Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-09-05
MORTAR BEDS FOR GRANT.
a Story OF the War Abram 4. Hewitt
and the tron Men.

A friend Of Mayor Hewitt told re-
porter a story Of his employment by
President Lincoln at another critical
Juncture In the progress of the war, and
the reporter applied To the mayor for the
particulars Of the occurrence. MIR. Hewitt
said.
let me think minute. II was In
the winter of 1861 and 1862. Just before
went To Europe. | was at the tea table
one Sunday might've always had some
thing y company, some twenty or
tlirty on such occasions-and | was al
the head OF the table. when messenger
brought me telegram from Mr. Lincoln.
IL was long printed roll | have the
original still somewhere, and il ran this
way;
understand that you arr a man that can do
things that other men say cant h. done 1iell
Grant Is at Cairo ready 10 move on Fort nonelson
He has thirty mortar homisz and thirty mortars
arr on the way from rittsburg 10 Cairo 1t Is nov
discovered thar there NJ mortar tesls for the
lack OF whseh the expedition win fail because the
ordnance bureau says thcy cant be produced
under nine months They must BE- at Cairo In
thirty days Yours truly A ILSooIS
Il had never seen n mortar bed, " said
Mr. Hewitt 'blrt had heard that Gen.
Rodman, who was then in command az
Natertown arsenal, had Just completed
the model of one, and that night placed
myself In communication with him, a
thing had no difficulty in doing, being
ut the time president of the American
Telegraph company. | was able To get
the operators to- stand at the machine
while ! talked to Gen. Rodman. In
reply To my question. Gen. Rodman said
that the first mortar bed had Just been
I completed. ! asked him If he could send
+ IL down To New York by the Monday
night boat at the latest This was Sunday
night, you understand. and there was nc
way To get il down the next day. He
said he could send il if he received orders
Y to do 50. told him 10 consider that he
was under orders for the time being,
assuring him that would see that he re-
ceived them. which afterward did.
He sent the mortar bed, and il ar.
rived Tuesday morning by the Fall River
boat. spent Monday running around
to the Novels, Allaire and Cornell's iron
works, To secure dranrhtsmen To be
ready Tuesday morning 10 prepare plans
OF the several parts of the mortar bed ON
its arrival found that il weighed
about ton and half. and was com.
posed OF several connected parts. had
IL carted TO the Novelty iron works and
taken 10 pieces, and distributed the
pieces around among the three works
have mentioned. each agreeing 10 make
certain parts and To do all they possibly
could to get them ready in time. The
material Ia make them was not ON hand,
and had To be provided Being i'm the
iron business ] knew who made the diff.
fcrent kinds Of material The principal
maker of AN essential kind of iron re-
fused Ia change his rolls To make what
was wanted, and | telegraphed to MIR.
Lincoln Ia send AN officer To take posses.
sion of his works which he did. The
work progressed with such success that
as result | was able to send the first NOR
tar bed forward in thirteen days from the
time received Mr.. Lincoln 3 telegram and
the whole thirty in twenty six days sem
messenger ON with each mortar bed, AM
the car upon which il was loaded was ct
tached To the express trains with &
f printed order ut the secretary of wal
+ pasted upon 1t which read as follows:
This car must not h. side tracked under penalty
OF death By order Of the SECRETARY OF war.
Gen. Grant received the mortar bed.
+ ON time the expedition went forward
and Donelson and Henry were taken.
paid all the expenses of making and for
wardiny the mortar beds, amounting /,
over $4,000. At the time paper none,
was substantially at par, or nearly so
When got my pay IN paper money
year afterward paper money had dcpre
ciated over "A half, and got IL then only
on the order of Mr.. Lincoln, with whom
then had my first interview. When
waa presented 10 him he said: Why. yol
are not such IA tremendous fellow aftel
all. ] thought you must be { feet high
and weigh 300 pounds, New IorI
+ Times