Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-27
CHAPLAIN OF IOWA SOLDIERS
HOME TO PARTICIPATE I'M
GRANT RECEPTION.
WILL GIVE PRAYER
ON SOLDIERS DAY
Chaplain Coles Meeting With Mother
of Honored Guest at State Fair, is
lnterestins-Was Member Of Guard
PatfolIns Rebel coloners House
Where Mrs. Grant Was Guest.

Chaplain Jesse Cole, of the Iowa
Soldiers Home has been invited to
participate in the soldiers dav pro-
gram at the state fair next Tuesday,
and will give the invocation that will
open the exercises. which are to be held
in honor of the presence of Gen. Fred
u. Grant son of the commander in
chief OF the federal army during the
civil war.
! General Grant is to speak of mem
cries of his honored father and other
addresses will be made by Ex- Governor
van SAINT, of Minnesota, the new grand
commander of the G. A r., and by
Michael Mcdonald, of Bayard, COM
mander of the Iowa G. A. r.
How Cole Met Grants Mother,
1t is something of coincident that
Chaplain Cole has been invited to ap-
pear on the same platform with Gen.
Fred D. Grant. and the chaplain will
be able to tell of an incident in his
life that will be heard with interest by
General Grant.
On Dec. 20, 1862. the Eighth Wiscon-
sin infantry, the "Old Abe" regiment.
of which Chaplain Cole was a member.
reached Holly Springs, Miss, with an
Illinois regiment, TO take charge of the
toTn, which had been captured by
General Grants army that morning. No
! sooner had the soldiers arrived than A
detail of ten men was dispatched to
guard certain house. Why this GER
tain house none of the soldiers knew at
the time, but Jesse Cole discovered the
reason before the guard was relieved.
In Holly Springs there lived Colonel
Govan. later brigadier general in the
confederate army. General Grants
wife, VINO spent much of her time with
her husband at the front, was on her
way to Oxford, Miss, to join her hus-
band. General Grant had ordered
everything held up at Holly Springs
until bridges could be repaired, and
Mrs. Grant was there and entertained
at the home Of Colonel Govan.
Mrs. Grant Asks Questions.
home that afterwards proved to BIZ
that of Colonel Govan. Jesse Cole va:
seated on the front porch, and vas
reading his bible At little girl caml
out of the front door and, seeing the
soldiers. was frightened and rar
around the house Pretty soon a wom-
an appeared in the doorway. and greet
ed the soldier. She wanted to know
about everything, how many troops
We're in the town. and many other
things that the union soldier, in rebs
country, did not think concerned her.
Surprised to Learn Identity.
The soldier himself began a cross
fire of questioning, and before he an
swered some of the wonlan's inquiries
he must know more about her He
asked her whose home it was, and the
woman told him. He also asked il
this was Mrs Govan. The reply was
no. this is Mrs, Grant" Genera
Grants wife?' was asked by the mar
in blue. Yes, the wife of Genera
Grant" was the reply.
There was no more information
withheld, and Mrs Grant was told jus
how many wearing the blue We're il
Holly Springs, where they came from
and what they intended doing
The little girl who ran frightene,
around the house at the sight of tn
soldier on the porch was Nellie Gran,
Cole Tells Story in SO.
Rev. Jesse Cole sold this story 4
Clear Lake in 1886, at the patriotic da
exercises of a Sunday school assembly
Among his hearers was DR.. John F
4 Newman, who later became bisho
Newman. DR.. Newman was an init
mate friend of the Grant family, an
wrote Mrs. Grant about it. Mrs. Gran
replied to DR.. Newman, telling him tina
she remembered the incident we'll, an
wrote Rev. Mr. Cole a nice letter, i
which she presented an urgent invi
4 tation that he call at Grant home
he ever happened to be in New York.
The chaplain never saw Mrs. Gran
+ again, however, but the memory of hi
i first and only visit with her will for
ever linger in his memory.