The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-17
General Grants Vt.
Messenger Is Dead
(Cotniued from Page u

father, George H. Stevens, dice
before Henry was year old, ant
the mother came with him to St
Johnsbury where he was brought
up in the family of the late Major
Bingham, who lived where the
Charlotte Fairbanks Cottage now
stands. When the war broke out
he was employed in Truman Tres
colts livery, where the Goss ga
rage is now located. With him
was the late Horace Jackson, who
did not go with him to war, Blu,
who was still there to welcome
him back to his old job when he
returned after the war was
over. He was for many years
coachman for the late Col. Will
liam P. Fairbanks, and later, be-
cause of the poor health of his
wife, he moved to a farm in Dan
vile, where they lived a short
time, returning to town to employ
ment in the scale factory, where
he remained until a few years ago,
when, he was compelled by failing
health to retire from active SER
vice.
Mr. Stevens married Annette
Knapp of the Spaulding neighbor-
hood in 1866. and to them was
born one child. a daughter, Miss
Mabel Z. Stevens, who has been
since the death of her mother, in
1876. her fathers companion, and
has devoted her life to his COM
fort and care in his declining
years.
At the age of q, Mr.. Stevens
heard his country's call for help,
and volunteered as a member OF
Co. |, Third Vermont Regiment,
under Col. Redfeld Proctor, July
5, 1861. He was mustered out
July 7, 1864. A little later he re-
enlisted and served until honor
ably discharged after the war was
over. During the first of his SER
vice he was for a time the person.
al messenger of General Grant,
and in this capacity saw much of
the big men of the Union Army,
Sherman, Sheridan and others, Of
ten carrying important messages
to President Lincoln himself.
He was never in battle and
never wounded in fighting, but in
his messenger duty he once re-
ceived a wound the scar of which
he carried to the day of his death.
He was ordered by Gen. Grant to
carry a most important message to
the President with all possible
haste. 1t was a hazardous jour
ney, in the darkness of the night
in strange country, but the duty
most important. He had made the
trip successfully, delivered the
message safely and was hurrying
back through many dangers be-
cause of the enemy, when his
horse stumbled in a sand hole and
threw him. The horse hurried on
to camp, and it was expected that
he had been either captured or
killed. There was much anxiety
As to whether the message had
been delivered or not. In the
morning a searching party was
sent out and he was finally found
in an unconscious condition, with
his head in d pool of blood and a
deep cash on his forehead as re-
suit of the fall When Gen. Grant
was told of the incident, and the
message. which meant much for
the success of the Union cause
and undoubtedly was material
Importance in a battle which
shortly followed, had reached the
President safely, the Vermont
boy was placed in a private ward
in the hospital by order of Cen
eral Grant, and his case was
watched over by the great man
until he was fully recovered.
Another interesting incident in
his war service was when he was
a teamster in the commissary de
partment and had charge of a
team made up of several pairs OF
calico mules drawing provisions.
Several times when near the front
rebel bullet holes ventilated his
clothing, but luckily never got
under his skin. Once while
teamster he was witness of an
historic scene which he never tired
TO describe. He had driven his
string of calico mules with their
load of food to Hampton Roads in
season to witness the famous
battle between the Monitor and
the Merrimac He drove his team
in behind big pile of lumber and
he and two other soldiers climbed
to the top of the pile, and lying
fiat on their stomachs saw the
cheese box on the raj" as IT
steamed up the course and began
to throw hot shot into the big
rebel ram. Mr.. Stevens saw the
terrible contest, and the final sur
render of the big rebel to the little
Yankee craft.
Those who have known Mr..
Stevens in his declining years,
hardly imagined that that quiet,
unassuming, pleasant-spoken, ge--
NAL man had been a witness and
even a participant in so many OF
the stirring events in the nations
history. Those who knew Mr..
Stevens best admired his sturdy
loyalty to purpose, loving father
and a good citizen. He lived to
a good old age and to see many
of the dreams of his earlier days
realized. 1t is for US who live af-
ter him to keep his memory
oreen and to profit by his example,
x,-a,.lJ hottnt. fo1.