St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-12
POOR NELLIE GRANT.
Her Sad Story Recalled by the
Death OF Her Husband.

L lC uedIll VI AlSGlHOll tOttl tOllH Ill .
husband of Nellie Grant, at Capri,
no othei f cling in America than of
complace.~y. SartoriS was one of the
most unpopular men who ever came to
this country, and he probably left more
enemies when he returned to Europe
than any foreigner before or since that
time. SartoriS was an Englshman. The
announcement of his engagement to
Miss Nellie WrenshaIl Grant. daughter
of Gen. Grant, then president of the
United States, created great surprise. in
social circles in 1872. The prospective
bridegroom was the son of Edward
Sartoris, OF Hampshire, England. His
mother was Adelaide Kemble, daugh-
ter of Charles and sister of
Fannie Kemble. the actress. The
young man had been educated
in England and Germany, ard about
1870 came to the United States to seek
his fortune. In 1872, while returning
from Europe on the steamship Russia,
he met Miss Nellie Grant. who was
passenger Oh the same steamer. From this
meeting grew one of those unaccounta-
ble attachments called by women "love
affairs" which terminated in courtship
and marriage. At that time Nellie
Grant had just turned seventeen. She
had enjoyed life of exceptional social
opportunities and had everything to
make maiden in her teens happy. AS
a child Nellie had often visited her
fathers headquarters on the battlefield
and she was the pet of the army as well
as in the social world at Washington.
She had received distinguished atten
tons from old and young. Her debut
was one of the events of the social his
tory of the White house. The sons and
daughters of the most eminent states
men, diplomats and officials were her
companions. In her home she was the
idol Of her father.
A vulgar ROOr
In Washington society Algernon Sar-
toriS was regarded as all adventurer.
He was man whom people watched
instinctively when he visited them. He
possessed none of the finer social
qualities of young men. He was given to
sporting and much OF his time was spent
at the marine barracks. His conduct
there was matter of common talk. His
ill-conSidered and uneXplalnable COM
ments among the officers about Miss
Grant, the lady to whom he was known
to be engaged, in diSparagement of her
Intelligence and education, often almost
led to chastisement. 1t was only his
Il
which compelled the friends of the
Grant family to suppress their indigna-
ton and tolerate Sartoris' presence.
When it became known to Mrs. Grant
and the general that the attentions OF
Sartoris 10 their daughter meant mar
riage, there was deep sense of disap-
pointment The president. III speaking
on the subject to friend, in most
feeling manner expressed his regret
that the object of his daughters affec-
tons WAS not an American citizen.
The humblest in the land" he said,
rather than the subject of a foreign
State.''
He tried to disSuade his daughter from
so mistaken step, but her determine
ton was fixed, and the president said
that rather than have any public COM
ment he would consent to the marriage,
though with wounded heart. Tie
marriage was the talk of society for
weeks, and the event itself was the
most brilliant which had ever been wit
messed at the White house. 1t was the
seventh affair of the kind which had
occurred there. Miss Todd, a relative
of Mrs. Madison, was there made the
wife in 1911 of John &. jackson, a rep
reSentative in congress from Virginia.
Marie Monroe, the daughter of the
president, Was married in the green
room in March, 1920 to her first cousin,
Samuel l.. Gouverneur. of New York.
1t was there in 1926 that John Quincy
Adams Jr. married his cousin, Miss
Johnson. During the administration of
President Jackson daughter of Major
Lewis, of Nashville, was there married
to NJ. Paquot of Martinique. afterwards
minister of France to the United States,
IN
niece, to Mr.. Polk, OF Tennessee. The
next wedding was that of Miss Nellie
Grant, and since, during President
Hayes administration. Miss Emily
Plat to Gen. Russell Hastings, and
last, President Cleveland to Miss
Frances Folsom.
The wedding of Nellie Grant. then
nineteen, aud Sartoris, twenty-three,
took place in the East room, at II a. M,
May 81, 1874. The floral marriage bell
and other decorations were superb, the
trousseau had never been eXcelled at
the capitol, and everything was in keep
ing. The president was not insensible
to the fact that such marriage might
lead to many complications. Certain
papers were drawn up, looking to the
born, and Gen. Grant did everything he
could to protect his daughters interests,
present and future. The couple Went
to England. Then came back this re-
port:
"If anybody imagines that Nellie
Grant Sartorls is dying of inconsistencies 4
for the friends. scenes and associates of
her happy girlhood he Is vastly mis- 4
taken. Mrs. SartoriS is more than con-
tented With her English home. She
could not be induced to live in the states 4
again. In America she would be plain
Mrs. Sartorls, the daugher of an expires
ident, while abroad she is honored.
courted and WorShiped as a sort of
daughter of an American king. and the
descendant of the greatest warrior the
New World has ever known. Her pc
sition in society is enviable. her country
home is beautiful, she moves in an ex-
elusive set, selects her friends and has
of an English thoroughbred?' ie
Then came reports of domestic dis
cord, vague and vigorously denied at
first. but afterwards confirmed. 1T was
learned that instead of having every
thing she could wish for, her life was
of the unhappiest, and that Sartoris'
conduct toward her Was that of brute.
1t was also learned that Gen. Grant was
furnishing the money that gave her her
fine home in England. During his last
illness Gen. Grant longed to see his
little daughter. The misfortune of her
lot had emblttered his life even more
than his business troubles. 1t was only
with much persuasion that she was
permitted to return, even oil such sad
errand of duty to parent. Her chill
dren were held as hostages for her re-
turn. 1t IS doubtful, had they been
with her. if she would ever again have
left her native land and the shelter of
her mothers roof. She had not lived
with SarIuriS for SIX or seven years. and