The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-17
The Dinner al Gen. Battles Fought
Over Again.

Over Again.
A Washington special of the 10th to the New
York Herald says:
Gen. Grant has insugureted the season in Wash.
iDgton after q very social and agreeable fashion
Friday evening he came down 10 his usual quiet
and uDpretendiDg manner TO Wizards Hotel aud
invited two prominent gentlemen from New York
Mr.. Moses Il. Grinnell and Mr.. K. NJ. Blatchford
to dine with him the following evening. He found
Mr.. Grinnell absent from bis room, but Mr.. Batch
ford, with whom he was unacquanted, happening
to be present both entered into conversation
until Mr.. Grinnell made his appearance, when the
talk became more familiar and discursive
The general talked freely upon a variety of
subjects Reconstruction, the state of the
country, the prospects before it, and ended by
asking both his hearers, who were delighted, fully
impressed by the ease and charm of his unre-
strained conversation, to meet him at dinner the
next evening. The dinner was an eminently social
and attractive Affair." Sixteen persons were
present, including General and Mrs. Grant, Moses
Grinnell, b. M. Blatchford, Henry d. Cooke and
lady. Congressman Clarke and lady, Columbus
Delano and lady and General Wickham, Exon
federate general.
Dinner over, the gentlemen retired to the libra
~ to smoke and talk. The conversation soon
turned upon military matters, suggested by
question of Gen. Wickham to Gen. Grant, as to
whether the latter took part in the battle of Palo
Alto, in Mexico. Grant responded that il was his
lot to be there in all the other battles of the
Alto engagement, and then both engaged in com.
pairing notes about Scott's successful campaign,
lighting each battle over again TO the extreme de-
light of the small audience around them. Gen.
Grant retired few moments from the room, and
in that interval Gen. Wickham suggested that one
Of Il e party ask Grant on his return something
about the famous campaign in the Wilderness so
that both military men might enter on familiar
ground again.
Gen. WIckhsm, having commanded sn important
division in Lees army and being thoroughly &C.
qusinted with the points against which Grant
hurled his legions, the conversation assumed a
deeply interesting character, especially as Gen.
Grant entered with more than his accustomed
vigor Of description into the details of his great
movement against Richmond. The dialogue TO
those around could not have possibly been di.
rected into a more absorbing channel ana it is
needless TO say 1t was listened to throughout with
the liveliest sttention. When the story reached
Appomstox Court House, both generals shook
hands and expressed a cordial hope that a time
woold soon arrive when the soldiers of either
army would meet in the same spirit of harmonious
and frsternal feeling.
Mrs Grant presided at the table with all her
quiet womanly grace, while Moses Grnnell en-
gagged her attention with many humorous saes
about her prospective management Of the White
House. He wished to impress upon her the essen
tial necessity of providing good cook and stew
ard for the executive mansion, as they bear the
same relative Importance to well conducted
residence first class captain and mate did to a
enlp. Inc QluDtT Idlk WAS I'LL Oh u ugQL and
che erful character, and seems to be remembered
with peculiar pleasure by those who were there.
HELEN WESTERNS TREATMESr.-The agent Of
Helen Western says, In a communication lust pub
lisbed: "The landlord of the Kirkwood House.
10 Washington, insisted on Miss Western being
removed TO another room, stating TO me that /
had given notice of intention of leaving the pre-.
vious night, which was deliberate falsehood.
resisted all in my power, telling him that she was
too sick TO be moved. and, if he insisted he might
have her death on his hands. 1t was of no use,
and he sent his servants up TO do his bidding. BE
sent for policemen when threatened to resist any
attempt TO enter her room. Then, and not till
then, / consented. After the removal she was
taken with bysteris, and. having taken a severe
cold during the transfer from one room to the
other, congestion Of the bowels was the result,
and in two days exactly bresthed her last passing
away SO gently that it was impossible for me to
tell the precise moment when the breath left her
body. She was in possession of her senses, and
conyersed with me only about twenty minutes
before death ensued. She had no idea that she
was so near her end"