The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1893-06-22
THE MATCH FAILED.
NELLIE GRANTS ROMANCE WHILE
VISITING AT WEST POINT.

Her Father HAD Few Months Before Been
Inaugurated President of the United
Belle of the Gatherings.
II was the closing week of commence
mcnt exercises AT the military academy
in June, 1869, and historic West Point
had never appeared more brilliant. Dis
tinsuished guests from all over the
country were assembled t. witness the
ceremonies. and the wealth and fashion
uf New York. Brooklyn, Boston, Phila-
drlphia, Baltimore. Washington and
other cities crowded Roc's and Cozzeu's
hotels and the private cottages tn their
fullest capacities. First AMI foremost Of
all those there was the newly inaugE
rated president of the United States,
ULYSSES 5. 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 Il
host of lesser military chiettains and
also the officers of the academy resp!rn-
dent IN uniform, besides many civic dig
nitares,
Mrs. John \. Dix and Mrs John Bige-
low occupied cottages at Cozzen's, and
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was
present to deliver the sermon 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 revelrics, 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 a century, some 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 tc
the academy by Mrs. Grant and their
daughter, Nellie Grant. The presidents
son, Frederick Dent Grant, was cadet
in the third class and for that reason
the exercises had special attraction for
the members of the Grant family. Cen
eral Thomas Ct. Pitcher, the superin-
tendent of the academy; Colonel Henry
VI, Black, the commandant Of the cadet
corps; Lieutenant Colonel John NJ.
Hildt, who was wooing at the time Miss
jerome, daughter of Leonard Jerome,
and whom he afterward married; Ed
ward G, 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-
perintendents staff was John f. 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 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
tainment. He was her daily chaperon
over the military grounds and explained
to her the many points of historic inter
est there. He arranged private c.tcr-
tainments 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 approvingly and said to
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 Roes hotel. 1t was a brilliant
gathering, and in the opening quadrille
there was a conspicuous set composed of
President Grant and Miss Strother Of
Washington, General Sherman and Mrs.
Grant, Lieutenant Hosmer and Miss Mel
lie Grant and Colonel Audcndried, chief
of General Sherman's staff. and Miss
Kinney, a southern belle. The grizzled
hero of the march to the sea had his eyes
open to what was going on, and i'll one
of the pauses of the dance said to his
partner, Mrs. Grant, in his quick, abrupt
way, what the dowagers had previously
remarked, Looks like match" nod
ding with his head toward Miss Grant
and her lieutenant escort. Mrs. Grant
had her eyes opened.