The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15
rHouGHrFUL FRIENDS.
The Two Persons who saved General
Grant from Absolute bankruptcy.
w

Grant from Absolute bankruptcy.
New York Mali and Express
General Grant and all the members OF bis
family have been-as might have been ex-
Bectsd-very reticent as TO the privations
and anxieties they have suffered since the
failure of Grant < Ward. But the facts
communicated TO old friends IN confidence
have been gradually coming TO the public
without any intentional betrayal of trust
anywhere. So much, however, is known,
that il occurred 20 the writer of the CON-
municatis herewith published that con.
nected and careful account Of General
Grants pecuniary straits would be more sat
isfactory to the people, and would give
juster view Of his situation aud of his trials
and conduct than the more or less exsgger-
sted stories that are ahoat. The communi-
cation which follows was written by one
whose relations with the Grants hs7e been
ard sre such as 10 insure the most intimate
knowledge OF the interesting facts stated.
or course the writer prepared aud furnished
this communication without the
knowledge OF any member OF the
Grant family, and without any
solicitation OF the part of any one connected
with the Mail and Express. But so inter
esting 2 story will speak for itself. Here 1t
is:
-Four days after the failure OF Grant &
Ward a Mr. Charles Wood. of Lancing burg,
n. Y, wrote II General Grant, whom ne had
never seen, offering to lend HIM $1,000 for
Twelve months without interest, WITH option
of renewal at the SO me rate. be lnclOsed q
check for $500 on account of my share due
for services encing about April. 1860 -
AT this time General Grant had absolute
II no money for current expenses. Eve-v-
thing ne owned in the world bad been IL
vested or deposited with Grant e Ward.
About SSOin his pocketbook aud $3.50 IN
cash belonging 10 Mrs. Grant was what ne
l.. - t~v-u ~, hoA naov N
vested in Wabash securities and he company
at this juncture defaulted payment. VIII ie
the guarantors, the E. d. Morgan IS
tate, could not pay until the company j Id
defaUlted for six months General Grant &C
ceptsd the timely otter OF Mr.. Wood very
gratefully.
About the same time Mr.. Romero, the
Mexican Minister came to General Grant,
and also insisted on aiding him with a loan
of s., goo. The General declined at first TO
re celve the money, bat Mr.. Romreo left the
rCOm abruptly, placing the amount on the
table. But for these tSo acts OF friendship,
one from man whom General Grant had
never seen, the other from a gentleman by
no means wealthy, the distress OF the General
would have been actual. The checks which
| bad been paid out few days before the
| failure were OF course not met, the payne eat
! on May ! on the trust fund was swallowed
up by Ward. and there was absolutely for 8
/ time no OtDer resource.
/ Mrs. Grant however, had little house IN
WASHINGTON which she had bought some
years before for s. 500, and she was able to
| sell this in few weeks for So 800. A check
was at once sent 10 Mr.. Romero for the debt
to him. the outstanding checks on Grant K
| Ward for personal or family expenses were
paid, and 8 little was left for living during
the summer. The Sons had all been ruined
by the failure absolutely the father,
| and two OF them with their families were
obliged for time To live with him.
In this emergency the General was asked
to write couple of articles for the Century
| Magazine. lie vas offered 81 coo for the
| two. and consented TO try his hand at itera-
ture. The articles were written and the
! payment made. and about Christmas the
General was able 10 pay OFT the pecunisry
| ndebtedness 70 his friend, Mr.. Wood. with
whom be is still personally unscqusin ted.
! The occupation OF writing interested him
the story of his old campaigns distracted him
frc IN the thoughts of his Wall street troubles
| he continued to write, and finally decided
TO compile his military memoirs. The first
volume of these is complete and the second
nearly so. The work gives details of his
early history not previously known, and =
graphic picture of life in Ohio before 1899
when he went to West Point. His account
of the Mexican war is also extremely inter
estiDg, IS be was in every battle except
Buena Vista, under both Scott and Taylor
The narrative OF those campaigns, as seen bv
Lieutenant who afterwards became Il
foremost soldier Of his time is said by thost
who have seen il to be fascinating even e.
unmiitary readers, while the sketches of the
great Generls in both Northern and Southern
armies whom he knew as subalterns is some
thing the like OF which has never been writ
ten by such an author In all history"