River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-06-20
GENERAL CHANTS DOUBLE.
Or. Hood. of Washington, an Exact COun
terpart of the Great Soldier.

Or. Hood. of Washington. an Exact Coun-
terpart of the Great Soldier.
There are few of those strange out
yard resemblances which exist between
different persons more remarkable than
that which DIR. I. b. Hood, of this city
formerly a 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 tho
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, ana the strange
resemblance referred 10 was often a
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
Mt precisely the same notch on tho
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 of at an
angle, and Surgeon Faxon, seeing the
couple coming toward him. stood beck
oning and hailing them, but as they
turned of 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
1 ly amused both General Grant and the
doctors wife.
''ln the fall of 1866. said Doctor
Hood. "after 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 | left Washington was
| extremely crowded; there was not a
/ seat to be found. | WAS not in full
/ uniform and had nothing, in fact. which
/ denoted military rank except a stripe
4 upon my trousers and a sword in a
/ chamois leather case, which l carried
/ in my hand. Presently a young officer
/ came up and introduced himself, stat
I ing that under no circumstances could
ne permit the General of the army "a
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 nc
+ 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 | IN not an absolute
/ idiot, for was introduced to you only
/ yesterday at your headquarters in
1 Washington 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 admirei
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
/ a number OF your old soldiers on board
/ the train. and they are wild to shake
/ the hand of their brave commander.
/ viii you not condescend 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
couple of enormous rosy-chee<ed
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.