The Washington herald., 1914-05-01

Fifty years ago today Lieut.. Gen. U.
S Grant who was on the eve OF start
ing for Richmond with the army OF the
Potomac, : recsived a striking farewell
letter from President Lincoln
Lircoln's perfect confidence in Grant 10
no where more strongly shown than In
IIIis letter. Touching in It's simplicity, Its
sself-effacement, and its yearning born
IF many reverscs, that at least disaster
might be aveTted, it was at once a bene-
diction and q prayer. Its text was as
follows:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, April 30, 1854.
Lieut.. Gen. Grant-Not expecting TO
see YOU again before the spring cam
paiEn opens, i wish to express In this
way my entire satisfaction with what
ycu have done UP to this time, SO 1ar
as understand II. The particulars OF
,>-olr plans I neither know nor seek 10
know. You are visilant and sef-reliant
and, pleased with this, / wish not TO oo-
tr,Ide anv cohstraInts or restraints upon
Won While I am very anxious that any
Great disaster or the capture OF our
mn IN great numbers shall be avoided.
know these points are less likely u
escape your attention than they would DC
mine. II there is anything wanting
which is within my power to give do
.,not fail to let me know II.
And now, with brave army and
lust cause may God sustain you
Yours very truly,
"AcknoWIedEed with Pride"
Grant was so much touched by the re-
ceIpt Cf this letter that he replied with
more expression Of feeling than ne
I, I, x1IafIy permitted himself TO show, his
answer being as follows:
H.adouarters, Armies of the United
States.
r,uIneper Courthouse, Va, May !, 1854.
Tbe President: Your very kind letter
Of Yesterday is just received. The conn
dence you express for the future and
satisfaction for the past in my military
;. administration is acknowledged WIN
pride. II shall be my earnest endeavor
nat YOU and the country shall not be
disappointed.
From my irst entrance into the volun-
tasr service Of the country to the present
ray I have never had cause OF COM
I,'siut-have never expressed or implied
complaint against the administration or
tl,s Secretary Of War for throwing any
embarrassment in the way Of my yisor-
1usly prosecuting what appeared 10 DC
my duty.
And since the promotion which placed
me In command of all the armies, and
In view of the great responsibility and
the innportance of success, l have been
astonished at the readiness with which
everything asked for has been yielded,
yvithoIIt even an explanation being asked.
Should my success be less than / desire
and expect, the least ! can say is, the
fault is not with you.
Vary truly, your obedient servant.
U. s. GRANT. Lieutenant General.
An interesting fact concerning the
original of Lincoln's letter to Grant was
preserved by Adam Badeau, Grants
military secretary. In the rush OF the
Wilderness campaign the latter was mis-
laid. Grant had a way of thrusting the
most important papers into his pockets
and forgetting them This probably was
the fate of Lincoln's letter. After the
war Mr-Badeau. in going through dis
earded mass of Grants papers for his
torieal material. came across the Lincoln
letter. Grant was delighted to see II
again. and presented the original to
Badeau. II is reproduced in Grants
memoirs. Che Century Co., n. Y, lsss)
"can Hold q Leg"
A few days before Lincoln's farewell
letter was written, Grant had held .
I fnsl conference with the President at
the White House. There Is no detailed
record Of what was said. A part OF the
conversation vas on the necessity of
concerted movement by all the units Of
the Federal forces in the neld-and ad-
vance all along the line, to prevent the
enemy from sending troops from points
that were strong to the defense of points
that were weak
= Lincoln had always advocated such
an advance. but had never been able to
secure simultaneous movement by the
various Federal armies When one COM
mander Was ready to strike. another was
not The enemy vas thus enabled to
A<hf ons at . time.