E 
 PR 
 
 \m 
 
 MA 
 
 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 Gift of 
 ALISON P. CASARETT 
 
Cornell University Library 
 E 672.P17 1885 
 
 Grant and tiis travels :a descriptive ace 
 
 3 1924 006 370 278 
 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924006370278 
 

GRANT AND HIS TRATELS. 
 
 A DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OP 
 
 His Tour Around the World. 
 
 CONTAINING ALSO 
 
 HIS EAELY LIFE, MILITARY ACHIEVEMENTS, AND 
 HI8T0KY or HIS CIVrL ADMINISTRATION, 
 AND HIS SICKNESS AND DEATH. 
 
 L . T . R E :S£ L A. P. 
 
 "The good opinion of my countrymen is dearer to me than the 
 praise '>E a'lthe world beside." — General Grant at the Press Reception, 
 San-Fyancisco. 
 
 Volume I. 
 
 
 ..■■' ^* 
 
 '- / 
 NEW YORK: .^V-"' ■, 
 
 HUEST & COMPANY, 
 
L. T. PALMEP-r 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the preparation of this volume the editor has 
 endeavored to present, in a concise and readable 
 form, a faithful and accurate biography of the great 
 chieftain whose military genius restored domestic 
 peace and civil law throughout our land; who, in 
 his public and political career, while twice occupy- 
 ing the most exalted position of President of the 
 United States, administered the government with 
 moderation, generosity, wisdom and success, and 
 solved with rare patriotism and intelligence the many 
 complicated and difficult questions that confronted 
 him. Triumphs, which conspired to make Ulysses 
 S. Grant honored and revered by all Americans and 
 the civilized nations of the world. 
 
 In these few pages will be found a delightful 
 picture of grandeur and simplicity of character, — a 
 man thoughtful, reserved and taciturn, of unprece- 
 dented magnanimity, undoubte^d patriotism, cool 
 judgment, clear-sighted sagacity, singleness of pur- 
 pose, subordination of all egotistical and selfish con- 
 siderations to duty and the public good, impervious 
 to flattery, modest in his bearing, never boasting of 
 his deeds or selfishly obtruding himself before the 
 public, — a man of tireless energy, of great breadth 
 of comprehension, of the highest order of adminis- 
 trative genius. Such a character, when carefully 
 studied, will teach the mass of mankind that high 
 qualities and great abilities are consistent with the 
 simplicity of taste, contempt for parade, and plain- 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ncss of manners with which direct and earnest men 
 have a strong and natural sympathy. 
 
 The editor of the San Francisco Chronicle truly 
 voices the sentiment of all Americans when he said : 
 " It was but fitting that he should be crowned with 
 such honors as have never been bestowed by foreign 
 nations upon any citizen of the United States, and 
 become the recipient of such tokens of confidence 
 and enthusiastic affection as have never been exhib- 
 ited by Americans to any citizen. For when this 
 generation shall have passed away, when Jhe fierce 
 passions engendered by a bitter strife shall have been 
 tranquilized, the voices of prejudice and calumny 
 that have been so loud against his great name will 
 be hushed forever, and the verdict of impartial his- 
 tory will be that, since the foundation of our gov- 
 ernment, no American, however bright the halo that 
 time has cast around his memory, has deserved better 
 of his country than Ulysses S. Grant." 
 
 The compiler has availed himself of all reliable 
 sources of information, special care having been 
 taken to verify statements of fact from official 
 sources. He would acknowledge his indebtedness 
 for the military record of General Grant, to Head, 
 ley's " Grant and His Campaigns," Greeley's "Amer-- 
 ican Conflict," General /Badeau's interesting ""Mili- 
 tary History of General Grant," and Abbott's " Life 
 of Grant." The description of General Grant's-tour 
 around the world is largely drawn from two sources : 
 The letters public and private of Jesse Grant to the 
 New Y or\i Herald zxidi Chicago Inier- Ocean, and those 
 of J. Russell Young to the New York Herald. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 GEN. U. S. grant's BOYHOOD. 
 
 The Grant Family Motlo— His Grandfather— His Father— His 
 Father's Marriage— A Pious Mother— Birth of Hiram Ulysses — 
 How His Name was Changed — Early Boyhood School Days — His 
 Father's Limited Means— Incidents in His Early Life, • • 17 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 AT WEST POINT. 
 
 Anxious for a Collegiate Education — Adopts the Profession of 
 Arms — Appointed a Cadet at West Point — Improving Opportunities 
 —Rank at Graduation — List of Classmates — Their Military Rank in 
 »86i, 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ENTERS THE ARMY — THE MEXICAN WAR. 
 
 Breveted Second Lieutenant on the Frontier — Ordered to Texas 
 — Annexation of Texas — Sam Houston — Bombardment of Fort 
 Brown — Battle of Palo Alto— Battle of Resaca de la Palma— Battle 
 of Monterey — Vera Cruz to Mexico — Garrison Life at Sacketts Har- 
 bor — His Marriage — On the Pacific Coast — Resigns his Commission 
 —Farm Life near St. Louis — Removes to Galena, III., - • 33 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CIVIL WAR — MADE A BRIGADIER. 
 
 The First Shot — Raises a Company — Adjutant General of IIH- 
 ncde—His valuable Services — Appointed Colonel — Patriotic Letter to 
 
 (S) 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 Mr. Dent— New York Tribune Editorial Comtnentg— Joins his Reg- 
 iment — Ordered to Missouri — Made Brigadier General — Appointed 
 to th» Command of Cairo, - - 40 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 BELMONT — FORT HENRY — FORT DONELSON. 
 
 Tlie Port of Cairo — Kentucky Neutrality — Occupation of Paducah 
 —Proclamation to the Citizens — Battle of Belmont — Capture of Fort 
 Henry — Commodore A. H. Foote — Fort Donelson — Co-operation of 
 the Fleet — General Floyd — Escape of Floyd and Pillow — Uncondi- 
 tional Surrender — Its Importance to the Union Cause — Evacuation 
 of Columbus and Bowling Green, 45 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PITTSBURG, SHILOH, lUKA AND CORINTH. 
 
 The Confederates at Corinth — Crumps Landing — ^Johnston's Pro- 
 clamation — Battle of Pittsburg Landing and Shiloh — Rally of the 
 Union Forces — The Confederate Defeat — Pursuit — Sherman's Remi- 
 niscences — Rebel Retreat to Corinth — Siege of Corinth — Retreat of 
 the Enemy — Other Movements — Battle of luka — Rebel Attack on 
 Corinth, 55 
 
 CHAPTER Vn. 
 
 THE AI/VANCE TO VICKSBURG. 
 
 The Advance upon Vicksburg — Repeated Failures of Movements 
 to the Northward of Vicksburg — Running the Batteries — March to 
 New Carthage — Admiral Porter — Bombardment of Grand Gulf — 
 Crossing the Mississippi at Bruinsburg — Advance upon Port Gibson 
 — Union Success — Evacuation of Grand Gulf — On the Big Black — 
 Grant's Strategy — Battle of Jackson — Champion's Hill — Big Black 
 River Bridge — Pemberton's Flight to Vicksburg, - - • 67 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG. 
 
 The Investment of Vicksburg — Magnitude of the Achievement 
 
CONTENTS. H 
 
 —The Assault and Repulse— Progress of the Siege— Distress of the 
 Besieged — Famine — Bombardment of the City— Explosion of the 
 Mine— The Capitulation— Joy Throughout the North— The Presi- 
 dent's Letter of Congratulatron— Grant ordered North, • • 7* 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THB PREPARATIONS AT CHATTAITOOGA. 
 
 Made a Major General — Rosecrans' Defeat at Chickamauga— 
 The Peril of the Army — Grant' Appointed to the Command — Hig 
 Wonderful Energy — Brilliant Relief of the Army — Opening Com- 
 mimications — Reorganization — A Grand Army — Sherman Arrives 
 — Burnside's Peril — Assuming the Offensive, ... 87 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE BATTLES OF MISSIONARY RIDGE AND LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. 
 
 Hooker's Advance — The Battle above the Clouds — Retreat of the 
 Confederates — Movements of Sherman — Thomas's Gallant Charge 
 — The Grand Victory — Sheridan's Pursuit — Sherman Sent to the 
 Relief of Burnside at Knoxville — The Siege of Knoxville Raised— 
 The Retreat of Johnston, ....... 100 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 PUBLIC HONORS — LIEUTENANT-GENERAL. 
 
 Revival of the Grade of Lieutenant-General. — Action of Con- 
 gres6— General Grant Nominated by the President — Letter to Sher- 
 man — Public Enthusiasm — Nev\r Plans for the Conduct of the 
 War. "S 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS. 
 
 Grant's Plans— Army Cro6ses the Rapidan— The Three Days' 
 Battles — Terrible Losses — Battle of Spottsylvania Court House- 
 Defeat of the Confederates— Death of Wadsworth and Sedgwipk, «*» 
 
8 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FROM SPOTTSYLVANIA TO FETERSBURO. 
 
 Lee's Retreat — The Race for Richmond — At the North Anna— 
 Across the Pamunkey — On the Chickahominy — Desperate Battle of 
 Cold Harbor — Grand Strategic Movements to Petersburg — Conflict 
 Around Petersburg. 139 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE SEIGE OF FETERSBURO. 
 
 Invecting Petersburg— Birney's Raid — Wilson and Kautz Cavalry 
 Raid — Bombardment of the City— Ewell's Raid on Washington— 
 
 Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley— Defeat of the Confederates. 146 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Sherman's march to the sea. 
 
 Preliminary Movements — Capture of Atlanta — Confederate At- 
 tack on Nashville— General Thomas' Gallant Defense — Sherman's 
 Wonderful March — ^The Ravages of the March — Capture of Sa- 
 vannah. • •.----....161 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 the final victory. 
 
 Sherman's March Through the CaroHnas— Grant's Superior 
 
 Generalship — Lee's Plan of Escape — Flight of the Confederates 
 
 Surrenderor Lee at Appomattox — Surrender of Johnston Overthrow 
 
 of the Rebellion — Grant's Farewell Address. • • - 169 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 the works of feace. 
 
 The Dlsbandment of the Army — Total Force Mustered Out— 
 Sale of Horses and Mules — Barracks and Hospitals — Railroad Equip- 
 ments — ^Total Enlisted Men — Total Bounties Paid — Cost of the War 
 
 The Sanitary and Christian Commissions — Ad-Interim Secretary of 
 War. . . , , \^ 
 
CONTENTS. 9 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 GRANT THE STATESMAN. 
 
 Nomination for the Presidency— Great Popularity—Unprecedented 
 Popular Vote — Events of His Administration — The Panic — The 
 Chicago and Boston Fires — The Indian Wars — The Centennial Ex- 
 position — Corruption and Official Jobbery — " Let No Guilty Man 
 Escape "—Return to Private Life. »V« 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 OFF FOR EUROPE. 
 
 Departure from Philadelphia — Rousing Demonstration — On the 
 Ocean — Arrival at Queenstown — Liverpool — Grand Reception — A 
 Round of Pleasure — At the Docks — Mayor's Reception and Ball.ioj 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN LONDON. 
 
 His Arrival— Prince of Wales— Grand Banquet— Duke of Wel- 
 lington — Waterloo Chamber— At Westminster Abbey — Reception at 
 the American Legation — Grand Ball — Buckingham Palace — Free- 
 dom o£ the city of London — Magnificent Reception — Its Significance 
 — Gold Casket — Distinguished Guests — Marquis of Lome. *IS 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 GRANT IN ENGLAND. 
 
 A Letter to D. W. Childs— Dining with the Prince of Wales— 
 At Minister Pierrepont's— Royal Opera House— Banquet by Trinity 
 House — Speech by the Prince of Wales — Address by Earl Carnaervon 
 —General Grant's Reply— Reception by Queen Victoria— State 
 Dinner— Ladies' Toilets— State Concert— Grand Banquet Tendered 
 by the City of Liverpool— Addresses— General Badeau— United Ser- 
 vice Club — American Legation. ^-J' 
 
 CHAPTER XXn. 
 
 ON THE CONTINENT. 
 
 At Bruaselt — Reception and Dinner by King Leopold— At Co 
 
10 ' CONTENTS. 
 
 logne — Visiting Churches and the Cathedral — At Frankfort — 6rea£ 
 Reception — A Grand Ball — At Hamburg — At Lucerne — Berne — 
 Geneva — Laying a Corner Stone — At Pallanza — At Copenhagen — 
 Ulysses — A Happy Speech. - a^ 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 RETURN TO GREAT BRITAIN. 
 
 Presented with the Freedom of Edinburgh — Enthusiastic Recep- 
 tion — Lord Provost's Speech — Grant's Reply — Tay Bridge — Its De- 
 scription—City of Wick — At Glasgow — The Finest and Most Enthu- 
 siastic Reception — Speech of Mr. Anderson — Grant's Long Speech- 
 Remarkable Reception at Newcastle — At Northumberland — Gates- 
 head — At Sheffield — At Birmingham — Speeches. - - - aji 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN PARIS. 
 
 Adieu to England— Boulogne — At Paris — Enthusiastic Reception 
 — Palace de Elysee — Grand Banquet by Resident Americans — Recep- 
 tion by Minister Noyes — Menu — Brilliant Assemblage — Banquet at 
 Marshal McMahon's — Address — Grant's Reply — A Comparison — 
 Mrs. Mackay's Reception — Extravagance of Display — Dinner at Mrs. 
 Sickles'— At Mr. Harjes. - - ■' a« 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THROUGH FRANCK-rlTALY. 
 
 At Lyonis — Marseilles — Genoa — Reception on Board the Van- 
 dalia — At Naples — Mt. Vesuvius — "House of Refuge" — Ruins of 
 Pompeii — Special Excavation— Interesting Relics — Royal Palace— At 
 
 Palermo — Christmas Dinner — Menu — How He Traveled Land of 
 
 Many Civilizations — Brigandage —At Malta — Duke of Edinburgh — 
 Palace San Antonio — Adieu -•-.... gQi 
 
 CHAPTER XXVL 
 
 IW EGYPT AND THE LOTUS LAND. 
 
 A Severe Storm— At Alexandria— Oriental Etiquette— The Pasha 
 —Reception — Brilliant Entertainment at Vice-Consul Salvage 
 
CONTENTS. 11 
 
 Henry M. Stanley — The Khedive Calls on General Grant— A Host's 
 Thoughtfulness— At Siout— The Donkey Ride— Inspecting the Town 
 — Speech of the Pasha's Son — At Girgel to Ruined City of Abydos 
 — God Osiris — Excavations — At Thebes — City of a Hundred Gates 
 — Its Magnificent Ruins— The Great Temple of Karnak — At Keneh 
 —At Assowan— Philse— The First Cataract — The Return— At Mem- 
 phis^Sacred Bulls at Kaser-el-Nousa j88 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 TURKEY AND THB HOLY LAND. 
 
