Evening journal., 1913-10-16
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An AneCdOte Of General
Grant Related by bis
Son
By Holland.

al have always Thought that my
father had more tender feeling Tor
General Charles r. Smith than for any
of the other officers of high rank with
whom he was associated during his en-
tire career, between 1860 and 1863
That statement was made to me by the
late General Frederick Dent Grant, the
oldest son of General T.. $. Grant, just
before he sailed for the Philippines to
take military command in what was
then our new possessions.
My father was a very warm-hearted
man and he was especially tenacious
and loyal in his friendships. There was
one instructor at West Point, | have
often heard him say for whom he had,
while a cadet. genuine affection. as
well as admiration and respect. And
this instructor was Charles f. Smith.
lie took special interest, for some rea
son in father. and used occasionally TO
have pleasant chats with him.
~ nave often heard my father say
that General Smith was an ideal sol
Nleg and that he had every qualification
necessary TO make a man pre-eminent
as a general
Now. while still entertaining these
feelings Of respect. admiration and very
high personal regard for General Smith,
my father suddenly found that he had
been made General Smiths superior in
rank. That is. mean that my father
received his appointment as brigadier-
general shortly before General Smith
received his
You remember of course, that one
of the first things that father did after
he became a general was to seize Pa
ducah. Kentucky. He did so because
he looked upon Paduoah as a strategic
point Of the highest importance.
Now, It so happened that General
Smith was stationed at Paducah.
General Smith was, ! think, about
fifteen years older than. father and
yet, through fathers earlier appoint
ment as brigadier general, the rela-
tions between the two men as soldiers
were reversed.
u know that father, II he had not
felt Il TO be his duty to take Paducah.
and to recognize General Smith as a
subordinate. would have sought some
other service. He shrunk like a
modest boy from his meeting with
General Smith But when that meet
ing was over, fathers admiration and
esteem for General Smith we're in
creased. for there was not the slight
est trace Of jealousy or disappoint-
ment in General Smiths manner, and
am sure there were some private
and personal conferences between my
father and his friend which tended
to increase their friendly relations.
Fathers confidence in General
Smith as soldier was so strong that
he had not the slightest doubt about
the success of the charge General
Smith, by his command. >was to make
at Fort Donaldson. II was the de-
cisive charge at that battle.
During the war father was sad
dened often over the death Of many
who had been associates either at
West Point or in the army, but
think his greatest grief and perhaps
his greatest disappointment. were ac-
casioned by the accidental death Of
General Smith, who was poisoned by
stepping upon rusty nail shortly
after the battle of Fort Donaldson.
For besides the loss of friend whom
he esteemed, my father was certain
that the death of General Smith was
a very great loss to the country and
to the army
Copyright, 1918. by f. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell of
'Thoreau as a Pioneer Lead Pencil
Maker"