The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-01-19
A WOMAN'S PETITION.

/ had been intrusted with a great
7ariety of errands to General Grant,
very military post and hospital at
Fhich we stopped adding to my
Midget.
In my visits to the hospitals there
pad been brought to my notice the
<lses Of several sick soldiers-twenty.
ne In all-who were pronounced in.
farable by the surgeons. There were
amy such cases, but these were of
zecnliar hardships. because In every
stance there was an absolute hind
nee to their discharge, through
Regularity for which they were not
EapOnsible. and that could not be
silly righted. They had lost their
descriptive list )" or their regiments
nStlfe on some remote expedition. be-
aad Stte reach Of mails; or they
we're too i'll to go home unaccom-
paaied. and furloughs were just then
a fObidden favor. All the details of
thes, twenty-one cases were commit
ted tune, with the endorsement of
the surgeons in whose hospitals they
were, ind who certified that these
men WNuld render the Government
no furthr aid, and should be released
from military service.
The request that these twenty. one
dying soldiers should be discharged
and sent lone was the only one /
felt Willing to present to General
Grant, for, Is matters were, he alone
could discharge them. Having "got
the hang" oil the General in the first
interview, ] resolved to see him
again. alone, and urge my suit in be-
half of the IGOR fellows. 1t was a
somewhat Irregular proceeding, and
1 knew IL bit / also knew that he
had the powG to discharge them in
the teeth of any informality. and ]
believed he wuld, when he knew
all the facts. At any rate. I would
not 60 back without making an effor|
for the helpless bows who had be-
sought my aid. and had sent after me
their prayers and anxious thoughts
So a few mornings after. wher
breakfast was over, without inform
ing any one on the sanitary boat o
my purpose. started alone for tn
Magnolia. How to get there was
question, for terra firma was no
where. Where it was not mud.
I,Wss water and where it was no
4ssSter, it was mud and the mud wa
80 liquefied that you sank into 1t a
though walking through porridge
There was substantial footing on tn
Ieyees, but those did not run in tn
direction whittier I was going. On
Of the boys of Colonel Bissell's En-
gineer Corps spied me standing ankle
deep in mud, and offered his help.
needed it. for the Magnolia ha
moved up stream nearly half mile
and l had lost my reckoning. II
piloted me over sloughs bridged b,
his corps. in which lay rotting cal
cases of horses and mules, which ha
got "mired," and been left to die.
went up the gangway of the Magno
liza, and there confronted the guard.
II wish to see General Grant,"
said to him. 81 have letters of IL
roduction-one from the Secretar
of War-and I wish to put these pc
pers in his hands,"
"Pass upstairs into the SALOON.
was his reply. At the head of tn
stairway I was halted by anothe
guard, to whom told the same story
"Pass round behind the screen,
was the reply. The saloon of tn
| Magnolia was partitioned into thre
apartments by movable green bai2
screens. I passed round In front (
the first of these. as directed, an
came upon the officers OF Gener'
Grants staff, lounging and chatting
To them I repeated my story. an
was directed to pass round benin
the next screen. There sat body
i1hedical men. with reports and doc
ments. and any quantity of nudge
tied with red tape. I was again d
rected to pass around behind Il
screen-the third one-where
should find the General alone.
1 Obeyed. and through the bl,
haze of cigar smoke circling throue
the apartment, / saw General Gran
sitting at the table, wearing his hs
cigar in his mouth. one foot on
chair. and buried to his chin in mau
letters, reports, and orders. Whs
ever n,duUdise homie I may have ft
in thus obtruding myself upon Il
modest General was speedily ba
ished by his dIscomposure. For
moment he seemed the most bashf
man l had ever encountered. Risin
and placing a half.dozen chairs at n
service, he begged me to be seate
removing his hat, and taking b