Evening journal., 1893-04-07
THE MATCH FAILED.
NELLIE GRANTS ROMANCE WHILE
VISITING AT WEST POINT.

ncr 4 Atncr h~u 4 CIV t.ohtil. i.eioIf hteh Il
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 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 $. 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
host of lesser military chieftains and
also the officers Of the academy resplen
dent in uniform. besides many civic dig
nitaries
4nlrt U0AlAl ~ LILA anu NAANH oAAAAA aAAA~
low occupieS 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 clung to it and made
it an attraction 20 the fair sex. Benny
Haven's, 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 a century, some Of them.
Their dean was Denis Mahan. professor
of mathematics, who was afterward 10
seek q suicides death in the Hudson
river.
President Grant was accompanied 20
the academy by Mrs. Grant and their
daughter, Nellie Grant. The presidents
son, Frederick Dent Grant. was a 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 G.. Pitcher, the superin-
tendent Of the academy; Colonel Henry
M. Black, the commandant 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 adiutant 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 II. Hosmcr
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 tC
society in the east, and the young lieu.
tenant devoted much time TO her enter
tainmont. He was her daily chaperor
over the military grounds and explained
to her the many points Of historic inter
est there. He arranged private cater
tainments and parties in her honor at tn,
houses Of the professors, while old dow
ayers. with little else to do than watcl
passing events, noted the growing init
macy Of the daughter of the White Hous,
and the junior lieutenant, looked on tn,
young couple approvingly and said T.
each other, "a match, sure"
The commencement of the academ,
terminated on the evening of Saturday
June IA, with the ball of the graduating
class at Roe's hotel. It was a brillian
gathering, and in the opening quadrill
there WINS a conspicuous set composed O
President Grant and Miss Strothcr q
Washington, General sherman and Mrs
Grant. Lieutenant Eosmer and Miss Ne
lie Grant and Colonel Audendried chic
of General Sherman's staff. and Mis-
Kinney. a southern belle. The glizzle
hero of the march 70 the sea had his eye
open TO what was going on, and in on
o. the pauscs of the dance said to hi
partner. Mrs. Grant in his quick. ahrnl
way. what the dowagers had previousl
remarked. Looks like a match, no,
ding with his head toward Miss Graz
and her lieutenant escort. Mrs. Graz
had her eyes opened.
The next day Sunday Nellie Grant r
laained in seclusion in the hotel, an
bright and early on the following Mo
day morning was hurried away by b
mother to Washington, while the pre-
dent departed for the east in response
public invitations. Lieutenant Hosm
quilted West Point a few days later a
went 10 his homein Massachusetts,, whe
he died IN a few months. Afterward {
presidents daughter was married To-
Englishman. Algernon Sartoris. who al
IN ltaly.- Brooklyn Eagle.