The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-04-25
GRANT s DRUNKENNESS.
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 7.


"Grant for President Could the
negro'worshipping fanatics, who clamor
so loudly for the accidentally manuiac>
tured Jupiter who commands our armies.
10 be chosen Chief Magistrate of the ma
ton, have as clear aud positive know
edge of the habits character and ability
of the man as has the writer hereof, it is
doubtful if many would be so louG in
their laudations of his supposed virtues,
his exaggerated bravery, his question:
ble wisdom, or his overlauded herosm
1t has been my privilege to know Gen.
eral Graut intimately since he first took
command of the forces in the Missssip.
pi Valley, when he made his hcudquar>
ters at Cairo and what | am about to
state of him, his habits, character and
conduct, | snail suEstantiate by the
statements OF gentlemen well known in
this city. and whose word will not be
disputed, if they may be asked whether
my statement may be true or false. Not
only will all write be coroboratcd by
the persons shall name, Radicals
though they nay be, but scores of the
most respectable citizens OF Cairo will
respond most uncquivocaliy to the accu-
racy of my allegations.
That sobriety was the exception and
not the rule Of General Grants conduct
while at Cairo, is fact too well known
to need confirmation but individual
instances of bcastly drunkenness are not
of rare occurrence. | will mention two
or three which fell under my own per.
sonal knowledge, and which l aaI ready
to verify on call.
On the Sth day Of November, 1861,
the steamer Alec. Scott started from
Cairo on trip to Columbus, KY, car
rying a flag OF truce, and Gen. Grant,
his staff, and few other army officers,
the newspaper correspondents, and some
Invited guests. When the boat reached
her destination oevy of rebel officers
came aboard. among them we've Gen
Cheatham, Gen. Pillow, Col Rusk, and
a general from Arkansas, whose name |
do not remember, when general drunk
commenced, which was kept up until
late in the night after the hag of truce
had separated, and the Scott had return
ed to Cairo. When the boat reached
the wharf at Cairo. Gen. Grant was in
such a beastly state Of intoxication that
it was deemed imprudent to take him to
his headquarters, over the City Bank,
where his wife was awaiting him, and
he was escorted and assisted to the st
Charles hotel, where he remained dur.
ing the night.
! When he arrived at the hotel, it was
found that he was so drunk that consid
erablc assistance was needed to enable
him to reach room on the second floor,
and Capt. r. b Hatch, Post Quarter
master, and Robert Forsyth, general
freight agent OF the Illinois Central r.
r., one upon either side, aud each with
a shoulder under the Generals arm pit,
hoistcd him up stairs to Captain Hatch's
room. A hundred persons witnessed
this scene, aud loud and many were tn,
expressions uttered o. censuIe aud of
disgust at the spectacle. About twelve
o'clock that night Grant got musical,
and an orderly was dispatched for the
brigade band to comc and serenade him
The band soon put in an appearance
and were about to commence playing
when Mr.. Bedard aud Mr.. Lansden
the propretors of the hotel, attempted
to stop them but, on word being taken
to Gen. Grant, of the obstruction to the
, music, he, with drunken and ploiane
indecency, declared that he was com
mander at that post, and he would have
the band play when aud where he de
E sired. So the band proceeded to thC
; hall outside the room where the Genera
was rollicking in his drunkenness, anc
for half tour played TO drown the up
roar OF the hell within.
A month later to a day, the same
steamer was the scene of another gor
geous drunk, upon another occasion of
" flag Of truce" visit 10 Columbus
when Grant became so wretctedll
f drunk that his friends Eut him to bed
. and kept the boat in the river until b,
o became sober enough to be taken home
But of his most disastrous spree =
= that at Fort DonelsOn-I shall no
i speak until another time. Ifpossiblo t
= induce the Chicago Tribune to tell th
5 truth, | would be glad to have Governo
Bross relate what he saw and what h
saw and what he said of the scene whe
, General Grant landed from his flag Q
l. truce visit to Columbus, just after tn
g battle of Belmont, when he (GranD wa
so drunk that he fell half dozen time
in going up the levee from the wharf
:, boat, and the united efforts Of Captain
C IIillyer and Lagow were insufficient
., keep him on his pins.
9 SIX 's-pOetS-painters- ers-