 At Jaffa — Ruins of Gezer — David and Goliah — At Jerusalem — 
 Bishops and Patriarchs — Stroll on the Via Dolorosa — Ruins and 
 Relics — Dives — Calvary — Brook Kedron — Valley of Jehosaphat — 
 Mount of Olives — Bethany — At Damascus — At Athens — Grand 
 Entertainment by the King at Naples— At Rome — His Clerical Visi- 
 tor — At Turin — Return to the French Capital — At the Exposition — 
 A Game of Polo — Ball at Mr. Healy's — At the Hague — Great Dem- 
 onstration at Rotterdam — At Amsterdam — Enthusiastic Welcome — 
 The Dutch Excited 306 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 GRANT IN GERMANY, NORWAY, SWEDEN, RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA. 
 
 General Grant at Berlin— An Evening Stroll — Prince Bismarck 
 
 Great Peace Congress — Attempt to Assassinate the Emperor — 
 
 Bismarck Calls on Mrs. Grant — Reception at Minister Taylor's- 
 Crown Prince — Military Manoeuvers — Dining with Bismarck— Boltle 
 of Schnapps— At Gothenburg — Immense Crowd — At Christiana — 
 King Oscar II — Turning out en masse at Stockholm — Grand Ban- 
 quet—At St. Petersburgh— Prince GoitschakofF— With the Czar— At 
 the Versailles of St. Petersburgh— Grand Duke Alexis— At Moscow 
 — At Warsaw — Vienna — Grand Reception — A t Zurich - • 315 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAl.. 
 
 Again at Paris — Reception by Minister Noyes - In Spain- 
 Spanish Life and Character— Alfonso XII.— San Sebastian— Grand 
 Annual Military Review at Victoria— Palace of Ayuntamiento—M 
 
12 CONTENTS. 
 
 Madrid — Attempt on Alfonso's Life— The Shot Seen by General 
 Grant— Escape — Congratulations — At Lisbon — Dining with King 
 Luis — A Cordial Reception — At Seville — Duke de Montpensier — At 
 Cadiz— Enthusiastic Reception — At Gibraltar — Old Friends — Lord 
 Napier — Grand Review — At Pau — Return to Paris - • 333 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN IRELAND. 
 
 Irish Interest — A Citizen of Dublin — Grand Ovation — Long 
 Speech from General Grant — Good Times Coming — Trinity College 
 — Insult from Cork — Grant's Friendship Toward Catholics — Unpar- 
 alleled Reception at Derry — Denouncing the Insult of Corkonians — 
 Curiosities of Ulster — Old Soldiers — At Belfast — Imposing and Ex- 
 traordinary Reception — Stopping the Linen Mills — At the Ship 
 Yards — At Kingston — The Irish Welcome Compared to Others 344 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN INDIA. 
 
 Again in London — Paris — Marseilles — Delightful Trip Through 
 the Mediterranean — Description of Trip — At Alexandria — A Rail, 
 road Ride in Egypt — At Suez — On the Red Sea — At Aden— Bombay 
 — Enthusiastic Reception — Holy Place of the Hindoos — A Parsee 
 Merchant — The BycuUa Club — Flagship Eurydius— Elephanta Caves 
 — --Reception at the Government House — Singular Custom — Caste — 
 Hatred of Races — A Farewell — At Tatulpur — At Allahabad — Agra 
 — The Maharajah of Jeypore — At Amber — A Native City under 
 Native Rule — Gas in India— Elephant Ride — The Temple — A Kid 
 Sacrificed at the Palace — Nautch Dancing Girls — Playing Billiards 
 — A Royal Photograph - ... - . . 363 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIL 
 
 STILL IN INDIA. 
 
 At Burtpoor— A Princely Reception — Tuttehpoor Sikva — Akbar 
 — Interesting Ruins — At Benares — Sacred City — At the Ganges 
 "Holy Kasi" — A City of Priests — Fourteen Hundred and Fifty 
 Temples — A Sacred Ruler — Burning the Body — At Delhi — Military 
 Reception — Its Splendor — The Palace of the Grand Mogul — The 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 13 
 
 Kutah Tower— At Calcutta— Lord Lytton's Speech— Continuous 
 Round of Enjoyment— At Rangoon, Burmah — The Philadelphia of 
 Burmah — Commercial Advantages — Opening for American Mer- 
 chants ••••....... MO 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN SIAM. 
 
 At Singapore— Interesting Letter from the King of Siam— Bang- 
 kok— Another Letter — Embarking — Reception at the King's Palace 
 — The ex-Regent — An Aged Statesman — Mr. Borie and the King — 
 Royal Proclamation — A Second King — His Income — A Political 
 Influence — First King of Siam — Grand Palace — Elegant Furnishing 
 — An Audience with the King— The King Returns the Visit— An 
 Interesting Conversation — Correspondence Promised — A State Din- 
 ner — Who Were There — The Surroundings — King's Speech — Gen- 
 eral Grant's Reply— A Delightful Week • • • - 408 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN CHINA. 
 
 At Saigon — ^The Government House — Hong Kong — At Canton 
 — Its Situation — The Viceroy — Special Honors — Bulletin — Chairs of 
 Rank — ^Two Hundred Thousand People — Members of Court — The 
 Entertainment — Dinner at Consul-General Lincoln's — Greatest 
 Demonstration of Trip — At Macao — The Grotto of Camoens — 
 Reception at Hong Kong — An Address — General Grant's Reply — 
 Parting Salutes — At Swatow — Chinese Governor — Amoy — A Stroll 
 Through the Town — Letters from the King of Siam and King of the 
 Sandwich Islands and the Viceroy of Canton — General Grant's Re- 
 plies— At Shanghai— Unexpected Greetings— An Address— Reply— 
 At Tientsin — The Viceroy — Extraordinary Conversation at Pekin— 
 Reception by the Prince Imperial — Confidential Proposition— Flat- 
 tering Reception — Unusual Demonstration by the Prince— Return to 
 Tientsin— The Viceroy's Friendly Visits— Pleasure of General Grant 
 —Farewell to China 4^ 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN JAPAW. 
 
 At Nagaiaki— Banqueted by Citiisens^The Heraid's Graphic !»«• 
 
14 CONTENTS. 
 
 jcrlption — Address of Merchants — Fish and Soup — Arrival at Tokio 
 — Palace o£ Enriokwan — Its Gardens — The Bazaars — A Native 
 Dance — Reception at the College of Engineering — At Yokahama — 
 Grand Reception — Address of Welcome — Feast of Lanterns — A 
 Brilliant Spectacle — Reception by the Emperor — His Palace — ^Japan- 
 ese Etiquette — Address of the Emperor and Empress — In the Moun- 
 tains — At the Old Capital — Interesting tete a iete with the Emperor- 
 Farewell to Japan — Sailing of the Tokio .... 468 
 
 CHAPEER XXXVI. 
 
 GENERAL grant's RETURN. 
 
 Embarking from Tokio — Date of Arrival^Review of Tour — 
 Preparation for His Reception — The Great Excursion — Not Flatter- 
 ing to the American People — Out of the Presidential Race — Admiral 
 Ammen — Hon. E. B. Washburn — Murat Halstead — His -Positive 
 Acceptance of the Presidency of the Nicaraugua Ship Canal Com- 
 pany — Letter to Admiral Ammen — Reception Programme at San 
 Francisco — On the Watch — Magnificent Ovation Expected — The 
 "Sand Lot" Braggart— Threat to Hang Grant in Effigy —Intense 
 Excitement — Probable Result 51a 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 Preparations for His Reception — His Arrival — The Reception 
 
 Committee — Immense Crowds Assembled — The Mayor's Address 
 
 The Procession — Line of March — At the California Theater — Poem 
 by the Poet-Scout — Absence of Personal Vanity — Grant Compared 
 to Napoleon — Character as a Military Man — The High Pitch of En- 
 thusiasm — Comments of the Press ..... jjj 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 RETURN TO HIS HOME. 
 
 Formal Presentation of General and Mrs. Grant to the Citizens 
 
 of California — At the Produce Exchange — The Baldwin Theater 
 
 Visit to Oakland — The Press Banquet — The Carnival at Mechanic's 
 Pavilion — Visit to San Jose — Return to San Francisco — Children'* 
 p.eception at Woodward'* Gardens — In the Yoseniite Valley Off 
 
CONTENTS. 15 
 
 fcr Oregon — Homeward Journey and Receptions «« Route — Wel- 
 come at Galena — Unparalleled Receptions at Chicago — Speeches 
 at the Receptions of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee — Col. 
 Vilas, of Wisconsin— Mark Twain— Banquet— The Calumet Club- 
 Return to Galena, ......-«_ jjj 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 POLITICS AND BUSINESS. 
 
 Grant's Galena Residence — In Retirement — The Politicians and 
 Money-m^ers — Their Schemes — The Nicaraugua Scheme — Mexi- 
 can Railroads — Grant's Sincerity — Influence of Friends — National 
 Republican Convention of 1880 — The Candidates and Political 
 Managers — Conkling's Nojpination of Grant — The Old Guard — 
 Nomination of Garfield — Grant's Calm Dignity under Defeat — Sup. 
 port of Garfield— Grant's Visit to Blaine in the Fall of 1884 — 
 Sublime Loyalty to Republicanism — Removal to New York — Fund 
 of $250,000 raised — A Special Partner in Firm of Grant & Ward — 
 The Marine Bank Failure — Borrowing $150,000 from W. H. Van- 
 derbilt — Failure of Grant & Ward — Complete Financial Ruin of 
 General Grant and His Sons — Personal Property Presented to the 
 United States— The Grant Retirement Bill, - - • • 668 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 PAINFUL ACCIDENT, DISTRESSING SICKNESS, HEROIC DEATH. 
 
 General Grant's General Health During the War — During his 
 Civil Administration — Exposures, and Irregularities of Travel — Pain- 
 ful Accident Christmas Eve, 1883 — Condolence of the Nation — Pri- 
 mary Causes of Present Illness — Early Stages — Senator Hill's Case — 
 Alarming Symptoms — Expressions of Deep Sympathy North and 
 South — The Bulletins — Sweet Joys of a Happy Family — Cancer Un- 
 like Ordinary Disease — History Furnishes no Parallel Case — Prome- 
 theus, the Greek — Words of Sympathy from Public Bodies and Prom- 
 inent Persons — Funeral Obsequies — Comments of Press, 6S4 
 
 Appendices, . , - - 7l^-77-" 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 u. s. grant's early days. 
 
 No military man of modern times has accomplished 
 as much, with so little ostentation, as he of whom this nar- 
 rative is written. From his earliest history until the pres- 
 ent time, his deeds, and not his words, have spoken in 
 "trumpet tones" for him. On the eve of any important 
 movement or action it has been his custom to assemble his 
 trusted aids — ask for and listen to their counsels, and, if 
 good, adopt their plans — never forgetting to give credit if 
 successful, and assuming the blame if failure ensued. He 
 was never guilty of petty oppressions to those holding in- 
 feiior rank, nor did he ever find it necessary or politic to 
 push himself into notoriety, and yet there is no one living 
 who possesses more fame and celebrity, or has receivicd 
 more marked attention from the world at large. 
 
 Ulysses Simpson Grant was born April 27, 1822, at 
 Point Pleasant, Clermont County, Ohio, a small town on 
 the Ohio River, twenty-five miles above Cincinnati. The 
 Grants are of Scotch descent, and the motto of their clan 
 in Aberdeenshire was, « Stand fast, stand firm, stand sure." 
 Grant inherits from many of his ancestors a love for free- 
 dom and a determination to fight for its cause. In 1 799, 
 his grandfather, a Pennsylvania farmer, joined the great 
 tide of emigration moving to the Northwest Territory. 
 
 His great grandfather. Captain Noah Grant, of Wind- 
 8or, Connecticut, and his brother. Lieutenant Solomon 
 • (17) 
 
l8 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 Grant, were soldiers :n the old French war, and were both 
 killed in battle in 1756, 
 
 His grandfather, also Noah Grant, of Windsor, hurried 
 from his fields at the first conflict of the Revolution, and 
 appeared as a lieutenant on Lexington Common on the 
 morning of the memorable 19th of April, when the em- 
 battled farmers "fired the shot heard round the world." 
 
 His father, Jesse R. Grant, was born in Westmoreland 
 County, Pennsylvania, in 1794. Was apprenticed to the 
 tanner's trade at the early age of eleven years. Removed 
 to Mayville, Kentucky, thence to Point Pleasant, Ohio, 
 where he followed the business of a tanner. In 1869 he 
 was appointed postmaster at Covington, Kentucky, by 
 President Grant, and died in 1874. 
 
 General Grant's father married in June, 1821, at Point 
 Pleasant, Ohio, Miss Hannah Simpson. She was the 
 daughter of John Simpson, and was born in Montgomery 
 County, Pennsylvania, but removed with her family in 1818 
 to Clermont County. Ten months after marriage their 
 first child Ulysses was born. 
 
 Like other great men, Grant had an excellent mother 
 — a pious woman, cheerful, unambitious of worldly dis- 
 play, watchful of her children, and " looking well to the 
 ways of her household." Her husband pays her the high- 
 est tribute v/hich can be paid to any wife and mother in 
 saying, " Her steadiness, firmness and strength of charac- 
 ter have been the stay of the family through life." 
 
 Love of their children has ever been a marked trait in 
 the Grant family. 
 
 He was originally christened Hiram Ulysses, his grand- 
 father giving the name of Hiram ; his grandmother, who 
 was a great student of history, giving the name of Ulysses, 
 whose character had strongly attracted her admiration. 
 
LIFE AKD SERVICES. 
 
 19 
 
 The member of Congress who appointed Grant to his 
 cadetship at West Point when a boy of seventeen, by acci- 
 dent changed his name, in filling his appointment, to U. S. 
 Grant. Grant repeatedly endeavored to have the mistake 
 corrected at West Point, and at the war department at 
 Washington, but this was one of the few things in which 
 he failed ; his applications were never complied with. As 
 if fate foresaw the patriotic duty, the filial love, the tran- 
 scendant services he was one day to render his country, 
 the government seemed to insist, when adopting him 
 among her military children, on renaming him, and giving 
 to him her own initials, " U. S.," which he has ever since 
 borne. 
 
 As a child, Grant was robust, strong and cool, as he has 
 since shown himself. He was neither a precocious nor a 
 stupid child ; he was a well-behaved, dutiful boy. He at- 
 tended the public school in the village during the winter 
 months; he learned well, but was no prodigy. 
 
