Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-03-30
GRANT NEVER SWORE.

the rounds of the press in regard to
Gen. Grants profanity. 1t gives the
public different view of his charac-
ter, and it will be surprising to many
to know that the general never utters
a profane word. | had this letter in
my hand tonight when l met in the
Ebbitt house Mr.. Markland, who was
the head of the mail service of |
Grants army, and who was men,
ber of his military family throughout
the war. Mr.. Markland is now lead |
ing retired life in Washington. He
has known every one of prominence
for the past three decades, and his
mind is full of personal and military
"reminiscences. / read DR.. Kittoe's
letter to him and we chatted for an
hour about Grant. AS to Grants
profanity, Mr.. Markland said
s'General Grant never swore, and in
my long connection with him have
never heard him utter a profane
word. I have been with him on
many occasions in which perhaps the
use of profanity would have been par
donable. | have heard him tell sto
ries in social circles in which oaths
were used, but in re-telling them
he would not quote the oaths. He
was freer from using unkind express
sions towards his fellow-man than
anyone | have ever known. And
the chief misfortunes of his life have
arisen from his misplaced confidence
in his fellow-man. Speaking of his
profanity, [ remember two occasions
on which Grant should have sworn.
and think would have sworn if he
could. One was while we were at
Young's Point, with headquarters on
the steamboat Magnolia. Two of
the staff officers had been sent north
under orders, leaving their rooms
on the boat vacant. Gen. Grant in
vited two officers on board one night
| for consultation. During the consult
alton violent rain storm came up,
and Gen. Grant asked these officers
to remain on board over night, saying
that he had two rooms, and that it
would be more pleasant for them to
stay there than to 60 to their camps
in the storm. The time for retiring
arrived, and the officers were shown
to their rooms When the doors
were opened, however, it was found
that the beds were occupied by the
colored servants of the officers who
were absent. Gen. Grant was very
angry, but his indignation did not
find vent in oaths; he merely order
ed these servants out on shore into
the rain, and in short time, his in-
dignation having cooled, he sent an
orderly to tell them they might come
back upon the boat.
At another time, after having per-
formed his morning ablutions. he
left his false teeth in the wash basin.
His servant, in putting the room to
rights, emptied the contents into the
river, and for the time Gen. Grant
was toothless. But his amlability
developed itself even here. He said
to the servant: ''you have put me in
a very embarrassing position, but you
did not intend to do it, That was
all. / remained about Cairo in nv
connection with the postoffice depart
ment until about the time of the
movement on Fort Henry. At this
time Gen. Grant asked me if | did
not want to see fight, and invited
me TO 60 to Fort Henry with him.
On the way to Fort Henry, on the
headquarters steamer, New Uncle
Sam, knowing that | was an officer
of the postoffice department, he sug-
gested to me, or rather inquired if it
were not possible to keep the mail up
to the army and take the soldiers
letters home.
No man ever saw Gen. Grant
speak or act as if he were surprised.
His staff officers would try to see if
they could not get him to exhibit
surprise or astonishment at some of
their stories or by extravagant state
ments. They never succeeded. When
every one else was surprised, he new
er gave any indication that the mat
ter of the surprise was not perfectly
familiar to him. In the most trying
times he was the coolest and most
self-possessed.
On one occasion 200 tons of pow-
der IN a barge lying at the waters
edge in the James river, Immediately
opposite Grants headquarters, at
City point, was exploded by an in
fernal machine of the confederates,
blowing the bodies of men and mules
and the debris of the quartermaster'
department into his camp, so that the
air was thick with smoke and falling
bodies, and every one was frighten-
ed. Grant did not move a facial
muscle. With imperturbable gravi-
ty, he said to the staff officer: sBab-
cock, go out and see what is the mat
ter Nothing ever disturbed Grants
equanimity. He never lost his head.
You might tell him the most startling
news in regard to the enemy, but his
face would never indicate that it was
news to him. If he was ignorant of
a matter about which you were talk
ing, he would draw you out in such
quiet way that you would never inn
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