
possessed and with a determination to do justly, without regard to
any public clamor.

"Early in 1876 I was sent by the General as Minister to Eng-
land.

" In the following year his last term closed. He had then been
in the public service some sixteen years, and was weary beyond
expression.

" I received a long letter from him in London, written three
weeks before his term ended, from which I quote :
"i intend to visit you in London, when my term is ended here, which will be

TUinUTK OF TIIK HON. EDWAKDS riKKKhToN I".

671

of disaster. Tliii
as if some ;;reiit
ily affected. ' In
the uki:am came

is, as wc were

lid:

s Mr. Lincoln

■e more or less

:s of hini about
men in Loiulon
L'nts, He said:
shington that I
hey had better
»n Vicksburg, I
make the move-
all well-settled
cut off my base
ishington would
10 ahead, and I

y years, I never

pecially interro-

he had been in

uring the cele-
jntry, and about

consequence of
I necessarily,
lave kept a care-
Iworld in detail.
Ition; but when
General Grant.

lation which he
|thout regard to

[jnister to Eng-

had then been
weary beyond

|n, written three

lore, which will be

three weeks lonijcr, and it seems to nie an eternity, so anxious am 1 to
get away.'

"On Thursday, the 31st of May, 1877, General and Mrs. Grant
were my guests at 17 Cavendish Square, London. Twenty-four
years earlier, then a young man, I met in London Mr. McLane, of
Maryland, just now appointed Minister to France, and he told me
that, the night before, he dined at Lord Clarendon's, where he met
Lord Stanley, who was the eldest son of the Karl of Derby ; that,
through his kindness, he was invited to dine at Lord Claren-
dons, who was then in the Ministry ; that there he met Ivx-l'resi-
dent Van Huren, who was visiting England ; that Mr. Van Buren
was treated, not discourteously, but with utter neglect, and in a
country where precedence was regarded of so great consequence; that
Mr. Van Buren, an Ex- President of the United States, had no pre-
cedence; that in the ante-room, at the dinner table, in going in, and
coming out he had none of that importance accorded to him which
great statesmen and ex-rulers of other countries had carefully ac-
corded to them ; that he spoke to Lord Stanley about it. Lord
Stanley said : ' The difficulty is you give no title ; and, as you know,
in England precedence is determined by title.' This gentleman
was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when I was Minister to
London, under the title of Lord Derby, having succeeded his
father.

" The impression which a thing of this kind makes upon a young
man when in a foreign country is not easily effaced.

" About four weeks before General Grant arrived, I received a
letter from him, stating his intended arrival ; and all that Mr.
McLane had told me came back as freshly as it would have done
the day after he told it. With the letter in my hand, I went to
Lord Derby, and told him of the proposed visit of General Grant,
the ex- President of the United States, and that he would be my
guest, and that I wanted to know how he was to be treated in Eng-
land. He replied, in his frank way : 'Oh ! we shall be very glad to see
him in England. He is a very distinguished man.' I said : ' Yes ;
but that is not exactly what I mean. I want to know in what way
lie will be received, so far as relates to precedence.' *Oh ! ' he said,
'you care for nothing about those things in your country.' * No,'
said I, * but you do in yours.'

" He then said, after much more conversation upon the subject :
' Now, exactly what do you want ? ' I said : I want the ex- President
of the United States to be treated the same way that you treat ex-
rulers of any other country ; that the United States had more im-
portant relations with England now, and was likely to have in the
future, than any other country.' 'He said: 'Yes; now will you
put in writing just what you want* and you know I will do any^

I jiifiBwr'ii

fli

!■ i\'\

ill I

11,:}"'

i, )

•I :':'!

■|n r/

i: ;

I :' ■ !

GRANT.

thing I can ; the difficulty is you give him no title in your
country ; and hence the difficulty about placing him in our country.
There is no precedent.' I said: 'I think there is. Louis Na-
poleon was an ex-Emperor ; he was not a born king or emperor.
He was elected. I want. General Grant treated as ex-Emperor Louis
Napoleon was treated.' He laughed, and said : * That is pretty
good logic. Now put in writing just what you want ; and you talk
to any of the ministers ; you know them well.' I did so, and have
a copy of it. I saw him afterward, and he did everything that could
be done to have General Grant treated with consideration, so as
no ex-President had ever received before, and to accord him pre-
cedence, such as would be accorded to an ex-ruler of any other
country.

" Trivial as it may seem to us, it was not a trivial matter there,
and was not so regarded.

" The Prince of Wales agreed in honor of General Grant, to
dine in my house with a large distinguished company, which
included all the ambassadors, the ministry, and many others of
the great people of England.

" The question arose where General Grant should bo seated at
the table, and it was matter of some negotiation. The point I
made was that he should take the right of the Prince of Wales,
The ambassadors thought that the oldest ambasr^-^or should take
that place. It is too long to repeat what was said, though I have
it preserved in writing. General Grant did take the place sug-
gested, and every ambassador was at the dinner, and nobody found
any fault with it ; and General Grant, from that time onward, both
in England and on the Continent, where he went, received such
consideration as he so richly deserved.

" Before he arrived the Duke of Wellington had, on ;.'.ie 27th r>f
May, sent me a note, wishing me to fix a day in whicii General
and Mrs. Grant, with myself and Mrs. Pierrepont, would dine at
Apsley House, his residence, adding in the note ' I know what you
claim. Your ex-President shall have the pas of everybody ; he shall
take in the Duchess.' He dined there, and did take in the Duch-
ess The Duke also said in that note that he ' thought it a very
fitting thing that the greatest general in America should take his
first dinner in London with the son of the greatest general in
Europe.'

" I should here say, that to the Prince of Wales, to Lord Derby,
to the Prime Minister, Disraeli, as well as to all of the ministry, we
were indebted for the cordial readiness with which they all aided in
doing honors to General Grant.

"On the 15th of June the freedom of the city was presented. at
Guild Hall, at a grand banquet. Two days before the Lord Mayor

TRIBUTE OF THE HON. EDWARDS PIERREPONT.

673

1 mat:cr there,

sent me a letter, enclosing an engrossed copy of the speech which
would be made to General Grant on that occasion, requesting me
to read it to the General or give it to him, as I saw fit, in order that
he might prepare his reply. It came while at breakfast. I opened
it and told him what it was. He did not say anything. I said :
' We will go into the library after breakfast and read it.' We went
in; he sat down, shut his mouth very tightly and said: 'Don't
read it.' I said : * General, this is an occasion on which you cannot
avoid saying something.' He said: ' I know it. But,' said he, ' if
you read it to me, or 1 read it, I shall get to thinking about it, and
then I shall write down what I want to say, and then I shall try to
commit it to memory, and when I get up to speak I shall find that
1 have not renjembered it at all, and shall cave in and have to give
it up. I must trust entirely to the spur of the moment, or I can't
go through with it.' I have the speech now, and General Grant
has never yet read it. He replied at much length, without any
hesitation whatever, and made a speech which was happy and apt,
without the slightest embarrassment ; and it was considered by all
as one of the finest speeches that had ever been made in that great
hall. Those who have an idea that General Grant's speeches, or
that General Grant's writings or messages or letters have been the*
work of other heads or hands than his own are entirely mistaken.

"On tl J^J of June the Prince of Wales invited General Grant
and myself to a dinner at the Trinity House. Trinity is a corpora-
tion of very ancient date ; its business is to have charge of the light-
houses , it is rich, and a is managed by the first men in the King-
dom, and the Prince of Wales was President of it.

"At this dinner the Prince of Wales made a speech, which was
very happy and appropriate, as his speeches usually are, and in it
he had a great deal to say about General Grant. F'ollowing him
Lord Carnarvon, who was a member of the Ministry and of Trinity
House, also made a speech, in which he spoke very kindly of
General Grant and very pleasantly of our country • and General
Grant was called upon to reply. He rose, he hesitated, he had great
difficulty in going on ; he made some remarks about what the
Prince of Wales had said, and undertook to say something in reply
to Lord Carnarvon, and he ended in utter confusion, and took his
seat. He came out after dinner and got into the carriage.

" ' Well,' said he, ' I broke down ; didn't I ? "

" ' Well,* I said, ' you did not appear much as you did at the
Guild Hall, and I don't know wliy, for you had not either of these
speeches before you, and you did not have to write out and commit
your remarks to memory.'

" ' No,' said he. ' But the difficulty was that I had been listen-
ing to the first speech, and had been fixing my mind to that, and
43

it ■ :>•■■■ -'

fm^ . i

f ■.

• hi

■', ^'

A: I

iV it'' t:'

GRANT.

then the second speech came, and then I had to reply to them both
together, which I undertook to do, and broke do\yn.'

" That is the only time that I ever heard him attempt to reply to
two speeches at the same time, and the only time that I ever knew
him fail to make a good speech, whether it were long or short ; and
the reason that he gave was that he could not bring the two things
together without confusing his mind. He added :

" ' The speeches were both good, they pleased me very much,
and I wanted to say a good thing to each, and, in attempting to do
too much, I failed to do anything that suited me.'

" General Grant was generally a silent man, a very silent man.
In later years he got in the habit of talking with more facility and
freedom than he did at first.

" I never heard him, in all my long intercourse with him, use a
profane word. I never heard him, either in an original story, or in
repeating one, say anything that had in it the smallest measure of
anything mdelicate — that might not have been said before any lady.
" He was never arrogant ; he was considerate of others ; but I
don't think the opinions of others, when he had made up hi.s own
mind, influenced his action at all.

" I think he was entirely self-reliant where he had examined the
question before him.

" He had strong feelings ; but he was not emotional. He wa>
delicate in his feelings; but I think he could do firmly whatever hi
thought necessary to do.

" He was always lenient toward other people's faults or mistakes.
" He was a good hater where he thought he had been wantonly
injured or betrayed, and he did not hesitate to express dislike whore
he felt he had been wronged. And when he thought he had him-
self been in the wrong, he was as ready to amend the wrong as any
man that I ever knew.

" He was not a great reader. His information came largely by
absorption and observation.

" He had a wonderfully retentive memory of faces and events.
*' He had a clear, concise, and pleasant style of writing, as his
letters will show. He had considerable humor; but I never saw any
indicatioa of what is called wit.

" He had a greater power of restraining his feelings, whether of
indignation or pleasure, than any man I ever knew.
" He was never cold-hearted.

"His whole life proves, and the last days before his death con-
firm, what indomitable firmness he had.

" On that first occasion when I met him in Washington, after his
great successes in the Southwest, in the parlor of Willard's Hotel,
there was quite a number of people calling to pay their respects,

i l'

TRIBUTE OF THE HON. EDWARDS PIERREPONT.

675

ly to them both

1.'

;mpt to reply to
hat I ever knew
ig or short ; and
y the two things

me very much,
ittempting to do

very silent man.
nore facility and

with him, use a
iginal story, or in
allest measure of
d before any lady

of others ; but I
made up his own

lad examined the

lotional. He wa>
irmly whatever ht

faults or mistakes.

ad been wantonly

vress dishke where

iught he had hini-

the wrong as any

came largely by

ices and events.
[of writing, as his
at I never saw any

elings, whether of

}w.

and among them a clergyman, who, in very earnest words, was say-
ing to him that the weight of responsibility upon him must be ter-
rible, so many lives were dependent upon him, .so much depended
on his success, with the remark that it was enough to crush an/ one,
when such great responsibilities were laid upon him. The General
stood quite stolid when he listened to it, and made no reply, and the
clergyman repeated it over with great earnestness and a slight
variation, and then the General said : ' Well, I don't feel the same
weight of responsibility which you seem to think is upon me. I try to
do the best I can, and leave the results to a Higher Power, feeling
no more responsibility.'

" In England his visit naturally excited a great deal of comment,
upon his administration, upon his character, upon his military
achievements, and, somewhat, while there, but largely after he left,
men talked to me very freely about him. He left an admirable im-
pression. He was placed in a new situation, a situation calculated
to embarrass almost any man. Of course he knew that whatever he
did or said, or did not do, would be noted.

" I never heard a criticism from anybody upon his demeanor in
social life; but all spoke of his manly bearing, of his self-poise, of
his wonderful good sense in every situation.

" His military achievements were spoken of very highly, and it
was repeatedly said by military men that the taking of Vicksburg
was equal in its genius and its results to any victory that Napoleon
ever achieved.

" In June the General and I dined at a house of a member of
Parliament, where there were no ladies present, and in the course of
the dinner the subject of religion was intro'duced, and I think it was
the only time I ever heard that subject introduced at a dinner-table
in England.

" There was one man at the table who treated the subject with
considerable mockery, and General Grant shut his mouth and
would not enter into any further conversation, and he scarcely said
anything during the remainder of the dinner. When we came
away he said, after we got into the carriage : ' The conversation of
that man so shocked me that I could not talk any more, and I did
not enjoy the dinner.' The next day after this dinner we got to
talking about the subject of religion, and he said that it always
shocked him to hear people speak lightly of it, that he was brought
__ up religiously, that he had never questioned any of the general
fore his death co H doctrines, and that it did not make any difference to him whether

ishington, after his
.f Willard's Hotel,
[pay their respects,

they seemed logical or not. He said that, although he could not
undertake to reconcile all things in revelation with the discoveries
in science, the scientific discoveries had not, in the smallest measure,
shaken his faith in immortality nor in the great principles of religion.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

He was, beyond all doubt, a firm believer in religion, and had great
respect for all its ordinances ; and I know that he never took part
in or listened to, with any complacency, any ridicule of sacred
things.

" The Duke of Cambridge is a royal Duke. He is the comman-
der of the forces of England. He was very courteous to General
Grant, and expressed himself to me in high admiration of his great
military ability.

"On the 26th of June he had accepted an invitation to dine at my
house, in honor of General Grant ; and a large number of military
men, as well as others, had been invited at the same time, and it
was supposed that the dinner would be one of exceeding interest, in
consequence of the class of men that were to meet General Grant on
that occasion. There were twenty-eight of the number. But, ac-
cording to their peculiar laws of etiquette in England, the dinner
never came off; for the reason that the Queen, three days before
the dinner, sent us an invitation to come to Windsor Castle to dine
and to stay over night, and that, by their rules, made it necessary
to recall all the cards of invitation, although the chief guest was a
royal duke. The result was that the dinner so carefully arranged
could not take place, and we went to Windsor Castle, and dined
with the Queen and her Court, and stayed all night, returning at
noon of the next day.

" There General Grant was placed in a new situation, as the eti-
quette at a dinner at this Queen's is a little different from that of any
other. He knew how to demean himself there, as well as in every
other place, and I cannot better say what I wish to say upon his
general bearing than I subsequently said in these words :

' I have seen him where Sovereigns and Princes, Emperors and Air.bassa-
dors, rose up to do him reverence, calm, self-poised, unruffled as a Sphinx.
He is wiser than when he went away, of broader intelligence, loftier in tone,
more exalted in his moral nature. But he will come home the same single-
minded, unpretending, brave and honest man, a fitting product of our noble
institutions.'

" And all this he has since proved.

"Disraeli, when I first went to England, was Prime Minister, and
during my stay he was elevated to the peerage, under the title of
Lord Beaconsfield. Before he became Lord Beaconsfield he was
in the House of Commons. When he became Lord Beaconsfield,
he passed to the House of Lords ; but in both places he was Prime
Minister.

" Mr. Gladstone was an ex-Prime Minister, and, while they were
both in the House of Commons, they were, of course, on different
sides in politics, and the debates in which they both took part were
always immensely interesting.

" I met Lord Beaconsfield ver*r often at dinners, and he was at

TRIBUTE OF THE HON. EDWARDS PIERREPONT.

677

and he was at

the dinner given to General Grant at my house. He had much
ciiriosity, as he told me, to meet General Grant, and he talked with
him, and he called upon him at my house.

" Disraeli was a very peculiar man. He said that he had watched
the War in the States with great interest ; that he had taken sides,
from the first, with the North, particularly from his intellectual view
of the question, being thoroughly persuaded, from studying the
subject that the North would succeed ; and he had, therefore,
watched the progress of the War with unusual interest ; and that, as
General Grant had proved to be the hero of the War, he had been
curious to meet him to see what kind of a man he was. And he
said : 'He is just the kind of a man that he ought to be with such
a record.' And that is the only criticism that he made.

" Mr. Gladstone took breakfast at my house one morning, and it
lasted very late. I was interested to learn about England and
English politics, and he is the best and most interesting talker that
I ever met. Touch him upon any subject connected with England,
and he will continue upon it, giving you the most interesting infor-
mation, until you turn his attention to some other subject.

" In the course of that long conversation he spoke about our
War, and with great admiration of the part that General Grant
played in the victory of the North, and of his great magnanimity
when he became conqueror.

" Mr. Gladstone and Disraeli were violent rivals ; but when Lord
Beaconsfield died, the finest eulogy that was pronounced upon him
was delivered by Mr. Gladstone, about which, and the inspiration
of which, Mr. Gladstone wrote me in an autograph letter, which I
now have, and which some day I may think fit to make public.

" General Grant took great interest in politics, and his predictions
about the results of the elections in the different states from the very
beginning of his administration were far more accurate than those
of any man that I ever heard talk upon politics.

" I think the great features of his mental and moral character were
his self-poise, calm judgment and wonderful common sense. He
would hardly be said to be a man of brilliant genius ; but his
achievements in war are considered to be of the highest order ; and
he commanded a larger army than ever Napoleon commanded, and
led his armies to success.

He was more largely intuitive than people generally supposed. I
do not think he was much inspired by reading, either upon war or
matters of state; but his wonderfully calm judgment added to his
intuitive forces and his deep devotion to the principles of popula;
government, always guided him aright.

"He was tenacious in his friendships, as in everything else, and
was slow to think ill of any one in whom he had confided. He was

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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disposed to be forgiving of others' errors and mistakes, but his con-
fidence, once shattered upon good grounds, was never restored.
His early life was one of great privation, which strengthened him
for his great work ; but when he came to the possession of power
and large means, he enjoyed both. He had respect for wealth, and
enjoyed ihe luxuries which it brought — not in the gratification of
the appetite — he always ate very sparingly, and of few things ; but
he loved, in his silent way, a banquet graced by fine women in costly
dress and jeweled beauty, and adorned with a profusion of beau-
tiful flowers. The scene was pleasing to his eye, and ministered
to his imagination.

" His death was as remarkable and characteristic as his battles.
He hardly knew when he was beaten ; but when he realized that
the battle was over, he calmly surrendered to the will of the Heav-
enly Father. When the American Republic shall have become the
grandest Empire upon the earth, the history which General Grant
made during the first century of its rise, will be written by many
historians, and Grant will be mentioned as a hero of imperishable
renown."

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CHAPTER XXVI.

INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

Funeral Arrangements — Quiet Days at Mt. McGregor — A Letter from President Clevf.
land to Mrs. Grant — Riverside Park, near New York, selected as the Resting-Place
of General Grant — A Chat with Dr. Douglas and Rev. Dr. Newman — The Site
of tlie Mausoleum — Monuments to be Erected.

The question where the remains of General Grant should be
interred gave rise to an animated discussion. New York and
Washington were the cities contending for the honor. Very
earnestly were the claims of each city pres.sed. It is understood
that at first the family were inclined to select Washington, the
national capital, and the city where General Grant passed some of
the most illustrious years of his earthly career, but as Mrs. Grant
intended to make New York her home, she naturally desired that
her visits to the tomb of her husband should be frequent, and she
therefore decided in favor of New York. Soon after the announce-
ment of the death of General Grant, Mayor Grace, of New York,
sent the following despatch to Mrs. Grant :

Mayor's Office, New York, July 23, 1885.

Mrs. U. S. Grant, Mt. McGregor, N. Y. : — In advance of official action
1 am instructed to tender to yourself and family the deep sympathy of the
Common Council, and of the municipal authorities of the city of New York,
in your sad bereavement. I am also authorized by informal action of the
authorities, which will be made official to-morrow, to tender to you a last resting-
place for the remains of General Grant in any one of the parks of this city
which you may select. I am also authorized to offer the Governor's Room, at
the City Hall, for the purpose of allowing the body to lie in state.

W. R. Grace, Mayor.

In reply the following was received :

Mt. McGregor, N. Y., July 23, 1883.
Hon. Wm. R. Grace, Mayor of New York : — Thanks. Can you send
some one to confer with me ? F. D. Grant.

At a special meeting of the Board of /.Idermen of New York,
the following preamble and resolutions, after Aldermen O'Dvvyer,
Hartman, Morgan and Van Rensselaer had made feeling addresses
upon the character and services of the dead hero, were unanimously
adopted :

" The sad intelligence of the death of General V. S. Grant having been
officially communicated by His Honor the Mayor to this Common Council, it
becomes our sorrowful duty, in behalf of this. metropolis, to give expression to
the profound grief of our citizens upon their irreparable loss.

" To enumerate the services to his country rendered by the illustrious de-
ceased, and the honors received by him at the hands of his grateful fellow-

. . v679)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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citizens, to extol his virtues, to delineate his character and to recite the history
of his brilliant i:areer as a warrior and civilian, would be simply supcrerogiUory.
The fame of his achievements as a soldier and a statesman is world-wide. He
was known, admired and honored, not only by the people of this Republic,
but by the people of every country and clime.

" The death of General U. S. Grant is a national calamity. This Council,
as the representatives of the people of this city, are called upon to take such
measures as will tend to show the estimation in which the deceased was held
by his fellow-citizens, and to participate with them in paying a pioper tribute
of respci-t to his memory. Be it, therefore,

" Resolved, That as an expression of sorrow, and out of respect to the
memory of General U. S Grant, our citizens are hereby recommended to close
their respective places of business and refrain from any secular employment
on the day to be set apart for solemnizing the funeral rites.

" Resolved, That the members of the Common Council attend the funeral in
a body with their staves of office draped in mourning, and that His Honor, the
Mayor, as chief executive, tije chief officers of the several executive depart-
ments of the city government, the judges of the several courts held in the
city, the members of the National Guard and our citizens in general, be and
they are hereby respectfully invited to unite and co-operate with the Common
Council in the ceremonies incident to the sad occasion ; that the flags on the
City Hall and the other public buildings be displayed at half-staff from sunrise
until sunset on the same day, and the owners and masters of vessels in the
harbor, and the owners and occupants of private buildings in this city, be and
are hereby requested to display their flags in like manner at the same time.

" Resolved, That the heartfelt sympathy of the Common Council be and the
same is hereby tendered to the family of the lamented deceased in their
bereavement.

" Resolved, That the proper authorities be and they are hereby authorized
and requested to offer a sepulture for the body of General Grant in any of the
public parks of the city of New York which the family of the deceased may select.

" Resohied, That the City Hall and other public buildings be draped, and that
the Governor's Room m the City Hall be placed at the disposal of the family
of the deceased, should it meet their .-approval, draped appropriately, for the
reception of his remains, in order that our citizens may have an opportunity to
look for the last time upon the loved features of the Republic's greatest soldier.

" Resolved, That a special committee of five members of the Board be ap-
pointed to perfect the funeral arrangements, and to take such other action as
they may deem proper to manifest our sorrow for the death and reverence for
the memory of the illustrious deceased.

" Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, suitably engrossed, be forwarded
to the bereaved family."

The question of a burial-place remained in an un.settled condition
until four o'clock in the afternoon, when the following telegram from
Mayor Grace caused M.s. Grant and her children to decide at once,
and finally to accept the proposal of the city of New York :

"Your two telegrams just to hand, and I understand the matter to be now
definitely settled that General Grant's body is to be interred here. We cannot
take any more definite action in regard to the matter of Mrs. Grant until a later
date. The faith of the President of the Board of Aldermen and my own is
pledged that we will s°e, when a little time is passed away, that the wishes of
the family are gratified by formal resolution of the Board. Answer immediately
so I may appoint committee to make my quota for grand national monument.

"W. R. Grace."

INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

68 1

recite tlie history
y supcreroyalory.
i world-wide. He
of this Republic,

f. This Council,
pon to take such
eceased was held
; a pioper tribute

af respect to the
iimended to dose
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end the funeral in
at His Honor, the
executive dcpart-
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; of vessels in the
n this city, be and
the same time.
Council be and the
deceased in their

hereby authorized

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50 draped, and that

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an opportunity to

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the Board be ap-

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and reverence for

>ssed, be forwarded

ettled condition
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decide at once,
vv York :

matter to be now

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Grant until a later

;n and my own is

', that the wishes nf

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itional monument.

W. R. Grace."

Upon the receipt of Mayor Grace's telegram, Mr. Turner, who
was sent to Mt. McGregor as a special messenger by Mayor
Grace, repaired at once to the cottage, where a conference was held
with Colonel Fred. Grant. The Colonel read the Mayor's despatch
and retained it. At the close of the conference Colonel Grant as-
sured the Mayor's representative that he and the family thus for-
mally accepted the tender of a bu'-ial-place for General Grant and
Mrs. Grant in Central Park, in the City of New York, and that he
and the family would now proceed with all the funeral arrangements
with reference to the above conclusion. The Mayor's messenger
then telegraphed to Mayor Grace the result of his mission.

The embalming was begun a few hours after death. The cheeks
and face, by the process made use of, were made to assume a ful-
ness, the deeper furrows and lines were filled out and the expres-
sion of the face was one of peace and rest.

President Cleveland sent Adjutant-General Drum as a special mes-
senger to deliver the following letter to Mrs. Grant :

" Executive Mansion, )
"Washington, July 23, 1885. )
' My Dear Madam : Obeying the dictates of my personal feelings and in
accord with what I am sure is the universal sentiment of his fellow-country-
men toward your late husband, I am solicitous that every tribute of respect
and affection should be duly rendered, and with constant consideration of
your personal wishes on the subject, Adjutant-General Richard C. Drum is
charged with the delivery of this note, and will receive and convey to me
any intimation of the wishes of yourself and children, in respect to the selec-
tion of the place of burial, the conduct of the funeral ceremonies, and the
part which may be borne by those charged with the administration of the gov-
ernment. With sincere condolence, your friend and servant,

"Grover Cleveland.''

The 26th of July being a Sabbath, Rev. Dr. Newman, the friend
of the dead hero, was asked to conduct the morning services, but
the reverend gentleman gravely declined. Since General Grant's
death he had been unable to speak of his dead friend without emo-
tion, and to have stood where he did two weeks ago to deliver his
discourse on " The Value of Character," while General Grant was
alive down at the cottage, seemed weli-nigh impossible to Dr. New-
man, so the day was one of quietness, with some visitors and
some permanent arrivals. General Horace Porter and the Japanese
Minister Kuki arrived during the day.

During a conversation Dr. Douglas was asked by a correspon-
dent how he happened to bring General Grant to such a secluded
part of the world as lJ[t. McGregor.

" Well," said he, as he stroked his venerable beard and crossed
iiis sturdy legs, " I was born not far from here, and knowing that
this pure, dry, balsam-laden air was good for all physical ailments,

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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and seeing that the sea air was particularly bad for General Giant's
throat, I suggested this."

" Was General Grant a long time a patient of yours ? "

'* No. It chanced that some years ago I treated one of Dr. Bar-
ker's cancer patients very successfully, and when General Grant ap-
plied to him he, fearing or suspecting cancer, sent him to me. He
came to my office, and after I examined him, noticing a tell-tale
look on my face, he asked if I suspected, cancer. 1 did, and was
much alarmed, but evaded a direct reply. I subsequently met his
son and Dr. Barker, and told them that I had no doubt. For a
while he was very ill, then he grew better, and again there was a
marked increase in the cancerous progress.

" I took some of the tissues from the throat and examined thorn
microscopically. I had them photographed, published and sent to
the entire medical profession, after which there was no question.
Recovery was at no time possible. All we could do was to prolong
his life, secure his comfort and keep the difficulty from increasing as
much as possible. No caustics were at any time applied. Had
there been, as I told the family, there would have been a horrid
condition of affairs — a terrific stench with intense pain and much
fetid odor. As it was, we had none of these, or at least to no ex-
tent. It was suggested that possibly there was some other cause
for General Grant's trouble. This was investigated at an early
stage, and, in order that we might not be caught napping in any di-
rection, we adopted a course of treatment which would have helped
him had he had that trouble, and could do no harm to him if he had
simple cancer. His critics talked about his having a malignant
ulcer. That, of course, meant but one thing. We carefully and la-
boriously followed his life step by step. We were assured that
this man, sixty-three years old, had during his married life of
nearly forty years been as faithful to his marriage vow as to anything
else he undertook. His children grew to full maturity and were
well and strong. He himself gave no evidence of weakness any-
where, and so after three trials of this special treatment, it was aban-
doned."

" We see and read a great deal of General Grant's religious talk
and life. Do you think he was really a religious or simply a com-
mon-sense man?"

" Grant was deeply religious. He was not a man of forms and
ceremonies, as well we all know. Neither did he obtrude his
opinions on anybody ; but he was profoundly religious."

" Was he a prayerful man, except when Dr< Newman was around
and suggested exercise in that direction ?"

" I can't say that he was ; but of that I can't speak knowingly."

*' There is a great deal of talk in New York and Saratoga, and

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INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

6S3

General Grant's

on the cars, as to the right of the Common Council to swerve
Central Park from its original design, and particularly as to giving
Mrs. Grant a promise that her body may be buried there. What
do you think of it?"

" I don't think the Central Park idea a good one. There could
be a magnificent monument there, of course. I have thought it
would be well to bury the General at the base of the statue of
Liberty on Hcdloe's Island; but, after all, the place is the Soldiers*
Home, in Washington. It is the natural place and already well
named the Soldier's Home, and Grant was the Soldier."

" In view of the fact that you long since literally gave up your
business in New York, that you have devoted yourself, your time,
your constant service, your personal devotion day and night to the
General and his interest, it is a very natural question to ask if you
are treated fairly in the pecuniary line?"

" Well, I can truthfully say I haven't given the matter a thought.
I have presented no bill and shall not. I have received some
money from the family, but I have made no demand for ciny, and
have no thought about the future."

Soon after the correspondent's chat with Dr. Douglas, Dr. New-
man came along. Being asked, in respect of Grant's religious
feeling, whether he had any sentiment about it, or simply recognized
the existence of a God, the reverend gentleman hesitated for a
moment, and then, with the understanding that certain parts of the
conversation would be treated confidentially, said: —

" It was the General's wish that I should officiate at the final cere-
monies of interment. Beyond the wish and expressed desire that
his wife should be buried by his side he had no preferences. I
shall so officiate, and then shall give to the world what it can get in
no other way, a full, complete, absolute proof of General Grant's
Christian character. Much that passed he wrote with his own
hand, and those writings I have, of course, carefully preserved.
Other parts were spoken, and those were put down in my journal
when I returned to my mom. I propose to treat in my funeral dis-
course of the character of the man, leaving to others his treatment
as a soldier and statesman.

" He was a Christian if there ever was one. No profane word
ever passed his lips and he was intolerant of profanity in those
about him."

''M

When Dr. Newman accepted the call to the Congregational
Church, corner of Madison Avenue and Forty-fifth Street, at New
York, General Grant attended services there Previous, to that the
General had been a member of the Central Methodist Church, in
Seventh Avenue, near Fourteenth Street, of which Dr. Newman was

684

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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pastor. After Dr. Newman resigned from the Madison Avtmie
Church and went to California, General Grant was without acluiich
home. The Rev. Dr. James S. Chadwick at that time was the
pastor of the Central Methodist Church. In the name of the
trustees of the church, he presented to General Grant the family
pew formerly occupied by the General. General Grant accepted
it, but his illness prevented his ever attending services in the
church again. The pew still remains in his name.

Dr. Chadwick's pastorate of the Central Methodjst Church ex-
pired last spring, and, according to the practice of the Methodist
Church, in changing its clergymen about every three years, he
was transferred to the Methodist Church in Forty-third Street,
near ICighth Avenue. From 187610 i<S79 Dr. Chadwick was as-
signed to a church in Covington, Ky. Among the members of his
congregation were General Grant's parents, Jesse R. Grant and his
wife. Jc-jse Grant died at Covington. His wife died in New Jersey
last year. Dr. Chad.vick preached the sermon at Jesse Grant's
funeral and also spoke at the funeral of General Grant's mother
He knew all the Grant family.

One of the memorial sermons was preached by Dr. Chadwick,
on the evening of the 26th of July. The reverend gentleman said
he would like to hav'o preached it in the Central Methodist Church,
because it was there General Grant went during nearly all his
residence in this city. The little church in West Forty-third Street
was very neat'y dr^^.t-d. The rear of the pulpit was hung with
dark cambric and in the centre was an oil portrait of General
Grauc, regarded a- one o.'"')ie best of the early pictures of him, and
presented to Dr. Chadwick and family by General Grant's mother.
It is, ofcourse, very highly esteemed by them. Its borders were
hung with a fringe of black and white paper. Beneath the portrait
the letters "U. S. G.," in paper fringe, were suspended. On either
side were small flags with black borders. Over the pulpit was
thrown a large flag with drapery of mourning. The whole jjre-
sented a simple, but tasteful and appropriate, tribute to tlw memory
of the General. Dr. Chadwick's sermon, which is given elsewhere,
was delivered with a great deal of feeling. General Grant's sisters,
Mrs. Corbin and Mrs. Cramer, who arrived from Europe the other
day, are also members of the Metbodisv Chu.cn.

On the 27th of July, Colonel Fred Grant and his brother, Jesse
Grant, went to New Yoik for the purpose of conferring with
Mayor Grace upon the arrangemi;nts for their father's funeral. The
Mayor did not arrive at his office until half an hour later, and the
visitors were shown into his private room. In the mean time
General Perry arrived at the City Hal' to represent General Han
cock in making the arrangement for the obsequies. After the

IMMi

INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

685

Mayor's arrival the parties were closeted together for some
time.

Colonel Grant, Mayor Grace and President Sanger, of the Hoard
of Aldermen, drove to Central Park during the afternoon for the
purpose of selecting a burial site. They went to Watch Hill, near
the old fort, ant! inspected a location there. The view from tliis
point is extensive. To the east many cottages on Long Island arc
visible, and to the west Jersey City is in sight. Colonel Grant ex-
pressed the opinion that the sjjot was not of sufficient si/e, for
should the national monument be erected there, it would be dwarfed
by its surroundings.

Mayor Grace, who favored the Riverside Park for the site, then
suggested a drive to that ground. The northern end of the park,
opposite Fort Lee, was the spot preferred b)' the Mayor. This part
was unfinished. The roads were incomplete, and the garden sjjots
had yet to be laid out. The Mayor argued that the park could be
built up so as to make the portion of it where the tomb will lie the
central point of interest, not only from the consideration of who
rests there, but in scene and adornments. The party seemed to
consider the spot desirable for the final resting-place of the dead
hero ; but afterwards examined other places. Colonel Grant left
for Mt. McGregor in he evening. Before leaving he said he
must submit the subject of the burial-place to his mother before a
decision could be reached.

The day broke brightly on the mountain and passed without
event until ten o'clock on the morning of the 28th day of July,
when the train arrived at the summit of Mt. McGregor. Colo-
nel Fred. Grant was one of the passengers upon it. He proceeded
at once and alone upon his arrival to the cottage, his brother Jesse
having remained behind. The Colonel immediately repaired to
his mother's apartment, where the family gathered to hear the
result of the Colonel's trip to and conference in New York. He
detailed his movements and explained that there seemed to be
reasons for the choice of a burial spot in some other than Central
Park. Riverside Park had at the time of General Grant's death
been suggested as the spot of interment, and it seemed best to
the Colonel, after seeing and hearing all, to change the place of
sepulture to Riverside Park. The matter having been thus pre-
soMted to the family, a conclusion was reached in accordance with the
Colonel's suggestions, and he at once dictated the following dispatches;

Mt. McGregor, July 28.
W. R. Grace. — Mother takes Riverside. Temporary tomb had better be
at the same place. F. D. Grant.

Mt. McGregor, July 28.
General R. McFeely, Washington, D. C. — Mother to-day accepted Riverside
Park. She wishes me to thank you for the tender of the Soldiers' Home.

F. D. Grant.

686

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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At the meeting of the Board of Aldermen of the city of New
York on July 28th, President Sanger announced that a dispatch
had been received from Colonel Grant that morning announciiifr
that the family had agreed to the General being interred in Riverside
Park. The following resolutions were then adopted by the board:

Whereas, The family of Genenil U. S. Grant have accepted the offer of
the corporation of the city of New York, for sepulture in one of the put)lic

Earks of the city and have selected a site in Riverside Park for that purpose ;
e it therefore

Resolved, That the right of sepulture in said Riverside Park, be and is
hereby given to General U. S. Grant and his wife upon her demise ; and be it
further

Resolved, That a proper deed of cession for the purpose designated be
prepared by the counsel to the corporation when the exact locality and
dimensions of the ground are fixed and the said deed be duly executed by the
city authorities.

Riverside Park, where the remains of General Grant are to
repose, is a narrow and irregular strip of land lying between River-
side Avenue and the Hudson River, from Seventy-second Street to
One Hundred and Thirtieth Street. Between the western limits
and the river, however, passes the road-bed of the Hudson River
Railway. The general width of the park is about five hundred
feet, while its entire length is some three miles, the area being about
one hundred and seventy-eight acres, only a portion of which has
been laid out in walks and drives, while the rest still /"etains the
wild picturesqueness of nature.

The surroundings of this park are so lovely that it is believed it
will ultimately become the most aristocratic residence ref^ion of
New York. The ground rises to a bold blufif above the Hudson
River and the views from the river drive-way are very charming,
giving glimpses of the undulating, tree-covered park, the shining
stretches of the river dimpled into innumerable wavelets and the
Weehawken heights opposite. The drives of Riverside begin at
Seventy-second Street and extend three miles to One Hundred and
Twenty-ninth Street. There are several of these drives curving
gracefully along the bank of the Hudson, in some places three
hundred feet above the water. The bank slopes gradually to the
shore and the intervening space between the drives and the river is
filled with groves of tall trees.

In the letter that Mayor Grace sent to Colonel Grant suggesting

Riverside Park as the best place for the General's tomb, the writer

made the following points in favor of that site :

" Because of the peculiar beauty of the place in its location on the river and
the fact that a monument in it would be visible far and wide. It would give
a distinct characteristic to this quiet and beautiful park and such a monument
as would probably be erected there would vie in beauty and fitness of location
with the famous statue of Germania on the Rhine. The entire park would
become peculiarly, in a sense that Central Park never can become, sacred and

INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

687

devoted to the memory of your father. The Park is so young that the
character of its development would be largely determined and its whole future
dominated by this fact. The monument would be visible from two States and
for miles, both up and down the Hudson River, and would not only borrow
from but lend beauty to the noble stream, and at no time could your father's
remains be regarded as lying remote from nature. In the heart of a great busy
city, in the rush and hurry of the life of which death and its sacredness may
be forgotten, the remains of even the great dead may be passed in thought-
lessness."

Architect Mold, of the Department of Public Parks, had com-
pleted the plan for the temporary vault which was to contain the
body of General Grant until the erection of a permanent tomb. It
is made entirely of brick. Within it measures 12 by 7 feet. It is
four feet under ground and is surmounted by a barrel arch, with two
rims of brick. In front rises a cross. A large iron door gives
access to the plain cemented interior. On each side are four cross-
shaped openings for ventilation. The front faces the river.

The question of the resting-place of the remains of General Grant
being decided, Governor Hill, of New York, issued the following
invitation :

" State of New York, Executive Chamber, )
Albany, July 27, 1885. i
" To the Members of the Legislature :

" The remains of General Grant will arrive in Albany on Tuesday, August
4 next, at four o'clock P. M., and lie in state at the Capitol until the next day
at noon, when they will be taken to New York to await the burial, which is to
occur in tha' city on the following Saturday.

" It is suggested as eminently appropriate that the Legislature should infor-
mally assemble at the Capitol on Tuesday, August 4 next, at four P. M., at the
reception of the remains, and participate in the exercises on that occasion, and,
if deemed desirable, to take such action during that event as may suitably
express the sentiments of our State in regard to the distinguished dead, and
afterwards to accompany the remains to New York and attend the funeral in
a body.

" The members of the Legislature who approve of this suggestion will please
be present at the time named. " David B. Hill."

The President of the United States, Grover Cleveland, put Gene-
ral Winfield Scott Hancock in charge of the ceremonies connected
with the funeral of General Grant, and accordingly that ofificer
issued the following order :

" Headquarters Division of the Atlantic, )

Governor's Island, New York Qn\,/tify 29, 1885. j

" I. Having been placed by the President in charge of the ceremonies con-
nected with the funeral of ex-President of the United States General Ulysses S.
Grant, and in command of the escort for the obsequies, I hereby give notice
that military and civic organizations and associations intending to partici-
pate will, upon properly reporting such intention, be assigned positions in the
procession, which will take place in the city of New York on Saturday, August
8, 188s.

"II. Major-General John C. Farnsworth, Adjutant-General of New York,
is announced as aide, and will act as chief marshal of the obsequies of Gene*

ir;:'''

688

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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ral Grant at Albany, New York, in due concert with the civil authorities, and
he is charged with all details of the ceremonies and care of the remains at that
place as the representative of the Major-General commanding, during his
absence, and until his arrival, and is also charged with the preparation of
orders to meet all contingencies there between the reception and departure of
the remains.

" III. Brigadier-General Lloyd Aspinwall, late of the State National Guard
is announced as aide to the Major-General commanding in chief during the
obsequies of General Grant in the city of New York, and is entrusted to estab-
lish an office in that city, the place of which he will announce, and is char"ed
with the preparation of the routes of march for the funeral procession fromlhe
City Hall to the place of interment, and as to final dispersing, as a basis of
orders for these purposes.

" IV. Brevet Major-General Martin T. McMahon, late United States Volun-
teers, Marshal of the United States for the Southern District of New Yorl< is
announced as aide, and is charged with the conduct of the march of the civic
organizations in column as a body, and for the due dispersion after the cere-
monies are concluded. He will establish an office in New York and announce
the same. All such organizations desiring to take part will report directly to
these headquarters, sending a duplicate of same to General McMahon, and
will state title of same, name of chief officer and the number to parade.

"WiNFiELD S. Hancock, Major-Genc-raL"

The sad news of the death of General Grant filled the heart of
every American citizen with sorrow ; from all parts of the globe
came expressions of sympathy ; at every gathering resolutions of
condolence were offered and unanimously adopted. His old com-
rades, the Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic and other
veterans of the Mexican and Civil Wars expressed their grief and
offered their services as guards of the body at Mt. McGregor, or
as participants in the funeral procession. The first elaborate floral
piece was sent to Mt. McGregor by the Meade Post, No. i, G
A. R. , of Philadelphia. It was in the form of a pillow of immor-
telles and was five by three feet. It stood at an easy angle upon
a wire frame. Gilman, the mountain artist, photographed it when
it was unboxed at the depot. The ground of the pillow was white,
the entire piece being fringed with feathery grasses. In the centre
was a sword, the blade of which was yellow and the hilt and guard
red, with purple along the edge, which gave an effect of relief from
the ground. Lying across the blade was an exact reproduction in
colors of the shoulder-strap belonging to the rank held by General
Grant. There were four white stars on a blue ground upon the
strap, while its edges were gold and purple. On either side of the
sword were sprays of ripened wheat and tufts of feathery grasses
bound with white satin ribbons. The inscription, which was in pur-
ple immortelles on the white ground above and below the sword
and shoulder-strap, read thus: " Comrade U. S. Grant, Meade
Post, No. I, G. A. R., Philadelphia." General Grant had become a
member of this post shortly before his departure for the old world.

General Burdett, the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of

INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

689

1 authorities, and
e remains at that
iding, during his
e preparation of
and departure of

: National Guard,
chief during the
ntrusted to estab-
e, and is charged
ocession from the
ing, as a basis of

ted States Volun-
t of New York, is
larch of the civic
on after the cere-
)rk and announce
report directly to
il McMahon, and
to parade.
Wajor-Geiicral,"

ed the heart of
-ts of the globe
I resolutions of
His old com-
jlic and other
their grief and
:. McGregor, or
slaborate floral
ost, No. I, G
ow of immor-
asy angle upon
raphed it when
low was white,
In the centre
hilt and guard
of relief from
eproduction in
eld by General
>und upon the
her side of the
;athery grasses
ich was in pur-
low the sword
Grant, Meade
had become a
the old world,
irand Army of

the Republic, addressed the following letter to Ex-Prt3ident R. B.
Hayes, relative to the latter's proposition reg. rding a national mon-
ument to the late General Grant:

" Headquarters Grand Army of the Republic,
Washington, Juiy 25, 1885.
"Hon. iV. B, Hayes, Fremont, Ohio:

"D:.ti" Sir and Comrade — I have jus,t read your letter to General R. B.
Buckland and others, recommending that the G, A. R. lead in raising a fund
by general subscription for the erection of a national monument to General
Grant. I beg to suggest that the national monument to be erected to the
memory of our departed comrade will be of such proportions and cost as to be
beyond the proper line of private contribution. His fellow-citizens will demand
that it be paid tor out of their — the national — treasury. For the credit of the
nation the lesson of the Washington monument in that regard ought not to go
unheeded.

" Movements initiated in cities and States together in funds or quotas of funds
will result in their local application to give proper expression to local feeling.
The Grand Army of the Republic may of right claim the honor of erecting its
own monument to its leader and comrade. 1 believe it will do so. It should
be the work of the individual comrades — Posts, departments and national
headquarters acting as agencies only for gathering and caring for the contri-
butions.

"Following out the Grand Army principle of 'equality in fraternity,' the
sum to be given might be restricted to an equal amount for each. Ten cents
per capita from our 300,000 comrades would produce $30,000. Why not
provide for the erection of a statue, to be chiseled by the n ost skillful hand
attainable, that shall tell the story of the last heroic conflict as well as of his
greatest days ? " S. S. Burdett, Commandcr-in- Chiefs

In the mean time movements were set oii foot at New York,
Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati and other cities and towns to
immediately raise funds with which to pay for monuments of Gen-
eral Grant.

Shortly after death, and before the body had been surrendered to
the embalmer, a plaster cast of the face had been made by a young
sculptor named Karl Gebhardt. On the afternoon of the 29th of
July, it was fouiid that the hardening process that results from
embalming had begun, and the embalmers expressed the belief,
established by precedent, that the body would remain in its present
condition without change for at least six months. Harrison was
permitted to aid m the final preparation of the body as far as
possible. A suit of black broadcloth was placed upon the remains,
the coat being a Prince Albert. A white linen standing collar
circled the neck, and a black silk scarf was tied in a plain bow at the
throat. Harrison also adjusted a pair of low-cut patent-leather
slippers on the dead General's feet, when they had been incased in
white stockings. Gold studs were fixed in the shirt-front, and plain
gold buttons in the cuffs. When the remains had been finally
attired and placed within the casket, the double-breasted coat was
buttoned closely from top to bottom. The right hand was laid
44

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690

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

across the breast, and the left hand was disposed in an easy posi-
tion by the side.

