Connecticut western news., 1890-04-23
MRS. GRANTS MEMOIRS.
The Courtship of the Hero oi
 Appomattox.
HIS VERY ROMANTIC PROPOSAL.

Love Letters Written Drums Heads Captured from the Mexicans-Her Soldie, Lover-Happy Times in the White House. NEW YORK, April 21.-The World pub. fishes an interview with Mrs. U. s. Grant, in which she referred at length to the rem iniscences she is preparing. 'I have been working on my book some time, but it is purely a family volume that want for the children" said Mrs. Grant had no idea of publishing it. Our hom. life has been so broken that feel the chil dren know little about it except what they learn from print. It was to enlighten them correct some errors and add new material that I began this work. My people were born in Pennsylvania and made the journey to Missouri when that section of territory was known as the American wilderness They went down the Ohio on flatboats. The trip from Shawneetown to St. Louis was made by carriage. My father had pretty place. There were plenty of negroes to wait on us, numerous cattle and horses, and tc my girlish fancy the farm seemed to b. boundless. ...
 She Meets Lieut. Grant.
 'I lived in sunny Missouri when my brother went to West Point and when hs brought Lieut.. Grant home to spend the holidays. We had many family frolics ir those days, about which my sons are wholly ignorant. There was no selfish secrecy about any of them. We all shared them parents, brothers and I, and the servanta enjoyed their part as much as any of us. In those days was jealously guarded, and {ov, %hnh !, out my brother or servant. One summer day we were going to a morning wedding, and Lieut.. Grant was also invited. Ha came for us on horseback, and asked my brothers permission to drive me in ex. change for his saddle, to which he gladly consented. The day was beautiful, the roads were a little heavy from previous rain, but the sun shone in splendor. We had to cross little bridge that spanned . ravine, and when we reached it was sur. prised and little concerned to find the gulch swollen, 8 most unusual thing, the water reaching to the bridge
 X Romantic Proposal.
 ''I noticed, too, that Lieut. Grant waa very quiet and that the high water bothered me. I asked several times if he thought it dangerous to cross and told him would go back rather than take any risk. He assured me, in his brief way, that it was perfectly safe, and in my heart I relied on him Now, if anything happens remember I shal! cling to you, no matter what you say to the contrary He said all right and we were over the blanks in less than minute. The1 his mood changed, he became more social and in asking me to be his wife used my threat as theme.
 Her Father Objected. s,
 "We had dinner in the afternoon. Lieut., Grant asked me to set the day. wanted te be engaged and told him it would be much nicer than getting married, a sentiment he did not approve. We were very quiet al the house that evening and neither said 8 word of the secret
 "After supper he went back to the regi ment and a few days later Gen. Taylor sent him to Camp Salubrity, in Louisiana. He was too shy to ask father, so he waited till he was stationed and wrote to him. Father ite daughter and he thought army life would not suit me. 2" Besides he said, you are too young and the boy is too poor. He hasn't any thing to give you.'
 s'I rose in my wrath and said was poor too, and hadn't anything to give him.
 Her Soldier Lover.
 "The next year he came back on 8 leave of absence and can remember just how hs looked as he rode up in his new uniform Father was going to Washington on busi ness and we were all on the front porcE kissing him good-by and stuffng his pock kets with notes of what he was to buy. Lieut. Grant asked for my hand, and be- in hurry to get off, consented.
 My soldier lover was in and about Mexico for four years, including the war.
 "And he wrote to yous''
 ''Yes, regularly. Every mail brought m, letter."
 "Real love letters?'
 ''Every one of them full of sweet noth ings, love and war and now and then som' pressed leaves and flowers. Some wer, written on drum heads captured from tht Mexicans, and others on sheets of foolscap folded and sealed with red waters. I reat each one every day until the next one came and then laid it away in little box. have them all, but I don't think shall pu them in my book unless it is to be kept il the family. They are too sacred for publi print.
 Happiness at the White House.
 At the close of the Mexican war w were married. went off to the army witt
 
 in 1851 he went to California A few day later Fred was born. In 1853 my husban, resigned. Father gave me little farn near home and we settled down to house keeping. During the rebellion I was al ways as near the general as it was safe t. be. Whenever he was in camp staff ot fcer came for us. Sometimes Nellie wa with me, but baby Jesse always. As I sait before, our family life was series of inter ruptions, and it is to cement it that an writing my book. And then the publi life! I wish I could reproduce one hun dredth part of the bright companies w had together, but my memory is so treach erous. @ s'There were countless evenings in tn generals library with a few gentlemen, an I the privileged guest, when such me- as Conkling, Blaine, Oglesby, Nye, Howe Anthony, and Jones, of Nevada, gathers round 8 table and broke lances
 Mere Keepsake. @. "I don't make any pretense as a writer am just jotting down things as I woul talk. Books, old souvenirs, menu an | guests cards that I come across sugges material, and am constantly meeting ol | friends and getting letters that refreshe my memory. do some writing every day My son Jesse IS With me TOT snort VlSl1 | and I am using him as. sort of cop reader. I have never thought of bringin | out the book. It is mere keepsake, pre i pared in idle hours for my children an | grandchildren"
 THE BASEBALL WAR. | 1t Opens in Warm Style at the MetrOpt | lis-The Scores. l NEW YORK, April 21.-The irrepressibl conflict between the Players league an the magnates opened in earnest in this cit | Saturday afternoon. The day was glor ous one and the 'cranks' were on hand 1 force at both games. At Brotherhood par | ouar 3 OO0 naorala la u,a tchad tho Phil adalnIj