The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-03-21
A PlTIFUL STORY.
IN. Y. Mail and Express. |


Ward. But the facts eommuniea-
ted to cid friends in confidence
have been gradually coming to the
pnblic without any Intentional be-
travail Of trust anywhere. So
much, however, is known that it
occurred to the writer of the CON-
municstion herewith published
that o connected aud careful ac.
count of Gen. Grants peeuniary
straits would be more satisfactory
to tho public, and would give a
juster view of his situation and of
his trials and conduct than the
more or less exaggerated stories
that are atloat. The e0mmunica-
which follows was written by one
whose relations with the Grants
have been and are such as to in
sure the most intimate knowledge
of the interesting facts stated. OF
course the writer prepared and
furnished the communication with
out the knowledge of any member
of the Grant family, and without
any solicitation on the part of any
one connected with the Mail and
Express. But so interesting a
story will speak for itself. Here
it is:
"Four days after the failure of
Grant s. Ward q Mr.. Chas. Wood,
of Lansingsburg, N. Y, wrote to
Gen. Grant, whom he had never
seen, Offering to lend him 81 900
for his note at twelve months
without interest, with option of
renewal at same rate. He inclosed
% check for $500, 'on account of
ny share due for services ending
about April, 1867
"At this time Gen. Grant had
absolutely not money enough for
current expenses. Everything he
owned in the world had been in.
vested or deposited with Grant &
Ward. About $50 in his pocket.
book aud $3.50 in cash belonging
to Mrs. Grant was what he had to
live on. The trust fund had been
invested in Wabash securities
and the company at this juncturc
defaulted payment, while the guar
antors, the e. d. Morgan estate
could not pay until the compan!
had defaulted for six months
Gen. Grant accepted the timel,
offer of Mr.. Wood very gratefully
"About the same time Mr.. Rom
, ero, the Mexican Minister, cam
to Gen. Grant and also insisted OF
aiding him with o loan of $1,000
Tho General at first declined I,
receive the money, bnt Mr.. Rome
ro left the room abruptly, plaein
the amount on the table. But fo
those two acts Of friendship-on
: from a man whom Gen. Grant ha
never seen, the other from a ger
tleman by no means wealthy-th
distress of the General woul
have been actual. The check
= which had been paid out a fe'
days before the failure were {
course not met, the payment Ma
| on the trust fund was swallowe
: up by Ward, and there was abs'
lutety for q time no other r,
source.
"Mrs. Grant, however, had Ii
tie house in Washington whic
she had bought some years befor
for $500, and she was able to SO
=, this in few weeks for $4,000.
check was of once sent to Nj
:, Romero for the debt to him, I'll
outstanding checks on Grant
. Ward for personal or family e,
3 penses were paid, and little wa
left for living during the summe
The sons had all been ruined |
the failure as absolutely as I'll
father, and Two of them, with the
= families, were obliged for a tin
to live with him.
= "In this emergency the Gener
> was asked to to write o couple
> articles for the Century Magazin
u He was offered $1,000 for the tw
and consented to try his hand
v literature. The articles we
written and the payment mad
and about Christmas the Gener
was able to pay off the pecuniat
. Indebtedness to his friend NJ
- Wood, with whom he is still pc
- !. sonally unacquainted. The oec
" patton of writing interested hin
- = the story of his old campaign di
tracted him from the the though
- !. of his Wall Street troubles;
continued to write, and finally d
- ! cided to compile his militia
- memoirs. The first volume
these is complete, and the secol