The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-05-02
GEN. GRANTS FAITH.
How He Kept 1t to Gen. Lee and His Off.

Prof. r. S. Mccullough, of Baton
Rouge, La, for some time an associate
of Gen. Robt. f. Lee in Washington and
as follows to the New Orleans Times
Democrat.
The present is perhaps the fit moment
to make public the following statement.
In the year 1867 the undersigned spent
an evening with the late John W. Gar
rett, Esq, then president Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad, who made to
him one following communication:
After the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln
the cabinet met in the Treasury Depart
ment and passed resolution to arrest
and try by military commission the lead
ing men of the Confederacy, beginning
with such as Mr.. Davis, Gen. r. E. Lee
and others; and meaning thereby to
strike terror into the hearts of the South
ern people, suspicion Of completely in
that crime being the ground for such in
tended trials. They concluded that to
carry their resolution into effect, Gen.
Grant must give the requisite orders.
Tired of war, he was seeking repose on
the banks of tie Delaware He was
therefore telegraphed to come immedi-
ately to Washington, and the railroads
were ordered to bring him without de-
tention.
Mr.. Garrett was at the moment in
Washington, and was instructed by Mr..
Stanton to go forth nth to Baltimore, in
single express car, there to meet Gen.
Grant and bring him to Washington as
quickly as possible. He was also told
by Mr.. Stanton to inform Gen. Grant of
the resolution passed, which he was ex-
pected to execute, and that the cabinet
would be in permanent session until his
arrival. When the message was delivered
in the car, Gen. Grant said:
'These gentlemen do not reflect that
such action would be a stain upon the
escutcheon of this nation which could
never be wiped out. The assassination
seems to have unsettled their wits. Tell
Illt uudU SuCu Illtu DIS utu. 1JCt anu MT.
Davis had anything to do with murder,
gentlemen whom have known and es-
TEEN for years, and who are incapable of
crime. As we'll suspect myself"
The response was: "Well, General
the cabinet are waiting only for you to
give the orders; and you will go into their
meeting as soon as you get there. | hope
when you do that you will speak to them
ret 1,nu dan 70,
Then came the noble reply: 81 shall
go further, Mr.. Garrett. shall tell them
they must take my sword from me-"
Upon their arrival Gen. Grant went di-
rectly into cabinet meeting, and Mr..
Garrett remained in the corridor After
some time the Postmaster General came
out. Approaching him, Mr.. Garrett said:
81 do not wish to pry into that which is
confidential or secret. but you know the
message with which l was charged
When delivered it, Gen. Grant said he
would tell you gentlemen that you must
first take his sword from him." The
answer was: "He has done that very
thing, Mr.. Garrett"
To which the response was: "That is
all | wish to know. Please tell Mr.. Stan
ton he will find me at his house when
your meeting is over. He told me he de-
sired to see me on railroad business, and
| shall go there and talk with Mrs. S.
until his return" When Mr. Stanton
went home he confirmed what his col
league had said, and gave Mr.. Garrett
the information that what took place in
the cabinet was substantially the equiva-
lent of what had occurred and been said
in the car.
When this statement was made to me,
in 1867, by Mi. Garrett, | was associated
in Washington College, at Lexington,
Va, with Gen. r. f. Lee, and upon my
return from Baltimore | repeated it to
him, remarking that it might be news to
him. He admitted that it was, but in
stantly said: Il can add to it for YOU
And then he told me that one of his kins-
men, hearing rumor that military trials |
and executions were contemplated. and |
experimenting trouble, went to Washing !
ton, and was then making inquiry. Learn
ing which Gen. Grant sent for him, and |
said please go to Gen. Lee from me,
and tell him to have no fears; that the |
government must respect what the army |
has done, and that not an officer or pri-
vate to whom terms Of surrender and pa
role have been conceded shall be dis
turbed."
1t was long hoped by the undersigned
that publicity would be given to the
above facts by Mr.. Garrett himself. But
now that his death precludes the posi-
bility of such testimony, they are hereby
made known as told to me- and as doubt
less they have been also communicated
by Mr. Garrett to others, if never pub
lished before
So indelibly did the above statement
of MIR. Garrett impress itself upon my
at the time that | now remem
Der and repeat it almost word for word.