Colonel Fred Grant at this point entered the apartrneni\ He
approached the casket where it rested beneath the black-draped
canopy, and, leaning above it some moments, studied the face of
his father in silence. Then, taking in his own the right hand of
the General, Colonel Grant placed upon the third finger a plain
gold ring, and then replaced upon the breast the still, thin hand.
Before turning away, the Colonel drew forth a small packet of
mementoes and placed them in the breast-pocket of the coat.
Having performed these last direct personal offices, Colonel Grant
retired, and those in charge dropped the heavy plate-glass top of
the casket in place, and the casket was sealed by the turning down
of sixty screws that press the glass down into its fitting, which
thus renders the casket air-tight. And so that evening the Gen-
eral's remains laid covered with an American flag. An incandes-
cent lamp shed a mellow light about the heavy canopy, and the
flag-covered casket beneath was in shadow and rest until the day
of removal. In the room and beside it the men of U. S. Grant
Post were on watch ; the members of Wheeler Post had their vigil
upon the veranda, and outside were the " regulars," who tirelessly
tramped the beaten paths over the pine needles under the trees
about the cottage.

The casket was what is called the " state style," and wa . a cloth-
covered, metallic casket. It was the finest ever made and was the
first one of its kind manufactured. It was six feet long, and the red
cedar shell was covered with the finest purple silk velvet. The frame
had heavy solid silver mountings and portals. The inside metal was
highly-polished copper and the casket opened full length, the top
being of fine French beveled plate glass. The inside trimmings
were of light cream heavy satin, tufted, and with an elegant pillow
of the same material, upon which were handsomely embroidered the
initials " U. S. G." The handles were of solid silver, made especially
from models and dies manufactured solely for them. The outside
box was red cedar, heavily lined with lead. The outside was finely
finished, with the corners and tops tastily mounted with silver
ornaments and was practically indestructible. The casket was per-
fectly air-tight and weighed three hundred pounds.

A steel case enveloped the cedar casket. It is oval in shape, air,
water and burglar- proof, and was secured by rivets. There was a
door on the end for the reception of the casket, which could resist
all attacks. It was eight feet long, three feet six inches high and
thirty-five inches wide, and was painted with a water-proof paint.

President Cleveland, at the request of Mrs. Grant, named the
following gentlemen as pall-bearers for General Grant's funeral:

J3I '.

n an easy posi-

INCIDENTS AFTER DEATH.

691

General William T. Sherman, U. S. A. ; Lieutenant-General Philip
H. Sheridan, U. S. A.; Admiral David D. Porter, U. S. N.; Vice-
Admiral Stephen C. Rowan, LJ. S. N. ; General Joseph E. Johnston,
of Virginia; General Simon B, Buckner, of Kentucky; Hamilton
Fish, of New York; George S. Boutwell, of Massachusetts; George
VV. Childs, of Pennsylvania; John A. Logan, of Illinois; George
Jones, of New York; Oliver Hoyt, of New York.

The President and the members of the Cabinet decided that they
would attend the funeral ceremonies, and the following invitation
to ex-members of his father's Cabinet was issued by Colonel Fred.

Grant :

"Mount McGregor, N. Y., July 31.
"The undersigned respectfully invites all ex-members of his father's Cabinet
to attend the obsequies, to be held on the 8th proximo, in New York. Gentle-
men accepting this invitation are respectfully requested to advise General
Hancock of their intention to be present, who will assign them appropriate
places in the procession. " Fred. Grant."

I5,;.

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all II

CHAPTER XXVII.

'>'^"'i i;

III!

IH 1 1

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a'd. «

If-

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNERAL.

The Arrangements for the Funeral — No Visitors admitted to see the Body — The Work
of the Embalmers — Disrespectful Conduct of Relic Hunters — A Letter from Simon
Cameron to Colonel Grant — A Tribute from the Governors of Arkansas, New Jer-
sey and from the Society of the Cincinnati — The Family's Farewell — Private
Services over General Grant's Remains — Sympathy from Confederate Soldiers—
Dr. Douglas' Tribute to the Dead.

Saturday, the first day of August, was a day of disappointment.
On Wednesday the remains of General Grant were exposed to the
view of the guests of the hotel and their friends, and on the fol-
lowing two days nearly all who presented themselves were ad-
mitted ; and many hundreds availed themselves of the privilege.
On Friday evening Mrs. Grant gave orders that the face of the
General should not be exposed to public view until Monday morning.
This order was literally obeyed ; even the former private secretary of
General Grant, Mr. Sniffen and the wife of Rev. Dr. Newman were
not allowed to do anything more than inspect the parlor in which
the remains were laid. On Friday night there was a thorough
inspection of the face at the suggestion of the undertaker, and
Colonel Grant expressed himself entirely satisfied with the em-
balmer's work. The leaden hue about General Grant's face was
owing largely, the undertaker said, to the unfavorable lights and
shadows of the room in which the body lay.

The real reason for Mrs. Grant's order were the reports of in-
decorous conduct of some persons who were adinitted to view the re-
mains, and to whom nothing was too sacred, and, apparently, nothing
too common, if it has the remotest connection with the life and
death of General Grant, to prevent him from putting his hands
upon and carrying" it away by stealth. The colonnade in front of
the cottage is composed of silver birch, and the marks of knives
used for cutting away the bark are to be seen on every pole. On
Saturday it was discovered that a piece of the lightning rod, that
was placed on the cottage, had been carried off, and to this fact is
traceable the very severe shock of lightning the cottage received
on Thursday evening, and which, it is surprising, did not lead to
more serious consequences. Even the drapery of the observation
car which is to receive the remains had been cut in several places,
although a military guard was placed over it.

Dr. Douglas has sustained what to him is an irreparable loss,
(692)

•*;f: fM!l"

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNERAL.

693

and it is indirectly attributable to this inordinate desire for relics.
He is the possessor of many of the leaves of the pads on which
General Grant wrote his pencil talks. In looking over his collec-
tions recently he has found out that some one has discovered a
way into the side pocket of his coat and has stolen several of the
more valuable of these interesting documents.

Among the many letters and telegrams received by Colonel
Fred Grant was the following from Simon Cameron :

Donegal Farm, Lancaster County, Pa.
To Colonel Fred D. Grant, Mt. McGregor, N. Y. — I am glad to know that
Generals Johnston, Biickner and Gordon are going to act as pall bearers with
Sherman and Sheridan. Your father's prayer for peace to his country has
been answered, and the last bitterness of the war wiped out forever.

SiMOiN Camerox.

A laurel wreath came on Saturday from Miss Schellman, of

Westminster, Md. An ebony penholder with a pen attached to

it by a white ribbon, from which a card depends upon which is

written " Let us have peace," " And to him is granted rest and

peace eternal." Opposite upon the wreath is fastened a small

golden sword and near this a card bearing these words :

" The sword and cross are both laid down,
Our hero wears the victor's crown."

Colonel and Mrs. Grant on Saturday entered the parlor together.
The bodyguard at once withdrew, and the two were alone with the
remains for nearly half an hour. Mrs. Grant is employed a por-
tion of her time in draping what all through his long illness was.
called " the General's easy chair." It is the huge leather-covered;
chair in which he rested and slept. It was brought with him when,
lie came to Mt. McGregor and will be jealously treasured by the
family.

Governor Abbett, of New Jersey, issued the following proclama-
tion:

General Ulysses S. Grant died on the morning of the 23d day of July. A.
nation mourns the loss of an illustrious soldier, whose history is written in
the hearts of the people. Gratitude and affection will rear a monument, the
grandeur of which will be a fitting tribute to the hero who lies beneath, but
his eternal monument will be the Union of States preserved through his genius
and the bravery of his comrades. The most glorious tribute paid to his
memory will be the lovt and sorrow of fifty millions of freemen. When the
dust of ages shall cover v -ith forgetfulness the name and history of his brave
comrades, there will still st^.nd in the march of the centuries, clear and bright,
the name and fame of U. L. Grant, the victorious leader of the Union armies.

On behalf of the people of this State I deemed it proper immediately upon
his demise to drape the public buildings in mourning, order our flags at half-
mast and telegraph to his family the profound sorrow and sympathy of our
people. I have waited until the time and place of his funeral were determined
upon and the arrangements therefore so far perfected as to enable me to
take further action. All the regiments and battalions of the National Guard
of the State have expressed their desire to parade in the funeral procession.

I ,

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694

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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The Grand Army of the Republic in this State, under its department com-
mander, will form part of the mighty array of mourners that will follow the
remains of the hero to his grave.

The Governor and staff, the State officers and a committee of the Senate
and General Assembly will accompanv the remains to their final resting
ulace. I deem it proper to set apart the day of the funeral for services in
honor of the deceased. In taking this action I give expression to the wishes
of all of the citizens of the State.

Therefore I, Leon Abbett, Governor of New Jersey, do hereby direct that on
Saturday, the 8th day of August, all public buildings shall be closed and
draped m mourning, and I earnestly request all our citizens to desist from all
worldly employment and devote the day to appropriate religious services and
such other demonstrations of sorrow and respect as are fitting to the occasion
and to the memory of the illustrious dead.

Given under my hand and privy seal at Trenton, August i, 1885.

Leon Abbett, Governor.

Governor Cameron, of Virginia, issued the following proclama-
tion :

" Whereas, By the death of General U. S. Grant, the country is railed
upon to mourn the loss of an illustrious citizen, whose deeds have made him
famous throughout the world, and whose generosity in a memorable crisis of
the fortunes of this State has left an indelible impression on the hearts of our
people, and as it is becoming that, in common with our fellow-citizens of the
Republic, Virginians should mark their sense of the National loss, and pay
their tribute of respect to the memory of the ex-President and great commander
of the United States armies; therefore it is ordered

" That, on Saturday next, the 8th instant, the day appointed for the funeral
of General U. S. Grant, ail public otifices of the State be closed ; that the flags
of the capitol be displayed at half-mast, and that, from sunrise to sunset, guns
be fired every half hour from the Capitol Square. Citizens throughout the
Commonwealth "are requested to observe the solemn occasion by religious ser-
vices or other approptiate ceremonies."

Governor Stockley, of Delaware, issued the following proclama-
tion :

" In recognition of the universal sorrow at the death of General Ulysses S.
Grant, I recommend our citizens to cease from ordinary business pursuits on
Saturday, August 8th, and unite in testifying their respect for the eminent ser-
vices rendered by the illustrious soldier and citizen, and direct that the National
flag be displayed from the capitol at half-mast."

The following telegraphic correspondence passed between Fitz

Hugh Lee and General Hancock :

Governor's Island, N. Y., August 2.
General Fitzhugh Lee, Alexandria, Va. : — Would it be agreeable to you to be
appointed an aide on the occasion of the ceremonies in connection with the
obsequies of General Grant ? If it would you will be so announced. Please
reply by telegraph. W. S. Hancock, Major-General."

Alexandria, Va., August 3.
General W. S. Hancock, Mt. McGregor, N. Y. : — Your telegram received,
I accept the position, because by so doing I can testify my respect for the
memory of a great soldier, and thus return, as far as I can, the generous feel-
ings he has expressed towards the soldiers of the South. Fitzhugh Lee.'

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNERAL.

695

wing proclama-

owing proclama-

ed between Fitz

At a meeting of the Tammany Society, the following resolution
was adopted :

" The soldier of our age has fallen. The Tammany Society, or Columbian
Order of the city of New York, in common with the rest of his countrymen,
mourn his loss. Therefore,

" Resolved, That in the death of Ulysses S. Grant the Union has sustained
the loss of a smcere and devoted friend, whose life was constantly exposed for
years in his labors to preserve its integrity, and whose magnanimity and kind-
ness to those who opposed him on battle-fields did much to assuage the bitter-
ness remaining after a stoutly contested civil war. From Appomattox dates
the end of sectionalism. Thenceforward healing from sectional wounds has
gradually obliterated the marked divisions between the North and South, and
no man did so much to bring about the result as Ulysses S. Grant, the soldier
and President. To-day the Unionists and the Confederates are united in the
universal sorrow which all citizens feel at his death, and join hands over his
bier in one sacred pledge of devotion to the principles and the Union to which
his life was earnestly devoted."

Governor Hughes, of Arkansas, on Saturday, issued ths following
proclamation :

" The death of General Grant, the brave soldier, the great civilian and un-
pretentious citizen, has caused universal sorrow at home and abroad. Those
who followed the flag of the Union in the contest in which his fame as a soldiei
was won and those who were the recipients of the liberal and magnanimous
terms granted by him at Appomattox will cherish his memory and mingle their
teais over his bier. His memory i' dear to all classes of his countrymen.

" Through respect to his memory, and in consideration of the universal sor-
row at his demise, it is hereby ordered that all offices of the several departments
of the State government be closed on Saturday, August 8, from half-past ten
o'clock A. M., and that the flag upon the Capitol be displayed at half-mast.
And it is recommended that citizens generally suspend business and attend the
funeral services and ceremonies on that day. S. P. Hughes, Governor."

General Grant was an honored member of the Society of the
Cincinnati, having been elected to membership about twenty years
ago. By his death the privileges of membership, which are
hereditary, descend upon the eldest son. Colonel Fred. Grant, if he
chooses to accept them. The following circular letter was received
by Secretary General Major Asa Bird Gardner, of New York, with
instructions to forward a copy to each of the State societies, viz : —
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Maryland and South Carolina:

" No official notice is needed to inform the Society of the Cincinnati of the
loss they have sustained in the death of their distinguished fellow-member.
General U. S. Grant. Words cannot add to the world-wide appreciation of the
greatness of the character of our dear associate.

" The Society of the Cincinra'ti, having a national grief, will ever cherish
the name and memory of the great soldier and statesman.

" Members will wear the usual badge of mourning.

" Hamilton Fish, President General."

The badge of mourning of the society is crape worn upon the
left arm for thirty days. On the occasion of the obsequies on the

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696

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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8th, the order was represented L»y an official delegation from the
New York society. At the head of the column was borneabanm r
presented to the society in 1786 by Baron Steuben, its president at
that time. A feature of the society is the extremely long terms of
office to which members are elected. Hamilton Fish has officiutcd
as president general since 1856. Major Gardner, the sixth secre-
tary general in the course of the past one hundred years, was
elected in May, 1884.

The interesting event of Sunday at Mt. McGregor has been a
family service of prayer at the Grant cottage. This was the last
Sunday that the family would be together with the remains of the
General, and Mrs. Grant desired it should be taken advantage of
and solemnized in this way. Through the coming week the nation
will demand the privilege of carrying the dead. When Dr. Newman
came Mrs. Grant asked him to be with the family while they gath-
ered in the cottage parlor to say their farewell. Thus it was that
about two o'clock Mrs. Grant and her daughter and three sons and
their wives wore in the room with the dead. Dr. Newman and
wife came as wel' and lastly entered little Julia, the General's
granddaughter, th child of Colonel Grant.

The fami y surrounded the catafalque, beneath which was the
calm, peaceful face of the General. Mrs. Grant from a table
brought her dead husband's Bible, which she opened and passed
to Mrs. Newman, who handed it to Dr. Newman. When the
minister had adjusted his glasses he found that the book was
opened at the eleventh chapter of Job. The chapter was re.id and
then the clergyman re-read with tender emphasis the sixteenth to
the nineteenth verses:

Because thou shaft forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass
away.

And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shaft shine forth,
thou shalt be as the morning.

And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about
thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid ; yea, many shall
make suit unto thee.

There was a slight pause, and then Dr. Newman bowed for
prayer and each one present knelt down, and the silent member of
the group, who lay in the shadow, was thus surrounded. The little
girl of eight years seemed to appreciate the moment and also knelt
silently beside her father and mother. Then the guards having
withdrawn to the grove beyond hearing, a prayer of gratitude was
ofifered up — gratitude for the beautiful character of the silent one
and the influence it should exert upon all lives. There were in the
prayer solemn vows to follow the example of the General in all his
virtuous ways, and the supplication closed with an appeal for divine

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNERAL.

697

assistance and an expression of hope of a reunion. After this the
entire family, there alone with their pastor, entered with him into a
religious conversation, and then each and all dwelt upon reminis-
cences recalled of the (jeneral's last sickness. And so, alter an
hour, the little group arose and the last Sabbath service of the
family with their dead was at an end.

Outside ui<^ cottage there was a great contrast to the quietness
that prevailed within. All the railroad trains had been heavily
laden with visitors from Saratoga and its neighborhood and from
more distant places. The day was perfect as far as weather was
concerned — sunny, but pleasantly cool; so cool, indeed, in the
latter part of the afternoon as to render necessary the lighting of a
log fire in the vestibule of the hotel.

There was another examination of the body on Sunday by the
embalmers in the presence of Dr. Douglas, and it was unanimously
conceded that the discoloration that presented itself a few days ago
on the features is increasing rather than diminishing.

At an impressive meeting of Confederate officers and soldiers
held at San Francisco, on the 2d day of August, to take action on
General Grant's death, the following nine Southern States were
represented: — Virginia, Missouri, Maryland, Georgia, I^ouisiana,
Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. Major C.
D. Wheat, of Virginia, chairman of the meeting, expressed the
sense of the meeting in the following words. He said they had
assembled to do honor to a gallant soldier and patriot in the
brightest .sense of the terms. General Grant had been their enemy,
their crushing foe, it was true, but in the hours of his victory he
had proved himself their best friend and most generous benefactor.
Hating him once, they now remembered him with gratitude, and in
tiiis hour of national sorrow came together as citizens of a united
country to honor the dead hero of their dear and common mother-
land.

To-day Dr. Douglas wrote his first letter since General Grant's
death. In it there is such a touching tribute to General Grant that I
have begged it from the doctor for publication. This letter con-
tains a more eloquent tribute to the character of Grant than will be
found in the more elaborate and pretentious eulogies. It reads:

"Mt. McGregor, Hotel Balmoral, N. Y.,

August 2, 1885.
"My dear sister: This is the first day I have felt able to write for a long time.
1 have had a long and trying time, and was on the edge of an abrupt break
when the death of my patient ended my vigils. It is three full months since I
had a continuous night's sleep. My head was dizzy and my step very falter-
ing. Mv work is ended and I have now only to follow to the grave the man I
loved and for whom I have devoted my life these many months. I could not
cure him, but I could by close and continuous care alleviate his sufferings and

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

possibly prolong his life. That I think I have done. I am contented. I ^0
from here on Tuesday with all that remains of my patient and my fnond, und
expect to keep close to him until he is deposited in his tomb. Nine niomlis of
close attention to him have only endeared him to me. I have learned 10 kiKiW
him as few only can know him. The world can know him as a j^reat gciicril,
as a successful politician, but I know him as a patient, self-sacrilicing, ^cntli.'
quiet, uncomplaining sufferer, looking death calmly in the face and roiiiitin};
almost the hours he had to live, and those hours were studied by him tint he
might contribute something of benefit to some other fellow-sufferer. II l:e
was great in his life he was even greater in his death. Noi a murmur, not ,1
moan, nor a sigh, from first to last. He died as he had lived, a true man. My
heart and thoughts are too full to write more now. Affectionately, your
brother. "John."

Informal visits of condolence were paid the Grant family this
afternoon by ex-Postmaster-General Creswell and .vife and cx-
Assistant Sectetary of the Interior Gorham. The embalmers have
been busily engaged with the body during the entire evenin<^.
They will use coloring substances if neces.sary in order to have the
face present a good appearance. Dr. Douglas says the countenance
looks better than ever. He believes the glass lid causes the dark
reflection on the features. He states that the embalming could not
have been improved.

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CHAPTER XXVIII.

REV. DR. NEWMAN'S ELOQUENT SERMON.,
Simple but Impressive Service at Mount McGregor — Sermon of Rev. Dr. Newman.

General Hancock and hi.s staff on Monday proceeded to Mt.
McGregor, to take charge of the obsequies. He arrived there on a
special train from Saratoga at 11.45. Bt-'forc leaving the train, he
issued instructions that no salute should be fired in his honor by
the artillery stationed there.

The General marched at the head of his staff up the slope to the
cottage. At the foot of the balcony he was met by Colonel Fred.
Grant, with his hat off. The General took oiT his hat in return
and entered the cottage. Half an hour later the doors were thrown
open to the general [jublic.

With the exception of the military feature, General Grant's
funeral at Mt. McGregor was such as might have been the
funeral of any leading citizen of a country town.

The cannon began to boom at sunrise, and the guns were fired at
intervals during the morning.

The door leading into the room where General Grant's body was
lying was left open. From it came the odor of freshly gathered
flowers. A great bowl of purple, red, pink and white pond lilies,
the gift of Mrs. James Arkell, with the various floral offerings of
Senator Stanford d ;everal Grand Army Posts stood out against
the backgrr md of tl r deeply shaded room. Just at the left of the
door outsiu w/'s ■ li tie stand covered with a silk star-spangled
bann'^r tri invicd wi' • black. Upon this flag rested a Bible. In
front r-r i,o cotts the two companies of infantry and artillery
were sictiu^n^jd.

The blue and white uniforms of the infantry stood out in the
shadows of the trees, while the red and blue uniforms of the artil-
lery were picked out by the sun, making blazing patches of color
against the background of green behind them. Upon the porch,
at the right of the preacher's desk, was a group of brilliantly-uni-
formed artillery officers.

Three or four artillery sergeants, with swords drawn, cleared an
open space in front of the orator's desk, and then stood still, as so
many wooden men, during the hour and twenty-five minutes occu-
pied by the discourse.

Just before ten o'clock a group of Grand Army men, numbering

(699)

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ten, the representatives of the Brooklyn Post, headed a little pro-
cession from the hotel. They were in full uniform, and walked up
the porch with heads uncovered. Behind them came Dr. Newman,
leaning upon the arm of Bishop Harris. Behind them came Dr.
Douglas and the Rev. Mr. Agnew! These four last-named gen-
tlemen wore great white sashes, caught with black and white
rosettes upon their right shoulders. They took seats at the right
of the speaker's stand. At precisely ten o'clock the services be-
gan. The members of the Grant family did not make their
appearance, but remained in the room where the dead General was
lying. After the funeral service they retired to the private rooms
of the house and were only seen when it was time for the train to
depart. The Rev. Dr. Agnew, a tall, spare man, with high fore-
head and partly bald, opened the exercises by reading clearly and
distinctly the ninetieth Psalm. The reading was occasionally in-
terrupted by the booming of the cannon. Then there was a
prayer by Bishop Harris, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of
New York. At the close he repeated the Lord's Prayer, the
audience joining with him.

Mr. Camp, the well-known choir leader, came to the front hold-
ing a roll of music in his black gloved hand, and nervously
beckoned to a group of ladies who were in front. They were the
soprani, Miss Whitney, of Boston ; Miss F^annie Ropes, of Brooklyn,
and Miss CaJlader, of Brooklyn ; contralti, Mrs. Dr. Douglas and
Mrs. Chapman ; tenor, J. R. Whitney ; bass, Hermann Biisch.
They took their positions about Mr. Camp and sang the hymn,
" My Faith Looks up to Thee." A number of the country members
of the audience joined in the singing. The music sounded well
in the open air. A fresh breeze was then beginning to blow so
that the music was heard distinctily at the station, nearly three
hundred feet away.

After this Dr. Newman arose to begin his discourse. He was
dressed in a close-fitting frock suit of dark cloth, with a huge
white tie tied in a wide bow under his double smooth-shaven
chin. He held a mass of manuscript in his hands as he explained
the object of bis discourse. He told in a word what he was going to
say, and then he began to read from his manuscript. Dr. New-
man's discourse was a pleasant surprise to many, as it con-
tained many interesting things, for he was able to give for the
first time a number of new writings of General Grant. Dr. New-
man's recital of the farewell to Mrs. Grant, found in the Gen'=?rars
pocket after his death and written secretly two weeks before that
event, was a most interesting part of the discourse.

Dr. Newman preached from the text :

" Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord." — Matthew xxv. 21.

DR. NEWMAN S SERMON.

"01

)urse. He was

nto the joy of thy

** Some comrade in arms," he said, " shall speak of the splendor
of his martial genius ; some statesman shall review the majesty of
his civil administration ; some historian shall place him on the ped-
estal of his renown, but let me, as the minister of religion, dwell
upon that great character which will ever be his crown of glory and
the imperishable heritage of the country he loved so well.

" You have seen him in the fury of battle, in the glory of victory,
in the chair of state ; you have seen him the guest of the world,
honored by crowned heads and sceptred hands, by renowned war-
riors and eminent statesmen, by foremost scholars and adoring peo-
ples ; you have seen him in the quiet of private life, undistinguished
from his fellow-men other than by those virtues which made him
conspicuous and by that fame which came from honorable deeds ;
you have seen him in the sorrow of misfortune, such as has often
come to the best and wisest financiers in the world ; you have seen
him in the suffering of the sick room through nine weary months,
enduring the indescribable tortures of a malignant disease and that
without a murmur ; and to day you see him in the repose of death
in the undisturbed sleep of the just. And could you rend the veil
that obscures our mortal vision, you would see him in his better
form of immortality, with all his mighty faculties in full play, un-
changed in his individuality, the same calm, earnest, sincere soul,
purified and exalted and intent on the realities of his better life.

" Shall we inquire why the land is filled with lamentation from
the savannas ot the South to the snow-capped hills of the North,
and from where the Atlantic moans along its ancient coast to where
the Pacific sobs on its golden shore ; why poets lament, orators de-
plore, editors deprecate and ministers turn to the Unseen for conso-
lation ; why kingdoms and empires, and republics stand with our
great nation as chief mourners around this bier?

" Who is dead ? Oh ! ye sobbing winds of Mt. McGregor
that fanned his brow, tell it not. Whisper it not, ye mountain pines
that shaded his form. And keep ye silent. Oh ! ye summer skies
of love and beauty that smiled upon him.

" And what were the elements of that character, so unique,
symmetrical and now immortal ? God had endowed him with an
extraordinary intellect. For forty years he was hidden in com-
parative obscurity, giving no indications of his wondrous capacity;
but in those four decades he was maturing, and at the appointed
time God lifted the veil of obscurity, called upon him to save a
nation and give a new direction to the civilization of the world.
How calm his judgment, how clean and quick and accurate his
imagination, how vast and tenacious his memory ! Reason was
his dominant faculty. He was a natural logician. He could de-
scend to the smallest details and rise to the highest generalizations.

702

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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His wonderful understanding was like the tent in story ; fold it
and it was a toy in the hand of a child, spread it and the nii^dity
armies of a republic could repose in its shade. He could comprehend
a continent with greater ease than others could master an island.
Under his vast and comprehensive plans a continent shook with
the tramp of advancing armies. As out of some immense mental
reservoir there came a fertility of resources displayed in a hundred
battles, in the greatest emergencies and in a threefold campai<^n
carried forward at the same time without confusion, and each the
part of one stupendous whole. The grandest campaigns are often
defeats, the most brilliant plans are unconsummated, the most
vvished-for opportunities are unrealized, because baffled by the
unexpected at the very moment of expected fulfillment. But he
appeared greatest in the presence of the unforeseen. Then came
an inspiration as resistless as the march of a whirlwind, as when
on the second night of the battle of the Wilderness, when he
changed the entire front of the line of battle, and quietly said in
response to a messenger, ' If Lee is in my rear, I am in his.' This
man, pre-eminent by the happy combination of both nature and
Providence, rose superior in the supreme moment, forced all
things to do his bidding, and, like another Joshua, could have
commanded sun and moon to stand still to illuminate his final path
to victory. He imparted to all his own spirit and all things be-
came possible to his faith. The nation felt her mighty change,
and the rebellion went down beneath the power of o:ie master
mind. He was the logician of war. He conquered by logic. He
reasoned out his victories. In all the annals of war there is no
such splendid reasoning on the certainty of results. Others have
conquered by the superiority of material force, but he by the supe-
riority of mind over mind. Alas ! alas ! that he can no longer
think for us.

" From this better nature and higher mission as a warrior sprang
his conduct toward the vanquished. He had no hatred in his heart.
His heart was as tender as a woman's. He was not vindictive.
His holy evangel to the nation was : ' Let us have peace.' Hence,
toward the close of the war, those who had fought against him saw
chat there was no safety but in the arms of their conqueror. In his
dying chamber he grasped the hand of him whose sword was the
first he had won, and said : ' I have witnessed since my sickness
just what I wished to see ever since the war, harmony and good
feeling between the sections.' On Holy Easter he sent forth this
tender message : ' I desire the good will of all, whether hitherto
my friends or not.' His was the song of the angels : ' On earth
peace, good will toward men.'

" This has been the softening ministry of his sufferings to his

i !)

DR. NEWMAN S SERMON.

703

countrymen. God permitted him to see this glorious consumma-
tion. Our sorrow is national in the broadest sense. And to-day,
where the magnolia blooms and the palmetto grows, the ' men in
gray ' weep as over the death of their best friend. And had he
lived to see a foreign foe invade our shores North and South would
have chosen him to lead us to defend our liberty.

" The time will come when men everywhere will recognize the
greatness and beneficence of his administration as President of the
United States. When the memories of party strife shall have been
forgotten ; when the disappointed aspirations for office shall have
ceased to fester ; when the rivals for place and power are no more :
then, as comes the sun from the mist of the morning, so shall his
administration appear in greatest splendor. Great and beneficent as
were his measures of reconstruct on, amendments to the constitu-
tion, of finance, of the improvement of the laboring classes, of the
just treatment of the Indians, of the elevation of the freedmen, of
the promotion of education, and of the concessions he compelled
foreign powers to make, yet, in the interest of universal peace, in
the ultimate recognition of the brotherhood of nations, in the ad-
vancement of Christian civilization in all the earth, the Treaty of
Washington will be esteemed of immeasurable grandeur and be-
neficence, not to be estimated by millions of dollars, but by the pos-
sibility and prophecy that all international disputes may be adjusted
by peaceful arbitration, when nations shall learn war no more. Such
was his dream of the future, expressed to the International Arbitra-
tion Union in Birmingham, England, when he said: ' Nothing would
afford me greater happiness than to know, as I believe will be the
case, that at some future day the nations of the earth will agree
upon some sort of congress which shall take cognizance of inter-
national questions of difficulty, and whose decisions will be as bind-
ing as the decision of our Supreme Court is binding upon us.'

"And whether in camp or Cabinet, in private or public, at home or
abroad, how pure and commendable his moral character ! Life in
the camp has proved ruinous to the morals of the greatest of war-
riors. The excitement of a life devoted to arms, the scenes of ex-
cess and plunder to which a soldier is exposed, the absence of the
restraints of home and Church, tend to the worst of passions and to
the corruption of the best morals. But here in the presence of the
dead, whose ears are forever deaf to our praise or censure, let it be
our grateful duty to record that after five years in camp and field he
returned to his home without a stain upon his character. Among
ancient or modern warriors where shall we find his superior in moral
elevation ? Given to no excess himself, he sternly rebuked it in oth-
ers. He never took the name of his Creator in vain, and an im-
pure story never polluted his lips. He assured me, as his pastor,

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704

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

that were he disposed to swear he would be compelled to pause to
phrase the sentence. Such was the purity of his thought-life that
he has been seen to blush and withdraw from the companionship of
those who had presumed to relate a salacious story in his pre-
sence.

" His sense of justice was equalled only by his love of truth. He
preferred honor to wealth and poverty to riches not his own. Oh,
Americans, think of the pride of your nation, the glory of youra^re
and the object of the world's admiration, having notliing to bequeath
to those he loved, save his good name, and that heaven admitted to
probate without the whisper of contention. When restored to the
army as General and retired on full pay he was deeply touched ; and
taking the wife of his youth by the hand he read the telegram
which announced the fact, while, more eloquent than words, tears of
gratitude to the nation he loved moistened those cheeks never
blanched with fear.

" Grant was not a stoic, insensible alike to pain and pleasure, in-
different to public opinion or careless about his honor or his ri hts.
He loved the praise of men, when the reward of honorable action.
He was a sensitive, high-spirited, manly man, who had the will and
the courage to contend to the last for what was his due. If he re-
viled not when reviled, he accepted the divine philosophy that a
* soft answer turneth away wrath.' If he was patient under misrep-
resentation, he trusted him who said, ' Vengeance is mine ; I will
repay, saith the Lord.' Was he silent under reproach ? He prefer-
red the greater satisfaction of the reversion of public opinion. Only
those permitted to hear the whispers of his sensitive heart knew the
grief and anguish he experienced when maligned by ignorance,
prejudice and disappointed aspirants. He had meekness, but it was
not the base surrender of self-respect. His indignation could burn
like a mountain on fire, but he never permitted himself to be con-
sumed by its volcanic eruptions. He knew his enemies and treated
them with a withering silence that has passed into a proverb. He
knew his friends and true to his knightly soul, supported them in
' good report and evil.' But he was never the companion of bad
men ; and when he discovered in a pretended friend deception, or
dishonesty, or immorality, he shook him off as Christ rejected Ju-
das. He discerned charity with the precision of a seer. His great
subordinates are in proof His chief associates in the affairs of
State are illustrations. And the n^^rvcl of tii:; ages will be that
through a long and responsible pub I if c ireer he w.^s so seldom de*
ceived when on the highest au*:hority it is said : ' catan himself is
transformed into an angel of light ' to '' i- mv ' the very elect. It
has been the ill-fortune of the best and wisest of men, from Moses
to David, from David to Paul, from Paul to i.u.'her, to be deceived

DR. NEWMAN S SERMON.

705

by pretended friends. Cnesar had his Brutus. Washington had h'S
Arnold. Christ had his Judus.

" Oh ! great soul, forgive our impatience ; forget our lack of con-
fidence ; blot from thy memory our cruel censures. Thod wert
wiser and kindlier and better than we. We did it in the ardor of
our patriotism and in our love of liberty. And from the serene
heavens into which thou hast gone, join our song as we praise that
God who gave thee the victory and us a redeemed nation.

" The martyrs of one age are the prophets of the next. Fame
succeeds defamation. Time changes all things. Washington en-
dured alike o'deal. His Neutrality Proclamation touching the war
between France and England and his treaty with England gave
mortal offense. His action was denounced in Philadelphia, New
York and Boston. His mock funeral was enacted in Philadelphia.
The treaty was burned in public squares. His character was as-
persed. He was declared destitute of merit as a statesman. He
was charged with having violated the Constitution ; with having
drawn from the public treasury for his private use, and his impeach-
ment was publicly suggested. Time has changed the verdict of the
people. He is now enthroned in the hearts of his countrymen ;
and so shall his illustrious successor forever dwell in the grateful
affections of the American people.

" And where, in all the annals of our national life, shall we find
another, save the sage of Mount Vernon, who was so truly a typi-
cal American ? Is it true that his personal qualities were not
brilliant ; that his salient points were not conspicuous ; that in run-
ning parallels between him and other men of fame, a feeling of dis-
appointment is experienced because there is not on the surface some
prodigious element of power and greatness ? Yet he had this double
advantage over all this world's heroes — he possessed the solid vir-
tues of true greatness in a larger degree than other men of renown
and possessed them in greater harinony of proportions. Some
heroes have been men of singular virtue in particular lines of con-
duct, but this foremost American possessed all these and other vir-
tues in happy combination, not like single gems brilliant by isola-
tion, but like jewels in a crown of glory united by the golden band
of a complete character. What humility amid such admiration ;
what meekness amid such provocation ; what fidelity amid such
temptations ; what contentment amid such adversity ; what sincerity
amid such deception ; what ' Faith. Hope and Charity' amid such
suffering! Temperate without austerity; cautious without fear;
brave without rashness ; serious without melancholy ; cheerful with-
out frivolity. His constancy was not obstinacy ; his adaptation was
liot fickleness; his hopefulness was not Utopian, His love of jus-
tice was equalled only by his delight in compassion, and neither was
45

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706

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

sacrificjd to the other. His self-advancement was subordinated to
the puljlic good. His integrity was never questioned ; his honesty
was above suspicion ; his private life and public career were at once
reputable to himself and honorable to his country.

"As he was the typical American, should we be surprised to find
his was the typical American home ? May we lift the curtain and
look upon the holy privacy of that once unbroken household ? Oh !
the mutual and reciprocal love of wedded life within those sacred
precincts. Husband and wife the happy supplement of each other,
their characters blending in sweetest harmony, like the blended col-
ors in the bow of promise. He, strength, dignity and courage;
she, gentleness grace and purity. He. the Doric column to sustain ;
she, the Corinthian column to beautify. Hj. the oak to support;
she, the ivy to entwine. In their life of deathless love, their hap-
piness lay like an ocean of pearls and diamonds in the embrace of
the future. He, unhappy without her presence; she, desolate with-
out his society. She, pure, high minded, discriminating. ardiMit,
loving, intelligent ; he confided to her his innermost soul and blessed
her with his best and unfailing love. She shared his trials and his
triumphs, his sorrows and his joys, his toils and his rewards. How
tender was tl.at scene in the early dawn of that April day, when all
thought the long expected end had come ; he gave her his watch
and tenderly caressed her hand. It was all the great soldier had to
give to the wife of his youth. And the dying hero whispered; 'I
did not have you wait upon nie, because I knew it would distress
you; but now the end draws nigh.' And out from the ' swellings
of Jordan' he rushed back to the shore of life to write this tender
message to his son : 'Wherever I am buried, promise me tha*" \our
mother shall be buried by my side.* It is all a wife could ask ; it
is all a husband could wish. Lovely and pleasant in their lives, ana
in their death they shall not be divided. Side by side they shall
sleco in the same tomb and she shall share with him whatever hom-
age future ages shall pay at his national shrine. It was his love for
her that lifted his intellect above the ceaseless tortures of a malig-
nant disease and threw oblivion over the sense of excruciating pain,
that he might write his * Personal Memoirs,.' that she should not
want when he was gone.

" And how tender was his care. He thought not of himself, but
of he;. To his son he said : ' I hope moth .r will bear up bravely.'
To quiet her anxiety he wrote : ' Do as I do ; take it quietly. I give
myself not th*: least concern. If I knew the end was to be to-mor-
»*ow, I would try }v ^i as hard to get rest in the meantime.' Would
she keep holy vigils through the livelong night? He wrote her:
' Go ♦■o sleep and feel happy ; that is what i want to do, and am
going to try for. I am liappy when out of pain. Consider how
happy you ought to be. Good night ! '

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DR. NEWMAN S SERMON.

707

" Did she seek to diverc his mind from his sufferings by recalling
the victories of the past ? He replied : ' This is the anniversary of
the battle of Vicksburg, that is a fact. I had not thought of it be-
fore. It has been an important anniversary to us on two other oc-
casions — one when our only daughter was born, and subsequently
to Vicksburg, when we had a grandson born on that day,'

" Was hers a laudable desire that the forthcoming Memoirs should
be inscribed to her? Yet she surrendered her claim to the magna-
nimity that inspired '^im to write : ' It is a great deal better that it
should be dedicated as it is. I made what reputation I have as a
soldier. The troops engaged on both sides are yet living. As it
is, the dedication is to those we fought against as well as those we
foufjht with. It may serve a purpose in restoring harmony. If it
doe.;, it is of more importance than to gratify a little vanity. You
will die ; it is hoped the book will live. After you and the soldiers
who fought are all gone the dedication will have more value than
now.'

" And such was the tenderness of his love and solicitude for her
and hers he surprised her by a letter found after his death. It came
as a message to her from him after he had gone. When his spirit
had returned to the God who gave it there was found secreted in
his robe his last letter to her, enveloped, sealed and addressed. He
had written it betimes, written it secretly, and carried the sacred
missive day after day during fourteen days, knowing that she would
find it at last. In it he poured forth his soul in love for her and
solicitude for taeir children :

" Look after our dear children and direct them in the paths of rectitude. It
would distress me far more to think that one of them could depart from an
honorable, upright and virtuous life than it would to know that they were pros-
trated on a bed of sickness, from which they were never to arise alive. They
hiive never given us any caubC for alarm on their account, and I earnestly
pray they never will,

" With these few injunctions and the knowledge I have of your love and
affection, and of the dutiful affection of all our children, I bid you a final fare-
well until we meet in another and, I trust, a better world. You will find this
on mv person after my demise,

" Mt, McGregor, July 9, 1885,

" If such was his character, such hi:' life, such his home, what
were the consolations that sustained him in sickness and cheered him
in death ? Was life to him a ' v/alking shadow ' and death an endless
droain ? Was his calmness in suffering bom of stoical philosophy
or inspired by Christian fortitude ? Were his love and hope
limited by earth and time or destined to live forever? Reared in
the Methodist Episcopal Church and baptized in his last illness by
one of her ministers, his religious nature was sincere, calm and
steadfast. The principles of Christianity were deeply engrafted

'i' : : r I

■} V,

GRANT.

upon his spirit. Firm but never demonstrative, he was not a ninn
of religious pretense. Mis life was his profession. He knew that
Christianity had nothing to gain from him beyond the influence of
a ' well-ordered life and a godly conversation,' but that he liad
everything to gain from the power and promises of our Lord.
More than in all things else he was taciturn touching his religious
faith and experience, not, however, from doubt and fear, but from
mental characteristics. The keenest, closest, broadest of all ob-
servers, he was the most silent of men. He lived within himself
His thought life was most intense. His memory and imagination
were picture galleries of the world and libraries of tn isurcil
thought. He was a world to himself. His most intimate friends
knew him only in part. He was fully and best known only to the
wife of his bosom and the children of his loins. To them the man
of iron will and nerve of steel was gentle, tender and confiding, and
to them he unfolded bis beautiful religious life.

" On the 1 8th of April he said to me : ' I believe in the Holy
Scriptures, and who so lives by them will be benefited thereby;
men may differ as to the interpretation, which is human ; but the
Scriptures are man's best guide.' He revered their source, recog-
nized their influence, responded to their requisitions, trusted in
their promises and fourd consolation in their hopes. His faith in
God as the Sovereign Ruler and the Father Almighty was simj)lc
as a child's and mighty as a prophet's. Doing nothing for show,
yet he made public recognition of God by his faithful and conscien-
tious attendance upon divine worship. No public man heard more
sermons than he, and he was the best of hearers. Whether in the
obscurity of Galena, or in the conspicuousness of Washington, or in
the private walks of life in New York, he was in his pew on the
Lord's Day. And his pastor was always sure of his presence on a
stormy Sabbath. His faithful attendance at church was largely in-
spired by his respect for the Sabbath Day. On Monday, April :o,
he said to me : ' I did not go riding yesterday, although invited and
permitted by my physicians, because it was the Lord's Day, and
because I felt that if a relapse should set in the people who are
praying for me would feel that I was not helping their faith by rid-
ing out on Sunday.' And on a .Saturday night, to divert his atten-
tion from pain and uneasiness, his eldest son suggested some inno-
cent diversion, but when informed that it was near midnicjht the
honored father replied : ' It is too near the Sabbath to begin any
diversion.'

" He was a man of prayer. It was on Sabbath evening, l\Iarc!i
22, when alone with Mrs. Grant, that his pastor entered, and the
General with tenderest appreciation and gratitude referred to the
many prayers offered for him and mentioned societies and httle

DR. NEWMAN S SERMON.

709

d confidiii", aiu

children who had promised to pray for him daily ; and then, in
answer to his minister's suggestion that we should join that univer-
sal prayer, he replied with emphasis, ' Yes ; ' and at the conclusion
of our supplication the illustrious invalid responded, ' Amen! "
That amen by that silent man was more significant than volumes by
others. But it was his custom and habit to call to prayers. On
March 27, late in the evening, he requested all to enter his room
for devotions, and made a special request for the presence of his
'beloved physician ' and his friend Romero. And on this mount,
to be hereafter hallowed ground, and where his monument shall
rise, in grandeur, he said to an honored priest of another church :

" I know and feel very grateful to the Christian people of the land for their
prayers on my behalf. There is no sect or religion as shown in the Old or
New Testaments to which this does not apply. Catholics, Protestants and
Jews, and all the good people of all nations, of all politics as well as religions
and all nationalities, seem to have united in wii-hing or praying for my im-
provement. I am a great sufferer all the time, but the facts you have related
are compensation for much of it. All that I can do is to pray that the prayers
of all these good people may be answered so far as to have us meet in another
and d better world.

" U. S. Grant.

"Julys, 1885.

" He was not a bigot. Bigotry was no part of his noble and
generous nature. While he demanded religion as the safeguard of
a free people, he accorded to all the largest freedom of faith and
worship. He was without prejudice; he claimed that public educa-
tion should be non-sectarian, but not non-religious. His Des
Moines public speech on education was not against the Roman
Catholic Church but against ignorance and superstition. The order
issued during the War excluding certain Jewish traders from a
given military district did not originate with him but came from
higher authority, and was not against the religion of the Jews.

" Strangers might regard him indifferent to the needy, yet the
poor will rise up and call him blessed. Many were the pensioners
on his kindly bounty. He gave his goods to feed the poor. While
President he heard his pastor, on ' Active Christianity,' and in the
discourse mention was made of a soldier's widow, sick and poor,
and of a blind man in pressing want. He had just reached the
White House, when he sent me back this card with the money :
'Please give $10 to the blind man and Sio to the soldier's widow.'
On a Christmas eve he wrote me thus :

" Executive Mansion, Dec. 24, 1869.
" Dear Doctor : Please find inclosed my check for $100, for distribution
among the poor, and don't forget • the Ragged Schools ' on the Island. Yours
truly,

, i, . "U. S. Grant.

11'

7IO

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

* M.{i'

1 ' I • ■• "

4
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" In private, unseen life he bore many of the fruits of the Sjiiiit.
He loved his enemies not as he loved his friends, but he loved tlicm
as enemies by doin^ them [^ood as he had opportunity. ()t all nu.ii
known in a pastoral experience of thirty years, he ilisplaycd the
spirit of forgiveness more than any other man. lie cauj^ht the
spirit of the Saviour's prayer: * Father forgive them ; they know not
what they do.' There is one high in official position in our nation
who had traduced him at the point of honor, whereat a great .suhher
is most sensitive, and the wrong done was made public to the
mortification of all. Grieved at what he had done, and confined to
his sick-room, he who had offended was nigh unto death. Hut
himself a man of proud and sensitive spirit, he sighed for recoiicih'a-
tion. 'Would the President forgive the offense and call on the
sick ?' an.xiously asked interested friends. A suggestion from me
th.it it would be a Christian act to call was sufficient. The call was
made; the sick man revived, and old friendship was restored. AntI,
rising to a magnanimity worthy a saint, he would not withhold an
honor due, even from those who had done him a wrong. Who
does not regret the death of such a man ? Heaven may be richer,
but earth is poorer. On one of those delusive April days when
hope revived in all our hearts I said to him : ' You are a man of
Providence ; God made you the instrument to save our nation, and
he may have a great spiritual mission to accomplish by you and
may raise you up.' In the most solemn and impressive manner,
with a mind clear and a voice distinct, he replied : ' I do not wish
to proclaim it, but should he spare my life it is my intention and
resolve to throw all my influence by my example in that direction.'

" Oh I who would not even dare to die to do so much for man-
kind ? And this was his consolation. When near his end ho
sought to cheer that precious woman who loved him as her life.
' You ought to feel happy under any circumstances My expected
death called forth expressions of sincerest kindness from all the
people of all sections of the country. The Confederate soldier
vied with the Union soldier in sounding my praise. The Protest-
ant, the Catholic and the Jew appointed days for universal prayer in
my behalf. All societies passed resolutions of sympathy for me
and petitions that I might recover. It looked as if my sickness
had had something to do to bring about harmony between the sec-
tions. The attention of the public has been called to your child-
ren and they have been found to pass muster, .\pparently I have
accomplished more while apparently dying than it falls to the lot of
most men to be able to do.' Oh ! let me live the life of the righte-
ous and let my last end be like his !

