The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-23
STORIES OF GRANT.
TWO WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE HU-
MOROUS SIDE OF HIS CHARACTER.
Teaching "A Lesson To an Officer Who Was
Afraid OF the Rain and the Mud-Lieu-
tenant Wickfeld of the Indiana Cavalry
and the Arkansas Pumpkin Pie.

When General Grants headquarters
were at Culpeper, an officer attached to
| the quartermaster' department, who was
| stationed some half dozen miles away do
sired to consult him on some business that
| he deemed of Importance. The day was
| exceedingly rainy, and the roads were knee
| deep in mud, and to avoid undue exposure
to the weather the officer-who was one of
| the old regime, with full appreciation
of the dignity of his rank--ordered up
| close carriage, and rs it was likely that
| night would come on before he could re-
turn, had the lamps trimmed and hung
out on either side of tho drivers seat.
Then, with an escort of II cavalrymen, he
SET out for headquarters happy in the
| thought that no was proof against the fast
| descending rain.
| Not far from Culpeper he met an ofGi-
nary looking horseman, attended by only
| single orderly, and was about to pass
| him without notice, when he suddenly
! recognized him to be the lieutenant gen
eral, who, in spite of the rain, was max
| ing his usual round Of the army, attended
! by his usual slender escort. To descend
from his carriage and salute his chief was
but the work of IA moment, but the gener-
al, irritated by the style and pretension
of the officer, was in no hurry to see him
regain the shelter of bis carriage. Walk
along with me little, said the general
Il want to talk with you" With polish
ed boots and uncxceptiOnable kids, Mr..
| Quartermaster did as he was hidden, and,
with touch of grimness, the general LED
| him through the muddiest part of the
road and did not release him until he was
| -. tla,f
al himself Then lie dismissed him with
few curt remarks which were not over
heard by the orderly. Their purport, how
ever, was conjectured by the generals
staff, for they observed that the officer
never again appeared at headquarters in
| close carriage.
| Another amusing anecdote was related
to me by one of General Grant s staff Off
| GERS The incident occurred early in the
war, when he was in command of an ex-
! petition against the Confedcrates in south
| western Arkansas. He was on "a march OF
more than 100 miles, and the greater part
of the way through wilderness entirely
destitute of supplies for man on horse. The
suffering OF the soldiers was very great
| during the first two days of the march.
| Uncultivated real estate could not be CON
fiscated, and not porker, nor chicken,
| nor even an ear of corn was anywhere Wis
ible. On the third day. however, affairs
began to look more hopeful for few iso-
lated dwellings and small patches Of
ground were here and there to be seen in
a state of partial cultivation.
On that day Lieutenant Wickfield of an
Indiana cavalry regiment commanded the
advance guard of eight mounted men.
About noon he came upon small farm
,avI at,nn inG IL
Gated there might be some food upon the
premises. Hating his squad, he dismount,
ed, and with two of his subordinate Off
GERS entered ne dwelling. Grants fame
| had already one through all that country
and it OCCURRED to the lieutenant that by
representing himself to be the general he
might obtain the best the house afforded.
Therefore, assuming stately demeanor,
he accosted the mistress Of the house with
q demand for food for himself and his
staff To her inquiry as to who he was he
| answered, Brgadier General Grant, and
at the sound of that name all the members
| of the family present flew about with won-
derful alacri.y, serving up all they had in
the house. with profuse expressions of 10y
atty. They were all women, the men being
away with the body of Confederates that
Grant was pursuing. The lieutenant and
his squad Toasted to their hearts content
add then demanded what was to pay.
Nothing" was the prompt reply of the
mistress of the house, protesting that rs
she was loyal woman she could not think
of accepting pay from tho defenders OF the
country. With this Lieutenant Wickfield
and his STAFF went on their way rejoic-
| ing.
General Grant had halted his forces a
/ :. e lx.,t
resumed his march, and about the time
that the lieutenant was well out of sight
and hearing he rode up to this dwelling,
and hating at the fence in front of the
doorway inquired if the good people there
would cook him meal.
No" came from gruff female voice
on the inside of the closed door. General
Grant and his staff have just been here
and eaten up all we had in the house ex'
cept one single pumpkin pie.
"Indeed!" said Grant. what is your
nameY"
"Selvidge," replied the woman, now
venturing to open the door.
"Well, madam, l want that pie, said
Grant, tossing the woman half dollar
please to keep 1t for me. will send FOL
1t tonight"
The woman took the money and made
the promise. Then Grant rode on some
Is miles to where the army was to go into
camp for the night. There the various
regiments were notified of n full parade
at 6: 30, to which the officers were To see
that all the men attended This was sc
unusual thing with force on the march
that it created decided sensation, many
surprising the enemy was upon them. The
parade was formed ten columns deep, and
nearly quarter of IA mile in length. ano
after the usual ceremonies the assistant
adjutant general read the following order
HEADQUARTERS ARMY In THE FIELD.
Especial Order.
Lieutenant Wclxfeld Of the Indiana cavalry
having ON this day eaten everything in Mrs
Selvidge's house. at the crossing of the lrontor
and Pocahontas and Black River and Caps
Girardeau roads, except one pumpkin pie
Lieutenant Wicl1fleld Is hereby ordered % re-
turn with an escort of 100 cavalry and eat thai
mic also L. y GRANT,
Brigadior General, Commanding.
At Z o'clock the lieutenant filed ont q
camp with his 100 men amid the cheers OF
L a ~