Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-01

terest OF the occasion. I never knew him to
His living staff officers. wherever thew NAV be.
VIII nave no more pleasant a remembrance oil
nun shan OF MS polite language and genial man.
WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE MADE GOOD
| SPEECH"
AT Time when headquarters were at City
| foint, ana there was . temporary cessation of
active work, some OF the staff officers conceived
| Tue 1oea OF having little fun. The presenta-
| tion Oh leather medal to the staff officers Of
| general whose headquarters were near those
| OF General Grant was thought Of It was not
| desired that General Grant should know of
LIS t proPoseo merriment, and 1t was therefore
a nTt COMMENCED until he was supposed to be
General Horace Porter in an Impressive and
enectlve manner. That speech gave evidence
Of post prandial spesRer aesG nee SO
admirably developed. other really good
s ,sss were made, and when the ceremonies
returned to quarters they conRrataiated them
selves that they, had had good time and that
aSt TeneIai naa not been disturbed. At break
| lasG nsXt morning, however, General Grant
startled his military family at table with the
question Why aid you not ask me to the pre-
might have made a good speech" He had
been disturbed by what was going on, and had
gone out himself to ascertain the cause, and
| served. ''-o 'f~'00o ~''
HIS NEvER-FAIL1Na AFFAB1L1rY.
| Nearly all General Grants staff officers were
younger In years than himself, and his rela-
lions TO them were as a father to sons. When
| In camp, II the staff officers were not out about
the adjutant generals Office, which was the
usual rendezvous, the General would look
good morning or q pleasant word to them. He
was most careful to never slight any one In po-
Lite attention about his headquarters.
HIS RESISTANCE TO POLITICAL PRESSURE,
When General Grant was ordered east to take
command of the armies, he said to me: II will
want you with me there"
said: "Possibly the department will expect
me to remain in the west"
he replied: II will arrange that under
stand the business better than the depart
| ment"
l bad not been over here very long when Post
master General Blair said to me that there was
great pressure to have me 60 to the western
army again, and new man appointed for OPP
raj Grant on the subject and Know what his
wishes were. Accordingly, when returned to
61eaaqoarters referred to the subject General
Eyes, that matter has been mentioned to me
Dy congressman, who has friend he wants
around here. was just going to write q letter
TO the Postmaster General not to make any
change, telling him that if he did make the ap-
potntment, as requested, the new man should
not come to my headquarters"
LOOKING AFTER HIS BOYS.
General Grant was specially thoughtful about
his staff before he left the army to enter the
Presidential Office. In December, 1868 was
invited by him to go in his special car to Chi
cago TO the grand reunion Of all the armies.
Shortly after leaving Baltimore he sat down
beside me and entered into conversation about
O al hoo llxy
identified with him during the war He told
me the various offices he had thought of tor
OF the army at the time of his Inauguration,
and then asked me if there was any office had
thought would like to have. answered him
not better, in the business was then engaged
IN than would In any Office he would be justi-
positions he had thought oftendering me. told
him that could not possibly enter upon the
duties o. any office before specified time, be-
cause OF the business arrangements was then
bound by. Nothing more was said to me on
the subject. At the time the business engage
ments OF which had spoken closed, he, with
out any 1ntimation to me whatever, sent my
name to the Senate for confirmation to an office
ne had not before alluded to. and gave as a rea-
son for 1t that that Office required disburse.
ment of thirty million dollars year, and that
he wanted an officer in it who would see that it
was properly disbursed. The compliment was
HIS UNswERvING BUSINESS INTEGRITY.
While General Grant was last in Washington
received q letter from q friend who had some
surplus money which he proposed to invest in
timber lands along proposed line of railway
In Mexico. of which General Grant was Presi-
dent He asked me to see the General on the
subject, and If the General made favorable re-
port or expressed a favorable opinion of the in.
vestment he would GO to the office in New York
and mare arrangements to invest When
called with the letter the General and Mrs.
r cot <,xxy,1
| note to the General, stating who my corre-
spondent was, and the desire had that he
should have accurate Information, also inclosing
the letter of my friend. l have here in my
pocket, I think, his letter in reply, and it has
more of the true character of General Grant in
1t for truth, integrity and fair dealing than you
will easily find elsewhere. He never inten-
tionally misled any man, unless it was his
military adversaries and when he captured one
OF THESE he treated him with unbounded mag
nanimity. Yes. here is the letter, an autograph
all through, and u perfect photograph Of the
"THE ARLINGTON
April sth, '64
Dear Colonel:
IL am sorry was out when you called return
Mr. - letter. OF course If he should call would see
him. But go to New York on Saturday, where it
would be more convenient probably for him, 1t is
well to say. however, that the Mexican road with
which my name Is connected is not commenced nor
Is 1t likely to be soon. have never been that
portion of the road along which abundance of valu-
formation could give, therefore, would not justify
visit to that country for the purpose of locating tim
Der lands, much less investing in them.
"Very truly yours
~. s. GRANT.
'Cb. A. H. MdrkLand"
Less than one month after this letter was
written General Grant was financially ruined
by the failure Of the bank. His heart was
broken, and he made rapid steps to the grave
because OF the treachery ofo to whom he had
given his confidence.
UNDER THE SHADOWS.
When l, In company with my wife, was at
the generals home, in the latter part of October
last he tried to be cheerful and talk of the days
OF auld lang syne, but could see that it was
an effort, and that the fire Of his life was dying
out 1 will never forget the expression of his
countenance as I caught it or the sorrowful
jects we talked of was army days. He spoke Of
many who had died, and, suddenly stopping,
he asked me II knew how many of his military
family who left Cairo with him in January,
1862, were living. I answered thought did,