The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-04-04
GRANT AND A CHILD.

GRANT AND A CHILD.
| An Army Surgeons "Reminiscences of the
| Days of Appomattox.
| PhH0deiphiG Times.
cat the surrender Of Lee" said sur
geon of this city in the hearing of Dis
patch reporter a day or two ago, Il was
serving as medical director of the Second
Division of the Twenty ifth Army Corps
After the surrender the division was or
dered to join the balance of the corps
near Petersburg, and We left Appomattox
Court House on the 18th of April, follow
ing the South Side railroad. The gener-
al commanding directed me to take an
orderly and proceed to Prospect station,
and there select camping ground for the
division and also a place to pitch our
headquarter tents. l proceeded as di-
rected, and after selecting Il suitable
camping ground crossed the fields to a
large white house near the station. AS
rode up to the gate a most venerable and
noble-looking gentleman, of probably Go
years, came to the front gate, and | ask
ed him if he would have any objection to
our pitching headquarters in his yard.
He said: L should be very glad to have
you do it, as it will be protection against
the vandalism Of the stragglers of the
army He asked me to come in. but
told him | would prefer seat in the yer
anda. Finding him to be Methodist
minister and most polished gentleman,
| became interested in him and we at
once began to discuss the unfortunate
division Of the Church in 1914, aud then
switched off on the war.
''He took the extreme Southern view,
whilst | took as extreme Il view of the
other side, but the discussion was friend.
ly and exceedingly pleasant to me. /
found that he really felt that the South
had been badly treated in the election Of
Lincoln, and that secession was in his
view an act of self-preseryation. After
the discussion had continued Tor about
an hour he said: 4 take it that the war
is now oyer, SO what will your Govern
ment do with General Leo and added,
4 suppose Mr.. Lincoln will follow him
with all the vindietiveness Of his nature.
81 replied: If he gets no punishment
only that which originates from the vim
Il ,E ! L., -
not kill him, as Mr.. Lincoln is one of the
kiudest- hearted men born into this world.
He gave me LOOK full Of skepticism and
asked me what meant. l told him that
there was much more danger of Mr.. Lin
coin offending the North by his leniency
than to punish out Of revenge and then
told him who and what Mr.. Lincoln was.
dwelling especially on the merciCul side
of his nature. He replied: eff that is
Mr.. Lincoln, the President of the United
States, he is not the Lincoln described to
us by our papers. lie is not the man of
whom we have heard and OF whom we
have read. The Lincoln described to us
is man Of blood and full of venom. who
cares neither for the lives nor rights of
the people, and from whom we have no
mercy to expect. This is the demon
whom our people have been fighting these
| four years. After thus delivering him
| self he said in subdued tone: If you
have properly described Mr.. Lincoln to
me then | have been most shametully de-
ceived and have as shamefully miSjudged
him; but, said he, 4 was just as badly
| deceived in my view of General Grant.
| 81 asked him if he had ever seen Grant.
| Yes, said he, my house was full Of your
| generals last night. There was Sheridan
Humphreys, Meade, Custer, Ord and
quite number of others, and they were
lively set and full of fun, and all were
quite jolly with the exception of one Off
GER whom | noticed sitting in a corner
smoking and taking but little part in the
| sports in which the rest were engaged.
| They all went out of the house but this
| solitary, silent man, and as | was going
| out he asked me where the pump was, as
he would like to get drink. On Offer
ing to get him some water; lie said: No,
sir, | am younger than you, | will so my
self, and as passed out he came up be-
hind me. When in about the middle OF
the hall this little grand daughter came
running towards me, but the silent man
spreading out both arms caught her, tax
ing her up fairly smothered her with kis,
SEES, said: This reminds me of my little
glrl at home and makes me homesck.
To the question where is your home he
lily at City Point aud am anxious to get
back to them | said, will you permit
me to ask your name, sir?' Certainly:
my name is Grant Grant, exclaimed
|, General Grant p and | stood there awe
stricken and paralyzed with astonishment
whilst my heart went out after this man.
| thought to myself, here is man whose
name is now in the mouth of man, wo-
man and child throughout the civilized
world, and yet withal he exhibits no emo
ton and seems uuconcerncd and unmoy.
ed until the little child reminds him OF
his loved ones at hcme, aud | fairly broke
down, us General Grant had been pictul-
ed out to us as IA bloody butcher and ]
had looked for man looking as savage
as a Comanche Indian. TO say | was
agreeably disappointed when saw Grant
expresses my feelings but leebly, and
no" you give me another surprise by youI
description OF Mr.. Lincoln.' Just here
saw the head of the division advancing
! and bid him good evening""