The Indianapolis journal., 1903-05-03
NEGRO WITH A HISTORY
HE NURsED GENERAD GRANT DUR
ING LATTER's PAINFUL ILLNESS.
Holds n Letter OF Recomme ndatfon
Worth Having-Now Fills Minor
Federal Position.

is ever hero in the eyes Of his valet. In
the estimation OF Harrison Terrell, General
Grant was always everything the world at
large held him TO be.
Harrison Terrell is the intelligent mulat-
10, well known at the national Capitol, who
served General Grant as steward. valet
and finally in his last illness as nurse for
upward of five years. To this ever ready
servitor were directed the last articulate
words uttered by Americas greatest SOL
der: "Give me ice water. Harrison"
For months the great commander almost
wholly leaned on Harrison, particularly in
the later period at Mount McGregor when
the ceaseless agony he suffered became al
most unbearable. There Is no doubt that
General Grant was subject to great pain
for considerable periods in the last few
weeks of his illness. In these paroxysms
Harrison was his constant attendant and
mainstay. 1t is quite certain that the ex-
slave performed a noble part in the tragedy
OF Mount McGregor.
In the peculiar circumstances Of General
Grants later career in New York it so hap
pened that the relations Of master and
servant assumed the form of a sort of
camaraderie. BY accidental fall on the
slippery steps of his own home long prior
to his final illness General Grant was
severely injured in the hip. For several
months he was compelled to use crutches.
While thus partially disabled 1t was Harri-
son TerrelIs part to accompany the general
everywhere his business affairs as well as
el soelai t SaTeS c1peng ddnI nm TO 10 bb3e9 go GS5
about good deal leaning on his servants
shoulder. Thus this humble orderly came
to be intimately familiar with the peculiar
character OF a really great and famous
man. With the servants penetrating OBJ
servation he could not fail to single out
transparent and guileess as General Grant
was TO those he fully trusted. But Harri-
son, a keen man OF the world, who knew
good society behind the scenes In the great
places of the country, saw other things.
They dwarfed everything else out of sight.
Familiarity begat no contempt here. Gen.
Grants commanding qualities OF heart and
mind-his loyal faith in friends, simple
manners, generosity, and, above all, his
uncomplaining fortitude and courage
this valet they had upon the world at large.
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.
General Grants trust and confidence was
repaid by Harrison Terrell with a sleepless
vigilance which doubtless prolonged the
patients life, and certainly ameliorated the
bitter pain of many of his last hours at
Mount McGregor. Day by day, in this close
communion. Harrison's respect for his dy-
ing patron increased until 1T blossomed into
something like alteration. To this day he
never tires of recounting little incidents of
that trying period which emphasize the low
able side OF the military chieftain's char
acter.
Even in death the great man reached out
his powerful arm for the safeguarding of
the future of his last attendant Only a
month prior to the final catastrophe, know
ing that the end would not then be far of,
General Grant, Of his own volition, penned
the following letter:
Harrison Terrell:
I give you this letter now, not knowing
what the near future may bring to per-
son in my condition of health. This is in ac-
acknowledgement OF your faithful services to
me during my sickness up TO this time, and
which 1 expect will continue to the end.
This Is also To state further that for about
four years you have lived with me. coming
first at (as) butler, in which capacity you
served until my illness became so serious as
to require the constant attentions of
nurse. and that in both capacities 1 have
had abundant reason to be satisfied with
your attention. integrity and efficiency
hope hope you may never want for q PLACE. place
This remarkable letter alone, il there were
nothing else, entities Harrison TerrelPs
story to the attention OF every patriotic
American. His career h;ls been singularly
striking, IL not dramatic, If we consider his
station In life He was born a slave on the
place OF Buckner Terrell, in Orange county,
Virginia, in 1S40, the very day on which
General Harrison was elected President.
From this circumstance he was named VIII
liam Henry Harrison Terrell, taking his
masters family name, as was the custom
In the old slavery times. Eventually, how
ever. he dropped the William Henry pre-
fixes, signing himself simply Harrison Ter
rell He is generally known only as ''Har-
risOn, only his more intimate acquaintances
being aware that his surname is Terrell
He was the child of mulatto parents plan
tation house servants of considerable intel
hgence Tor country slaves Harrison him.
self Is as light-skinned many white peo-
ple- He became Buckner TerrelPs boy"
that is, personal servant, when he was
mere pickaninny. The masters back was
broken by a fall from log cabin he was
building when Terrell was about ten years
old. The injured man lived for five weeks
after the accident, and during this distress
ing interval the little slave lads attentions
We're so kind and well directed that Buckner
Terrell. the day before his death, signed
Harrtson's certificate OF freeIom. This was
In 1850.
BECAME A HOTEL BOY"
Two years afterward. at the age Of
twelve, Harrison went down to Richmond
to try his fortunes. That was more than
fifty years ago. He quickly found employ
ment In the Exchange and Ballard Hotel
TO this day an old Richmond landmark In
this environment as an ''all-round" hotel
boy he rapidly acquired worldly wisdom.
As a slave and the descendant of
saves ne was already, by instinct as it
were, well-equipped with circumspection.
Although now laboring under the disadyan-
tase OF being free boy in slave COM
munlty, Harrison soon w0rmed himself into
the good graces OF the hotels clientele and
loungers about town, albeit he was good
naturedly spoken OF as sharp" one
As general runner of errands for the
hotel and its guests he became known 10
many or the leading people OF fashion OF
that day AL over the South, and was an
expert In the duties of a gentleman's at
tendant Among his patrons of thar early
day were trio of young, well-to-do Vir
ginians OF good family. who were. never
theless. full-hedged sports" They fre-
quented the race course, PLAYED noker
bucked the tiger, fought bulldogs and game
chickens and carried with them a faro
Layout and roulette fixtures In short
under the giiise OF gentlemen, they were
just professional gamblers.
After he had haunted Richmond about
two years these gamblers engaged this
bright, resourceful lad to accompany them
on an impending tour of the Southern
sporting centers. In the course OF the next
six or seven years. as the servant of these
gentlemen gamblers. Harrison Terrell vis-
tied every prominent city of the South
over and over again. In this period he saw
life In all its Kaleidoscope changes and
mostly on its worst side. Meanwhile Har-
risOn Terrell did not go TO the bad. he
rather profited BY his wonderful experience
In this time. He fortunes change
hands on the race course and In the clu6