The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-05-01
STORIES ABOUT GRANT.
PoLIrIcAL - PEasoNAL ANEcDorEs

Major James z NcFarlan relates the
following incident that but yelif!es the
many statements that have already been
published in NeritiCatiOn OF the famous
mans simple habits " He was a man
who probably took less pains To make am
exhibition OF his stripes or insignia or
Office while he was 81 the head of the
armies OF the Union than any officer in it
II often happened 10 my certain kuowl-
edge that minor officers failed to racoC-
nize hlm rs the great General when pas
sing close by his side, on account Of his
simple dr0SS. and had il not been for NV
previous meetings with him when knew
him 10 be Gen. Grant. | believe I would
nave been guilty Of doing a thing that
would long have regretted 90 far as my
conduct toward him was concerned Ii
happened on the ith day of October 1854
when we were euCamped on the James
River near .IOnes's Landing We were
lying on the south side OF the river and had
pontoon bridge across it. Early in the
morning part OF our forces who were on
the north side Of the river got into an en-
gagement with the rebels, in which they
had taken from them-thar il, our fellows
had taken from them-a cannon and
orders were sent to me to take my batal-
ION OF Tour companies across the bridge
ana reCapjuTe, II possible the gun Well
we started and when J reached the op-
posIte side OF the river with a portion of
my command ! noticed hat my column
had been cut by q number of officers
whom ] saw just about to ride upon the
bridge. As our time was limited and we
were under special orders. put spurs to
my morse. rode back over the bridge as
last as | could 20. and not little ont of
sorts, thinking that the men / saw who
h3d cut my column were a lot OF staff
officers, who usually had the umpudence
TO do inst such r thing when there was no
cause whatever for it, Well, ! rode right
up to these officers and was prepared to
let out on them the worst kind even if it
amounted To running them of the bridge
into thG river, when who should | recoE-
nize ut the head of them but General
Grant, who called out to me. Major. lam
sorry TO have been Obliged TO Cut vour
cOiumn, but | am very anxious to get
across the river aud won't delay Won but a
few minutes Well, if | have to tell il
myself, | viii say that never got over \
mad so quickly i'm my life. | don't be
heve that anything ever made me wilt so
soon. The General and his stan were OF
and over the bridge almost before | could
get my breath back again and then the
rest of my column followed and we got to
the scene Of action in time To recapturc
the gam we were sent after"
Capt. D. w c. Lewis of West Chester
tells the following little anecdote of Gen
Grant as showing his capability for organi-
Zatlon and accomplishing things In
1865 the graves OF the soldiers at Arlington
were TO be decorated and Gen Grant then
General OF the Army, was present with
his staH by invitation II was the first
time that the ceremony of decorating
graves had been tried and there was no
plan as 10 how 1t should be done All
sorts OF plans were suggested. but none
seemed TO strike the party, until Gen
Grant, who had been sitting silently
listening, remarked, ct each man take
two baskets of flowers, and, ACCOMPANIED
by two ladies', the work viii soon be done"
The General picked M his bszket and
started with two ladies' the crowd accent
ing the idea and following him In n
short time the graves We're all decorated
Capt. Lewis started with his two baskets.
the ladies with him being Miss Chandler
daughter OF Senator Chandler and Miss
Matthews, half sister OF SCHUYLER Colfax
and he remarked referring to Geu Grant,
There goes the next President
Well, F." said Miss Matthews, III that is
so, | hope my brother will he the Vice
President The Republican Convention
OF that year nominated Grant and Colfnx
In the early days Of the Paris F,xDosi-
ton Grant was at the French capital A
bright thought struck some genius Grant
should be brought forward to give eclat
to the American exhibit on oDeninp dav
Courtesy led the soldier President to
acCede to the impOI tunitieS of his country
men, and he faced "A crowd of thousands
10 carry out the arranged program of
turning on steam to start American
machinery, and then he followed uncom-
plalnlngly the committee hither and
Jhlther, Tor their own parade and gloriiica-
tion above all other thing apparently He
did not say he was bored but he was and
he heard with astonishmeut not to say
distress, a suggestion from one of his
lngy happy thing to entertain the big
audience with bit of oratory Could fate
be more horribles Speech making in
English to a crowd of Par4sians The
humor sf the thing was rasping, but the
selt-couscious gentlemen did not hesitate
and on hurried their scheme to hoist the
General INTO the unenviable prominence
prompted by their egotisIn. But when the
distinguished gentlemen suddenly looked
about them there was not a sign OF Gen.
Grant in view lie had declined to do the
circus act for their ACKNOWLEDGMENT and,
following the lead of his modesty, he had
quilted the building
On one Of Gen. Grants visits to the Cat
skills it is related that he wandered away
from companions one day and stretched
himself besides trout stream in one of the
shady hooks somewhere in ShandalIen
He was half mapping when n stalwart
native broke IN upon him with stern nd
dress. lt was the owner OF het trout brook
confident that he had caught "a trespaSser
upon his lawful rights. Git out cried