Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-05-09
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 Gatherings.
1t was the closing week of commence
ment exercises at the military academy
in June, 1869, and historic West Point
had never appeared more brilliant. Dis
tinguished guests from all 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 Cozzens
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 in uniform. besides many civic dig
nitaries
Mrs John A. 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 revelries, 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 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 to
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 a special attraction for
the members of the Grant family. Gen
eral Thomas @. Pitcher, the superin-
tendent of the academy; Colonel Henry
NJ. Black, the commandment of the cadet
corps; Lieutenant Colonel John NJ.
Hildt, who was woOing at the time Miss
Jerome, a 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 concert
afterward by the government band.
Among IA i11,1ior officarS of the
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 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 chapercn
over the military grounds and explained
to her the many points of historic inter
est there. He arranged private eGter-
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 Roe's hotel. 1t was brilliant
gathering, and in the opening quadrille
there was conspicuous set composed of
President Grant and Miss Strother of
Washington, General Sherman and Mrs.
Grant, Lieutenant Hosner and Miss Mel
lie Grant and Colonel Audendried, 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 in 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 a match" nod
ding with his head toward Miss Grant
and her lieutenant escort. Mrs. Grant
had her eyes opened.
The next day Sunday Nellie Grant re-
manned in seclusion in the hotel, and
bright and early on the following Mon
day morning was hurried away by her
mother to Washington. while the presi-
dent departed for the east in response to
public invitations. Lieutenant HosIner
quilted West Point few days later and
went to his hoInein Massachusetts, where
he died in few months. Afterward the
presidents daughter was marEed to the
Engiishman. Algernon Sartoris who died
in Italy brooklyn Eagle
Gallant Rufus Cbozte
IA city girl saying to Rufus Choate, 81 am