Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-08-28
GRANT AND THE EDITOR.
Alexander Sweet Tells How He Was |
Three Times ThWarted by the De-
ceased Soldier.

ander Sweet to his paper, The Texas
Slftings, the confederate regiment that
had the honor to claim me as high
private was stationed in northern
Texas. The federal armies never SER
iously invaded Texas until after the
surrender of Gen. Lee. During the
four years of tie war Texas was ex-
elnpt from invasion by hostile foe.
The regiment to which belonged was
stationed most of that time IN Texas.
Put these two items together and one
explains the other. The federal au-
thorities refused TO invade Texas as
loag as the SD Texas cavalry was IN
the state. I belonged to the SD. After
the war was over. and We had dis
banded, then the federal forces eccu-
pied Texas, but not before. We were
under fire every day, more or less
that is, camp fire, for we had to do
our own cooking. The confederacy
did not furnish US with cooks.
We were languishing In camp,
painting for feeman worthy of our
STEEL. The confederate farmers who
raised chickens. hogs, watermelonS,
etc, In the vicinity of our camp were
also anxious that we should meet the
hireling foe-that is, if we had to 60
away to meet him. They wanted
some of their chickens themselves In
fact. the depredatons made on their
live stock by the 33d Texas cavalry re-
suited in the DEVELOPMENT of a strong
union sentiment, which still exists in
that neighborhood.
nna lou ,rh;1a huSu rnIoli
a chicken. Lieut.. Viuton came to my
mess. He was smiling SO copiously
that I imagined he was going to sit
around until dinner was served up,
but prospects of fried chicks9 were
not uppermost in his thoughts, for he
said
"Alex, we're in luck. I've got good
news for you"
Has Lee taken Washington Is
the war over without the Yankees
getting a whack at the 33da''
No; but I've been detailed to 60 to
San Antonio with six men, aud you
are one of them. We will have nice
time of it. We will establish camp
near town, and will have good smok-
ing tobacco and hot biscuits, and
whisky, particularly whisky, and we
will be four hundred miles further
away from tina Yankees than we are
now.
AS my nome was in San Antonio l
was so much pleased that l invited
Lieut.. ~Vinton to stop and have some
of the fried chicken. After dinner
was over it occurred to me to ask him
what sort of detached service we were
to perform at San Antonio.
press mules" was the reply.
There may be some persons who do
not grasp the term. 1t did not mean
that we were to squeeze mules In the
physical sense of the word. We were
on detached service for the purpose of
detaching mules from their owners
for the benefit of the confederacy.
There were in Texas quite number
of very ardent confederate farmers
who objected to taking confederate
money in payment for forage, mules
or anything else. At that time one
silver dollar could purchase about
5000 in confederate money, new issue.
This may have had something to do
with the tenacity with which some Of
the most bitter confederates adhered
to their mules and forage. OR mis-
SION ia Saa Antonio WAS TO raise
mules after the Mexie N prestamo
fashion. Soldiers who had kept the
federal armies out of Texas year after
year would be able to cope with mau
who refused to part with his mule
Ia due time Lieut.. Vinton and his
six men reached the Alamo city. After
resting a day or so we proceeded to
select camp on the Olmos creek, near
a corral, after which Lieut.. Vinton
rode to San Antonio to the post COM
mander, in order to obtain Informs
ton as to where the mules were. He
came back in very short time and |
went out to meet him. There was d
peculiar expression on his face which
had never noticed before.
We'll, Lieutenant, when are we
going to press mules9 l am fairly
aching to press mule"
Its too late. The war is over"
.sHurrah for the southern c1nfeder
ace" 49,, ,,o-,,-. =.
Lee has captured Washlngton!' |
yelled.
Captured sheoI! Grant has captur
ed Lee"
1 sat down on stunlo in dazsd
way and listened TO this news.
80 the mules will sot be pressedi"
mot by me. I am going to Brazil, !"
and he turned his horses head in
that direction, and saw him no
more.
Thus was my plan to press mule
thwarted by Gen. Grant. I'll probab-
ly never have another chance. 1t was
no longer safe to press mules for the
ceafederacy, and Grant was to blame
for it.
That was not the only time Grant
interfered with my plans. In the sum
mer of 1879. fourteen years afterward
I was a reporter on The Galveston
News. One day wanted to go fish,
ing. consulted with the proprietor
of the paper about it, and they said
mo" When l asked for reason
they said:
Grant"
How so l asked.
He is expected on the next stea mer
from Mexico, and when he arrives
we need the services of every body on
the paper.
1 was detailed to interview Gen.
Grant. l shook hands cordially with
him. I told him how he prevented
me from pressing mules, and he smil
ed strange sort of a smile. He was
willing to talk about the necessity
of Galveston having deep water, and
he praised the fish chowder and other
local interests, but on the third term
question he-was reticient. I've seen
several confederate corporals of the
32l Texas cavalry who put on more
hauteur and cut more fancy dashes to
me than Gen. Grant did.
At that tiqe Gen. Grant was Ietura-
ing from his trip around the world,
and was a prospective candidate for
third term. could not go fishing,
but those who did, captured lots OF
shepherds and trout Thus was l
toiled a second time by Grant.
Now I am in New York. About
ton days ago I said to nay wife guess
I'll not work any on Saturday, be-
cause I'm tired. I'll Just lay around
and smoke and boss the house for a
while.
80 no, you won't" she replied.
Gen. Grants funeral takes place on
~ L