The National tribune., 1885-01-29
GEN. GRANT.
Visit to the Old Communication He Looks,
Acts. and TaIks-IIis Prospects.

! Acts. and TaIks-His Prospects.
To THE EDITOR: Being in New York last
week, your correspondent called upon Gen.
| Grant at his residence, No. East Sxty-sixth
! street. In response to my card, Col. Fred Grant
came down and excused his father, who had
| been very hard at work that day, and who sug-
| gested half-past three next day as a time when
| he would be able to see me. Col. Fred, who
! was not a member of the firm, having all he
! had on deposit with it, lost his all. He has be-
! haved in most manly manner since. There
was no truth in the statement that the interest
| on the trust fund raised for the General by
| Mr. Jones' of the New York Times, and unfor-
| tunately invested in Wabash bonds, was guar
! anteed aud that he received $4,000 year
| from that source. The next day, promptly, at
half-past three, l sent my card TO Gen. Grant,
and soon saw him coming down stairs, leaning
on a cane, but without a crutch. He walked
and looked much better than when in Wash
ington last Spring. He has turned somewhat
more gray, but with that exception looked his
old self, and talked as easily and as naturally
as ever. Some kind of an arrangement
what, did not ask and he did not remark
has been made whereby he is authorized to re-
tain the presents from this and foreign powers
until his death, when they are to become the
property of the US. He told me he was going
to send them TO Washington very soon, which
greatly surprised me, and l asked him the
reason. He said they were great care to him,
and when he went away to the country he had
to leave a responsible man to watch them.
Besides" said the General, l am going to
take. in all probability, modest little house
in the country, in which they would be en-
tirely out of place." l ventured to demonstrate
with the General in quiet way and to i'm
press upon him the idea that he would hurt
the feelings of all his friends, who felt badly
now, because while they appreciated his mo-
hves and that of Mrs. Grant in not accepting
the Vanderbilt present, they wished he could
have seen some way ont of the dilemma-and
urged him to wait until he saw what steps his
friends and former comrades might take toward
providing suitable place at Washington for
their reception some time in the future, which
1T is to he hoped may not be long delayed. l
think the General became satisfied that it
would be better not to send them at present.
l then asked him if he thought he would have
written had it not been for his misfortune, and
he said he thought not; whereupon | remarked
that his misfortune fortunately, had resulted
in some good-his contributions to history. /
believe he has his magazine articles finished
and the public has already a sample of the ex-
cellence of his work in the article in the Feb
ruary Century on Shiloh He is writing his
recollections. from the Mexican war through
the 6 War of the Rebellion" and is exercising
great care to have them all exact Mrs. Grant,
unfortunately, Mt the time of my visit was
sick abed. and had been for number of days,
worn out by mental anxiety and nervous pros
tration owing to the severe strain in deciding
the Vanderbilt and other troublesome matters.
She is a most noble woman and has been a great
help to her husband in all his terrible trials
1t is great misfortune, to my mind-and the
readers of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE will be as
sured / did not say one word to Gen. Grant
upon the subject-that the Edmunds bill was
introduced at all, as Gen. Grants enemies were
at once delighted at the prospect ofHthe defeat
of the measure through that bill. Congress
ought to retire him at once and the original
bill ought to pass. Gen. Slocum has been very
much misunderstood He was instructed by
the Military Committee to call up the original
bill, and has only acted in accordance with in
structions. He is in favor of the original bill,
but told me last night he should vote for the
Edmunds bill if it came to vote, although he
was confident it would be defeated.
Of one thing / can assure THE TRIBUNE
readers, that the placing of Gen. Grant upon
the retiredl list of the Army would be a Godsend
to the family. No one knows unless it be
Gen. Sherman, the true inwardness of the stu
alton, although l took occasion to ascertain
that the statement made in dispatch from
Washington to the New York World few
days ago was correct-WM. HOWARD MILLS,
Washington. ID. C.