The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-06-12
A New and Notable Letter from
General Grant.

81 LOUIS GiOD6- democrat
The following letter written by Gen.
Grant from Galena, to his father-in-law
Frederick Dent, then of st. Louis, has
never before been published, and is of
special interest at the present time,
when the lllustrious writer is the object
of a whole nations sympathy. We do
not remember any other letter from the
general written at such an early date in
which the whole subject of the war is
so fully treated:
GALENA, April 10, 1S61.-Mr. F. Dent:
DEAR SIR-I have but very little time
to write, but as in these exciting times
we are very anxious to hear from you,
and know of no other way but by writing
first to you, I must make time. We get but
little news by telegraph from st. Lou
is but from all other points ofthe country
we are hearing all the time. The times
are indeed startling, but nov is the time,
particularly in the border slave States
for mol to prove their love of country.
I know it is hard for men to apparently
work with the Republican party, but
now all party distinctions should be lost
sight of, and every true patriot be for
maintaining the integrity Of the glorious
old stars and stripes, the Constitution
and the Union. Tie North is respond
ing to the Presidents call in such o man,
ner that the rebels may truly quake. I
tell you there is no installing the feel
ings of the people. The gov
eminent can call into the field not
only seyenty-five thousand troops, but
ten or twenty times seventy-five thous-
and if it should be necessary, and find
the means of maintaining them, too. 1t
is all a mistake about the Northern pock-
ct being o sensitive. In times like the
p%resentno people are more ready to give
their own time OF Of their abundant
means. No impartial man can conceal
from himself the fact that in all these
troubles the Southerners have been the
aggressors, and the Administration has
stood purely on the defensive, more on
the defensive than she would dared to
have doEe but for her consciousness of
strength and the certainty of right pre-
v~ailing i'll the end. The news to-day is
that Virginia has gone OUT ofthe Union.
But for the influence she will have on
the other border slave States this is not
much to be regretted. Her position or
rather that of Eastern Virginia, has
been more reprehensible from the be-
ginning than that Of South Carolina.
She should be made to bear q heavy
portion of the burden of the war for
her guilt. In all this 1 can but see
the doom of slavery. The North does
not want, nor will not want, to inter-
fere with the institution, but they will
refuse for all time to give it protection,
unless the South shall return soon to
their allegiance; and then, too, this dis
turbance will give such an impetus to
the production of their staple, cotton, in
other ports of the world, they can never
recover the control of the market again
for that commodity. This will reduce
the value OF the negroes so much that
they will never be worth fighting over
again.
/ have just received a letter from
Fred. Frederick Dent, Jr.] He
| breathes forth the most patriotic senti-
nents. He is for the old flag as long as
| there is a union Of two States fighting
under its banner, and when they dis
solve he will go it alone. This is not
his language, but it is the idea not SO
we'll expressed as he expresses it.
Julia and the children are all we'll,
and join me in love to you all.
I forgot to mention that Fred has an
other heir with some novel name that ]
have forgotten. Yours Truly,
U. s. GNART.