The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-09
Grant as a Wool Hauler.
From the Philadelphia Nelvs.

Elm the year 1885," said Col. Peyton, 81
was working as boy, IN a country store
at Flat Rock, Bourbon county, Kentucky.
Ulysses s. Grant was then boy, living
at Georgetown, Ohio, not many miles
distant. One day Grant drove over to Flat
Rock with the niece of my employer. Grant
was then 16 years of age, awkward, ungaln-
" determined, industrious and very poorly
dressed. He drove a vicious horse. The
night after his arrival at Flat Rock he slept
with me in the store. 1t was cold night,
and we boys kept close to the lee of the
counter. In the morning Grant asked me If
he could assist me. | said yes. he helped
me take down the shutters and sweep out
the store and put stock in place. Alter
breakfast he drove off. | heard from him
afterward of his drive home. Before he
had gone far from Flat Rock his horse ran
away and finally brought up with crash
in fence corner. Nothing broke, Grant
jumped out, seized the trembling horse by
The bride and tied his handkerchief over
the beas IS eyes. He drove the horse blind
folded all the way to Georgetown, Ohio.
Years passed before [ met Grant again.
At last | saw him in st. Louis in 1852. He
was hauling wood to town on rough
wagon. He was wretchedly dressed, pants
stuck in the top of his cowhide boots, and
was very poor. He lived on little farm
near the city. l was standing with my
brother-in-law, Mr.. Peterson. 1t was just
II o'clock In St. Louis in those days it was
customary to take drink at ii O'Clock and
Mr. Peterson said:
Captain Grant'-he had been a captain
in the army-'will you join us! You see
the hour And he pointed to clock. Grant
nodded. He was surly. We went and had
something. For an hour or two we talked
and Grant sat with us, in a store, but he
hardly II tara1 xyGVA A r last ha uOf his
load of wood and drove away to sell it.
Soon after the war broke out l was at
Cairo, and heard that Grant was there, as
the Colonel OF a regiment. | soon saw him.
he wore the handson,4 uniform of his rank,
and presented far better appearance than
when loating through St. Louis in 1852.
MY brother-in-law, Mr.. Peterson, always
thought that Grant bad remarkable stuff i'll
hun, and would make a remarkable man.
Mr.. Rollins, afterward Secretary Of War,
and man who didsas much to help Grant
On as anyone else in the world, was at
Cairo at this time Gen. Prentice, the
commanding officer, asked me to stay and
see a dress parade of Grants battalion. |
stayed, saw it, and helped place the pickets
That night. Grant was high liver at that
Nme, but his friends were firm in the belief
mat he would make his mark
! met Grant in the Continental Hotel, in
r. NAtJ UullllS Vic wal WHICH NO "OlO oltO
three stars of Major General upon his
shoulders He was III command of all the
armies OF the Union. He and / went out
tne back door into SAMSON street, i'll order
" get to a tailor's, where Grant had suit,
lhe crowd watching for him on Chestnut
street was enormous, blocking that high
way. The next time | saw Grant was one
year before he died, in the dining room of
The Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York. There
We're several gentlemen with him. He rose
as | came in and looked at me. l walked
up to him.
DO you know meg l asked.
Yes. You are Barclay Peyton.'
i am not. But am Jesse Peyton. Do
you remember where you saw me firstr
AT Cairo
-" No. You and l slept together in the
9d store in Flat Rock, Bourbon county,
kentucky, in 1888
Grant grasped my hand. 1t was the
Vny Tune ever saw MIN express emotion.
we talked together for some time. AT last
sad good-by, and heard from him no
more until he died