The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-02-15
GRANT AND LoNosrREEr.
TAe E~-Ceaeesserass Talks nj hs~ Relations
with the Dead General. 1

Wsth she Dead G;ener~l.
..Evcr since 1881 said General Long
sarsst, in "a talk with an Atlanta C"nsf'f"-
fsoa man. ~ had becn ON terms OF closest
intimacy with General Grant. i well re-
m the fragile form which answered
to the name of Grant that year. HIS uis-
tiuguished trait as a cadet was girish
mo<Iesty, "a hesitancy in presenting nhs
own claims. n i'm the duties
assigned to him. As ! was of a. large ana
robuss physique, ! was at the head III most
Iarks and games. Hut IN these young
Grant never Joined because of his delicate
frame. In horscmanship. however, he was
noted as the most proficient i'm the acad-
envy. In fact. rider and horse. held tn
veshe like the tabled Ccntaur.
"In isia l was attached tn the Fourth
Infantry a. second lieutenant. A year
later Grant Joined the same regiment,
stationed i'm that year at Fort Jefferson,
IL miles from 81. Louis. The ties thus
formed have never been broken, but
Their. was =, charm that held u> together,
of which the world has never heard My
kinsman. Mr.. Frederick Dent, was "a sub
stantial farmer, living near Fort Jcffer-
SOIL. He had n liking for army officers,
and his son Fred was ~ pupil at West
Point. One day l received an invitation
meet young Fred, who had just returned,
and I asked Lieutenant Grant To go with
me. This he did, and. of course was
coIne in being Miss Julia Dent the charm
ing d.. ugt,ter of our host. IL il needless
to say MAJ -. we saw w , hm' yii. u. n. r ra;
court, in fact. with such issiduity.
as ~ give. rise To the hope that hc had
years later, in lsis, aft r the usual uncer-
tainti.- of "a soldiers co,rtshlp, Grant re-
turned and claimed Miss Dent as his
bride. | had been married just six months
AT tha, time. aud my wife and ] were
among the guests at the wedding.
"bnly a few months ago Mrs. Grant re-
called IN nv InanlorN an incident Of OIr
jefferson life that was CONNECTED with
General Grants courtship. Miss Den,
often by Lieutenant Grant. On one o.
casion, when she did not happen To go
with hum. Lieutenant Harkins went up tn
her and asked. with "a pitiful expression
ON his face: "Where is that small man
with the large epulctsY'
"In lsii the Fourth regiment was or
dcred to Louisiana to form part of the
army of observation. Still later we
formed par! OF the army OF occupation IN
"Dnring the Mexican war we were sep
srated. Grant having been made quarter
master of the Fourth rcgi,ien,. while !
Eighth. Al the battle of Moline del Rcy,
however. 1 had occasion to notice his
superb goodness and courage under fire.
So noticeable was his bearing that his
gallantry was alluded To i'm the official re-
ports.
ana and Texas continued General Long
street. 1--WE frequently engaged i'm the
game OF Drag ana .rttnt tttte ana ~lttliItr
diversions. We instructed Grant i'm the
mysteries OF these games, hut he made u
poor player. The man who lost 75 cents
in one day was esteemed m those times a
peculiarly unfortunate person. The games
often lasted the entire day. Years later,
in 1855. happened to b., in 81. Louis and
army chums. We went into the Planters
hotel tn talk about old times and il was
old-tinic game of brag. but il was found
that we were one short in making up q.
full hand. Wait q few minutes, said
"In "a few minutes he returned, with "a
man poorly dressed in citizens clothes. in
Going into civil life, Grant had been nm
fortunate, and he was really in needy Cir
c~umslances: The next day } was walking
self face to face with Grant. who. placing
i'm the palm of my hand "a 80 gold piece,
insisted that ! should take II in payment
| ~peremptorily declined tai take IL. allsg-
ing thai he was ont of the service and
more in need of il than l.
"'Iou must take it, said he; Il can not
live with anything in my possession that
IL NOT mime
face. and i'm order To save him Inortitica-
ton. ] took the money. and shaking
bands. we parted.
.Tiie next time we met" said General
Long-tr"ct. was at ApponIattox. and the
tirs, Thing General Grant said Ia me when
mine. Was: Pete "a somSriauc, of minc,,
let US have another game of brag tai recall
th. old days which Were. 50 pleasant To us
all Thought I to myself. as my heart
swcllel out Ia such a. m~agnaniniotis touch
of humanity. why do men tight who We're
born Ia Ia, brotiicrs|
"iriring the war my Immediate com
mand had engaged the troops of Grant
hut oncc-at the battle az the Wilderness.
We came in no sort of personal relation.
however. Ia the spring of 1Si5. one day
while awaiting "a letter from General
Grant, General Ice said to me: There il
nothing ahead of ,s but to surrender
1T was .s one of the commissioners APP
pointed to arrange terms al peace that j
met General Grant at A~ppamattoN. His
whole greeting and conduct toward us
was az though nothing had happened Ia
mar our pleasant relations.
ain lSai ' had occasion tn visit WASH
ing,on an business. and while there I
made "a call of courtesy ON Gen. Grant at
his office. As | arose 10 leave he followed
me ont into the hallway and asked me to
spend an evening with his family. I
thanked him. promising compliance. and
passed "a most enjoyable evening. When
leaving Grant accompanied mo into thu,
hallway and said. General. would you
like To- have ap amnesty"
unIrcparcd for this. | replied
that ! would like to have IL. but had no
hope of getting IL. He told me to write,
on, my application aud call AT his office al
noon. the next day. and i'm til" meantime
lac would see President johnson and Sec
rotary of War Stanton in my behalf.
When | called he had already seen tl,cs.
men and assured me that tIitrs. WAS NOT