" And where in all the annals of the Church shall we find a dy-
ing hour so full of divine repose ? His calm faith in a future state

DK. NM'.WMAN S SEUiMON.

I I

was undisturbed by anxious doubt. His suffcrinfr and wasted body
was but the casket for the resplendent jewel of his soul, and when
death ruthlessly broke that precious casket an an{,al carried the
jewel to the skies to lay it at the Saviour's feet. In the early li'^ht
of April I, when all thou<;ht the end was come, the sufferer said to
inc: ' Doctor, I am ^oing.'

" ' I hope the prospect of the future is clear and bright,' was my
rcjsponse ; and the answer came: ' Yes ; oh, }'<;s.' Then followed a
scene of infinite tenderness. The honored wife, the precious
(laughter, the devoted sons and their wives, each in turn ap-
proached and he tenderly kissed them. " Do you know me, dar-
ling?' was the loving wife's inquiry, and he whispered back:
'Certainly I do, and bless you all in my heart.' .Such love melted
the marble heart of death and the ' King of Terrors ' fled affrighted.
The sufferer revived. Heaven a<lded months to a life so dear to us
all. When he had recovered sufficiently I asked him : ' What was
the supreme thought on your mind when eternity seemed so near?'

" ' The comfort of the consciousness that I had tried to live a
good and honorable life,' was the response which revealed the
hidilen life of his soul. Again the angel of death cast his shadow
over the one a nation loved. Amid the gathering gloom I said :
' You liave many awaiting you on the other side.'

" I wi.sh they would come and not linger long,' was the answer
of his Christian faith and hope. They came at last. They came to
greet him with the kiss of immortality. They came to escort the
conqueror over the ' last enemy ' to a coronation never seen on
thrones of earthly power and glory. Who came ? Mis martyred
friend, Lincoln ? His companion-in-arms, McPherson ? His faith-
ful Chief of Staff Rawlins ? His great predecessor in camp and
Cabinet, Washington ? And did not all who had died for liberty
come? O calm, brave, heroic soul, sing thou the song of Christian
triumph : ' O death, where is thy sting ; O grave, where is thy
victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through
Jesus Christ our Lord.'

" And that victory was at hand. From his view on Monday at
the ea.stern outlook he was to ascend to behold a grander vision ;
Tuesday came and went. Night drew on apace and death seemed
imminent. Around his chair we knelt in prayer for some divine
manifestation of comfort. Our prayer was heard. The sufferer
revived. Again he wrote messages of love and wisdom. The
night wore away. Wednesday dawned on hill and dale. Hope re-
vived. His intellect was clear and his consciousness was supreme.
Again he wrote, and again he v/hispered the wishes of his heart,
As came the eventide, so came his last night. From out of that
chair wherein he sat and suffered, and wrote and prayed, tenderly

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712

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

iJ'i'

he was carried to that couch from which he was never to rise.
Around him we gathered and bowed in prayer to commend his de-
parting spirit to the love and mercy of Him who gave it. He
answered in monosyllables to questions for his comfort. The bntin
was the last to die. All were watchers on that mcmonible ni^ht.
Recognitions were exchanged. A peaceful death and conscious-
ness to the last breath were granted unto him. The last night had
passed.

" 'Tis morning. The stars have melted into the coming light.
The rosy-fingered morn lifts the drapery of the night. The distant
mountains stand forth aglow. The soft, pure light of early dawn
covers earth and sky. The dewdrop sparkles on the grass and in
the daisy's cup. The birds from their sylvan coverts carol the mel-
ody of a thousand songs. The world rejoices, and its many min-
strels challenge the harpers of the sky. In an humble cottage,
prone upon his couch, lies our Old Commander. He is dying.

*' 'Tis morning, and in the light of that day thousands of earnest
faces flash with renewed concern. From many a shaded lane and
mountain slope, from many a farm-house and splendid mansion,
eager eyes look toward the mount of suffering and breathe a prayer
to God for the one we loved. Alas ! he is dead.

" 'Tis morning. It is the promise of a brighter day. The trump-
eters of the skies are sounding the reveille. Their notes have
reached the earth. The notes have reached our General's ear. He
has gone to join the triumphant host. 'Tis morning in Heaven ! "

After the close of his discourse, Mr. Camp led in the singing of
" Nearer, My God, to Thee." Then came a brief benediction by
Bishop Harris, and the preliminary services were ended.

At 12-45 t:he two companies of artillery placed themselves in posi-
tion at the left of the cottage, with arms reversed. Two buglers stood
at the head of the line. At a signal from the officer they began
to play a dirge, which sounded like a wail as it echoed through the
pine trees. The sc'diers moved slowly, and as they did eight
members of the Grand Army appeared at the door carrying
the purple-covered, silver-trimmed casket containing the body of
General Grant. In front of the casket was the undertaker, behind
whom came the clergyman and Dr. Douglas. Behind the casket
marched a detachment of Grand Army men. Just behind them
were Gen. Sherman, with Col. Fred. Grant upon his arm, and be-
hind them came Jesse and Ulysses, Jr. Next were Gen. Frederick
Dent, a brother of Mrs. Grant, and Dr. Sharpe, a brother-in-law,
Gen. Creswell and Senor Romero, After them were Gen. Hancock
and his staff, with the visitors who came up with them.

■ - ■ •■ ' * ' .'■fit -*T iVo ;->

/, :

s never to rise,
omniend his dc-
lo gave it. He
fort. The bntin
icmorable ni^ht.
1 nnd conscioiis-
le last night had

le coming hght.
ht. The distant
It of early dawn
the grass and in
ts carol the niel-
d its many min-
humble cottage,
He is dying,
usands of earnest
shaded lane and
plendid mansion,
breathe a prayer

day. The trump-
heir notes have
cneral's ear. He
.g in Heaven ! "
in the singing of
If benediction by
nded.

em selves inposi-
'wo buglers stood
icer they began
hoed through the
they did eight
door carrying
ing the body of
idertaker, behind
;hind the casket
st behind them
his arm, and be-
Gen. Frederick
. brother-in-law,
e Gen. Hancock
lem. -i .^, ,.
-\\ ■. it ^j/(> ■'

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1., f t,l,,,,-' 1 . '

CHAPTER XXIX.

GENERAL GRANT'S LAST JOURNEY,

Starting with the Body from Mt. McGregor — Received at Albany by Governor Hill—
The Funeral Procession up Capitol Hill — Great Crowds Look upon the Face of the
Dead Hero — The Sons at the Coffin — England's Warm Tribute to Grant — Sennon
of Canon Farrar in Westminster Abbey, London.

The transfer of the casket to the funeral car was made without
delay. In a few moments the party was on board, and the train
started away without a sound. It disappeared around the curve,
leaving Mt. McGregor once more in quitt. Mrs;. Grant succumbed
to the excitement of the day very soon after the departure of the
train. It had been arranged that the ladies of the family should
leave at 3 o'clock and go directly to New York. Mrs. Grant
thought, however, that she was unequal to the journey.

The car upon which the beautiful purple casket was placed
has heretofore been used on this queer little mountain road for
"observation" purposes. It was built without sides in order that
passengers might command unbroken views of the beauties of
"he country. Uprights had been set at its four corners and along its
length on either side, v/hich formed the framework for a canopy of
mourning. Beneath this canopy the casket was placed. Attached
to the funeral car were six narrow-gauge coaches. The fir.st was
occupied by Battery A, of the Fifth Artillery ; the second by Com-
pany E, of the Twelfth Infantry ; the third by the three sons of
Gen. Grant, Dr. Newman, Dr. Douglas, Gen, Sherman Gen. Horace
Porter and the two faithful servants, Harrison and Henry; the
fourth by Gen Hancock and his staff; the fifth by a few privileged
guests, including Mr. Drexel and the members of his family, and
the sixth by representatives of the press.

The smoke from the locomotive had been seen in Saratoga, and
when suddenly a bend in the road brought the funeral train insight
of that fashionable watering place there echoed upon the air the
sound of artillery. A United States battery from Boston was estab-
lished in a fisld near the Saratoga station. Near the right of the
track were corn-fields which had been taken possession of by the
public. The Mt. McGregor Railway depot in Saratoga is at
Broadway, but the intelligence that the transfer of the remains from
the narrow to the broad gauge road was to be made not at the sta-
tion but at a considerable distance up the track, had in some way

(713)

714

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

u^li-

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become generally known, and a thousand people had tramped across
lots, through gardens and fields, to reach the spot. Private car-
riages, landaus, victorias and dog-carts had found their way across
and were drawn up, their horses snorting at the sound of the cannon
on the cliff at the right of the railroad. Close down along the
edge of the track were members of the G. A, R, with muskets at
" present arms." .

The little mountain train halted close beside the track of the
Delaware and Hudson Railroad, whereon was standing the Govern-
ment funeral train. An engine completely wrapped — smoke-stack,
man-houce and all — in heavy black cloth stood at the head of a
train of nine cars, all of which were not draped, but entirely covered
with the cloth of mourning. The transfer of the remains from the
Mt. McGregor cars to the funeral train was quickly made. The
two companies of regulars were drawn up in line before the open door
of the Woodlawn. The two buglers stirred the air with the notes of
the same mournful melody — " The Dead March in Saul " — that had
made the removal of the body from the cottage on the mountain so
exquisitely pathetic. The officers of the army and the black-
clothed civilians stood with uncovered heads, and the Brooklyn
veterans tenderly transferred the casket from the little car to the
larger one. When placed in the funeral car it rested upon a stand
about a foot in height over which was spread the folds of the Ameri-
can flag. The broadside doors leading into the funeral car were
left open so that all the people who lined the road through the city
of Saratoga were able to catch a glimpse of the casket as the train
moved by.

Following the Woodlawn were three parlor cars and following
these were four ordinary coaches. In the first of the parlor cars were
seated the three Grant brothers, with Generals Sherman and Porter,
Dr. Newman, Dr. Douglas, the faithful body ser\'ants. General
Hancock and his staff occupied the second car. The third was in-
tended for and was to have been occupied, on the trip to New York,
by Governor Hill and the members of his official family, but in the
absence of the Governor at Saratoga was taken possession of by
several members of the Albany City Council, who wore huge mourn-
ing badges on their bosoms and looked lugubrious enough to be
among the mourners in the first coach. The next car was occupied
by the members of the press, after which followed the regular troops.

The Brooklyn Guard of Honor and the six men of the Loyal
Legion, with a detachment of regulars, entered the dead car, also
two men of Wheeler Post, G, A. R, Soon after 2 o'clock Superin-
tendent Voorhees bade Conductor Thornton give the signal to start,
and the impressive and heavy train moved through the throngs and
away from Saratoga. -.; ■."■ i • ■}- --i ,; .,,

-ii

GENERAL GKANT S LAST JOURNEY.

715

d tramped across
ot. Private car-
their way ar.ross
nd of the cannon
down along the

with muskets at

•
lie track of the
ding the Govern-
;d — smoke-stack,

at the head of a
t entirely covered
remains from the
ckly made. The
fore the open door
• with the notes of
I Saul "—that had
1 the mountain so
y and the black-
nd the Brooklyn
le little car to the
sted upon a stand
lids of the Anieri-

funeral car were
through the city

asket as the train

irs and following
le parlor cars were
erman and Porter,
ervants. General
.'he third was in-
rip to New York,
family, but in the
1 possession of by
worehugemourn-
•ious enough to be
t car was occupied
the regular troops.
men of the Loyal
the dead car, also
. o'clock Superin-
the signal to start.
;h the throngs and

At the Broadway crossing the first adequate idea of the popular
outpouring of the people to witness the passage of the funeral train
was given. Bioadway was tightly jammed for a distance of several
hundred feet on either side of the track by private carriages and
public hacks, and an immense multitude of eager-faced spectators.
Meantime the church bells were tolling, and echoing after the
slowly moving train came the faint sound of the minute guns. The
distance from Saratoga to Albany is thirty-nine miles. The schedule
time for the train was one hour and twenty n)inutes. As Saratoga
station had been left a moment or two ahead of time it was neces-
sary, the military programme permitting of no deviation, that this
gain should be lost before Ballston was reached. The long black
procession, led by its crape-covered locomotive, therefore moved at
a snail's pace past the green garden of the United States Hotel and
out beyond the limits of the pleasure-loving city. Ballston Spa was
reached at 2.35. An immense crowd had assembled on the long
range of the .station platform. The church bells at Ball.ston were
tolling and manifestations of public grief were seen upon all sides.
At Mechanicsville the cheap tenements and little dwellings that
skirt the railroad track, boldly flaunted the red, white and blue
colors from their colorless fronts, while the inhabitants stood with
bared heads at the steps of their dwellings. At We.st Waterford it
was the same. Its single street was choked up with spectators, ex-
cept in the central strip where the iron tracks ran through. It
seemed to be the aim of the people both here and at the flourishing
town of Cohocs to place themselves within arm's reach of the fu-
neral train and touch its sombre habiliments.

In passing Round Lake, at 2:50, the platform was packed with
school children, who held up black bordered flags as the train
passed. There were the same silent crowds at Waterford. One
family living near the station at Waterford were gathered about a
boy who wore a mourning cap and held aloft a banner, evidently
home made, on which the black letters " U. S. G." on a white ground
had been sewed. From Cohoes, which the train passed at 3:20.
until Albany was reached, at 3:45, the sides of the track were lined
with people, and there were crowds at short distances apart. The
road crossings and stations were simply packed with peoph. Va-
cant cars along the tracks were filled, and so were the roofs of fac
tories and of houses — wherever foothold could be had people were
there. The .same signs of general sorrow and the same decorous
regard for the .solemnity of the occasion that had been marked
along earlier parts of the trip were observed to the end.

From early morning the streets of Albany resounded with the
beats of mu.fled drums. Companies and battalions in uniforms,
commands of the Grand Army and Loyal Legion, wearing their in-

,!( '

! ;.- n

:!■■ T,;!-

716

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

signia, and civic bodies in sober black, tramped to their rendezvous
in tho streets above and below the railroad station. The three di-
visions into which the funeral procession was formed were in posi-
tion and patiently waiting two hours before the funeral train arrived.
from Mt. McGregor. Broadway, North Pearl and State streets
were lined with the citizens and the visitors, who came in by thou-
sands from Massachusetts and from the country around the capital
city. Special trains were run over all the railroads to accommcdute
them.

England's warm tribute.

In far-off London, on the 4th of August, the mourners gathered
in Westminster Abbey and listened to a most eloquent address
from the ertinent Canon Farrar.

The Grant memorial service in Westminster Abbey was an im-
posing event in the history of England. The edifice was crowded
with a congregation, nearly every member of which was a dis-
tmguished person. The order of the service was as follows :

1. Schubert's " Funeral March.''

2. The funeral procession up the nave of the cathedral to the choir.

3. The opening of the burial service.

4. The Ninetieth Psalm.

5. The day's lesson.

6. Funeral sermon by Canon Farrar.

7. Spohr's anthem, " Blest are the departed."

8. Handel's anthem, " His Body is Buried in Peace."

9. The two concluding prayers of the burial service.
- 10. The blessing.

II. The "Dead March" in Saul.

The funeral address, delivered by Canon Farrar, was most im-
pressive, and was listened to in almost brcathle.s3 silence. Tiie
effect of this sermon, delivered by one of the most extraordinary
English ecclesiastics that ever lived, in England's peculiar and most
sacred temple, over the greatest soldier produced by a former
British colony made by rebellion independent and powerful among
the countries of the world, and to-day the mother countrys
greatest rival among nations, was simply indescribable. Among
the distinguished Englishmen present were Mr. and Mrs. Gladstonj,
the Earl of Iddesleigh, Earl Cranbrook, the Right Hon. Mr.
Forster, Sir Lyon Playfair, and a great number of peers and mem-
bers of the Hou.se of Commons. There were also present Prime
Minister Salisbury, the Duke of Cambridge, Commander in-Chief
of the British Army ; the Marquis of Lome, Gen. Lord Wolseley
and Senor Martinez, Chilian Ambassador to England. Among
the distinguished Americans present were Chief-Justice Waite, ex-
Attorney-General Benjamin H. Brewster, Senator Edmunds,
Senator Hawley, Mr. Bancroft Davis, the Rev. Charles Bridgman,

GENERAL GRANTS LAST JOURNEY.

717

Consul-Gencral Waller and Messrs. Morgan, Field, Marble,
Smalley and Potter. Queen Victoria was represented at the ser-
vice by an equerry. The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Connaught
and the Duke of Edinburgh were also represented by equerries.
The British Army was represented by 16 staff officers. The Prince
and Princess Teck, the Rev. Dr. Newman Hall, Bishop Hurst and
Gen. Alison were also among those who attended the service. All
the members of the American Embassy and nearly all the mem-
bers composing the other embassies occupied places in the Abbey.
Mr. Gladstone remained standing throughout Canon Farrar's ad-
dress, with his hand to his ear, listening intently to the eulogy.

" The following is Canon Farrar's address. His text was taken
from Acts xiii. 36:

' Eight years have not passed since the late Dean Stanley, whom
Americans so loved and honored, was walking around this Abbey
with General Grant, explaining its wealth of great memorials.
Neither of them had nearly attained the allotted span of human
life. Both might have hoped that many years would elapse before
descending to the grave, full of years and honors. This is only
the fourth summer since Dean Stanley fell asleep. To-day we
assemble at the obsequies of the great soldier, whose sun set while
it was vet day, and at whose funeral-service in America tens of
thousands are assembled at this moment to mourn with the weep-
ing family and friends. I desire to speak simply and directly, with
generous appreciation, but without idle flattery of him whose death
has made a nation mourn. His private life, his faults or failings
of character, whatever they may have been, belong, in no sense, to
the world. They are before the judgment of God's merciful for-
giveness. We will touch only upon his public actions and services.
Upon a bluff overlooking the Hudson, his monument will stand,
recalling to future generations the dark page in the nation's history
which he did so much to close.'

"After eloquently tracing General Grant's boyhood and man-
hood, the speaker said :

' If the men who knew him in Galena— obscure, silent, unpros-
pcrous, unambitious — had said, if any one had predicted, that he
would become twice President and one of the foremost men of the
day, the prophecy would have seemed extravagantly ridiculous.
But such careers are the glory of the American continent; they
show that the people have a sovereign insight into intrinsic force.
If Rome told with pride that her dictators came from the plow-tail,
America may record the answer of the President, who, when asked
what would be his coat of arms, answered proudly, mindful of his
early struggles: "A pair of shirt-sleeves," The answer showed a
noble sense of the dignity of labor, a noble superiority to the vani-

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718

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

ties of feudalism, a strong conviction that men should be honored
simply as men, not according to the accident of birth. America
has had two martyred Presidents, both sons of the people. One, a
homely man, who was a farm-lad at the age of seven, a rail splitter
at nineteen, a Mississippi boatman at twenty-eight, and who, in
manhood, proved one of the strongest, most honest, and God-fear-
ing of modern rulers. The other grew from a shoeless child to be
an humble teacher in the Hiram Institute. With those Presidents
America need not blush to name the leather-seller of Galena.
Every true man derives a patent of nobleness direct from God.
Was not the Lord for thirty years a carpenter in Nazareth ? Lin-
coln's and Garfield's and Grant's early conscientious attention to
humble duties fitted them to become kings of men.

'The year 1861 saw the outbreak of the most terrible of modern
wars. The hour came, and the man was needed. Within four
years Grant commanded an army vaster than had ever before been
handled by man. It was not luck, but the result of inflexible faith-
fulness, indomitable resolution, sleepless energy, iron purpose, per-
sistent tenacity. He rose by the upward gravitation of natural
fitness. The very soldiers became impregnated with his spirit.
General Grant had been grossly and unjustly called a butcher, lie
loved peace and hated bloodshed. But it was his duty at all co.sts
to save the country. The struggle was not for victory, but for
existence; not for glorj', but for life or death. In his silence, de-
termination and clearness of insight, Grant resembled W^ashington
and Wellington. In the hottest fury of battle his speech never
exceeded " Yea, yea," and " Nay, nay." God's light has shown for
the future destinies of a mighty nation, that the war of 1861 was a
necessary, a bles.sed work. The church has never refused to honor
the faithful soldier fighting for the cause of his country and his
God. The cause for which Grant fought — the unity of a great
people, the freedom of a whole race — was as great and noble as
when, at Lexington, the embattled farmers fired the shot which
resounded around the world. The South accepted a bloody arbi-
trament. But the rancor ar d fury of the past are buried in ob-
livion. The names of Lee and Jackson will be a common heritage
with those of Garfield and Grant. Americans are no longer North-
erners and Southerners, but Americans.

'What verdict history will pronounce upon Grant as a politician
and a man, I know not; but here and now the voice of censure,
deserved or undeserved, is silent. We leave his faults to the mercy
of the merciful. Let us write his virtues on brass for men's exam-
ple. Let his faults, whatever they may have been, be written on
water. Who can tell if his closing hours of torture and misery
were not blessings in disguise — God purging the gold from dross,

i ';• f^

GENERAL GRANT S LAST JOURNEY.

719

until the strong man was utterly purified by his stronj^ agony?
Could we be gathered in a more fitting place to honor General
Grant? There is no lack of American memorials here. We add
another to-day. Whatever there be between the two nations to
forget and forgive is forgotten and forgiven. If the two peoples
which are one be true to their duty, who can doubt that the desti-
nies of the world are in their hands ? Let America and England
march in the van of freedom and progress, showing the world not
only a magnificent spectacle of human happiness, but a still more
magnificent spectacle of two peoples united, loving righteousness
and hating iniquity, inflexibly faithful to the principles of eternal
justice, which are the unchanging law of God.'

"The flags upon the royal residences at Windsor and Osborne
and upon the royal yachts Osborne and Victoria and Albert were
lowered at 2 P. m., and remained down, during the memorial ser-
vices in Westminster Abbey."

Governor Hill and General Sherman were the first persons to
view the remains in Alb my. They passed on opposite sides of the
casket, and, joining each other at the head of the coffin, proceeded
arm in arm back to the E.xecutive Chamber. Then followed
Generals Farnsworth and Carr and their respective staffs. General
Hancock's staff, members of the Legislature, State officials and
their families. Two members of the guard of honor stood at the
head and two at the foot of the bier, to divide the stream of persons
as they passed around the casket. The procession filed past the
glass covered bier without halting. In the front line were the
Grand Army of the Republic guard of honor, extending the full
length of the corridor, from north to south. The catafalque and
surroundings, heretofore described, were greatly admired, and it
would be exceedingly difficult to improve upon the arrangements in
any way. The head of the casket being much higher than the foot
the opportunity for viewing the remains was improved. There was
ample width between the upright supports of the canopy, and there
was no crowding or jostling whatever, all passing in an orderly and
respectful manner. The glass case of the casket extended the whole
length, thus exposing the entire body to view.

According to figures iurnished by an official in Albany the
following is a fair approximation of the numbers who looked at the
remains :

•,i! August 4, from 6 P. M. to 7 P. M 7.400

,. ,, August 4, from 7 P. M. to 10 P. M 20,000

^ August 4, from 10 P. M. to 12 M 11,900

■',■'■' August 5, from 12 M. to 2 A. M 7,200

' August 5, from 2 A. M. to 4 A. M 1.600

August 5, from 4 A. M. to 6 A. M 3.100

August 5, from 6 A. M. to 8 A. M 4,800

August 5, from 8 A. M. to 10.30 A. M. (estimated) 15.300

720

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Early on Wednesday morning the city and its multitudinous
array of strangers was astir. Hurried breakfasts were partaken of,
and preparations for the Grant demonstration were made by some,
while others looked out for the transportation of the funeral train,
with its added cars for the benefit of guests desired by the family
or those whose positions entitled them to seats in any event in one
of the funeral cars. It was not known until late Tuesday nij^ht
that the committee of a hundred citizens appointed by Mayor (iracc
to go to Albany and .accompany the cortege to this city were ex-
pected to come down with the special train, but as soon as the
superintendent was informed of that fact, he directed that two extra
cars should be draped and made ready for their use, so that tho
train, already very heavy, finally consisted of eleven parlor cars— a
particularly long and difficult train to manage. At a very early
hour yesterday morning thg people began to throng about and p.iss
through the Capitol, looking, as will be seen by the above tabic to
the number of fifteen thousand, at the remains, between the hours
of eight and half-past ten, and nearly twenty thousand between tlie
hours of six and half-past ten. It was understood that the proces-
sion would be the same yesterday as on Tuesday, and this fact drew
to the already overcrowded city an immense number of stran<;^ers
from the neighboring cities and the country all round about, so that
in its chief portions Albany was literally packed, and with great
difficulty one could make his progress from street to street. The
early morning salutes were fired according to orders, and during
the entire forenoon hai hour guns boomed heavily, and the tolling
of the bells added to the solemnity of the occasion. Without
any special variation from the programme, the crowds upon
the streets and the throngs passing through the Capitol, the
morning wore away until half-past ten, at which time the gates
were shut.

It is probable that twenty-five thousand people were shut off it
half-past ten this morning when the gates were closed, and none
but the guard of honor from the U. S. Grant Post, Wheeler Post of
Saratoga and six men of the military order of the Loyal Legion,
were allowed to remain while the undertakers prepared, as far as pos-
sible, the remains for this lar. trying stage of this long, last jolting.
When all was ready. General Hancock, who was mounted on a
magnificent black charger, attended by his stafif, rode to the Capitol,
accompanied by General Farnsworth and his staff. There they
were mc^t by Governor Hill and his .«!taff in full uniform, who were
waiting in their honor. After perfunctory interchanges of civility,
^nd friendly interchanges of courtesy, also, the general in command
ini-imated that all was ready.

GENERAL GRANTS LAST JOURNEY.

721

ACTION OF THE NEW YORK LEGISLATURE.

The Legislature of the State of New York met at Albany on
Friday morning, at lialf-past ten o'clock. Mr. Ellsworth oftcrcci a
resolution empowering the president and clerk to provide a record
of the proceeding;i for the journal of the next Legislature.

The Assembly Committee, Messrs. Arnold and Cutler, then
announced the invitation to meet in joint Assembly. The Senators
formed in line and proceeded to the Assembly Chamber. As they
entered the Chamber tho members of the Assembly rose. Presi-
dent McCarthy was called to the chair by Speaker Erwin, and
Senator Ellsworth, chairman of the Committee on Resolutions,
read the following :

" The members of the Legislature of the State of New York, assembled at the
Capitol for the purpose of reprcscntiri}^ tlie people of the .State in this period of
national mourning over the death of Ulysse.i S. (irant —

" Resolved, That the people of the State of New York mourn the loss of the
nation's greatest defender and the most illustrious citizen of his day, whose
matchless services to the Republic in its times of sorest need command Oiiir
highest admiration and gratitude. That as he wrought for the entire nation,
for the world and for posterity, so his fame as the greatest ' servant of a right-
eous cause,' both in war and in peace, is the heritage of the nation and of
mankind. That while a man of peace, he became a soldier that permanent
peace might be possible; that as the commander of armies he was the equal
of the world's greatest military chieftains, and surpassed them all in this, that
he twice conquered — first, by the irrcsistibic might of his genius of arms, and
then by the equally irresistible force of his magnanimity and considerate gen-
erosity; that as ['resident and citizen he rendered incalculable service; that
his fame will receive increasing lustre as men come to value more Justly the
pure elements of sinijile, sincere and magnanimous manhood combmed with
the greatest abilities revealed in the noblest services; that in the retirement of
private life his demeanor reflected credit upon the name of American citizen
by its dignified and manly attributes, by the wholesome nature of his influence,
wliich in the later days of his life was specially directed to the establishment of
unity and fraternity throughout the land, and by an example of patient resig-
nation and nobility of character which invites the emulation of all men; that
with profound respect and gratitude we recognize in his whole career that
modest and unselfish devotion to duty which was his crowning glory.

"Resolved, That the next Legislature be required to enter upon the Journal
of the Senate and of the Assembly a record of these resolutions, and that a
copy of the same be engrossed and sent to the family of the deceased, with
assurances of our condolence and sympathy with them in this hour of their
bereavement.

"Resolved, That the members of the Legislature attend the funeral in a
body, and that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly,
with nine Senators and fifteen members of the Assembly, to be appointed by
the presiding officers, be a committee to accompany the remains to the city of
New York."

4«

I '-A

CHAPTER XXX.

FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CITY.

The Start for New York — Down the Hudson— On the Train— A Storm— Entering
the City of New York — Grant at Home Once More — A Vast Crowd Salutes His
Remains — The Funeral Car — The Match Down Town — Affecting' Scenes Along
the Route— The Cortege— The Funeral Car at the City Hail— 'I he fofiin riaceil
on ^he Catafalque —The Body Lyiny in State — Action of Ex-Confederate OHicers.

THE START FOR NEW YORK.

At half-[)a.st eleven, drawn by six black horses with niourninrj
trappings, the fu!:w*rr4l car started down the street, the heavy casket
resting on a black dais within a mounted catafalque. Companies
of regulars were on either side of the car, the Grand Army guard
walked behind, brazen trumpets rang forth the note of preparation
and in good order the several organizations fell in, until a great
procession was formed. They moved along, every step marked by
the loud booming of a cannon and made resonant by the attendant
ringing and tolling of all the bells in all the steeples. They had
but an hour in which to make their long march, to satisfy the affec-
tionate curiosity of the attending multitude, estimated as at least
one hundred and fifty thousand. The Grants and their companions
had driven to the depot, where the long black train stood in silence
waiting for its sacred burden. At half-past twelve the casket was
placed upon the Woodlawn car, while all the bells of the engines
n.'ar kept time to the tolling of the bells beyond, and farewell salutes
w J re fired from guns that echod along the adjacent hills and thence
to the more remote mountains. The generals and the various mili-
tary guests in gorgeous array took their seats. The distinguished
citizjns' committee from New York did the same, the soldiers were
properly placed, and while the hot sun beat down upon the great-
est crowd ever seen upon the streets of Albany, the long black
suite pushed rapidly away, preceded by a pilot engine, so that no
trouble could happen, no harm chance to mar the perfect outcarry-
ing of the carefully arranged programme. . t .

DOWN THE RIVEK.

The trip from Albany was singularly devoid of incident, the
chief features being, first, a perfect execution of the programme;
second, a pleasant diversion at West Point, and, third, the marvel-
ous washings of the rains from heaven and the subsequent devel-
opment of a bow, parti-colored, that spanned the earth from horizon
(7")

FROM ALIIANY TO NEW YORK CITY.

723

to horizon. The train started one minute late, and there was in
reality nothing that inijjht be called a stop between Albany and
New York. Doubtless no crowd of equal magnitude was ever seen
in the State capital as that which, with uncovered head, said an in-
audible adieu as the remains were borne toward the metropolis of
the nation. The streets in every direction were packed. The tops
of buildings, the bridges, the craft in the river and all available
places were dense with a respectful multitude. The band played a
dirge as the long, sombre train passed out of the depot yard upon
the Hudson River bridge, and the people looked on silently with
uncovered heads. At East Albany the train passed between
human walls. At Castleton the whole village seemed to be at the
river front to see the train go on. At Shodack, Stuyvesant, Coxsackie
and Stockport as many people as these riverside villages contain paid
respectful heed to the passing of the dead soldier. At Hufjson and
at Poughkeepsie — in fact, at all the places on the road — there w is
considerable demonstration; but at VVest Point an incident occur) I
which touched the heart of the most callous spec^-^tor. ''or reasons
peculiar to his family and himself the Academy w.is m(< ^ dear. In
all legislation, in all army talk, General Grant as genei, 'nd sub-
sequently as President, and later on as citizen, did what he coulcf tn
make \Vest Point better and stronger. Naturally enough West
Point sought to honor her distinguished son, and a , Hie train af>-
proached her guns pealed forth the national salute of thirteen gurr^
—boom ! bang ! boom ! — which echoed ano re-echoed and revcr
berated along the line of hills, touching even the mountains far be-
yond. Drawn up at attention stood the West Point cadets as the
train rolled in at Garrisons. Ceremonials peculiar to their order
were indulged in, .salutes were fired, recognitions were pas.sed, and
as the train moved on toward its depot, the hero being borne to
his final resting-place, the funeral salute followed, filling every ear
and touching every heart on the train.

And still the train sped on. Although it started a minute late
there was iio minute behind time now. Open stood the valve,
the team was at its height, and with vehemence pushed that long
train toward its halt. On i ime the train until the sullen walls of
Sing Sing stared in the face when all of a sudden a cloud, not
much lareor than . le hand of "'in, assumed phenomenal proportions
and blackened the v-ntire dom • from river front to mountain peak.

A MARVELOUS STORY.

*" thunder, prefaced by brilliant flashes of
fter peal echoed and rolled about the hills.

Quick came peals o
zigzag lightning. Peal

The quick, large drops that fell were followed soon by voluminous
streams, and they by torrents, while the wild winds whistled and

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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i i ,

whirled about the eleven cars and the mammoth engine as they
sped onward.

Swiftly moved the train, leaving the storm behind, and ere the
verge of Yonkers was touched the last great rumble of the heavens
sought refuge in a quiet rolling, far away, and the volumes dwindled
to streams and they to drops, as though tears were falling on the
coffin of the dead. Presently there came a beautiful spectacle that
charmed every eye; riveting the attention of all and cheering every
heart, the rainbow of promise, that stretched from one side of the
vast expanse to the other, spanning the entire distance, with its
many lines and demarcations of exquisite, clearly distinguishable
color. On came that train whizzing through the crowded streets of
Yonkers, through the darkened tunnel, while guns from the neigh-
boring hills belched out their salute and bells rang in the steeples
of the upper town, giving hint to those below that that for which all
waited at last had come.

ENTERING THE CITV's HEART.

New York had awaited the train with sorrowing, sympathetic
heart. Her people felt that while the dead soldier was the country's
hero they had a peculiar claim to him, and while the nation
laid mourning tribute upon his bier it was theirs to do him special
reverence. His home had been among them. His figure was a
familiar one on their streets. He had met the first great misfor-
tunes of his life in this city. Here financial disaster had overtaken
him, and here he had hovered for months 'twixtlife and death. As
the funeral train rolled in the people recalled the starting off,
on a warm June morning, of that other train that was to carry him
to Mt. McGregor and hoped-for health. They had from afar
watched the fluctuations of his disease with tenderness and solici-
tude. They had mourned when the message came that his life had
passed away ; and now he was brought home dead. Military and
civic honor accompanied his remains. Other and even more im
posing honors were awaiting them. The city was deeply buried in
the drapings of sorrow a<? it never had been before. Guns were
being fired at regular intervals from his future resting place in
Riverside Park, and from old Fort George, on the Harlem. Al!
over the city the church bells were tolling a requiem.

IN THE GRAND CENTRAL DEPOT.

Not many people had been admitted to the Grand Central
Depot. Besides two-score policemen there were not more than a
hundred men and women there aside from those who were h Try-
ing to catch outgoing trains. There was no mourning drapery
within the big structure, but the arches and doorways without were
covered. Orders had been issued that the trucks on the east side

FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CITY.

725

th engine as they

of the depot should be cleared, and half an hour before the train
was to arrive engines pufL-d in and drew away to other points the
cars that had been standing there. The windows that looked down
on the interior of the depot were filled with people, as was the bal-
cony that runs along the Forty second street side.

THE FUNERAL CAR.

Suddenly there was an unusual stir among the people at the edge
of the crowd and then a craning of necks. The crowd pressed
closely upon the heels of those in front of them and awaited with
eager curiosity the explanation of the commotion.

Then at some distance there was seen slowly advancing the
heavily draped funeral car, drawn by twelve black horses, each
caparisoned in black and led by a colored man dressed in a suit of
dark cloth, with white gloves and high silk hat, around which was
a mourning band. As the car drew near a hush fell upon the as-
sembled multitude. The car passed through Vanderbilt avenue,
and, turning into Forty-third street, stopped at the southwest
corner. The spectators pressed forward to look at it, but were
kept back by the police. A wooden staircase covered with black
material was placed at the rear for the use of the pall-bearers in
placing the casket on the car.

ALL READY.

All was now ready for the reception of the remains. A few
minutes before five o'clock thfi beat of drums had been heard, and
a band of forty pieces wheeled from Fourth avenue into Vander-
bilt avenue at the head of the 400 soldiers of the Seventy-first
regiment, preceding whom came the mounted officers of the First
Brigade. The men formed on Vanderbilt avenue, with their right
on Forty-third street, and disposed themselves for the reception of
the remains. The people at the windows, on the stoops and roof-
tops and in the streets crowded forward. The hands of the clock
on the Vanderbilt avenue side of the depot pointed to five P. M.
Word that the train was coming in on time spread like wild-fire
among the great crowd of spectators. A few minutes afterward
General Hancock and his staff filed slowly out of the depot

THE JOURNEY ENDED,

It was just four minutes after five o'clock. There was a clicking
of switches, a waving of trackmen's arms and the black-draped
funeral train came in sight. Slowly it moved and with little noise.
The engine had already switched off. A white-capped brakeman
waited until the baggage car, which led, was within twenty feet of
the pilot engine, when he turned the stop of the air valve, and
almost without a creak or a jar the train of eleven cars came to a

f ',. I

726

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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stop. Scarcely a bit of wood-work was visible. Black drapings
covered everything, only relieved by flags looped up on cither side.
There was an opening in the side of the car which followed the
baggage car. Through this could be seen the casket, its silver
mounting showing out brightly from the dark purple covering.
The low dais on which the casket rested was covered by an Ameri-
can flag. Men in Grand Army uniform, with medals on their
breasts and a bit of crape tied about the arm, stood upright vnd
silent at either side of the casket. They held their slouch hats in
their hands. The Committee of One Hundred, that had gone on
from New York to escort the remains, stepped from their car and
formed in double file at its side. Ex-Governor Alonzo B. Cornell
and ex-Mayor Edward Cooper headed the line. All Vv'erc iin-
covered, and there was no word spoken. The scene was too im-
pressive to permit of idle talkmg. Men stood about with bared
heads and countenances in which there was no levity. V^eterans
looked at the casket that held all that was left of their old com-
mander, and in their bronzed faces there was deep sorrow that he
had been called away.

MOVING THE CASKET.

At a signal the men of the U. S. Grant Post, who were acting as
pall-bearers, lifted the casket and carefully and tenderly lowered it
from the car on to a hand truck, such as is used in VVoodlawn
Cemetery. Then the different bodies moved forward with slow
tread. The military Order of the Loyal Legion, New York Com-
mandery, followed the body, and behind them came a detachment
of the Fifth United States artillery. The walls of the depot build-
ing sent back the measured tread of the troops and filled the place
with echoes. At the plaza that runs along the Forty-second .street
end of the building a brief halt was made till Inspector Dilks ap-
peared in the doorway and motioned that all was in readiness for
the procession to emerge. Outside the Seventy-first regiment
formed a lane through which the body was borne. There was at
once the sharp cry of officers to their men calling for a " Present
arms !" the clicking of the muskets as they were brought to the
present, the clattering of hoofs as aides-de-camp dashed here and
there carrying instructions, and above all the strains from a band,
unseen as yet, playing a funeral dirge. The great multitude
crowded upon the police and soldiers in their efiforts to catch a
glimpse of the casket. Over the pavements the procession slowly
moved till the funeral car was reached at the corner of Forty-third
street. Up the steps leading to it the pall-bearers carried their
honored burden and laid it under the canopy upon the dais to
which three steps ran up. At once the undertaker's assistants
fastened it there, so that should there be any jolting it would be in

' I

FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CITY.

727

no danger of toppling off. All this time the band played its solemn
dirge, and people looked down from the roofs and windows of the
surrounding buildings while the arranging of the procession went
forward. General Hancock and his staff and the Conmiittee of
One Hundred were driven off in carriages to Fifth avenue, where
other lines were forming. Colonel Fred. Grant and Ulysses S.
Grant, Jr., who brought up the rear of the procession, entered a
carriage, which drew up abreast of the funeral car. The face of
Harrison, the General's faithful colored attendant, looked sadly out
of another carriage window. General Horace Porter, Dr. Newman
and gray-bearded Dr. Douglas — the latter with a black and white
sash running from his shoulder to his waist — were driven up ahead
of the funeral car. While the driver was lowering the upper part
of the carriage the horses took fright and dashed off, but were
stopped before they had gone far. A mishap occurred at the
funeral car, too. The first eight of the prancing black horses that
were to draw it started off before the signal was given. The heavy
straps that held them to the car parted, and ten minutes were lost
in repairing the damage. Finally all was in readiness and the word
was given to start.

THE MARCH DOWN TOWN.

As the great black car rolled toward Fifth avenue there were
sounds of bugles and flashings of glittering steel. The bugle
sounds grew louder and the black plumes on the catafalque swayed
majestically as the twelve black horses moved forward. A burst
of funeral music swelled through the air and thrilled the hearts of
the multitude, which uncovered and looked with moistened eyes up
at the purple casket. A company of regular troops wheeled forward
on each side of the car with shouldered arms. It was the army
guard. A group pf veterans from the Grand Army post that has
guarded the body since death trudged along behind the guard.
When Fifth avenue was reached the scene was one of splendor.

A sea of bayonets melted at a single bugle call and every rifle
was reversed.

There was a wild clatter of hoofs, and a line of mounted clicc-
men swept down Fifth avenue, charging at the black crowd and
driving it back. Every window for a mile was alive with faces, and
the multitude on the sidewalks was so dense that it looked like a
mourning fringe. Behind the policemen lode General Hancock on
a brown charger, and the crowd applauded the soldier and his
brilliantly uniformed staff. When the General reached Twenty-
third street he took his place at the head of the column and the
march began. Row after row of soldiers passed with reversed arms
and slow steps, while the air was filled with solemn music.

ll 1':; '

First came the police, followed by General Hancock and his
staff. Then came a battery of the Fifth United States artillery with
their standards draped. A battalion of artillery armed as infantry
next marched along with rigid lines and wailing music from the
light battery band of Governor's Island. A group of scarlet bi-
glers walked in the rear of the band.

Now all the bells were tolling. Men and women were stand-
ing bareheaded as the sombre chariot was seen in the distance.
The river of black that lined on the sidewalks opened into a sea of
black at Madison square, where the monuments of Farragut and
Worth looked down upon the moving cavalcade.

Two companies of marines, with orange epaulets and snowy
helmets, marched in front of two companies of blue jackets from
the man-of-war Swatara, who also carried rifles reversed. General
Shaler and his staff moved along with draped sword hilts at the
head of the First brigade of State troops. A few lines of prancintj
horses, scarlet plumes, bright sabres and busy bugler£5 marked tlie
Second battery without its guns. There was a clear space, and
then Gilmore's Band led the Twenty-second regiment, playing
the funeral chorus from " The Martyrs."

Waves of white helmets rolled down the street. Then another
band in gold and scarlet made the air throb, while the roll of muf-
fled drums filled every pause. A line of white plumed officers rode
behind the colonel of the Ninth regiment and then came, billows of
dark blue coats and black helmets rising and falling regularly. The
Eleventh regiment's band hushed as Farragut's statue was reached
anu tne fife and drum corps took up the burden of the mourning
song. A carriage containing the Rev. Dr. Newman, side by sdo
v/ith Drs. Douglass and Shrady, followed the soldiers. Then the
massive car appeared with its twelve black horses led by colored
grooms.

After the car marched the little guard of thirteen men, picked
from U. S. Grant Post No. 327, Grand Army of the Republic.
Then camo thirty-two carriages containing Governor Hill and his
staff, the Senate Committee and the Committee of One Hundred
representing the city of New York. Next in line was the Si.xty-
iiinth regiment. The Eighth and Seventy-first regiments stretched
in ripples of color to the rear, where a line of policemen acted as
file closers.

So the noble procession moved through the draped city, past .1
hundred thousand reverent spectators and through long lines of
policemen. All flags were at half mast and the streets were at times
walls of black. The space in front of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, was

ii;.i

FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CHY.

729

packed from curb to curb, and through the middle of the mass a
lane was cut by the procession. Every stoop was jammed with
spectators. They hung out of windows, watcheJ through transoms
and peered over rooftops. A more impressive spectacle could not

bj imagined.

DOWN BROADWAY.

When the procession wheeled through Waverly place into Broad-
way a little girl threw a handful of flowers from a window. The
cortege moved on through the miles of black draperies which
all New Yorkers have seen on Broadway. As the car and its pur-
ple casket advanced the murmuring of the crowds sounded like the
sea hushing after a storm It was all genuine, heartfelt emotion
stirred up in thousands of hearts by the sweet, plaintive music and
the presence of the dead soldier. Away down Broadway the crowd
stretched, now filling the street from wall to wall, and straining its
eyes for a sight of the procession, now parting and falling back to
the curb line to let t!ie cortege pass. Finally the masses opened
out into a broader multitude, and from out of the green trees rose
the figure of Justice, robed to the feet. It was the City Hall.
Another rest for the hero. Another Shrine for the people. Slowly
the soldiers marched toward the square. The air was filled with
the sound of dirges. Officers rode here and there with orders.
Bugles blended their shrill blasts into solemn harmonies. • The
color bearers fell back and the regular troops passed on down Broad-
way, while the Twenty-second and Ninth regiments wheeled into
the plaza in front of the City Hall. Then the rest of the troops
fell to the west side of Broadway and faced east with presented
arms, while the funeral car passed on the plaza, each band playing
a dirge.

As early as four o'clock the people had assembled in hundreds at
the City Hall.

THE DISTANT FUNERAL MARCH.

It was nearly seven o'clock, and the western sky was crimsoned
with the glory of the setting sun, when the expectant crowd, which
had waited so long and so patiently, caught the soft notes of sad
music wafted on the evening breeze. Instantly there was a surging
of the masses toward the Broadway side of the Park and a hush of
expectancy. Gradually the sounds grew more distinct, and then
the sweet strains of Chopin's " Marche Funebre " were distinguished
and the advance guard of mounted police came into view. Then
came General Hancock and his staff, their horses prancing proudly
to the music. General Hancock and his aids drew up just within
the entrance to the plaza, and Captain Allaire drove back the crowds
on Broadway so as to leave room for the regular troops and the
naval detachment to march on down Broadway, and the Governor's

^}t

'11'

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Island Light Bittery Band led the way, still playing Chopin's im-
pressive music. After the regulars hi»d gone General Hancock and
his staff faced about and rode on the plaza to the City Hall, fol'owcd
by General Shaler and his staff. Then the secon*^' battery of the
National Guard wheeled into the plaza and crossed to tlie Park
Row side, where they formed two sides of a square .acing the iuilj.
The Twenty-second Regiment came ne.Kt, tho band playing the
" Dead March in Saul." The band halted in the plaza, ju.st west ot
the City Hall, but the white coated troops marched with arms re-
versed to tlie east end of the building and formed into two lines
along the front, facing each other on opposite sides of the plaza.
Meanwhile the Ninth Regiment had entered the enclosure from
Broadway and then halted, so that the conmiand formed an elbow,
with a portion of the men at rest along the east end of the j)laza
and the remainder on Broadway. The men were in double linos
and faced the funeral car, carrying an.is after they came to a halt.

