The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-29

House, Gen. Grant reviewed our division,
and a week later, when he accompanied
Secretary Stanton at review OF our
CORPS in full uniform as he was, and ac-
companied by his brilliant staff and dis
tinguished Generals. his appearance bet
ter met the common idea of the Com
manding General of great army. By
countenance showed its signs of continual
strain and anxiety, and gave proof that
he was not insensible to the tremendous
responsibilities upon him in that prolonged
campaign. Slowly, however, at the best,
did the majority of those who were I'M
der Gen. Grant grow to any just appre-
citation of his simple greatness.
VISIT TO GRANT IN WASHINGTON.
It was not until after the war that
came into any personal relations with
Gen. Grant. My first meeting with him
was at his home in Washington, just after
his nomination at Chicago as the Repub-
lican candidate for the Presidency, in May,
1868. l was returning from trip to the
South. Gen. Joseph X. Hawley, who was
Chairman of the nominating convention,
and who as such was to notify Gen.
Grant of his nomination, invited me to
accompany him on that occasion. Not
reaching Washington in season for this, l
Grant, on the strength of it, as l came
northward. l sent in my card, simply
writing under my name, "a friend of Gen.
Joseph K. Hawley." In a few minutes
Gen. Grant came in, and, greeting me cor
daily, he said:
Excuse me for keeping you waiting,
but l was out ip the yard playing circus
with my children"
This gave me q glimpse of his home life,
and nauIv NJ frac mo IN him | py-
planned the circumstances of my call, and
told of my personal relations with Gen.
Hawley, adding that took advantage of
this to pay my respects to the commander
whom every soldier held so dear. The
simplicity and0aturalness of Gen. Grant
impressed me from the start. l could not
but be at my ease, as he talked to me
Familiarity, asking in what command / had
served, and about my army service. As
l spoke of the time when he rode through
the lines of our regiment on his way to
the "Grover House." with Edmund
Kirke,"' in July, 1864, the. General asked
artlessly:
what horse did / ride that day."
suggested that could not answer that
question, for l was thinking just then a
good deal more about the man who was
SO much to us all than about the horse
| which he rode, but l was sure it was q
good horse.
When / proposed to leave, after this
| first salutation, the General kindly asked
me to remain longer, and he spoke of the
political outlook. This was at a time
when the newspaper correspondents were
all speaking of the peculiar reticence OF
Gen. Grant, ''the silent man." and the
impossibility of getting any expression OF
opinion from him. Yet he seemed free
to express himself without restraint, ap
parently convinced that no unfair use
would be made of il. He spoke warmly
of Gen. Hawley, and of his opening ad
dress at the nominating convention al
Chicago. Then he asked who l thought
Democrats. l answered that there seemed
more than possibility that they would
nominate Chief Justice Chase. At onct
Gen. Grant replied:
II hope they'll nominate Chase. Ther
we shall feel easy for our country in eithel
event"
This showed the unselfish and patriot,
spirit of Gen. Grant. His chief though
was of the country he loved and served
1t was not an opposing candidate VIII,
could easily be beaten that he wanted IL
the field, but one who would be best TO
the whole country, If elected. This wa
the tenor of Gen. Grants talk at tina
time, as of his life throughout. From tn
time of that first personal interview O
mine with Gen. Grant, he grew in m.
love and admiration continually.
IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
On various occasions subsequently
was brought into pleasant relations witt
! him, and always found him remarkabl,
free as n conversationalist, whether h
was relating incidents of his campaigns O
speaking of public affairs. One even. ng
as two or three of us sat by him in
private car, he related some of his expert
ences in the Mexican War, while he wa
still Lieutenant. Our troops, unde
Gen. Taylor, had gained position in tn
city of Monterey, but the Mexicans wer
not yet driven out. They were firing from
the windows and housetops at our men