New Britain herald., 1925-02-13
CIVIL WAR HEROES
 DAYS IN OREGON
Grant, Sheridan and Mcclellan
 Spent Time Together There

Spokane. Wash, Feb. 13.-Little known incidents in the early army careers of Generals Ulysses S. Grant, Phil Sheridan and George B. Mcclellan are related in an account of a year they spent at old Fort Vancouver. Oregon territory, writ ten by Mrs. Della B. Sheffield, who as tho wife of sergeant in the Fourth United States infantry, the command to which they were at tached, shared their pioneering ex- periences there in pre-Civil war days
 A movement has been launched to restore old Fort Vancouver noar what Is now Vancouver. Wash, across the Columbia river from Portland, Ore. The Fourth United States infantry, one of the pioneer organizations of the army. now Is stationed at Fort George Wright. Spokane.s
 Mrs. Sheffields memoirs of these days have been made public by Will liam s. Lewis, historian of the East ern Washington Historical society. who received them from Mrs. Caro- line Hathaway Cook. Mrs. Shelf fields daughter.
 General. then Captain Grant. was regimental quartermaster and was in charge of the transportation of the Fourth infantry on its long journey from Governors Island, New York, to Fort Vancouver in 1852. The trip was commenced on July B.. by steam CT for Aspinwall, Panama, and thence across the Isthmus of Pan- anna by train, boat, on muleback and afoot. The officers were &C., companied by their families and some of the women carried small babies.
 To add to the difficulties of the journey. the California gold rush was in full swing, and after the regiment had boarded a steamer on the Pacific side of the isthmus. Asi- atic cholera broke out. San Fran cisco was reached September 1, but no shore leave was granted for fear of assertions to seek gold. At Bene- cia. Cal, an army post, the regiment went into camp to recuperate until September IS, and then again board ed ship for Fort Vancouver. which was reached some days later.
 Besides the army barracks there, the town consisted of the Hudson's Bay Company's trading post and a dozen log huts of Indian and half breed employees of the company. which carried on extensive trapping operations with Fort Vancouver as the base.
 In order 10 rase the money to bring his family from the east, Cap- tain Grant with fellow officer leas- ed tract of land not far from the fort, which he planted to potatoes and oats. However, Mrs. Sheffield's account relates. the river flooded out the crops.
 In the spring of 1853 Captain Grant asked Mrs. Sheffield to take into her home as boarders himself, Lieutenant Phil Sheridan, Captain George M. Mcclellan and two others. When she objected that she would be unable to care for so large a household, Captan Grant replied:
 "Oh, that can be easily managed. I shall detail one of the soldiers who is a good cook to do the cooking. and besides, have an excellent cook book and am pretty good cook my self. I am sure that we shall man. age very we'll"
 Grant missed his wife very much at this time and frequently express ed a desire to resign from the army and live with his family, which some time later he did. After the potato failure, Grant and his busi- ness associate bought all the chick ems for 20 miles around and char tered vessel to ship them to mark ct in San Francisco. Tbe ship re- turned with the news that the chick ems had died on the way however. thus dealing & second blow to Grants fortunes.