 He never liked his father's business of tanning. It was 
 disagreeable; and he early determined not to follow it. He 
 wanted an education. He said he would be a farmer, or 
 trade down the river; but a tanner he would not be. 
 
 His father, with limited means, did not feel that, in jus- 
 tice to himself and his other children, he could afford the 
 money to send Ulysses to college. 
 
 The father of General Grant, in an account of his 
 childhood published in the New York Ledger^ gives the 
 following interesting narrative. 
 
 « The leading passion of Ulysses, almost from the time 
 -he could go alone, was for horses. The first time he ever 
 drove a horse alone, he was about seven and a half years 
 old. I had gone away from home, to. Ripley, twelve 
 miles off. I went in the morning, and did not get back 
 
20 
 
 until night, i owned, at the time, a three-year old colt, 
 which had been ridden under the saddle to carry the mail, 
 but had never had a collar on. While I was gone, Ulys- 
 ses got the colt and put a collar and the harness on him, 
 and hitched him up to a sled. Then he put a single line 
 on to him, and drove off, and loaded up the sled with 
 brush, and came back again. He kept at it, hauling suc- 
 cessive loads, all day; and, when I came home at night, 
 he had a pile of brush as big as a cabin. 
 
 "At about ten years of age he used to drive a pair of 
 horses alone, from Georgetown, where we lived, forty 
 miles, to Cincinnati, and bring back a load of passengers. 
 
 "When Ulysses was a boy, if a circus or any show 
 came along, in which there was a call for somebody to 
 come forward and ride a pony, he was always the one to 
 present himself, and whatever he undertook to ride he 
 rode. This practice he kept up until he got to be so large 
 that he was ashamed to ride a pony. 
 
 "Once, when he was a boy, a show came along in 
 which there was a mischievous pony, trained to go round 
 the ring like lightning, and he was expected to throw any 
 boy that attempted to ride him. 
 
 « ' Will any boy come forward and ride this pony ? ' 
 shouted the ring-master. 
 
 "Ulysses stepped forward, and mounted the pony. 
 The performance began. Round and round and round 
 the ring went the pony, faster and faster, making the 
 greatest effort to dismount the rider, but Ulysses sat as 
 steady as if he had grown to the pony's back. Presently 
 out came a large monkey, and sprang up behind Ulysses. 
 The people set up a great shout of laughter, and on the 
 pony ran ; but it all produced no effect on the rider. Then 
 the ring-master made the monkey jump up on to Ulyssag' 
 
LIFB AND SERVICES. 31 
 
 shoulders, standing with his feet on his shoulders, and with 
 his hands holding on to his hair. At this there was an- 
 other and a still louder shout, but not a muscle of Ulysses' 
 face moved. There was not a tremor of his nerves. A 
 few more rounds, and the ring-master gave it up; he li.id 
 come across a boy that the pony and the monkey both 
 could not dismount." 
 
 It appears that when he was tw6lve years of age, his 
 father sent him to a neighboring farmer, a Mr. Ralston, to 
 close the bargain for a horse which he was wishing to pur- 
 chase. Before Ulysses started, his father said to him, — 
 
 "You can tell Mr. Ralston that I have sent you to buy 
 the horse, and that I will ^give him fifty dollars for it. If 
 he will not take that, you may offer him fifty-five; and I 
 should be willing to go as high as sixty, rather than not 
 get the horse." 
 
 This is essentially an old story, probably having a mere 
 foundation in fact; but the peculiarity in this case was, that 
 when Ralston asked Ulysses directly, "How much did 
 your father say you might give for the horse?" he did not 
 know how to prevaricate, but replied, honestly and em- 
 phatically, — 
 
 " Father told me to offer you fifty dollars at first ; if 
 that would not do, to give you fifty-five dollars; and that 
 he would be willing to give sixty, rather than not get the 
 horse." 
 
 Of course, Ralston could not sell the horse for less than 
 sixty dollars. 
 
 "I am sorry for that," returned Grant, "for, on looking 
 at the horse, I have determined not to give more than fifty 
 dollars for it, although father said I might give sixty. 
 You may take fifty if you like, or you may keep the 
 horse." 
 
22 GENERAL V. S. 
 
 Mr. Ralston took the fifty dollars, and Ulysses rode 
 the horse home. 
 
 The father also tells the following incident, in which 
 one can trace the same quiet, fixed resolution, which is 
 such a strong feature in his character in his later years. 
 The son possessed his father's unbounded confidence in his 
 ability to take care of himself. When Ulysses was but 
 twelve years of age, his father sent him to Louisville alone. 
 Of this trip his father says : 
 
 "It was necessary for me to have a deposition taken 
 there, to be used in a lawsuit in which I w;as engaged in 
 the State of Connecticut. I had written more than once 
 about it to my lawyers, but could not get the business 
 done. ' I can do it,' said Ulysses. So I sent him on the 
 errand alone. Before he started, I gave him an open letter 
 that he might show the captain of the boat, or any one 
 else, if he should have occasion, stating that he was my 
 son, and was going to Louisville on my business. Going 
 down, he happened to meet a neighbor with whom he 
 was acquainted; so he had no occasion to use the letter. 
 But when he came on board a boat to return, the captain 
 asked him who he was. He told him; but the captain 
 answered, ' I cannot take you ; you may be running away.' 
 Ulysses then produced my letter, which put everything 
 right; and the captain not only treated him with great 
 kindness, but took so much interest in him as to invite him 
 to go as far as Mayville with him, where he had relatives 
 living, free of expense. He brought back the deposition 
 with him, and that enabled me to succeed in making a 
 satisfactory adjustment of my suit." 
 
CHAPTER It. 
 
 AT WEST POINT. 
 
 When a young man, it was Grant's earnest desire to 
 secure a collegiate education. As has been stated in the 
 previous chapter, his father's limited means presented an 
 almost insurmountable obstacle to the acquirement of more 
 than a common school education. Under these circum- 
 stances but one way suggested itself to the youthful Grant, 
 and that was by adopting the profession of arms, and ob- 
 taining an appointment of cadet at West Point. He knew 
 that at this school, not only was education gratuitous, but 
 that during his course the student was supported well and 
 paid a regular sum, which was more than enough for the 
 ordinary expenses of a student at college. There was 
 also, after graduation, a field open to him either to remain 
 in the army, or to engage in engineering or industrial 
 pursuits. 
 
 In the year 1839 his father secured, through the influ- 
 ence of General Thomas L. Hamer, then a member of 
 Congress from the district, an appointment as cadet at 
 West Point. Grant was at this time but seventeen years 
 of age. It is somewhat remarkable that without any pre- 
 paratory study he was able to pass the rigid examination 
 which all cadets are obliged to undergo.. He was admitted 
 into the fourth class, where his studies consisted of mathe- 
 matics, English grammar,— including etymological and 
 rhetorical exercises, composition, declamations, ^geog- 
 raphy, French, and the use of small arms. 
 
 (23) 
 
34 
 
 CENERAL V. S. GRANT'S 
 
 During a part of the summer, the cadets at West Point 
 go into camp, living in tents as if " on the field." Young 
 Grant ranked during' his first year as a private of the 
 battalion, and enjoyed the privileges and had to submit to 
 all the trials that privates in camp have to suffer. During 
 the year 1840 he was advanced into the third class. His 
 studies consisted of the higher mathematics, French, draw- 
 ing, and tlie duties of a cavalry soldier. He was also ad« 
 vanced to the rank of corporal in the cadet battalion. 
 
 WEST POINT. 
 
 During 1841 Cadet Grant entered the second class at 
 the United States Military school, advancing to the rank 
 of a sergeant in the battalion of cadets. The studies of 
 this class he found were somewhat more laborious, yet his 
 progress here, as in his previous studies, was steady — not 
 rapid, but of the sure kind — mastering thoroughly all that 
 he undertook, holding firmly on to all that he acquired 
 He never fell back; was ever found faithful in every duty, 
 receiving the approbation of his teachers, and the friend- 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 25 
 
 ship of his associates. In this class his studies embraced 
 natural and experimental philosophy, chemistry and draw- 
 ing, and practical instruction in horsemanship, and during 
 the summer encampment was well drilled in both infantry 
 and artillery tactics. Passing out of this class with credf, 
 heentered the first or senior class in 1842, In the battalion 
 of cadets he ranked as a commissioned officer, learning here 
 how to command a section, troop or company. In this 
 class he engaged in acquiring the knowledge of civil and 
 military engineering, in the study of ethics; constitutional, 
 military and international law ; in mineralogy and geology, 
 and the Spanish language. He was also thoroughly drilled 
 , in infantry, artillery and cavalry tactics; in the use of rifled, 
 mortar, siege and seacoast guns ; in smSll sword and bayonet 
 exercise, as well as in the construction of field works and 
 fortifications, and in the fabrication of munitions and mate- 
 rial of war. 
 
 Thus he received at West Point the best education 
 a man can receive, namely, that which fits him for his 
 work in life. He was Subjected to a course of physical 
 training which invigorated his body. Young Grant ap- 
 preciated and improved all the opportunities which were 
 ofliered to him. He gave these years diligently to self- 
 improvement in the widest sense. He graduated in^une, 
 1843, with a good rank in his class, and, what was better, 
 without vices which enfeebled his body, or mental habits 
 which depraved his mind. It may not be uninteresting to 
 the reader to know who^General Grant's fellow graduates 
 were, and what their relative positions were at the close of 
 the civil war. There were in the graduating class of 1 843 
 thirty-nine graduates, Grant standing the twenty-first on 
 the list. The grade and brief biography of each at above 
 date was as follows : 
 
a6 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 The cadet who stood first in the class was William 
 Benjamin Franklin, who entered the Topographical Engi- 
 neer Corps; and having passed through a series of adven- 
 tures under various commanders was, at'the beginning 
 of 1864, the general commanding the Nineteenth Army 
 Corps, in the Department of the Gulf, under General 
 Banks. 
 
 The names of the next three graduates do not now ap- 
 pear in the army list of the United States. 
 
 William F. Raynolds ranked fifth in the class, entered 
 the infantry service, and w^as appointed an aide on the staff 
 of General Fremont, commanding the Mountain Depart- 
 ment, with the rank of colonel, from the 31st of March, 
 1862. 
 
 The next graduate was Isaac F. Quinby. He had en- 
 tered the artillery service, and had been professor at West 
 Point, but had retired to civil life. The rebellion, how- 
 ever, brought him from his retirement, and he went to the 
 field at the head of a regiment of New York volunteers. 
 He afterward became a brigadief-general in the Army of 
 the Potomac. 
 
 Roswell S. Ripley, the author of " The War with 
 Mexico," stood seventh; but his name did not appear in 
 the odicial Army Register of the United States, as he had 
 attached himself to the rebel cause. 
 
 The next graduate was John James Peck, who entered 
 the artillery service, and was, on Jan. i, 1864, the com- 
 mander of the district of and army in North Carolina, 
 which then formed a portion of General Butler's Depart- 
 ment. 
 
 John P. Johnstone, the daring artillery lieutenant who 
 fell gallantly at Contreras, Mexico, was the next graduate. 
 
 General Joseph Jones Reynolds was the next in grade. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 27 
 
 This officer had gained great credit while in the army, as 
 a professor of sciences; but had resigned some time, when, 
 the Rebellion broke out. He was, however, in 1 861, again 
 brought forward as a general of three months' volunteers, 
 under General McCIellan, in Western Virginia; was after- 
 ward commissioned by the President; and latterly became 
 attached to the Army of the Cumberland. He served on 
 the staff of the general commanding that army, with the 
 rank of major-general, until General Grant assumed com- 
 mand of the military division embracing the Departments 
 of Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland, when he was trans- " 
 ferred to New Orleans. 
 
 The eleventh graduate was James Allen Hardie, who, 
 during the War of the Rebellion, became an assistant ad- 
 jutant-general of the Army of the Potomac, with the rank 
 of colonel. 
 
 Henry F. Clarke graduated twelfth, entered the artil- 
 lery service, gained brevets in Mexico, and became chief 
 commissary of the Army of the Potomac, during the War 
 of the Rebellion, with the rank of cSlonel. 
 
 Lieutenant Booker, the next in grade, died while in 
 service at San Antonio, Texas, on June 26, 1849. 
 
 The fourteenth graduate might have been a prominent 
 officer of the United States army,, had he not deserted the 
 cause of his country, and attached himself to the Confeder- 
 ates. He had not even the excuse of "going with his 
 State," for he was a native of New Jersey, and was ap- 
 pointed to the army from that State. His name is Samuel 
 G. French, major-general of the rebel army. 
 
 The next graduate was Lieutenant Theodore L. Chad- 
 bourne, who was killed in the battle of Resaca de la Palma, 
 on May 9, 1846, after distinguishing himself for his bravery 
 3t the head of his command. 
 
a8 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 Christopher Colon Augur, one of the commanders of 
 the Department of Washington, and major-general of vol- 
 unteers, was the next in grade. 
 
 Franklin Gardner, a native of New York, and an ap- 
 pointee from the State of Iowa, graduated seventeenth in 
 General Grant's class. At the time of the Rebellion he 
 deserted the cause of the United States and joined the Con- 
 federates. He was disgracefully dropped from the rolls of 
 the United States army, on May ^, 1861, became a major- 
 general in the Confederate service, and surrendered his 
 garrison at Port Hudson, July 9, 1863, through the reduc- 
 tion of Vicksburg by his junior graduate, U. S. Grant. 
 
 Lieutenant George Stevens, who was drowned in the 
 passage of the Rio Grande, May 18, 1846, was the next 
 graduate. 
 
 The nineteenth graduate was Edmund B. Holloway, of 
 Kentucky, who obtained a brevet at Contreras, and was a 
 captain of infantry in the United States regular army at the 
 commencement of the Rebellion. Although his State re- 
 mained in the Union, he threw up his commission on May 
 14, 1 86 1, and joined the Confederates. 
 
 The graduate that immediately preceded General Grant 
 was Lieutenant Lewis Neill, who died on January 13, 1850, 
 while in service at Fort Croghan, Texas, 
 
 General U. S. Grant was the next or twenty-first 
 graduate. 
 
 Joseph H. Potter, of New Hampshire, graduated next 
 after the hero of Vicksburg. During the War of the Re- 
 bellion he became a colonel of volunteers, retaining his 
 rank as captain in the regular army. 
 
 Lieutenant Robert Hazlitt, who was killed in the storm- 
 ing of Monterey, Sept. 21, 1846, and Lieutenant Edwin 
 Howe, who died while in service at Fort Leavenworthj 
 March 31, 18^0, were the next two graduates, 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. *9 
 
 Lafayette Boyer Wood, of Virginia, was the twenty- 
 fifth graduate. He is no longer connected with the ser- 
 vice, having resigned several years before the civil war. 
 
