Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-07-09
Anecdotes OF Grant.

Washington Letter to The tIc,clanI Leader.
In au Old ma-axinc al the yaluahi, collection
in The Congressional Library. ind the fni-
ing story. The actors in the >crnc- il re-
lat-- are for thu most part dead. and the chief
j. now diving Al Mount Mct,rrgnr The .,or,
j. tod. should -av, hS III. editor Of the mag
a1lnc. and Il NAV lee that it. rrpubiication " IN
develop thr proof Of il truth or iAl>chooi.
Andrew johnson. says This man. became very
anxious during the latter part ~ hi term 10
ct Grant out Of thu country. H. thai he
coui not manipulate him To- suit hi desires.
ami thought that If he was out Of the way and
sherman wa> al the head Of the army b. woud
hc more likely to control matters u events
might occur. IL got il into hi head that he
would scnd Grant On 4 diplomatic mission to
Mexico. With thi- in view he called the cen
crAl 10 come 10 The White llou>e and there
told him Ia wanted him tu 20 to Mexico. Cen
CTul Grant al once saw through the ~riI. me
and declined To %. Johnson insisted but
Grant continued Ia decline and finally sent a
l-rijnatipn 10 the President in writing. Short
y after thi,. the story goes. Grant was sum
ulonei To = Cabinet meeting. When he ar
rived hi instructions u Ambassador To MrXi-
go were shown him. They were printed and
wrrr read aloud by the Secretary Of STATE A.
though he had accepted instead Of declined the
mission. Grant. NJ once, and in the presence
IL The entire Cabinet. declared his unwilling
nr>> to % on >uch an rrT1pd. At thi- Pre,i-
dent johnson became angry. and asked the
A,torney-t il there was any reason why
Grant should not obey the order- Of the Prr-i-
dent, his superior officer. II Wa. his opinion,
ne said, that an officer Of the army could be
employed in The diplomatic service. At fhi.
General Grant started 10 hi- feet and ex-
claimed: MIR. President. / can answer with
out appealing to the AtiorHey-Gencral. | am
an American citizen and have been guilty Of
no treason or other crime, and am eligible TO
any Office 10 which any other American citizen
i. eligible. But this is purely civil duty 10
which You would assign me, and | cannot be
compelled 10 undertake IT, Any legal military
order YOU may give me | will obey. but thi,
i, civil. not military, and / decline the duty.
No power on earth can force me 10 IT," 50
saving he left the room and the Cabinet meet
ing.
Grants old body servant i employed in the
department here. His name i William
Barnes. and he was with Grant from 1862 I'M
I'll the second year OF hi, Presidential term.
William i sood-looking colored man. who
though he must be more than forty-tiye wears
old, docs not look over twenty-five. He is very
proud of his service with Grant, and delights
To talk Of the "reminiscences of the time. He
SAYS Grant was the kinde>t of masters. alway,
the same in temper. and never gettin. excited
or angry. whatever the provocation. II wa,
William Barne. who probably saved Grant
from being a>sa>snsted on the night that Lin
coin was killed. Grant arrived in Washington
that day and it was Mrs. Grants intention to
20 with the General to the theatre that night.
She had ordered that their baggage be taken to
the hotel. but William misunderstood her or
der and had ii transferred TO the Baltimore
and Ohio depot. This was not discovered I'M
til too late to 20 to the theatre. and then Mrs.
Grant decided that they would 20 on TO New
jersey and let the theatre 20. Had William
not made the mistake Grant would have been
one Of that party in Linc0ln's box that night.
As il was he had hardly gotten out of the city
before the news arrived that President Lin
coin was shot and he had 10 return.