The New York herald., 1877-11-16
Our Lady Claims an q.

y
the United States government has been a
faithful frequenter Of the lobbies and COM
mittee rooms Of the national Capitol. Her
form has grown as familiar in Washington
as is the figure of the reigning Miss Elite to
the people in the vicinity of the English
Court of Chancery. She is as persistent. as
untiring and as hopeful as the imaginary
English suitor. and is just as confident OF
the eventual allowance of her claim by Con-
gress as the other is of y final decision in
her favor by the Lord Chancellor. Our lady
claimant has as much reverence for the sacred
red-tapednesso Congress as the Miss Elites
have for the profundity and wiglomeration
of the great English Court, and if she is dis
appointed one session she is ready with her
formidable papers, her insinuating man
ners, her letters of introduction and her
arguments as soon as the next session
opens. Everybody treats her kindly. The
head Of the department into which she is
but civilly, and listens to her oft-told story,
even il he listens with certain irrepressible
marks of impatience. The Senator whose
eye catches her dreaded approach, but to
whom evasion is impossible, is always
pleased to see her; shall be delighted to
terrible pressure about the financial ques-
tion is out Of the way, and suggests visit
to the Congressman to whom some of her
letters are addressed. The Representative,
finding escape from the cloak room cut
off, looks despairingly at the tempting
side door through which he had hoped
to dodge, and then turns to greet
the we'll known visitor cheerfully, listens
to her opening sentences attentively, makes
o note to see the President or the Secretary
about her case without delay, pledges HIM
self to go right to work with the Speaker
and the members and hurries back to the
House, having, by some mysterious prop
erty Of acoustics, just heard his name being
called by the Clerk. Even the busy head
Of the Washington bureau Of the New York
daily journal finds time to say kind word
to the persevering lady claimant, accepts
her latest pamphlet and promises to forward
it at once to his chief at New York, who will
doubtless give it good notice in the paper
We wish she could get her rights-for, Of
course, her claim is q just one-and SO, for
the matter Of that, does everybody else.
But, unfortunately, in spite Of her persist
ency she is pushed aside session after ses-
sion, and the vacation finds her with her
thin purse grown still more consumptive
looking, but with gratifying addition to
her stock Of documents and letters, of which
she is justly proud.
One Of the present lady claimants of the
national Capitol is Miss Anna Ella Carroll,
Of Maryland and she prays for compensa-
ton for services rendered to the United
States during the late civil war. The nation
has been laboring under the delusion that
the campaign which commenced at Forts
Henry and Donelson and eliminated at
Vicksburg was planned as we'll as SO glori-
ously carried to success by General Grant.
Indeed, at the foot Of chapter Of Dana's
'Life Of Grant," appears the following
Norx-Tno conception Of the movement against
Forts Hepry and Doneson H. doubtless, duo to Grant,
soen the necessity OF thlg movement, soon
before Grant, there NO evidence that either Of them
SUGGESTED IL 10 nlm bau0aub dtstOryD
gives iull and clear exposition OF ali tho correspond
IN regard 10 this matter and shows clearly that
Il was Grants persistence alone which succeeded N
getting authority for the movement
But Miss Carroll proves by the evidence
of Lincoln, Ben Wade, Thomas A Scott and
others that she planned and suggested the
Tennessee campaign, and that to her stra-
tegic genius the capture OF Forts Henry and
Donelson and the fall of Vicksburg arc SUBJ
stantially due. Her documents are strong
and her letters enthusiastic-in .some in
stances gushingly SO. Although Miss Car
rolls story detracts somewhat from Grants
military fame the country has right to
recognize her high strategic services if it is
truthfully told. France had her Joan of
Arc, why should not the United States
have her Anna Ella Carroll, of Maryland,
"My Maryland?" We trust Congress will
give Miss Carroll's claim o generous con-
sideration. At all events she is entitled to
some recompense for literary services rem
dered under Lincoln's administration in
the Union cause, and the United States
should pay its just debts, even if the silver
lunatics and gamblers will insist on their
being liquidated in debased coinage.