Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-06-26
NO. IA.
Grant and Washburne.


Mr.. Townsend thus chattily tells in
one of his Washington letters &c the
Cleveland Leader all about the well
known intimacy and friendship exis-
ting between Hop. a. B. Washburne
and General Grant:
Recently I met Mr.. Elihu B. Wash
bUrne ara his brother, the General
Y on are acquainted with their faces,
earness energetic, clear headed, posi-
tive men, with large frames. They
began in Maiue, where many Wash
burnes live at present. They have
arisen to 3 large extent independently
of each other, aud by no means agree
In small issues. ElihU b. Washburne
has been a consistent, kindly, and ad-
miriRE friend of Gen. Grant. He has
been accused of taking no hotlce of
Grant In Galena, but Grant was a new
conner there, and Wsshburne was
away from home iR Congress three
fourths of a year. Grants father sent
for his son not long before the war, and
offered him eight hundred dollars
year 70 take charge of his leather and
hide business. Grant went to work,
made few acquaintainees, and was one
When the war began, Washburne stir
red himself to raise a company in Gal
ena, and as it was known TO a few that
Grant had been a captain in the army,
he was looked to a. tne proper man to
be chairman. mr. Washburne des-
crib~t 10 me this working, com
Ilfo'dv urcs sod ma':. wIJhat o Il, faded
dr 2 o g. ak upon lu& noUldcls
Iuuuuriu, iu he hc. cl o.. the 6i|N.t'
House aud -Ia tug ne otjcos ri the
meeting. \Fhcn 'hL cvmDslty M,>
raised Grant vas found e. ue perfect
iu all The details of eqUlpplng 1t from
boots to buttons, Washburne, Grant
and the rest took the company down to
Springfield. There with scanty means
paying three dollars day for board,
Grant waited the disorganized process
of the State authorities, with Dick
Yates at the head Of the State. FL
nally Grant said to Wash burne.
''I can do nothing here / ana run /
ming short l shall &c home and go to
work,
Hold on n ss45 Washburne. At
last Grant was placed In the Adjutant
Generals Department, and by happy
luck was ere day placed at the head Of
a regiment afflicted with a drunken
Col0uel. So began the fame which
has gone round the world.
Washburne's relations with Grant
arc nothing more than those between
two friends who believe in each other.
Washburne finds IN Grant latent abil-
tiles developing every day, powers
coming out of his mOdesty like a bee s
nest ia a violet bed. He has no aid
whatever in writing any Of his letters
or battle bulletins. The celebrated
dispatch, II will fight it out on this
line ifit takes all summer" was brought
from Spottsylvania to Washington in
Mr.. Washburne's pocket. He said to
Grant as he quilted the field:
General have you any message to
send up to the War Department. - L
guess not!" said Grant [ think it
would be well, returned Washburne,
If you sent some little word up tc the
people" Very well. = a..
General Grant sat ,fo%n In the tent,
and az quick ~ rs Ae could 'transcribe,
and without raadf6g he message over,
gave it to Washburne, sealed The
latter came to Belle Plain, took boat,
laEael at fhe Navy Yard, rode IN
horse car to the War Department,
where he found everybody blue and
doubtful, and delivered the letter to
Stanton. That simple bulletin thrill
ed the country aud went into the epI-
gramlnatic literature Of mankind
So with General Grants letter, re-
spOnsive to his nomination at Chicago.
People were saying among themselves:
Somebody ought to give Grant advice
about that letter. He might put his
foot in it. That letter is vital, -
he'll do it up right"
And without labor, spontaneously,
clerically Grant wrote the letter,
which is more to the point and more
electrical than any mere platform in
the history of politicians.
Washburne's regard for Grant is
not that of father, nor close as a
brothers it is the same admiration,
only better Informed, that the country
has of the General -in-ChieF He ad-
mires Grants simplicity, introspection,
sincerity, and capacity for every new
occasion.
Mr.. Washburne himself is a strictly
honest man, ezaoting honesty, a safe
counselor, a hater of'thieVes aud pub
lie plunderers, and his fadicalism Is
not mere i5ealismi 1t is practical, ma
tional, long tested, safe, Gen. Grant
wants friends of this class; he must,
as he will, make his upright nature
felt upon the harpies who cannot live
by themselves, but want the govern
ment supplied with a convenient pock-
ct to dlch their victuals from.