Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-08-31
PERSONAL MEMORIES OF GEN.
ERAL GRANT.

My first interview with General
Grant was in Dubuque, Iowa, hotel
one Sunday morning in the winter of
1859 and 1860. 1 was at that time
pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church in Galena and had gone to
Dubuque the night before On an tex
change" with the pastor of the Meth
odist Episcopal church of that city,
the Rev. Robert Laird Collier. Com
ing down stairs on Sunday morning,
stood few minutes by the stove
in the office of the hotel, where
gentleman, whom did not recognize,
saluted me. 81 hear you preach,
Mr.. Vincent, every Sunday" he said.
81 live in Galena, and my name is
Grant"
had at one time been in CORE
spondence with the speakers father
concerning the occupancy of the Gov
ington, KY, pulpit; but this Mr..
Grant, the son, l had never met. We
at once entered into conversation. and
the stirring questions of the day soon
occupied our attention. I was great
ly surprised at the intelligence or my
newly discovered parishioner. He
seemed to understand and to be in
terested in national affairs, and dis
cussed men and parties, perils and
possibilities with great ease, and with
remarkable sense and ability. The
conversation continued for half an
hour or more, and l was surprised to
find that I had man of such force
and thoughtfulness in my congrega-
ton; for he assured me that since
his arrival in Galena he had regular
| ly attended church.
AS he stood by the stove that win
ter morning, with his broad shoulders
slightly stopped, his compact head
and calm hut emphatic manner, 1
then and there compared him in my
thought, to the familiar picture of the
great Napoleon and on my return
home to Galena l told my wife of
the discovery and the comparison.
| did not during the first interview
learn, nor had / known before, that
he had been in the army.
After that | watched carefully the
pew where my parishioner sat and
l found him to be most helpful lis
tener, giving close attention to the
sermon from beginning to end; and
it was not little fattering to my
professional pride when, four years
later, at City Point, General Grant
introduced me to President Lincoln,
saying, "Mr. Vincent was my pastor
at Galena, and do not think miss
ed one of his sermons while lived
there" This apparent praise of the
preacher was simply an unconscious
tribute to the conscientiousness and
reverence OF the -hearer.
y
On the breaking out of the war,
Capt. Grant presided at the first wal
meeting at Galena. He soon left
with company of men for Spring.
field; and on the occasion of theil de-
parture l was requested to deliver
the farewell address-an address to
which he kindly alluded when, -four
years later, he sent message to me
in Chicago, asking me to 60 with him
to Galena for the grand reception
which that faithful old city was eager
to give the returning chieftain. The
ride from Chicago to Galena, on the
day of the return in 1865, is memor-
able. A special train of drawing
room cars had been provided for the
invited guests. Every station was
crowded with enthusiastic people to
greet the great conqueror. AT Gale
ma the demonstration was most hearty
The crowd was immense. There was
touch of neighborly affection and
pride in the expressions of their vel
come.
On the way the General asked me
to be his spokesman. He said: "Mr
Washburn will deliver the address OF
welcome. I want you to answer fol-
me. I don't care to speak myself
l do not say that cannot speak
but you may say for me that never
having been accustomed to making
public addresses, / do not think il
will be we'll to begin now. Tell the
people how thankful / am for theil
welcome, and tell them that shall
consider Galena as my home for the
future" These thoughts he desired
me to express for him. l attempted
it for him, but never again wish to
represent another man on the plat.
form. l did the best that l could,
but was embarrassed at the time, and
much more embarrassed at the re-
membrance of it.
People have now come to know
that General Grant was an admirable
conversationallst. In private he al
ways spoke with ease, never hesitat-
ing for word. On the car that day,
he gave me with great freedom his
opinion of the leading men of the
times: Sherman (who just a. that
time was speaking little too much
for his own good, whom General
Grant ably defended; Sheridan,
Stanton, Rawllns, Lincoln and others.
He paid tribute to General Sherman s
honesty and enthusiasm, and to Gen.
Sheridan's dash and brilliancy. OF