 The next graduate was Charles S. Hamilton, who for 
 some time commanded, as major-general of volunteers, a 
 district under General Grant. 
 
 Captain William K. Van Bokkelen, of New York, who 
 was cashiered for rebel proclivities, on May 8, 1861, was 
 the next graduate, and was followed by Alfred St. Amand 
 Crozet, of New York, who had resigned the service sev- 
 eral years before the breaking out of the civil war, and 
 Lieutenant Charles E. James, who died at Sonoma, Cal., 
 on June 8, 1849. 
 
 The thirtieth graduate was the gallant General Fred- 
 erick Steele, who participated in the Vicksburg and Mis- 
 sissippi campaigns, as division and corps commander under 
 General Grant, and afterward commanded the Army of 
 Arkansas. 
 
 The next graduate was Captain Henry R. Selden, of 
 Vermont, and of the Fifth U. S. Infantry. 
 
 General Rufus Ingalls, quartermaster-general of the 
 Army of the Potomac, graduated No. 32. 
 
 Major Frederick T. Dent, of the Fourth U. S. Infantry, 
 and Major J. C. McFerran, of the Quartermaster's Depart- 
 ment, were thg next two graduates. 
 
 The thirty-fifth graduate was General Henry Moses 
 Judah, who commanded a division of the Twenty-Third 
 Army Corps during its operations after the Confederate 
 cavalry general, John H. Morgan, and in East Tennessee, 
 during the fall of 1863. 
 
 * The remaining four graduates were Norman Elting, 
 who resigned the service October 29, 1846; Cave J. Couts, 
 who was a member of the State Constitutional Convention 
 
3d GENERAL. V. S. GRANT'S 
 
 of California during the year 1849; Charles G. Merchant^ 
 of New York; and George C. McClelland, of Pennsyl- 
 vania, no one of whom was at this time connected with 
 the United States Service. 
 
 The admirers of General Grant will take no little in- 
 terest in examining the above list and tracing the career 
 of the twenty-first graduate in his outstripping all his 
 seniors in grade. Having surmounted all difficulties, he 
 commanded, at the close of the war, a larger force and a 
 greater extent of territory than all of his thirty-eight class- 
 mates put together, and had risen higher in the military 
 scale than any in his class, notwithstanding the fact that he 
 showed at West Point none of that brilliancy and dash 
 which is thought so much of by collegiates. 
 
 Henry Copp(5e, Esq., who was with young Grant for 
 two years, at West toint Academy, gives the following 
 account of him while there : 
 
 "I remember him as a plain, common-sense, straight- 
 forward youth; quiet, rather of the old-head-on-young- 
 shoulders order; shunning notoriety; quite contented, 
 while others were grumbling; taking to his military duties 
 in a very business-like manner; not a prominent man in 
 the corps, but respected by all, and very popular with his 
 friends. His sobriquet of Uncle Sam was given to him 
 there, where every good fellow has a nickname, from these 
 very qualities; indeed, he was a very uncle-like sort of a 
 youth. He was then and always an excellent horseman:, 
 and his picture rises before me as I write, in the old, torn 
 coat, obsolescent leather gig-top, loose riding pantaloons, 
 with spurs buckled over them, going with his clanking sabre 
 to the drill hall. He exhibited but little enthusiasm in any- 
 thing; his best standing was in the mathematical branches, 
 and their application to tactics and military engineering. 
 
LifE And services. 31 
 
 <* If we again dwell upon the fact that no one, even of 
 his most intimate friends, dreamed of a great future for 
 him, it is to add that, looking back now, we must confess 
 that the possession of many excellent qualities, and the 
 entire absence of all low and mean ones, establish a logical 
 sequence from first to last, and illustrate, in a novel man- 
 ner, the poet's fancy about 
 
 'The baby figures of the giant ma84 
 Of things to come at large.' " 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 ENTERS THE ARMY — THE MEXICAN WAR. 
 
 On leaving West Point Grant entered the United States 
 ny as a brevet second lieutenant in the Fourth Infantry 
 the date at which this brevet rank was awarded to him 
 IS that of the succeeding day to his graduation, viz.: 
 ly 1, 1843. Lieutenant Grant's regiment was at this time 
 itioned on the frontier in Missouri and Missouri Terri- 
 ry, among the Indians who were at that time very 
 inoying and dangerous to the early settlers of that region, 
 rie remained nearly two years, when in 1845 he was 
 ordered, with his regiment, to Corpus Christi, Texas, 
 where United States troops were gathering under com- 
 mand of General Taylor. 
 
 Corpus Christi was an important town on the Texas 
 shore, and was taken possession of by the Americans as a 
 base of operations. While stationed here Grant received 
 his commission as full second lieutenant of infantry. The 
 commission wa&dated September 30, 1845, and was made 
 out to fill a vacancy in the Second U. S. Infantry. Having 
 become so attached to the officers and men of the Fourth, 
 a request was forwarded to Washington to allow him to 
 remain with his old company, and in the following Novem- 
 ber he received a commission appointing him a full second 
 lieutenant in the Fourth Infantry. 
 
 Some time before the declaration by Congress of war 
 with Mexico., the struggle commenced in Texas. The bill 
 
 (33) 
 
LIFE ANO SERVICES. 
 
 33 
 
 annexing Texas to the Union having heen passed three 
 days before the Tyler administration closed. The State 
 was originally a part of Mexico. It had been largely settled 
 by citizens of the United States. 
 
 The people rebelled and seceded from Mexico under 
 the leadership of General Sam Houston. The battle of San 
 
 GEN. SAM HOUSTON. 
 
 Jacinto resulted in the capture of the President of Mexico, 
 General Santa Anna, (general Houston making his release 
 the recognition of the independence of Texas, this condition 
 was complied with. Not long thereafter Texas asked to 
 be annexed to the United States. The war between Mex- 
 ico and the United States grew out of the annexation of 
 
54 GENERA i U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 Texas largely, and the dftsire of the South for an enlarged 
 area — the North, on the other hand, bitterly opposing It 
 because the area of slavery would be extended thereby. 
 
 The Americans and Mexicans were facing each other 
 upon the opposite banks of the Rio Grande. Several 
 petty struggles ensued before the actual declaration of war. 
 General Taylor learned that a large force of Mexicans were 
 marching with the intention of crossing the river into 
 Texas. At Fort Brown, opposite Matamoras, there was 
 a small garrison of United States troops. The Mexicans 
 besieged this fort. After a severe bombardment they 
 crossed the river six thousand strong to attack the fort in 
 front and rear. The gallant garrison defended the posi- 
 tion with great bravery. Major Brown, who was in com- 
 mand of the fort, signaled General Taylor then at Point 
 Isabel, twelve miles distant, of his peril by firing during the 
 night eighteen pounders at stated intervals. Early on the 
 morning of the 8th of May, 1846, General Taylor, with 
 2200 men, set out to rescue his comrades. . Lieutenant 
 Grant was then with General Taylor, and marched to his 
 first battle ground. At about noon of the same day the 
 American troops encountered the Mexicans at Palo Alto, 
 where they were drawn up in line of battle, to dispute the 
 further advance of the Americans. General Taylor 
 promptly accepted battle and defeated the enemy, mainly 
 through the efficiency of his artillery. Lieutenant Grant, 
 though not mentioned in the official reports, has been 
 spoken of by his companions as acting with great bravery. 
 Several of the officers of his regiment received brevets for 
 their gallant and meritorious conduct. The Mexican loss 
 had been 262, while the Americans had lost but four killed 
 and thirty-two wounded. 
 
 During the night the Mexicans retreated to a new and 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 35 
 
 formidable position a few miles in the rear, called Resaca 
 de la Palma, having left their dead and wounded upon the 
 battle field at Palo Alto. On the following morning Gen- 
 eral Taylor attacked the new position of the Mexicans, 
 opening the battle with artillery, following with charges of 
 infantry and cavalry. Though the Mexicans stubbornly 
 defended their position, they were no match for the 
 more intelligent and better disciplined Americans. They 
 were soon put to flight, having lost in killed and wounded 
 a thousand men. The American loss did not exceed 150. 
 Fort Brown was relieved, the enemy retreating in great 
 disorder across the Rio Grande. 
 
 The American army then advanced up the left bank 
 of the Rio Grande, a distance of 150 miles, where they 
 crossed the river and marched upon Monterey, in the 
 Republic of New Leon, which was garrisoned by 10,000 
 Mexican troops. The army under Taylor comprised 6,220 
 men. Arriving before the city on Sunday morning, Sep- 
 tember 20, a careful reconnoissance showed that the place 
 had been strongly fortified ; but General Taylor determined 
 to -drive the enemy out of their entrenchments, and suc- 
 ceeded after a terrible and bloody conflict, which continued 
 with but few inter- 
 missions until the 
 24th, when the city 
 capitulated. The 
 Fourth Infantry, 
 to which Grant was 
 attached, in an at- 
 tempt to capture Fort Teneria, lost two-thirds of their 
 numbers. The American army lost heavily; 43 ofiicers 
 and 517 men were killed and wounded. 
 
 About this time a combined movement of the army 
 
 ^ 
 
 »»«** t» 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 i^*"'^^ 
 
 yesicFuzi 
 
 %, 
 
 (^ 
 
 fita/lffij VolCANOS» 
 
 -^ 
 
 Ij 
 
 ROUTE OF THE U. 8. ARMY FROM VERA CRUZ TO MEXICO. 
 
36 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 and navy had been planned by way of Vera Cruz. General 
 Scott having effected a landing above Vera Cruz, a por- 
 tion of the forces on the Rio Grande was sent down the 
 river to co-operate with him, and among others was 
 Lieutenant Grant, who accompanied the Fourth Infantry, 
 and participated in the siege operations which eventually 
 caused the surrender of Vera Cruz — March 29, 1847. On 
 the first day of April he was appointed regimental quarter- 
 master, a post of recognized importance and responsibility. 
 Lieutenant Grant held this position during the rest of 
 the war. 
 
 Though it is customary 
 for the quartermaster of 
 a regiment to remain with 
 the regiment's trains of 
 supplies during an en- 
 gagement, yet his nature 
 was such that he could 
 not keep out of an en- 
 gagement, and always re- 
 joined his regiment on 
 such occasions and shared 
 their fighting. At the 
 battle of Molino del Rey, 
 fought Sept. 8, 184.7, he 
 behaved with such distinguished gallantry and merit that 
 he was appointed a full first lieutenant, to date from the 
 day of the battle. In the fierce battle of Chapultepec, on 
 the 13th of September, he won the high approval of his 
 superior officers for his distinguished gallantry, and the 
 sagacity of his tactics while under fire — for his brave and 
 meritorious conduct he received the brevet of Captain of 
 the Regular Army. In Capt. Horace Brooks' report of the 
 
 WINFIELD SCOTT IN 1S65. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 3^ 
 
 Operations of the Second Artillery at Chapultepec, hesays: 
 
 " I succeeded in reaching tlie fort with a few men. Here Lieut. 
 U. S. Grant and a few more men of the Fourth Infantry found me, 
 and, by a joint movement, after an obstinate resistance, a strong field- 
 work was carried, and the enemy's right was completely turned." 
 
 The report of Major Francis Lee, commanding the 
 Fourth Infantry, of the battle of Chapultepec, says : 
 
 •' At the first barrier the enemy was in strong force, which ren- 
 dered it necessary to advance with caution. This was done, and 
 when the head of the battalion was within short musket range of 
 the barrier, Lieut. Grant, Fourth Inlantry, and Capt. Brooks, Second 
 Artillery, with a few men of their respective regiments, by a hand. 
 some movement to the left, turned the right flank of the enemy, and 
 the barrier was carried.* * * Second- Lieut. Grant behaved with 
 distinguished gallantry on the 13th and 14th." * * * 
 
 The report of Brevet Colonel John Garland, command- 
 ing the First Brigade, of the battle of Chapultepec, says: 
 
 " The rear of the enemy had made a stand behind a breastwork, 
 from which they were driven by detachments of the Second Artil- 
 lery, under Capt. Brooks, and the Fourth Infantry under Lieut. 
 Grant, supported by other regiments of the division, after a shcn, 
 sharp conflifct. I recognized the command as it came up, mounted 
 a howitzer on the top of a convent, which, under the direction of 
 Lieut. Grant, Quartermaster of the Fourth Infantry, and Lieut. 
 Lendrum, Third Artillery, arinoyed the enemy considerably. * * * 
 I must not omit to call attention to Lieut. Grant, who acquitted him 
 self most nobly upon several occasions under my observation." 
 
 General Worth, in his report of September 16, says; 
 
 " I have again to make acknowledgements to Colonels Garland 
 and Clarke, brigade commanders, as also to their respective staffs; to 
 S. Smith, Haller, and Grant, Fourth Infantry, especially." 
 
 Upon the fall of Mexico, and the peace which ensued, 
 1848, the United States troops were recalled, the Fourth 
 Infantry being first sent to New York and then to the 
 
38 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 frontier, Captain Grant going with his company first to 
 Detroit and then to Sacketts Harbor. This year he mar- 
 ried Miss Julia Dent, the sister of one of his classmates at 
 West Point. 
 
 The discovery of gold in California, ia the autumn of 
 1 85 1, carried to that region an immense emigration, many 
 of whom were desperate, vile and reckless, making it 
 necessary to dispatch more troops in order to protect the 
 
 GENERAL SCOTT'S ENTRY INTO MEXICO. 
 
 ctowds of emigrants from the Indians, who had been pro- 
 voked by the lawlessness of the whites to the most cruel 
 reprisals. The battalion to which Captain Grant was 
 attached was sent into Oregon, taking up its quarters at 
 Fort Dallas in that distant territory. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 39 
 
 III 1853, after a two-years' absence from his family, 
 finding garrison life in that lonely region offered no oppor- 
 tunities of usefulness, he determined to resign his commis- 
 sion — having been promoted to a full captaincy — which he 
 did on the 31st day of July, 1854, and commenced life as 
 a private citizen, taking up his residence on a small farm 
 near St. Louis, remaining there engaged in commercial 
 pursuits until the year 1859, when he entered into partner- 
 ship with his father in the leather trade at Galena, IlL 
 The firm of Grant & Son soon became a very prosperous 
 concern, and at the outbreak of the Rebellion, to all 
 appearances Captain Grant had one of the best busineo' 
 prospects of any one in Galena. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CIVIL WAR — MADE A BRIGADIER GENERAL. 
 