THE FUNERAL CAR AT THE CITV HALL.

Then there was a pause. The mournful music ceased. Every
eye was turned toward Broadway. A trampling of hoof^ was heard,
and horses with black trappings were seen through the trees of the
park. Tlien the funeral car wheeled slowly into the plaza. Thou-
sand;} of heads were uncovered in the crowd, and there was perfect
silence.

As the car reached the spot opposite where the Twenty second
Regiment band stood Gilmore's musicians began once more to pkiy
the " Dead March in Saul." The effect was impressive in the extreme.
The music ceased when the car had reached t' e front of the build-
ing. Here the band of the Ninth regiment was stationed, and as
the car advanced, more and more slowly as it neared the end of its
journey, the funeral chorus from " II Pollute " sounded with thrilling
effect.

When the funeral car stopped in front of the entrance to the City
Hall black covered steps were silently and deftly placed alongside,
and the thirteen men of Grant Post who had guarded the body
during the march mounted the platform and reverently carried the
coffin to the ground. They bor- it slowly up the marble steps into
the vestibule, and as they entered the portal two buglers of the
Second Artillery, who stood on either side, sounded a loud and
weird funeral blast. The notes rang out like a wail.

VIEWING THE DEAD HERO'S FACE.

Long before the procession arrived everything was in readiness
at the City Hall for the reception of the dead chieftain. A force of
police guarded the approach to the catafalque. All the iron gate-
ways were kept closed. A deep silence fitting the solemnity of the

FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CITY.

72>i

occasion pervaded the spacious vestibule, jjrandly solemn with its
profusion of mournful trappings. Presently the central gateway
was opened and General Hancock, followed by members of his staff,
advanced inside to deliver the body to the city authorities. The
casket was slowly borne inside by the Grand Army guard of honor,
who carried the body to the catafalque. Tenderly they lowered
the casket upon its temporary resting place. Behind them came the
Rev. Dr Newman, Dr. Douglas and General Horace Porter, and
after them Colonel P'red. Grant, U. S. Grant, Jr., and Jesse Grant —
the honored and grief-stricken sons of the illustrious soldier. The
dead hero's sons were followed by Governor Hill and his staff and
Major-G.Mieral Shaler. After these, with heads uncovered, came
slowly filing in the Citizens' Committee of One Hundred, led by
ex-Governor Cornell and ex-Mayor Cooper.

ONCE MORE AT REST.

Directly .-tfter the arrival of the remains the Grant Post, G. A. R.,
detail that had marched beside the funeral car as guard of honor
was relieved and went to their quarters in the Astor House. The
second relief of thirteen at once began their tour of duty. In charge
of this relief was Senior Vice-Commander Johnson, whose post was
at the head of the coffin. Six men stood on each side.

The Loyal Legion guard of honor was in command of General
J. J. Milhau.

It was the good fortune of the Twenty second regiment, National
Guard, to have its officers chosen as the first guard of honor of the
illustrious military hero whom all delighted to honor. Eight were
on duty at a time and the reliefs were every two hours.

CONDITION OF THE BODY.

Directly after the details of the various guards of honor had
been arranged, the casket, borne by the members of the Grant
Post detail, was removed to the private room adjacent to the
Chamber of the Board of Aldermen for inspection, as to its con-
dition. In addition to this, pursuant to the request of Colonel
Fred. Grant, badges of the Loyal Legion and Grand Army of the
Republic were to be attached to the lappel of General Grant's coat.
Superintending the examination of the body were Surgeon Brush,
of the Grant Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and Deputy Coro-
ner Jenkins.

The lid of the casket, which had been placed on a table, '.vas
removed under direction of Mr. Merritt, the undertaker, and Mr.
Sullivan, the embalmer. As this was being done, the eyes of all
who were present were turned toward the casket, and as quick as
the remains were exposed to view a careful but anxious inspection
was made of the features. It was greatly feared by some that

they might be in such a condition as to rendjr it unadvisable to
expose them to pubHc view. On the contrary, they were found in
very good condition, as good probably, as could be reasonably
anticipated under the circumstances, two weeks lacking a day
having elapsed since death.

The expression of the face was one of calm, serene dignity, but
with unspeakable indications of the severe, protracted physical
suffering he underwent during his protracted illness. It was j^rati-
fying to all present to know that the features could be seen, while
the body was lying in state by the great host of mourning friends
he had left behind.

Lieutenant Colonel Clurkson fastened to the coat the badge of
the Loyal Legion, while Senior Vice Commander Johnson affixed
the Grand Army of the Republic badge, the two being placed side
by side. This done, the glass cover was placed on the casket
and it was carried back to the catafalque in the main, corridor and
placed in state.

THE PASSING THRONG.

After the component parts of the military pageant had disap-
peared through the various arteries of traffic around the City Hall
the iemains of the illustrious dead were in the hands of the muni-
cipal authorities. The thousands of people realized this, and
although they knew it would be some time before any one would
be admitted to view them, they waited in solemn silence for that
time to come.

The plate glass top enabled a full length view to be taken of the
dead General.

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY A MINUTE.

The signal was now given to admit the masses, and orderly and
in silence they passed by the bier at the average rate of 160
persons a minute, or eighty on each side of the body. The casket
was placed so low that all of the children who marched in the
line obtained a full view of the illustrious dead. Some of the per-
sons would stop to take a long look at the features of the hero,
but the peremptory " Move on !" of the guard started them on
on again. For four hours this double stream of humanity
coursed by the coffin — women, girls, old men and boys, natives
and Chinamen being among the number. Some showed signs of
emotion, others of curiosiiy only ; but all preserved the reverent
and subdued conduct suitable to the surroundings. The position
of the guard in the vestibule during ihese hours was as follows:
immediately at the head and foot of the bier stood a representative
of the military order Loyal Legion of the United States ; on each
side of them stood officers of the Twenty-second Regiment. On
either side stood the members of Post 327, Grand Army of the Repub-

FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CITY.

733

be taken of the

lie, leaving a space between them and the remains for the public to
pass through. Behind them stood the other members of the guard
of honor of the Twenty-second Regiment, with two aids from
General W. G. Ward's staff on the left flank, and still further in
the rear, on either side of the vestibule, was a line of police.

ri;/!

CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT.

As the night drew on the nu. nbers grew less, so that not more
than one hundred and twenty-five per minute were passing through
the hall at midnight. At one o'clock the gates of the hall were
closed, and the remains were left with the guards and twenty five
policemen.

NO NORTH, NO SOUTH.

The heavy tread of the escort and the last sad strains of the
mournful march had hardly died away in the distance as they ac-
companied the illustrious remains of the nation's hero to the City
Hall, when the parlors of the Hoffman House began to fill with
brave men who wore the gray. Unanimously electing General
John B. Gordon, of Georgia, as chairman, the meeting of ex-Con-
federates remained at earn while the committee appointed for the
purpose — Generals W. H. Loring and W. W. Lilley and Majors
Quincey, Davics and Mayo — should draft resolutions expressive of
the ex-Confederate sentiment touching the decease of the great
commander.

In answer to several calls, General Loring spoke tenderly of the
time when, shoulder to shoulder, Grant and he had fought at Santa
Anna ; sorrowfully of the sad years when they confronted one
another as foes, and gratefully of the reconstruction times, when
Grant proved the South's noblest friend. Concluding, the General
said : — " I have known General Grant as a boy, I have rejoiced in
him as a comrade, respected him as a foe. At home or abroad, as
a traveler in Egypt or as the occupant of the White House, he was
always the same — a noble gentleman, a valiant soldier and a true
friend — and as such he is mourned from the Potomac to the
Rio Grande."

THE RESOLUTIONS.

The following resolutions were then read and immediately
adopted :

Resolved, That, with the deepest sympr.thy and unabating solicitude, we
have watched from the beginning the progress and fatal termination of the
painful disease which has closed the career of General U. S. Grant, and that we
mingle our sincere and profound sorrow with that of this entire Union.

Resolved, That, as Southern soldiers, we can never forget the delicate
courtesy with which General Grant opened negotiations with General Lee, and
the honorable terms accorded to the Southern army at Appomattox, and that
in these we recognize the magnanimity of the great conqueror and the kindly
instinct of a noble hero.

734

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

1,^

li ;

i J

Resolved, That we recall with Rrateful emotions the lofty bearing of Goncr.il
Grant as exhibited in the decisive promptness with which, in the midst (<f
personal and politicai animosities engendered by the war, he interposed tlie
influence of his high otifice and the ijroader i-hield and more commandinjr
authority of his great character to prevent the arrest of General Lee, the be-
loved and illustrious commander of the Southern army.

Resohn'd, T'lat to the family of General (irant we tender our heartfelt
sympathies in this their great bereavement and irreparable loss.

The following is the memorial : —

'* His mortal passing away we deplore. Duty, as he and we respectively saw-
it, found us opposed as foes in arms. Peace made us friends. In overcoming'
our power in battle, by his greatness in war and magnanimity in victory, iiu
won the fortune beyond the reach of bayonet thrust and cannon ball, the
noblest triumph.

" His words of kindly remembrance and peaceful parting, so befitting a great
spirit on the eve of its immortal flight, will be cherished in the noblest
sanctuary of our memory As it was peace and good will to us and ours, so
let it be peace and good will to them and theirs, great General, now and
evermore.

" For his country he lived, and he received the highe^^t honors, both militar»'
and civil, which that country could bestow. His passing away, wiiile a
national bereavement, will render more lustrous his grand achievements as a
soldier and statesman, and doubly endear him to the hearts of his grateful
countrymen."

It was decided that General Gordon should appoint a repre.senta-
tive from every Southern State to participate in the funeral proces-
sion, and it was suggested that ex-Confederates desiring so to do,
could march in the parade along with the Lee Post, of Richmonti,
to which space has already been allotted in the column.

Mrs. Grant, on Friday, received the following cable despatch
from the King of Slam : —

"Bankok, August 4.
" To Mrs. Grant, Mt. McGregor, N. Y. .—

" I learn with deepest regret ot ihe death of General Grant. You will be
assured that your grief for the severe loss you have sustained is shared by me !,:
this extremity of the earth, which the General has honored by a visit, and 1
pray that Providence will bestow his blessing upon the late and lamented
General's family.

" Chulalonkorn, Rex. Sia.m. "

Mrs. Grant also received from the Lyon Relief Corps, G. A. R.,
of California, a wreath of flowers and a series of sympathetic
resolutions. Early in the day came a despatch from Burnsidc
Post, G. A. R., of Tombstone, A. T., embodying the resolutions of
regret passed by that organization.

• !■

CHAPTER XXXI.

;r our hciirtfclt

,.t:.t

CLOSING SCENES IN NEW YORK CITY.

able despatch

[. Rex. Siam.

Hundred Thousands Paying the Last Tribute to the Dead Soldier — Statesmen, Soldiers
and Citizens Flockiny to the Metropolis — Sheridan and Gordon clasp hands in
kindly Greeting — Words of Sympathy from Texas — Vice-President Thomas A.
Hendricks praises the dead hero — Eulogy of General Longstreet — Walt. Whitman
on Grant — Another day of homage to the great Soldier — More than 250,000 persons
view the honored re.nains — The coffin closed forever— Watched and guarded by old
comrades.

On the morning of Thursday, tho 6th of August, before day-
break, when the iron gates of the City Hall were opened, about
fifteen hundred persons had congregated on the .street, and a force
of 150 policemen found it no easy task to keep the crowd in good
order. There was a disposition to rush, which was immediately
checked. The line was properly formed and the inspection began.
All kinds of people made their appearance from early morning until
midnight. They were not allowed many seconds in which to look,
for at times 1 50 people passed by the casket in a single minute.
It was interesting to note that in the early hours of the day a vast
preponderance of the on-lookers were working men and women.
They came so fast, passing along at the rate of 150 a minute, th:it
the procession became a quick step. Now and then a man would
stop as though he would like to catch more than a glance, but he
was hurriedly pushed along by the policemen and the ever ready
hands of th other guards, as well as by tha impetus of the crowds
behind him. Meanwhile the officers of the Twenty-second regiment,
who had been on duty through the early morning, marched out
of the Ciiy Hall. They were going home and their places were
taken by the officers of the Twelfth regiment. The Grant Post had
mounted a detail at five o'clock, to serve from that hour until eight
o'clock. They were under the command of D. L. Staples.

A negro, with his little boy, came in. The child was too small
to see into the coffin, and the father lifted him so that he could.
The child's toes came in contact with the dais, to the horror and '
anger of the body-guard. A little bootblack, with his box on his
shoulder, appeared. His face shone, and his hair had been freshly
wet and smoothed out at the fountain. Many women also came
to cause delay. They wished to examine every detail, even the
flowers, with the utmost closeness. Men and boys and wan-faced
women, with lunch-baskets and dinner-pails, filed along. The hour

(735)

r .!"''

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. ORANT.

1 r'^'i,

from six to seven o'clock was occupied by working men and
women, boys and girls, in viewing the body. They were on their
way to work, the day was young, and their opportunity better than
at any other hour. All through the hour the formation of the line-
was at a point near the fountain, and the time of waiting was not
more than ten minutes from that point to the place where the coffin
rested. After seven o'clock the character of the line chan^'td.
There were fewer women and girls. They had gone through anil
were at work when the line began to lengthen. At eight o'clock
there was another change taking place in the formation of the line.
The laborers had gone, and the clerks coming down town were
stepping from elevated and surface cars into the stream that was
moving them at the rate of one hundred and ten and one hundred
and twenty each minute. The police were reinlorced at ei^^iit
o'clock. D-'tails under sergeants and roundsmen had been arriving'
and reporting to Inspector Steers from seven o'clock. At c\<^\\\.
o'clock there were four hundred and eighty-seven men on duty.
The channel, with walls of police, was extended in "Y" shape
around the sides of the fountain-circle, which, like a hopper, re-
ceived the people. Thence they were straightened out in lines of
twos and threes up to the City Hall steps. The guards at the cof-
fin were hastening the people; one hundred and fifty a minute were
being hurried through. The hands on the clock-dials marked nine
o'clock. The fountain circle was no longer the point of fonnation
of the line. Every car and train coming down town added its
quota to those an.xious to look upon the face of General Grant.

In the early morning it was cool ; the forenoon found it warm ;
and in the early hours of the afternoon the heat became intense;
but that passed away, and in the evening the calm placidity of the
night — itself an attraction to those whose occupation kept them in
the house all day — found scores of thousands waiting their turn to
say good -by.

But it was a busy day with others than those who sought to
gratify their curiosity or to drop possibly a tear upon the coffin of
the dead. General Hancock was in consultation with General
Shaler, Colonel Jones, General Aspinwall and others, while officers
charged with details in connection with the procession, the march.
the reception at Riverside and the burial ceremonies, were hard at
it from early morning until late at night.

At the head of one line of the visitors, when the gates were
opened, was a little woman who led two boys by the hand. She
was so anxious that the children should obtain a good view of the
face that, the crowd not being very great at the time, she was per-
mitted to linger by the coffin-side for a minute. The other line
also had at its head a woman, alone, middle-aged and tearful.

i .:':n,. .-: ;;.j'-r' r' , >

•king men and
y were on their
nity better than
ition of the hnc
vaiting was not
where the coffin
: line changrcl.
ic through and
it eight o'clock
tion of the line
own t(twn were
stream that was
ncl one hundred
liorced at ei^ht
;itl been arriving
;iock. At ei^ht
n men on duty.
I in "Y" shape
<M a hopper, re-
1 out in lines of
uards at the cof-
ty a minute were
ials marked nine
:)int of formation

town added its
jneral Grant.
I found it warm ;

became intense;
1 placidity of the
on kept them in
ting their turn to

; who sought to
oon the coffin ot
on with General
rs, while officers
ssion, the march,
ies, were hard at

i „ ;

THE GREAT COMMANDER LYING IN STATE IN THE CITY HALL. N. Y.

CLOSING SCENES IN NEW YORK CITY.

12>1

Then followed all sorts of people — young, old. good-looking, ugly,
robust and weak, healthy and sickly-looking. A continuous,
changing kaleidoscope of humanity, startling in its contrasts and
presenting an intensely-interesting picture for the student of human
nature. In that passing multitude there were many faces that
looked down upon the drawn features of him who had suffered so
much, which themselves had plainly written on them the story of
sickness, sorrow and pain.

One stout woman tried to leisurely inspect the floral pillow at
the foot of the coffin, but was unceremoniously passed along the
corridor. The guards kept repeating the admonition to " Step
along, now;" and, this failing of the desired effect, they accelerated
the movements of the lingerers by a gentle or vigorous shove, as
the case might warrant. Until about half-past seven o'clock, a.m.,
the pressure was slight. After that the line of spectators began to
stretch out. The number of children in the ranks was noticeably
large. They and their guardians delayed progress somewhat ; but
the presence of the little ones made the scene all the more memo-
rable and affecting.

At half-past ten the crowd was rushing through the corridors of
the City Hall at the rate of 170 a minute. By eleven o'clock it was
calculated that over 30,000 people had passed. The light reflected
on the thick plate glass made it almost impossible to obtain a good
view of the features. Between noon and one o'clock about one
hundred people were passing the casket every minute. Among the
passers by at this time were the members of the Board of Aldermen.
At three P. M., it was estimated that 53,000 people had passed the
remains since the opening of the gates. All the rest of the after-
noon the crowd increased in size. At six o'clock the crush was at
its height. The total number of visitors since morning was esti-
mated at 67,000.

As the sun was sinking beneath the Western sky and twilight
was beginning to spread its broad mantle on the great city, the elec-
tric lights were lit in the City Hall and surrounding park. There
was a sudden transformation scene. Their quick and dazzling flash
gave the bright effulgence of noonday to the hall of death. During
the day the lights near the catafalque had been raised. The effect
was to dispel the shadows, whose flickering had rendered it difficult
to get a clear view of the features of the dead chieftain. Under the
changed lights each characteristic of that grand face was brought
out in distinct relief In bolder outline — a preraphaelite picture
sadly imposing in its strangely weird character — were presented the
forms and faces of the guards of honor, unwearied in their long
vigils. Added beauty was also given to the floral display, and the
fragrance of a sweeter perfume seemed to fill the air.
47

738

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Still the throngs kept pouring through to look upon the lifeless
but loved face. The scene in the park was one of strange and mar-
vellous picturesqueness. Nothing like it has ever been witnessed
in this city before. Excepting the narrow passage way in front for
the advance of the crowds the vast esplanade was kept clear by the
police, who guided the pilgrim visitors on their way up the steps
and by the catafalque.

The evening throng was more complex even than those of the
day— a medley of all classes and all conditions and all ages. They
continued to pass by in the same order and with no diminution in
numbers. Large numbers of members of different Grand Army
posts came with the procession. Among these were the members
of the E.S.Daken Post,No.2o6, who came with their wivesand chil-
dren and their drum corps of fourteen boys. Major General Moli-
neux, commanding the Second Division, National Guard, with his
staff, was also among the evening visitors. By eight o'clock P. M.
it was estimated that 80,000 persons had passed the catafalque, and
at ten P. M. the number was placed at 92,000. At times they were
hurried by with such rapidity that only the slightest possible glance
could be obtained of General Grant's face.

At midnight the line stretched up Broadway to Broome street,
and when the iron gates of the City Hall were closed at one A M.
it still wound around through Chambers street and up Broadway to
Duane street.

SHERIDAN AND GORDON CLASPING HANDS.

*' On Thursday it looked like old war times at the hotels in New
York. Great crowds of strangers arrived on every train and boat
in anticipation of the funeral pageant. All the cabs in the city
were unable to supply the demand for transportation. Rustic-look-
ing couples walked along Broadway and other prominent streets,
staring in the shop windows and admiring the mourning decorations
on the fronts of the buildings.

" But it was in the hotel lobbies that the most extraordinary as-
semblages gathered, and friends of twenty-five years ago who were
made enemies by the war, shook hands and made it all up. Some
of the scenes between the soldiers of the North and South were
heart-stirring, and there were groupings of grand old figures on all
sides.

" There was a perfect picture gallery of celebrated faces in the
corridor of the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Senator John A. Logan strode
up and down the marble floor, twisting his black mustache thought-
fully. Vice President Arthur's rosy face beamed upon a little fat
colonel from the West, who insisted upon saluting everybody who
passed. Colonel Mike Sheridan trotted about anxiously in search

CLOSING SCENES IN NEW YORK CITY.

739

of a friend and Colonel George W, Davis walked a few feet behind
Quartermaster General Van Vleet. Senator William M, Kvarts
wandered around for a while, looking lean and lonely until he met
Senator Morrill, of Vermont. General Thomas L. James loaned
familiarly against a post and chatted withSergeant-at-Arms Chrystie,
of the United States Senate, and on his right stood General Merritt,
of West Point, talking over old memories of Grant. Then there
was ex-President Hayes, brown-bearded and smiling, with a piece
of manuscript in his hand and a red button on his lapel ; Senator
Warner Miller, burly and warm of hand ; sharp-eyed Smith M.
Weed ; bluff old Governor Eaton, of Colorado, and ex-Senator
Page, of Ohio. Lieutenant Emery, of the Greely expedition, chewed
a toothpick in front of Naval Officer Burt, and General Rufus In-
galls sauntered about in a group composed of General Joseph B.
Carr, gray and spectacled ; ex Lieutenant Governor John C Rob-
inson, on crutches, and Congressman Burleigh. Colonel Richards,
of Mobile, an old Southern soldier, stood close by.

In the midst of all this scene stood General Phil. Sheridan. Sud-
dently a red- faced man advanced, leading General John B. Gordon,
toward the Union soldier. Then he introduced him of Georgia, and
the two old warriors seized hands with a firm grip and looked each
other fair in the eyes. Then their hands trembled, but they did not re-
lease the friendly grasp, but stood there looking at each other with
sparkling eyes General Belknap, the ex-Secretary of War, came
up with General Curtis, the one-eyed conqueror of Fort Fisher, and
formed a part of the group. It was a picture worthy of a great
painter as the Southern general, tall, black-eyed, long haired and
scarred, pressed the hand of the famous soldier of the North.

The two men laughed and chatted, and all the while their hands
never once parted from the hearty clasp.

Oh, human heart! Oh, loving-kindness and forgiveness! After
all these years of bitterness the blue and gray are one again.

"This is how the soldiers of the North and South meet to-day,"
said General Curtis. " God grant that it is only an emblem of what
is coming to the whole country."

In the Hoffman House there were other scenes, but they were
all alike. Governor Hill and General Farnsworth chatted at the
door of the hotel, while Senators Coggeshall and Murphy recalled
old fighting times in the lobby. Colonel F. E. Greene, of Virginia,
walked through the main corridor and saluted two or three old
friends. By midnight the hotel was full.

Colonel Betts, of Tennessee, said last evening to a friend: " Did
you see Gordon and Sheridan shaking hands in the Fifth Avenue
Hotel ? Never expected to see such friendship between such men.
The old bitterness died with Grant. He offered himself as a sacrifice

/ ■'

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GRANT.

of reconciliation for the good of the whole country, God bless him.
Yes, he was a great man, a good man, and his memory will be
kept green all over the South."

The Thompson Street colored people were in commotion over
the preparations for the funeral, " Oh, we's heard his big guns up
de ribber in de war. Dey sounded like guns of liberty for the
whole world. And dey made more noise de second day dan dey
did on de fust, and a heap louder booming on de next. Den all was
like the grave, and dar was blood and pale faces everywhar in old
Varginia. Grant did it. And now we're gwine to his funeral and
ask de Lord to bless his spirit shore."

SYMPATHY FROM TEXAS.

The ex-Confederate reunion meeting at Fort Worth, Texas, on
the 5th day of August, appointed a committee of five to draft reso-
lutions on the death of General Grant, which were unanimously
adopted amid thunders of applause.

The resolutions read as follows :

Whereas the ex Confeder.ite and Union soldiers here assembled
have learned, with regret, of the death of General U. S. Grant, there-
fore be it

Resolved, " First, that the nation has lost an able officer, who won a world
wide reputation and shed lustre on American arms ; second, that we extend
our heartfelt sympathy and condolence to his bereaved family."

The resolutions were telegraphed to Mis. Grant.

General Gano, of Dallas, then delivered an address, in which he
spoke of the bravery of the soldiers on both sides, and asserted that
if the politicians had kept their hands off perfect peace would have
been established long ago. He paid a high tribute to the memory
of General Grant and gloried in him as an American soldier.

General George W. Smith delivered a thrilling speech. He
exulted in the peace prevailing between the sections, in the re-
establishment of the Union, paid a glowing tribute to the character
and attainments of General Grant, and portrayed in elo(juent lan-
guage the dying hero's desire for the good-will and affection of the
Southern people.

Other speakers dwelt upon the character and service of Grant in
a similar strain.

At a reunion of cx-Confcderatc soldiers, held at Greenville, Texas,
on the 5th day of August, it was estimated that 20,000 veterans and
others were on the grounds. At the close of General Ross' ad-
dress the following was unanimously adopted :

Resolved, " That we, the surviving members of Ross' Brigade, Rector's Bri-
gade, Maxey's Brigade, Graham's Brigade, the Eleventh Cavalry of Texas,
and unattached Confederates and Union soldiers, numbering about 10,000 men,
in this our annual reunion, held at Greenville, Texas, express our deep and

CLOSING SCENES IN NEW YORK CITY.

741

commotion over

crvice of Grant in

xpress our deep and

heartfelt regret at the sad news of the death of that illustrious soldier and
patriotic statesman, U. S. Grant, wliose remains now lie in state in New York ; "
and,

Resolved, " That we tender to the heart-broken widow and family of the
deceased our warmest sympathy in this the sad hour of their bereavement ;" and.

Resolved, " That these resolutions be telegraphed to the family of Gen. Giant
by the President of this association.''

MR. HENDRICKS PRAISES GRANT.

Vice-President Thomas A. Hendricks, on the 6th of August,
accompanied by Mrs. Hendricks, passed through Chicago on his
way to New York to take part in the Grant obsequies. " I have
been at Ashland and up around Lake Superior with Mrs. Hen-
dricks for a fortniglit," said Mr. Hendricks. "I heard of General
Grant's death with a feeling of deep sorrow. I always had a high
regard for General Grant as a man and great admiration for his
ability as a soldier and statesman. He was the greatest man of his
time — always composed, firm and self-reliant in battle, in high
places of responsibility, and even up to the moment of his death.
He never made a speech, even if but one or two lines in length,
that was not full of wisdom, and whatever he said was effective and
held the attention of the public."

grant's early days.

" He was the truest as well as the bravest man I ever knew," was
the remark of General James Longstreet, as soon as he recovered
from his emotion on being informed of the death of General Grant.
"A man of unbounded confidence in human nature, with the
greatest sense of modesty, and utterly without guile, the one great
American of the present age who will live in history as typifying
the best elements of manhood. As passion cools and prejudice
clears away, and politicians are relegated to obscurity, then the
iigure of Grant will stand out in bold relief, second only to that of
VVashington."

General Longstreet lives in a large two-story frame house, set in
the tnidst of a grove near Gainsville, Georgia. Upon the airy porch
of his country mansion, his cheeks fanned by the southern breeze,
his form enveloped in a dressing-gown, General Longstreet enjoys
the peaceful days which have little in them to recall the memory of
the trenches on the well-fought fields between Washington and
Richmond. His form, once so erect and soldierly, and the appear-
ance of which was wont to be greeted with cheers by the brave
boys in gray as he rode down the line, is now bulky and bowed;
but his eyes .still have the same look of dogged determination as in
the days when they refused to see defeat and snatched victory from
the very despair of desperation. When your correspondent found
him he was exaraining his grape-vines, and looked for the world

k <.

742

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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like the good old countryman who never looked upon a field of
carnage. Passing his hand over his forehead, as if in painful medita-
tion, he made use of the words with which this sketch was opened.

"I well remember the delicate and fragile form of the boy who,
in 1839, answered to the roll-cad when the name of Grant was
repeated. We were a boisterous set who filled the classes that
year, and my physique and exuberance of spirit led me to be
among the leaders of every sport and diversion. The delicate
stranger was not of our mold; his build and his want of streiij^th
did not warrant his becoming one of our unruly gang. Instead of
forming for him the dislike so apt to be entertained for one not
given to manly sports, we grew to admire his modesty, his manli-
ness and the evident spirit which was at the bottom of his char-
acter. In one trait, however, he excelled. He was the most daring'
horseman in the whole command, and the wonder has often been
expressed that he did not gravitate into the cavalry branch of the
service. In 1842 I graduated and was assigned to duty as second
lieutenant in the 4th Infantry, then stationed at Jefferson Barracks,
twtlve miles from St. Louis. The year following, 1843, Grant fol-
lowed, and was attached to the same regiment.

"These early days," said Longstreet, as he he settled in the great
easy chair which stood on his front porch, while the reporter threw
himself on the bani;iter railings, " recall a delightful period. As I
think over the names, how many have risen to fame, how many
have failed, how many have gone beyond, by war and death in
other formal, until now, the one who became the greatest of all has
passed to his rest. Thus it is with humanity." *' Well," said he,
" to return to our subject. Lieut. Grant's distinguishing trait at
that time was his simple performance of duty, without show of
authority or offensive manner, and his scrupulous regard for the
feelings of others. So perfect was his sense of honor that in the
numerous cabals that were often formed his name was never men-
tioned, for he never did anything which could be made subject of
criticism or reproach. Grant confided in me„perhaps, more than
any other officer in the barracks. On one occasion, meeting Grant
coming out of the barracks, I said to him :

" ' Grant, I wish you would come with me on a visit to a kins-
man.'

" He readily assented. When we reached the mansion of my
kinsman we were heartily received, and the family were introduced
one by one, as they returned from their daily duties. At last the
musical voice of a young woman was heard in the hall, and an
instant later the lady was in the room.

" ' Miss Julia Dent,' said I, as I took my pretty kinswoman's
hand, and she blushed deeply as she bowed to Lieut. Grant.

CLOSING SCENES IN NEW YORK CITY.

743

a visit to a kins-

" A little later Cadet Fred. Dent entered, and while I engaged
him in conversation, in which the old people joined, Lieut. Grant
and Miss Julia were forming the ties, the last chapter of which may
be seen in the weeping widow now bending over the dead body of
her husband in New York city. After that day Miss Julia Dent
was one of the most frequent dancers at our military balls. It is
only a (ew months ago that Mrs. Grant recalled to me a story of
that period, showing how they used to tease her about the young
lieutenant. On one occasion she wenc to one of the balls under the
escort of some other officer, when it was noticed that Lieut Grant
was absent. Lieut. Hoskins, with a most doleful expression on his
face, went up to her and asked :
"* Miss Julia, where is that little man with the large epaulettes? '
" This caused a smile at the expense of the young lady, but she
clung to her young lieutenant, and in 1848 they were married. I
had been married just six months at that time myself, and, as the
one who had originally introduced the couple, was an honored
guest upon the occasion."

WALT, WHITMAN ON GRANT.

When a visitor spoke the name of Grant, Walt Whitman bowed
his head as the whole nation has bowed beneath a common grief.
When at last the poet spoke it was in the tone of one who has lost
a dear friend, yet he pondered his words and weighed each sentence
carefully.

" Yes," said he, " I, too, am willing and anxious to bear testimony
to the departed general. Now that Grant is dead it seems to me I
may consider him as one of those examples or models for the peo-
ple and character-formation of the future, age after age — always to
me the most potent influence of a really distinguished character —
greater than any personal deeds or life, however important they
may have been. I think General Grant will stand the test perfectly
through coming generations. True, he had no artistic or poetical
clement ; but he furnished the concrete of those elements for ima-
ginative use, perhaps beyond any man of the age. He was not the
finely painted portrait itself, but the original of the portrait. What
we most need in America are grand individual types, consistent
with our own genius. The west has supplied two superb native
illustrations in Lincoln and Grant. Incalculable as their deeds
were for the practical good of the nation for all time, I think their
absorption into the future as elements and standards will be the
best part of them.

" Washincjton and all those noble early Virginians were, strictly
^peaking, English gentlemen of the royal era of Hampden, Pym
and Milton, and such it was best that they were for their day and

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744

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

purposes. No breath of mine shall ever tarnish the bright, eternal
gold of their fame. But Grant and Lincoln are entirely native on
our own model, current and western. The best of both is their
practical, irrefragable proof of radical democratic institutions — that
it is possible for any good average American farmer or mechanic
to be taken out of the ranks of the common millions and put in ilu-
position of severest military or civic responsibility and fully justify
it all for years, through thick and thin. I think this the greatest
lesson of our national existence so far.

" Then," added tho poet, " the incredible romance of Grant's
actual career and life ! In all PJomer and Shakespeare there is no
fortune or personality really more picturesque or rapidly changing,
more full of heroism, pathos, contrast."

Warming to his subject, the poet had voiced his estimate nf
Grant with a spontaneous fervor none the less eloquent because it
was thoughtfully and critically spoken. Then, with one of his
benign smiles, he said : " Let mo give you, in this connection, the
httle sonnet I wrote originally for Harpers :"

As one by one withdraw the lofty actors

From that great play on history's stage eterne.

That liirid, partial act of war and peace— of old and new contending,

Fought out through wrath, fears, dark dismays, and many a long suspense ;

All past — and since, in countless graves receding, mellowing,

Victors and vanquish'd — Lincoln's and Lee's — now thou with them,

Man of the mighty days — and equal to the days !

Thou from the prairies ! — tangled and many-veined and hard has been thy

part.
To admiration has it been enacted !

SCENES ON FRIDAY.

The scene in and around the City Hall on Friday was, with the
exception of a few minor circumstances of little importance, but a
repetition of that enacted the preceding day. The same lonf^,
serpentine line of surging humanity kept sending those in the van
up the steps of the building to pay their silent homage to the dead
hero. In the gloomy corridor the guard of honor of the Grand
Army Post named in honor of the warrior who will fight no more
battles, the members of the National Guard and the policemen
were in the same positions they had occupied Wednesday, while at
the head of the bier stood a solitary member of the Loyal Legion,
as motionless as a wax figure. All through the day the stream of
people kept flowing into the building past the catafalque and out
into the park again with a monotony that would have been tire-
some could the object of their mission have been forgotten. The
visitors were as numerous, if not more so, than on the precedinij
day, and it was estimated that about 125,000 persons had viewed
the body at i o'clock on Saturday morning when the last persons

CLOSING SCENES IN NEW YORK CITV.

745

hard has been thy

left the building. More than a quarter of a million of persons
have viewed the remains during those three memorable days.

When the gates of the building were closed on Thursday, they
shut out thousands of persons anxious to take a last look. Many
of them returned to their homes, while others took possession of
the benches in the park, determined to wait until morning, when
they could be first in line and be sure to be admitted.

It wanted but a few minutes of 6 o'clock when Junior Vice-
Commander Cranston, of the U. S. Grant Post, removed the lid
from the casket, and the minute the iron gates were thrown open,
the people began to move, allowing the first on the line to ascend
the white marble steps. The first to view the body was a woman,
as was also the case Thursday. From this time until the closing
of the gates the tide never ebbed for an instant, but incessantly it
poured by the catafalque.

Two hours after the opening of the gates a detachment from the
Seventh Regiment filed into the building to act as a guard of
honor to the body.

During the afternoon the Grand Jury filed by the casket in a
body, with Inspector Steers at their head. Mayor Joseph E.
Hayncs, of Newark, with the Common Council, Board of Educa-
tion and municipal authorities of that city, numbering about
seventy-five, all wearing badges of mourning, viewed the remains in
a body, as did also the officers and Executive Committee of the
Grand Lodge of the Order of Kesher Shel Barzel. Ex-Licut-Gov.
John C. Robinson, of this State, entered by a private door and took
a look at the body.

Many elaborate floral tributes were placed in the corridor near
the body during the latter part of the day. The handsome piece,
representing the " Gates Ajar," was placed at the head of the cata-
falque and was much admired. It had been sent by the members
of the Stock Exchange, and a card bore the inscription :

,a«> ■

•j-HH"H-+-l-H-f H

X FROM THE MEMBERS

t OF THE

t
t

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.

n
t
t
t
t

On a stand near one of the draped pillars was an immense wreath
of Marechal Niel roses and ivy, a heavy purple ribbon attached to
which bore the name of the departed soldier. A large pillow of
immortelles bearing the words " Galena," had been sent by the
citizens of Galena, 111.

The city of San Francisco sent by exprcis a beautiful memorial

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

•ill

of Grant, consistin;; of a square of dark purple velvet on which at:
the top was the figure of a miniature bear in gold, representintr tho
arn:s of tlie State of California, and at each of the four corners
miniature bears in silver. Across the middle of the square was the
emblazoned inscription " California," and at the bottom, also in
miniature letters, " In Memoriam U. S. Grant."

The remains of General Grant were forever closed from view
at nineteen minutes past i o'clock on the morning of August Stli.
When all tiie citizens hid left the City Hall and the policemen had
taken a look into the bier the members of the G. A. R. with a
solemn .step formed in line and passed by the casket. Each one
lingered as long as possible and reluctantly turned their gaze from
the face of their old commandor. As the last one passed he stood
for seveial moments as if petrified and tears rolled down his face.

At the Fifth Avenue Hotel a crowd gathered all day. When
General Sherman stepped from a carriage at the door the croud
formed about him. Colonel Fred. Grant left his room shortly be-
fore 7 o'clock to get a breath of air. He had not proceeded half
a block when the crowd closed about him and insisted on shaking
hands. He was obliged to give up his walk and retired to his room.

All day Friday the Grant family was pressed for interviews by
hundreds of curious visitors. When told that the family did not care
to receive callers many attempted to force their way to the roorr ;.
It was .found necessary to station a porter to keep back the visi-
tors. Tliey had left the hotel but once since their arrival. This
was on Friday when the whole party took a short drive to River-
side Park. The fimily took their meals in a private dining hall
near their apartments. They were joined on Friday, at dinner, by
ex-President Hayes, Senator Chaffee and Senor Romero, Minister
from Mexico. The latter had placed himself at the service of the
family and remained with them until their departure for Mount
McGregor.

Mrs. Fred. Grant, Mrs. Jesse Grant and Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr.,
with Mrs. Sartoris, made up the party of ladies who occupied the
family apartments at the hotel. It was intended that these ladies
should occupy carriages in the funeral procession, and were to
immediately follow the funeral car. But since Mrs. Grant could
not be present at the exercises it was decided that the ladies should
not join the procession. Carriages were provided for the sons of
the General.

The various delegations, staffs and organizations had established
headquarters in the parlors about the hotel. General Sherman
held an informal reception in the upper corridor shortly after dinner.
After a large number of ladies had been presented and had retired,
a great many old army veterans grasped the General's hand.

mm-

CHAPTER XXXII.

BORNE TO HIS REST.

The Last Rites— The Obsequies of General Grant — A Noble and Worthy Tribute to the
Great Warrior — Hancock Leads the Advance — The IJhie and the Gray United —
Viri^inia and Massacliusctts, Pennsylvania and Georgia March Together— Sunrise at
Riverside — The Start of the Cortege — Funeral Song — Clergymen and I'all-hearers —
The United States Tr ops and the State Militia — The President and Party— The
Catafalque — The (irand Army of the Kepuljlic and the Civic Societies — Arrival at
the Tomb — Impressive Burial Services — The Hero has F'ound His Rest at Last.

On Saturday, the eighth of August, the remains of General and
Ex-President U. S. Grant, the most renowned American citizen of
his time, were renu.ved to their rcsting-phice in Riverside Park,
near New York City. The funeral solenmities on the banks of the
Hudson River were attended by an assemblage of his countrymen
fcir greater than has ever been brought together on any similar
occasion. The ceremonies were not confined to the city of inter-
ment alone ; the day was marked by solemn observances in most
American communities, and by a general cessation of business
throughout the whole country. There were no factitious elements
about these mournful tributes of regard and regret. No movement
of popular feeling was ever more spontaneous and genuine. It was
true homage to a man who did service of infinite value to his
country, and who brought great qualities to the performance of
great deeds.

P^ew men have achieved such success or have been the principal
actors in events that made so deep an impress on the history of
millions of men. His service to the country as the most successful
general of the armies in the life and death struggle of that country
for existence, made him President of the United States within eight
years from the time when he was an unknown clerk in a tannery
of a country town. His Presidential period of eight years was only
less eventful than the four years of the civil wai. When General
Grant retired from the Presidency he left the government of the
United States in a more influential place in the estimation of the
rest of the world than it had ever occupied before.

The par,ticipation of eminent Confederate soldiers in the ceremo-
nials meant that these men and those whom they represent enter-
tained for General Grant during his life a regard as sincere as it
was outspoken ; that they esteemed themselv^^s, in common with
their brethren of the North, the inheritors of Grant's glory and of

(747)

ULYSSES

GRANT.

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the fruits of his victcyics, and that the nation's loss is their loss in
the fullest possible measure. Close upon a quarter of a century
ajjo General S. H. Huckner — meanly deserted at Fort Donelson by
tho men who had led him into taking up arms against the United
States Government, and who should have borne the onus of defeat
— permitted himself, in a bitter moment, to characterize Grant's
demand for an unconditional surrender as unchivalric. Buckner
was one of Grant's pall-bearers, for he fully apprecia';ed not only
the real chivalry which was one of the strong qualities of the man
to whom he surrendered at Fort Donelson that sad winter-day
long ago, but the real merits of the idea which Grant represented
on that occasion. For this man and for Joseph E. Johnston to
stand by the bier of Grant side by side with William T. Sherman,
Philip H. Sheridan, David D. Porter, and other eminent represent-
atives of Union sentiment during the civil war, convey a lesson
that cannot possibly be misunderstood by the thoughtful people of
the North, the South, the East, the West. It means that the results
for which the war was fought, and for the sake of which alone it
was worth fighting, have been absolutely, completely and unalter-
ably achieved; that the war, and the contentions which led to it,
are closed issues; and that from now, henceforth and forever, it
will be useless for unscrupulous partisans to appeal to the passions
of the war for the furtherance of their personal and unpatriotic
ends.

The participation of these ex-Confederates in the funeral cere-
monies would be a small thing in itself, did it not so evidently
represent Southern sentiment. But from every part of the Soutli
the expressions of respect for the memory of Grant have been as
hearty and as cvi lently sincere as it could possibly be asked that
they should be. The terms which Grant gave to Lee at Appo-
mattox, and especially his simple suggestion that the surrenflered
men should keep their horses, as they would need them for their
spring ploughing, appealed, in the most direct manner, to the best
Southern sentiment; and whatever he did at Appomattox towards
making his victory a moral as well as a physical one, he still more
became in Southern eyes the embodiment of a true chivalry when,
later on, he brought the weight of his official and personal influ
ence to bear to prevent the prosecution of prominent Confederates
and to maintain the inviolability of the promises which he made to
Lee.

General Grant was a great soldier. He was great not only in
his ability to handle huge bodies of men, but in his clear under-
standing of the character of the struggle in which he was engaged,
and of the means necessary for bringing it to an entirely satisfac-
tory conclusion. It was fortunate, for many reasons, that the Gov-

ll\'i'\U'

BORNE TO HIS REST.

749

crnmcnt and its supporters had the services of such .1 man when
the time came for strikinj; the last blows at the Rebellion.

In grateful acknowledgment of his great services and of his
worth as a soldier, a man and a citizen, his countrymen honored
him by the grandest and most imposing obsequies America ever
saw.

The following poem is an expression of the feelinjj which pcr-
i<aded the whole nation, North and South, East and West :

' I

.1 ..I

HIS LAST TRIUMPH.

Furl all the flags and muffle all the drums !
Back to the home he loved the hero comes,

Not as the victor at the head

Of armies he has often led,
Nor panoplied for war, nor laurel-crowned,
Nor greeted by the cannons' thund'rous sound,

Or by the rapturous acclaim

Of thousands who repeat his name.
Nor, as he left us last, m mortal pain,
His steps supported by his crutch or canei

But silently, so silently,

That men may ask, Can this be he ?

And yet he is a Leader, drand and vast
A mightv multitude is marching past,

And West and Kast with South and North

Again have sent their legions forth,
Wha come with reverent mien and solemn tread
To humbly follow the Commander, dead,

While standards bright and scarcely worn

Mingle with those by battle torn,
And men who with him and against him fought,
Like brothers, counting now the past as naught,

Join hands beside the hero's bier;

Oh, what a wondrous sight is here !

This is his triumph, this his joy and pride ;
For this alone he might have gladly died.

He ordered war's alarms to cease,

And brought in pleasant days of peace.
" Go home," the victor to the vanquished said,
"And work for those you love, and mourn your dead!"

When Death against his spirit strove

His latest words were words of love.
Peace holds the Union that he helped to save.
And severed sections weep above his grave.

Such is his last and best reward

Who sheathed his anger with his sword.

1?^

THE LAST REVIEW.

A more impressive picture than that of General Grant's funeral
was never presented to the American people. The day was per-

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GRANT.

feet, and the arrangements admirable. The prediction of "local
rain and subsequent clearing weather " was, fortunately, not ful-
filled. A brief shower at midnight led up to a morning cooled by
breezes from the bay, so potent as to stir tl>e leaves of all the trees
at Riverside and through the Park and the (cw left along the line
of procession, memorable in all future time as being the route over
which the most superb pageant, military and civic, known in the
history of the country, passed on this superb August day. In the
earliest hours of the morning the city was astir. Thousands of
men sat on stoops, rested on the curb-stones, loitered in the parks,
and made populous all the points of vantage near the rendezvous
where dignitaries were to meet, sharing the curiosity of the multi-
tude which crowded about the City Hall concerning the sacred
burden soon to be brought from its resting-place and taken to its
last, long home. The hotels of the town were alive. Every
corridor on every floor was lined with cots, and strangers doubled
up in all the rooms. There was stir and bustle in every armory
and at all the points where perfunctory preparations were bein<;
made for the grand ceremonial of the day. On every road leading
to the city late trains were run at night and extra trains put on
early in the morning. There v/as not a horse in all the stables of
the town whose services were not enlisted. Every driver knew the
hard day's work before him, and in every home it was distinctly
understood that early rising, an early breakfast and an early start
was the programme of the day.

IN FRONT OF CITY HALL.

The morning sunshine fell at 8 o'clock, an hour before the pro-
cession was to start, upon a throng of people surrounding the
asphalt esplanade road in front of the City Hall. Other streams of
people.clad in their best garb, poured from the Brooklyn Bridge
and the ferry-houses to join the throng. Smaller streams filtered
away at the edges and moved up town, but most of the crowd
waited patiently for the start of the great pageant. Men and bojs
climbed u^Oii the dry granite fountain directly in front of the City
Hall; and others displayed their agility by perching upon the frati
iron support about young trees. A group of men found a lofty
view from the top of the Federal building, and the roofs of the
other tall buildings in the vicinage were dotted with spectators.

All alike looked down upon the sun-beaten open plaza, around
which a line of policemen ran like a blue cord. Here and there a
detail of policemen would form in line and march away to duty
elsewhere.

In the distance there began to beat faintly the pulse of marching
feet; from some side street swelled now the music of a band, now

BORNE TO HIS REST.

