The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-29
TWO WOMEN PEACEMAKERS.
Gen. Grants Singular Proposition to Gen.
LOpgstreet.

LOnRSIr6eJ.
In those idle and peaceful days which
followed graduation at West Point,
army duties were pleasant rather than
exacting, and time hung lightly enough
to make social life about post very at
tractive. 1t was in those .halcyon days
that the friendship between Grant and
Longstreet began which was afterward
drawn upon by the great union COM
mander in his attempts to bring peace
10 the country months before the cy-
clone of conflict knocked the life out of
the confederacy and left politicians to
wrangle over details for restoring the
union that bred no end of trouble.
Gen. Grants idea was an inspiration.
The attempt was bold enough to be
startling even now, but It gives another
evidence of the wonderful soldiers cour-
age and faith in his judgment. The
peace conference at Hampton Roads
had failed. President Lincoln had re-
turned to Washington and the southern
commissioners had gone to their homes.
The union comma nder had set great
store upon the result of this meeting,
and was much depressed as he saw the
prospects for an early peace vanish.
But the man of many resources did not
spend time in regrets. He soon turned
his mind in the direction of arranging a
military conference between himself
and Gen. Lee, in the hopes of reaching
some terms for the cessation of HOSTILE
ties that would be SO fair to both sec
tons that the politicians would be
forced by public sentiment to accept
them as the basis of a peaceful settle
ment of the war.
The task was a difficult and delicate
one, and could only be accomplished by
indirection Gen. Grant instinctively
turned toward Gen. Longstreet for aid
to accomplish it The confederate gen.
eral had been near him when he mar
ried Miss Dent and took up his residence
as post quartermaster at the City of the
Straits In the whirl of those days
Grant and his young wife and Long
street and his bride were prominent
and interesting figures To restore the
old-time relations between the two
wives, who were as fast friends as their
husbands, would be to open the door
for social communion between mill
tary spirits that might lead to good re-
suits If not solve the problem in the
head and heart of the union leader.
Both armies were facing each other
in winter quarters Mrs. Grant was
with her husband within the federal
lines, and Mrs Longstreet was with
Za
the sequel shows, both of these noble
women were quite willing 10 perform
the important part which had been as
signed them Gen. Ord, who il IS said
was always hunting fight. was sent
for by Gen Grant and received certain
directions An hour later in the oppo-
site confederate camp one of Long
and said:
There Is a flag OF truce along the
line, with Gen Ord in charge, sir
Il was only few minutes before
Gen. Ord and Gen Longstreet met al
the latter's tent. Our men said Ord.
ARE trading sugar for tobacco, and cof-
fee for other things your men have.
They are even playing games and run-
ming horses together, making picSs:
service pleasure rather than 81 IL
portant outv. L "a eesi-aele that j:
should o stopped,
LoCsstreet agreed :ha; 4 should and
that settled j. This incident brushed
away. which Was really only 70 pave
the way Tor one Of the most remarkable
that ever took place os-