The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-05-31
THE MATCH FAILED.
NELLIE GRANTS ROMANCE WHILE
VISITING AT WEST POINT.


Inaugurated President OF the United
States. and she Was In Consequence the
Belle of the Gathering.
1t was the closing week of commence
ment exercises at the military academy
i'm June, 1859, and historic West Point
had never appeared more brilliant. Dis
tinguished guests from alb over the
country were assembled to witness the
ceremonies, and the wealth and fashion
of New York, Brooklyn, Boston, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, Washington and
other cities crowded Roe's and Cozzen's
hotels and the private cottages to their
fullest capacities. First and foremost of
all those there was the newly inaugu-
rated president Of the United States,
Ulysses S. Grant, then in the splendor
of his fame. Then there was General
William T. Sherman. his successor in
command of the army: General Rufus
Ingalls,, General Quincy Gilmore and a
host of lesser military chieftains and
also the officers of the academy resplen-
dent ja uniform, besides many civic dig
nitaries.
Mrs. John A. Dix and Mrs. John Bige-
low occupied cottages ut COzZen's, and
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was
present to deliver. the ermo to the
graduates. The glories and the chivalry
of West Point still chung to it and made
it an attraction to the fair sex. Benny
Ravens, with its many legends of clan
destine cadet reveiries, yet remained at
the rivers edge, The faculty were all
noted gray haired professors who had
been engaged in tutoring future military
heroes for half n century, sone of them.
Their dean was Denis Mahan, professor
of mathematics. who was afterward to
seek a suicides death in the Hudson
river.
President Grant was accompanied to
the academy by Mrs. Grant and their
daughter, Nellie Grant. The presidents
son, Frederick Dent Grant, was q cadet
in the third class, and for that reason
the exercises had "a special attraction for
the members of the Grant family. Gen
eral Thomas q. Pitcher, the superin-
tendent of the academy; Colonel Henry
M. Black, the commandant of the cadet
corps: Lieutenant Colonel John M.
Hildt, who was wooing at the time Miss
Jerome, a daughter of Leonard Jerome,
and whom he afterward married; Ed
ward C. Boynton, the adjutant of the
post, and the rest of the officers had pre-
pared an elaborate and interesting pro-
gramme for the commencement, and
during the week or longer that President
Grant and his family were at the Point
there was mortar practice. signal service
movements, the building Of pontoon
bridges, cavalry maneuvers and other
object lessons in the art of war, with
parades every afternoon on the plateau
by the battalion Of cadets, and a concert
afterward by the government band.
Among the junior officers of the su-
perintendent's staff was John e. Hosmer,
a lieutenant Of infantry, who was as
signed as escort to the president and his
family during their stay at West Point.
He was a native of Massachusetts,, Of
good family and ATTRACTIVE personal ap-
pearance. The daughter of the White
House. Miss Nellie Grant, was new to
society in the east, and the young lieu
tenant devoted much time to her enter
tainmant, He was her daily chaperon
over the military grounds and explained
to her the many points Of historic inter,
est there. He arranged private enter.
taiumepts and parties in her honor at the
houses Of the professors. while old dow.
ayers, with little else to do than watch
passing events. noted the growing init
macy Of the daughter of the White HOUSE
and the Junior lieutenant, looked on the
young couple ~approyingly and said t.
each other, "A match, sure"
The commencement of the academy
terminated on the evening of Saturday
June IA, with the ball of the graduating
class at Roe's hotel. 1t was a brillian'
gathering. and in the opening quadrill,
there was a conspicuous set composed O
President Grant and Miss Strother g
Washington, General Sherman and Mrs
Grant. Lieutenant Hosmer and Miss Mel
lie Grant and Colonel Audendried. chic
of General Sherman's staff. and Mis-
Kinney. d southern belle. The grizzlet
hero of the march to the sea had his eve
open TO what was going on. and in ON
of the pauses of the dance said to hi
partner, Mrs. Grant, in his quick. abrup
way, what the dowagers had previonsl,
remarked. Looks like a match" nod
ding with his head toward Miss Gran
and her lieutenant escort. Mrs. Gran
had her eyes opened.
The next day Sunday Nellie Grant re
manned in seclusion in the hotel, an,
bright and early on the following Mon
day morning was hurried away by he
mother to v ,.shington, while the pres
dent departed for the east In response t
public invitations. Lieutenant Hosme
Quilted West Point a few days later an
went to his holnein Massachusetts. wher
he died in a few months. Afterward th
presidents daughter was married to th
Englishman. Algernon Sartoris. who die
in Italy.-Brooklyn Eagle.
Ancient Superstitions
fArrara ard c,,pa~v%sxsara haxa %lo.