 Captain Grant was residing at Galena on the 12th of 
 April, 1861. The "first shot" at Fort Sumter moVed him 
 to the utmost depths of his being, and his loyal spirit was 
 roused to its utmost intensity. He said to a friend : •' The 
 government educated me for the army. What I am, I owe 
 to my country. I have served her through one war, and, 
 live or die, will serve her through this." Going into the 
 streets of Galena he found no difficulty in raising a com- 
 pany of volunteers ; he tendered his and their services to 
 the Governor of the State of Illinois. His zeal and straight- 
 forward manner so impressed Governor Yates that he at 
 once made him Adjutant-General of the State. His famil- 
 iarity with military regulations and the routine of military 
 life enabled him to render efficient service in organizing 
 the several camps that were being formed at different points. 
 It was owing to his zeal and indomitable labors as muster- 
 ing officer that Illinois was enabled to turn oujt^ so many 
 men as she did at the early stages of the war. One of the 
 Illinois regiments having a vacant colonelcy, the position 
 was offered to and at once accepted by Grant, his commisi 
 sion dating from June 15, 1861. 
 
 The following letter by General Grant to his father-in- 
 law, Frederick Dent, then of St. Louis, is of special interest. 
 It shows General Grant's loyalty and unwavering devotion to 
 
 (4«) 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 41 
 
 the Union. This letter was first published on April 13, 1885, 
 just twenty-four years after the surrender of Fort Sumter 
 
 ^^B 1-.'- f ■«fel [' "" ii\lUH •-i--f(., irip 
 
 FORT SUMTER IN 1861. 
 
 Extracts from an editorial in the iV. 2". Trihune of April 
 14, 1885, commenting on this letter, are also given: 
 
 Galena, April 19, 1861. 
 Mr. F. Dent — 
 
 Dear Sir ; — I have but very little time to write, bu*, as in these 
 exciting times we are very anxious to hear from you, and know of no 
 other way but by writing first to you, I must make time. 
 
 We get but little news by telegraph from St. Louis, Hut from all 
 other points of the country we are hearing all the time. The times 
 are indeed startling, but now is the time, particularly in the border 
 slave States, for men to prove their love of country. J know it it 
 hard for men to apparently work with the Republican party, but now 
 
4?. GENERAL U. 
 
 all party distinctions should be lost sight of, and every true patriot be 
 for maintaining the integrity of the glorious old Stars and Stripes, the 
 Constitution and the Union. The North is responding to the 
 President's call in such a manner that the Rebels may truly quake. 
 I tell you, there is no mistaking the feelings of the people. The Gov- 
 ernment can call into the field not only 7S,ooo troops, but ten or 
 twenty times 75,000 if it should be necessary, and find the means of 
 maintaining them , too. 
 
 It is all a mistake about the Northern pocket being so sensitive. 
 In times like the present, no people are more ready to give their own 
 time, or of their abundant means. No Impartial man can conceal 
 from himself the fact that in all these troubles the Southerners have 
 been the aggressors and the Administration has stood purely on the 
 defensive, more on the defensive than she would have dared to have 
 done but for her consciousness of strength and the certainty of right 
 prevailing in the end. The news to-day is that Virginia has gone 
 out of the Union. But for the influence she will have on the other 
 border slave States, this is not much to be regretted. Her position, 
 or rather that of Eastern Virginia, has been more reprehensible from 
 the beginning than that of South Carolina. She should be made to 
 bear a heavy portion of the burden of the war for her guilt. 
 
 In all this I can but see the doom of slavery. The North does not 
 want, nor will they want, to interfere with the institution ; but they 
 will refuse for all time to give it protection unless the South shall re- 
 turn soon to their allegiance; and then, too, this disturbance will give, 
 such an impetus to the production of their staple, cotton, in other parts 
 of the world that they can never recover the control of the market again 
 for that commodity. This will reduce the value of the negroes so much 
 that they will never be worth fighting over again. 
 
 I have just received a letter from Fred (Frederick Dent, Jr.) He 
 breathes forth the most patriotic sentiments. He is for the old flag 
 as long as there is a Union of two States fighting under its banner, 
 and when they dissolve, he will go it alone. This is not his language, 
 but it is the idea, not so well expressed as he expresses it. 
 
 Julia and the children are well, and join me in love to you all. I 
 forgot to mention that Fred has another heir, with some novel name 
 that I have forgotten. Yours truly, U. S. Grant. 
 
 The Tribune says: 
 
 « It is a peculiarly important and timely contribution to history. It 
 
LIFE And services. 43 
 
 Was written by a Democrat to a Democrat, at a time when Demo 
 cratic* Governors in border Stales were insultingly replying to tfie 
 President's proclamation, and refusing troops for what they called " an 
 abolition war," or " the coercion of sister States." The language of 
 the Mugwumps of that day may be profitably contrasted with the 
 private letter of the true patriot, who little dreamed then how large 
 was to be his part in the suppression of the rebellion. 
 
 " This letter comes in time to correct many impressions as to the 
 career of the great soldier and ex-President. It has been commonly 
 thought that he entered the service as a soldier rather than as a 
 patriot, with not very clearly defined political opinions, but with a 
 clear idea that it was his duty as a soldier to defend the flag of his coun- 
 try, and that his political convictions were mainly formed by inter- 
 course with others, and by the progress of events in later life. His 
 letter of i86t, on the contrary, proves that he had most clearly-de- 
 fined convictions in regard to the question of slavery, the right and 
 wTong of the struggle, and the aggressive spirit of the slave power, 
 even before he had offered his services to his country. He was men- 
 tally a larger and broader man, prior to the war, than the Nation has 
 been prone to suppose, and it is easy to see how, beginning to " work 
 with the Republican party," only as a matter of duty, he soon found 
 its convictions wholly in accord with his own. Shortly after this let- 
 ter was written, he began that active life which has resulted so grandly 
 for his country and so gloriously for himself." 
 
 Captain Grant at once joined his regiment, then organ- 
 izing at Mattoon, Illinois. Attending personally to their 
 drill and equipment, he soon raised the regiment to a state 
 of discipline rarely attained in the volunteer service. Soon 
 after. Colonel Grant and his regiment wrere removed across 
 the. Mississippi River into Missouri, and formed part of the 
 guard of the Hannibal and Hudson Railroad line, extend- 
 ing across the State from the Mississippi River to St. Joseph 
 on the Missouri. On the 31st of July Colonel Grant was 
 placed in command of the troops at Mexico, Missouri. His 
 force at this time was attached to General Pope's command. 
 There were various movements made by Colonel Grant's 
 regiment of local importance, such as fortifying and garri- 
 
44 GENERAL V. S. GRANT'S 
 
 soning Pilot Knob, Ironton and Marble Creek. These 
 movements occupied most of the time until the latter part 
 of August, 1861, at which time he was detached from his 
 regimental command and promoted to the rank of Briga- 
 dier-General of volunteers, his commission dating from 
 May 17, 1 86 1, being placed in command of the important 
 post at Cairo, Illinois. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 BELMONT, FORT HENRY, AND FORT DONELSON. 
 
 The post of Cairo included within its jurisdiction both 
 banks of the Mississippi from Cape Girardeau to New- 
 Madrid, and the whole of Western Kentucky on the Ohio 
 River. Its importance as a strategic point is evident at a 
 glance; situated at the confluence of the Mississippi and 
 Ohio Rivers, it is the natural base for a military movement 
 upon the South, as also as a defensive military position, 
 It is said that in the first consultation General Scott had 
 with Mr. Lincoln's cabinet at the opening of the war, he 
 placed his finger on the map at Cairo and spoke of it as in 
 every way one of the most important points in the country 
 as a base of supplies, and for military operations. 
 
 At the time of General Grant's taking command at 
 Cairo, the State of Kentucky had assumed a nominal neu- 
 trality, the secession element was very strong and at many 
 points the rebel forces were received with joyous welcome, 
 while everything was done to prevent the progress of the 
 Union armies. The Confederates had seized Hickman, 
 Bowling Green, Columbus, fortified Fort Henry com- 
 manding the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson on the 
 Cumberland River. As soon as Grant found out that the 
 rebels had encroached upon Kentucky, he ordered the 
 seizure of Paducah, a valuable port at the mouth of the 
 Tennessee River. At the time of taking possession of 
 Paducah Grant found secession flag^s flying in various 
 
 (45) 
 
46 
 
 parts of the city, in expectation of the speedy arrival of 
 the rebel forces. Occupying the telegraph office, hospitals 
 and all points of importance, he issued the following procla- 
 mation to the citizens: 
 
 Paducah, Kv., September 6, 1861. 
 To THE Citizens of Paducah : — I am come among you, not as an 
 enemy, but as your fellow citizen ; not to maltreat you nor annoy you, 
 but to respect and enforce the rights of all loyal citizens. An enemy, 
 in rebellion against our common government, has taken possession of, 
 and planted its guns on the soil of Kentucky, and fired upon you. 
 Columbus and Hickman are in his hands. He is moving upon your 
 city. I am here to defend you against this enemy, to assist the au- 
 thority and sovereignty of your government. / have nothing to do 
 ■with opinions, and shall deal only with armed rebellion and its aiders 
 and abettors. You can pursue your usual avocations without fear. 
 The strong arm of the government is here to protect its friends and 
 punish its enemies. Whenever it is manifest that you are able to de- 
 fend yourselves, and maintain the authority of the government, and 
 protect the rights of loyal citizens, I shall withdraw the forces under 
 my command. 
 
 U. S. Grant, Brigadier-General Commanding. 
 
 This proclamation is of importance as being the first 
 public expression of one who has shown that in statesman- 
 ship he is as reliable as in war. Its tone was admirable, 
 and represented the spirit of the Union people. 
 
 Following up the occupation of Paducah, General Grant 
 advanced and occupied Smithland, at the mouth of the 
 Cumberland River, thus effectually blockading the entrance 
 to or emergence from the rebel States by those important 
 streams. 
 
 The Confederates had assembled in great force at Col- 
 umbus, on the Kentucky shore of the Mississippi below 
 Cairo, and were sending their forces across the river to 
 General Price at Belmont, Missouri. It is not the purpose 
 of this biography to give a history of the movements of 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 4jr 
 
 the army generally, only touching briefly the movements 
 in which GeneraUGrant was personally concerned. 
 
 On the evening of November 6, General Grant in per- 
 son, with three thousand one hundred and fourteen men em- 
 barked on transports, convoyed by two gunboats, proceeded 
 down the river and landed near Belmont on the west bank 
 just outside the range of the Confederate batteries at Colum- 
 bus. General Grant in a letter to his father, states that : 
 "The object of the expedition was to prevent the enemy 
 from sending a force into Missouri to cut off troops I had 
 sent there for a special purpose, and to prevent reinforcing 
 Price." 
 
 On the morning of November 7, General Grant formed 
 his small force into line of battle and immediately attacked 
 the rebel force under General Cheatham, driving them 
 from their camp and capturing a battery of twelve guns; 
 the camp was then burned, and the enemy's baggage and 
 horses- taken. Belmont, being situated on low ground, 
 was commanded by the batteries on the bluffs at Columbus 
 and could be made untenable at any time. Grant, seeing 
 this, and the Confederates having sent over large bodies of 
 troops from Columbus, and reinforced those at Belmont, 
 Aiaking the enemy numerically stronger than the Union 
 troops, concluded to withdraw his little army to his trans- 
 ports, the retreat being covered by the ordnance of the gun- 
 boats. In this engagement there were 7,000 Confederates, 
 and 2,850 Union troops. Confederate loss was 875, Union 
 loss 400. Afler his return to Cairo with his forces. General 
 Grant issued the following order congratulating his troops: 
 Headquarters District of Southeast Missouri, 
 Cairo, November 6, 1861. 
 The General commanding this military dktrict, returns his thanks 
 to the troops under his con^mand at the battle of Belmont o^ 
 yesterday. 
 
a8 general u. s. grant's 
 
 It has been his fortune to have been in all the battles fought Jn 
 Mexico by Generals Scott and Taylor, save Bugna Vista, and he 
 never savy one more hotly contested, or where troops behaved with 
 more gallantry. 
 
 Such courage will insure victory wherever our flag may be borne 
 and protected by such a class of men. 
 
 To the brave men who fell, the sympathy of the country is due, and 
 will be manifested in a manner unmistakable. 
 
 U. S. Grant, Brigadier-General Cotnmanding. 
 
 General Halleck, at this time commanding the Depart- 
 ment of the Missouri, appreciating the military ahility 
 
 INTERIOR OF FORT HENRY. 
 
 of General Grant in reorganizing his department into 
 proper military districts, issued an order constituting the 
 " District of Cairo," and extending the command until it 
 became one of the largest divisions in the country, appoint- 
 ing General Grant to be the chief in command. 
 
 General Grant at once began organizing the new troops 
 added to his command. On January 15 he made a strong 
 reconnoissance from Paducah toward Columbus and other 
 points in Kentucky; having ascertained and accomplished 
 sU that he desired, he withdrew his forces to Cairo. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 49 
 
 Strongly impressed with the importance of driving the 
 rebels from the State of Kentucky, General Grant visited 
 General Halleck and asked permission to undertake the 
 capture of Forts Henry and Donelson. On the 30th 
 day of January he received the desired permission, and 
 within three days, with the aid of Commodore Foote, a 
 combined naval and land expedition set out for Fort Henry, 
 ninety miles above the mouth of the Tennessee River. The 
 land forces consisted of 1 7,000 men under General Grant, 
 and a fleet of seven gunboats, four of which were iron- 
 clad, under command of Commodore A. H. Fpote, 
 
 On the morning of February 6, 1862, the gunboats 
 opened fire upon the Fort. After about two hours and a 
 quarter's engagement the rebels, finding that their line of 
 retreat was cut off by the Union troops, who had been 
 landed about four miles below the fort, intending to attack 
 the fort in the rear, while the gunboats attacked the front, 
 lowered their flag and- surrendered before the military 
 forces could arrive, General Grant arriving within an hour 
 after it had capitulated, when Commodore Foote turned 
 over the captured fort and prisoners to the army. General 
 Grant telegraphed to General Halleck: " Fort Henry is 
 ours. Gunboats silenced the batteries before the invest- 
 ment was completed. I shall take and destroy Fort Don- 
 elson on the 8th, and return to Fort Henry." The fall of 
 Fort Henry opened the Tennessee to the Union gunboats 
 and pierced the Confederate line of defense across the 
 State of Kentucky. 
 
