New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-09-16
"REMINISCENCES OF GRANT.
Gainesville (Ga.) despatch to New York
Times.

ssHe was the truest as well as the
bravest man that ever lived" was the
remark made by General James Long
! street, when he recovered from the
emotion caused by the sad news of
i General Grants death General Long
| street lives in a two story house of
! modern style about three miles from
Gainesville, where, amid his vines and
| shrubs, he was seen by the Times CORE
| spondent. He was dressed in 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.
fEver since 1885," said he, ri have.
been on terms of the closest intimacy
with Grant. we'll remember the frag-
lie form which answered to his
name in that year. His distinguishing
trait as cadet was a girlish modesty;
a hesitancy in presenting his own
claims; a taciturnity born OF his mod
esty; but a thoroughness in the accom-
/ pllshment of whatever task was as
signed him. AS was Of large and ro-
bust physique | was at the head of
most larks and games But in these
young Grant never joined because of
his delicate frame. In horsemanship,
! however, he was noted as the most
proficient in the academy. In fact,
rider and horse held together like the
the tabled centaur. In 1912 [ was at
tached to the Fourth Infantry as sec
i ond lieutenant. A year later Grant
joined the same regiment, stationed
in that year at Fort Jefferson. -
miles from St. Louis. The ties thus
formed have never been broken; but
there was charm which held us to-
! gether OF which the world has
never heard My kinsman, Mr..
Frederick Dent, was a substantial
farmer living near Fort Jeffer-
son. He had a liking for army
officers, due to the fact that his son
was pupil at West Point. One day |
received an invitation to visit his
house, in order to meet young Fred
who had just returned, and I asked
Grant to 60 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. 1t is needless to say that
we saw but little of Grant during the
rest OF our visit. He paid court, in
fact, with such assiduity as to give
rise to the hope that he had forever got.
ten over his diAidence. Five years
later, in 1S48, after the usual uncer
tainties of soldiers courtship, Grant
returned and claimed Miss Dent as his
bride. I had been married just sin
months at that time and my wife anG
were guests at the wedding
Gin 1914 the Fourth Reg ment was
ordered to Louisiana to form part O.
the army of observation. Still later
we formed part of the army ofoccupa
ton in Corpus Christi, Texas. Here
removed from all society withoutbooks
or papers, we had an excellent
opportunity of studying each other
! l and every one else always fount
Grant resolute and doing his duty in {:
simple manner. His honor was neve!
suspected, his friendships were true
his hatred ofguile was pronounced, ant
his detestation of tale bearers was,
may say, absolute. The soul ofhono
himself, he never even suspected other
either then or years afterward. HI
could not bring himself to look upol
the rascally side of human nature
Whilew we remained in Corpus Christie al
incident illustrating Grants skill ant
fearlessness as a horseman occurred
The Mexicans were in the habit O
bringing in wild horses, which the,
would sell for 50 or So. These horse
camenear costing more than one Office
his life. One day a particularly furious
animal was brought in. Every Office
in the camp had declined to purchas
the animal except Grant, who declared
that he would either break the horses
neck or his own. He had the hors,
blindfolded, bridled and saddled, ant
when firmly in the saddle he threw of
the blind, sunk his spurs into tn,
horses TANKS, and was soon out O
sight. For three hours he rode tn,
animal over all kinds of ground
through field and stream, and whel
horse and rider returned to camp tn
horse was thoroughly tanned Fo
years afterward the story OF Grant
ride was related at every camp fire il
the country.
During the Mexican war we wer
separated, Grant having been mad
quartermaster of the Fourth regi
ment, while was assigned to duty a
adjutant Of the Eighth. At the battl
Of Alolino del Rey, however, had oc
casion to notice his superb courag
and GOODNESS under fire. So noticeabl
washis bearing that his gallantry wa
alluded to in the official reports.
During the war my immediate com
mand had engaged the troops OF Gran
but once-at the battle of the Wilder
nsss. We came into no, sort OF per
sonal relations, however. In tn
spring of 1865, one day, while await
ing letter from General Grant, Ger
eral Lee said to me, There is nothin
ahead Of us but to surrender 1t wa
as one of the commissioners appointe
to arrange the terms OF peace that
: met General Grant at Appomattoa
His whole greeting and conduct tow
) ard us was as though nothing had e1
+ Is L. H..