The morning call., 1890-11-02
MRS. GRANTS
STRANGE DREAM.
4 Vivid Vision in Which Future
HOnOrS Were Beheld.
The Story of an Ovation Told by the Widow
Of the Great General Who Ltd the Ar
mics Of the Union to Victory.

EAN g beautiful house on SiXiy-sixth street
ES in New York. surrounded by comfort
IL and luxury, the center of a large circle
of friends Mrs. Julia Dent Grant is SPEND
ing the declining years of her life. She has
sufficient means 10 provide for herself mu-
nficently and enable her to entertain her
friends and often large companies Of the
public, as becomes the wife of the foremost
captain of the age. Every Thursday is set
apart for the reception of those who wish
to call upon her, ard it is said that certain
persons, among whom is General Sher-
man, visit her every week when she is
in the city. Her life is varied some
what by occasional visits to her children.
who are beyond the sea, Mrs. Sartoris living
in England and Colonel Fred Grant in
Vienna rs Minister to Austria-and her
son Ulysses who lives on farm about forty
mics out Of New York. Mrs. Grant is
modest and somewhat shy in her nature and
no one would suspect from association with
her that she was for eight years the first
lady IN the land" that later, in company
with General Grant, she visited every great
city in the Union, and received attentions
such as aquren might envy, and then made
the journey around the globe, and was the
guest Of all the courts OF
EUROPE AND ASIA.
Some time after the death of General
=
WAS present at large reception of members
Of the Grand Army OF the Republic given
by Mrs. Grant and formed her acquaintance.
Matters relating to the Grand Army called
him TO visit her several times afterward,
until they became sufficiently acquainted for
her to lay aside somewhat her natural re-
serve, and speak more freely of herself and
her ilustrious husband than she otherwise
would. The clergyman, writes a con-
tributor to the Omaha Bee, related the fol-
low Ing incident of ole of bis visits:
"On the last occasion that | visited her
house | ventured to speak of the tender re-
gard with which the old soldiers remem-
bered her husband, when she told of her
earnest love for the members of the Grand
Army and the lifelong affection with which
the General regarded his old comrades. She
proceeded to speak of the great friendship
of the people of the South for him, saying
that Just before the meeting of the National
Republican Convention, during General
Grants second term as President, the Gen.
eral used TO bring her large number of
letters daily from prominent men in the
South, pleading with him to allow his name
to 20 before the convention for n third
time. This led her 10 relate the following
remarkable circumstance, which, so far as |
know, he has not before been made public
1t is so interesting that i think it ought TO
be known by the whole nation.
HER STORY WAS AS FOLLOWS:
Louis, which was small city at that time,
it having attained to its position as one of
the great cities in the Union in later years.
New Orleans WAS the great commercial me-
tropoliS of the South, and with the young
people of my acquaintance visit to New
Orleans was the great event of lifetime.
When one Of our circle was so fortunate as
TO be able to spend a few days there lie was
tie envy of us all. My people. being some
what extensively engaged in business. made
the journey to New Orleans nearly every
year, and it was the greatest desire had to
visit that city. | turned 1t over in my mind
and became quite absorbed with the wish to
make the visit
Zone night had a dream. In my dream
! seemed to be in the city of New Orleans
and the people came out in masses to do me
honor. L was invited to dine with all the
leading persons of the city, and feted until
it seemed that the whole city had turned out
to do me honor. The p0pulace brought
great rolls of carpeting and spread it on the
walks, and the enthusiasm was as great as
though queen was receiving the fealty of
her subjects. But all the time it seemed to
me that while all this was in my honor, and
/ was permitted to receive the honors as if
no enc else shared them, yet another was
present and bis presence was the real occa-
sion of the enthusiastic reception that was
rendered us.
''I married General Grant, and the for
tunes of war placed him where his kindness
of heart enabled him to place the South, as
they thought, under the most lasting obliga-
tions, and they never seemed to tire of
EXPRESSING THEIR GRATITUDE.
LATTER General Grant retired from the
presidency, as you know, we made a tour of
the South. When we visited New Orleans
my girlhood dream all came true. The ell
tire popuace of New Orleans turned out to
do us honor. They unroled great rolls of
carpet on the walks as though the flag
stones were not good enough for us to walk
on. We were the guests of the leading
men, and of the city itself, and were fetsd
by everybody, as if every one was trying to
Guido tie other. Never did any person re-
ceive greater ovation, and / could not help
feeling that 1t all came from the generous
hearts OF the people, as token of their ap-
probation of the Generals kindness to Gen
eral Lee and his army
"In the relation of the story, every point
of which is as related by Mrs. Grant, there
was no evidence of pride or elevation, but
simply a manner that showed how much
she dwells on the memory of her
illustrious husband, and what an in
expressible privilege it was to have
been his lifelong companion Mrs
Grant belongs to the American people
whatever concerns her concerns them also,
and this simple story, which has not been
told before, will possess an interest that
nothing OF romance could ever awake, and
only because / believe many will read it
with the greatest interest do l give it to the
world"