The times., 1897-04-26
GEN. GRANT AND his FAMILY.
The Personal RecoIIections of Gen.
George A. FORSYTH


to his WIFE II she was in the room no
other woman held the slightest attraction
for him; In tact, unless he was reading or
talking with some one, and she was pres
ent, his eyes seemed to instincsively seek
her out, and would remain fixed upon her.
With restful and loving satisfaction that,
TO keen observer, plainly conveyed his
iove. admiration and appreciation of that
stanch and splendid helpmeet, who, through
ali the vicisstudes of his wonderful career.
never failed him for an instant, and whose
beiiefn and affection for hin was as great
In the dark days after he had resigned
from the Army and was practically at the
foot or tie ladder in the little city Z
Gaiena, H., az 1t had been when he was
one OF the youngest captains in the service,
with an apparently assured future before
him. And now that everything relating
to the great soldier 3 of relative value In
forming true estimate of the man, |
think I may be parCloned for repeating the
substance of a conversation held between
his eldest son and myself years ago, when
we We're both serving as aides upon the
staff OF Gen. Sheridan In Chicago and
occupied the same room at headquarters
together. The colonel was telling some
thing of his boyhood life on the farm near
st. Louis, and at Galena. H.. and this,
in substance, is what he told me. /
think 1T was short time after the family
came TO Galeaa to live that, one Saturday
night, Capt. Grant, in Freds presence,
said TO his wife: Julia, have we any
meat in the house over Sunday?''
"NO, Ulysses; why
''CcuId we get u without it?''
"Certainly, If necessary; why not? There
is plenty OF everything else; we can easily
10 without meat for one day
"The fact is.'' continued the captain,
"my employer has been suddenly called
out of town and amout money. 1 don't
owe the butcher anything, and / think
ne would trust me, but 1 dislike TO ask
credit
Certainly net, said Mrs. Grant; don't
think of such thing. There is no use OF
putting yourself under obligations TO bira
for such a matter" And here Fred left
the room.
Now" continued Col. Grant, money
was very scarcein those days with father,
and we lived very economically. There
was good roof over our head and plenty
to eat, but nothing to waste; and mother
did all her own work, too. She was a
SDfNutit2 NDph tiR4Adi NdtN
of US children, kept lis clean and neat
looking, and her house was as neat as a
new pin and always in perfect order l
don't see how size did it all, but she did
Well, some time before this my grand
father had given me a silver quarter for
spending money, which was quite "a sum
for small boy in country town i'll those
days, and had put it carefully aside as
II
got it, stepped down to the grocer's,
bought three salt mackerel with it and
brought them home and gave them to
mother. Father happened to see me-. and
said: why, Fred, what have you there?'
'Mackerel, said l. Where did you get
them?' Fought them He hesitated a
few seconds, and tnen said: Did you buy
them with the money your grandfather
gave your Yes, father He looked
at me steadily for moment, and 1 saw
his eyes fill up for the first time in my
life,'' said Col Fred, land then his voice
quiveTed little and he said: Fred, my
son, I'll never forget this as long as I
live,' and,'' added the Colonel, with a
beaning face, ''he never has, Sandy He
made me a present of $4,000 the last
time | was in Washington
During Gen Grants first Administra-
tion / was at the White House for some
days, having been included in an invita-
tioD given my chief, Gen. sheridan, and
it was on this occasion that 1 first
noted his extreme care for and devotion
to his wife. l recall one occasion that
was especially n0ticeable 1t was the
night Of a State dinner, and the family
ana household party had assembled in the
oval room before going down stairs to
the parlor to meet the dinner guests
Mrs Grant came into the room last. in
full dress, and She certainly was look
ing UncomInoniy well Her costume on
this occasion was exceedingly becOm-
ing, and in those days she had beau
tiful neck and shoulders, with finely
formed arms; small and welEshaped
hands and tiny feet Her dark brown
hair was cOiffed neatly, and she wore
but few Jewels, but her face WAS radiant
and she locked, and l think she was, a
very happy woman. l happened 20 look
up as she came in and l followed the
glance of her husbands eye as it rested
upon her. l had closely scanned that
inpassive face on two very momentous
occasions, on neither OF which b al been
able TO detect the slightest change OF
feature, but tonight | was fairly startled
at the look of love, pride and satisfaction.
which his face and eyes expressed as he
gazed upon her. Could it have been that
just then he was thinking OF the dark
days when, standing almost friendless
and alone, the dear wife had proved
SO CHEEKY in adversity, and ever stood
so stanchly and loyalty by him?
About the second year Of the generals
last Ad,ninistrati L was a guest at his
cottage at Long Branch, and one moonlight
night, when most OF the household was
out somewhere, / came back from one OF
the neighboring cottages where several of
US were having some sort of a ioili ification
To get photograph out OF mytrunk AsI
came down to the veranda from my bed
room aud was about leaving the house.
was so fascinated by the moonli ght on the