The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-07
TUE POETS AND IaE NEW YEAR.
AN INTERVIEW WITH GRANT,

ANN0AANAhW WAAA 1NeAhA
A Womap's PetiHon-A Very Touching
story.
Mary 4. LtramOre'S "ly Story CfAs WdrH
l had been instructed with a great
variety oferrandst 10 General Grant, every
military post and hospital at which we
stopped adding to my budget,
In my visits to the hospitals there had
been brought to my notice the cases Of
several sick soldiers-twenty,one in all
who were pronounced inCupble by the
surgeons. There were many such casos,
but these were Of peculiar hardships, be,
cause In every instance there was an
absolute hindranCe To their discharge,
through irregularity for which they were
not responsible, and that could not be
easily righted, They had lost their
descriptive list" or their regiments
were on some remote expedition, beyond
the reach OF mails; or they were too III
to so home unaGcompanied, and fur.
loughs were Just then a forbidden favor,
All the details Of these twenty-one cases
were committed to me, with the endorse
nent Of the surgeons In whose hospitals
they were, and who certified that these
men would render the Government no
further aid, and should be released from
military service.
The request that these twenty.ono dy.
ing soldiers should be discharged and
sent home was the only one / felt willing
to present To General Grant, for, rs mat
ters were, he alone could discharge them,
Having 'got tho hang" ofthe General In
the first interview, resolved to sec him
again, alone, and urge my suit in behalf
of the poor fellows, II was Il somewhat
irregular proceeding, and know it; but
| also knew that he had the power to dis
charge them in the teeth OF any inform.
ality, and | believed he would, when lie
knew all the facts, At any rate, would
not go hack without makingRn effort for
the helpless boys who had besought my
aid, and had sent after ine their prayers
and anxious thoughts.
So u few mornings after, when break
fast was over, without informing any
one on the sanitary boatoi my purpose,
! started alone for tue Magnolia. How
to set there was question, for terra
iirma was nowhere. Where II WINS not
mud, II was water; and where it was not
water, II was mud; and the mud was 30
liquefed that you sank into II as though
walking through porridge. There was
substantial footing on the levees, but
those did not run in the direction width.
or was going. One OF the boys OF Col.
onel Bissell's Engineer Corps spicd mo
standing ankle-deep in mud, and offered
his help. / needed II, for tho Magnolia
had moved upstream nearly half u mile,
and had lost my reckoning. He pilot.
cd me over sloughs bridged by his corps,
in which lay rotting CafcassCs Of horses
and mules, which had got "mired," aud
been left TO die. went up tho gang.
way Of the Magnolia, and there con
irontGd the guard.
~ wish to see General Grant" I said
to him. II have letters Of introduction
-one from the Secretary Of War-and |
wish to put these papers in his hands"
pass upstairs into the saloon" was
his reply. At the head Of the stairway
/ was halted by another guard, to whom
| told the same story.
pass round behind the SCREEN" was
the reply. The saloon Of the Magnolia
was partitioned into three apartments
by movable green baize screens. II
passed round in front OF the first OF
these, as directed, and came unon the
officers Of General Grants staff, loung.
ing and chatting. 10 them repeated
my story, and was directed to pass
round behind the next screen. There
sat body OF medical men, with reports
and documents, and any quantity OF
budgets tied with rod tape. | was again
directed to pass around behind the
scrcen-the third one-wherc l should
find the General alone.
obeyed, and through the blue haze
of cigar smoke circlipg through the
apartment, / saw General Grant, sitting
at the table, wearing his hat, cigar in
his mouth, one foot on chair, and
buried TO his chm in maps, letters, re-
ports, and orders. Whatever maupdiSe
homie / may have felt in thus obtruding
myself upon the modest General was
speedily banished by his diseomposure.
For a moment he seemed the most BASH
full man had ever encountered. Rising,
and placing hali.dozen chairs at my
service, be begged me TO be- seated, re.
moving his hat, and taking his cigar from
his mouth, and then quickly and uncon.
scionsly replacing both. | remained
standing. and, without any Circumlocu.
ton whatever, announced my ertand,
and implored his aid. HO heard me
without interruption.
"But these are matters that should be
laid before my medical director. have
put all these things out Of my hands"
were bis first words.
Yes, | knew that, and told him so /;
and / also told him that II was necessary
for some one 10 "Cut red tape" boldly
and promptly In behalf Of these men /
that no subordinate dared TO do II, but
all said he could, and encouraged me to
believe that he would. And l besought
him, with the earnestness that women
felt In these sad cases during the war 10
give me the pleasure Of returning these
6oyBto the mothers, sisters aud wives,
who would tighten with love the dark
valley OF death Into which they were
fast descending. promised, II lie gave
tuuLl ulbVulkV uuN tluuppul tutlOul w
take every nun 10 his friends, leaving
no one Of them until / saw him well
cared for. The General briefly examined
the documents gave hun and then
said The would lot inc know tomorrow
what could be DONE"
Tho next evening, an officer Of hisstaEI
came To our boat, and made me supreme.
Ily happy with the discharge oithetwen.
ty.onn soldiers, who had been rewarded
with loss Of health, and, as II afterwards
proved 10 some OF them, with loss OF life.
But II / was happy, what shall say Of
the poor einaCiated fellows, who looked
for my foiurnto them as ono looks for q
reptieyO from sentence Of deathY Most
oithUsO mon were brought North oh oui
sanitary hoat, Ono Of them died on the
way, and was buried at MnlnphIB, and
another died In Chicago. His home wa
! In Wisconsin, and a ride Of four houl
moro would have taken him 10 the Html
OF his mother, who was expecting him
But when VIC reached Chicago, Saturday
evening, tile train for his town had left
and he Was compelled 10 remain ID thu
city over Sunday, took him 10 ahOte
near the station from which he was Il
staft on Monday and wien l had sect
IL. -. la.l ai,tu IL, l,hd tDiahnH IN Iunvl