The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-27
BY FRED L. vANDEGRIFT.

In 1915. two years before the late
Judge James H. Reeder, of beloved
memory in Kansas, died, he related
to me a romantic incident of General
Ulysses S. Grants career in the Civil
war, which he had received many
years before from a Confederate Of
ficer on General Robert E. Lees staff
at Gettysburg; and which, since, be-
sides its quality of romance, is Illus
tratiye of the gentleness of Grant s
character, 1 believe is worth space in
public print, especially since this is
the great commanders birthday. The
Confederate officer was General Harry
Heth of the Confederate army of Vir-
ginia, who had served under General
Lee since the inception of the Civil
war, and Judge Reeder, then a young
lawyer at Hays City, fell in with him,
one day in the smoking room of a
Pullman car of a Union Pacific train
crossing Kansas. The two had had
no previous acquaintance, but they
easily fell into conversation.
Watch Causes Confederacy To Fall.
The conversation was begun by
General Heth, who had just taken
note of the time of day from a gold
the Southern Confederacy FELL" he re-
marked.
Tell me about it," replied Judge
Reeder.
well it is a simple tale briefly told
1t was at Gettysburg under Lee, and it
became my duty by an order of our
chief of ordnance to signal our ar
tillery to begin the battle of Gettys-
burg, and at an appointed hour by this
watch, the first shot was fired from a
Confederae battery. This battle we
lost, and by losing it the beginning of
the end, was on, and the Confederacy
finally fell"
Knew Grant Before War.
Continuing, General Heth, after say
ing that he had, belonged to the 'fold
army, and had soldiered across the
Kansas plains before the Civil war,
said: II knew Grant before the Civil
war and served with him in the Next
can war. He and L and General
were in the same brigade, and
altho we were not in the same mess
with him We saw much of him and
liked him. After the Mexican war,
Grant passed out of our lives, and then
we heard he had resigned from the
army
General Heth told Judge Reeder his
comrades name, but the Judge had
forgotten it. But he remembered that
General Heth had said that General
- had Served with Lee in the Army
of Virginia, and that he and General
Heth continued to be comrades until
the surrender OF Appomattox, and
neighbors after they had returned to
civil life.
Began to Hear of Grant. -.t
Continuing his narrative, General
Heth said: well, time ran afong,
and the war between the states came
on. General - and I, both of us
line officers then, joined the Confed-
eraey. Soon we began to hear of a
General Grant on the federal side in
Tennessee. We had forgotten our for
mer comrades Christian name, and,
besides, since we knew that our Grant
had resigned from the old army the
thought that he might be the same
never occurred to our minds. Finally.
this man Grant took Nicksburg, and
next he was engaging the Confederate
army elsewhere in that part of the
country. Wonder who he is?' we
would say to each other. After awhile
this same General Grant was at the
head of the Army of the Potomac
confronting us. Still / we wondered
who he was.
Finally came the surrender at APP
pomattox and the fall of our beloved
Confederacy. The Confederate Of
ficers, summoned by General Grant.
assembled for parole. Now we will
see.' said to General -, while we