St. Paul daily globe., 1885-07-26
LONGSTREET ON GRANT.
Girlish Modesty of the Cadet and the
Story of His Early 0Ourtship.
True to His Friends. Faithful TO Ira
ditfons and of Great Honor.
Alter Washington He Was the Highest
Type of American Manhood.

|
Longsteet lives in a two-story house of
modern style about three miles from Gaines
llle, where, amid his vines and shrubs, he
was seen by the Times correspondent He
was dressed i'm a long and many-colored
dressing-gown; his white whiskers were
trimmed after the pattern of Burnside'S
and he looked little like the stalwart figure
which was ever in the thickeSt of the fight
during the bloody battles of the late war.
Ever since 1884," said he, II have been
on terms of the closest intimacy with Grant
l well remember the fragile form which
answered TO his name in that year. His
distinguishing trait as a cadet was girliSh
modesty; a heSitance in presenting his own
claims; taciturnity born of his modeSty;
but thOroughneSS in the accomplishment
O1 whatever task was assigned him. As L
was OF large and robust physique, l was at
| the head of most larkS and games. But in
these young Grant never joined because of
his delicate frame. In horsemanship. how
ever, he was noted as the most proficient in
the academy. In fact. rider and horse held
together like the tabled centaur.
TWO YOUNG LIEUTENANTs.
I'm 1912 was attached to the Fourth
infantry as second lieutenant A year later
Grant joined the same regiment. stationed
in that year at Fort Jefferson, twelve miles
! from st. Louis. The ties thus formed have
never been broken; but there was charm
which held us together of which the world
has never heard. Ny kinsnan, Mr.. Fred
erick Dent, was a substantial farmer living
! near Fort jefferson. He had 4 liking for
army officers, due TO the fact that his son
Fred was pupil at West Point. One day
L received an invitation TO visit his house i'm
nTTn
turned, and asked Grant 10 go with me.
This he did, and of course was introduced
to the family. the last one to come in being
Miss Julia Dent, the charming daughter
of our host. IL is needless to say that we
saw but little of Grant during the rest of
the visit. He paid court in fact with such
aSSlduity as TO give rise to the hope that he
had forever gotten over his diffidence. Five
| years later, in 1S4S, after the usual
uncertainties of a soldiers court
ship, Grant returned and claimed
! Miss Dent as his bride. / had been
married just six months at that time, and
my wife and were among the guests at
| the wedding. Only few months ago Mrs
Grant recalled to my memory an Incl
dent of our jefferson life that was con-
nected with Gen. Grants cOurtShip. Miss
Dent had been escorted to the military
balls so often by Lieut.. Grant that, on one
occasion. when she did not happen TO go
with him. Lieut. HOskinS went up to her
and asked, with a pitiful expression on his
face: Where is that small man with the
large epaulets?'
IN THE FIELD OF DUTY.
''In 1874 the Fourth regiment was or
dered to Louisiana To form part of the army
of observation. Still later we formed a
| mo- nf fhn pf In,
Christi, Tex. Here, removed from all So
ciety. without books or papers, we had an
excellent opportunity of studying each
other. l and everyone else always found
Grant resolute, and doing his duty i'm a
| simple manner. His honor was never sus-
pected, his friendships were true. his hatred
of guile was pronounced, and his deteSta-
ton of tale-bearers was, may say, absO-
lutte. The soul of honor himself. he
never even suspected others either then or
years afterward. lie could not bring him
self to look upon the rascally side of human
nature.
''While we remained in Corpus Christi
an incident illustrating Grants skill and
fearlesSneSS as hOrSeman occurred. The
| MeXicanS We're i'm the habit of bringing i'm
wild horses, which they would sell for So
or S3. These horses came near costing
particularly furious animal was brought i'm.
| Every officer in the camp had declined TO
purchase the animal except Grant. who de-
cared that he would either break the horses
neck or his own. He had the horse blind
| folded. bridled and Saddled. and when
firmly i'm the saddle he threw off the blind,
sunk his spurs into the horses flanks. and
was soon out of sight. For three hours he
rode the animal over all kinds of ground.
through field and stream, and when horse
and rider returned to camp the horse was
thoroughly tanned. For years afterward
the story of Grants ride was related at
every campfire in the country. During the
Mexican war we were separated, Grant
having been made quartermaSter of the
| Fourth regiment. while L was assigned TO
duty as adiutant of the Eighth. AT the
battle of MOlinO del key. however. had
occasion To notice his superb courage and
coolnesS under fire. So noticeable was his
bearing that his gallantry was alluded to in
| the official reports.
PAYMENT OF A DEBT OF HONOR.
''In the long days Of our stay i'm LOuisi-
ana and Texas continued Gen. LOngstreet.
''we frequently engaged i'm the game of brag
and fve-cent ante and similar diversions
| We inducted Grant into the mysteries of
these games. but he made a poor PLAYER.
| The man who lost % cents i'm one day was
esteemed in those days a peculiarly unfOr-
| tunate person. The games often lasted an
entire day. \ ears later. in 1858. happened
to be in st. Louis and there met Capt Hol-
lOway and other army chumS. We went
into the Planters hotel TO talk over old
times. and il was soon proposed to have an
old-time game of brag. but it was found we
were one short of making up full hand.
Wait a few minutes said Holloway. and
/ will find some one.' In a few minutes he
returned with man poorly dressed in citi-
| ZenS' clothes. and i'm whom we recognized
our old friend Grant. Going into civil life
Grant had been unfortunate. The next day
l was walking i'm front of the Planters
when found myself face TO face again with
Grant. who, placing in the palm of. my
hand So gold piece, insisted that l should
take it i'm payment of a debt of honor over
fifteen years old. 1 peremptorily declined
to take it, alleging that he was out of the
service and more in need of il than /. You
must take it, said he. Il cannot live with
anything in my possession which is not
mine Seeing the determination in the
mans face. and in order TO save him morti-
iieation. L took the money, and, shaking
hands. we parted.
THE MEETING AT APPoMATToX.
''The next time we met, said Gen. Long
street, Twas at AppOmattOx. and the first
thing that Gen. Grant said to me when we
stepped aside, placing his arm in mine,
was: Pete Ia sobriquet of mine), let us
have another game of brag, TO recall the old
days which were so pleasant to US ALL
Great God. thought l TO myself. how my
heart Swells out to such magnanimous
touch of humanity Why do men fight who
were born to be brothers?