The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-26
GRANT AND
ARMY LIFE
He is Familiar With Its
Every Detail.
HIS FATHERS COMPANION
Was With the General During the
Siege Of vicksburg.
HIS STORY OF THE SURRENDER.


lege Of being his fathers camp companion
before Vicksburg and elsewhere.
Fred Grant was Lad OF 18 when Vicks-
burg fell He shared his fathers tent all
through the siege, and his description OF
the surrender given by himself to the
writer some time ago seems appropriate
for reproduction here.
"The meeting Of the Confederate Gen.
eral Pemberton and my father on July 3,
1863, has often been described much better
than could tell of It" said the colonel
modestly ''All that day was Ill with
toothache and at night the pain was so
great that / could not sleep. Our tent
was furnished very plainly, containing
only two cots, two stools and board table
that had been knocked together by some
of the soldiers
"My father was naturally much inter-
ested In whatever should transpire through
the night, and, contrary to his general GUS
tom after a busy day, no did not lie down
and sleep, but sat at the board table writ
ing letters by the flickering light of a can
de From where lay could sec his face,
and, boy as 1 was, remember to have
been much impressed by its immobility as
he wrote. Hour after hour passed, and
he wrote steadily and In silence, scarcely
lifting his head once before midnight
A Great General 1t = Great Moment.
"In spite Of my pain, had just begun
to doze when heard some one approach
ing. knew that the errand Of the visitor
must be one Of Importance, and became
wide awake at once. In u moment an or
derly entered and handed my father a
note He opened 1t deliberately and with
an expression Al great interest on his face,
but still without speaking, and read it
through two or three times before break
ing silence. Then he drew a long breath.
WELL Fred he said at length, it's
all over with. We enter Vicksburg In the
morning as soon as the terms OF the formal
surrender can be arranged.
"That was all, and I suppose he must
have turned in at once, though / don't
know, for my own exhaustion and the re-
action caused by the announcement that
tho siege of Vicksburg was actually nm
ished caused me to fall asleep imme-
diately. OF the events of the next day !
remember few details. was only boy,
and many interesting and important
events naturally escaped me. The meeting
between my father and General Pember-
ton was short and courteous, but there
was no great cordiality between them Of
course. Everybody seemed heartily glad
when the talk was over and the articles OF
capitulation had been signed. AS soon as
possible after that we mounted our horses
and rode into town. I have a distinct
recollection that our animals had to jump
the breastworks and that the jolting added
much to the pain suffered from my still
aching tooth"
Colonel Grants friends in New York
believe he will make good soldier-in
fact, that the military life is the one call
ing for which he is best fitted. When he
was United States minister to the Aus
trian court, he made most exhaustive
study of the armies and army systems Of
the old world and was then considered to
be one of the best posted men living in all
round military information.
Harry Marks Again.
Old timers among newspaper men and
flnanciers in this town are interested in
the latest news from London about Harry
Marks, who flourished here as a reporter
some twenty odd years ago, but has long
been one Of the Institutional characters,
30 to speak, of the worlds metropolis.
In brief, this latest Marks news Is that
no succeeded not long ago, in pursuance
of plan to build a railroad in Wales, In
securing a sweeping power of attorney
from Queen Victoria's second son, Duke
Alfred of SAKE Coburg. According to the
story, no moro comprehensive document Of
its class was ever issued than the one given
by the duke, for it placed all his property,
both real and personal, In tho hands Of
Marks. OF course the proceeding has
aroused no end Of indignation on the other
side.
"It is supposed by many" said a Now
Yorker who knew him well when he was
prominent here today, "that Marks Is an
American, but no isn't He was born in
London and Is the SON of London rabbi.
He is now publisher of tho London Finan-
cial News, but no began his newspaper
career when only 10 as a reporter for
Texas paper. 1t was while In Texas that
no got acquainted with Thomas Porter
house Ochiltrcc, who afterward helped
him start his paper In London. Ochiltrce
tells story about Marks that shows him
to be no coward, whatever his faults In
general may be.
Marks and the Despcrado.
"Marks left Galveston before he was 90
and went to work on the San Antonio Ex-
press. There he had occasion to write up
notorious desperado named Vandcrgraf,
who had killed his man and Of whom
every one thcrcabouts stood In mortal ter
ror. vandcrgraff sent word to the reporter
that he should kill him on sight. Marks
didn't like that, Of course, and started out
TO find his man. They met In gambling
house, but Marks saw vandcrgraff first
and proceeded promptly to knock him
down. Then he kicked and pummclcd him
till he was nearly dead. When the bad
man was sufficiently punished, Marks let
him up, saying:
Now you can kill me II yor want 20,
but IL you don't I shall kill you unless
Won uet ont of town inside of an hour