751

the sound of a drum, and between this vista of buildings and that,
throu<^h this sunlit space East and that shadowed rift West, between
tall blocks, could be caught the glitter of brightly polished guns or
the tossing head of a horse.

The purple casket had been closed forever, and the dead hero,
whose face had been gazed upon by acclaiming millions living and
reverent thousands dead, had been shut away from mortal vision.
The original guard of honor who escorted the body from Mt.
McGregor, thirteen members of Grant Post, of Brooklyn, stood like
statues about the catafalque. The officers of the 22d Regiment
shared their vigil. No one spoke above a whisper, and those who
walked moved lightly. The black draperies darkened the morning
Vui}it, and even a whisper .seemed boisterous. Through the tall,
straight bars of the iron gates floated new murmurs of prepara-
tion. The time had nearly come for the casket and its unconscious,
helpless burden to be carried on its last journey.

Battery place was alive with people at sunrise. Children, women
and gray-bearded men with umbrellas and lunch baskets sat waiting
in the shade of the Barge Office, where General Hancock's troops
were to land. The water sparkled and white .sails dotted the bay
from Stevens* Point to the Narrows. All the street cars were
packed and every train on the " elevated " roads was loaded to its
fullest capacity

Troops were seen embarking at Governor's Island. The big
black guns on the flower-bordered parapets were silent. Only the
muffled drum and the plaintive wailing of music broke the stillness
of the green island. Promptly tugs, steamers and barges reached
the stone pier with blue jackets, soldiers and musicians. Policemen
and a military detail kept back the increasing crowd which swarmed
park and plaza. Officers, men, horses and artillery speedily dis-
embarked. While the various organizations were preparing to fall
into line and march General Hancock, with his regular staff, stood
in front of the Barge Office entrance.

While guns, bayonets, regimentals and swords were glittering in
the morning sunlight, General Fitzhugh Lee and Major Smith, of
his old staff, in civilian's dress, alighted from an " elevated " train.
They had come to join General Hancock's staff.

" Bless me, what are we coming to ? " exclaimed a bronzed veteran,
" ex-Confederate cavalrymen going with Union major generals to
pay a last tribute at Grant's tomb ! Well, the war is ended at last."

The distinguished visiting Southerners were cordially greeted by
Gen. Hancock and hi*^ officers. After salutations and a few moments'
chat the illustrious company mounted their horses and the march
began. A squad of police on horseback cleared the street. Then
came the Major-Geneial and his staff, followed by pioneers with

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

1 ': I

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axes and side arms. Next were the battalions of United States
troops in fresh uniforms, the naval brigade, marine battahon, blue
jackets, infantry, artillery and National guards, in imposing columns,
steadily marching to the roll and beat of muffljd drums. Immense
crowds lined the sidewalk ; the crowd continued to increase until
City Hall Park was reached. By this time Broadway, as far as the
eye could reach, was filled with troops and spectators. The poHce
arrangements were found to be good and Broadway was cleared of
spectators from curb to curb at an early hour.

From every side street, to the music of fife and drum, with battl"
fl:igs draped and bows of crape on the left arm, came the veterans
of the war and the members of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Grand Army posts formed on the west side of Broadway, the
D.ipartment of Pennsylvania having the right of line and its right
resting on Duane Street. Next came the Department of New York
and the other departments, and delegations formed from Four-
teenth Street up nearly to Forty-second Street. Carriages for dis-
abled soldiers were waiting in Canal Street.

All the early morning the tramp of soldiers and the mournful
strains of the regimental bands were heard as the various regiments
marched to the positions assigned them. The cast side of Broadway
was the scene of the deploy line. When the troops were drawn up
in line of parade rest they presented an imposing sight. The regi-
ments of the First division stretched southward down Fifth Avenue
from Twenty-eighth Street, and the remaining troops continued the
line down Broadway to the City Hall. At the City Hall there was
a division of New Jersey National Guards, looking like regulars in
their uniforms of light and dark blue; the VcvCran Zouaves were
shoulder to shoulder flmkcd against them. Company D, I'lst
Minnesota Guard, C:^ptiin B^an, with left resting below ' ■ il
Street, was next in the order of line, with the Capitol City Gu \: Js,
left resting on Grand Street, next. The Union Veteran Co; i)>^,
Captain A. E. Thomason.of the District of Columbia, rested on the
right of the Capitol City Guards.

At Broome Street there was a battalion of four companies of
Virginia State troops and the First regiment of Massachusetts in-
fantry — two bodies that during the war would have been fighting
each other to death, but which were now joined in brotherhood.
Another similar contrast was next in line — the second regiment of
Connecticut National Guards, the first regiment of Pennsylvania's
National Guards, below Prince Street, and the Gate City Guards of
Atlanta, Ga — which, with the two preceding troops, made a picture
of blue and gray.

Then came the second division of the State National Guards, left
resting on Bleeker Street, with companies of veteran guards, coiu-

BORNE TO HIS REST.

753

posed of the race the hero had fought to free, their left resting on
Eleventh Stroot. Following them on the v/ay up town were the
Columbia Guard, the Garibaldi Legion, the Italian Rifle Guard, the
Columbo Guard, the second company Washington Continental
Guard, the tenth regiment New York Volunteer Veterans, the
Veteran Zouave Association and the Veteran Association 165th
New York Volunteers, Tiie Governor's Foot Guard, Hartford,
Conn., and the first division of the State National Guards completed
this front of soldiery.

The pall-bearers and other distinguished persons met at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. Carriages waiting for them were drawn up in
Twenty-third Street. President Cleveland, accompanied by Secre-
tary of State Bayard, left his rooms, Nos. 82 and 83 on the third
floor, at ten o'clock, and the two took seats in the carriage that
awaited them at the Twenty-third Street entrance. The six bay
horses which drew it only moved a few feet forward and then waited
for two hours for the funeral car to pass. The cun poured down so
fiercely that the President was obliged to leave the carriage after
half an hour and to wait in the hotel. The spectators took off their
hats as he passed among them.

Lieutenant-Colonel Gillespie, the marshal of the Presidential and
Gubernatorial carriages, had a difficult task before him. There was
some trouble in getting ex-Presidents Hayes and Arthur placed in
the proper carriages. Twice they were changed, and at last were
seated together in a carriage that stood in front of the Eden Musee.
At one side of them was Governor Hill's staff, mounted. Vice-
President Hendricks and his secretary waited in a carriage directly
in front of the hotel entrance.

The broad pearl sash of Colonel Gillespie '"as seen moving care-
lessly up and down and in and out between the horses, until at last
the carriages were massed in three lines down the street. Presi-
dent Cleveland's Cabinet, in five carriages, were on the north side
of the street. At the other side, drawn together in hopeless con-
fusion, were a number of carriages containing Mrs. Rawlins Hol-
man, the daughter of General Grant's old friend and chief of staff;
the General's old staff and his Cabinet officers, detachments from
Wheeler and U. S. Grant Posts and survivors of the Mexican War.
Down the centre line were judges of the Supreme Court, United
States Senators, with white silk sashes over their shoulders, and the
House Committee, in a score of carriages. Down near Sixth
Avenue were the conmiittee of the State Legislature, the members
of the Cabinets of ex-Presidents Hayes and Arthur, and the diplo-
matic and consular officers under General Grant. In the lines up
and down Sixth Avenue were the Governors and their staffs of the
States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Connecticut, Massachusetts,

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Indiana, Ilhnois, Maine,
Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, West Virginia, Colorado
and Dakota.

On Twenty-third Street, beyond Sixth Avenue, were the heads
of the War and Navy Departments, Generals Sheridan and Mcrritt
and Admiral Jouett and Commander Chandler and stnfTs, and a
large number of federal officers, including the Indian Comniis-
lioners.

On Seventh Avenue were the carriages containing th; Mayors
of Brooklyn, Boston, St. Louis, Jersey City, New Haven, Hartford,
Elizabeth, Hudson and Litchfield, Conn., and the Committee of
One Hundred.

The rays of the rising sun had not pierced the dampened vapors
clinging in the air when the boom of morning guns on the fleet
anchored in the Hudson River, off the bluff at Riverside, gave
notice of the day's mournful business, and on the s x United States
vessels thenceforth there was bustling life throug'.out the day.
Here the first sounds which broke the stillness about the future
resting place of General Grant's remains were heard. The execu-
tive officer of each man-of-war gave the order to " cockbill the
yards." Next came the command, " Stand by your gear ! " Then,
"Sway!"

At this command, almost in unison, the yards on each vessel were
dipped, the fore yards to port, the main yards to the starboard side,
and there made fast. The colors at the peak were dropped to half-
mast, and the men were " piped down " to don their uniforms of
mourning. It consistjsd of a white cape, white jacket and black
trousers, which were worn throughout the day of the burial.

In half an hodr there came from one of the port-holes of the
Despatch, which headed the line, a puff of white smoke, followed
on the instant almost by the roar of the gun. It echoed on the
high rocky walls of the three-crowned Palisades across the river,
rolled back and forth and passed away among the distant hills like
the rumble of reverberr'ting thunder. Thenceforward until ten
o'clock one gun every half hour measured the passing movement
of time. When the hour of the departure of the procession from
City Hall Park arrived the Despatch began firing twenty-one guns
at intervals of a minute. The Powhatan followed, and each vessel's
crew took their turn at the cannons, each firing two minute guns
until the procession arrived. The billows of smoke rolled from the
open ports, and the fleecy white sulphurous clouds lolled on the
, river's bosom until the gentle morning air carried them slowly
away southward.

Soon the sun. rising higher in .the heavens, shone brilliantly
down on the line of ships. They formed a pretty sight as they lay

BORNE TO HIS REST.

755

Illinois, Maine,

ginia,

Colorado

were the heads
dan and Mcrritt
nd staffs, and a
ndian Commis-

th: Mayors
-laven, Hartford,
e Committee of

lainpencd vapors
rruns on the fleet
Riverside, gave
'.% United States
jg'.out the day.
ibout the future
rd. The execu-
te " cockbill the
.irgear!" Then,

each vessel were
le starboard side,
dropped to half-
heir uniforms of
acket and black
the burial,
port-holes of the
smoke, followed
echoed on the
across the river,
distant hills like
Drward until ten
issing movement
procession from
twenty-one guns
, and each vessel's
wo minute guns
ce rolled from the
ds lolled on the
•ied them slowly

shone brilliantly
sight as they lay

at anchor one below the other, their clean, bright metal reflecting
the warmth of the sun. Heading the line was the Despatch. At
her foretop fluttered the ensign of Admiral Jouett. In close order
following were the Powhatan, Omaha, Swatara, Alliance and the
revenue cutter U S. Grant. At the stern of each vessel floated a
little steam launch for the use of the officers. At ten o'clock the
excursion boats began to arrive. The Plymouth Rock brought
down 350 passengers from Peekskill ; the C. A. Pcan a like number
from Yonkers ; the Alpine 250 from the same village, and the
Pleasant Valley and Fort Lee each landed 300 excursionists
trom the lower end of the city. The same boats made many trips
each way, and every time the throng in the Park was swelled by
heir living cargoes.

Meanwhile on the shore, men, women and boys were rushing
about in the endeavor to secure a point of vantage from which to
view the burial pageant. Early in the morning Foreman McCann
and Chief P^ngineer Kellogg had gangs of men on the ground to
put the finishing touches on the work of the past week. The
graders were busy levelling off the driveways leading to and from
tiie tomb; the masons were trimming the .stone pavement and
making a temporary board platform before the tomb, and a U.rgo
force of laborers set green slates of turf around the sides and rear
of the vault, making the sloping, gravelly hill a place of freshness
and beauty. All the roads about the place were rolled and sprinkled
until they looked cool and smooth. A fresh coat of gilding was
p \t on the finial cross at the apex of the roof and on the iron name,
Grant," which stretches across the inner grated door. The inside
of the tomb was next carefully swept with brooms, and before the
news of the coming procession reached Claremont Bluff everything
was in readiness.

With the opening of the day the crowds began to make their ap-
pearance, and while the work around the tomb was in progress the
multitude was augmented by new arrivals until the patience of the
police was taxed in their efforts to control it. A cordon of police
officers stretched completely around the burial mound in the centre
ot the Park. There were 500 city policemen, under Inspector
Dilks, and 150 park policemen, commanded by Captain Bjatty.
No one was allowed to pass the line without the proper credentials.
Without the line of officers the crowd pressed and surged. The
itands erected for their accommodation rapidly filled up, at an ad-
mission of one dollar, until there was room for no more. A tempo-
rary floor, upon which were placed seats to accommodate over four
hundred of the mourners who rode in carriages in the procession,
was laid in front of the tomb, distant about fifty feet. Between these
s;ats and the tomb, and to the left of its entrance, the cedar outer

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LIFE OF ULYSSF.S S. GRANT.

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casket, to contain the cofiRn, was resting on two standards. It was
at once the centre of an interested group of officers and civilians,
eager to examine its beautiful workmanship.

When the sun stole in through the barred gates of the City Hall
in the morning it flashed upon the burnished silver mountings of
the casket, and was reflected from the steel helmets of a guard from
the Seventy-first regiment. It paled the electric lights, which soon
wcrt out. With it came a cool breeze that fluttered the sombre
drapery hanging "from the arches overhead, and rustled the leaves
and the flowers that formed the background to the casket.

At one o'clock the double file of people had been stopped in the
march past the bier, the iron gates were closed, the last look at the
dead was taken, and the coffin lid shut out forever from the world's
view the face of General Grant.

Impressive in the dignity of its simplicity, historic in its character
and meaning was the scene. The eyes of the nation were centred
upon that black draped vestibule, between whose massive pillars
the country's hero slept his long sleep. The hour was fast ap-
proaching when he should be borne out through those iron portals
and carried through a dense lane of his mourning fellow-citizens to
his resting-place by the river's side. At the head of the casket
stood a man, one of \\ hose sleeves dangled empty at his side. The
arm had been left behind on some battle-field. Medals of bronze
decorated his breast. His gaze was fixed upon the casket. Other
men in dark blue, who also carried medals, stood about in regular
order like statues. Hardly a movement they made, and not a word
broke the tomb-like stillness of the place. Flanking these, with
military erectness, were men in gayer uniforms, who carried swor "•
at their sides and wore upon their heads white helmets tipped with
steel. At a greater distance policemen guarded every approach.
Little change was there in the scene at any time.

As the hours wore on martial sounds came floating in through
the barred gat s and martial sights began to appear upon the broad
plaza in front of the City Hall, upon which the silent watchers now
and then looked out. The hosts were gathering at the various
points to which they had been assigned. Strains of solemn music,
to which the tramp of marching feet kept time, came from Broad-
way. Now and then a post of Grand Army men filed past, with
colors draped and drooping and muffled drums. At intervals the
sound of a far away discharge of artillery broke upon the ear, and
mingling with all was the mournful tolling of the bell in St. Paul's
Church tower. Fitting sounds were these. They seemed to voice
a nation's sorrow, and were but the echo of other similar sounds
that were going up from all parts of the land.

Now there was the measured tramp of feet upon the plaza, which

BORNE TO HIS REST.

757

ceases at the sharp word of command. Then the butts of a hun-
dred muskets came to the pavement with one sound. The regulars
had arrived — a compan)* of the Fifth artillery and one of the
Twelfth infantry — and taken up position facing the entrance to the
hall. They compose the guard of honor. About the same time
thirteen soldierly men marched up the steps in double file, and,
dividing ranks, took up position on either side of the casket. This
was the immediate body-guard from U. S. Grant Post, No. 327,
men who took up their honored task on the summit of Mt.
McGregor, who accompanied the body to Albany and who would
not leave their charge until it had been laid in the tomb. Their
comrades, who had been on duty since five o'clock, quietly withdrew,
and after this momentary interruption the solemn hush once more
fell upon the scene. It was nine o'clock, and in half an hour the
start was made. Just preceding this there was a gathering of men
in civilian's dress upon the City Hall steps. Quietly they arranged
themselves in a group, facing the park, a baton waved and a soft
strain of music wa wafted in to the watchers. Then there was the
low, gradually swelling sound of a hundred voices chanting a part-
ing dirge. The Liederkranz was paying a last tribute.

Although at this time there was nothing to see but the front of
the City Hall, everybody seemed to realize the solemnity of the
occasion. Conversation was hushed, the crowd was almost mo-
tionless, and the silence was broken only by the twittering of the
sparrows and the jingling of the street car bells. The plaza in front
of the City Hall gates and the grass plots in a semicircle from the
ends of the building extending as far as the fountain were Kept
cleared of the multitude by an unbroken line of policemen.

The impressiveness of the scene was deepened as the United
States Infantry band from the depot at David's Island made the air
throb with the strains of Sullivan's " Lost Chord." While this was
being played the Liederkranz singers took their stand upon the
steps. They sang, when the notes of the band had died away, the
"Gesang der Geister iiber den Wasscrn" of Schubert — the song of
the spirits over the water. The voices sounded clear and sweet in
the bright morning air, and the walls of the building served to
reflect the sounds, so that it is probable that nearly all, even of that
vast assemblage, heard the nmsic. After a short interval they sang
again — the "Trauerchor der Pilger," the pilgrim's chorus, from
" Tannhauser."

' ■ 'l \ ■■ - CLERGYMEN ANM1 PALL-BEARERS.

At a quarter to nine o'clock there was a pushing back of the
crowds at the Park row entrance to the plaza, and a line of open
carriages drove in. They contained the clergymen, the physicians
and the pall-bearers. In the first carriage rode the Rev. Dr. New-

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LIFE OF ULVSSES S. GRANT.

man and Bishop Harris, representatives of the Methodist Church.
The second carriage contained Bishop Potter, representing tlio
Episcopalian communion, and the Rev. Dr. Field, the Presbyterian.
The Rev. Dr. Chambers, of the Dutch Reformed Church, and Dr.
West, of the Congregational, were in the third carriage. The fourth
carnage attracted general attention. The Rev. Dr. Collyer, repre-
senting the Unitarian Church, was seen sitting there alone, while
by its side and on foot walked the representative of the Jewish
faith, which forbids its adherents to ride on their Sabbath. Fatlitr
McGlynn, the Catholic clergyman, was in the next carriage, and by
his side sat the Rev. Dr. Bridgman, the Baptist. The physicians—
Drs. Douglas, Shrady, Sands and Elliott — were together in cnc
coach.

Then came the pa!I-bearers. General Sherman, in cocked hat
and gold lace, rode beside General Johnston, the Southern leader,
in plain civilian's clothes. In the next carriage General Sheridan,
also in uniform, talked with General Buckner, his old time adver-
sary. George W. Childs and Anthony J. Orexel were in the
succeeding coach, and Admirals Porter and VVorden in the one
following. Oliver Hoyt and George Jones and General Logan and
Mr. Boutwell were in the last two carriages.

The carriages formed in two lines on the western half of the
plaza and waited. Presently a wagon containing the flight of black
covered steps used in mounting to the funeral car drove n, and
then, at twenty-five minutes to ten, a way was opened at Park
Row, and the nodding black plumes of the car were seen approach-
ing. Twjnty-four black horses, with black trappings and eacli led
Iiy a colored groom, moved slowly and impressively across the
plaza and stopped with the catafalque directly in front of the en-
trance to the City Hall. The guard of honor marched across to
the steps and formed in double lines facing each other and extentl-
ing from the pillars of the vestibule down to the plaza and to the
side of the funeral car. The artillery was on the west side and
the infantry on the east. While the steps were being placed in
position at the funeral car the clergymen, the physicians and pall-
bearers left their carriages and entered the City Hall. Instinctively
every head in the vast concourse was uncovered and everybody
waited in perfect silence.

The hour had arrived. There was no bustle or confusion. The
face of Dr. Newman appeared in the gateway. He announced that
the clergy and the pall-bearers were in readiness. They were
grouped just outside the gates, sashes of white caught up with
black running from their shoulders to their waists. Senior Vice
Commander John H. Johnson, of Grant Post. G. A. R.. quietly
gave the word to his twelve men. They took hold of the silver

DORNE TO HIS REST.

•59

liandles of the casket and raised it from its resting-place. Care-
lully they lowered it, and were ready for the transfer to the waitinj;
funeral car. The little procession was arranged as follows, with
the pall-bearers and clergy in advance and Commander Johnson
heading his men :

Left of the Casket,
Comrade Corwin.
Comrade Howatt.
Comrade McDonald.
Comrade Squires.
Comrade Knij^ht.
Comrade Guillam.

Ri\i:^ht of the Casket.

Comrade Tebbitts.
Comrade McKellar.
Comrade McKelvey.
Comrade IJmdie.
Comrade Collins.
Comrade Barker.

Comrades Downing and Ormsby, ol Wheeler Post.

Representatives of the Loyal Legion of Honoi-, comprising Gf^ncral John
J. Milman. General C. A. Carlton, Paymaster .icorge D. Bartno, '.jciitcnaiu-
Coloncl Floyd Clarkson, Lieutenant-Colonel A. M. Clark and Cautain E.
Blunt.

While the band of the regulars plaj cd a funeral march the pro-
cession slowly moved down the steps. The hats of the great
throng that lined the edge of the p.irk were simultaneously re-
moved, and two photographers caught, the historic picture. Up the
steps that led to the funeral car the (jrand Army men moved with
their burden. They deposited it upcin its resting-place. The whole
scene had occupied but five minutes.

The pall-bearers and the clergy and physicians walked back to
their carriages, re-entered them, were driven slowly out into Broad-
way and halted. The army guard of honor, headed by the band,
marched slowly around the funeral car to the end of the plaza, at
carry arms, and stopped at Broadway, The Twelfth Infantry com-
pany was in the van, immediately behind the pall-bearers' carriages
and the artillery battery followed. Then the members of Grant
Post, who had been waiting on Broadway, entered the plaza and
formed twelve files front immediately before the car. Some of
the veterans bore small wreaths of evergreens in their hands. On
either side of the funeral car stood the thirteen members of the
Grant Post who had constituted the last guard at the City Hall.
Directly behind the car walked the ten members of the \Vheeler
Grand Army Post who had attended the body from Mt. Mc-
Gregor. Six veteran officers of the Loyal Legion stood shoulder
to shoulder behind the car. Mayor Grace and the members of
the Board of Aldermen in their carriages then fell into line.

There was a brief pause after this little procession had formed,
and then the David's Island Band played the first notes of Bee-
thoven's " Marche Funebre." The army guard of honor moved
as one man, with arms reversed and solemn tread ; the sable

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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plumes on the car nodded, and so the body of the dead General
started upon its last march.

The crowd waited with uncovered heads and in solemn silcnco
until the car had turned into Broadway, and then, with a decoruiu
remarkable, considerin<j the va:.t numbers, moved in a body out if
the park into the street, and i>o on past the City Hall to Chambers
Street.

All night long workmen had been preparing with saw and
hammer for the march up Broadway. Hundreds of stands were
hastily erected in all sorts of places. One, probably, with the
permission of somebody in authority, hid been erected on iVarl
Street just off Broadway. It was so large that it filled the street
from curb to curb, thus preventing the passage of teams. A board
stuck in a barrel of sand bore this notice, " Street closed." Tem-
porary balconies had been built over a store at Canal Street and
Broadway. In front of the ruins of Harrigan & Hart's Theatre
Comique speculators had erected a stand one hundred feet in
length. The windows of many of the great warehouses aloiij,^
Broadway had been cleared of goods and the empty spaces filled
in with chairs. At the hour .set for the start of the procession tlie
sidewalks were densely packed with people who had been floekin>^
to the scene almost from dawn. On every side there was a sea of
faces. Wherever the eye was turned it was met b)' thousands of
other eyes.

The Grand Army organizations were deployed in line on the
west side of Broadway from Duane Street up. On the east side,
extending nearly as far as the Fifth Avenue Hotel, had been
formed the various regiments of the National Guards of New York
and other States, and all the armed military organizations compris-
ing the military escort. It was a suggestive contrast. On one side
of the way were the grizzled veterans of the great rebellion who
had fought under Grant, and on the other the young and spruce
looking members of the militia regiments. Here and there in the
ranks of the old soldiers was to be seen a tattered battle flag, tell-
ing in silent eloquence its story of heroism. It was only a ragged
bit of silk, but was as striking in its contrast to the bright new
banners of the young guardsmen opposite as the plain and often
shabby clothing of the veterans was to the showy uniforms of the
youngsters.

THE LAST SALUTE.

At a given signal the militia organizations had fallen into line
ahead of the hearse, in compliance with the forms of a military
funeral, which require that all armed soldiery shall precede the
body. When the funeral car reached Chambers Street, therefore,
the military organizations simply wheeled into the procession in

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761

: dead General

the van. But all along the street for blocks and blocks could be
seen the Grand Army posts still waiting, for to them had been
justly awarded the honor of joining in the cortege immediately
behind the body as mourners.

There was a delay at Duane Street, and the funeral car and its
immediate escort stopped to permit the militia to get into line
ahead. The procession soon started forward, however, and then an
impressive sight was witnessed. The Grand Army posts, for
blocks and blocks, as the car moved on, saluted the dead, each
veteran standing, with his Grand Army medal covered with crape
and with a mourning knot upon the left arm, and raised his soft
black hat from his head with the right hand, then bringing it to the
left breast with the crown outward, and holding it there until the
remains had passed. Then, as the guard of honor marched past,
the Grand Army men wheeled into the line, marching not as sepa-
rate posts, but consolidated into battalions and brigades.

And so the procession, swelling by the hundreds at every block,
moved on up Broadway.

It would be too much to say that the hundred thousand people
who massed themselves in and about Madison Square, packing the
streets solidly, overflowing every window, obeying the slightest
hint of the humblest policeman, footsore with long and weary wait-
ing, had the fliintest idea that the programme of the day would bi
executed to the letter, but when, at a few moments after ten, word
was passed along the line that the column had turned from Four-
teenth Street into Fifth Avenue it was as though an electric shock
had been given to every person in the crowd. The scene was a
picture. The facade of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, becomingly draped
in heavy mourning, seemed alive with spectators. Every window
on the Broadway side had its quota, its full complement of occu-
pants, while on the roof men and women stood like bees in a hive.

Far up the line of march could be seen the floating plumes, the
burnished weapons, the showy uniforms and the impatient steeds
of the military waiting their turn to fall into line. Immediately in
front, barring egress through Twenty-third Street, stood the Twen-
ty-second as motionless as machinery at rest. Back of them stood
a lino of policemen, and back of them the multitude. A shrill
blast from a bugle told the story of the commander's commg
Preceded by a well-kept line of mounted police came the army and
the navy. Hancock on a magnificent horse looked every inch a
soldier, followed at a respectful distance by his gorgeous and glit-
tering staff. Nothing save respect to the memory of the dead —
nothing but that subtle intuition which taught every heart m that
crowd the delicacies of the occasion, restrained the multitude from
an outburst of spontaneous recognition of the gallant bearing and

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

noble presence of this superb corle^je. Opera-glasses were broiii.;lu
into requisition by hidics in all the wintlow.s, ami Hancock and Ins
aides faced a battery more numerous in its charges than any ho
ever saw on the field of battle. To say that the regular troops
marched well would be but a simple statement of fact, and to say
that every eye in all that interested multitude rested with reganl and
admiration upon the soldiers and the sailors in that part of the
division would be to tell the simple trutli. ,

General Shaler had reason to be entirely satisfied with liis com-
mand. The Ku'st and Second brigades fell into line, according to
the official programme, with full ranks pro[)erly equipped and with
a port and dignity of carriage that secured the admiration their
appearance challenged. Immed ately opposite to the main entr.mcc
to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in the centre of the street, lay a snuill
piece of paper, at which every hne deployed from left to right,
moving from the Broadway path into the Fifth Avenue thorougli-
fare. The movement was one calculated to test the military know-
ledge and e.\pertness of the men, and it was inter ting and curious
to note the comments of the people in the cro When a com-

pany made a clean cut deploy there was a subc. .)ut peici^ptihle
recognition, as when they made a ragged and unprofessional deploy
there was a subdued but perceptible hum of dissatisfaction.

Between ten o'clock ami one, at which time the President and
the other dignitaries, whose headquarters were in the Fifth Avenue,
joined the procession, the hotel was a centre of curiosity to a lai ge
crowd of people unable to get nearer Broadway than the Twenty-
third Street entrance, where stood several open carriages for the
President and his friends and two or three hundred other carriages
for other people and their friends. The President looked remark-
ably well, pulled his hat well down over his forehead and wore a
dark suit of broadcloth, the coat buttoned high in the breast. He
held quite a levee, talking very earnestly and pleasantly with Secre-
tary Bayard, who looks pale and wan.

Vice-President Hendricks held a little levee by himself, wearing
most of the time his hat, apparently in the best of health and the
best of spirits. Kx-President Hayes, with much thoughtful con-
sideration, passed most of the time with the ladies of the bereaved
family, with whom he is on the best of terms, and who appear to
look to him to a certain extent for counseling aid and comfort,
The most dignified, certainly the most graciously easy of the dis-
tinguished party in the hotel, was ex-President Arthur, who was
cordially greeted by everybody and most respectfully treated wher-
ever he moved.

The troops continued their onward march, each regiment pre-
ceded by a full band, the music of the occasion being, by the way,

DORNE TO ins KKSr.

7<33

one of its most sic^nificant features. Probably out of ileRM-cnce to
the fact that ihc family were stoppiii}^ in the Fifth Avenue Hotel
every band without exception tlurin^ the entire day struck up at
Twenty-first Street, and continued in full tide of successful opera-
tion along Broadway to the deploy line, and thence up I-'ifth Ave-
nue as far as Thirtieth Street, and some still farther. This fact,
added to the advantageous point for observation afforded by the
open square and the large spaces referred to above, made the scene
from this point particularly picturesque and noteworthy. Far in
advance of each brigade rode its commander, followed at the proper
distance by his staff. Then came the colonel of each particular
regiment, followed by his staff, and then the music. It was noticed
with particular pleasine that the officers wcrcalmost without excep-
tion admirably mounted.

One of the most interesting features was the appearance of the
Old Guard, which wore the okl time bear-skin cap, the old style
white coat am! the old style blue trousers. They were preceiled by
a superb band playing " Nean r my (iod to Thee." After the band
followed the veteran George Washmgton McLean, walking like a
chief mourner, far in advance of his handsome command. It was hard
for the people to restrain themselves at that point. They wanted to
applaud and to recognize the soldierly bearing of the gallant men
who followed the gallant Major in his gallant tread. The oldest
military organization in the country is the Governor's Foot Guard,
of Hartford, Conn., which presented a unique and odd but interest-
ing appearance as the men came along in their old style uniform,
preceded by a particularly good bantl. The colored guards, it is
pleasant to record, looked well, marched well and deserved well of
their fellow-citizens.

Very great interest was excited by the appearance of the South-
ern troops — more especially the Gate City (jiuard of Atlanta, the
Virginia State Troop and the Union Veteran Corps from the District
of Columbia.

The New Jersey National Guard made a fine appearance. They
turned out in great numbers, and added their full quota to the in-
terest of the occasion and their full share to the magnificent
mu.sic of the day.

Pennsylvania's quota soon came, and the gallant boys of the
First Regiment, in their new blouses and white pantaloons, stepped
forward, platoon after platoon, with the regularity of clockwork.
At the head rode Colonel Theodore L. VViedersheim and his staff.
Lieutenant-Colonel Gilpin and Major Bowman rode on either flank.
J. Houston Merrill acted as special aid, and Lieutenant C. F. Ken-
sil took the place of Adjutant Groff. Quartermaster Roberts,
Paymaster Tabcr, Surgeon O'Neill and Assistant Surgeons Muhlen-

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

berg and Smith were also present, as well as Sorgcant-Major
J. G. Post, Quartermaster Sergeant T. H. Gallagher, Thomas A.
Sergeant, G. L Walker and Hospital-Steward Charles Ouram,
who were present as the non-commissioned staff.

When the parade was over it was conceded that no body of
militia had made anything near approaching the display of disci-
pline and training shown by the First Regiment of Philadelphia.
Colonel Wiedersheim, by his skillful handling of the men, showed
his tact and ability as a commander during the day, and it was
frequently commented upon by older heads acquainted with the
management of veteran and volunteer troops. All along the line,
as in Washington, the white pants and marching order knapsacks
attracted marked attention, and the men would have received
hearty applause hid such an evidence of approval not been
regarded as out of place on such an occasion. It was the only
regiment in the line in heavy marching order, and ii is, of course,
understood that the smoothness of their movements was conse-
quently so much the more creditable as compared with the
marching of the men who carried nothing but theii guns and ac-
coutrements.

Many of the:5e people, this vast crowd, this enormous aggrega-
tion, thousands and tens of thousands of them, had been there
since very early in the morning, and some all night. Wearied and
tired, impatient, they stood and waited and wondered and waited
until the procession came, and then, as though aflame with inter-
est and curiosity and with respectful determination and desire to
know all about the tribute to the man they honored, they became
creatures of impulse in act and look and gesture, so that from ten
o'clock until one, a space of three hours, during which, with two
e.vceptions, perhaps of five minutes each, when the troops were
resting, they had been interested and satisfied.

Then came the sensation of the day.

Far down the line started that subtle something which told this
great mass on Fifth Avenue, Broadway and Twenty-third Street
that that for which all eyes were waiting was almost before them

The catafalque was coming.

Grant's body would soon be with them.

Through all this crowd there ran a stir. People already packed
to the verge of suffocation packed closer. The long quadruple
line of carriages which stretched from Fifth Avenue through West
Twenty-third Street beyond Seventh Avenue, moved restlessly.

Drivers got themselves into positions and diatinguished guests
took seats. Escorted by Marshal McMichael, the President, un-
gloved, entered his carriage, and by his side sat secretary Bayard,
also without gloves. The crowd pressed close, the footman took

BORNE TO HIS REST.

'765

the troops were

his seat by the side of the coachman and the six horses pranced
and danced as though impatient for their opportunity to participate
in the procession. Vice-President Hendricks, with his hat pulled
down over his right eye, with a glove on his left hand, took a seat
in the next carriage. Th-n came ex-President Hayes and ex-
President Arthur, and following them the long list of dignitaries,
as given, all took seats and waited, while with solemn step, keep-
ing time to the measured music of a glorious band, came the chief
feature of the procession. Bareheaded, young Mr. Merritt walked
perhaps fifteen feet in advance of the leaders. There were twenty-
four horses, covered with black netting, draped in mourning and
led by colored grooms, to draw the enormous vehicle with its
sacred burden. When the casket, covered with black, exposing its
long silver handles only, came in full view, without a word, hint,
sign or suggestion from any mortal hand, every person instantly
rem'oved his hat.

There was no flag about the coffin, no national insignia of any
sort about the catafalque, no flowers, nothing whatever to detract
from the simple grandeur of that solitary casket, raised high in air
above the heads of all who saw it, containing all that remains of
the man who in his time commanded ten times more armed men
than followed him to his grave.

The lo" ; ine of carriages instantly fell into place, and then
there was a rush to see the family and relatives of General Grant,
the old members of his staff, the ex-Cabinet officers, the clergy
and physicians. A halt was called in the line of carriages going
up Broadway, and from one of them stepped Mayor Grace, at-
tended by Alderman Sanger and Comptroller Loew, who, escorted
by Captain Williams, made hurried way to the Twenty-third Street
entrance of the hotel, and gave official greeting to the President
and the other distinguished guests. Resuming their seats in their
carriages, a signal was given and the procession moved on. Dr.
Newman and Bishop Morris sat together in the foremost carriage.
Dr. Newman sits high, and his countenance wore not unnaturally
a calmly satisfied expression as he moved along, part and parcel
of this deliberate testimonial in honor of his friend and parishioner.
Bishop Potter was recognized by many, and pleasantly returned
their salutations. Dr. Collyer, being tired of riding, walked in the
centre of the street, accompanied by the representative of the He-
brew faith, his huge form towering above his surrounding com-
rades. Curiosity was manifested in all the crowds to see Drs.
Douglas and Shrady, and many manifestations of sympathy and
respect were extended to them, more especiallj' to Dr. Douglas, who
is not in robust health. The face of Rear Admiral Worden isn't
as well known as his services are, but he attracted much attention.

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766

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

as naturally did General Sherman, who never looked more rugged,
never more interested, never more soldierly than on this occasion.
Phil. Sheridan, too, is much less known than is the record of his
deeds, but he was recognized by many and talked of by all.

The appearance of General Johnston and General Buckner was
almost a signal for an outburst of applause, and it would have taken
but little to draw from the vast host of interested and gratified spec-
tators a tumultuous indication of their pleasure at seeing them as
pall-bearcrs at the funeral of the Federal commander. Speaker
Carlisle and e.K-Speaker Randall are very well known in New York,
more especially tlie gentleman from Pennsylvania, and when they
cams along, followed by Governor Long, of Massachusetts, and
Randolph Tucker, of Virginia, and Wade Hampton, of South
Carolina, and William M. Evarts, of New York, with Archy Bliss,
of Brooklyn, and General Bingham, of Pennsylvania, and Horace
Porter, with Rufus Ingalls and Comstock and Smith, of Grant's
staff, followed by the copper-colored General Parker, who, as Grant's
military secretary, was present at the meeting between Grant and
Lee at Appomattox, the stir in the crowd became a push, and it
was with difficulty that Captain Williams' men secured that perfect
quiet which down to that moment had characterized the conduct of
the crowd. The dashing staff of General Sheridan, followed by
General Schofield and his staff, made a profound impression upon
the popular mind, which lasted long enough to enable them to
endure with some degree of patience the long, long line of carriages
containing committees and governors and heads of bureaus and
politicians and distinguished merchants and all that sort of men
who then appeared.

The veteran division was under command of Major-General
Sickles, who drove at the head of the line in a handsome victoria
drawn by two spanking horses. He and his companion, in tlie full
regimentals of their position, were picturesque, dashing and inter-
esting to a degree. Then came the veterans, the retired officers
and the societies of the several armies, each and all suggestive of
fighting days and troublous times long since past, leading up to the
coming of the Grand Army of the Republic, commanded by Gen-
eral Burdette., Every one of these posts had a band. Sometimes
the band was a full military band, at others it was a simple drum
and fife, at others a drum and fife corps, but every one according to
its means had done what it could to honor the day and make mem-
orable the funeral of the man who led them on to battle and to
glory. As the Grant Post passed the Fifth Avenue Hotel every
man lifted his hat in recognition of the mourners, and as they
pushed along, marching like men accustomed to march, holding
themselves erect, yet without strain, bearing themselves with a

BORNE TO HIS REST.

767

swin£:m<T

dignity characteristic of the soldiers of the Republic,
every eye in all that multitude fastened upon them ; and universal
compliment was paid the organizations which came from Maine,
from the Potomac, from Texas, from Iowa, from Connecticut and
Maryland, from Illinois and Virginia and Indiana, from New Jersey,
New Hampshire and Colorado, from Wisconsin, Missouri and Kan-
sas, from the Old Bay State and the Empire State as well, thousands
of them coming at great expense in the aggregate, that they might
swell this enormous outpouring, this overwhelming demonstration
in honor of the man whom they savv fit to honor most. It was a
touching tribute, a beautiful sight — something long, long to be re-
membered. Then camj Gi-'neral O'Beirne and staff, chief of the
First Brigade of veteran organizations, first of which was the Sev-
enty-ninth Regiment of Highlanders in their typical costume, fol-
lowed by the old time Fire Zouaves and the Duryea Zouaves, Gari-
baldi Guards and others, all with bands, all with banners, all with
evident interest and sympathy for the occasion, leading up to the
Second Brigade of Colonel Rafiferty, in which were the famous Haw-
kins Zouaves and the volunteers, the veterans who ran out from this
city quick to meet the foe in the troubled days of 1861 and on, and
tl>e Tammany Regiment, the old Forty-second of New York, with the
Mexican War veterans, and they in turn followed by General Frank
S,)inola and staff at the head of the Third Brigade of veterans, re-
calling to the minds of many the day when the same General, at
the head of some of the same troops, marched on to a ferry-boat
leading from Brooklyn to New York and went away to the front,
leaving politics and local issues behind.

G-'ueral McMahon was an imposing figure on horseback, and as he
rode along, followed by his staff, at the head of the civic division,
his martial bearing and well equipped appearance attracted com-
ment on every side. His division rode in carriages and closed the
procession, which moved along past the Worth Monument at three
o'clock, followed by a vast concourse of interested people, whose
comp.inions and comrades sought quickly the elevated road on
either side, hurrying homeward to the train or up town that they
might catch a second look and participate in the final ceremonies
of the Riverside interment.

A large force of mounted policemen had gone a few minutes before
to clear the way, and the street was unobstructed from curb to curb
as General Hancock rode forward in advance of his brilliantly-
uniformed staff. Every eye was turned upon the commanding
general who, beside.: his fame as a soldier, is notable as one of the
handsomest ofificers in the service. His stalwart form and splendid
carriage fully justified the encomiums that have been given to his
appearance at the head of his troops. His aides were as follows :

'iIk

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

Major General J. G. Farnsworth, Rear-Admiral C. R. P. Rodgers,
Brevet Major-Generals Rufus Ingalls, James B, Fry, Edward Fer-
rero, Henry A. Barnum ; Brigadier-G-^nerals Egbert L. Viele, Lloyd
Aspinwall, Horatio C. King, Fitzhugh Lee, N. Gano Dunn ; Brevet
Brigadier Generals John C. Tidball, C. B. Comstock, Theodore F.
Rodenbougli, Horace Porter, H. A. Bingham, Joseph S. Fulierton,
Francis A. Walker, C. A. Carlton, Edward W. Serrell, W. G. Mauk.
H. C. Barney, W. H. Penrose ; General Lopez de Querralta and John
B. Gordon, and Colonels John Hamilton, John P. Nicholson.
Schuyler Crosby, Patrick M. Haverty, George W. Cooney, William

E. Van Wyck, James M. Varnum, P. Lacy Goddard, Lewis W.
Read, Thomas L. Watson, C. M. Schieftelin, J. B. Phillips, Robert
Lenox Belknap, E. M. L. Ehlers, J. F. Tobias, B. Penn Smith,
Brevet Colonel A. P. Green, Lieutenant- Colonel H. C. Hodges,
Brevet Lieutenant-Colonels W. H. Harris, G. L. Gillespie, William
Ludlow, James Farney, Frederick A. Sawyer, Finley Anderson and
Edward Haight ; Majors Jacob Hess, W. L. Skidmore, J. C Paine,
William H. Corsa, R. Livingstone Luckey, W. R. Mattison,
Augustus S. Nicholson and Ivan Tailofif; Ensign Aaroii Vanderbilt;
Captains John H. Weeks, James H. Merryman, James W. Brinck,
R. H. McLean, DeWitt Ward and T. J. Spencer; Lieutenants 11.
R. Lemly, A. M. Parker, John Schuyler, Jared L. Rathbone, R. H.
Patterson and Charles G. Treat.

Following the staff came Battery F, of the Fifth Artillery, with
four field pieces and caissons, under the command of Major Wallace

F. Randolph. Nearly three hundred regulars from the Engineers'
Corps at Willett's Point, under command of Brevet Major-General
Henry L. Abbott, were next in line, and the army detail was com-
pleted by Batteries I, L, M, and H, of the Fifth Artillery, marchiiiij
as infantry and commanded by Colonel Abram C. Wildrich. The
regulars presented a fine appearance and marched well. Each
command was accompanied by ambulances. But the " blue jackets, "
or sailors and the marines, presented a much more picturesque
appearance. The sailors were dressed in blue trousers, with white
leggings, white sailor shirts and white rimless round hats. The
marines were m blue, with white helmets. The Navy contingent
was in command of Commander Henry B. Robeson, and Lieu-
tenant McLean, Passed Assistant Surgeons D, N. Bentollette and
Howard E. Ames, and Ensign B. C. Dent as aides. Following the
staff came twenty blue jacket sappers and miners from the steamer
Omaha, under command of Ensign Guy W. Brown. Next came
the Marine Band from Washington, preceding a battalion of about
300 marines, in seven companies, under command of Captain Ed-
ward P. Meeker and Frederick H. Corrie. A battalion of blue-
jackets, of ten companies, sixteen files front, came next preceded

BORNE TO HIS REST.

769

by the band from the flagship Tennessee. They were in command
of Lieutenant William H. Emory and Naval Cadets Joseph Strauss
and Benjamin Wright. In the rear marched the hospital detail, with
stretghers, to pick up the sick.

The rear of the Naval forces was composed of 196 blue-jackets,
divided into six companies, each drawing a Gatling field gun. They
were in command of Lieutenants William W. Kimball and Albert
Mertz, and Naval Cadet Arthur H. Button.

The National Guard organization of New York and other States
followed the army and navy as above represented. This section of
the first division was remarkably rich in its color effects, and the
skill of the several commands in all military evolutions would have
won on any other occasion the hearty applause of all spectators.
As it was, the people could hardly be restrained from applauding as
such regiments as the Seventh of New York, First of Pennsylvania,
Second of Connecticut, and First of Massachusetts, passed with
measured tread. The first division of the National Guard of New
York was in command of Major-General Shaler, with the following
staff:

Colonel H. A. Gildersleeve, Colonel Carl Jussen, Lieutenant-
Colonel Benjamin S. Church, Lieutenant-Colonel E. H, Sanford,
Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Mitchell, Lieutenant-Colonel Cyrus
Edson, Lieutenant-Colonel W. De L. Boughton, Lieutenant-Colo-
nel Edward T, Wood, Lieutenant-Colonel H. B. Masters, Major
Lawson B. Bell, Major F. S Collins.

The regulars, leaving the City Hall at nine o'clock, marched be-
tween the deployed lines of National Guards and Grand Army
Posts, and the last of the blue-jackets had just passed the head of
General Shaler's Division, near the Worth Monument, at 10.3O;
The National Guards were immediately wheeled into line and
followed the regulars. The regiments of the First Division were as

follows :

First Brigade.

' • ' First Battery, Captain Louis Wendel.

:,..' Brigadier General William G. Ward and Staff, ;

Twenty-second Regiment, Colonel Joshua Porter.
Ninth Regiment, Colonel William Seward, Jr.
b. Eleventh Regiment, Colonel Stewart.

. ' ' Twelfth Regiment, Colonel James H. Jones.

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Secotfi Brigade.

Second Battery, Captain F. P. Earle.

Brigadier General Louis Fitzgerald and Staff,

Seventh Regiment, Colonel Emmons Clark.

Sixty-ninth Regiment, Colonel James Cavanagh.

Eighth Regiment, Colonel George D. Scott.
Seventy-first Regiment, Colonel E. A. McAlpin.

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•J'JQ LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT,

DIVISION OF VETERANS.

Colonel David E. Austen, commanding.

Old Guard, Major George W. McLean.

Governor s Foot Guard, of Hart/ord, Connecticut, Major J. C. Kinney.

Association of 165th New York Volunteers, Colonel Harmon D. Hull.

Veteran Zouave Association, Captain T. F. Sheenan.

Tenth Regiment New York Volunteer Veterans, Captain A. Chamberlin.

Fifth Regiment New York Volunteer Zouaves, Captain B. F. Finley.

Second Company of Washington Continental Guards, Captain J. G. Norman.

Columbo Guard, Captain J. Cavagnaro.

Italian Rifle Guard, Captain R. Sonnabello.