 General Grant lost no time in preparing for a vigorous 
 movement on Fort Donelson, twelve miles distant, having 
 ordered reinforcements to be sent up the river from Cairo. 
 In the meantime the Confederates, alarmed by their defeat 
 on the Tennessee, concentrated all the force that they 
 
 ♦ 
 
5<^ 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 could command for the defense of the Cumberland. The 
 gieater part of the troops that had garrisoned the works 
 at Fort Henry had escaped and joined the forces on the 
 Cumberland. Fort Donelson was most favorably placed 
 and constructed according to the best rules of engineering 
 skill. The fortress was 
 placed upon a high hill 
 on a bend of the river, 
 a little below the town 
 of Dover. This eleva- 
 tion comtnanded the 
 stream in front and both 
 north and south, as far 
 as shot could be thrown. ^ 
 At the foot of the fort : 
 there were two water 
 batteries of twelve heavy 
 guns; the land side was 
 also fortified strongly. 
 Its garrison consisted of 
 about 23,000 men, and besides the amount of the fort and 
 water batteries, six batteries of light artillery and seven- 
 teen heavy guns. The Confederates were under the com- 
 mand of General Floyd, Secretary of War under Buchanan. 
 General Grant arrived in front of the fort on the after- 
 noon of the 1 2th and at once took possession of the high 
 ground surrounding it, his right resting on Dover, his left 
 wing resting on a small creek to the north of the fort, thus 
 inclosing the entire rebel forces. In making these move- 
 ments considerable skirmishing ensued. On the following 
 day an engagement of two hours occurred between one of 
 the gunboats and the rebel batteries. At 2 o'clock on 
 February 14 the gunboats opened fire on the batteries and 
 
 A. H. FOOTE. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 5 1 
 
 filially silenced them, but the plunging shots- from the fort 
 above having crippled the flag ship and wounded Commo- 
 dore Foote, they withdrew from the action. General 
 Grant now determined to thoroughly invest the fort, either 
 reducing it by siege or to await the repair of the gunboats. 
 In the meantime the Confederates realizing that the result 
 of such an investment meant the entire capture of their 
 forces, planned an overwhelming attack upon the weakest 
 part of the Union lines. Accordingly on the morning of 
 the 15th the attacking column, numbering ten thousand 
 men, struck General Grant's extreme right, which was 
 here commanded by General McClernand, taking hirti by 
 surprise, and though desperately contesting every inch he 
 was being gradually forced to retire. At this time so con- 
 fident was General Pillow that he had defeated the Union 
 army, he had sent a dispatch to Nashville announcing " on 
 the honor of a soldier^ the day is oursP 
 
 Arriving on the field of battle General Grant at once 
 took in the situation, exclaiming: "They mean to cut 
 their way out ; they have no idea of staying here to fight 
 us. Whichever party now attacks first will whip, and the 
 rebels will have to be very quick if they beat me." Riding 
 to the front he ordered General Wallace to recover the 
 lost ground of the morning, while General Smith should 
 storm the enemy's right. Wallace was successful in driv- 
 ing the enemy back and at dark had pushed within one 
 hundred and fifty yards of the enemy's intrenchments. 
 General Smith had also been successful after a desperate 
 struggle, and had he had a half-hour of daylight would 
 have passed the outworks and captured the fort. The 
 army bivouacked on the frozen ground, intending to make 
 an early assault on the rebel lines in the morning, but the 
 morning's sun found a flag of truce waving over the 
 
53 GENERAL U. S. GBANT'S 
 
 enemy's works, their commander, General S. B. Buckneri 
 sending a note to General Grant proposing to surrender. 
 During the night the two senior rebel generals, Floyd and 
 Pillow, had deserted their command and crossed the river 
 on boats, taking with them some three thousand men. 
 The following correspondence then passed between the 
 commanding generals of the contending armies: 
 
 Headquarters Fort Donelson, Feb. i6, 1862. 
 Sir : — In consideration of all the circumstances governing the 
 present situation of affairs at this station, I propose to the command- 
 ing officer of the Federal forces the appointment of commissioners to 
 agree upon terms of capitulation of the forces I hold under my com- 
 mand ; and, in that view, suggest an armistice until twelve o'clock 
 to-day. 
 
 S. B. BUCKNER, Brig.-Gen. C. S. A. 
 
 To Brig.-Gen. Grant, commanding U. S. Forces, Fort Donelson. 
 To which General Grant replied" as follows: 
 
 Headquarters Army in the Field, 
 Camp near Donelson, Feb. 16, 1862. 
 To General S. B. Buckner, Confederate Army: 
 
 Yours of this date, proposing an armistice and appointment of 
 commissioners to settle terms of capitulation, is just received. No 
 terms other than an unconditional and immediate surrender can be ac- 
 cepted, I propose to move immediately upon your ivorhs, 
 
 I am, sir, very respectfully your obedient servant, 
 
 U. S. Grant, Brig.-Gen. U. S. A., Commanding. 
 
 General Grant's terms were accepted and the surrender 
 was immediate and unconditional — the forces surrendered 
 were thirteen thousand five hundred men, three thousand 
 horses, forty-eight field-pieces, seventeen heavy guns, 
 twenty thousand stand of arms, and a large quantity of 
 commissary stores, the Confederates having lost in their 
 attack 1,228 men; the Union loss being 446 killed, 1,735 
 wounded and 150 prisoners. The following day twC^regi* 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 53 
 
 ments of rebel Tennesseeans, not haying heard of the sur- 
 render, marched into the fort,,and the whole force, 1,475 
 officers and men, were at once captured. 
 
 The capture of Forts Donelson and Henry broke the 
 outer line of the defence of the Confederacy. In a few 
 days after BowHng Green and CoUimbus were evacuated 
 and taken possession of by the Union forces. 
 
 For this victorious 
 sampaign General Grant 
 was at once nominated 
 for and received the 
 confirmation of, the ap- 
 pointment of M a j o r- 
 General of Volunteers 
 to date from the day of 
 surrender of Fort Donel- 
 son. \ 
 
 After the capture of 
 Fort Donelson General 
 Grant did not allow his 
 forces to remain long 
 idle. On the 20th of albert Sidney johnston.. 
 
 February he captured Clarksville and occupied Nashville 
 on the 23d. About this time the enemy began collecting 
 a large force under the able command of Albert Sidney 
 Johnston, with headquarters at Corinth, Mississippi, with 
 the intention of holding the line of the Memphis and 
 Charleston Railroad and preventing any advance of the 
 Union forces below the line of the Tennessee River, and 
 also to have at easy command an available force to make an 
 aggressive movement into Kentucky, should an opportunity 
 occur. They at the same time blocl^aded the Mississippi 
 River by fortified positions at several points, above Mem* 
 phis, and at Vicksburg and below I^evv Orleans. 
 
54 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 General Grant's army passed up the river, encamping 
 at Savannah and Pittsbutg Landing, twenty miles distant 
 from Corinth. 
 
 General C. F. Smith had been placed In command of 
 the troops in the field, General Grant being detained at 
 Fort Henry, organizing and fitting out the forces with 
 which he was about to make his aggressive movement. 
 The selection of Pittsburg Landing as a point of rendez- 
 vous and disembarkation was made by General Smith, and 
 not by General Grant. 
 
 A Confederate paper, published at Florence, Alabama, 
 on the morning of March 12, 1882, contains the following 
 significant article : 
 
 " We learned yesterday that the Unionists had landed a very large 
 force at Savannah, Tenn. We suppose they are making preparations 
 to get possession of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. TItey 
 must never be dllovied to get this great thoroughfare in their possession, 
 for then ■we -would indeed be crippled. The labor and untiring industry 
 of too many faithful and energetic men, have been expended on this 
 road to bring it up to its present state of usefulness, to let it fall into 
 the hands of the enemy to be used against us. It must be protected. 
 We, as a people, are able to protect and save it. If unavoidable, let 
 them have our river ; but vf e hope it is the united sentiment of our 
 people, that -we will have our railroad. " 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PITTSBURG LANDING, SHILOII, lUKA AND CORINTH. 
 
 The Confederate forces at Corinth were said to number 
 forty-five thousand men on the 1st of April, 1862, under 
 command of General Albert Sydney Johnston, with Gen- 
 eral P. G. T. Beauregard second in command, and Gen- 
 eral Bragg witli his corps, which had been brought up 
 from Mobile and Pensacola; General Polli, with forces 
 from Columbus and points evacuated in Kentucky and 
 Tennessee; Generals Hardee and Breckenridge were also 
 in command of divisions. General Grant's forces consisted 
 of five divisions, commanded respectively by Generals 
 Sherman, Hurlburt, McClernand, Lew Wallace and W. H. 
 L. Wallace, thirty-five thousand strong, spread over a space 
 of several square miles from Pittsburg Landing to Savan- 
 nah. The country is here rollingj cut up with ravines and 
 intertwined with an inextricable maze of wood-paths. Gen- 
 eral Grant was resting at this point awaiting the arrival of 
 General Buell, who was marching from Nashville to join 
 him with forty thousand men. Owing to heavy rains and 
 bad roads General Buell had been somewhat delayed, and 
 had not been able to join the army of Grant as was 
 expected. 
 
 On the morning of April 2, the Union videttes of Gen- 
 eral Wallace's division, who were stationed at Crump's 
 Landing, had a sharp skirmish with the Confederates. On 
 the 4th the Confederates made a reconnoissance in force, 
 
 (5S) 
 
56 
 
 GENSRAL U. S. grant's 
 
 but finding the Federals alert and ready to receive them, 
 retired, General Johnston carefully avoiding a general en- 
 gagement, as he was daily expecting large reinforcements 
 from Generals Van Dorn 
 and Price. On the 5th 
 the Confederate forces ar- 
 rived in position in front 
 of the Union lines; the 
 more advanced were al- 
 lowed no fires, nor were 
 any noises such as are 
 usual to camps permitted. 
 On the 3d of April the 
 Confederate commander 
 had issued the following 
 proclamation to his 
 troops : 
 
 Soldiers of the Army of the Mississippi; — I have put you 
 in motion to offer battle to the invaders of your country, with the res- 
 olution, and discipline and valor becoming men fighting as you are, 
 for all worth living or dying for. You can but march to a decisive 
 victory over agragian mercenaries, sent to subjugate and despoil you 
 of your liberies, property and honor. 
 
 Remember the precious stake involved; remember the depend- 
 ence of your mothers, your wives, your sisters, and your children, on 
 the result. Remember the fair, broad, abounding lands, the happy 
 homrs that will be desolated by your defeat. The eyes and hopes of 
 eight millions of people rest upon you. You are expected to show 
 yourselves worthy of your valor and courage, worthy of the women 
 of the South, whose noble devotion in this war has never been ex. 
 ceeded in any time. With such incentives to brave deeds, and with 
 trust that God is with us, your General will lead you confidently to 
 the combat, assured of success. 
 By order of 
 
 General A. S. Johnston, Commanding: 
 
 p. O. T, BEAUBSOABD, 
 
 y 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 57 
 
 General Johnston had been able to get an accurate knowl 
 edge of the strength and position of General Grant's army, 
 and expected to make his attack a surprise and crush tlic 
 Union forces before General Buell should arrive. So con- 
 fident were they of success, it is stated that Beauregard an- 
 nounced 4,hat his men should " water their horses the next 
 day in the Tennessee River or in hell." Sunday, the 6th, 
 was bright and clear. At 5 o'clock in the morning the 
 Confederates advanced at double-quick, in three columns, 
 striking the divisions of Generals Sherman and Prentiss^ 
 who were three or four miles in advance of Pittsburg Land- 
 ing near Shiloh church. The odds against them were great. 
 The Union troops, though partially surprised, fought des- 
 perately against overwhelming numbers, contesting the 
 ground foot by foot until they reached the inner line of 
 defense near the river. Generals Prentiss and Sherman 
 did all that mortal men could do to stem the disaster to 
 their forces. General Prentiss was soon overwhelmed, his 
 forces dispersed, himself with a large number of his men 
 taken prisoner. The following account from ah eye wit- 
 ness, taken from the iVew York Herald oi April 9, 1S62, 
 will be found of great interest. The description of this and 
 the subsequent day's battle, written by General Grant, in a 
 late issue of The Century^ should also be read by all of the 
 General's admirers. 
 
 THE FIRST day's STRUGGLE. 
 
 Pittsburg, via Fort Henry, 
 April 9, 3.20 A. M. 
 One of the greatest and bloodiest battles of modern days has just 
 closed, resulting in the complete rout of the enemy, who attacked us 
 at daybreak Sunday morning. 
 
 The battle lasted, without intermission, during the entire day, and 
 was again renewed on Monday morning, and continued undecided 
 until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when the enemy commenced their 
 
58 GENERAL U. S, GRANT'S 
 
 retreat, and are still flying toward Corinth, pursued by a large force 
 of our cavalry. 
 
 The slaughter on both sides is 'mmense. We have lost in killed, 
 wounded and missing, from eighteen to twenty thousand; that of the 
 enemy is estimated at from thirty-five to forty thousand. 
 
 It Is impossible, in the present confused state of aflTairs, to ascertain 
 any of the details ; I therefore give you the best account possible from 
 observation, having passed through the storm of action during the 
 two days that It raged. 
 
 The fight was brought on by a body of three hundred of the Twen- 
 ty-fifth Missouri Regiment, of General Prentiss' Division, attacking 
 the advance guard of the rebels, which were supposed to be the pick- 
 ets of the enemy in front of our camps. 
 
 The rebels immediately advanced on General Prentiss' Division 
 on the left wing, pouring volley after volley of musketry, and riddling 
 our camps with grape, canister and shell. Our forces soon formed 
 into line and returned their fire vigorously. By the time we were 
 prepared to receive them, the rebels had turned their heaviest fire on 
 the left center, Sherman's Division, and drove our men back from 
 their camps ; then, bringing up a fresh force, opened fire on our left 
 wing, under General McClernand. This fire was returned with terri- 
 ble effect and determined spirit by both infantry and artillery, along 
 the whole line, for a distance of over four miles. 
 
 General Hurlburt's division was thrown forward to support 
 the center, when a desperate conflict ensued. The rebels were driven 
 back with terrible slaughter, but soon rallied and drove back our men 
 in turn. From about nine o'clock, the time your correspondent arrived 
 on the field, until night closed on the bloody scene, there -was no determin- 
 ation of the result of tlie struggle. The rebels exhibited remarkably 
 good generalship. At times engaging the left, with apparently their 
 whole strength, they would suddenly open a terrible and destructive 
 fire on the right or center. Even our heaviest and most destructive 
 fire upon the enemy did not appear to discourage their solid columns. 
 The fire of Major Taylor's Chicago Artillery raked them down in 
 scores, but the smoke would no sooner be dispersed than the breach 
 would again be filled. 
 
 The most desperate fighting took place late in the afternoon. The 
 rebels knew that if they did not succeed in whipping us then, their 
 chances for success would be extremely doubtful, as a portion of Gen- 
 eral Buell's forces had by this time arrived on the opposite side of the 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 59 
 
 river, and another portion was coming up the river from Savannah 
 They became aware that we were being reinforced, as they could see 
 General Buell's troops from the river bank, a short distance above us 
 on the left, to which point they had forced their way. 
 
