The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-02

GEN. GRANT.
fThls SIX etoh Of Gems Grant and Lee Is facsimile
of one tallon at hppomnttox Courthouse on the
morning of April TO- 1895 by t. IL Klemroth. Gen.
Lee was urging on Gen Grant the project of joining
the two armies and whipping the French out Of
Mcxco.l
As you did not mark this " editorial" take II
thnta majority of your renders would consider It
as part of my article. This story has long since
been exploded. Neither Gems Grant nor Lee were
soldiers OF fortune. Gen. Grant fought for tho
conquest Of the Confederate armies and the restor
alton Of the Union. Con. Lee fought for the do
Tense OF tho South and the establishment of the
Southern Confederacy. When Gems. Grant and
Lee met at Appomatto1 II for tho purpose OF
the surrender by Gen. Lee OF the Confederate army
He then had army to offer 10 Gen. Grant, and
Gen. Grant had authority to discuss invasion
of Mexico for any purpose. You will not find In
Gen. Grants Memoirs any reference to such an In
toryiew between him and Gen. Leo.
In justice TO me ask that yon publish this letter
Very respectfully, MARCUS J. WRIGHT.
Gen. Wright is entitled to the disclaimer,
and we freely give place to it. The picture
which 1t was thought would add interest to
the article, was made from sketch taken at
the time by Comrade I. H. Klemrolh, 9th Pa
Cav, who was detailed as q Typographical
craftsman, and at the time of Gen. Lees
second interview with Gen. Grant was for
tunate enough TO be quite near them, though
not within earshot. II was certainly the
universal belief In the army at the time
that at the interview Gen. Lee had urged
upon Gen Grant, as the representative of
the Government, the formation of an expe-
dition to Mexico, to be made up of men
from both armies, and that the latter was
very far from being averse to the PROPOSE
ton.
Indeed many of the leaders, military and
political, both North and South, earnestly
favored such movement for two strong
reasons; Hostility to French aggressions on
this continent, and the belief that such an
expedition, made up of men from both
armies, would be powerful factor in effect
ing q reconciliation between the two sec
tions.
1t Is quite true, as Gen. Wright says, that
neither Gems. Grant nor Lee were SOLDIERS
Of fortune" and that the latter "had no
army TO offer Gen. Grant," aud that Gen
Grant had no authority to discuss any in
vasion of Mexico for any purpose" All the
same, there was no man in the South who
could speak 80 authortatively for the Con-
federate soldiers ~ Gen. Lee, and If he
chose TO offer the services of 100000 men
for the purpose of driving the French out
Mexico, he would have had little difficulty
in making his promise good. On the other
hand, though Gen. Grant had no actual
authority to discuss an invasion of Mexico
everybody in the loyal portion of the Nation
felt that the war would not be really ended
until the French were expelled from our
sister Republic. Gen. Wright seems to for
get that even before the surrender of the
rebel armies we began TO mass troops on the
arms and munitions surrendered by Kirby
Smith were turned over 10 the Mexican
patroits. Therefore, while Gen. Grant may
not have been officially notified that the
armies of the United States were to be di-
rected against Maximilian's Empire, every
body in the Spring of 1865 felt that that
was one of the inevitable things of the near
future.
Gen. Wright's remark about neither Grant
nor Lee being soldiers of fortune has no
bearing on the case. The expulsion of the
French was something which interested
every American patriot, and war for that
purpose would have been as truly patriotic
as that of 1912.