Garibaldi Legion, Captain E. Spazary.

Columbia Guards, Captain W. F. Kelly.

Three companies of Veteran Guards (coloied). Captain H. R. Williams.

Many of these organizations derived special interest from their
associations, and all turned out full ranks in rich uniforms. Tlie
prevailing color to the spectator was white, but this was relieved by
brilliant patches of red and blue and gold. Viewed from a height
the long line of moving color with the glistening weapons was an
inspiring spectacle of singular beauty. Each regiment was headed
by a good band of music, and the sense of hearing as well as that
of sight was delighted by the harmonies that presented themselves
as each command came within view and hearing distance. The
Twenty-second and Seventh regiments were the strongest, and both
presented a fine appearance in their full dress uniforms. Most of
the other regiments were in the State uniform, but the Sixty-ninth,
an Irish organization descended from war times, was in full dress,
carrying the green above the red in the pompons on the helmets.
Of the veteran organizations the Old Guard braved the hot sun in
bear-skin hats ; the Governor's Foot Guards, of Hartford, Conn.,
was conspicuous from its uniform, which is like that of the old
Hessian grenadners. The Zouaves in their picturesque uniforms
were naturally objects of interest, as were the Italian organizations
with their strange mixture of United States and Italian colors.

The second division of the National Guard of New York was
under the command of Major General Edward L. Molyneux, with
the following staff: Colonel William J. Denslow, A. A. G. ; Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Gustave A. Roullier, I. R. P. ; Lieutenant-Colonel
J. F. Cowan, Ord. O. ; Lieutenant-Colonel John Y. Cullyer, Engi-
neer; Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Skene, Surgeon ; Judge Advocate
Albert E. Lamb; Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Arthur, Q. M. ;
Lieutenant-Colonel John Foord, Com. of Sub. ; Major Robert Her-
bert. A. D. C. • Major H. S. Kingsley, A. D. C. ; Captain Howland
D. Porrine. Signal Officer.

Fourth Brii^ade.

Brigadier-General, William H. Brownell and staff.
Twenty-third Regiment, Col. R. C. Ward.

BORNE TO HIS REST.

HI. R. Williams.

• :- Thirty-second Regiment, Colonel L. Finkelmcir.
Forty-seventh Regiment, (2ol. E. F. Gaylor.

Third Brit^ade.

Third Battery, Captain H. S. Rasquin. Colonel James McLeer and staff.

Thirteenth Regiment, Colonel A. C. Barnes.

Fourteenth Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Harry W. Mitchell.

Seventeenth Separate Company, Captain Miller.

First Regiment Pennsylvania National Guard, Colonel T. E. Weidersheim.

Gray Invincibles, Captain John F. Kennard.

Gate City Guards, of Atlanta, Ga., Lieutenant William M. Camp.

Second Regiment Connecticut National Guard, Colonel W. J. Leavenworth.

First Regiment Massachusetts Infantry, Colonel A. C. Wellington.
Battalion of four companies Virginia State Troops, Lieutenant-Colonel M. S

Spotswood.

First Company, Union Veterans, Captain H. E. Urell.

Union Veteran Corps, District of Columbia, Captain S. E. Thomason.

The Capital City Guards, Captain T. S. Kelly.

Company D, First Minnesota Guard, Captain Bean.

The Veteran Zouaves (Independent), Brigadier-General Drake.

The First Regiinent, of Philadelphia, appeared to great advan-
tage, although in fatigue caps and coats and white trousers. They
carried knapsacks, with rolled-up blankets, and looked like veteran
soldiers beside their gaily- dressed associates. The Gray Invincibles,
in State uniform, with fatigue caps, also looked and marched well.
The Second Regiment, of Connecticut, and the First, of Massachusetts,
were particularly fine organizations, and turned out with full ranks.
Virginia and the District of Columbia sent representative companies,
and the Gate City Guards, of Georgia, were also in this division.

New Jersey sent an entire division to take part in the procession.

It was under command of Major General Plume, and was composed

as follows:

First Brigade.

First Regiment, Colonel E. A. Campbell, Newark.

Fourth Regiment, Colonel Samuel D. Dickinson, Jersey City.

Fifth Regiment, Colonel Levi R. B. Bernard, Newark.

Ninth Regiment, Colonel B. Franklin Hart, Hoboken.

First Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph W. Congdon, Paterson.

Second Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel James B. Moore, Leonia.

Second Brigade.

Eighth Regiment.

Third Regiment, Colonel Elihu H. Ropes, Elizabeth.

Sixth Regiment, Colonel William H. Cooper, Camden.

Seventh Regiment, Colonel Robert A. Donnelly, Trenton.

Galling Gun Company B, Captain R. R. Eckendorff, Camden.

The New Jersey troops presented an excellent appearance, and
turned out about twenty-five hundred men.

This ended the military part of the display. The catafalque,
with its guard of honor, the mourning family and friends and the
distinguished guests were to form the next division, falling into
line as the rear of the military passed Twenty-third Street. Early

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in the morning the clergymen, physicians and pall-bearers had
been taken in carriages from the Fifth Avenue Hotel to the City
Hall. At nine o'clock the Liederkranz Society, under Agricol
Pauer, to trombone and horn accompaniment, sang Schubert's
" Geisterchor " and Wagner's " Piigrimchor," from the City Hall
steps. At this moment General Hancock was putting the troops
in motion, and as the sounds of the music died away. Colonel W.
B. Beck, in command of the escort of regulars, prepared for the
removal of the casket to the catafalque. Battery A, of the Fifth
Artillery, and Company E, of the Twelfth Infantry, formed the
military guard, and were drawn up in two lines to the steps of the
hall. Mayor Grace, attended by President Sanger and Vice-Presi-
dent Jaehne, of the Board of Aldermen, and William L. Turner,
the Mayor's secretary, advanced to the foot of the coffin, and in a
few words transferred it from the control of the city to the custody
of the Government, represented by Colonel Beck. The clergymen,
ph)'sicians and pall-bearers having arrived, a short procession was
formed, and the detail from the Grant Post, of Brooklj'n, lifted the
casket and carried it out to the catafalque in waiting outside. This
was a richly-draped, canopied funeral car, drawn by twenty- four
black horses, each decorated with black net-work drapery and led
by a colored groom. Under the canopy and high above the heads
of the people, the purple velvet casket, with its silver trimmings,
was placed. There was no ornament on the coffin, save the chil-
dren's wreath of oak leaves, and the only flags displayed were
furled and so draped with crape as scarcely to show their colors.

As the pall-bearers moved from the hall, the David's Island
Band on the plaza played a dirge, and the guard presented aims.
The catafalque was immediately moved into Broadway, and, when
the last of the New Jersey troops had been put in motion, followed
in the line of parade. The formation was as follows :

Preceding the catafalque was the United States Military Band
from David's Island and a delegation from Meade Post, of Phila-
delphia, appointed to hold Grand Army services over the grave.

Then followed the pall-bearers: General W. T. Sherman, U. S.
Army, retired; General Joseph E. Johnston, member of Congress
and ex-commander of Confederate forces; Lieutenant-General P.
H. Sheridan, U. S. Army; General Simon B. Buckner, ex-com-
mander of Confederate forces; Admiral David D. Porter, U. S. N. ;
Vice-Admiral S. C. Rowan, U. S N.; Hon, George S. Boutwell,
ex-Secretary of the Treasury; General John A. Logan, U. S. Sen-
ator; Anthony J. Drexel, Pennsylvania; George W. Childs, Penn*
sylvania; George Jones, New York; Oliver Hoyt, New York.

The physicians, Drs. Douglas, Shrady and Sands, were in car-
riages, as were the following clergymen : Bishop Harris, Methodist
Episcopal; Assistant Bishop Henry C. Potter, Protestant Episco-

774

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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pal; the Rev. Dr. Chambers, Reformed; the Rev. Dr. Field, Pres-
byterian; the Rev. Dr Bridgman, Baptist; the Rev. Dr. West,
Congregational; the Rev. Father Deshon, Roman Catholic; the
Rev. Robert Collyer, Unitarian; Rabbi Browne, Hebrew.

Here followed the catafalque The members of the guard of
honor from the Grant Post, of Brooklyn, marched on either side of
the hearse, their commander in the rear with two comrades of
Wheeler Post, of Saratoga. This guard of honor was flanked by
the two companies of regulars, marching with reversed arms. At
the rear was a guard of honor from the Loyal Legion.

Then came a long line of carriages, occupied as fellows: In the
first carriage were Colonel and Mrs. F. D. Grant, his daughter, son
and Mrs. Sartoris. A wreath of white flowers, in the centre of
which was the word "Grandpapa," encircled the head of Colonel
Grant's daughter. Harrison, the colored servant, sat by the driver.
Next came U- S. Grant, Jr., wife, daughter and Senor Romero.
Hawkins, the coachman of the White House, sat by the driver of
this carriage. They were followed by Jesse R. Grant, his wife and
daughter and W. W. Smith. In the next carriage was ex-Minister
M. J. Cramer, his wife and daughter, and they were followed by
ex- Postmaster-General Creswell and wife and Lockwood Honoie,
of Chicago. Next came Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer and Mrs. F,
T. Dent and daughter. Major Sharpe, General Beale and W^. J.
Arkell were in the next carriage and George P. Johnson, of Cin-
cinnati, Grant Cramer and Jennie Grant, a niece, came next. They
were followed by J. W. Drexel and Levi P. Morton in one carriage,
and H. Honore, V. K. Honore, S. F. Moriarity and Otis Gove in
another. Then came Mrs. Jennie Holman and Stenographer Daw-
son. The Aztec Club of officers of the army in Mexico, of which
General Grant was vice-president when he died, were represented
by General Z. B. Tower, General C. P. Stone, General Schuyler
Hamilton and General O. L. Shepherd.

In the following carriages came General Horace Porter, General
C. P. Comstock, General Rufus Ingalls and General Sooy, of Gen-
eral Grant's field staff, and General George H. Sharpe, Colonel Eli
S. Parker, Colonel O. H. Ross and Colonel A. B. Baxter, also of
General Grant's staff. The following represented former Cabinets
of General Grant: Chief Justice Richardson, ex-Secretary of the
Treasury Benjamin H. Bristow, and James N. Tyner, ex-Postmas-
ter-General, in one carriage; Columbus Delano, ex-Secretary of the
Interior, and W. W. Belknap, ex-Secretary of War, in another;
George M. Robeson, ex-Secretary of the Navy, and Edwards
Pierrepont, ex-Attorney-General, in a third, and in the fourth ex-
Postmaster-General Gresham and ex-Secretary Lincoln.

A considerable delay followed the appearance of the ex Cabinet

BORNE TO HIS REST.

775

officers, but at 10.25 o'clock President Cleveland, accompanied by
Secretary Bayard, walked from the hotel and seated himself in a
carriage drawn by six bay horses. Immediately behind this carri-
age was another drawn by four bay horses, in which sat Vice Presi-
dent Hendricks. He was accompanied by Senator Blair and
General Hughes East. In the following carriage, all alone, was
Justice Woods, of the Supreme Court. The Cabinet officers fol-
lowed in three carriages, as follows: Messrs. Manning and Endicott,
Messrs. Whitnej' and Vilas, and Messrs. Lamar and Garland. The
next carriage contained Colonels Lamont and Mc Michael.

Sergeant-at-Arms Canaday headed the Senatorial representation,
which appeared in the following order: Senators Morrill and
Cockrell, Sherman and Ransom, Ingalls and Harris, Hampton and
Manderson, Evarts and Brown, Miller and Palmer, Eustis and
Dawes, and Teller and Spooner. The order of the Congressional
committee was ex-Speakers Carlisle and Randall, Messrs. Reed and
Hiscock, Messrs. Tucker, Long, King and Butterworth, Messrs
Wheeler, Lowery, Clark and Bingham. Other members and ex
members of Congress in carriages were John T. Heard, Mo. ; A. M
Bliss, Brooklyn ; Geo. West, New York ; J. S. Pindar, New York
Charles H. Vorhis, New Jersey; Charles O'Neill, Pennsylvania
A. H. Pettibone, Tennessee; Stephen C. Millard, New York
William E. English, Indianapolis; A. X. Parker, New York
N. Goff", West Virginia; John B. Gilfillan, Minnesota; C. H. Gros
venor, Ohio: William J. Stone, Missouri; T. R. Merriman, New
York; W. H. Sowden, Pennsylvania: W. G. Stahlnecker, New
York; James D. Ward, Chicago; H. G. Burleigh and H. W. SIo-
cum. New York ; Gen. J. Negley, Pennsylvania ; John A. Heistand,
E. S. Osborn, A. Herr Smith, and Leonard Myers, Pennsylvania ;
Benjamin Le Fevre, Ohio.

Then came Governor Hill and his staff". Col. Gillette, Adjt. Gen.
Farnsworth, Inspector General Briggs, Brig. Gen. Wylie, Brig. Gen.
George E. Field, Surgeon General Bryant, Paymaster General Reed,
Commissary General Lathrop, Inspector of Rifle Practice Gen.
Robbins, Col. Frost, Col. Townsend, Col. Cassidy, Col. Tilden and
Col. Miles. The following carriages v^ere occupied by Senators
Otis, Keenan, Daggett, Murphy, Campbell, Daly, CuUen, Plunkitt.
Lowe, Van Schaick, Thacher, Coggeshall, Thomas, Esty and
Baker. Senator Gibbs was in the party, acting as Lieutenant Gover-
nor. Then followed the members of the Assembly, as follows:
Messrs. Arnold, Bailey, Barager, Barnes, Barnum, Brennan, Byrne,
Cantor, Carlisle, Connelly, Curtis, Cutler, Dibble, Driess, Earl,
Eiseman, Farrell, Greene, Henry Haggerty, James Haggerty, Har-
din, Haskell, S. S. Hawkins, W. M. Hawkins. Heath, Hendricks,
Hogeboom, Horton, Hubbell, Johnson, Kenny, Kunzenman,

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LIFE OF I'LYSSES S. GRANT.

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Liddle, Lindsay, Livingston, McClelland, McEwen, McGolricl<,
Murray, Myers, Oliver, Osborne, Raines, Reilly, Roche, Rocke-
feller, Rosenthal, Shoemaker, Chas. Smith, Thos. A. Smith, Storm,
Tynan, Van Allen, Van Duzer, Whitmore, Williams, Windolph aiul
ex-Speaker Sheard and Speaker Erwin, and Department Clerks
Bullock and Barker and Sergeant-at-Arms Talbot.

Ex-Presidents Hayes and Arthur occupied the following carriage,
and after them came the foreign Ministers and Consuls in three
carriages, as follows: The Japanese Minister, Jushu Kuki Rinciohi ;
the Chinese Minister, Au Cheng Ming ; the Consul from Japan, S.
K. Takashi, and K. Misaki, Secretary of the Legation ; Antonio
Flores, Minister of Ecuador ; J, G. do Amaral Valente, Minister of
Brazil ; Osv/ald Ygarza, Secretary of the Peruvian Legation ; J.
Fredcrico Elmore, Minislcrof Peru ; Cleto Gonzales Viquez, Chari;c
d' Affaires of Costa Rica, and A. M. Soteldo, Minister of Venezuela.

Ihe following carriages were assigned to the diplomatic and
consular officers under Gen. Grant, as follows : Charles T Gorham,
Minister to The Hague ; William A. Pile, Minister to Venezuela ;
E. D. Bassctt, Minister • o Hayti ; R. C. Shannon, Charge d' Affaires
in Brazil ; VV. A. Burrington, Charg6 d' Affaires in Brazil ;
Julius A Skilton, Consul-Gencai in Mexico ; J. Augustus
/'^hnson, Consul r<:nerHi m Beyrout, Syria; Gen. I£. Parker Scain-
mon, Consul to Prince Edward's Island — the first tutor of General
Grant at vVcst Point ; Da.'id /:. Sickels, Consul to Siam ; Mahlon
Chance, Consul to Nassau ; James Milward, Consul to Ghent ; N.
J. Newwitter, Consul to Hioga and Osaka, Japan ; James M. Trimble,
Consul to Milan, and William D. Barrington, Consul to Dublin.

The next part of the carriages was devoted to the representatives
of different States. Delaware was represented by Gov. C. C. Stock-
ley and the Rev. James C. Kerr. Then followed Gov. Pattison, of
Pennsylvania, and his staff; Adjt. General P. M. Guthrie, Assistant
Adjt. Gen. A. Stanley Hassinger, Inspector General Col. P. Lacey
Goddard, Inspector of Rifle Practice Col. K. O. Shakespeare, and
Judge Advocate Gener:;! Col. JohiJ I. Rog. rs. Go\ . Leon Abbett,
of New Jersey, was accompanied by Adjt. Oct). William S. Stryker,
Inspector General Willoughby We.ston ; Inspector of ^ifle Practice
Bird W. Spencer, and the following aides : CoLs. Hendrickson,
Moore, Thomas, Stevens, Agnew, Pomaine, Bechtel, Happenheimer,
Taylor and Perrine. Ex-Governor Joel Parker and a delegation of
the New Jersey State, officers also occupied carriages. Gov. Henry
B. Harrison, of Connecticut, had as escort, Adjt. General Stephen,
R. Smith, Quartermaster General Arthur L. Goodrich, Surgeon
General Henry P. Geib, Paymaster General Henry C. Dwight,
Commissary General Frederick Bar' on, L^recuLive Secretary Arthur
S. Osborne, and several aides.

BORNE TO HIS REST.

777

The representatives of Massachusetts were Governor Robinson,
Lieutenant Governor Ames, General Dalton, General Holt, General
Nettle. on, Colonel Runneley, Colonel Greenwich, Colonel Whipple,
and the Governor's Council. With Governor Moody Currier, of
New Hampshire, were Adjutant General A. D. Ayling, Hrigadier
General Charles Williams, Hrijjadier General Philip Carpenter Pres-
ident of the Senate Pike; Senators Bingham, Stevens, and Davis,
Speaker Aldrich, General Morrison, General J. W. Sturtcvant, and
Stilson Hutchins, of the AssL'mbly. The contingent from Rhode
Island included Governor George Pcabody Wetmore, Adjutant
General Elisha Dyer, Quartermaster General Charles K. Dennis
and Judge Advocate General George L. Tower and ten aides, and
that from Vermont Governor Samuel E. Pingree, Adjutant General
T. S. Peck, Quartermaster General H, K. Ide, Judge Advocate
Cieneral C. L. Marsh, and Surgeon General W. C. Sherwin and four
aides.

Illinois was represented by Governor Richard Oglesby, Lieuten-
ant-Governor Smith, Adjutant-Gjneial J. W. Vance, General E. B.
Hamilton, Colonel V. Wanier, Colonel A. B. Wiggins, Colonel W.
L. Distin, Colonel Potter, Colonel Bogardus, Colonel Madden,
Colonel Sexton, General John McNulty, Senator Rogers, Auditor
Swigert, Assistant Secretary of State Smith, Dr. Rausch, the Hon.
M. M. Matthews, Chaplain Wilkins, Chaplain of General Grant's
old Illinois regiment ; General T. S. Mather, who gave General
Grant his commission as Colonel ; Robert G. Oglesby, the Gover-
nor's private secretary, and the Hon. Samuel Jones. In the next
carriages were Governor Robie, of Maine; Adjutant-General S. G.
Gallagher, Inspector General John J. Richards, Brigadier General
John Marshal Brown, commanding First Brigade Maine Volunteer
Militia, and the Hon. Joseph S. Locke, of the Executive Council.
Michigan was represented by Governor R. A. Alger, Adjutant-
General Joseph H. Kidd, General George A. Hart, Colonel A. T.
Bliss, Colonel J. S. Rogers, Colonel Henry Duffield, and Major R.
Osman; and Iowa by Governor Sherman, Secretary of State Jack-
son, General W. F. Robertson, Colonel J. M. Curtis, and Colonel
B. F, Cal lender.

Wisconsin had the next carriages in line, and was represented by
Governor J. M. Rusk, Ernst J. Timme, Secretary of State; E. C.
McFetridge, State Treasurer; L. F. Frisby, Attorney General;
Robert Graham, State Superintendent; N. P. Hougen, Railroad
Commissioner; P. L. Spooner, Jr., Insurance Commissioner ; the
Hon. William P. Lyon, Associate Justice United States Supreme
Court, and Governor Rusk's staff, which included Colonel Charles
King, Acting Chief of Staff; Brigadier General Henry Palmer,
Brigadier General E. M. Rogers, Colonel W. C Bailey, Colonel W.

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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S. Stanley, Colonel C. E. Morley, Colonel N. R. Nelson, Colonel
John Hicks, Colonel F. J. Borchardt, Lieutenant- Colonel V. A.
Copeland, and Colonel Henry P. Fischer. From Minnesota had
come Governor L. F. Hubbard, Adjutant-General McCarthy,
Surgeon General J. H. Murphy, Quartermaster General T. J.
Wilson, Judge Advocate H. E. Hicke, Colonel Joseph Bobletter,
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles W. Johnson, and Captain William
Blakely.

The Citizens' Committee of One Hundred of the City of New
York, led by ex-Governor A. B. Cornell and ex-Collector Robert-
son, occupied the carriages next in line. Following them came the
Heads of Bureaus of the War Department, Adjutant-General Drum,
Surgeon-General Murray, Quartermaster-General Holabird, In-
spector-General Newton, General Macfeeland, General Rochester,
Chief of Ordnance Whitmore, General Seibert, Chief Signal Officer
Jones and the Heads of Bureaus of the Navy Department, Commo-
dore Sicord, Commodore Schley, Chief of Construction Wilson,
Surgeon Van Riper, Engineer Snyder, and Lieutenants Kelly and
Dyer. The next carriage was occupied by three members of Gen-
eral Sheridan's staff, General McFeely, Colonel Davis and Colonel
Sheridan, and the next by General Schofield and Mayor Sawyer.
General Merritt and staff, of West Point, were next, followed by
Admiral Jouett and staff. General John C. New, General J. S.
Williams, Captain Faunce, Clinton B. Fisk, William H. Lyon,
Albert K. Smiley and E. Whittlesey, the Indian Commissioner,
rode next. The carriages following were occupied by United States
District Judge Brown, United States Commissioner Shields, United
States District Attorney Dorsheimer, Collector Hedden, and Sur-
veyor Beattie. Then came the Board of Managers of the Soldiers'
Home — General W. B. Franklin, General T. W. Hyde, General
Charles Negley, and Arthur Sewell. Then followed more than a
score of carriages occupied by Mayors of cities and other municipal
oflficers.

Although the carriages were driven four abreast (except those
near the head of the line) this part of the parade was very wearying
to the tired spectators ; but it contained a larger proportion of dis-
tinguished public men than is usually gathered together, aod the
monotony of the procession was relieved by the recognition of these
and the hurried passing of the word down the line that thronged
the sidewalks. General Hancock, at the head of the procession,
reached Fiftieth street on Fifth avenue at eleven o'clock. Three
hours afterwards the President's carriage had just passed, and in a
few minutes thereafter thousands of spectators left the streets.
Some of them only sought shade and a temporary rest; others were
homeward bound, satisfied that they had seen enough, and still

BORNE TO HIS REST.

779

others, numbered by thousands, hurried to the elevated railroad
stations to get transported to Riverside Park.

The crowds were greatly reduced, therefore, when the third grand
division appeared. This was composed of veteran organizations, as
follows :

Commander, General Daniel E. Sickles ; Staff, Major General
Daniel Butterfield, chief of staff and senior aide ; Brigadier Generals
Henry E. Tremaine, James S. Frazer, Samuel K. Schwenk, U. S.
A. ; Colonels Joel Wilson, H. L. Potter ; Lieutenant Colonels,
Henry C. Perley, A. d'Oorville ; Brevet Captain Edward Brown ;
Captains, Matthew Stewart, J. M. Semler ; Lieutenant John A.
Nickels, U. S. N.; Major J. J. Comstock, Brevet Major General
Charles H. T. Collis, Brevet Brigadier General T. R, Tannatt, Lieu-
tenant Colonel J. R. Leslie, Major Joseph Forbes, Captain B F.
Jackson, U. S. A., Captain Thomas J. Robinson, Captain Jack
Crawford and James J. Keenan,

Following the staff was a mounted escort from his old command,
the Third Army Corps.

Next followed Major General J. C. Robinson, U. S. A., and the
retired officers of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps in carriages.
Among them were many aged veterans. The Military Order of
the Loyal Legion of the United States were next in line. Their
delegation was not a large one. Many of them were on duty as
staff officers, and many marched with other organizations of vet-
erans to which they were attached. At their head was their
draped banner of blue, on which, in gilt letters, were written
the words: "The Order instituted April 9, 1865. Commandery
of New York." In their ranks were many officers who had come
from a distance to march at the funeral of their old com-
mander. Sixteen officers of the Sixth Maryland Regiment, dressed
in Confederate gray, marched behind these, attracting much atten-
tion.

After them came the Army societies — the Army of the Potomac,
Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland. These
were not largely represented, many of their members being in the
ranks of the Grand Army.

The Grand Army of the Republic followed. At its head was its
commander-in-chief, Major General S. S. Burdette, of Washington,
with a brilliant staff, constituted as follows :

Selden Connor, of Maine, Senior Vice Commander ; T. H. Stew-
art, of Ohio, Chaplain ; John Cameron, of Washington, Adjutant-
General ; John Taylor, of Pennsylvania, Quartermaster-General ;
Fred. Brackett, of Washington, Assistant Adjutant-General, and
General C H. Grosvenor, Judge Advocate. Aides — Harrison
Dingman, Senior Aide ; Winfield S. Chase, George McGown, H.

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

M. Gartlan, "W. L. Scott, F. M Edgerton, Charles Richardson,
John Morrison, L. H. Stafford and Robert Wilson.

A delegation from Eben N. Ford Post, No. 336, of Pennsylvania,
then followed, 200 strong, and after them came William Downing
Post, No. 435, of 500 men. The Connecticut G. A. R. men, com-
manded by Frank D. Sloat and W. H. Stowes, adjutant, marched
behind in brilliant array to the number of 500, including a band of
thirty pieces. Then followed 500 Massachusetts men, commanded
by John W. Hersey, with Alfred C. Monroe as adjutant. The New
Jersey men, 3500 strong, commanded by H. M. Nevins and John
L. Wheeler as adjutant, immediately followed the Massachusetts
men. Then came the Kit Carson Post of the District of Columbia,
with 300 men, commanded by Junior Vice Commander J. Wisner.
A delegation of 100 men from Illinois, commanded by W. W. Berry,
followed. Then came 20 Wisconsin veterans, Commander Davison ;
Iowa, Phil. Kearney Post, 10 men ; Kansas, 10 men. Commander J.
McCarthy; Ohio, lOO men, Commander R. B. Brown; Maine, 25
men, James A. Hall, Commander; Virginia, 20 men, commanded
by H. De B. Clay ; California, 10 men. Commander W. A. Seanians;
20 men, commanded by M. M. Collis, from New Hampshire ; a del-
epfation from Vermont of 10 men ; a delegation of 50 men from
Maryland, Wilson Post, No. I, commanded by Past Senior Vice
Commander Ross, came next, followed by a delegation of 1 5 men
from Minnesota, a delegation from Indiana of B. J. Crosswart Post,
No. 150, and Ruth Post, No. 13; from Colorado, 10 men, comman-
ded by A. V. Bohn ; from Delaware, 10 men ; from Missouri
delegations from Frank P. Blair Post, No. i. and Ransom Post, No.
131; 25 men from Texas; 10 men from Tennessee, and Georgia
Maynard Post, 10 men.

The Posts of the Department of New York followed. At their
head rode Commander H. Clay Hall with the following staff:

William R.Stoddard, Senior Vice Commander; William J. Cronyn,
Medical Director; E. L.Allen, Chaplain; C.P.Clarke, Assistant
Adjutant General ; John H. Walker, Assistant Quartermaster Gen-
eral ; Joseph Egole, Inspector General ; Joseph I. Sayles, Judge
Advocate; General Frank Z.Jones, Chief Mustering Officer, and
twenty aides.

In this command there were over 10,000 men. The out-of-town
Posts commanded by Senior Vice Department Commander Charles
W. Cowtan, assisted by his aides, Louis L. Robbins, J. H. Nason,
Max Reece, J. S. Cavendy, R. S. Swan and James T. Burdick,
marched first, in the followmg order :

O'Rourke Post, No. i, of Rochester; L. O. Morris Post, No. 121,
Albany ; Shaw's Lawrence Post, No. 378, Portchester ; Richmond
Post, No. 524, Mariner's Harbor; R. G. Shaw Poit, No. 112, Staple-

s Richardson,

BORNE TO HIS REST.

781

(wed. At their

ton; Lenhart Post, No. 163, Tottenville ; Ringgold Post, No. 283,
Long I:.!and City; George Huntsman Post, No. 50, Flushing;
Adir; Worth Post, No. 451, College Point; R. J. Marks Post, No.
500, Newtown ; D. B. Mott Post, No, 527, Freeport ; Moses Bald-
win Post, No. 544, Hempstead ; Morrell Post, No, 144, Sing Sing ;
VV. P. Burnett Post, No. 496, Tarrytown ; Howland Post, No. 48,
Fishkill ; Abram Vosburg Post, No, 95, Peekskill ; Hamilton Post,
No. 20, Poughkecpsie ; Cromwell Post, No, 466, White Plains ;
F, M, Cummins Post, No. 176, Goshen; W. W. Hoyt Post, No, 276,
Corning,

The second division then followed, with F, Cocheu as marshal.

These Posts were also from out of town, and came in the follow-
ing order :

Abel Smith Post, No. 435 ; Harry Lee Post, No. 210, R. C.
Stearns, commander; Mansfield Post, No. 35, Martin Short, com-
mander ; Char'^er B. Doane Post, No, 499, T, C, McKean, com-
mander; T, S. Dakin Post, No, 206, Chas, G, Hall, commander;
Rankin Post, No. 10, W. P, Wild, commander; MaUery Po.st, No.
84, T, M. K. Mills, commander; German Metternich Post, No. 122,
Charles Fredericks, commander; P'rank Mead Post, No. 16, John
Moeser, commander ; C. D McKenzie Post, No, 399, Alex, Thomp-
son, commander; Barbara Fritchie Post, No. ii, James Freelan,
commander ; G, K, Warren Post, No. 286, John W, Cunningham,
commander ; James H, Perry Post, No. 89, H. W. Hughes, com-
mander; L. M. Hamilton Post, No. 152, John W. Fox, commander;
N. S. Ford Post, No. 161, Alexander J. Fisher, commander; S. F.
Dupont Post, N 187, David Acker, commander; Devin Post, No.
148, L. ¥. Mciwuughlin, commander; Kerswell Post, No. 149,
John Young, commander; Thatford Post, No. 3, Edward Beck,
commander; Cushing Post, No, 231, C. H. Smith, commajider ; W.
L. Garrison Post, No. 207, John Little, commander; VVinchester
Post, No. 197, A. M. Clark, commander; B. F. Middleton Post,
No. 500, R. W. L'Hommedicu, commander; G. C, Strong Post, No,
534, Charles C. Curtis, commander ; Caspar Tripp Post, No. 537,
J. H. Sprenger, commander; William Gurney Post, No. 538, W, W.
Hulse, commander.

Bennett W. Ellison commanded the New York City posts which
came next. His staff was as follows:

George F, Hopper, adjutant-general and chief of staff; Gregory
VV. O'Neill, assistant adjutant-general ; Benjamin F, Finley, assistant
adjutant-general; Pllbert O. Smith, quartermaster-general ; Fred-
erick S. Gibbs, inspector-general ; Stephen G. Cook, M. D., surgeon-
general ; Charles Gunther. paymaster-general ; Rastus S, Ransom,
judge-advocate-general; Benjamin J. Levy, commissary-general ;
Thos. Graham, chief of engineers ; the Rev. Thos, W. Conway,

•i: ' "

78:

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

1 1

'■r

: :

i.l

fli

chaplain ; J. H. Green, chief of cavalry ; Henry A. Beatty, chief of
ordnance; Wm. E. Van Wick, chief signal officer; J. Scarin<r,
assistant inspector-general ; Jos. H. Stiner, assistant judge-advocate ;
Francis A. Utter, M. D., assistant surgeon. Aides de-camp — C. J,
Cambrelling, Frank Bury, C. H. Hankinson, Geo. P. Osborn, Ed.
Burns, Hugh M. Gartland, Geo. Pfitzer, George M. Dusenbury,
Charles M. Granger, Benjamin Van Riper, Robert J. Clyde, Fred.
VV. Ritschy, Patrick McKenna, William Clancy, James Bryan, E. P.
Lippincott, Louis Schlamp. Daniel McDonald, Sylvester Hegeman,
Lehman Israels, Richard P. Wheeler, Joseph H. Meredith, Henry
S. Sprall, John Dwyer, M. D., William O'Meagher, Barclay
Gallagher, James McConnell, Martin Sadler, Theodore S. Dumont.

The four sub-divisions of this command were respectively com-
manded by James B. Horner, Clarke H. McDonald, Michael Duffy
and Samuel H. Paulding. They marched as follows:

First Division — Phil. Kearney Post, No. 8, James W. Brinck, com-
mander; Abraham Lincoln Post, No. 13, Benjamin J. Levy, com-
mander ; Sumner Post, No. 24, James B. Black, commander ; James
C. Rice Post, No. 29, George R. Bevans, commander ; George G.
Meade Post, No. 38, A. Franklin Lawson, commander ; Robert
Anderson Post, No. 53, Joseph B. Lord, commander; Wadsworth
Post, No. yy, James P. Rogers, commander; Oliver Tilden Post,
No. 96, J. Wesley Smith, commander ; E. A. Kimball Post, No. 100,
James M. Folan, commander; John A. Dix Post, No. 135, Thomas
B. Odell, commander; Lafayette Post, No. 140, D. J. Mallon, com-
mander; Judson Kilpatrick Post. No. 143, E. J. Atkinson, com-
mander; Alexander Hamilton Post, No. 182, James A. Colvin,
commander.

Stcond Division — George Washington Post, No. 103 ; Sedgwick
Post, No. J 86, John Kerill, commander ; John A. Andrew Post, No.
234, James B. Lee, commander; Thaddeus Stevens Post, No. 255,
Charles W. McKie, commander; E. D. Morgan Post, No. 307,
Samuel Minnes, commander ; H. B. Hidden Post, No. 320, Jerome
Bell, commander ; A. S. Williams Post, No. 894, John F. Nesbitt,
commander; John E. Bendix Post, No. 432, John Humphreys,
commander ; Fred. Hecker Post, No. 408, Albert Fest, commander ;
Veteran Post, No. 436, William J. Holmes, commander; U. L.
Farnsworth Post, No. /158, Charles McK. Leoser, commander;
E. H. Wade Post, No. 520, John A. Blair, commander ; Post No. 557.

Third Division — Koltes Post, No. 32, Henry Klaeber, commander ;
William D. Kennedy Post, No. 42, John C. Limbeck, commander;
Reno Post, No, 44, W.Vredenburgh, commander; J. L. Riker Post,
No. 62. John Sclimidling, commander; Ellsworth Post, No. 67,
Jacob Wilcox, commander ; General J.imes Shields Post, No. 69,
John Bcattie, commander; Cameron Post, No. 79, John S. Phillips,

BORNE TO HIS REST.

7^3

commander; John A. Rawlins Post, No. 80, Hugh M. Gartlan,
commander; Joe Hooker Post, No, 128, Philip Ascher, commander.
Fourth Division — Dahlgren Post, No. 113, William McEntee,
commander; Vanderbilt Post, No. 136, John D.Terry, commander;
Steinwehr Post, No. 192, W. Krzyzanowski, commander; Gilsa
Post, No. 264, Christian Heentz, commander ; Andrew Jackson Post,
No. 300, C. H. Lutjens, commander ; Adam Goss Post, No. 330,
John P. Lonergen, commander ; Michael Corcoran Post, No. 427,
William De Lacy, commander ; Musicians' Post, No. 452; Naval
Post, No. 516, Elbert M. Warne, commander; Post No. 559.

VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS OF MANY KINDS.

The veteran regimental organizations from this and other States
to the number of 1 500 men formed in three brigades, commanded
respectively by Brigadier-General James R. O'Beirne, Colonel
Rafferty, and Brigadier-General F. B. Spinola. The First Brigade
was led by the 79th Regiment Highlanders New York Volunteers,
dressed in Highland suits, to the number of 150 men. The 2d
Veteran Fire Zouaves (4th Excelsior) followed, 50 men, preceded
by a drum corps of forty pieces. Then came the Anderson Zouaves,
62d New York Volunteers, in uniform, 75 men ; the 69th Veteran
Corps, 70 men ; 5th New York Volunteers, 50 men, all in uniform.
The I St and loth Veteran Associations, New York Volunteers, fol-
lowed in citizens' clothes with appropriate badges of mourning on
their coats, and immediately after them were the Garibaldi Guards,
39th New York Volunteers, and the Continental Guards of New York,
containing respectively 40 and 25 men. The Chicago Union Veteran
Club of 30 members brought up the rear of the First Brigade.

The Second Brigade, commanded by Colonel Thomas Rafferty,
followed, led by Hawkins' Zouaves, 9th New York Volunteers, 150
men. P'ollowing them came the United Association, New York
Volunteer Veterans, 50 men ; 36th New York Volunteers, 40 men ;
and the 40th New York Volunteers, Mozart Regiment, accom-
panied by Kilpatrick's Drum Corps of fifty pieces. The Tammany
Regiment, 42d New York Volunteers, came next. Following them
were these associations : 90th New York Volunteer Veterans, 80
men; 133d New York Volunteer Veterans, 70 men; 139th New
York Volunteer Veterans, 60 men ; 45th New York Volunteer
Veterans, 70 men ; four associations of Mexican war veterans in
uniform. The Sons of Veterans, Department of New York, brought
up the rear of the Second Brigade with 70 men.

The Third Brigade, commanded by General B. F. Spinola, fol-
lowed. The Union Veteran Association, First New Jersey Volun-
teers, commanded by George N. Tibbie, 300 men, led the brigade
followed by the National Veteran Association of Chicago, 30 men ;

x^'.

784

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

?|:?

mmm-^''--

''$ ,

II!

s! Nil;

New Bedford Veteran Association, 25 men ; Philadelphia Veteran,
Association, 1 1 men, and the Veterans of the Regular Army, 1 50
men. After them came the 7th Regiment Veterans, 100 men,
Colonel L. W. Winchester, commanding; 22d Regiment Veterans.
150 men. Colonel George VV. Laird commanding; 14th Regiment
Veteran Association, 70 men; 9th Regiment Veterans, 50 men.
The Soldiers and Sailors' Union of Brooklyn, and the Soldaten-
und-Matrossen Union of the same city, E. M. Crossant, commander,
followed next. The War Veteran Association, 14th Regiment of
Brooklyn, Colonel E. B. Fowler commander, brought up the rear.

The Civic Division was formed as follows : Major General M. T.
McMahon. Aides — General Anson G. McCook, Frederick S.
Gibbs, Colonel John W. Jacobus, Colonel John K. Perley, Senator
Michael C. Murphy, ex-Coroner Jacob Hess, Colonel Alfred Wag-
staff, Colonel Charles Freicbel, Colonel Henry C. Perley, ex-Judge
Solon B. Smith, Captain John C. Calhoun, Colonel A. J. Dickinson,
Colonel William C. Boone, Colonel Robert L. Bennett, Colonel
Samuel Truesdale, General James R. O'Beirne, Major William
Quincy, Captain William A. Kirtland, Colonel John W. Marshall,
Colonel John O'Byrne, Captain James M. Brady, Major Thomas
Jackson, Colonel Henry Huss, Surgeon David D. Teal, John A.
Shields, Hans S. Beattie, Colonel George F. Hopper, Coroner Ferd.
Levy, Captain Johnston Briggs, Colonel Charles G. Otis, General M.
T. Donohue, Colonel John Tracy, Mr. F. U. Shepard, Colonel Henry
Watterson, Mr. Charles P. Tower and Mr. Henry M. Dickinson.

FIRST SUBDIVISION.

Colonel W. C. Church, commanding.

Society of the Cincinnati.

Chamber of Commerce.

New York Historical Society.

Union League Club,

Aztec Club.

United States Christian Commission.

Ex Diplomatic and Consular Officers.

Citizens' Law and Order League, Boston, Mass.

Chiimberof Commerce, New Haven, Conn.

SECOND SUBDIVISION.

Colonel John W. Marshall, commanding.
New York Stock Exchange.
_ . New York Cotton Exchange.

New York Produce Exchange.

New York Board of Trade and Transportation.

New York Mercantile Exchange.

Maritime Association, Port of New York.

New York Metal Exchange.

New York Real Estate Exchange.

New York Board of Fire Underwriters.

BORNE TO HIS KEST.

785

;;:f

,;t(,ir)J{)'7

ns, 100 men,

THIRD SUBDIVISION.

Colonel Charles G. Otis, commanding.

Republican County Committee.

Young Men's Republican Clubs, of New York.

Kings County, Jersey City and Baltimore.

Lincoln League.

Third Ward Lincoln Club.

FOURTH SUBDIVISION.

Colonel John W. Jacobus, commanding.
!'' !4.! II Association of Exempt Firemen.

■ • , , , , Sons of Veterans.

i/ Highland Guard.

Knights of Pythias.

Knights of Sherwood Forest.

Excelsior Council, No. 14, O. U. A. M.

Valley Forge Council, No. 7, O. U. A. M.

Societa del Fraterna Amore.

< ' , Excelsior Association of Jersey City.

This division contained many distinguished men in carnages. The
society of Cincinnati was represented as follows ;

John Schuyler, Alexander J. Clinton, Edward W. Tapp, Thomas
W. Christie, James S. Van Cortlandt, William Linn Keese, J. B.
Westbrook, H. T. Drowne, John \V. Greaton and F. J. Hunting-
don, of New York ; Henry W. Holden and D. B. Kirby, of Rhode
Island ; and Dr. Hermann Burgin and William C. Spencer, of New
Jersey. In the first carriage was borne the silk banker of the so-
ciety, heavily draped with black crape.

The United States Christian Commission was represented as fol-
lows : George H. Stuart, President; James Grant, Secretary;
Thomas K. Cree, Secretary of the International Committee ; the
Rev. George J. Mingins, of New York ; the Rev. Dr. Fernley, the
Rev. Dr. McLaughlin, John Patterson, Arthur M. Burton, the Rev.
Dr. Murphj', and William L. Mactier, all of Philadelphia; also
Count Edward Grass Piickie, of Berlin.

Following is a list of the e.x-Confederate soldiers who rode in
carriages: General Pobert D. Lilley, of "Stonewall" Jackson's
Corps ; General W. \V. Loring, of Florida ; Colonel John E.
McCaull, of the Virgin a Scouts ; Major W. H. Quincey, of North
Carolina; Major William Hancock Clark, of General Ewell's stafif;
Colonel W. L. Duff, of the Eighth Mississippi ; Private Joseph H.
Francis, of Morgan's old regiment, Alabama; Sergeant A. M.
Davies, of the Thirty-fourth Virginia ; Major Thomas A. Young,
of Mahone's Brigade, Virginia ; Lieutenant H. E. Kimberly, of the
First Maryland ; Lieutenant W. H. Montague, of the Confederate
steamship Rappahannock ; Private John T. Clark, of the Wirt
Adams Cavalry; Colonel John Anderson, of the Forty-ninth North
Carolina ; Colonel W. B. Sterritt, Missouri State Guards ; Captain
SO

h;:

786

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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i I ■f^: t.

Mi^l^i

W. M. Conner, Dr. G. H. Sussdorff, surgeon on duty at Richmond,
and John Halburt, Washington Artillery, of Augusta, Ga. Tlic
badge worn by the ex-Confederates was of a peculiarly neat design,
consisting of blue and g»*ay ribbons folded over crape and sur-
mounted by a white and black shield in silk, with the woici
*' Grant " woven in a diagonal bar.

Following the political organizations came the fourth subdivision
of the civic division. Colonel John W. Jacobus was in command.
First came the Association of Exempt Firemen, two hundred stronij.
It was composed of men who did service forty odd years ago.
Prominent in the ranks was Harry Howard, once chief of the old
volunteer Fire Dt,.)artment. There were also in the ranks Zophar
Mills, President, and David Milligan and John R Piatt, Vice-
Presidents, James T. Walkins, George W. Wheeler, Francis Hoggo-
born, J. DeCosta, George W. Cook, Joseph Miles. Thomas Mont-
gomery, M. J, Fogarty, Jacob Berge and James Elknes wore also in
line.

The Volunteer Firemen's Association, some 300 strong, with
John Decker, the last of the chiefs of the Volunteer Fire Depart-
ment, acting as marshal, came next. They walked along with the
solemn tread of men who had faced death but did not fear it. Among
their numbers were Charles Brice, Patrick McGonegal, William
Searing, Isaac Brush, W. R. W. Chambers, William F"orman, W. J.
Coffman. J. W. Hudson, E. P. Durham and Thomas C. Cornelius.

The firemen were followed by eleven camps of the Sons oi
Veterans. There were over 700 men in line. Each camp was in
full uniform and had its drum corps. The whole division was under
command of Raphael Tobias, assisted by Adjutant General S. M.
Bower. The camps were commanded as follows :

New York Division, William Brennan ; Caciip No. 3, Captain G.
Hatfield ; Camp No. 7, Captain J. D. O'Brien ; Camp No. 8, Captain
William Brocklaw; Camp No. 9, Captain J. F. Madden ; Camp No.
II, Captain ¥. B. Couch ; Camp No. 15, Ca^^^in G. A. Buncker;
Camp No. 17, from Portchester, N. Y., Captain F. Knott; Camp
No. 25, Captain S. P. Ely ; Camp No. 26, Captain W. A. F'lagger ;
Camp No. 8, Captain J. Kearnes ; Camp No. 14, Lieutenant J. Daly.

Following the Sons of Veterans came the Highland Guards of
the New York Caledonian Club. They were about fifty .strong
and arrayed in full Highland costume. There were many different
plaids represented, signifying from what particular Scottish family
the wearer came. Their appearance added variety to the procession.
Their funeral march was played upon bagpipes. The guird was
commanded by Colonel C. Nicholson, of tlio Sword Battalion, and
Sergeant J. S. MacGillwray.
, The Knights of Pythias turned out two hundred mon dressed in

BORNE TO HIS REST.

787

y at Richmond,
usta, Ga. The
riy neat design,
crape and siir-
with the word

jrth subdivision
»s in command.
Iiundred stron<j[.
otld years ago.
chief of the old
e ranks Zophar
R Phitt. Vice-
Francis Hogge-
Thomas Mont-
ncs wore also in

X) strong, with
;r Fire Depart-
along with the
: fear it Among
Dnegal, William
Forman, W. J.
as C. Cornelius.
of the Sons oi
camp was in
'ision was under
; General S. M.

o. 3, Captain G.
1 No. 8, Captain
den ; Camp No.
G. A. Buncker ;
Knott ; Camp
W. A. F""lagger ;
utenant J. Daly,
iland Guards of
Dut fifty strong
i many different
Scottish family
I the procession.
The guard was
1 Battalion, and

nivjn dressed in

full regalia and accompanied by a brass band. There were repre-
sentatives not only from the lodges in this city, but also from lodges
in various sections of New Jersey and from Brooklyn. Colonel J.
Hearnes was in charge. Among the number were :

Sir Knight Johnson, Captain Philip Ewing, Lieutenant McLean
and Lieutenant John M Greenfield, of the Unity Lodge ; Captain
r. F, Thomas and Lieutenant Sutterly, of the Ashland ; Captain A.
V. P. Bush and Lieutenant Hoyt, of the Brooklyn; Captain Thorn
Micks, of the Allegheny; Captain Rodger, of the Black Prince, an.l
Captain William Pintard, of the Monmouth County (N. J.) Lodge.

