The Portland daily press., 1869-03-10

GENERAL GRANT IN a. RAILROAD CAR.

y uANAnAL ofANI In a hAILhOAD CAH.
(From the Roxbury MASS. )Journall
Soon after General Grant was assigned to
the command of the armies of the United
States, and fortunately assigned himself to
the army of the Potomac, I had occasion to
visit Washington on some regimental bust
ness, My errand having been accomplished,
/ hastened to the place-depot it was not
from which the train started for our camps,
near the Rappahannock. There was great
crowd of soldiers there, and every car, with
flowing. - '7F
g Among the surging mass still outside, and
struggling to get in, noticed swarthy and
| disagreeable-look Virginian lady, giving
unmistakable evidence of her purpose to go
home on that train. She tried to get on to
| one platform, and then another, in vain. In
| deed, her look, manner and dress were not
such as to win consideration for her in any
ordinary crowd. sfl fr5sl
| The train was to start in less than a min
| ute, and the prospect that she, myself and q
/ few others were to be left behind, was be-
coming painfully brilliant just then a staff
| officer came out of the sedate-looking and un-
assailed car, and, star ding on the platform,
said to the woman and about twenty anxious
| officers: "This is special car for Gen. Grant,
but you are invited to come in, and be seated"
| I stepped upon the platform, quickly foloY-
I ed by the woman. Grant was inside, smok-
| ing as was his wont. As we entered he turn
| ed toward us, and, as it seemed to me, show
| ed little surprise, if not annoyance, at the
| female apparition. In truth, it was rather a
novel sight to see woman ON any of those
military trains running from Washington in
| the direction of Richmond. Without a mo-
ment's delay, however, Grant turned to the
| window at his right, raised it, flung out and
sacrificed two-thirds of his Designio on the
/ altar of politeness! Remember that this was
| his special car, that smoking was allowed on
| that and every other military road, thai
/ Grant was then practically "monarch OF all
| he surveyed and had right royal liking tor
a. good cigar, yet in this little incident the
gentleman spontaneously breaks out in the
4 conqueror. II s4
There may be men with more measured
step and studied manner and superficial i'm.
i pressiveness, but none was ever born with a
soul more nicely attuned to the delicacies of
social life than that of General Grant. ~
Our friend, as ! may now call her, took her
j seat near the front or southerly door, and the
General was seated in about the middle of
| the ear, both "faced to the rear" The way
stations were exceedingly numerous, and as
| the train hauled up at each. the General was
| noticed swinging himself around firmly but
| cautiously in his seat, to see 1t the woman
had gone out. But no; there she was every
time. It was hard on the General and hard
on us. Our pockets were as full of cigars as
his, and where is the smoker who does NOT
appreciate Spanish blast of consolation
amid the jars and dangers of trip by rail
The Generals politeness was inexorable
oars was forced BY his example. At last the
agony came to an end. The fifth station was
reached, and, as Grant turned again, the VIC
man went out. He had match in one hand
and a fresh cigar in the other. The slam ol
the door and the crackle of his lucifer were
simultaneous, one the complement of the
other, and beth an invitation to join him in
whifing-our own cigars. o ~. ...t