The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-06
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TON
Blu RE AU
Washington, D. c.
MEMORIES OF GRANT.
Washington, D. c.


day. She is a delightful, mentally en- |
ergetic old lady, who reads four news |
papers a day in an effort to keep up |
with the war news, but she is one OF
the few privileged Americans who can
drop the curtain on the nations pres |
ent conflict at a moments notice, and
roll it upon a leisurely landscape OF
the nineteenth century when American
history was enacted in stove-pipe hats
and hoop skirts.
Mrs. Casey has pictures of. Ameri-
can history in her brain as far back
as Folks administration She can
give you glimpses of American troop
ers going off to fight the war with
Mexico, crowded on the flat Mississip-
pi river boatS-strong men of pioneer
blood, eager for adventure and pre-
pared to face the greatest hardships-
She can picture for you the intense
anita onism between the early Demo-
Gratis and Republicans, temporarily
smoothed over by the peacemaker,
Henry Clay, but reaching an abrup
climax with the election of Abraham
Lincoln; of the dreadful, wearing sus-
pense of the period of the Civil war,
which was predicted to last ninety
days and which lasted four years, and
of the day when the mournful tolling
of the village bell and the appearance
Of crepe on every door told the news
of the assassina ton of Lincoln.
Then Mrs. Casey will summon a
cheerful picture of the quiet planta-
ton life before the war; the old colo
NAL houses, with their wide stairways,
their walnut and mahogany furniture,
their vine-covered verandas and their
simple, childlike slaves. Such a place
was the old Dent home where Grant
met and courted Mrs. Casey's sister,
Julia Dent.
Mrs Casey was ten years old when
cI1 first 7af- fI1ay
cious, tom-boyish girl, with corkscrew
curls and ruffled pantalets that hung
several inches below her skirt. Ac-
companied by three of her pickanin-
mics, she had just returned from
profitable visit to various birds nests
when a young officer in uniform rode
up to the front gate. 1t will be diff
cult for those who have seen pictures
of Grant to believe this. but Mrs.
Casey declares that he was very hand
some at this period of his career-so
handsome that Mrs Casey's young
heart fluttered dangerously and the
little bird which she held in her hand
was almost squeezed to death.
Recovering her dignity in time,
however, she escorted him around to
the back verandah, where the family
| was seated, and where he explained
I that he was a classmate of Mrs
| Casey's brother, Fred Dent. They had
both attended West Point, and both
were lieutenants in the army. Julia
| was not at home on this suspicious
! occasion.
| Grant announced that he was sta
| toned at Jefferson Barracks not far
| from the Dent place, and was there
| upon invited to visit the plantation as
often as possible. The lieutenant took
advantage of this invitation by CALI
ing twice week Then Julia Dent
came home. After that, the young
| man visited the Dent home almost
every day. Grants love affair is one
of the few instances which prove that
i the course of true love sometime S
showed her liking for him from the
| beginning and raised no obstacles in
his suit. She was not beautiful. She
had a cast in one of her brown eyes,
| due to a cold contracted in infancy,
| but her personal charm was so great
| that people forgot to notice this de-
| feet She had a pretty figure, trim
hands and ankles, abundant brown
| hair, and a firm, determined chin.
| Grant and she used to go fishing to-
Walter Scott Grant loved her de-
votedly. She was his one and only
love affair.
Suddenly came the declaration of
war on Mexico. and Grant received
his orders to the border. He had only
twentyfour hours in which to make
sure of Julia. He set out on horse
back for the Dent place late at night.
About midnight he came to the
stream which separated it from the
| Jefferson Barracks, and found that 1t
was greatly swollen. Nevertheless, he
plunged N. The water was extremely
cold and over his head, but he swan
beside his horse and gained the oppo-
site shore. A few minutes later, shiv-
ering and bedraggled, he presented
himself at the Dent household.
ho fo{
Julia laughed herself nearly into hys-
terics at the sight of her swain sneez-
ing and dripping with water. And
later, when he appeared attired in her
brothers clothes, which were much
too large for him, only with heroic eff
forts did she control her mirth and
promise to marry him when he came
back from Mexico.
| Mrs. Casey's recollections of the
Mexican war are somewhat blurred
altho her brother. Fred, was wounded
in it. Grant returned from Mexico a
captain, and married Julia. All went
well until he was ordered to a post in
the west and Julia, unable to stand
the rfgors of travel, went to live with
her people. Then Ulysses Grant the
Second was born; Grant asked fol
leave of absence to visit his family
and was refused. He left the army.
Upon her marriage, Ju1ia's father
had given her several acres of land
and three slaves, and Grant now pro-
posed to farm this. Aided by the
neighbors, they built the famous los
bin, which was on exhibition at the
. worlds fair in st. Louis, and moved
into it. Followed that portion o.
; Grants life that has been referred tt
| by historians as a period of failure
He made a good farmer; raised bet
, ter crops than most of his neighbors
but he was not satisfied. His hear
was with the army. He became a re
5 served and taciturn man.
They did not live in abject poverty
but they had to work hard to max,
ends meet Often Grant chopped
wood, loaded it on the family wagon
and drove 1t to st. Louis himself
Is not true, Mrs. c -Sey asserts. tina
: | L..