The Knights of Sherwood F\irest turned out 150 men in full uni-
form. The Supreme Commander of the United States was in charge.
His aids were Past Commander W. A. Desborough ard Com-
manders T. F. Gaffney and C. F". Hughe.'. There were delegations
from Jersey City and New Haven E.xcelsior Council, No. 14, of
United American Mechanics, marched 100 strong. They wore the
paraphernalia of their society. S. L Reeve acted as marshal.

Then came the Valley Forge Council. No. 2, of the I. O. U. A. M.
They mu.stered a hundred strong. John W. Cull was in charge,
assisted by F. M. Prcut and G. H. Adams.

The head of the procession reached the grave at 1.15, the cata-
falque three hours later, at 4.25. and the organizations drew up in
order on the hillside. At One Hundred and Fifth Street General
Hancock's horse was overcome, and the General from there drove
in a carriage to the tomb.

As the head of the procession reached the tomb the sky was
overcast with clouds. Shadows and patches of unrestrained sun-
light made a checkered surface over the broad gravel-surfaced plaza.
The Hudson was a strip of blue seen through a wavy mist of green
made by the moving leaves of the trees on the bluff. Specks of
bright color were furnished by waving flags and in the dresses of the
ladies who formed a portion of the solid wall of humanity that hemmed
in the noble burial-place. The dull gray of the newly-gravelled
drives died out on the borders of green banks. Everywhere were
the contrasts of light and shadow; of black clothed oflficiais and
gray-coated park officers ; of the newly-made tomb and the crowded
'* grand stands." The men-of-war in the river were firing funeral
guns, and the tolling of the Harlem church bells came up out of the
valley, but mixed with these sounds was the hum of ten thousand
subdued voices.

A view from the summit of the little knoll, in the west bank o(
which the temporary tomb had been built, disclosed on the north
the heavily draped Claremont Hotel, black from roof to cellar. On
the west you looked out upon the Hudson, where were anchored
the fleet of Government ships. On the south e.\tended the River

;; r

.:;.,

•lii

; !•'

side Drive, black bordered with sight seers and dotted with the fig.
ures of the mounted police, and on the west two enormous stands
arose crowded with people. At your feet, as you stood facing the
west, was the homely tomb — a barrel-shaped brick structure. Just
in front were a few rows of wooden benches. There was but one
occupant of these seats, a lady in a white muslin dress, who it was
said had been sitting patiently there in the sun since 8 o'clock in
the morning.

It was now past 1 o'clock. Suddenly there was an uplifting of a
cloud of dust on the drive to the south, and out of it presently
issued a company of mounted men. They were police officers
under command of Sergeants Revelle and Wallace. As they gal-
loped up the broad road the spectators on the grand stands arose in
their seats and the multitude that was scattered promiscuously
through the Park rushed to the edge of the drive. The mountcii
officers reined in their h'^rses at a point just east of where the tomb
was situated, and as thi .iist subsided the red and yellow plumes
of the officers of tiie commanding General's staff were seen noddinji;
down the road. As the head of the procession drew near it was
seen that an open carriage led the way. It was drawn by two bay
horses and driven by a coachman in green livery. It halted under
an oak tree at the southern edge of the plaza, and then arose
from the cushioned seat the imposing figure of General W. S. Han-
cock, who, standing in the carriage, surveyed the field for a moment
or two, and then resuming his seat, gave orders for the line to ad-
vance.

Following General Hancock were the members of his staff and
numerous aides. General Fitz Hugh I.ce, wearing civilian's clothes,
rode at the bridle hand of General Gordon. Making a detour from
the main line, the General and his staff slowly approached the
tomb, the regular troops led by a battery of artillery continuing
along the Riverside avenue and skirting the hill between the tomb
and the Claremont Hotel. General Hancock was received as lie
alighted from his carriage by Superintendent Murray, Inspector
Dilks and President Crimmins, and was conducted to the tomb,
which he critically inspected. Meanwhile the trc^^ps were moving
up from the south. First came, after the artillery, three companies
of regulars, the dull blue of their uniforms made more dingy b\'
contrast with the splendid scarlet-coated Marine Band, of Wash
ington, that followed them. Next came the marines, and after
them the " sailor bovs " of the navy, white to their waists. By this
time the artillery had traversed the circular drive which sweeps
around the Claremont inn and had reached a point on the west
roadway of the Park immediately opposite the tomb. The blue-
clad infantry and the flaming Washington band had taken a position

til

BORNE TO HIS REST.

789

on the knoll a little way to the north. It was a splendid massing
of color undt the great green oak trees. A bugle call set the mil-
itary men in motion. Guns were unlimbered and red-trimmed
officers darted hither and thither. General Hancock had completed
his inspection of the tomb, and stood looking on in silence and on
foot. The members of his staff and his mounted aides moved back
away out of sight among the trees at the north of the bluff". There
was a momentary lull in the movements of the military, and pres-
ently General Shalcr, accompanied by a mounted aide, came sweep-
ing over the plaza. A hasty conference with a member of Han-
cock's staff was followed by an order for the removal of the artillery
from the post which they had taken. Again the bugle sounded,
again there was a dashing here and there of mounted officers, and
then the guns of the artillery were dragged away to a point on the
bluff north of the Claromont.

The head of Shaler's command now came into view down the
drive. Gilinore's band, led by a drum-major who sweated beneath
an enormous bear's hat, Mr. Gilmore himself holding an E-flat cor-
net in the first rank, preceded the Twenty-second Regiment. The
men were evidently tired, and their march was ragged. They
moved along the western roadway, past the knoll on which were
grouped the regulars, and were massed close by the artillery. After
them came the splendid Seventh. There was no music, the red-
plumed bandsmen carrying their brass baggage listlessly in their
hands. The only sound, as they moved up towards the tomb, was
the swish, swish of their feet on the loosely-gravelled road and the
noisy blasts of the ships in the stream. The Seventh halted when
the centre of the column was directly opposite the vault, and facing
to the right formed a splendid solid wall of gray and white between
the open plain and the grass-covered river bluff". As far as Colonel
Clark and his command were concerned the funeral ceremonies
might begin at any moment.

But the funeral ceremonies did not begin. There was an unac-
countable delay ; it lasted through minutes and dragged into hours.
For a time the Seventh stood patiently at attention, but compassion
for the wearied men finally led to an order to break ranks, and the
several companies, stacking their guns, took refuge under the tiees
and waited for a call to arms. General Hancock went up from the
hot plaza and sat down on a bench under the trees on the knoll at
the back of the tomb, where he was presently joined by Mayor
Grace, President Sanger of the Board of Aldermen, and General
Fitz John Porter and other members of the Board of Police Com-
missioners. The people on the grand stands on the opposite side
of the drive impatient of the delay left their seats and endeavored
to overrun the drive. There was an incessant struggle between the

','•'

790

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

people and the police, above the confusion of which rose the shrill
voices of enterprising peddlers and hucksters. There was near h\-
a rudely erected stand, the benches upon which had for some reason
not become occupied. It was draped, as were they all, in black
and white rags, and contained across its face the motto, "\\\:
Mourn our Loss." This motto was taken by the idle crowd to refLf
to the mental condition of the owners of the luckless stand, ami
served as a source for many jests. Solemn as should ha^' > been
the scene, it was impossible to lose sight of many amusing icaturcs.
These were the incidents and accidents inseparable from the collec-
tion of a large crowd.

It lacked just five minutes of half past four o'clock when the
necessarily slow moving catafalque with its immediate cortege came
in sight. It had about the appearance of a civic funeral as it turned
from the broad drive into the roidway that led to the tomb. Its
military aspect was nearly lost in the stream of carriages which
constituted its vanguard. There were twenty or more of these ve-
hicles, which, massed together as tht:y approached the tomb, shut
out for a time all view of the uniformed men who followed behind.
Music was heard but the band was unseen. The music was Chopin's
regal funeral march.

The leading carriages became jumbled together in the scant
space between the tomb and the seats which had been prepared for
distinguished guests. It was necessary to halt the funeral car when
within a few rods of its destination in order to secure a disentangle-
ment of these carriages. To add to the confusion the Marine Band,
of Washington, which was stationed on a knoll just north of the
tomb, began to play a dirge while the other band was still playing
the Chopin march. The effect was that of utter discord, which
robbed the moment of much of its solemnity. Neither band would
desist of its own accord, and no one was found to give orders for a
restoration of harmony.

It was amid this discordant and unnatural din of clashing and
unattuned instruments that the funeral car drew up in front of the
tomb. It had been intended by the Park Commisioners that the
President and other distinguished persons should take their places
on the platform at the west of the drive, but either through a mis-
understanding of orders or a natural desire to be as close to the
tomb as possible, they all, upon alighting from their carriages, con-
gregated about the open door of the little vault. President Cleve-
land and the members of his Cabinet found themselves engulfed in
a stream of lesser dignitaries. The pall-bearers forced their way
with difficulty to the door of the tomb, and ranged themselves in
two lines on either side of the cedar box which was waiting to re-
ceive the casket. Grand Army oflficers crowded thickly in upon

rose the shrill
re was near hv
for some reason
y all, in black
e motto, "We
i; crowd to refer
less stand, ami
)uld ha*-'^ been
nusir.^ leatuics.
from the col lee-

:lock when the
ite cortege caiiK'
icral as il turned
) the tomb. Its
carriages which
ore of these ve-
the tomb, shut
ollowed behind.
sic was Chopin's

•r in the scant
en prepared for
uneral car when
•e a disentan^^lc-
le Marine Band,
5t north of the
ras still playing
discord, whicii
her band would
ive orders for a

of clashing and
in front of the
iioners that the
ike their places
through a mis-
j as close to the
- carriages, con-
President Cleve-
ves engulfed in
)rced their way
themselves in
waiting to re-
thickly in upon

i:::i.

792

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

'■ \h ■

!. ::i

■1^

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the distinguished group, and when the procession of Senators came
to take their places at the door of the tomb it could with difficulty
force its way through the assembled crowd. Senators Sherman,
Morrill, Ransom and Ingalls were in the front. Meantime the sons
of General Grant, with the heavily veiled ladies of the family, were
waiting patiently on the outskirts of the throng for an opportunity
to approach nearer to the door of the sepulchre. Superintendent
Murray cleared the way and opened a passage for these intimates
of the deceased, who were crowded in upon the narrow space di-
rectly in front of the President and the members of his Cabinet,
there being no other place for them to stand. The casket contain-
ing the remains of General Grant was meantime being removed
from the funeral car, and was carried by a few members of the
Meade Post and tenderly placed in the cedar case at the door of
the tomb.

The impressive burial services, according to the rite of the Grand
Army of the Republic, were then begun. Just at this moment ex-
Presidents Arthur and Hayes drove up to the tomb, and a way was
opened for them by Inspector Dilks. Nobody in the body of
mourners at the tomb seemed to notice their arrival, and they stood
side by i>ide with uncovered heads behind the officious undertaker
and his assistants, without recognition from the distinguished
gathering about them.

The commander of the Meade Post stood at the head of the
coffin, the chaplain at the foot and the others were ranged about it.
When all was ready Post Commander Alexander Reed said : " As-
sembled to pay the last sad tribute of respect to our late commander
and illustrious comrade, U. S. Grant, let us unite in prayer. The
chaplain will invoke the divine blessing." Rev. C. Irvine Wright,
the Post Chaplain, then offered the following prayer :

"God of battles! Father of all! amidst this mournful assemblage we seek
Thee with whom there is no death. Open every eye to behold him who
changed the night of death into morning. In the depths of our hearts we
would hear the celestial word, * I am the Resurrection and the Life ; he that
believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.' As comrade after
comrade departs and we march on with ranks broken, help us to be faithfu!
unto Thee, and to each other. We beseech Thee, look in mercy on the widows
and children of deceased comrades, and with thine own tenderness console
and comfort those bereaved by this event, which calls us here. Give them the
' oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.'
Heavenly Father, bless and save our country, with the freedom and peace of
righteousness, and through thy great mercy, a Saviour's grace, and the Holy
Spirit's favor, may we all meet at last in joy before thy throne in heaven, and
to thy great name shall be. praise forever and ever."

The Post Commander next spoke and said :

" One by one, as the years roll on, we are called together to fulfil the last
sad rites of respect to our comrades of the war. The present, full of the cares

immm»J tam

BORNE TO HIS REST.

793

and pleasures of civil life, fades away, and we look back to the time when,
shoulder to shoulder, on many battle-fields, or around the guns of our men-of-
war, we fought for our dear old flag. We may indulge the hope that the spirit
with which, on land and sea, hardship, privation and danger were encountered
by our dead heroes, may never be blotted out from the history or memories of
the generations to come — a spirit uncomplaining, obedient to the behest of
duty, whereby to-day our national honor is secure and our loved ones rest in
peace under the protection of the dear old flag. May the illustrious life of him
whom we lay in the tomb to-day prove a glorious incentive to the youth who,
in the ages to come, may be called upon to uphold the destinies of our country.
As the years roll on we, too, shall have fought our battles through and be laid
at rest, our souls following the long column to the realms above, as grim death
hour by hour shall mark its victims. Let us so live that when that time shall
come those we leave may say above our graves, ' Here lies the body of a true-
hearced, brave and earnest defender of the republic' "

Comrade Lewis W. Moore, senior vice-commander, then stepped
forward and laid a wreath of evergreen upon the coffin, saying :
" In behalf of the post I give this tribute, a symbol of undying love
for comrades of the war." Junior Vice-Commander John A. Wei-
dersheim laid a white rose upon the coffin, saying : " Symbol of
purity, we offer at this sepulchre a rose. May future generations
emulate even the lowliest of our heroes." Past Post Commander
A. J. Sellers placed a laurel wreath upon the coffin, saying: " Last
token of affection from comrades in arms, we crown these remains
with a symbol of victory."

Rev. J. W. Sayers, Chaplain-in-Chief, Department of Pennsylvania,
G. A. R., followed with a short address, as follows :

"The march of another comrade is over, and he lies down after it in the
house appointed for all the living. Thus summoned, this open tomb reminds
us of the frailty of human life and the tenure by which we hold our own. * In
such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.'

" It seems well we should leave our comrade to rest where over him will
bend the arching sky, as it did in great love when he pitched his tent, or lay
down weary by the Wviy or on the battle-field, for an hour's rest. As he was
then so he is still — in the hands of the Heavenly Father. ' God giveth his
beloved sleep.'

" As we lay our comrade down here to rest, let us cherish his virtues and
try to emulate his example. Reminded forcibly by the vacant place so lately
filled by our deceased brother, that Dur ranks are thinning, let each one be so
loyal to every virtue, so true to every friendship, so faithful in our remaining
march, that we shall be ready to fall out here to take our places at the great
review, not in doubt, but with faith ; the merciful captain of our salvation will
call us to that fraternity which, on earth and in heaven, may lemain unbroken.
Jesus saith, ' Thy brother shall rise again. I am the Resurrection and the
Life.' Behold, the silver cord having been loosed, the golden bowl broken,
we commit the body to the grave, where dust shall return to earth as it was,
and the spirit to God who gave it. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
looking to the resurrection and the life to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Rev. H. Clay Trumbull, Past Post Chaplain of Meade Post, and
Chaplain-in-Chief, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the
United States, commandery of Pennsylvania, followed with a short

794

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

M :;^ '.

, prayer, after which the bugler of Jennings's Band, of Camilen, N. f.,
sounded taps — lights out — and tho beautiful and impressive service
was brought to a close.

Bishop Harris stepped forward and read the first portion of thj
Methodist burial service; the concluding portion of the service was
read by Dr. Newman. There were no other words spoken. The
undertaker and his assistants then made fast the lid of the burial
case, and without further ceremony it was borne into the tomb and
deposited in the steel receptacle that there awaited it. The iion gate
of the vault was closed and locked, and the kty iumded ty the un-
dertaker to Gen. Hancock, who in turn gave it to Mayor Grace.
The Mayor subsequently handed the key to President Cuaimins, of
the Park Department, in whose possession it will doubtless remain.
As the coffin entered the door of the tomb, the muskets of the
Seventh Regiment sent forth a volley, the regulars followed with
another, and the Randolph Light Battery, stationed north of tiie
tomb, on the face of the bluff, fired three salvos. General Sherman
turned to where Col. Grant, with Mrs. Sartoris, was standing, anil
took the former affectionately by the hand. The heads of the ladies
of the Grant liousehold were deeply bowed. It was with this tab-
leau that the funeral closed. President Cleveland and Secretary
Bayard were the first to leave the tomb, and were driven to the pier
at Manhattanville, where they were joined by other members of the
Cabinet, and boarding the U. S. steamer Dispatch, were taken up
the river.

The troops fell in within a f(,'w moments afterwards, and taking
various cross streets were soon scattered throughout the ax'enues
loading down town. The people dispersed with as little co;ifusion.

Finally, it may be said that the great body of men in the funeral
procession was formed and carried to the end of the line with a
clocklike ])recision that was marvellous, and could have been effected
only by the thorough, careful and disciplined efforts of Gen. Han-
cock and his regular army staff, aided by cx-oflRcers of the army
appointed as chiefs of divisions; that the police under Supt. Murray,
his Inspectors and Captains, were admirably placed, and preserved
perfect order without undue violence or severity, and that the vast
throngs of spectators were quiet and reverent to a degree unparal-
leled in the history of such crowds in this city.

/v guard of Federal soldiers remained at the tomb.

Under the stars that spangled all the sky ihe soldiers kept their
night watch at the tomb. Under the stars the bayonets gleamed,
the sentinel's measured footbeat sounded and the relief guard passed
like a troop of spectres in the shadowy landscape.

The white tents gleamed in the darkness of the trees; fitfully glit-
tered the starlight on sword hilt and musket barrel. The great river

BORNE TO HIS REST,

795

ds of the hulics

stretching underneath was dark and silent, and the sails of the few
laggard craft dropping down with the tide dashed only a moment
and were gone.

So quiet and solemn was it all that fancy might well believe it a
bivouac of the dead over the resting place of their old commander.

For long the stir and bustle of the day had lasted, but with the
setting of the sun had passed away the pageantry of the troops, the
flash of arms and the hubbub of the onlooking thousands. Under
the greenish sky which ushered in the summer night all the stirring
sounds had melted away, and from the summit of the l;ill where the
dead was laid to rest the pomp and splendor of that august burial
were effaced.

And yet a throng lingered. Prompted by curiosity or perhaps by
veneration they crowded about the vault and choked the way to it.
So when at seven o'clock came Urdcrtaker Merritt and his men to
place the casket in its steel burial case they had to elbow a passage
to the entrance. Patrick T. Cregan, the patentee of the " ghoul proof"
receptacle as it is called, had a force of assistants with him, who
raised the cedar box in which the casket lay and placed it in the
metal sarcojjhagus. The latter, half an inch in thickness and weigh-
ing 3,Soo pounds, rests on a pedestal of marble from which it is
separated by a sheet of plumbago. It is believed to be proof against
atmospheric and other influences and cannot be opened by any ordi-
nary method.

Soon the vault resounded with the hammers of the workmen, and
the creaking of the fancy screw driver engraved with the name of
"General Grant" on one side and " Merritt" on the other, which is
to be treasured as a souvenir. In the dim recess, lighted by candles,
were Messrs. R. M. Walters, Jacob Ruppert and Beyer Sharpman,
the sub-committee of the Committee of One Hundred. Outside
tlic throng restrained by Captain Beattie and a force of Park police-
men had dwindled a.vay, and the melancholy radiance showed only
a cluster on the dark path.

Down from the mound overhead came the call, "Number one.
Ten o'clock and all's well." It was the sentinel passing the word.
Still the grou[) sat in the vault, and now it was a painter, who, with
pot and brush, covered with a new dark coat the burial case which
had been scratched.

" Number two. Ten o'clock and all's well !" sounded away in the
darkness, and was caught up and repeated by each of the six soldiers
on guard. And now Captain Josiah A. Fessenden, in command of
II Battery, F'ifth artillery, appeared. His men, thirty -six in number,
had been chosen to keep watch for thirty days over the General
under whom they had fought at Shiloh in the Army of the Cum-
berland. They had pitched their tents in a hollow near the mound

lit

796

LIFE O^ ULYSSES S. GRANT.

and, provisioned for five days, had already begun their melancholy
duty of guarding the vault in bodies of six men, with a corporal
and sergeant.

A cluster of them stood outside, musket in hand, and, the final
work upon the burial case concluded, the committee and workmen
passed into th j air. Then Undertaker Merritt turned the great brass
key in the lock and gave it into Captain Beattie's keeping.

" Fall in," cried the latter, and with him at their head the gray-
coats passed away, while Sergeant Barrett and Corporal Thornton
marched up their men. All was over. The sentries mounted
guard. The onlookers passed away and the place was left to silence
and to darkness.

The warrior had found rest at last. The night winds which sighed
through the leafage of the park were soft and low. The rattle of the
elevated railroad trains, heard only for a moment and then expiring
in the distance, was dull and muflicd. The lonely martial figures
standing around the tomb were mute. The warrior had found rest,
and God's starlight shone upon the hill and suffused the melancholy
vault like an assurance of His peace.

! !;^

■ i

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CONCLUSION.

The Bereaved Family — Johnston and Gordon on the New Era of Peace— Parades and
Orations — General Ben. Butler's Eulogy at Lowell, Massachusetts — Blaine's Eulogy
— Conclusion— Former Presidents and the Circumstances under which they have
Died.

Tfie curtains of the rooms on the parlor floor of the north side
of the Fifth Avenue Hotel were raised shortly before eight o'clock.
The Grant family, who occupy that entire suit, desci.nded to the
private dining hall, where they were joined at breakfast by Senor
Romero and Senator Chaffee. After the meal the ladies retired to
their rooms to prepare for the funeral, while Colonel Fred. Grant
conferred with one of General Hancock's aides. At ten o'clock the
hallway was cleared and the family left their rooms, crossed the
east corridor and followed the south hall to the Twenty-third Street
entrance. The steps and sidewalk were filled with the crowd.
Men, and even women, had climbed uj^on the iron railing about the
door, and stood on tiptoe in the street. When the family arrived at
the inside door of the side entrance they were compelled to wait
for the crowd to be parted.

Captain Williams, with a body of police, opened a passage and
lined the approach to the carriages with policemen. Mrs. Colonel
Fred. Grant appeared, leaning upon the arm of her husband. They
were followed by Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Grant and a little child; they
entered the first carriage, which moved ahead and took position
immediately behind the catafalque. Mr. and Mrs. U. S. Grant, Jr.,
with Mrs. Sartoris and Senor Romero occupied the second carriage,
which was also driven to a place behind the funeral car beside
the first carriage. Next to the Grant family were the President and
Cabinet, who were followed by several hundred carriages.

The number of vehicles behind the Grant family pushed so near
to their carriages that they were several times forced almost on to
the funeral car. The drivers, however, instituted a system of signals,
and when a sudden stop was made it was signalled along the line,
and each carriage remained in its position. The lines were pre-
served until the procession entered Riverside Park. There the car-
riages in the rear drove by the regular line and attempted to crowd
near the funeral car. At one time there was a seemingly inextrica-
ble tangle, with the carriages of the Grant family in the centre.

(797)

»•:

'?!!'

798

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRAKT.

IH:'!'

!':|:

V'.\

The prompt action of the police relieved the press, and the proces-
sion again moved on.

At the Park the catafalque was driven to the entrance of the tomb
and was immediately followed by the carriages containing the Grant
family. The ladies, heavily veiled and attired plainly in crape and
Henrietta-cloth dresses, were escorted to the tomb. They remained
standing near the entrance during the exercises and then at onco
returned to their carriages.

For some reason the dri\'trs had disappeared, and the party were
compelled to wait for several minutes. During this time the infant-
ry were discharging volley after volley of salutes, wliich drew the
attention of the crowd from them. When the carriages finally
arrived, the family at once left for the hotel. They were not recog-
nized as they quietly entered the side door on Twenty-third Street.
The crowds were scattered about the main entrance awaiting the
arrival of the Presidential party. The Grant family at once retired
to their rooms, and at seven o'clock dined in company with Senor
Romero and Senator Chaffee.

The family were much fatigued by the long journey, and were in
constant apprehension lest something should occur to mar the
exercises. The ladies of the party were several times much worried
by the movements of the ambulances as they passed with soldiei s
who had been overcome by the heat.

At various times since the close of the war there has been talk-
about "an era of good feeling " having set in. Men have " clasped
hands across the bloody chasm," and as hand was clasped in hand
there have been mutual assurances that there was no longer an\-
occasion for the men of the South and the men of the North who
had stood up against each other with drawn swords to feel that
they came from different sections of the country, between which
there had been the shedding of blood.

But probably never since the war closed has there been such a
fusion of feeling as that which has taken place within the last few-
days. The bier of Grant has served to be the tangible chasm over
which the men of the North and the men of the South have taken
each other by the hand and agreed that bygones were bygones.
This feeling has already been given utterance to m the columns of th.e
N';w York Herald, through what has been said by the men on either
side in their casual meetings. Last night, however, this sentiment
stood out in a more pronounced way than it ever has done before.

The Fifth Avenue Hotel, where old time fede.als and confederates
came in contact with each other, was the scene of it. Together they
hae* .narched behind Grant's body during the day. They had each
uncovered as his remains were laid away in the tomb, they had all,
during the interchange of sympathetic feeling that took place about

CONCLUSION.

799

lid the proces-

the tomb, bacome more firmly than ever convinced that there was
no longer any North or Suuth, any East or any West.

And last night they talked it over in the corridors of the hotel.
The lower floor was filled with men who wore the federal uniform,
or Grand Army badges upon their breasts, and with other men who
had come from south of Mason and Dixon's line, and between them
all there was a fraternity of feeling. General Phil. Sheridan came
down the central stairway and was at onee surrounded. General
Sherman followed him, and the two became the centre of a throng
composed of men w^>o were anxious to forget that they had ever
been enemies. But wnen General Joe Johnston appeared, accom-
panied by General Buckn-^r, there was an outburst of applause that
had hardly died away before it was renewed by something that
Gjneral Sheridan said, as, standing a couple of steps higher than
the ':rowd, hj looked over their heads. It was only half a dozen
words that he gave utterance to, and just what they were nobody
but those who stood near by could hear; but they were evidently
in sympathy with the occasion. The cheers showed that, and im-
mediitely afterward the crowd surged about the two Confederate
generals and insisted upon shaking them by the hand. And so it
was throughout the evening.

General John B. Gordon, of Gjorgia, was the centre of a throng
during the entire evening.

"I have no doubt," said he, 'that the circumstances attending
the death of General Grant must of iiecessity obliterate the l\st
vestige of anyLhing like sectionalism in this country, it cannot exist
in the face of «"he present situation, and then another thing that must
strike the Northern mind is that the universal expression of good
feeling throughout the South must nc^cessarily be an honest and
sincere on^, because there is no temptation to anything else. The
government is already in tiie hands of the people with whom we
sympathize, and therefore it is ' impossible to charge that for any
political motive the South has taken the action it has with reference
to Genera' Grant. It is simply an expression of the honest senti-
ments of the Southern people. The scene that has been witnessed
here to-night, it seems to me, should be sufficient of itself to wipe
out forever any lingering feeling of a sh^de of animosity that may
still find a lodging place in the breast of any man of the North or
of the South."

In speaking of the events of the day General Johnston, in con-
versation, said :

" I think it was the grandest demonstration that was ever made
in this country. It was certainly the greatest manifestation of popu-
lar affection that I ever witnessed. I was especially pleased at the
opportunity of adding my tribute to the universal evidence of re-

\'l 1<

im-t ' .1^

8co

LIFE OF ULVSSES S. GRANT.

W.l

spect and affection in which the memory of General Grant is
held."

" Have you been pleased at your own reception in the North ? "

" I have been greatly pleased with the hospitality and kindness
which I find on all sides. I have had a great deal of intercourse
with Northern men since the war, but this occasion seems to illus-
trate in a marked degree the unity and good will between all
sections of the country. I don't know whether it increases this good
feeling, but it certainly illustrates and sympathizes it."

" You knew General Grant well, did you not ? "

"Yes; I knew him and respected him. He had a great many
fine and noble qualities. He was always steadfast in suppor*
of his friends, and that is a royal quality."

" General Grant's conduct immediately after the war did more
than anything else to heal the scars of defeat and the bitterness be-
tween the sections. He aroused in the South a feeling of gratitude
and respect by his generosity in victory. The terms of surrender
that he offered to Lee were such as to make a great change in the
feeling of the Southern people. There was an apprehension through-
out the South after the death of Lincoln that President Johnson in-
tended to deal harshly with the defeated leader. It may have been
a mistaken idea, but that wa«5 the impression. It was believed that
Johnson intended to make an example of some of the Southern
leaders, and particularly of General Lee. But General Grant, you
may remember, declared that General Lee was under the protection
of the government of the United States. That protection I gave him,
said General Grant, in substance, when I was vested with the
authority to do so, and I mean that he shall be protected. That
incident did much to change the whole course of feeling in the
South.

General Logan said the procession was a great event and was
well managed so far as he could see. The day was propitious, but
the weather warm. Those who were at the funeral would long re-
member it.

Mr. George VV. Childs, proprietor of the Ptihlic Ledger, said that
although he imagined he knew the strong hold that General Grant had
upon the popular heart, he was amazed at the character of the day's
demonstration. He had never witnessed anything like it and never
expected to again see anything that would equal it. All along the
line not only was the crowd noticeable for its vastness, covering as
it did many miles, but the manner in which the people acted and
the evidences of sincere affection which they betrayed were some-
thing marvellous. There was a universality of .sentiment among
the hosts of onlookers, and he was particularly struck with the un
questionable sincerity of the mourning of the people in their love

MR. BLAINE S EULOGY

80 1

eral Grant is

for General Grant. Riding, as he did, with the other pall-bearers,
very near the funeral car, he could not help observing the temper
of the people. Another thing that struck him was the good feeling
that was manifested towards the Southern generals. VVherever the
carriages stopped during the parade, in consequence of any tempo-
rary obstruction, the people crowded around to shake hands with
General Johnston, General Buckner and the others ; and while it
was evident that General Sherman and General Sheridai\ were both
extremely popular, yet the people were undeniably anxious to go
out of their way to make the Southerners feel at home, and at many
points half-suppressed applause greeted the appearance of the South-
ern generals.

Mr. A. J. Drexel, of Philadelphia, who was a pall-bearer in place
of Hamilton Fish, who was ill, went back to Philadelphia early in
the evening, being himself indisposed. He was filled with surprise
and gratification at the evidences of good-will that he had ob-
served as he rode in the funeral procession, and which were in-
creased many fold as the men of the two armies met each other
socially in the hotel corridor. It was an augury, he thought, of
much good to both sections of the country.

Blaine's eulogy.

Appropriate Grant memorial services were held at Augusta, Me.
At the exercises held in Gr-mite Church the following eulogy was
del'vered by Mr. James G. Blaine:

" Public sensibility and personal sorrow over the death of General
Grant are not confined to one continent A profound admiration
for great qualities, and still more profound gratitude for great ser-
vices, have touched the heart of the people with true sympathy,
increased even to tender emotions by the agony of his closing days
and the undoubted heroism with which he morally conquered a last
cruel fate. The world in its hero-worship is discriminating and
practical, if not, indeed, selfish. Eminent qualities and rare achieve-
ments do not always insure lasting fame. A brilliant orator enchains
his hearers with his inspired and inspiring gifts ; but, if his speech
be not successfully used to some popular recollection, his only
reward will be in the fitful applause of his forgotten audience. A
victorious general in a war of mere ambition receives the cheers of
the multitude and the ceremonial honors of the government; but,
if he brings no boon to his country, his fame will find no abiding-
place in the centuries that follow. Tlic hero for the ages is he who
has been chief and foremost in contributing to the moral and
material progress, to the grandeur and glory of the succeeding
generation. VV^ashington secured the freedom of the colonies and
founded a new nation. Lincoln vyas the prophet who warned the

8o2

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. CiUANT.

. (ri(

people of the evils that were undermining our free government and
the statesman who was called to leadership in the work of their
extirpation Grant was the soldier who, by victory in the field
ga e vitality and force to the policies and philanthropic measures
which Lincoln defined in the Cabinet for the regeneration and secu-
rity of the Republic.

" The monopoly of fame by the few in this world comes from
an instinct, perhaps from a deep-seated necessity of human nature.
Heroes cannot be multiplied. The gods of mythology lost their
sacredness and their power by their numbers. The millions pass
into oblivion; the units only survive. Who asked the great leader
of Israel to conduct the chosen people over the .sands of the desert
and through the waters of the .sea into the promised land? Who
marched with Alexander from the Bosphorus to India, and who
commanded the legions of Cresar in the conquest of Gaul ? Who
crossed the Atlantic with Columbus? Who ventured through the
winter passe.-> of the Alps with the conqueror of Italy? Who
fought with Wellington at Waterloo ? Alas ! how soon it may be
asked, VV^ho marched with Sherman from the mountain to the sea?
Who with Meade on the victorious field of Getty.sburg? Who
shared with Thomas in the glories of Nashville ? Who went with
Sheridan through the trials and triumphs of the blood stained
valley? General Grant's name will survive through the centuries,
because it is indissolubly connected with the greatest military and
moral triumph in the history of the United States. If the armies
of the Union had ultimately failed, the vast and beneficent designs
of Lincoln would have been frustrated, and he would have been
known in history as a statesman and philanthropist, who, in the cau.se
of humanity, cheri.shed great aims which he could not realize, and
conceived great ends which he could not attain ; as an unsuccessful
ruler, whose policies distracted and dissevered his country ; while
General Grant would have taken his place with that long and
always increasing array of great men who were found wanting in
the supreme hour of trial. But a higher power controlled the
result. God in his gracious mercy had not raised those men for
works which should come to naught. In the expression of Lincoln,
" No human counsel devised nor did mortal hand work out those
great things.' In their accomplishment those humat: agents were
sustained by more than human power, and through them great
salvation was wrought for the land. As long, theiefore, as the
American Union shall abide, with its -blessings of law and liberty,
Grant's name shall be remembered with honor. As long as the sla-
very of human beings shall be abhorred and the freedom of man
assured Grant shall be recalled with gratitude, and in the cycles of
the future the story of Lincoln's life can never be told without

■i;i

mtm

tmmt x mmtmH

MR. BLAINE S EULOGY.

803

associating Grant in the enduring splendor of his own great
name.

"General Grant's military supremacy was honestly earned, with-
out factitious praise and without extraneous help. He had no influ-
ence to urge his promotion except such as was .ittracted by his own
achiev'jmants. He had no potential friends except those whom his
victories won to his support. He rose more rapidly than any mili-
tary leader in history, from the command of a single regiment to
the supreme direction of a million of men, divided into many great
armies and operating over an area as large as the empires of Ger-
many and Austria combined. He exhibited extraordinary qualities
in the field. Bravery among American officers is a rule which has,
happily, had few exceptions; but, as an eminent general .said, Grant
possessed a quality above bravery. He had an insensibility to dan-
ger, apparently an unconsciousness of fear. Besides that, he pos-
sessed an evenness of judgment to be depended upon in sunshine
and in storm. Napoleon said, ' The rarest attribute among generals
is two o'clock in the morning courage. I mean,' he added, ' unpre-
pared courage ; that which is necessary on an unexpec*;ed occasion,
and which, in spite of the most unforeseen events, leaves full freedom
of judgment and prDmptness of decision.' No better description
could be given of the type of courage which distinguished General
Grant. His constant readiness to fight was another quality, which,
according to the same authority, established his right as a com-
mander. 'Generals,' said the exile at St. Helena, 'are rarely found
eager to give battle. They choose their positions, consider their
combinations, and their indecision begins. Nothing,' added this
greatest warrior of modern times, 'nothing is so difficult as to
decide.' General Grant, in his services in the field, never once exhib-
ited indecision, and it was this quality that gave him his crowning
characteristic as a military leader. He inspired his men with a sense
of their invincibility and they were thenceforth invincible. The
career of General Grant, when he passed from military to civil
administration, was marked by his strong qualities.

" His Presidency of eight years was filled with events of magni-
tude, in which, if his judgment was sometimes questioned, his patriot-
ism was always conceded. He entered upon his office after the angry
disturbances caused by the singular conduct of Lincoln's successor
and quietly enforced a policy which had been for four years the
cause of embittered disputation. His election to the Presidency
proved in one important aspect a landmark in the history of the
country. For nearly fifty years preceding that event there had been
few Presidential elections in which the fate of the Union had not in
some degree been agitated, either by the threats of political mal-
contents or in the apprehension of timid patriots. The Union was

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LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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saved by the victory of the army commanded by General Grant. No
menace of its destruction has ever been heard since General Grant's
victory before the people. Death always holds a flag of truce over
its own. Under that flag friend and foe sit peacefully together, pas-
sions are stilled, benevolence is restored, wrongs are repaired, justice
is done.

" It is impossible that a career so long, so prominent, so positive
as that of General Grant should not have provoked strife and engen-
dered enmity. For more than twenty years, from the death of Lin-
coln to the close of his own life, General Grant was the most con-
spicuous man in America — one to whom leaders looked for leader-
ship, upon whom partisans built their hopes of victory, to whom
personal friends by tens of thousands offered their sincere devotion.
It was according to the weakness and the strength of human nature
that counter-movements should ensue; that General Grant's pri-
macy should be challenged; that his party should be resisted; that
his devoted friends should be confronted by jealous men in his own
ranks and by bitter enemies in the ranks of his opponents. But all
these passions and all these resentments are buried in the grave
which to-day receives his remains. Contention respecting his rank
as a commander ceases, and Unionists and Confederates alike testify
to his powers in battle and his magnanimity in peace. The contro-
versy over his civil administration closes, as Democrat and Republi-
can unite in pronouncing him to have been, in every act and every
aspiration, an American patriot."

BUTLER S EULOGY.

■! >,.-.

At Lowell, Mass., General Benjamin F. Butler bore the promi-
nent part in the Grant memorial services, pronouncing the eulogy
on the dead hero. He said :

Of the soldier who has performed with fidelity, unflinching courage
and determination, with every measure of success, every duty imposed
upon him by his country in the years of her deadliest peril, in a
war of mo:t gigantic proportions, most sturdily fought out with
millions of men in arms, wherein the very life of his country was
at stake ; with a patriotism never doubted, which shone forth
with an effulgence which illuminated his life ; of the statesman who
received from the people the highest powers and honors twice
conferred, and after being tried in such a position, the second time
almost with unanimity, broken only by those whom, as a soldier,
he had conquered and unanimously forgiven — what need is there
for words of praise ?

Is it not better for us who gather here, as if around his tomb, to
take part in the last honors that can be paid to the mortal man, to
pause for the brief time allotted to us and recall not only what he

MMUBmtfcMM

^SSBSSSSUri

G.NERAL BUTLERS EULOGY.

805

was, but, for the benefit of those vho shall come after us, to bring
to our minds the causes which have made a great people quite uni-
versally love him, and all admire him and revere his memory
Looking upon his career, do we not find that Grant's life and char-
acter are necessarily the outgrowth of our free institutions, which
they together illustrate, adorn and glorify.

Grant was educated as a soldier and served with distinction in
the Mexican War. Apparently disgusted with the lazy ease of
military life in tima of peace, he resigned his commission and
turned his attention to business pursuits, in which he was not suc-
cessful, probably because they were not adapted, as evidently they
were not, either to his taste or his faculties. His political predi-
lections had been, as were those of many others in his party, on
the side of slavery as an institution imbedded in the constitution ;
but his heart was right, and when the Southern States, their people,
forgetful of their patriotism and their constitutional olsligations, at-
tempted to sever themselves from the Union and found a new em-
pire whose corner-stone should be slavery, he offered his services
in behalf of right and the true principles of democracy, and with
unwavering fidelity followed the flag from victory to victory until
the Union was saved. See how completely he was the outgrowth
of our institutions ! Educated under a provision cf the govern-
ment that allows a son of the humblest citizen the best teaching
that can be devised, fostered and sustained hy her bounty, he stood
ready when tlie occasion demanded to do battle, as did VVashington,
for liberty and country ; and when his strategy of obstinate deter-
mination had subdued the rebellion his instincts of statesmanship
showed him that the country — nearly one-half of which had needed
to be conquered — ought to become united again ; and therefore the
generous stipulations of surrender at Appomattox, which, if the
hates engendered by the war had permitted the South to receive
with true love of country and with the understanding of what the
future, sooner or later, must bring — a united people — would have
long since obliterated all former dissensions and divisions of party
springing from the rebellion.

From the hour of Lee's surrender the Presidency of General
Grant was inevitable. As a soldier he had won the admiration and
gratitude of the people, and by a single act of statesmanship he had
convinced them that he might be as capable in public affairs as in
the field, although uninstructed in the minutiae of government.
The pistol of Booth and the tergiversation of Johnson made Grant
President as soon as it could be done under constitutional forms.
He took the reins of government into his hands under the most
difficult of all conditions. The contest between Johnson and Con-
gress as to the reconstruction of the government of the several

8o6

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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Southern States, wherein he attempted to accomplish that impossi-
bility at once by executive order, but which could not be done
without considerable lapse of time if Congress had most cordially
concurred in the endeavor, had caused Congress to go much fur-
ther in interfering with the unkindly passions of the South, and the
action of the President had stimulated conflicting and dangerous
organizations against the laws of Congress, so that only a wise and
patient waiting was open to Grant's administration for proper re-
construction, using the heavy hand only when great wrongs and
outrages were perpetrated upon the unoffending citizens, so that
Grant's first term upon this topic was, in fact, but a firm grasp
holding either section from unduly interfering, irritating or exasper-
ating the other.

Grant was a second time elected by a united North, his messages
and declarations to Congress, direct and simple in their announce-
ment of his purposes and at the same time tender toward the
South, where leniency was a virtue, en:ibling the reconstruction to
begin on such a basis as alone it was possible to work it out. The
union of the several portions of the country slowly progressed, it
being for the interest of one political party to maintain the South
in its entirety as an opposition.

We now come to the saddest part of his life. The fact that on
his retirement he had but a bare competence, and that by the re-
sult of contributions from his friends in admiration of his character
and deeds, stamps out the idea of any corruption in his methods or
purposes. With a strong desire to establish his family after his
death in such position that they might not be tempted t j any course
which should tarnish his great name and fame ; unused to business
methods and enterprises ; trustful to the last degree of those who
won his confidence; surrounded by schemers and speculators, who
brought to his attention every possible speculative business, he was
tempted into more than one enterprise with which his friends
could well wish he had not concerned himself in any way. He
was no better business man after he had ceased to be soldier and
President than he was before he began his public career. West
Point does not make business men. It sometimes leaves one with-
out unmaking him, but that is rare. Grant had heard fabulous
tales of the riches which might be made in the banking business in
the metropolis of the country. That he ever knew anything about
it, or took any part in it, is now beyond all cavil or question. The
only two business transactions that he is said to have had with it
were to borrow of a friend a very large ?um of money when the
banking concern with which he connected himself with was entirely
rotten, and after it was evident that he was stripped of everything
to pledge all that he had, the tributary gifts of kings and princes,

THE OBSEQUIES.

807

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every relic and reminder of his great deeds, and even the sword he
v/ore at Appomattox, to pay an honest debt.

Soon after, seized with his fatal disease, he lived in pain and acute
misery, ending only with the last sad hour — at peace with God and
the world.

For more than ten years I knew Grant the general and Grant
the President, well and intimately. There was once a strong per-
sonal difficulty brought about by lying statements to each, of the
acts, motives and opinions of the other. He first learned of their
untruthfulness, and at his request, conveyed through a friend, we
met, and a few words explained all, apologized for all and healed
all ; and that friendship, thus renewed, has ever continued.

I have given you my own estimate of Grant's character; I have
given some of the facts upon which I have founded that estimate.
I hold him to have been as substantially worthy as mortal man may
be of the love, admiration and plaudits of this great people ; that
there is due for him all over this land the heartfelt sorrow, the tru.st-
ing love and the reverent appreciation with which the nation now
weeps at the portals of his tomb. He will and ought to go down
to our children and our children's clijldren, as long as memory lasts
or records endure, as the soldier, the hero, the statesman and pa-
triot. If he had other attributes less worthy they will be forgotten
and pass away into the earth as v/ill his mortal remains, because
they are of the ** earth, earthy," But these great qualities of his
nature, leading to conduct so honorable, so glorious to him and
useful to mankind, will remain, as will his immortal .spirit, for they
are of the '* heavens, heavenly,"

,, THE OBSEQUIES,

Such a public funeral has never been wftnessed in this country.
Those of Lincoln and Garfield were wholly different. The tragic
taking off of both inevitably colored the honor paid to their ashes.
Lincoln died before the country had even entered upon the era
of pacification — Garfield leaving hosts of enemies. The mourning
in each case owed its universality less to the regret with which the
dead was lamented than to the august ofifice of Chief Magistrate
supremely insulted and the fortuitous martyrdom of one whom the
nation had chosen to preside over it. Those who followed the bier of
General Grant in New York, and those who in all portions of the coun-
try were there present in spirit, were animated by different feelings.
They felt deeply and sincerely the personal qualities as well as the
public services of the dead. They felt not only that a hero was
being laid to his rest, the last of the epoch-marked heroes of the
Civil War, as we have said, but that this hero had bt2n endowed
by Providence with those personal qualities which add a human

8o8

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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interest to heroism and ennoble in a peculiar degree the fame
which the greatest soldier may win. His charity to all, his absolute
absence of malice, his chivalry towards a fallen enemy, his love and
tenderness for his family, above all, his sturdy simplicity and quiet
dignity of bearing under all circumstances — it was the thought
of these qualities that united Buckiier and Sherman, the President
and the humblest citizen in his funeral train.

There is, however, still another distinction which marks General
Grant's obsequies. It is that this magnificent pageant, equal to any
which modern times have seen, has been the result of the calmest
deliberation. It has not been at all an effort of impulse, nor has
pure emotion presided in its arrangements. It reflects in this way
equal honor upon the dead and the people who thus honor the
dead. Had there been a dissenting voice in all the States, it would
have made itself heard, and discord would have marred the perfect
harmony of the tribute paid, not only by unanimous con-
sent, but by unanimous desire. General Grant had been for
months dying. The country had become wholly habituated to the
idea of his death. There was, therefore, naturally no great ebullition
of emotion to be expected when the news finally came. But in
place of emotion we have witnessed the power of perfectly equable
conviction, and his funeral becomes thus a witness to American
appreciation of American great men, which confers eminent credit
upon us as a nation. Whatever other republics have been, we, at
least, are not ungrateful. We not only spontaneously and univer-
sally lament ,the great Hero of our life and death struggle for
national greatness, we not only pay a national tribute to his eminent
personal qualities in so doing, but we do so in sobriety and with
express intent, whereby we consecrate the nation as well as do
honor to one of its greatest chieftains. . :

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CHAPTER XXXIV.

