The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-03-29
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES
Mr.. Marye and Stanton's Private
Secretary 20 The Former Secures
From the Latter Some Heretofore
Unpublished History, Etc.

Washington, d, e., March 70, 1904.
To The Free Lance:
Major A. ). Johnston, now practising
law in this city, was StantOns private
secretary and sometimes INDUCES, among
his friends, ia most interesting reminis.
eence have been urging him for years,
20 give TO the world the inside view Of
the war. lie always conesses and
avoids Says he has the material pre-
pared: and means. some day, TO edit IL.
Should be do so, there will be rattling
OF dry bones like Ezekiel saw in vision.
He told me not Ezekiel OF course, but
the Major that at the instigetion and
peremptOTy command OF stanton he
once declined to show the President Lin
colD) telegram.
Col. Carol d. Wright told me good
one, the other day, in this connection.
/ Lincoln, on one occasion, sent a messen-
ger TO Stanton with reprieve of a sol
dier's sentence, who had been caught
sleeping on post. Upon the messenger =
/ return, Mr. Lincoln asked: What did
the Secretary say ?" II don't like TO tell
you, AR. President, what he said" 80.
well my boy, you needn't mind telling
me " well, sir, be said you were a d.
fool" ~ ell, il Stanton said that, | sup
pose it must be so. -
By the way, Gen. Grant says, in his
/ book, that Stanton's personal timidity
caused his ceaseless and insistent elamor
about the vital necessity OF the constant
retention OF an adequate army here Tor
the protection of the capital.
Grant had much OF Lincoln simplicity
OF nature.
In his memoirs, be relates that at bis
/ first interview with Gen. Lee, at Apo
mattox, their days together, in the Mex
lean war, came back with such reminis-
cent impulse, that he became SO ObliyiOus
of the subject matter OF their meeting,
that Lee had more than once TO recall il
| to him.
Reflect moment upon the character
and complexion OF mind, that, having
within its near horizon all the pomp and
glory OF this world, should ignore it all,
| in spell of "reminiscences.
When Lee war summoned to Washing
ton. during the Reconstruction era, TO
give certain testimony, he said (or wrote
TO Custis Lee, after his interview with
Grant: "Gen. Grant possesses both great
ness and msgnanimity.
What boots the barking OF Tray,
Blanche and Sweetheart, after that
There were giants in those days"
Let me close this desultory screed IN
lighter wen.
Not long since q knot OF Johnnies and
Yanks were chatting upon q street cor
ner here. can see in my mind seye now
the tall Missouri Yankee Colonel, who,
like Macbeth, broke the meeting up in
most admired disorder" by swearing
the following to be true:
There was emulous friction betwixt an
Alabama and Georgia Colonel, who were
eamped hard by one another. One Mon
day morning the Georgia Colonel rode
into the other headquarters and dis
mounted. Alter thecustomary courtesies
had been enacted the Georgia Colonel
remarked: by -the-wsy, Colonel, nine Of
my men were baptized in Peachtree
Creek yesterday afternoon"
Hardly had the deponent cleared the
! vicinage, when the excited Alabama
Colonel lifted aloft stentorophonious
ukase: Corporal of the guard, tell Ser.
geant Billings to detail nine men and
have them baptized this afternoon"
The veterans OF either side will soon be
a memory. Ali well day
But when men lose interest in Freder-
icksburg and Gettysburg, they will cease
TO read OF Marathon and Salsmis. And
that will not be until the charter OF hn-
msnity is cancelled:
"When the earth grows old,
"And the sun grows cold,
And the leaves ofthe judgmentb book
unfold"
As. MARYE.