Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-04-23

out or the army DeIOre was 10 years VI
age, was offered position on the army
staff of the New York Herald, with head
quarters at City Point. Our big tent was
about 200 feet from Gen. Grants log
house, the famous headquarters during
the siege at Petersburg, and the Herald
tent had visit from nearly every General
who came to Gen. Grants headquarters
Those were glorious days. Some of the
staff went to Baltimore every day and
sent the mail and dispatches through to
New York. The Herald tent was the
only newspaper headquarters inside of
Gen. Grants official lines.
On the 9th of April, 1865, Lee surren.
dered. The army was getting ready to
return home. Peace and Joy prevailed
in the nation. left for Norfolk, Va, on
the 18th, and on the evening of the 18th,
left for New York via Fort Monroe and
Baltimore, to attend the wedding OF a
friend IN Brooklyn. On the morning OF
the 18th, as the steamer Adelaide was
Just abreast Of Fort McHenry, John
Wilson, clerk of the boat invited the
writer to take breakfast on board, and
the other two guests were Col. Porter
and Capt. Robert Lincoln of Gen. Grants
staff. We had fish breakfast and no
other spot on the American continent can
beat the Chesapeake bay for fish or oys-
ters. Col. Porter and Capt. Lincoln were
going to Washington. The former to
report to Gen. Grant, and the latter to see
his father, the President. We separated
at Barnums Hotel and have seen neither
of them since. Gen. Porter has just been
appointed Minister to France.
Invent on to Brooklyn aud attended the
wedding that evening. and stopped with
a friend, John Monson, brother of the
present editress of Harper's Bazaar. Next
morning Mrs. Monson called John and
myself and told us that President Lincoln
had been shot. That brought us down
to the dining room IN hurry. All
around us the big brown stone fronts
were in morning with door bells and
windows draped. Still 1 thought it some
gigantic and cruel hoax. A hasty meal
and John and myself were hurrying
toward the Wall street ferry. Al the
ferry we got the Herald extras confirm
ing the shooting and that the President
was dead. When the news got abroad it
seemed as if everyone had lost father or
mother. Sorrow was deep, solemn and
open. On Wall street every house was
closed. The first public resort at which
| we stopped was the Astor House. Tele.
grams were coming thick announcing the
pursuit of the assasslns. Next we went
to the St. Nicholas. Metropolitan ard
Fifth Avenue hotels, and at each place a
tremendous crowd had assembled. The
feeling Of sorrow was giving way to one
of rage and indignation. 1t was terrible
time. On our return down Broadway in
the afternoon nearly every building on
that grand street was decked with en-
blems of mourning, ard all had crepe on
their arms. 1 left New York expecting
to meet the funeral train of the dead
President at Philadelphia, but missed it;
and continued on south. .
Now comes another great event in
April. The remains Of Gen. Grant will
be placed in the magnificent monument
just completed for them in New York.
This great event takes place on the 9th
inst, the anniversary of the mastering
in of my regiment. 10000 men are to be
in the parade in New York and grand
naval parade will tage place on the
Hudson river. One million visitors are
expected in that city.
In April the war opened and in April
the war closed. In April one of the
grandest figures Of American history was
laid low by the bullet or vile assassin,
and in April the final dedication Of the
great soldiers tomb Will take place, and
the blue and gray can join hands with
bowed heads and think Of him who said:
Let us have peace, while the thunder
of Sheridans cannon were still echoing
down through the North Carolina
swamps to greet Sherman and his uncon-
querable legions.
As one looks back over the pages Of
time and starts TO read in memory's great
book of the thunderbolts Of treason that
were hurled at Sumpter, and notes the
multitude of stirring events that follow
ed in quick succession during those mo-
mentuous days in April, 1861, and passes
over the bloody pages to 1865, what
world of history one can see and think.
The surrender of Sumpter sent 300. 900
troops into the army from New York, to
make good the boast of Major Anderson,
who, when he hauled down the stars and
stripes on the crumbling ramparts of
Fort Sumpter, April IA, 1861, said he
would restore that flag to Sumpter under
the Union or it would be wrapped around
his dead body. On April ID, 1865. Gen.
Anderson raised the same dear old flag
40, Tho hortla scarra6 walls IF Su m nt,r