Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-02-10
GRANTS eooR.

Years.
SIN the fifth descending generation
my great grandfather, Noah Grant, and
his youngest brother, Solomon, held
commissions in the English army in
1856, in the war against the French and
Indians Both were killed that year
My grandfather also named Noah was
then but nine years old. At the break
ing out of the war of the revolution,
after the battles of Concord and Lex
ington, he went with Connecticut
company to join the continental army
and was present at the battle of Bunker
Hill. He served until the fall of York
town, or through the entire revolution
airy war"
Herepeats story told of horse trade
that he made in his boyhood days as
follows: There was a Mr. Ralston
living within a few miles of the village,
who owned colt which 1 very much
wanted My father had offered twenty
dollars for it, but Ralston wanted TWEEN
ty-tve. | was SO anxious to have the
colt that after the owner left I begged
to be allowed to take it at the price de-
handed. My father yielded, but said
twenty dollars was all the horse was
worth and told me to offer that price.
Ii it was not accepted was to offer
twenty-five dollars and fifty cents and
if that would not get him to give the
twenty-five dollars. [ at once mounted
horse and went for the colt. When
got to Mr.. Ralston's house [ said to
him: Papa says L may offer you TWEEN
ty dollars for the colt, but if you won't
take that / am to offer you twenty-five
dollars and fifty cents, and you won't
take that to give you twenty-five dol
lars Itwould not require Connecti-
cut man to guess the price finally
agreed upon. The story is really true.
certainly showed very plainly that !
had come for the colt and meant to
have him. could not have been over
eight years old at the time. | kept the
horse until he was four years old,
when he went blind and sold him for
twenty dollars. When went to Mays
vile to school in 1886, at the age of
fourteen, recognized him as one of
the blind horses working in the tread
wheel of the ferryboat."
Referring to his appointment to West
Point, he says that during one of his
school vacations ''my father received q
letter from the Hon. Thomas Morris,
then United States Senator from Ohio.
When he read it he said to me:
ulysses, l believe you are going to re-
ceive the appointment.
"'What appointments inquired.
"To West Point; have applied for
it.
"'But won't go, said.
"He said he thought I would, and I
thought so too, if he did. l really had
no objection to going to West Point,
except that | had a very exalted idea Of
the requirements necessary to get
through and did not believe possessed
them, and could not bear the idea of
failing. There had been four boys from
our village, or it's immediate neighbor-
hood, who had graduated. and never
failure of any one appointed from
Georgetown, except in the case of the
one whose place was to take. He was
the son of DR.. Bailey, our nearest and
most intimate neighbor.
During my first years encampment
General Scott visited West Point and
reviewed the cadets. With his COM
handing figure, his quite colossal size
finest specimen of manhood my eyes
had ever beheld, and the most to be
envied. / could never resemble him in
appearance, but believe I did have
presentiment for moment that some
day should occupy his place on re-
view, although had no intention of
remaining in the army. But my
experience in horse trade ten
years before, and the ridicule
it caused me, were too fresh in my mind
for me to communicate this PRESENT.
ment to even my most intimate chum.
The next summer Martin Van Buren,,
then President of the United States,
visited West Point and reviewed the
cadets. But he did not impress me
with the awe which Scott had inspired.
In fact, regarded General Scott and
Captain G. f. Smith, the commander
of the cadets, as the two men most to
be envied in the nation.
81 was impatient to get on my uni
form to see how it looked, besides, prob
bly,, wanting my old schoolmates, par
ticularly the girls, to see me in it. But
the conceit was kicked out of me by
two little circumstances that happened
soon after the arrival of the clothes,
and which gave me distaste for military
life that / never recovered from. Soon
after the arrival of the suit donned it
and put off for Cincinnati on horse
back. While I was riding along
street of that city, imagining that
every one was looking at me with
feeling akin to mine when / first saw
General Scott, little urchin, bare
headed, barefooted, with dirty and rag
ged pants held up by single gallows
that's what suspenders were called
then-and shirt that had not seen
washtub forsweeks, turned to me and
cried out: Soldier, will you work?
No, stree, I'll sell my shirt first. The
horse trade and it's dire consequences
were recalled to my mind.''
Pickn0cketS AT AntSMnrn