Telegram-herald., 1890-06-20

lseet al Ceaesg11.- -oe.
-llsssa--1 -s--
Ncs since General Grant serrea4 erred
g. 1e4.l as LIS al83a naked free s5
aly e1a outside her family aeV-t t1zI
historic struggle W@l-A enae1 81 Ao-1t
ia sfeEor
a iats Mas ere was burning ~ tAe his
torie LC1se Ia : Slxty-s-Ktl street. Uhea
called thegv yes tertay. Aeal % sat Ars,
Grant alone 0u tie s-- hand -
looked doNu upon ser 1ue lfe-hke
picture of her husband, the fecollec-
tous o. uhcse life size is uo@ engaged
Ia gathering p luto v0laule As sae
zdgerted brlenF tut touGerlg. - ths
pathetic and thrilling Incidents q The
Generals LIE during Ile va, incidents
Which as sic herself said Lad neyer
yet become tie pg0perty u Ehe public,
the writer of this article brought away
~ him from his interview With Nrs-
Grant Tie conviction taal the most IL
teresriug chapter In tie book q General
Gr1nts life yet remains % De opened.
When 10 IS AMI especially by TIE
loYug hand that performed many
kindly aud unreco1dsd deed FOR her hus
baad, on the battlefield. Ia the hour OF
trial IN the great city, and al last on
/ lonely MacGregor, such q book Nil De
eagerly welcomed by tho whole Nation.
/ Thinking that perhaps sufficient time
/ had elapsed since her husbands death
% rob such request " lntru-
siveness or indelicacy, and desiring
out Of al the various accounts
that have been published 10 obtain
+ from one whose word should be final
an accurate account Of the last great
I battle OF pen which General Grant
/ fought, the writer paid tho visit In
question. He was received very kind
/ " by Mrs Grant, who, after the mat
ter was explained 70 her, said suOstaa-
TALLY IS follows:
IN any thing that ! may say about
the last hours of my husband or the
book which occupied more than any
thing else his attention, l desire that
my words, which shall DO few and
simple shall be given 70 the public just
Is they were spoken BY me do not want
them added 70 or exaggerated. There
was nothing that General Grant liked
moro than simplicity. There was moth
ing he disliked moro than eIaggeration.
General Grant began the book in
this house, and finished IL on Mount
MacGrczor. lie spent about eight
months on 1t here and about one on 1t
there.
General Grant wrote or dictated
every word OF that book. I have in my
,-~-..---~, Ia ,,,y,
handwriting, just IS be prepared them.
After writing certain number Of psgcs
he would read them TO US all and some
times at our united suggestion would
alter or amend them. Toward the slose
Of his sickness he dictated to Mr.. Daw-
son, who wrote down his words exactly
Is he uttered them. But 10 the very
last he wrote constantly himself lie
often woke at midnight and wrote as
some scene or battle would como visibly
before his mind His great aim in all
his writing was to tell the truth, to pict-
ure things just as taey took place.
"As to the actual effort Of writ.r- the
book, can hardly trust myself even
now 10 speak OF it. II was indeed a
battle in the face OF death. Long be-
fore the task was completed his exer-
tions had become heroic. After he had
been engaged in writing for some time,
when his attendants would lift him back
into bed from the little side room it
would often be found that so great was
his weakness that his underclothing
was as wet with pcrspiration as II It had
been dipped in water.
Several times" continued Hrs
Grant during his sickness we wore
summoned 70 his bedside at the suCges-
tion of the physicians. who thought that
he was dying On one Of these occa-
sions | stood leaning over the back OF
his chair, hanging on every word and
look of his physician with tho deepest
solicitude AID apprehension I heard
one Of them say: In five minutes and
then the other replied: Yes, IN Eve
minutes had little vial OF wator in
my hand containing the fluid q one q
the famous French springs. Feeling
that dim hopelossness hung round tho
General ] unscaled tho littlo vial ald
with an unuttered prayer % God for ny
husband I poured - contents on his
head 1t had come % me from a kind
friend with the simple words: only Try
It. only try It Scarcely had tho spring
water touched his head when tbo Cen
eral slowly lifted his right hand. and
laying IL on the top OF his head. said in
a hoarse. low tonc: Something up
there has touched me that has done me
good
From that moment no grew slowly
better. and soon was at bis book again.
General Grant 20 tho very last was
strangely independent a proud sense
Of the soldier seemed - possess him.
lie was grateful FOR help. but he al
WAYS preferred. IL be co1ld. 20 help
himself On a certain occasion when
lie was very weak an attendant lifted
the cup ~ milk which Tho General
held in bis hands 20 his mouth. Con-
scia1s % the attempt msde % help
him and as II proudly to rehuze the
attendant f7r emphasizing bic weak
uess. Do took the con oat p tho help
er's grasp drew it of with wave oi
his hand anl raising IL 20 his lips
slowly drank Be- down
tlte never oor-rl aired - -si7- Some
ti-os when the evening had come Pc
wea'5 lock ONT - tfe vi-5or and SAY.
Tsr't II time for t0e 5o-t-r a. cones
THIS wss the only er. .rn-e that he
ever gave ~ 1-rest1=ss cr -1t.a. un-
comp .sin.-- 3is1 1airtada And Tot all
ts tr-o. intrrrrr r,e5 rt- many tt-ot -
s-t tTluves n uai1. visa l1rir-
-lrst ard 'hiekert-z toe--e rrice- ts