 At 5 o'clock the rebels had forced our left wing back so as to occupy 
 fully two- thirds of our camp, and were fighting their way forward with 
 a desperate degree of confidence in their efforts to drive us into tlie 
 river, and at the same time heavily engaged our right.. 
 
 Up to this time we had received no reinforcements. General Lewis 
 Wallace failing to come to our support until the day was over. Being 
 without other transports than those used for quartermaster's and com 
 missary stores, which were too heavily laden to ferry any considera- 
 ble number of General Buell's forces across the river, and the boats 
 that were here having been sent to bring up the troops from Savan- 
 nah, we could not even get those men to us who were so near, and 
 anxiously waiting to take part in the struggle. We -were, therefore, 
 contesting against fearful odds, our forces not exceeding thirty-eight 
 thousand men, ■while that of the enemy -was uftuard of sixty thousand. 
 
 Our condition at this moment was extremely critical. Large num- 
 bers of men panic struck, others worn out by hard fighting, with the 
 average percentage of skulkers, had straggled toward the river. And 
 could not be rallied. 
 
 General Grant and staff, -who liad been recklessly riding along il" 
 lines during tlte entire day, amid the unceasing storm of bullets, gi^i»> 
 and shell, now rode from right to left, inciting the men to stand t >■>" 
 until our reinforcements could cross the river. 
 
 Colonel Webster, Chief of Staff, immediately got into position '«>- 
 heaviest pieces of artillery, pointing on the enemy's right, whi ^ - 
 large number of the batteries were planted along the entire line, &-■>"■ 
 the river bank northwest to our extreme right, some two and a '-»'■ 
 miles distant. About an hour before dusk a general cannonading v»p. - 
 opened upon the enemy, from along our whole line, with a perpei U"' 
 crack of musketry. Such a roar of artillery was never heard on "iii" 
 continent. For a short time the rebels replied with vigor and efl 'cu. 
 but their return shots, grew less frequent and destructive, while c ars 
 grew more rapid and more terrible. 
 
 The gunboats Lexington and Tyler, which lay a short distance off, 
 kept raining shell on the rebel hordes. This last effort was too much 
 for the enemy, and er? dusk had set in the firing had nearly ceased, 
 
6o 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRA^JT'S 
 
 when, night coming on, all the combatants rested from their atvjul ■work 
 oj blood and carnage. 
 
 Our men rested on their arms in the position they had at the close of 
 the night, until the forces under Major-General Lewis Wallace arrived 
 and took position on the right, and General Buell's forces from the 
 op osite side and Savannah, were being conveyed to the battle-ground. 
 The entire right of General Nelson's division was ordered to form on 
 the right, and the forces under General Crittenden were ordered to 
 his support early in the morning. 
 
 THE SECOND DAV'S BATTLE. 
 
 General Buell, having 
 himself arrived on Sunday 
 evening, on the morning 
 of Monday, April 7, the 
 ball was opened at daylight, 
 simultaneously by General 
 Nelson's division on the 
 left, and Major-General 
 Wallace's division on the 
 right. General Nelson's 
 force opened up a most 
 galling fire on the rebels 
 and advanced rapidly as 
 they fell back. The fire f 
 soon became general along 
 the whole line, and began 
 
 DON CARLOS BUELL. 
 
 to tell with terrrible efiect on the enemy. Generals McClernand, 
 Sherman and Hurlburt's men, though terribly jaded from the previ- 
 ous day's fighting, still maintained their honors won at Donelson ; 
 but the resistance of the rebels at all points of the attack was terrible, 
 and worthy of a better cause. 
 
 But they were not enough for our undaunted bravery, and the 
 dreadful desolation produced by our artillery, which was sweeping 
 them away like chaff before the wind. But knowing that a defeat here 
 ■would be the death-blow to their hofes^ and that their all dejiended on 
 this great struggle, their generals still urged them on in the face of 
 destruction, hoping by flanking us on the right to turn the tide of 
 battle. Their success was again for a time cheering, as they began to 
 gain ground on us, appearing to have been reinforced ; but our left, 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 61 
 
 under General Nelson,, was driving them, and with wonderful rapidity, 
 and by II o'clock General Buell's forces had succeeded in flanli. 
 ing them, and capturing their batteries of artillery. 
 
 They, however, again rallied on the lefl, and recrossed, and the 
 right forced themselves forward in another desperate effort. But 
 reinforcements from General Wood and General Thomas were com- 
 ing in, regiment after regiment, which were sent to General Buell, 
 who had again commenced to drive the enemy. 
 
 About 3 o'clock in the afternoon. General Grant rode to the 
 left where the fresh regiments had been ordered, and, finding the 
 rebels wavering, sent a portion of his body-guard to the head of each 
 of five regiments, and then ordered a charge across the field, himself 
 leading' and as he brandished his sivord and waved them on to the 
 crowning victory, the cannon balls were falling like hail around him. 
 
 The men followed with a shout that sounded above the roar and 
 din of the artillery, and the rebels fled in dismay as from a destroying 
 avalanche, and never made another stand. 
 
 General Buell followed the retreating rebels, driving them in 
 splendid style, and by half-past 5 o'clock the whole rebel army was 
 In full retreat to Corinth, with our cavalry in hot pursuit, with what 
 further result is not known, not having returned up to this hour. 
 
 We have taken a large amount of 
 their artillery and also a number of 
 prisoners. We lost a number of 
 our forces prisoners yesterday, 
 among whom is General Prentiss. 
 The number of our force taken has 
 not yet been ascertained. It is re- 
 ported at several hundred. Gen- 
 eral Prentiss was also reported as 
 being wounded. Among the killed 
 on the rebel side was their General- 
 in-Chief, Albert Sydney Johnston, 
 who was struck by a cannon-ball 
 on the afternoon of Sunday. Of 
 this there is no doubt, and it is fur- 
 ther reported that General Beauregard was wounded. 
 
 This afternoon Generals Bragg, Breckenridge and Jackson were 
 commanding portions of the rebel force*. 
 
 JOHN C. BRECKEITBIDQE, 
 
^2 GENEItAL V, S. GRANt'S 
 
 THE SUMMING UP OF THE TWO DAYS. 
 
 There has never been a parallel to the gallantry and bearing of out 
 officers, from the Commanding General to the lowest officer. 
 
 General Grant and staff were in the field, riding along the lines in 
 t.ie thickest of the enemy's fire during the entire two days of the bat- 
 i..t, and all slept on the ground Sunday night, during a heavy rain. 
 'J.i several occasions General Grant got within range of the enemy's 
 guns and was discovered and fired upon. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel McPherson had his horse shot from under 
 him when alongside of General Grant. 
 
 Captain Carson was between General Grant and your correspond- 
 ent when a cannon-ball took off his head and killed and wounded sev- 
 eral others. 
 
 General Sherman had two horses killed under him, and General 
 McClernand shared like dangers; also General Hurlburt, each of 
 whom received bullet holes through their clothes. 
 
 The first day's battle having closed with every indication 
 of a complete success for the Confederate cause, on the fol- 
 lowing day General Beauregard, who succeeded Johnston, 
 telegraphed to the Confederate government as follows: 
 
 Corinth, Tuesday, April 8, 1862.^ 
 To THE Secretary of War, Richmond: 
 
 We have gained a great and glorious victory. Eight to ten thou- 
 sand prisoners and thirty-six pieces of cannon. Buell re-inforced 
 Grant, and we retired to our entrenchments at Corinth, which we can 
 Hold. Loss heavy on both sides. 
 
 Beauregard. 
 
 In a congratulatory order issued by General Grant to 
 the troops under date of April 8, he says: 
 
 "The General comrhanding congratulates the troops who so gal- 
 lantly maintained their position ; repulsed and routed a nurperically 
 superior force of the enemy, composed of the flower of the Southern 
 army, commanded by their ablest Generals, and fought by them with 
 all the desperation of despair. In numbers engaged, no such contest 
 ever took place on this continent. In importance of result, but few 
 such have taken place in the history of the world." 
 
LlPE AND SERVICES. 6$ 
 
 Three years after, General Sherman, in a speech de- 
 livered at St. Louis, on the 19th of July, 1865, having 
 reviewed the incidents of the commencement of the war, 
 says of this battle : 
 
 "There was gathered the first great army of the West. Com 
 mencing with only twelve thousand, then twenty, then thirty thousand, 
 and we had about thirty-eight thousand in that battle; and all I claim 
 for it is, that is was a contest for manhood; there was no strategy. 
 Grant was there, and others of us, all young at that time, and un- 
 known men, but our enemy was old, and Sidney Johnston, whom all 
 the officers remembered as a power among the old officers, high above 
 Grant, myself, or anybody else, led the enemy on that battlefield, and 
 I almost wonder how we conquered. 'But, as I remarked, it was a 
 contest for manhood — man to man, soldier to soldier. We fought, 
 and held our ground, and therefore counted ourselves victorious. 
 From that time forward we had with us the prestige. That battle 
 was worth millions and millions to us, by reason of the fact of the 
 courage displayed by the brave soldiers on that occasion; and from 
 that time to this, I never heard of the first want of courage on the 
 part of our Northern soldiers." 
 
 After the engagements of Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, 
 the Confederate forces retreated to Corinth, where all their 
 available forces w^ere again rendezvoused behind a series of 
 fortifications that were deemed impregnable. General 
 Halleck, who had now assumed command, sent for all of 
 the unemployed troops in his department, concentrating 
 them at Pittsburg Landing. He had 120,000 men in his 
 command, with a large array of field and siege guns. This 
 large army he designated as the " Grand Army of the Ten 
 nessee," and it was composed of three armies, as follows: 
 
 The Army of the Ohio (center) General Buell Commanding-. 
 The Army of the Mississ'ppi (left) General Pope Commanding. 
 The Army of the Tennessee (right) ^ General Grant Commanding. 
 
 Cautiously the Union General advanced toward Corinth, 
 occupying six weeks in advancing sixteen miles; heavy 
 skirmishing was of daily occurrence, the Union forces being 
 
«4 
 
 GENERAL V. S. GKANT'S 
 
 generally successful. General Halleck finally planted hia 
 army before Corinth, Although General Grant had ex- 
 pressed an opinion that he could carry the works of the 
 enemy by storm, General Halleck rejected it and settled 
 down to a regular siege, which was safely prosecuted ac- 
 cording to the established rules of war, from April 30 to 
 May 30, 1863, the enemy having abandoned their entrench- 
 ments the night before. By this victory the Union forces 
 had broken the second line of the interior defence of the 
 Confederacy, and they were forced back upon their third line 
 the strategic points of which were Vicksburg, Jackson, 
 Meriden, and Selma. The Union forces pursued the retreat- 
 ing foe, capturing many prisoners and destroying much pub- 
 lic property. The importance of Corinth as a stronghold is 
 evidenced by the fact that it was kept by the United States 
 forces as a strong military post until the beginning of 1864.. 
 
 Several minor move- 
 ments and skirmishes of 
 considerable moment 
 took place in different 
 parts of this department; 
 on these occasions the 
 Federal forces were gen- 
 erally successful, yet up 
 to September General 
 Grant's department was 
 particularly quiet. In 
 the earlier part of Sep- 
 tember the Confederate 
 forces in the Southwest 
 began to make a general 
 advance. General Grant was at this time in command of 
 the Union forces, General Halleck having been called to 
 
 GENERAL ROSECRANS. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 ^S 
 
 Washington to supersede McClellan. A large rebel 
 army under Sterling Price had occupied luka, twenty- 
 one miles southeast from Corinth, against whom General 
 Grant advanced by two different routes. General Rose- 
 crans, commanding the Army of the Mississippi, advancing 
 from the south, while thatunder General Ord from the north; 
 General Rosecrans on September 19, fiercely attacked Price, 
 defeating him in a bloody battle, but Price succeeded in es- 
 caping; uniting his forces with Van Dorn, he marched upon 
 Corinth. General Grant was at this time at Jackson, where 
 he was threatened by 
 a considerable Confed- 
 erate force located at 
 LaGrange and Ripley. 
 Rosecrans was in com- 
 mand at Corinth hav- 
 ing only nineteen thous- 
 and men in his ranks, 
 while the enemy ap- 
 proached with thirty- 
 eight thousand men, 
 with the evident inten- 
 tion—of retaking Cor- 
 inth at all hazards, or 
 at least, to break the 
 Union line of communication, and force a retreat. On the 
 4th of October the enemy made a furious attack upon 
 the works at Corinth, and the most desperate fighting 
 ensued. The rebel troops rushed to the assault wiia 
 their usual bravery; bravely did the garrison defend the 
 position, repelling the enemy with enormous slaughter; 
 during the battle General McPherson had arrived from 
 Jackson with reinforcements, having been sent by General 
 
 GENERAI. VAN DORN. 
 
66 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 Grant in aid of the beleaguered garrison. General Grant, 
 feeling confident of the success of the Union arms, had 
 sent Generals Ord and Hurlburt with 4,000 men to strike 
 the enemy in flank upon their retreat. General Rosecrans 
 pursued the enemy from Corinth, pushing them toward the 
 Hatchie Rivt , where the force under Generals Ord and 
 Hurlburt fell i.pon their already bleeding and shattered col- 
 umns, forcing them back, capturing a battery of artillery 
 and sever«l bunc^ od prisoners. General Rosecrans, on the 
 next day sent the following telegram : 
 
 Chevalla, October 6, 1862. 
 To Major-Gesteral Grant; 
 
 The enemy i& totally routed, throwing everything away. We are 
 following sharply. 
 
 W. S. Rosecrans, Major-General. 
 
 General Grant's congratulatory order to his troops will be 
 found in the appendix. President Lincoln dispatched to 
 General Grant the following congratulations and inquiries: 
 
 Washington, D.C, October 6, i86a 
 Major-General Grant: 
 
 I congratulate you and all concerned in your recent battles and vle> 
 lories. How does it all sum up? I especially regret the death of 
 General Hackleraan, and am very anxious to know the condition ol 
 General Oglesby, who is an intimate personal friend. 
 
 A. Lincoln. 
 
 The Federal success at luka and Corinth, relieved West 
 Tennessee from all immediate danger. This brief cam> 
 paign had displayed General Grant's military judgment and 
 the admirable clearness of his perceptions, and made the 
 way clear for his campdgn against Vicksburg^. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THB ADVANCB TO VICKSBURO. 
 
