The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-08-21
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
GIimpses of Grant.

give hn duueu luteresI lO une IOllOWlng,
clipped from the columns of the Boston
Sunday Journal:
CT was with the general through
nearly the whole Of the war;" Mrs.
Grant remarked in recent interview,
"and must confess / am fond of the
army. was glad to be with him, and
he always arranged his headquarters, if
possible TO do 80, in order that l might
share his lot. l remember, when he
was stationed at Nashville, he sent for
me to come, and few days after my
arrival he was ordered away to another
post. He came into the headquarters
looking very depressed, and when i
told him that some of the ladies had re-
marked that he always ran away when
l came, he said that he had been plan
ming all in his power to remain where
be was, but that Longstreet's move
ments forced him to go to the front.
In bis last campaign in Virginia was
with him, and lived for several months
in log cabin on the banks of the James
river. We had waited long and anx-
iously for the surrender of the South,
and l remember how gladly he hailed
the news that Lee was ready to lay
down his sword. The general had Sc
we're headache when the tidings came,
but he said it vanished instantly. He
was glad the war was over for the sake
of the Southern people. He bore no
feeling of luminosity toward his oppo-
nents, and often he has told me that
for the good of the South he wanted to
end the struggle.
"'They are people, he sometimes re-
marked like ourselves. They are brave
and patriotic, but hot blooded and i'm
pulsive, and led on by fire-eaters. They
have struck out wildly, and for their
own sakes wish to bring this war to
an end-the sooner the better for both
sides, for divided nation could never
live. We must be a Union And al
ways his expressions were full of feel
ing that longed to bring the whole ma
ton back into harmony. At the time
of the convention, when he was urged
as a presidential possibility, 1 said to
him: ulysses, do you really want to be
president?' He was dressing at the
time, l remember, and he looked at
me and smiled. Really, l don't be-
lieve l have any say in the NATTER he
laughingly replied. But do you think
of the responsibility of giving salts
factory government to such vast ma
tion-a nation of such diverse feelings
and needsp' l asked. We'll, l would
feel that if my country calls me 1 must
obey,' he answered, gravely. Il do be-
lieve that the people of the South know
me to be a genuine friend, and that
they have confidence in the kindness
| i1o IF
Few, perhaps, knew that General
Grant was a stakeholder, but the fact is
that he had several in the state of Mis-
souri,, and these were freed, like those
in the South, by the emancipation proc.
lamation. "These slaves" said Mrs
Grant, "came to him from my fathers
family, for l lived in the West when ]
married the general, who was then q
lieutenant in the army. lived in the
army then for awhile, and afterward
we farmed in Illinois. When the wal
broke out l followed him to the field
Then followed period of rest at Wash
ington, and the eight pleasant years we
spent in the executive mansion.
When General Grant was i'll he
spoke of his last resting-place and re-
marked that it was likely that the peo
Pile would desire to bring him to Ar
lington, or that his remains should res
at the Soldiers Home, but he did no
wish to be placed in either cemetery
for the reason that he wished to lie il
death alone where / could rest by hi
side, and he believed there was a mil
itary restriction against anyone excep
soldier being buried in these grounds
| of do in, Mo-
York has progressed great deal, and
was surprised to see how near it was t.
completion"
Mrs. Grant has an easy, peasan
way of chatting, and there is nothing O
conscious pride in her manner, for she
on the contrary, loves the quiet and sc
cusion of home. Rather short, with
plump figure, handsomely gowned il
black, her personality is pleasing, an
she takes grandmother's pride in tn
young generation that is growing VI
around her.
In spite of numerous requests, Mrs
Grant has done little literary work a
yet, but she is now preparing for tn
press what will be volume of yer
valuable historical reading 1t is
journal of her life, in which she fol
lows up the career of her husband, and
step by step, describes events as the
are pictured on her memory. But thi
work will not be completed for som
time to come, and when finished sh
estimates the value of it will reacl
100000.
That this book will be one of talen
is easily judged from the short sketcl
of her life which was published in a re
cent volume of Essays of Famou
Women. In speaking of her happ,
life, she says: "All this time 1, hi
wife, rested and was warmed in tn
sunlight of his loyal love and gloriou
fame, and now, even though his beau
tiful life has gone out, it is as whel
some planet disappears from the heav
ens-the light of his fame stills fall
upon me and warns me-"
Mrs. Grant has found Washington
much changed from the city of year
ago. Like the emperor of old, sh
"found it of brick and leaves it now o
MARBLE" for the capital has greatly i'm
prQUpd sipnn Grant frat wolkad ~