The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-16
LIEUTENANT GRANT.
A Picture Of the Dying. General as He APP
peared at Twenty.

A Picture Of the Dying General as He APP
peared at Twenty.
Philadelphia Press.
George w. Childs will forward to-day to the
address of General Grant. New York, time
worn daguerreotype in an old-fashioned case. 1t
is picture of the hero at Appomattox as he
looked when young man twenty two years old.
There is little in the boyish face that is sug-
gestiye OF the General of the Union armies and
President of the UntedStates. 1t is the smooth
face of boy with the bloom of health upon his
cheek and the marks of vigorous constitution
In every outline of his sturdy frame He was
newiy-fedged lieutenant then, fresh from the
training of West Point and the young soldier
appears in the uniform and epaulettes worn by
regular army lieutenants forty years ago
Though the face is beardlcss and immature, a
careful observer notes at first glance the firm
mouth and stubborn jaw of the soldier who
swore ito fight it out ON that line" if it took all
summer Lit is Grant, the boy but just
enough like Grant, the conqueror, to illus
trate the adage that 1.-THE boy is father of the
man. Dir. Childs has taken the portrait from
among his store OF treasures, that engraving
may be made from it to illustrate page in the
memories of General Grant the book upon which
the shattered hero is expanding the last painful
labOrs of his eyentfui life
Lie nSlOff Oh the udGutfreObype ana now IL
came into Mr.. Childss possession is an interest
ing. and hitherto unpublished. narrative In
1644 Lieutenant Grant WAS stationed with his
regiment in Texas. Among his best friends at
that time was Mrs. G.. b. Bailey of Georgetown,
Brown county. o., the mother of his most init
mate associate and comrade in arms Lieutenant
Bailey. Grant had often visited the pleasant
home of Mrs. Bailey and came to look upon her
almost as a second mother. To her he sent the
little daguerreotype that she might know how
q pvy1 al
In letter written from camp in 1874 the young
Lieutenant describes to Mrs. Bailey, with all the
exuberance of youthful pride, his novel expert
ences in camp and on the march The hand
writing bears little resem bance to the Scrawling
chirography that appears in Grants general
orders to the army and his messages to Congress
in later years. He subscrlbes himself: yours
affectionately, Lieutenant u. S. Grant,
United States Army" and then, with character
stic modesty, he appends postscript in which
he explains that he does not afix his military
title from any feeling Of undue pride, but simply
that his old friend may, by thus addressing him,
be more certain that her letters will reach their
remote destination promptly.
Mrs. Bailey kept the young lieutenant's letters
and cherished his portrait fondly until long
after he had conqured the Confederacy and
become chief magistrate of the nation AT her
death the portrait aad letters passed into the
hands of her daughter, Mrs. Lucinda Powers, of
Georgetown. Sometime ago Mrs. Powers for
warded the daguerrotype to Mr.. Childs, accom-
panied by a letter. in which she explains that
she knows Mr.. Childs viii value it, and ex-
presses the hope that he may have a portrait
painted from the old likeness before 1t has be-
come obliterated by the fading process of time.
Being stranger TO Mr. Childs Mrs. Powers
also inclosed as her vouchers one Of the time
stained letters written by General Grant to her
mother in 1874, and another written by the
President from the executive mansion in 1874
in which he expressed in the warmest terms his
unchanged regard for his Georgetown frier Dis,
and said that he looked forward with pleasure to
the time when he might be at liberty to visit
them again in the scenes SO familiar to his boy
hood.
General Grant never knew that the old
daguerreotype had passed into the hands of his
friend, DIR. Childs, and a week ago when recall
ing the portraits of his earlier days with view
Of securing the best possible likeness with which
to illustrate his book, he remembered the old
daguerreotype semitic Mrs. Bailey forty years ago.
Under date of March 6 Colonel Fred Grant
wrote to Mrs. Powers requesting the loan of the
likeness as the most accurate portrait now ex
tant of his father as he appeared when young
man. Mrs. Powers forwarded Colonel red
Grants letter to Mrs. Childs, and the publisher
of the Ledger, as he chatted yesterday about
the valued treasure. was carefully wrapping it
in paper preparatory to its shipment to New
York to-day. All the correspondence upon the
subject, including Grants autograph letters TO
Mrs Bailey IN 1874 and 1874 is still in Mr.
Childs possession, and among the relics that he
values most highly in his interesting collection
of souvenirs.