The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-04
GENERAL CHANTS DoUel 2
DE-. Hood of Washington, an Exact Com.
terpart of the Great Soldier

GENERAL GRANTS DoUBLEa
DR.. Hood. of Washington, an Exact Coun,
terpart of the Great Soldier.
There are few of those strange out
ward resemblance which exist between
different persons more remarkable than
that which DR.. Z. B. Hood, of this citv
formerly surgeon of volunteers. and
for many years medical referee of the
United States pension office--bears to the
late General U. S. Grant. The accidents
of campaigning brought the two men
together during the greater part of the
war, both in the West and in the opera.
tons around Petersburg and Richmond.
At City Point, Va, in the fall of 1864.
General Grant had fine team, with
which he used to drive Mrs. Grant out
while she was visiting him DIR. Hood
and Surgeon William l. Faxon were at
that time in charge of the Fifth corps
hospital, at that place, and the strange
resemblance referred to was often
matter of wonder to General Grant
himself, the likeness being not only in
feature, but in height. build and weight:
the two men had measured together.
and both turned the commissary scales
at precisely the same notch on the
beam. Mrs Grant had gone home, and
one evening General Grant drove Mrs
Hood out for airing; the road from
headquarters came directly toward the
hospital. and then turned off at an
angle. and Surgeon Faxon, seeing the
couple coming toward him, stood beck
Oning and hailing them, but as thew
turned off at the end of the road. he
called out several times, at the top of
his voice.
Halo, Hood! Hood! What's the
matter with you? You don't know
anybody since you're driving such a
fine turnout A mistake which great
ly amused both General Grant and the
doctors wife.
SIN the fall of 1866, said Doctor
Hood. latter President johnson had
been swinging around the circle and
he and General Grant had fallen out,
was still in service and was ordered to
report at Vicksburg. for duty. The
train on which l left Washington was
extremely crowded; there was not a
seat to be found. l was not in full
uniform and had nothing, in fact, which
denoted military rank except stripe
upon my trousers and a sword in a
chamois leather case, which l carried
in my hand. Presently young officer
came up and introduced himself, stat
ing that under no circumstances could
he permit the General of the army to
stand while he could prevent it.
saw that he had made the same mis-
take about me that was so often re-
peated. and made the most vigorous
and explicit disclaimers. 1t was of no
avail, however; the more / protested
the more he stuck to it. and at length
he leaned over and whispered: Gen
eral, it's all right; you'll find me per-
fectly discreet but I'm not an absolute
idiot, for | was introduced to YOU oniy
yesterday at your headquarters in
Wash .ngton by Representative Oliver
j. Dickey, Lancaster, Pa Protesta-
tions and asseverations were alike
futile and had to MAKE the best of it.
My young and enthusiastic admirer
finally procured a seat for me, but as
the train reached Frederick Junction
he came up again and remarked:
General, | find that there are quite
q number Of your old soldiers on board
the train and they are wild to shake
the hand Of their brave commander.
Will on not conde5cend to Oblige them
just this once?"
My case was fast becoming desper-
ate; but. making an almost superhuman
effort. partly by persuasion and partly
by assuming an air of stern an forbid
ding authority, succeeded in subduing
my tormentor. When we finally part.
ed, however, he compromised by taking
q couple of enormous rOsv-cheeled
apples from his 'grip-sack' and giving
them to me. with the urgent request
that when | reached St Louis / would
be good enough to give these to Mrs
Grant; he wanted her to know what
kind of apples grew in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania" Washington
Letter.