Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-29
POOR NELLIE GRANT.

gernon Sartoris,
The Phiiadelph1a Times prints the
following from It's Washington special
correspondent: 1.-THE much copied
publication from the Denver Opinion
in reference to the matrimonial infel~
cites OF Mrs. Nellie Grcnt Sartoris
and Its assertion that she will soon
institute proceedings for divorce
from her husband, Mr.. Algernon
Charles Frederick Sartoris, has
naturally been much discussed in
Washington. where she grew up from
childhood and where her marriage &C.
cured. Those who were in Washing
ton during the months proceeding the
wedding in the White House, May 81,
1874, are not surprised to hear that
Mr.. S,rtoris proved neglectful hus-
band, for it was common talk in pri~
vate here before at the time of her
marriage that it was shame that he
showed his chosen wife so little atteu
ton. They were frequently at the
same parties during the winter and
spring of 1874, and comment was
constantly made as to his being SO
negligent of her and Indifferent in
his manner. At the same time it was
known that he was paying marked
attention to young married lady In
Washington, WI ose husband was
then absent, and that he sent that
lady n bouquet and a note on the
morning he was married. It was
thought here that he was actuated by
desire to marry the Presidents
daughter and that he had little appre.
citation for the simple, maidenly viz
tues OF Nellie Grant, who was never
a SNOWY girl in manner Or appear
ance, but simple, modest, affections
ate. artless American girl, who was
sure to prove faithful wife TO ten
der husband, as she has proved good
wife and mother in spite of the slight
encouragement it would seem her
husband has given her to develop her
best traits.
''It was Indignantly told in private
in Washington in 1874 that when Mr.
Sartoris was West, after he became
engaged to Miss Grant, be had boosted
of his engagement to the presidents
daughter, and when his assertion was
doubted, because he was not suffi-
iently we'll thought of ia that locally
for it to be supposed possible that the
daughter of the President of the Uni
ted States would marry him, that he
had actually shown her letters to
prove that she had promised to do SO.
In the spring of 1874 I saw copied In
the Washington ID. Co. Capital very
sarcastic paragraph from the Wauke-
sha wis Plaindealer, describing the
unceuth appearance Of Mr.. Sartoris
when In that town aad mentioned
how the girls had laug he'd at him,
and adding that he had courte1 one
of them. who preferred that he should
marry Nellie Grant Or some other girl
and would have none of him. | wrote
to the editor of that paper, A. r. Pratt
to ask him if the paragraph was true
or if it were only written as a joke.
I have his reply, dated April 30, 1874
and another letter from him on tie
same subject dated may II, 1874, now
before me. In these letters he told
me that the young lady to whom he
referred was his next door neighb0r,
gave me her name for my private in
formation and said that she was an
old sweetheart of Mr.. Sartoris and had
large photograph of him, ', hich he
had given her. [ have also before
nae letter, written March II, 1874,
by young Englishman of high stand
ing, who was then in Washington,
which, 10 giving me sketch Of Mr..
SartOrls' family, mentioned that Al
gernon and his father came over to
this country last year IN the steamer
for the purpose of looking after some
lands the father owned in Wisconsin,
and the son was subsequently left
there to look after the lands. 1t was
on tina steamer Russia that he met
Miss Grant
so It appears from these two let
tiers, as well as from other sources OF
information I had at the time, that it
was after he met Miss Grant, and the
courtship began on tie steamer as
named, where they san more of each
other than at any subsequent time un
til their marriage, that Mr.. Sartoris
courted the young lady IN Wisconsin,
SO was, In point of fact counting two
girls, one of them the daughter of the
president of the United States, at the
same time.
sit was well known here that Pres
ident Grant was greatly depressed at
the time Of bis daughters marriage
and quite broke down when he babe
her good~by on her wedding day. I
know that Mrs. Grant said within a
week before the marriage that she
greatly regretted that Nellie had chos-
en- foreigner for q husband, and add
ed that she had always hoped that
Nellie would marry some nice young
army or navy officer. I have heard
more than once, first not long after
the wedding trip 20 England, and
again within the last few months,
from those who said they knew where
of they spoke, that Mr.. Sartoris' neg
lect of his bride on the Baltic, on which
vessel they left New York, the third
week in May, 1874-the 23d Of that
month, excitedIthe greatest indignation
among the American travellers, and
that this indignation came near being
made public then, especially when on
their landing in England it was found