The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-05-20
(New York Sun

~>N'-
rode behind General Grant above
thirty-two years ago from City Point
to some other point when he was in
the eliminating point of his fame.
Never was he more mys,ery than
then. He had come past the whole
army list, was lieutenant general, was
in a fortnight or more to receive the
sword Of Lee, and still was an ex-
lernal, unsolved, foreign like quaint
ty. | was an army correspondent,
stating my first lust Of the eyes upon
his Timour.
Clothed in gray myself, unrelated
to anybody there, | wondered that he
did not look at me, that his few staff
officers and company Of escort did
not halt Inc, for might have been an
assassin or spy, and was an intruder,
one who pressed too far to touch
his garment out of my overweening
faith.
In that supreme hour of Grants do
minion he never diverted his eyes,
never even looked at me, while kept
on his fink at sure pistol shot, and
watching his peaked oil skin hat,
three stars, healthy, clean, cheerful
but settled face, neat fitting blue uni
form, solid country body, and picked,
strong horse.
Sheridan had just come, adding an
other army to Grants, and the lieu
tenant general, not expecting him, as
we now read, was going out that way
somewhere, to look at his left. Dis
tances in war are longer than in peace,
and it was twenty eight miles to forty
miles out to Sheridan's position, much
beyond Petersburg.
Grant rode steadily, not preoccu-
pied nor yet alert, inhaling the bios
sony March air as if he was happy
man.
To think to day how healthy he was,
and that he moulders in that coffin al
most twelve years!
The 'sgoing alongside" of Napoleon,
or Washington, or King Fritz seems no
stretch OF endeavor after riding with
Grant. Existence with career is the
compound blessing which touches other
lives as for the Kings evil, and that
the great mus, die makes life and death
both just.
Life and death have been competi
tive courtiers to General Grant For
IL
events, testimonials, monuments have
been continuous to him.
Pepin and Charlemagne only crossed
the Alps, Caesar travelled only from
Belgium to Spain and Egypt, Napo-
leon never was in America, Alexander
never saw China. Grant ,raversed the
world, made Welllngton's life provn
cial, arbitrated as the private friend
coins recourse, Vlctorla's friend,
Bismark's guess; what was ever like
| it?
He doubled Nj 1c:o Polo on Colum
bus, buried OPP nents like Sumner
and Greedy with ne answering in the
industrious simplicity Of his tasks down
to the fatal, pride pierced end, to the
Village Blacksmith:
Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees 1t close.
Finally he becomes the one monu-
mentalzed auest of the Rome, the me-
tropolis of the never half world. His
tomb, like Hadrian's mausoleum, sur
wives in the chief vista, line of great
men buried here with public honors
for specific benefactlons.
Few think TO day that great statue
of Dewitt Clinton stands in Green
wood; that Fulton, and Hamilton and
General Gates lie among Us; the i'm
passive, quiet stranger from the ruined
mining town OF Galena has usurped
the hill, the most expensive temple,
the public park.
1t is like the tomb OF Hiawatca-to
something not yet ineligible because
SO plain Reduced to his essentials,
Grant had no more than the Indian
myth; his bow and arrow, stone mill
and family brood. For seven years he
was detached soul, struggling to put
his foot across the limits of society, a
dropped officer not til 10 be made town
surveyor.
we'll recollect the bitter face of
Dick Yates, Governor of Illinois, as he
rected TO me IN Grants presidency
how he had lost the great chance to
win Grants friendship, but at length
tossed him bad regiment i'll underes-
timating stlngIness.
Washburne also feared Grant after
he had enjoyed for years the rank Of
Grants legislative savior. There was
in Grant growing mastery such as
tutors and playieilows fear III their
prince. He came on with those great
and true "whi,e horses Of Marty" the
Events.
A savage soul was there borne on by
the plunging s,eeds he could not hold.
. He hung to them. They and he ar
, rived breathless. This is The statuary,
{ the monument.
Gran, had not much semblance nor
A resemblance.
I As President he led 10 their stations
e the broad galaxy of his war genera
ton, like Napoleon before him. and
made corresponding displacement in
:, the legislative and statesman genera,
J, ton. These rebelled but he stayed a
mute mourner by their tombs. Grant