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HOW FORMER PRESIDENTS DIED.

, In view of the peculiar circumstances of General Grant's last
illness, the following facts in relation to the deaths of former Presi-
dents will be of general interest :

General Washington, the firiit President, took cold during a five
hours' ride over his plantation on the 12th of December, 1799,
during the last two hours of which he was exposed to a severe
storm of snow, hail and rain. The cold developed itself next even-
ing, when he was very hoarse, but he made light of it, " I never
take anything for a cold," he said ; " let it go as it came." At two
o'clock next morning he awakened his wife, but would not let her
rise to send for a physician lest the latter should take cold. When
Washington's secretary was called at daybreak he found him breath-
ing with difficulty. Physicians were sent for, and meanwhile he
was bled and a gargle was prepared, but on attempting to use it he
was convulsed and nearly suffocated. The remedies of the physi-
cians were also without avail, and at 4.30 p.m. he sent his wife for
his two wills, had her destroy one and entrusted the other to her
keeping, giving her instructions as to his letters, papers and ac-
counts. Between five and six o'clock, when assisted to sit up, he
said to the physicians, " I feel I am going. I thank you for your
attentions, but I pray you to take no more trouble about me ; let me
go ofif quietly — I cannot last long." Further remedies were tried
without avail in the evening. "About ten o'clock," writes his sec-
retary, " he made several attempts to speak to me before he could
effect it." At length he said: " I am just going; have me decently
buried, and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than
three days after I am dead." I bowed assent, for I could not speak.
He then looked at me again and said : " Do you understand me ? "
I replied : " Yes." " 'Tis well," said he. About ten minutes be-
fore he expired (which was between ten and eleven o'clock) his
breathing became easier. He lay quietly ; he withdrew his hand
from mine and felt his own pulse. I saw his countenance change,
and spoke to Dr. Craik, who came to the bedside. The general's
hand fell from his wrist; I took it in mine and pressed it to my bosom.
Dr. Craik put his hands over his eyes, and he expired without a
struggle or a sigh. The body was buried on the i8th, a schooner
being stationed ofif Alexandria to fire minute-guns while the

(809) .

!i : ' ''''M

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

procession moved from the house to the vault. The troops,
horse and foot led the way; then came four of the clergy,
then Washington's horse, with his saddle, holsters and pis-
tols, led by two grooms in black ; then the body, borne by
the Masonic order (of which he was a member) and officers,
followed by the family and several old friends and the corporation
of Alexandria. At the tomb the Rev. Mr. Davis read the funeral
service and delivered a brief address, after which the body was de-
posited in the vault with Masonic ceremonies. Washington's re-
mains were deposited in their present receptacle at Mount Vernon
in 1837. The vault was built in accordance with the provisions of
his will, and is of brick, with an arched roof

John Adams, the second President, died on July 4, 1826, the
semi-centenary of American independence. Adams at ninety-one
preserved a remarkable activity of mind, though his sight was im-
paired so that he could neither read nor write. By April, 182C, it
was evident that he was failing, though his neighbors in Quincy,
Mass., hoped fondly that he would be able to attend the local 4th of
July celebration. When, however, it became apparent that he could not
attend in person, a delegate was appointed to visit him and beg a
last word or cheerful message. On June 30th the delegate called
on Mr. Adams and " spent some few minutes with him in conversa-
tion, and took from him a toast to be presented on the 4th of July
as coming from him." " I will give you," said he, " Independence
Forever I " ** Unceasing shouts," we are told, greeted the toast of-
fered at the Quincy banquet, but as the guests lefl the hall news
came of the death of its author. He had passed away calmly and
without suffering at the sunset of that brilliant and memorable day.
" Thomas Jefferson still survives," were the last words he uttered,
so far as could be gathered from his failing articulation. He was
buried m the family \ault in the cemetery, but upon the
completion of the Unitarian Church of Quincy, in 1828, the body
was removed from the vault into the room beneath the church,
where John Quincy Adams was also buried in 1848. Their wives
are buried with them. The bodies lie in leaden caskets, placed in
cases hewn from solid blocks of stone.

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence,
and the third President, died only a few hours before John Adams.
On the third of July he dozed hour after hour under the mfluence
of opiates. Rousing occasionally, he fervently expressed a desire to
live until the day he had assisted to consecrate fifty years before.
At 1 1 o'clock at night he whispered to Mr. N. P. Trist, his grand-
child's husband, who sat by the bed, " This is the Fourth f " Mr.
Trist remained silent, being unwilling to say " Not yet ' " " This is
the Fourth ? " again whispered Jefferson, and when the watcher nod-

HOW FORMER PRESIDENTS DIED.

8ll

ded, "Ah !" he sighed and sunk into sleep with an expression of
satisfaction upon his countenance. His watchers thought him dy-
ing, but he lingered until 1 2.40 in the afternoon, occasionally indi-
cating a desire by words or looks, " I resign my soul to God and
my daughter to my country," is a popular version of his latest ut-
terances. On the fly-leaf of an old account-book Jefferson wrote
this : " Choose some unfrequented vale in the park, where is no
sound to break the stillness but a brook that, babbling, wi.ids
among the woods — no mark of human shape that has been there,
unless the skeleton of some poor wretch who sought that place out
to despair and die in. Let it be among ancient and venerable oaks ;
intersperse some gloomy evergreens. Appropriate one-half to the
use of my family, the other to strangers, servants, &c. Lot the exit
look upon a small and distant part of the Blue Mountains." His
wishes have been well carried out, His remains lie in a little inclo-
sure to the right of a road leading from Charlotteville, Va., to
Monticello. An obelisk nine feet high marks the spot.

James Madison, the fourth President and the last survivor of the
signersof the United StatesConstitation,died June 28, 1836. During
his last illness, when the family and doctor were dining, his voice was
heard feebly from the adjoining chamber: •* Doctor, are you push-
ing about the bottles ? Do your duty, doctor, or I must cashier
you." He is buried at Montpolier, four miles from Orange Court-
House, Va. The grave is in the centre of a large field, in a lot
about one hundred feet square, surrounded by a brick wall. On
the gate is a sign, ** Madison, 1820." Fou/ graves are here. Over
one of them rises a mound twenty feet high. A granite obelisk
bears the inscription : "Madison. Born March 16, 1751" By its
side is a smaller shaft of white marble, inscribed : " In memory of
Dolly Payne, wife of James Madison, born May 28, 1768; died July
8. 1849."

'' James Monroe, the fifth President and the third to die on Inde-
pendence Day, died July 4, 1831. He passed away in New York
City, at the residence of his son-in-law, Samuel L. Gouverneur.
His remains were deposited with public honors in the Marble Cem-
etery on Second Street, in New York, where they reposed until
1858, when they were removed, under the escort of the Seventh
Regiment, to Hollywood Cemetery, at Richmond, Va. The re-
mains rest on a beautiful site overlooking the James River Falls
above Richmond, in a vault of brick and granite. • • ' ' 'o

■7 ' John Quincy Adams, the sixth President and the •' old man elo-
quent," was found by death where he could have wished its approach
— in the halls of Congress. On February 21, 1848, he ascended
the steps of the Capitol with his accustomed alacrity and took his

vp.

[ill; hi -J

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

place in the House. While petitions were being presented suddenly
there was a cry of" Mr. Adams !" and a rush of members towards
his seat. He was rising with a number of petitions in his hand
when he was struck with apoplexy and sank down, catching at his
desk and falling into the arms of the member who sprang across
the aisle to his assistance. He was carried into the rotunda, then
into the Speaker's room. He attempted to speak, but his voice was
a mere murmur, low and indistinct, though Mr Ashman, who was
placing him on the sofa, heard him say : " This is the last of earth.
I am content." He became insensible at bnce, and lingered, faintly
breathing, till ten o'clock on the morning of the 23d, when he ex-
pired. Mr. Adams's body was removed on the car drawn by six
white horses that had served for Harrison's funeral, and after lying
in state in Faneuil Hall, Boston, was buried under the Unitarian
Church at Quincy, Mass.

Andrew Jackson, the seventh President, died on Sunday, June 8,
1845, at the Hermitage, his famous home. For months he had
suffered with diseise of the lungs, dropsy and diarrhcta. Almost to
the last he was pestered by office-seekers and hero-worshipers.
His last writing was a statement to help his old friend and fellow-
soldier, Robert ArmbLrong, to a pension. On the 30th of May he
gave Mr. Healy, the artist, his last sitting for the portrait designed
for Louis Philippe, of France. Nightly he blessed and kissed each
member of his family, bidding each a farewell as if for the last time,
and then offered an earnest prayer for them and for his country.
His Bible was j A>ays near him. On the Friday previous to his
death he gavedirections concerning his funeral, and dictated a letter,
his last, to the President, bidding him act promptly and resolutely
in the affairs of Texas and Oregon. On the morning of his death,
a brilliant, hot day, he bade farewell to his family, friends and ser-
vants, whom he addressed with calmness, strength and even ani-
mation on the subject of religion, concluding : " I hope and trust
to meet you all in Heaven, both white and black," words he re-
peated again in the afternoon as the end was coming on. Hearing
the servants on the piazza weeping, he spoke again: "What is the
matter with my dear children ? Have I alarmed you ? Oh, do not
cry! Be good children, and we will meet in heaven." At six he
died without a struggle or a pang. His funeral was attended by
three thousand people on the Tuesday following. He is buried at
the Hermitage, on the Lebanon pike, eleven miles from Nashville,
Tenn. A massive monument of Tennessee granite marks his grave
and that of the wife he had loved so well. , ^

Martin Van Buren, the eighth President, died at Kinderhook,
Columbia County, N. Y., on July 24, 1862, of asthma that developed
into a painful catarrhal aiTection of the throat and lungs. One of

HOW FORMER PRESIDENTS DIED.

8>3

his last distinct utterances was to his clergyman: "There is but one
reliance." He is buried in the little village cemetery at Kinderhook,
in the family lot. A granite shaft fifteen feet high marks his grave.

William Henry Harrison, the ninth President, died in Washing-
ton City, April 4, 1841. He rode on horseback to his inauguration
and stood bareheaded and without an overcoat to deliver his inaug-
ural, contracting pneumonia, which was aggravated by subsequent
imprudences. His last words, heard by Dr. Washington, were :
'* Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the govern-
ment. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more." A proces-
sion two miles in length escorted the body, which was conveyed on
a funeral car, drawn by six white horses, to its temporarj' resting-
place in the Congressional burying-ground. His present resting-
place is at North Bend, Ohio, The grave is a simple mound, un-
fenced, on a little knoll, and is shaded by beeches and other trees.
There is no monument and no inscription anywhere to tell the
story of the life of the departed hero of Tippecanoe.

John Tvler, the tenth President, was taken ill on Sunday, Janu-
ary 12, 1862, while at breakfast at the Ballard House, at Richmond,
Va., and died at midnight of the 17th. "Let me give you some
stimulant," said his doctor. " I will not have it," replied the dying
man, and closing his eyes, he passed away quietly. His body lay
in state at the Capitol. He was a member of the Confederate Con-
gress, and was interred at Hollywood Cemetery on the 21st, by
Bishop Johns. His grave is a little mound covered with bushes.
Near by are the graves of President Monroe ; Dr. Lawrence
Roane Warren, the philanthropist ; Jas. M, Mason, the Confederate
envoy to England; a son of Jefferson Davis, and Lieutenant
General A. P. Hill, of the confederate army.

James K. Polk, the eleventh President, died at Nashville, Tenn.,
June 15,1 849, three months after his retirement from the Presidency.
He had suffered from diarrhoea on the journey home, and a recurring
attack proved fatal. On his death-bed he received the rite of bap-
tism at the hands of a Methodist clergyman. He is buried at the
old family homestead, at Nashville, Tenn. The monument is a
block twelve feet square by twelve in height.

General Zachary Taylor, twelfth President, attended the Fourth
of July ceremonial in Washington City in 1850, when the dust from
Kosciusko's tomb was deposited in the Washington monument, and
endured for several hours the heat of a day which he declared was
worse than any he had experienced in Mexico or Florida. Going
home, he insisted on eating freely of unripe cherries and drinking
cold water and iced milk, despite the remonstrances of his servant.
This brought on an attack of cholera-morbus, followed by typhoid,

8i4

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

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of which he died on the 9th. An impoKJng procession accompa-
nied his remains to the Conf»res.sional Cemetery, the Episcopal ser-
vice having previously been read int!ij East room of the President's
mansion by Dr. Butler and Dr. Pync. His remains have been
moved three times, and now repose in a public spot at Frankfort,
Ky. After the burial in the Congressional Cemetery at Washing-
ton the body was removed to a lot on the Taylor Homestead, five
miles back of Louisville, and then taken to Cave Hill Cemetery,
Louisville. In 1878 the remains were placed in the beautiful Cem-
etery at Frankfort, where they are in the company of many illus-
trious dead, including Vice-President Richard Mentor Johnson.

Millard Fillmore, the thirteenth President, died at Buffalo, N. Y.,
on March 8, 1874, and after lying in state in St. Paul's Cathedral,
the remains were buried on the 12th at Forest Lawn Cemetery,
three miles from Buffalo. A tall monument bears the inscription:
" Millard Fillmore. Born January 7, 1800; died March 8, 1874."

Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth President, died on Friday, Octo-
ber 8, 1869, at the residence of Mr. Willard Williams, Concord, N,
H., of dropsy and inflammation of the stomach. For the last three
days of his life he was nearly unconscious, and died without pain.
His body lay in state at Doric Hall, and was buried in the Minot
Cemetery, on Main Street, on the nth. The Pierce lot is at the
northwestern corner of the old cemetery, and contains about an acre
of ground. The monument is of Italian marble, surmounted by a
draped cross, and its total height is fourteen feet eight inches.

James Buchanan, the fifteenth President, died at Wheatland, near
Lancaster, Pa., on June 1, 1868, after an illness of one month,
though he had been failing for nearly a year. His last hours were
peaceful and nearly painless. On the night before his death he gave
detailed directions for his funeral and the erection of his monument,
dictating the inscription, a blank to be left for the date of death,
" which cannot be distant," he said. In the morning he asked for
a drink of water from the spring, saying to the medical attendant,
" Doctor, if disembodied spirits ever come back, I believe that mine
will be found about that spring." His last authentic words, as he
sank into the sleep in which he died, were : "Oh, Lord God Al-
mighty, as Thou wilt." His funeral took place on the 4th, the ex-
ercises being conducted by Dr. Nevin, President of Franklin and
Marshall College, an immense concourse being present. He is
buried at Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster, on the banks of the
Conestoga. The lot is enclosed by a neat iron fence. All around
the fence is a hedge of blooming roses, and rose-bushes arc planted
in the inclosure. A fine marble sarcophagus marks the grave.

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President, died by the hand of

MMH

HOW FORMER PRESIDENTS DIED.

8'5

John Wilkes Booth, in Washington, April 15, 1865. Nine of the
persons supposed to be iniplicateil suffered condign punishment
The funeral honors paid to the deceased Chief Magistrate were of
the most elaborate character. His remains are buried at Oak Ridge
Cemetery, in Springfield, III. A fine pile of marble, granite and
bronze marks the spot. It bears the single word, ' Lincoln."

Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth I'resident, died suddenly at
Greenville, Tenn., on Saturday, July 31, 1875, and was buried with
Masonic ceremonies on the 3d of August. His grave is at Green-
ville, Tenn., on a spot selected by himself. The monument is of
marble upon a base of granite, nine and one-half feet by seven feet.
The tomb was erected by the President's three surviving sons.

James A. Garfield, the twentieth President, was assassinated in
the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad depot in Washington City, on
July 2, 1881, by Charles Guiteau, and died of his wound September
19, at Elberon, near Long Branch, N. J. During his illness a popular
movement was inaugurated to raise a fund of $250,000, to be in-
vested for Mrs. Garfield and her children. The *i»ill W^ partly
raised while the President lived, and after is death additiotui. f'^'i
tributions swelled the amount to over $31 .000. On the 2i^t o
September the President's remains were cuu.'^yed from the Franck-
lyn cottage, where he died, to Washington. £\yep city in the
Union wiis draped in mourning. The body was laid in stat*^ in *'^e
Capitol. Funeral services took place tlicrr. on Friday, Septetli/)e i"
23, and the remains were ther transferred to Clevcla»?d, Ohio, where
they were entombed Septembe. 26. A handsome mmu -.oleum for
their reception is now in course of erection at Cleveland.

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CHAPTER XXXV.

MEMORIES OF GRANT.

Mr, George W. Childs' personal reminiscences of his famous friend— Twenty-five years' in-
timacy — What happened in Mr. Childs* office the day after the Presidential election of
1876— How the Electoral Commission was brought about— General Grant and Sena-
tor Conkling — The Ex- President's opinions of famous soldiers — Personal traits, etc.

General Grant I first met after the victory of Vicksburg, in
1863. The General and Mrs. Grant came to Philadelphia to make
arrangements to put their children at school in Burlington, N. J.
From that time our intimacy grew until his death. There were
three characteristics that were prominent in his life, justice, kind-
ness, and firmness. He was the most modest of men. Seeing him,
as I did, for nearly twenty years, or such portions of the year as he
was in the country, I had ample opportunity to notice these quali-
ties. We lived on adjoining properties on the same land without
any division, and I might say there never was a day when we were
at Long Branch together but what I was in his house or he in
mine. I never saw him in the war and never saw him in the field.
I corresponded with him during that time, and every opportunity
he would get he would come on to Philadelphia for the purpose of
seeing his family, and in that way he made a great many friends.
That was as early as 1863. George H. Stuart was a great friend of
his. He always seemed to enjoy his visits there, as they gave him
rest during the time he was in the army, and also when he was
president.

Much has been published about General Grant, but there are
some things I have not seen stated, and one is that he had con-
siderable artistic taste and talent. He painted very well. One of
his paintings twelve by eighteen inches, perhaps, he gave to his
friend the Hon. A. E. Borie, of Philadelphia, who was Secretary of
the Navy. That picture is, I believe, the only one that he painted
which is known to be in existence. Of the others there is no trace.
He stood very high with his professor of drawing at West Point,
and if he had persevered in that line might have made a good artist.
He was always apt in mathematics and drawing. The picture I
referred to was of an Indian chief at a trading post in the North-
west, exchanging skins and furs with a lot of traders and trappers.
The Indian stood in the foreground, and was the central object.
52 ' ■ . - > ^ (8,7)

8i8

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

He was a noble figure, and was well painted in full and correct
costume, I have seen the painting often, which has been very
much admired, and he took a good deal of pride in it himself He
gave it to Mr. Borie, as that gentleman was, perhaps, one of his
dearest friends, and the intimacy kept up until the latter 's death.

HIS VIEWS OF Sherman's book.

General Grant was not an ardent student. Early in life he was
Somewhat of a novel reader, but more latterly he read biography
and travels. He was a careful reader and remembered everything
he read, but he had nothing which could be distinctly called liter-
ary taste. He was a great reader of newspapers. I remember once
his coming down here when Sherman's work had just been pub-
lished and I asked him if he had read the work. He said '* no," he
had not had time to read it, and one of the persons present observed,
*' Why, General, you won't find much in it about yourself. He
doesn't seem to think that you were in the war." The General .said,
"I don't know; I have read some adverse criticisms, but I am going
to read it and judge for myself" After he had read the book over
carefully and attentively, I asked him what he thought of it.
"Well," he said, "it has done me more than justice; it has given
me more credit than I deserved. Any criticism I might make
would be, that I think he has not done justice to Logan, Blair, and
other volunteer generals whom he calls political generals. These
men did their duty faithfully, and I never believe in imputing
motives to people." I told him that General Sherman had sub-
mitted the proof sheets of that part of the book to me, and it struck
me in the same way. General Sherman had sent the proof sheets
of that to me before the full book was published, and asked if I
had any suggestions and if I thought it was just to the General.
It will be seen by this that General Grant was always magnanimous
to every one he came in contact with, particularly his army associ-
ates. He was a man who rarely ever used the pronoun I in
conversation when speaking of his battles.

There is one amusing little incident I recall, apropos of a large,
full-sized portrait of General Sherman on his " March to the Sea,"
which hangs in my hall, and which was painted from life by Kauf-
mann. Sherman sits in front of the tent in a white shirt, without
coat or vest. The picture shows a camp-fire in front, and the
moonlight in the rear of the tents. The criticism of General Grant
when he first saw it was: "That is all very fine. It looks like
Sherman, but he never wore a boiled shirt there, I am sure."

While living in Long Branch there was hardly a Confederate
oRicer that came to the place without visiting the General He was
always glad to see them, and with those men he invariably talked

MEMORIES OF GRANT.

819

over the war. The General had a very high opinion of Johnston,
and always spoke of him as being one of the very best of Southern
generals ; and, at a dinner, I had the pleasure of getting Johnston,
Grant and Sherman together.

POLITICAL FORKSIGHT.

In regard to election matters. General Grant was a close observer,
and had a wonderful judgment in regard to results. One particular
case may be cited. During the canvass of his second term (toward
the latter part) there began to be doubts throughout the country
about the election. Vice-president Wilson, who was then running
on the ticket, wno was a man of the people, and had a good deal
of experience in election matters for forty years, made an exten-
sive tour through the country, and he came to my house just after
the tour, very blue. He went over the ground and showed that the
matter was in a good deal of doubt. I went to sec General Grant,
and I told him about this feeling, particularly as coming fiom Sena-
tor Wilson. The General said nothing, but he sent for a map of
the United States. He laid the map down on the tabic, went over
it with a pencil, and said : " We will carry this State, that State
and that State," until he nearly covered the whole United States.
It occurred to me he might as well put them all in, and I ventured
the remonstrance, — " I think it would not be policy to talk that
way; the election now is pretty near approaching." When the
election came, the result of it was that he carried every State that
he had predicted, and that prediction was in the face of the feeling
throughout the country that the Republican cause was growing
weaker, and in spite of the fact that the Vice-president, who was
deeply interested in the election, had visited various parts of the
country, South and West, and had come back blue and dispirited.

He was staying with me during the canvass of the election be-
tween Tilden and Hayes, and on the morning of the momentous
day he accompanied me to my office. In a few moments an emi-
nent Republican senator and one or two other leading Republicans
walked in, and they went over the returns. These leaders said,
" Hayes is elected," an opinion in which the others coincided. Gen-
eral Grant listened to them, but said nothing. After they had set-
tled the matter in their own minds he said : " Gentlemen, it looks
to me as if Mr. Tilden was elected." He afterwards sent for me in
Washington and said, " This matter is very complicated, and the
people will not be satisfied unless something is done in regard to it
which will look like justice. Now " he continued, " I have spoken
of an electoral commission, and the leaders of the party are opposed
to it, which I am sorry to see. They say that if an electoral com-
mission is appointed you might as well count in Mr. Tilden, I

I'^lf'

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

would sooner have Tilden than that the Repubhcans should have a
president who could be stigmatized as a fraud. If I were Mr.
Hayes I would not have it unless it was settled in some way outside
of the Senate. This matter is opposed by the leading Republicans
in the House and Senate and throughout the country."

THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.

President Grant invited the leading senators to dine with him
that day to get their .sentiment. He said to me, '* You see the feel-
ing here. I find them almost universally opposed to anything like
an electoral commission." I named a leading Democrat in the
House, who was, perhaps, one of the most prominent men in the
country, a man of great influence and of great integrity of charac-
ter, whom it would be well for General Grant to see in the matter,
and the suggestion was acted on. I sent for this gentleman and put
the dilemma to him in President Grant's name as follows: It is very
hard for the President and very embarrassing as to men on his own
side that this matter does not seem to find favor with them as well
as to have Democratic opposition. Republicans think you might
as well count Tilden in. but as the feeling throughout the country
demands as honest a count of the thing as possible, this Electoral
Commission ought to be appointed.

The answer at once was that the Democrats would favor it, and
it was through that gentleman and General Grant that the matter
was carried through. Grant was the originator of the plan. He
sent for Mr. Conkling and said, with deep earnestness: "This mat-
ter is a serious one and the people feel it very deeply. I think this
Electoral Commission ought to be appointed." Conkling answered :
" Mr. President, Senator Morton (who was then the acknowl-
edged leader of the Senate) is opposed to it and opposed to your
efforts ; but if you wish the Commission carried I can do it." He
said : " I wish it done." Mr. Conkling took hold of the matter
and put it through. The leading Democrat I have spoken of took
the initiative in the House and Mr. Conkling in the .Senate. Gen-
eral Patterson, of Philadelphia, who was an mtimate friend of Gen-
eral Jackson and a life-long Democrat, was also sent for. He had
large estates in the South and a great deal of influence with the
Democrats. General Patterson then was upwards of 80, but he
c^me down there and remained one or two weeks, working hard to
accomplish the purpose in view. After the bill had passed and wa»
waiting for signature General Grant went to the State fair in Mary-
land the day it should have been signed, and there was much per-
turbation about it.

General Grant acted in good faith througout the whole business.
It has been said that the changing of the complexion of the court

MEMORIES OF GRANT.

821

threw the matter into Hayes' hands, and, if the court had remained
as it was, Tilden would have been declared president. General
Grant was the soul of honor in this matter, and no one ever accused
him or ever hinted that he was untruthful in any way. I, for one,
don't believe that he could possibly tell a lie or act deceitfully.
There is another point of politics not generally known. During
Garfield's canvass, Garfield became very much demoralized. He
said that he not only did think that they would not carry Indiana,
but he was doubtful if they would carry Ohio. During that emer-
gency strong appeals were made to General Grant and he at once
threw himself into the breach. He saw his .strong personal friends
and told them they must help. There was one very strong man, a
senator, whom General Grant sent tor and told him that he must
turn in, and, though he first declined, at General Grant's urgent
solicitation he entered the field and contributed handsomely to the
victory. General Grant went into the canvass with might and
main. The tide was turned and it was through General Grant's
personal efforts, seconded by his strong personal friends, who did not
feel any particular interest in Garfield's election, that he was elected.

CONCERNING THE THIRD TERM.

As to General Grant's third term, he never by word or by any let-
ter ever suggested to any one that he would like to be nominated for
a third term. Neither Mr Conkling, General Logan nor Senator
Cameron had any assurance from him in any way that he wouldeven
takethe nomination if it was tendered him, and they proceeded in that
fightwithout anyauthority from him whatever. His heart was not on
a third term at all. He had had enough of it. After his second term
he told me, " I feel like a boy out of school." The three men men-
tioned above were the leaders in that matter. Neither of them had
ever had a hint from him in any way or shape indicating that he
would have liked to have had a third nomination. Tiiese men are
living and they can answer for themselves. At first Grant intended
todecline. In his conversation with me he said : " It is very difficult to
decline a thing that has never been offered ;" and when he left the
country for the West Indies I said : " General, you leave this in the
hands of your friends." He knew I was opposed to a third term ; and
his political friends were in favor of it, not merely as friends, but
because they thought he was the only man who could be elected.
There is not a line of his in existence where he has ever expressed
any desire to have that nomination. Towards the last, when the can-
vass became very hot, I suppose his natural feeling was that he would
like to win. That was natural. But he never laid any plans. He
had never imcouraged or abetted anything towards a third term
movement.

822

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

He was very magnanimous to those who differed from him, and
when I asked him what distressed him most in his political life he
said : " To be deceived by those I trusted." He had a good many
distresses.

Apropos of his power of thinkingr and of expressing; his thoughts,
he wrote with great facility and clearness. Mis centennial address at
the opening of the Exhibition in 1876 was hastily prepared at my
house, and there were only one or two corrections in the whole mat-
ter. When he went to England he wrote me a letter of fourteen pages,
giving me an account of his reception in England. The same post
that brought that letter contained a letter fron: Mr. John Walter, pro-
prietor of the London Times, saying that he had seen our mutual
friend, Gen. Grant, on several occasions, and wondering how he
was pleased with his reception in England. The letter which I had
received was so apropos that I telegraphed it over that very day to
the London T^mes ; fourteen pages of manuscript without one word
being altered, and the London Times next morning published this
letter with an editorial. It happened that the cablegram arrived in
London the very night the General was going ♦^hrough the London
Times office to see the establishment. He said he thought the English
people admirable ; the letter was written to a friend, not supposing
that it would ever be put in print, and not one word had to be altered.
I cite this to show General Grant's facility in writing.

FINANCIAL WISDOM.

In illustration of his perception of financial matters I remember an
instance. Ovi one of the great financial questions before Congress he
was consulting with Mr. A. J. Drexel, of Philadelphia, whom he re-
garded as one of his strongest personal friends, and the General ex-
pressed certain views, saying that he ha(' contemplated writing a mes-
sage. Mr. Drexel combated his views, and the General reconsidered
the matter and wrote a veto, showing that he was open to conviction.
There was a matter he had considered, he thought, fully, and when
this new light was given to him by Mr. Drexel he at once changed
and wrote a veto instead of favoring it. A great many people had an
idea that General Grant was very much set in his opinions ; but while
he had his opinions, at the .same time he was always open to convic-
tion. Very seldom in talking with him he wouldn't often make an
observation, and when you had got through it would be difficult to
tell exactly whether he had grasped the subject or not. but in a very
short time, if you alludedtothat matter again, you would find that he
had grasped it thoroughly. His power of observation and assimila-
tion was remarkable. There was no nonsense about him. He was
always neat in his dress, but not fastidious. He said he got cured of
his pride in regiments when he came home from West Point.

MEMORIES OF GRANT.

823

Speaking on one or two occasions of the burial of soldiers, he ob-
served that his old chief, General Scott, was buried at West Point
and that he would like to be buried there also. This was several
years ago and mentioned merely in casual conversation. That was a
number of years ago, and I think once or twice afterwards ; it might
have been alluded to incidentally since.

There was a paragraph in the newspapers recently referring to
the speech of Hon. Chauncey Depew, that Grant had saved the
country twice. I don't know what could have been meant by that
paragraph. In the Electoral Commission he saved a great deal of
trouble, but whether he saved the country or not is another ques-
tion. I don't know whether or not that could be the implication.
What I have said about the Electoral Commission, I have said of
my own knowledge.

HIS LAST PUBLIC SPEECH.

General Grant, surrounded by those he knew well, always did
two-thirds of the talking. He was a reticent and dififident man in
general company, and it was not until he was out of the presidency
that he became a public spe.-iker. He told a story that he was
notified once that he was expected to make a speech in reply to
one which was given him, and he looked it over and wrote his
answer carefully; but when he got up he was stricken dumb. He
utterly lost himself and could not say a word. After that he did
not want to hear what was going to be said, and never prepared
anything. A gentleman told me that in going to Liverpool and
Manchester, a committee came down to meet him and brought an
address of what they were going to say, to show it to him. He
said, "No, I have had one experience. I don't want to see it."
The last speech he ever made, the last time he ever addressed the
public, was last Summer, a year ago this month, at Ocean Grove.
Governor Ogilvie was staying with him at his cottage, and George
H. Stuart came up to ask him if he would not come down to
Ocean Grove, being the first time he appeared in public since his
misfortune. He was then lame, and was compelled to use his
crutches. He found 10,000 people assembled. They cheered him
and he arose to make a few remarks. After saying a few words he
utterly broke down, and the tears trickled down his cheeks. That
was the last time he ever appeared in public.

A year ago this month attention was first directed to his disease.
He told me he had a dryness in his throat, and it seemed to trouble
him. I said Dr. Da Costa, one of the most eminent physicians of
the country, was coming down to spend a few c'ays with me. He
was an old friend, and would be glad to look into the matter.
Dr. Da Costa, on arriving, went over to the General's house, ex-

824

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

: I

amincd him carefully, gave a prescription, and askea the General
who his family physician was. General Grant said Fordyce Barker,
and he was advised to see him at once. I could see that the
General was suffering a good deal, though uncomplaining, and
during the Summer several times he asked me if I had scon
Da Costa, and seemed to want to know exactly what was the matter
with him. General Grant, after he got worse, said to mc, ** I wai^t
to come over and see you, and have a talk with Da Costa." He
was not afraid of the disease after he knew all about it, and the last
time I saw him, just before he went to Mt. McGregor, he said,
"Now, Mr. Childs, I have been twice within a half a minute of
death. I realize it fully, and my life was only preserved by the
skill and attention of my physicians. I have told them tlie next
time to let me go."

A GREAT WILL-POWER.

The General had great will-power, and the determination to finish
his book kept him up. He quickly made up his mind that it was
a fatal disease, but he was resolute to live till his work was done.
He said, — " If I had been an ordinary man, I would have becit
dead long ago," and he seemed to appreciate very warmly the kind-
ness and attention of his physicians.

In good health. General Grant would smoke a dozen very large,,
strong segars a day; but he could stop smoking at any time. He
told me that toward the latter part of last summer, he got smoking
fewer and milder segars, perhaps two or three a day. In February
of this last year he expected to pay me a visit. I Ic wrote, sayin;^,
— " The doctor will not allow me to leave until the weather gels
warmer. I am now quite well in every way, except a swelling of
the tongue above the root, and the same thing in the tonsils just
over it. It is very difficult for me to swallow enough to maintain
my strength, and nothing gives me so much j)am as to swallow
water." I asked him about that, and he said, — " If you could imag-
ine what molten lead would be going down your throat, that is
what I feel when I am swallowing." In that letter he further said,
— " I have not smoked a scgar since about the 20th of November ;
for a day or two I felt as though I would like to smoke, but after
that I never thought of it."

MEMORY OF PERSONS.

I remember a year ago this month, a number of the scientists
wrote that they would meet in Montreal from all parts of the world.
Sir William Thompson and othe.s asked whether I would present
them to General Grant. Some of them had met him. Of course,
I was very glad to present them. I .said to him in the morning:

ii:''

MEMORIES OF GRANT.

825

"General, the scientists from Canada are coming down here, and
they are very anxious to pay their respects to you." "Oh," he
replied, " I have met some of those people abroad ; I will be very
glad to see them." They came to my house, and we walked across
the lawn to the General's. He sat on the [)iazza, and could not
stand alone, but was on his crutches and was presented to every
one of them, shaking hands with them. He would say to one gen-
tleman, " How p."^. you. Professor? I met you in Liverpool ;" and
to another, " Why, how are you? I met you in London," and " I am
glad to see you, I met you in Manchester." So he recognized each
of these visitors as soon as he laid eyes on them, and they told me
afterward," Why I only met him casually once with a party of peo-
ple." This power of recognition was remarkable. I asked him
afterwards whether he had lost the power. He answered : " No, I
have not lost the power. If I fix my mind on a person I never for-
get him, but I see so many that I don't always do it."

I can illustrate an instance of his memory of persons. During
one of the times he was staying in Philadelphia we were walking
down Chestnut Street together, and in front of a large jeweller's
establishment a lady came out of a store and was entering her car-
riage. General Grant walked up to her, shook hands with her and
put her in the carriage. " General, did you know that lady?"
"Oh yes," he replied; "I know her." "Where did you see her?"
" I saw her a good many years ago out in Ohio and at boarding-
school. She was one of the girls there." " Did you never see her
before or since? " He said " No." The lady was the daughter of
a very prominent Ohio man. Judge Jcwett, and the next time she
saw me she said : " I suppo.sc you told General Grant who I was."
I said I did not. " Why that is very remarkable," she answered in
a surprised tone ; " I was only one of two or three hundred girls,
and I only saw him at school. I have never seen him since."

CONFIDENCE AND FRIENDSHIP.

I need hardly say he sometimes placed his confidence in those
who did not appreciate it. The man who was, perhaps, nearer to
him than any one in his Cabinet was Hamilton Fish. He had the
greatest regard for the latter's judgment. It was more than friend-
ship, it was genuine affection between them, and General Grant
always appreciated Mr. Fish's staying in his Cabinet. Mr. Fish, if
he had been governed by his own feelings, would have left the
Cabinet, but he remained purely as a matter of kindness and friend-
ship to Grant, which Grant always appreciated.

Apropos of the Indian matter he told me that as a young lieuten-
ant he had been thrown among the Indians, and had seen the un-
just treatment they had received at the hands of the white men.

826

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

I •:: !

He then made up his mind if he ever had any influence or power it
should be exercised to try to amehorate their condition, and the
Indian Ci.'^nniission was his idea. He wished to appoint the very
best men in the United States. He selected William E. Dodge,
Felix Bruno, of Pittsburg, Colonel Robert Conklin, of St. Louis,
and George H. Stuart, of Philadelphia. They were a portion of the
Indian Commission which he always endeavored to establish, and
they always could count upon him in aiding them in every possible
way. He took that great interest always and never lost that inter-
est. Even to his last moments he watched the progress of the
matter, but it was a very difficult matter to handle at any time, and
then especially as there was a great Indian ring to break up.

He was of a very kindly nature, generous to a fault. I would
often remonstrate with him and say: "General, you can't afford to
do this," and I would try to keep people away from him. In the
case of one subscription, when they wanted him to contribute to a
certain matter which I did not think he was able to do, I wouldn't
let them go near him. Some injudicious person went there and he
subscribed a thousand dollars.

General Grant always felt that he was badly treated by Halleck,
but he rarely ever spoke unkindly of any one. In fact, I could
hardly say he spoke unkindly, but he did feel that he was not fairly
treated by I lalleck. During one of my last visits to him he showed
me his army orders, which he had kept in books. He had a copy
of everything he ever did or said in regard to army matters. He
was very careful about that, as he had written all the orders with
his own hand. He pointed to one of this large series of books and
said that it was fortunate that he had kept these things, because
several of the orders could not be found on any record at the War
Department. But during my long friendship I never heard him
more than two or three times .speak unkindly of Halleck, although
he was very unjustly treated by him — a fact which I think will be
borne out by the records. I told him of something that occurred
to me in connection with one of the parties in charge of the
records at Washington. He had been a .strong friend of Halleck,
and prejudiced against General Grant in the office where all these
things passed through his hands. But, after twenty years of ex-
amination, he said that there was not a line relating to Grant that
did not elevate him in the minds of thinking people.

' LIFE AT LONG BRANCH.

It was through me that General Grant first came to Long Branch.
He always enjoyed being here. He was totaPv unspoiled by all the
honors conferred upon him. He was, simple, unaffected, and at-
tached all the people to him. He drove out twice a day, and knew

MEMORIES OP GRANT.

827

every by-way within twenty miles. It was his habit to drive out every
morning after breakfast for a long distance, and then he would come
home and read the papers or any books he might have in hand.
Me was very careful in answering his correspondence. Most of his
letters were begging letters of some kind or other, and I remember
an incident showing his justness and tenderness of heart. Once
he had two cases of petition. He said, " I did a thing to-day that
gave me great pleasure. There was a poor Irish woman who had a
boy in the army that came down from New York and had spent all
her money. She had lost several boys, and this one she wished to
get out of the service to help support her. I gave her an order
and was very glad to do it." In contrast to that, there was a lady of
i. very distinguished family of New York, who came here and
wanted me to remove her son from Texas. He was an officer in
the army, and I told her I could not do that. My rich petitioner
then said, 'Well, could you not remove his regiment?' at which,
you can guess, I could hardly help laughing in her face." Grant
didn't hesitate a moment to refuse a rich woman s unreasonable
request, but it gave him pleasure to grant the petition of a poor
Irish woman.

He was very kind to the poor, and, in fact, to everybody, espe-
cially to widoA's and children of army officers. He gave the names
of quite a number of army officers' sons for appointment in the
navy or army. He said, " 1 am glad to have those. I like to
appoint army and navy men's children, because they have no po-
litical influence." One-tenth of his appointments were the children
of deceased officers, young men without influence, to get into West
Point. There never was an army man. Confederate or Union, who
was not a friend of General Grant. He never excited the jealousy
or enmity of these people, he was so just. When he was mistaken
there was no man more ready to acknowledge a mistake. He
showed a great tenacity in sticking to friends longer than he ought
to have dono. When I spoke to him about this he would answer,
" Well, if I believed all I hear, I would believe everybody was bad."
He had some good men around him as well as bad, Hamilton Fish,
for instance. General Grant would say there was nobody who came
in contact with him but that he was traduced, and secondly he very
often had to depend upon his own judgment in the matter. One of
his expressions was, " Never desert a friend under fire."

AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD.

General Grant rarely alluded to those who had abused hi* con-
fidence, even to his most intimate friends. No matter how much
a man had injured him, he was wont to say that he felt to the end

82S

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GKANT.

I ;

whnt he might have felt in the outset. If any man ever died at
peace witli all the world, why he did.

Grant had the greatest admiration for Joseph Johnston, and
Johnston for him ; and when it was proposed to bring up the re-
tiring bill, Johnston was to take the initiative in the matter. The
passage of that bill gave great gratification to the General. I hap-
pened to be with him on the 3d of March, and was talking with
hini, and said : " G>.'neral, that bill of yours will pass to-day."
" Well, Childs," he said. " you know that during the last day of a
session c\erything is in a turmoil. Such a thing cannot be possi-
bly be passed." ^"Well," I said, "Mr. Randall assured me that
that thing would be pas.sed." Me answered : " If anybody in the
world could piss that bill I think Mr. Randall could. But I don't
think it is at all likely, and I have given up all expectation." While
I was talking (that was about 1 1 30 A. M.) I got a telegram from
Mr, A. J. Dre.xel, saying the bill had passed, and the General seemed
exceedingly gratified. I remarked, " General, the part that some of
the men took in that matter was not ju.stified." " Oh, perhaps they
thought they were right. I have no feeling at all ; I am only grate-
ful that the thing has been passed," he answered. Mrs. Grant came in
and I said, "Mrs. Grant we have got good news the bill is passed."
She cried out, " Hurrah ! our old comniander isback " In answer
to a remark that it would be v<My good if it could be dated from the
time of going out. he said, "Oh, no; the law is to date from the
time one accepts. In the early part of the war I saw in the newspa-
pers that I was appointed to a higher rank, and I wrote on at once
and accepted on the strength of the newspaper report. In about
two months' time, through red tape, I got my appointment, but I
got my pay from the time I wrote accepting the newspaper an-
nouncement, and I .saved a month's pay by that."

As to Fitz-John Porter, I spokj to him during the early stages
of it at a time when his mind had been prejudiced by some around
him, and he was very busy. Afterwards, when he looked into the
matter, he said he was only sorry that he had so long delayed going
at the examination as he ought to have done. He felt that if ever a
man had been treated badly Porter was. He had examined the
case most carefully, gone over every detail, and he was perfectly
well satisfied that Porter was right. He wanted to do everything in
his power to have him righted, and his only regret was that he should
have neglected so long and have allowed him to rest under injustice.

THE PORTER CASE.

There are few men that would take a back track as General Grant
did so publicly, so determinedly and so consistently right through.
I had several talks with him, and he was continually reiterating his

MCMoiauij oi" (j::ANr.

829

regrets tliat he had not done justice to I'orter when he had the
opportunity. lie never ceased to the d.iy of his ileath from his
right to speak and write in favor of I'orter. lie ran counter to a
great many of his political friends in this matter, but his mind was
absolutely clear. Not one man in a thousand would go back on
his record in such a matter, especially when he was not in accorti
with the Grand Army or his strong political friend-s. Grant went
into the matter most carefully, and his publications show how
thoroughly he examined the subject, but he n.ver wavered after
his mind was fixed. Then he set to work to repair the injury done
to Porter. If Grant had had time to examine it while he was presi-
<lent he would have carried it through. That was his great regret.
He felt that wiiile he had powei* he could have passed it and ought
to have done it. When Cirant took pains and time to look into
the matter no amount of personal feeling or friendship for others
would keep him from doin^J the right thing. lie could not be
swerved from the right.

Another great trait of his character was his purity in every way.
I never heard him express or make an indelicate allusion in any way
or shape. There is nothing I ever heard that man say that could
not be repeated in the presence of women. If a man was brought
up for an appointment, and it was shown that he was an immoral
man, he would not appoint him, no matter how great the pressure
brought to bear upon him.

General Grant would sit in my library with four or five others talk-
ing freely and doing perhaps two-thirds of the talking. Let a
stranger enter whom he did not know, and he would say nothing
more during that evening. That was one peculiarity of his.
He wouldn't talk to people unless he understood them. At a dinner
party with a certain set that he knew all well he would lead in the
conversation but any alien or novel element would seal his tongue.
This great shyness or reticence sometimes, perhaps, made him
misunderstood.

George W. Guilds.

Colonel A. K. McClurc, the distinguished and talented editor of
the Philadelphia Tiinis, writes as follows, under the heading —
" Grant and the Electoral Commission."

" Mr. Childs was probably the most intimate personal friend
General Grant had during the last ten or fifteen years of his life,
and it is known that in grave political complications, Mr. Childs
was often privately and unreservedly consulted by the General.

" In Mr. Childs' recollections of General Grant, given over his
own signature, he throws some new light on Grant's view of the

830

LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT.

i!H!l:i

'''I

Presidential contest of 1876. He recites a conversation between
General Grant and several leading Republicans, who declared that
Hayes was elected, to which Grant answered — ' Gentlemen, it looks
to me as if Mr. Tilden was elected.' This was on the ' morning of
the momentous day,' as Mr. Childs states it. To this General
Grant added — " I would sooner have Tilden than that the Republi-
cans should have a President who could be stigmatized as a fraud.'

" Mr. Childs might have given another conversation of General
Grant's on the subject in corroboration of the view he presents.
Just before Grant started on his journey around the world, the
writer hereof heard him discuss the same question in Mr. Childs'
presence. General Grant reviewed the contest for the creation of
the Electoral Commission and the contest before and in the Com-
mission, very fully and with great candor, and the chief significance
of his view was in the fact, as he stated it, that he expected from
the beginning until the final judgment, that the Electoral vote of
Louisiana would be awarded to Tilden. He spoke of South Caro-
lina and Oregon as justly belonging to Hayes; of Florida as reason-
ably doubtful, and of Louisiana as for Tilden.

" In point of fact, General Grant doubtless influenced Congress
to create the Electoral Commission, and he did it believing that the
certificate of election would be given to Tilden. He did not urge
the Electoral Commission because he desired Tilden's election, but
because he desired a fair adjudication of the dispute, and he did not
conceal his conviction that such an adjudication would make Tilden
President. Being President, however, and sworn to execute the
laws, had there been revolutionary action to inaugurate Tilden after
the final judgment of the law by the Electoral Commission, to
whose arbitrament both sides had appealed, he would have sternly
suppressed it. He would have maintained the right of Hayes to
the office with exactly the same earnestness of purpose that he
would have maintained the right of Tilden to the Presidency, had
the decision been in his favor.'*

1 between
lared that
n, it looks
lOrning of
s General

Republi-
s a fraud,'
f General

presents,
r'orld, the
r. Childs'
"eation of
:he Com-
jnificance
cted from
il vote of
nth Caro-
ls reason-

Congress
Z that the

not urge
ction, but
e did not
ke Tilden
:cute the
Iden after
ission, to
^e sternly
Hayes to

that he
jncy, had