New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-13
Democratic Falseho0ds About Lieutenant
Fred ID. Grant.
The New Orleans Times Of yesterday
morning contained the following:


The New Orleans Times of yesterday
morning contained the following:
When it was discovered after the massa-
ere on the Little Horn that Lieutenant
Fred Grant, an officer of the Seventh Cav
airy, which had been engaged in that
bloody fight was not among the survivors.
the country was paralyzed with dread. 1t
was, therefore, with feelings little short OF
rejoicing that it received the intelligence Of
his having been subsequently found quite
safe in the executive mansion st Washing
ton. Three of his classmates were killed
10y the Indian bullets, but the lieutenant is
said TO receive the fact of their death as a
complete demonstration of the efficiency OF
the improved arms furnished to the merci.
fui red man by the peace commission. The
Chief subject OF annoyance to Mr.. Grant is
that his fathers services during the late
war do not protect him from the licentious
attacks Of the independent press.
This paragraph is particularly untrue, in
this, that Lieutenant Grant is not an officer
Of the Seventh Cavalry, and never was.
The ST. Louis Republican publishes this:
Yesterday the President sent to the SEN
ate. among other promotions, owing to the
Custer disaster, the name of his son, to be
promoted from second lieutenant to a
first lieutenant of the Fourth Cavalry.
This is clear breach of army graduation,
as will be seen when it is known that there
are thirty odd second ieutenants OF cav
airy who were commissioned such prior to
Fred's appointment in 1871. Furthermore,
q large majority of them are graduates of
West Point. There are also eight or ten
second lieutenants who were appointed at
the same time Fred was.
And the Chicago Times has this:
Grant intends to help his boy Fred along
by easy stages, SO that when he comes to
retire from the presidential office his boy
will be in g position where Mr.. Tilden can
do him no harm. Promotion in the army is
at present very slow. There are plenty of
second lieutenants in the service who have
been in the same position for at least eight
or ten years. The appointment of Fred
Grant upon the staff OF General Sheridan
gave him the rank and pay Of lieutenant
colonel; but this, of course, only lasts so
long as he is upon the staff. To guard
against his ever being reduced to the grade
Of second lieutenant, Grant intends to
quietly promote him. To-day he nOmi.
mated him for first ieutenancy in his regi-
ment, the Fourth Cavalry, and before the
next fourth Of March Fred will De made
captain or lieutenant colonel. as his gallant
services at the White House may best
until this wicked Indian war is over.
Vacancies in the Fourth Cavalry have no
connection with the Custer disaster. The
Fourth Cava!ry-Mackenzie' oL duty
in the Indian Territory. thousands Of miles
away from the Black Hills and the Sioux
Mckinney and Fred D. Grant have stood
at the head Of the list of second lieutenanls
of that regiment. Both graduated together
at West Point in the class of 1871; they
were assigned to duty at even date. On
the promotion of Captain Mclaughlin to
be major of the Tenth Regiment, some
weeks ago, Mckinney became a first lieu
tenant. Quite recently, First Lieutenant
Robert G. Custer, on his own request,
made more than six months ago, was placed
on the retired list. This left vacancy to
which Grant was lawfully and justly en-
titled. by virtue Of his seniority in the
grade. The writer of the above paragraph
knows that according 20 law all promotions
are made by seniority; that in some regi-
ments promotions are more rapid than in
others, and that Grant will have TO reach
up to the head Of the list Of first lieu
tenants before he can reach q captaincy.
1t is known to be inconsistent with Dem
ocratic policy to tell the truth, especially
when the President is concerned. Such
statements as are made above can not be
the result of ignorance and can only be &C.
counted for as q part of the Democratic
system of slander and Misrepresentation.