Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-07-31
Grant In the West-IIIs Journey from
Cincinnati 10 LeaVenwOrth.

Cincinnati TO Leavenw0rth.
FROM letter in the Washington Otroni-
Gle, descriptive of General Grants trip TO
| the West, we extract as follows:
The steamer halted at Point Pleasant
| the birthplace Of General Grant, a quiet
little country village in Ohio, not far from
Cincinnati which will probably never
/ aspire to a greater distinction than II has
already attained, and If it doesn't increase
! rapidly in population, can answer its more
ambitious neighbOrs as the lion did the
! fox in the fable unuYn sed leo. Here the
General was given ume to find the house
| in which he was born, and which he had
never seen TO remember till then. This
property had long since passed out Of the
| ownership of Mr.. Grant, who removed to
Georgetown, Brown county, Ohio, when
| his son, Ulysses, was year old. The
| boat ran on up from here TO Ripley, Ohio,
where the coming Of General Grant had
| been anticipated unexpectedly, and pre-
| parations made to give him rousing re-
1 ception. Itw night when he arrived.
Rockets were flying, cannon firing, bells
ringing, music playing, and the whole town
(some five or SIX thousand) appeared be
on the river-bank shouting vociferously.
| A committee of gentlemen came aboard,
and General Murphy delivered an address
of welcome. General Grart replied that
he was taking a little trip to visit the
old places where he had spent his
early days, and that he would be back
the next day, and would then be glad
TO meet his old friends in quiet way.
From here the boat ran up TO Maysville,
KY, where the General left it, arriving
about 10 o'clock the night of the I'd. He
was met by numerous old friends, and the
greater part of the night was spent in talk
ing over old times. Here he had gone to
school, and many old schoolmates chatted
freely with him of the sweetest of all boy
hood memories.
AT o'clock the next morning (the 3d),
the General, his son and General Dent
drove out into the country fourteen miles
to Mayslick, andbreakrasted with an uncle
| the brother of the Generals father. After
a short visit here they returned to Mays
vile arriving at 12 o'clock noon, having
stopped at Washington en- route, the Oldest
town in Kentucky, where Colonel Coggin
entertained them. A steamer passed soon
after, and the General returned to Ripley,
arriving about two o'clock, and was enter
tanned by his cousin, Mr.. Hudson, who
had invited a number of old friends to
meet his guest. The olden times were
discussed, and few hours spent in delight
.ful companionship. The General visited
the old schoolhouse where he received
some of his early training, and the old
market house, where 1t is not improbable
hisambition to achieve victories at marbles
made him an occasional truant at school.
He was reminded by old school fellows of
many funny jokes and pranks they had
played off together on their fellows. While
M Of
and Maysville, KY, his father lived at
Georgetown, Ohio, not far distant. 1t
was from Georgetown he was sent to
West Point. His father applied to Senator
Morris, of Ohio, who referred the appli-
cation to Representative Hamar, who Sc
cured the appointment. The same person
was afterward General Hamar in the
Mexican war, and his PrOtege, Lieutenant
Grant, had the melancholy satisfaction of
attending his dying bed and ministering
to him when mortally sick of fever in
Mexico.
At Ripley, Ohio, carriages were rendered
the party, and several citizens Joined in
drive over to Georgetown, about twelve
miles distant, where they arrived at 8
o'clock the night of the Sd. Here the
General found himself in the midst of old
and endeared friends. Here he had lived
from the age of one year until he left for
West Point. The Fourth of July was
spent here most delightfully."-, visiting from
neighbor to neighbor, and reviving the
memories of the olden time. Friends went
by old familiar names Titles and stiff for
malities were wholly ignored. 1t was,
How are you, John?" "Why, Ulysses,
is this you? How in the world did you
find your way back hereg" Old men and
women greeted their former neighbor as
their son, and the greatest Joy pervaded
the people. No discrimination was made
by Democrats, and political differences
were unthought of, but all wed with each
other in extending good old-fashioned
welcome to their old friend and neighbor.
Some humorous scenes and dialogues oc-
Cured. Not few of the friends said
"Well, Ulysses, you know we are Demo
Gratis and always have been, but we are
mighty proud of our old townsman, and
we are afraid you have demOralized our
politics little; we reckon some of us will
have to vote for you"
On the night of the 4th, the General
drove to Bethel, Ohio, twelve miles from
Georgetown, where he stopped an hour
with Mr.. Morris, son of Senator Morris,
who had been instrumental in appointing
him to West Point Here, although the
hour was late, he was met by numerous old
friends who remembered him as u boy.
Old Mr.. Grant had moved here from
Georgetown after his son started to West
Point, and 1t was from here he moved to
Covington n few years since. From this
place the General drove the same night to
Batavia, twelve miles, where he spent the
Sabbath with his cousin, formerly Miss
Griffith, now Mrs. Judge Ashman. The
Sabbath was spent in eburch-going and
pleasant conversation with friends and re-
lations.
z In the drives from town to town the Gen
eral pointed out many old landmarks, and
several times, while driving in the night,
was called upon &c decide between differ.
ent roads, when others of the party were
unable to do so. A trait in his character
was here displayed which must have been
of incalculable service in managing large
armies. Years had flown since he had
seen or known anything about this coun-
try, and yet he seemed to remember dis.
tinctly every path and tree and their exact
location. OF course he was not driven,
but he held the reins in all these flying
trips from place to place, and naturally
enough-and because natural, is worth
mentioning-he always watered his own
horses and attended TO their hitching and
unhitching The country in Ohio and
Kentucky which he visited is lonely in the
extreme, and there seemed TO be genuine
enjoyment to the General in travelling
throughit You can imagine the zest with
which he entered into the pleasure of this
trip when you reflect that but day or two
before he was surrounded as none but
Washington City official is. From Bata.
via he drove over, on Monday morning
(the 6th), to the Little Miami depot, on the
Little Miami railroad, and in few hours
was back again with his family in Coving-
ton. If you will take the trouble to look
at the map, and follow the course have
marked, you will see that General Grant Is
as enterprising in his visiting as he is in his
fighting campaigns,
The party, again united, left Covington
the evening of the 9th, and coming over
the Ohio & Mississippi railroad, arrived at
ST. Louis July Z, in the afternoon. Tho
citizens of Covington got up a surprise