The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-24
FROM MANASSAS TO APPoMATox,
Chanfer Xiv

Chapter Xiv.
Some weeks after the surrender the
newspapers announced that was to visit
Washington city. My old company COM
mander, Bradford r. Alden, who had re-
signed from the army some years before
the war, came down from New York to
meet me. Not finding me. he sent to tell
me of his trip, that he was anxious about
me, lest might be in need of assistance;
that in that event 1 should draw on him
for such amount as l wanted. When l
was ready to return his favor he was not
in the country. and it was only through
mutual friend, General Afford, that his
address in Europe was found and the
amount returned. A more noble, lovable
character never descended from the peo-
pie of Plymouth Rock.
About the first of November, 1865. bust
ness of a personal nature called me to
Washington. stopped at the Metropoli-
tan hotel. Upon seeing the arrival in the
morning papers, General w. A. Nichols,
of the United States army, called and IN
sisted that my visit should be with him
and his family. The request was declined
with the suggestion that the war feeling
was too warm for an officer of the army
to entertain prominent confederate, but
he insisted and urged that his good wife
would not be satisfied unless the visit was
made. So 1t was settled, and | became his
guest. He was on duty at the time as as
sistant adjutant general at the war de-
partment As | was stopping with an Of
ficer of the army. the usuages of military
life required that l should call upon the
commanding general
The next morning | walked with Cen
r.l HI.
General Grant He recognized us as we en-
tered his office, rose and walked to meet
us. After the usual brief call we rose to
take leave, when he asked to have us
call on his family during the evening.
Most of those whom we met during the
evening were oldtime personal friends,
especially the father-in-law, Mr.. Dent.
When leaving, after a pleasant evening,
General Grant walked with us to the
gate and asked if | cared to have my
pardon. | pleaded not guilty of an offence
that required pardon. He said that he
meant amnesty-that he wished to know
II cared to have it. told him that in
tended to live in the country, and would
prefer to have the privileges of citizen
ship. He told me to call at his office at
noon next day; that in the meantime he
would see the, secretary of war and the
President in regard to the matter.
The next day he gave me letter to the
President and said that he had seen him
and thought the matter was arranged:
that I should first see the secretary of
war, then the President. His strong and
characteristic letter to the President was
as follows:
Headquarters Armies of the United
States
washington. d. c., November 7, 1865.
Ills Excellency A. johnson, President:
"Know'ng that General Longstreet late
of the army which was in rebellion
against the authority of the United States
Is in the city. and presuming that he in
tends asking executive clemency before
leaving, I beg to say a word in his favor
General Longstreet comes under the
third, fifth and eighth exceptions made in
your proclamation of the Goth of May,
1865, l believe I can safely say that there
Is no where among the exceptions a more
honorable class of men than those en-
braced i'm the fifth and eighth of these,
nor class that will more faithfully OBJ
serve any obligation which they may take
upon themselves General Longstreet. in
my opinion. stands high among this class.
/ have known him well for more than
twenty-six years, first as a cadet at
West Point and afterwards as an officer
of the army. For five years from my
graduation we served together, a portion
of the time in the same regiment, I
speak of him therefore, from actual per-
sonal acquaintance.
TN the late rebellion. ] think not one
single charge was ever brought against
General Longstreet for persecution of
prisoners of war or of persons for their
political opinions. If such charges were
ever made, I never heard them. I have
no hesitation, therefore. in recommending
General Longstreet TO your excelency for
pardon. I will further state that my
opinion of him is such that / shall feel
it as a personal favor to myself If this
pardon is granted. Very respectfully your
obedient servant,
~. S. GRANT,
"Lieutenant-General."
Supported by this generous endorsement,
] called on the secretary of war, who
referred me to the President After a
lengthy interview. the President asked to
have the matter put off until next day,
when / should call at noon. The next
day he was still unprepared to make de-
cision, but after long. pleasant talk, he
said:
There are three persons of the south
who can never receive amnesty: Mr..
Davis, General Lee and yourself. You
have given the union cause too much
trouble" -
1 replied, You know, Mr. President,
that those who are forgiven most love
the most"
YES" he said won have very high