The evening times., 1898-07-29

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that he could sign the parole and have
his freedom. or could remain prisoner
| Of war. But he asked Brown. as matter
| Of curiosity what reason he had for not
signing tA{at parole.
"Why."' sdd Brown, "if should sign
that document, 1t would destroy all my
hopes of future in politics.
And u (hat possible future" queried
Wilson, Can you have In mind now but
hanging?"
Brown did not enter into an argument
as to future of that sort. but signed the
| parole. He lived. however. to become
| governor of and senator from his State,
| while Reagan, who refused parole in
order to accompany his ailing chief to
prison. Is still an influential factor in
the politics OF Texas.
When President Mckinley came into Of
fce Gen. Wilson was an active and hope
full candidate for the Russian mission.
Fighting Alec McCook and other old
army friends exerted themselves in his
behalf, but the Office went to another
| man. Gen. Wilson now has small cause
to regret that 1t did. and besides. he has
always been more effective champion
of a friends cause than of his own. 1t
was he who secured Horace Porter and
the late Adam Badeau places on the stan
OF Gen. Grant. and there Is good reason
for believing that 1t was chiefly to Will
sons efforts that the recent appointment
| of Adelbert Ames as a brigadier general
Of volunteers Is due. Be this as 1t may.
Amess appointment was one eminently
| fit to be made for he Is soldier Of the
highest ability and courage. He was
graduated at West Point in 1861 In a class
which included Upton, Fitzpatrick and
Fighting Guy Henry, and during the
following three years rose by hard fight
| ing with the Army Of the Potomac to
| the rank of brigadier general.
The men who served under Ames soon
| grew to worship him. He was the beau
| ideal of a division commander" said one
| of them recently land those who rode
with him into battle speedily discovered
| that he never hesitated to take deSper-
ate chances. He seemed to have a life
| that was under some mystic protection.
Although he never permitted anything to
| stand in his way and never asked his
| men to go where he would not so him
| self, still his manner was always cool,
calm and gentlemanly. Under the heavi-
est fire. when men ana officers were be-
| ing stricken down around him. he would
sit on his horse. apparently unmoved by
| singing rifle bullets. shrieking shot or
bursting shell, and quietly give his or
ders. which were invariably communi-
| Gated in the most polite way. and gener-
| ally In the form of a request l often
thought when / saw him under fire that
| If his leg were carried away by a round
| shot. he would merely turn to some Off
Ger or soldier near by and quietly say.
| Will you kindly assist me from my
horse?''
Before he entered West Point Gen.
| Ames had been the first mate of a Yankee
clipper ship and after the war was over.
| and during the period of reconstruction.
| he became provisional governor. United
| States senator and civil governor OF Mis-
| sissippi. He married the only daughter
| of BENJAMIN F. Butler and for dozen
| years past has lived in delightful retire
| ment in Lowell. Mass
Gen. Ames who is in the full strength
and prime of manhood, every inch a SOL
dier and captain. has been assigned to
the command of brigade at Camp
| Thomas. where he touches elbows with
Col. Fred Grant. The late colonel of the
| Fighting Fourteenth has not wholly es-
capped the son-of- his father cry that has
| found its way into certain newspapers.
but the fact remains that he only needs
| the opportunity to prove himself reso-
| lutte. capable and efficient officer. More
over. a story told me the other day by
| a New York business man shows that he
| does not need the cannons threat to
prove his courage and manhood.
Erred. Grant said my friend. was
on Washington express coming over to
New York one day a dozen years ago
| The cars were crowded and he shared
his seat with an old woman who boarded
the train at Baltimore. AT Wilmington
he left her to go into the smoker. and
the train was drawing into the old West
| Philadelphia station when he returned
| to his seat away In the rear of the coach
| The old lady whom he had left he dis
| covered clutching as best she could at
the flying coat tails of a burly man. who
| making a bolt for the car door. was
dragging her after. Grant was at her
side in trice. He has my money. he's
a thief Fred made a grab at the coat
tail. but just in advance of his grip the
| coat tail went flying out the door. young
| Grant close after. Into the station went
| both men. Once Grants hand was full
upon the fellows. but his dander was up
| and instead of laying hold of the scala
wag he suddenly planted himself on the
| plank walk, and then out went his boot.
| once. twice. thrice. under the flying coat
tail with thuds that fairly echoed to the
| roof
"The fellow escaped. but he deserved
| every cent that he got. A dozen times
| that sum couldn't have settled for neces-
sary repairs. The old lady? Her tears
were dried. Fred Grant took care of her
right through to New York, and when he
put her in a cab to send her to her desti-
| nation here a roll Of bills went into her
hands. too. And then she begged him to
| tell her his name. SO that she could make
good his loan, this is what he said: On
one condition: that you will never talk
to anybody about what I have had
chance to do for you today And she
never did talk about Ii, though the card
he gave her she kept as one of her choic-
est treasures. She is dead now, and
guess no harm will come of breaking
her pledge. That Is how I know and
what 1 know about Fred Grant"
Commodore John Crittenden Watson,
commander of the newly-created Eastern
Squadron. Is not the sort Of man about
whom anecdotes gather. and 1t is. per-
haps for that reason that much has been
said during the last few days of the pic
turesque incident which has to do with
his part in the lashing of Farragut to the
rigging at the hattie of Mobile Bay. As
matter of fact. Farragut was twice
lashed to the rigging in that historic
conflict. In letter written by Commo-
dore Watson some time ago. and now be-
fore me. he says that on the way into
Mobile Bay. past Fort Morgan. when
the Hartford had the Metacomet secured
alongside, the. smoke was so dense that
Farragut, went aloft and Capt. Drayton,
fearing tha,. II wounded. he would be
killed by. falling to the deck. ordered
Quartermaster John H. Knowles to lash
him loosely where he stood. This was
done. with Farragut's assistance. after
the wisdom Of the precaution was ex-
planned tn him.
After Fort Morgan was passed and the
lifting Of the smoke permitted observa-
tioas from below. Farragut was re-
leased and descended to the deck But
a little later. when the Hartford rammed
the Tennessee Commodore Watson the