Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-06-06
THE FATHER OF GENERAL GRANT

How the Old Gentleman Heard from
Ills Relatives Through Two Boys.
In the year 1853 II think it was, !
when Grant and Lee were fighting in
the Wilderness, D." a boy companion OF
mine from Maysville, Kentucky, whom
I will call c., and l were standing in
front of the Times bulletin board. on
Third Street, Cincinnati, scanning the
news from the battlefield, and com.
menting on the situatian of affairs.
We noticed the approach of an old
gentleman, dressed somewhat in the
style that prevailed at the beginning
of the present century, or rather, more
correctly speaking, in the garb in which
Brother Jonathan" is usually depicted
in the pictorial papers. Seeing that
he intended speaking to US, and wish
ing to ascertain il he was favorable to
the Southern "side of the question, (" as
we were lin those days caution was a
very necessary element in declaring
ones sentiments we agreed between
US to investigate the old gentleman
when he arrived at the point at which
we were standing as to what his views
were on the war question"
When the old gentleman stopped and
inquired of US: "Well, boys, whats 8
the newsp' l made some allusion to
the fact that General Lee was getting
the best of General Grant, and that it
was highly probable Lee would be the
victor in the contest c., on hispart,
refused the proposition, and said if
General Lee got out of the "Wilder-
ness" without being utterly demolished
by General Grant it was more than he
thought could be possible.
After "sparring' with each other
for a few moments in that manner,
ventured to ask the old gentleman as
to which side his sympathy inclined.
He replied: II don't think it would
be prudent in me to say" in turn
said that as we had expressed our
opinions very freely in his presence 1
failed to see why he should be unwil-
ling to express his whereupon the old
gentleman said:
Grant is my son, and l don t think
it would be exactly right to express my
views just at present"
Our astonishment at this explain alton
can better be imagined than described,
but the strangest part of our accidental
meeting with the father of General
Grant is to come yet, and is, think,
one of the most singular of all the
condolences that ever came under my
observation, or any l have ever read
Of.
Turning to me Mr.. Grant said: Where
are you from ?" I replied, "From the
Kanawha Valley, in Virginia (now
West Virginia.
"Then you know my sister, Mrs.
Tomkins, l suppose" he said to which
l replied that l did, and also all the
members of her family.
After inquiring about each one of
them, he turned to my companion and
asked him where he was from, and
upon his reply that he was from Mays
vile, Kentucky, said: I suppose you
know my brother, James, who lives
there"
G. said he knew him we'll, and that
he was well acquainted with all of his
family. From further conversation
with Mr.. Grant we learned that there
were only two brothers and one sister
of them-himself jesse James and
Mrs. Thomkins, and that they had
not seen each other for years, or, if 1
remember correctly, since they were
children. and it certainly seemed
strange, to say the least, that he should
have heard from his long and widely
separated brother and sister by an ac-
cidental meeting with two boys on the
street of large city.-Richmond
Times.