 By general orders from the War Department, dated Oc> 
 tober i6, 1862, General Grant was assigned to the"De« 
 partment of the Tennessee,"* which was now extended to 
 include the State of Mississippi, in which was Vicksburg. 
 General Grant formally assumed his new command on the 
 25th of October, although he had virtually held it since the 
 departure of Halleck for Washington. In November 
 Grant removed his headquarters from Jackson to LaGrange, 
 that he might be in a better position to support Sherman 
 who was then at Memphis preparing for his movement on 
 Vicksburg. 
 
 On the 20th of Decemoer the Confeaerate General 
 Van Dorn succeeded in capturing from the Federal forces, 
 through the cowardice of General Murphy, the important 
 post of Holly Springs, which had been made the principal 
 base of supplies for Grant's army. Its loss prevented 
 Grant's co-operation with Sherman in his movement 
 against Vicksburg, which promised to be successful. 
 
 Vicksburg is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi, 
 twelve miles below the mouth of the Yazoo. All that the 
 Confederacy had of engineering skill and experience was 
 exhausted in rendering it the Gibraltar of America. It 
 was out of the question to capture the town by the river 
 front, and the rear had been made almost as impregnable. 
 Already three attempts had been made by the Federals to 
 
6S 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 capture this stronghold. Commodore Farragut, after his 
 capture of New Orleans, had ascended the river as fai as 
 Grand Gulf, a short distance below Vicksburg, but accom- 
 plished nothing. On the 8th of June, soon after the cap- 
 ture of Memphis, a second attack was made, and for a time 
 the batteries at Grand Gulf were silenced, but the low state 
 of the water obliged the fleet to return down the river. 
 General Williams had attempted to dig a canal across 
 
 the peninsula opposite 
 Vicksburg, hoping to 
 turn the waters of the 
 Mississippi into it, al- 
 lowing the Union gun- 
 boats and transports to 
 pass below Vicksburg, 
 Unfortunately for the 
 success of this plan, 
 the low condition of 
 the water compelled 
 him to abandon the 
 undertaking, and the 
 Confederates at once 
 filled up the canal. 
 It had long been pre- 
 dicted that the Mississippi Valley would be the seat of the 
 future Empire of America. Napoleon, when negotiating 
 the cession of Louisiana, said : " The nation which controls 
 the Valley of the Mississippi, will eventually rule the 
 world." De Tocqueville, in his writings, says: "It is the 
 most magnificent dwelling-place prepared by God for man's 
 abode." The river enriches an area^f nearly one million 
 and a half of square miles, six times the area of the Em- 
 pire of France, Fifty-seven rivers, many of tbetri a thou- 
 
 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 69 
 
 sand miles in length, contribute to swell its waters. The 
 Indians called it the « Father of Waters." General She- 
 man once said, « The possession of the Mississippi River is 
 the possession of America." Jefferson Davis said to the 
 citizens of Mississippi at Jackson, " Assist in preserving 
 the Mississippi River, that great artery of the Confederacy, 
 and thus conduce more than in any other way, to the perpet- 
 vaiion of the Confederacy, and the success of the cause." 
 Vallandigham, in his speech declaring the inability of the 
 government to conquer the Rebellion, and the determina- 
 tion of the Northwest to go with the South, said: « There 
 is not one drop of rain that falls over the whole vast ex- 
 panse of the Northwest that does not find its home in the 
 bosom of the Gulf." Unlike Vallandigham in his views, 
 yet recognizing the importance of this vast inland sea to 
 the people of the Northwest, the brave and eloquent Gen- 
 eral Logan said: "If the rebels undertake to control the 
 Mississippi, the men of the Northwest will hew their way 
 to the Gulf, and make New Orleans a fish-pond." 
 
 By the retreat of Grant, the Confederates were enabled 
 to reinforce Vicksburg, and fortify Port Hudson on the 
 Louisiana side of the river, in order to blockade the river 
 against the fleet under Farragut from below. General Sher- 
 man, unaware of the mishap to General Grant, had moved 
 his army in front of the Confederate works at Vicksburg, 
 and on December 28 and 29, he made several brilliant and 
 determined assaults on the enemy's lines, but all in vain, the 
 Union forces being compelled to return. After his defeat 
 at Vicksburg, Genei-al Sherman planned the capture of Ar- 
 kansas Port, on the Arkansas River, which on the loth of 
 January, 1S63, after a gallant defence, surrendered with 
 nearly 5,000 prisoners. After this success, Sherman 
 returned to the" vicinity of Vicksburg ip order to co-op- 
 erate with General Grant. 
 
yo dENBRAL tJ. S. GRANt's 
 
 Recognizing the importance of the possession of Vicks' 
 burg to the National cause, General Grant, early in the 
 new year, determined to make a second campaign against 
 it. He had become convinced that its capture could only 
 be accomplished by a combined land and river force. Gen- 
 eral Grant's immediate army, some 50,000 strong, was 
 withdrawn from Northern Mississippi, and transferred to 
 the Mississippi River for the reduction of Vicksburg, 
 the headquarters being at Memphis. 
 
 On the 29th of January, having pushed his preparations 
 forward rapidly, he landed his army at Young's Point and 
 Milliken's Bend, above Vicksburg, making his head- 
 quarters at the latter place. He at once set to work to re- 
 open the canal dug by General Williams; a sudden rise in 
 the river washed the works away, and the enterprise 
 ended in failure. 
 
 While employed at Milliken's Bend, he also cut a short 
 canal from a point seventy miles above Vicjcsburg to a 
 sheet of water called Lake Providence, which was form- 
 erly the bed of the river. This lake through a bayou was 
 connected with Swan Lake and the Tensas River; through 
 the latter river, boats could pass into the Black^ River and 
 thence into the Red River, which enters the Mississippi far 
 below Vicksburg. Just as success seemed assured a drouth 
 came. There was no water in the bayous, and the enter- 
 prise was abandoned. Undismayed by these reverses, he 
 now turned his attention to the east side of the river. 
 
 At a point nearly opposite Helena, there is, but a few 
 hundred yards from the eastern shore of the river, a con- 
 siderable body of water called Moon Lake. From .the 
 southern extremity of this sheet of water Yazoo Pass leads 
 into the Coldwater River, this into the Yazoo through the 
 Tallahatchie. Grant's engineers deemed it possible, by cut- 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. ^1 
 
 ting a canal into Moon Lake, that a way might be opened 
 for the transports, through these winding streams into the 
 Yazoo far above the Confederate entrenchments so as to en- 
 able the landing of the army in the rear of Vicksburg. On 
 .the 2d of February the waters of the river were admitted 
 into the canal, and cut a channel so deep and wide that the . 
 largest steamers could pass through into Moon Lake. 
 During these operations, the rebels had been fully informed 
 of the Union army's plans, and had accumulated vast ob- 
 structions lower down the river, filling the streams with 
 fdled trees. After long and tedious work the Union troops 
 opened a passage to the Coldwater, entering it on the 2d of 
 March with twenty-two light transports conveying 4,500 
 men under the command of General Ross. This river is 
 about 100 feet wide and runs through a dense and solitary 
 wilderness, a distance of about forty miles, when it enters 
 the Tallahatchie, a broad and deep stream. This difficult 
 navigation was successfully accomplished, and the fleet en- 
 tered the Tallahatchie. General Grant, encouraged by his 
 success, ordered General Quinby with his division to rein- 
 force General Ross, 
 
 The rebels had erected a strong battery at the mouth 
 of the Tallahatchie, called Fort Pemberton, which General 
 Ross was unable to capture. On the i6th of March, Gen- 
 eral Grant sent General Sherman with Stuart's division, 
 assisted by Admiral Porter with five ironclads and four 
 mortar-boats, through Steele's Bayou, intending to reach 
 the Yazoo River sixty miles above its mouth; this accom- 
 plished, he could then attack Fort Pemberton from the 
 rear. General Ross' forces being in critical position at the 
 time. Owing to shallow water, barricaded by felled trees 
 and other obstructions, and unlooked for strength of the 
 enemy at all defensive points, the further prosecution of th^ 
 
iJZ GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 expedition was found impracticable, and he returned to the 
 vicinity of Vicksburg. General Ross and his command 
 also withdrew from their perilous entanglements in safety. 
 By the close of March the entire Union force again con- 
 centrated at Milliken's Bend, 
 
 The failure of these attempts to reach the rear of Vicks- 
 burg from the north convinced General Grant that his 
 only hope of capturing the place was to flank the strongly 
 fortified town by moving his army down on the west side 
 of the river. Notwithstanding the almost unanimous pro- 
 test of his commanding generals, Grant, on the 29th of 
 March, ordered General McClernand with the Thii'teenth 
 Army Corps to move down the river to New Carthage, 
 the Eleventh and Seventeenth Corps to immediately follow. 
 Arriving at New Carthage it was found that the levee of 
 the Bayou Vidal, which here empties into the Mississippi, 
 had broken, leaving New Carthage an island. They were 
 obliged to make a detour around the Bayou Vidal to Per- 
 kins' plantation, twelve miles below, and distant thirty-five 
 miles from Milliken's Bend. Owing to the wet and spongy 
 condition of the roads, it was deemed hazardous to forward 
 supplies this distance, and Grant, with the cordial concur- 
 rence of Admiral Porter, determined to run the batteries at 
 Vicksburg with transports and gunboats. On the night of 
 the i6th of April, Admiral Porter's fleet and three trans- 
 ports loaded with supplies succeeded, notwithstanding the 
 heavy fire, in running the batteries with the loss of but one 
 of the transports. A few days afterward six more trans- 
 ports were started down the river, five of which reached 
 the Union forces in safety. 
 
 Before leaving the north side of Vicksburg it was de- 
 termined to cut off the rebel communications from the east 
 ^nd south. He detailed for this purpose Colonel B. K. 
 
LIFE ANP SERVICES. 
 
 73 
 
 Grierson with the First Cavah-y Brigade for this duty. This 
 force left Lagrange, Tenn.,on April 17, 1863, and marched 
 800 miles through the heart of the enemy's country, arriving 
 safely at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May i , having cut oft 
 the enemy's communication with Vicksburg, capturing over 
 1,000 prisoners, 1,200 ho rsds, destroying over $4,000,000 
 worth of property, and accomplished one of the most brill- 
 iant and daring cavalry exploits of the war. About this 
 time cavalry raids were made into Alabama and Georgia, 
 and to the rear of General Lee's army in Virginia, by Gener- 
 al Stoneman, carrying consternation into the enemy's ranks. 
 
 In order to further mislead the enemy. General 
 Sherman was ordered to make a diversion up the 
 Yazoo toward Haines' Bluff, the gunboats which had 
 been left at MilHken's Bend opening a furious bombard- 
 ment on the wC'""^ at Vicksburg, creating intense excite- 
 ment in the city. For two days and nights Sherman kept 
 up his threatening preparations for an attack on the city, 
 when he received orders to move down to Perkins' plan- 
 tation with two divisions of his corps as rapidly as possible. 
 
 Finding Perkins' plantation unfit for abase of supplies, 
 General Grant moved his army to Hard Times, Louisiana, 
 several miles below and nearly opposite Grand Gulf. It was 
 the original intention to make a combined army and naval 
 attack upon the latter place, but after five hours' naval en- 
 gagement it became evident that the batteries could not be 
 silenced or taken by storm from in front. Grant therefore 
 changed his plan, and concluded to again run the Confed- 
 erate batteries as he had done at Vicksburg. Under cover of 
 an engagement between the rebel batteries and Admiral 
 Porter's gunboats, the transports successfully passed Grand 
 Gulf, receiving no injury from the enemy. 
 
 General McClernand's corps, on 30th of April effected 
 
^4 GENKRAL U. S., GRANT'S 
 
 a landing at Bruinsbuig, twelve miles from Port Gioson, iii 
 the rear of the works at Grand Gulf, and on the direct 
 route to Jackson and Vicksburg. The capture of Port 
 Gibson would carry also the fall of Grand Gulf. General 
 McClernand engaged the enemy about 2 o'clock on May 
 I, about eight miles from Brimsburg, forcing them back 
 until dark. Having been reinforced by General Grant 
 early the following morning, about noon a general charge 
 was ordered, and the enemy gave way in all directions 
 The Confederate loss had been very heavy in killed, 
 wounded and prisoners, while that of the Union forces was 
 over 800 killed and wounded. In the morning it was 
 found that the enemy had evacuated Port Gibson, destroy- 
 ing the bridge over the Bayou Pierre. 
 
 So rapid had been the Federal advance that the Con- 
 federates were unable to remove their heavy artillery at 
 Grand Gulf. They abandoned the whole country from 
 Grand Gulf to the Big Black River on the north. Gen- 
 eral Grant having been reinforced by Sherman's corps, who 
 had been left to make a feint on Vicksburg from the north, 
 immediately ordered an advance, but before doing so issued 
 the following modest address to his troops: 
 
 Headquarters Army of the Tennessee, in the Field, } 
 Hawkinson's Ferry, May 7. ) 
 Soldiers of the Army of Tennessee: 
 
 Once more I thank you for adding another victory to the long list 
 >f those previously won by your valor and endurance. The triumph 
 fained over the enemy near Port Gibson, on the ist, -was one of tlte meet 
 important of the mar. The capture of five cannon and more than one 
 thousand prisoners, the possession of Grand Gulf, and a firm foot- 
 hold on the highlands between the Big Black and Bayou Pierre, from 
 whence we threaten the whole line of the enemy, are among the 
 fruits of this brilliant achievement. 
 
 The march from Milliken^s Betid to the point opposite Grand Gulf 
 wot .'Hade in stormy weather, over the luorst ofroadi. Bridges and ferries 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. ^5 
 
 tad to be constructed. Moving by night as -uiell as by day, -with labor in- 
 cessant, and extraordinary privations endured by men andofficers, suth as 
 have been rarely paralleled in any campaign, not a murmur of complaint 
 has been uttered. A few days continuance of the same zeal and con- 
 stancy will secure to this army crowning victories over the rebellion- 
 More difficulties and privations are before us ; let us endure them 
 manfully. Other battles are to be fought; let us fight them bravely. 
 el grateful country ■mil rejoice at our success, and history ■will record it 
 with immortal honor. 
 
 U. S. Grant, Major-General Commanding. 
 
 On the morning of the 12th, General Logan's division 
 encountered the enemy strongly posted near Raymond, 
 under command of General Gregg. Brisk skirmishing 
 began at once, followed by a general engagement of three 
 hours' hard fighting, when the enemy withdrew toward 
 Jackson, Clinton was occupied by the Seventeenth Corps. 
 On the 13th this Corps' advance was made simultaneously 
 with that of the Fifteenth Army Corps, by way of Ray- 
 mond on the Jackson turnpike road. 
 
 General Joseph E. Johnston, who commanded at Jack- 
 son, met the advance of Grant's forces outside of the city. 
 After a spirited contest he was defeated, and retreated 
 northward, leaving the city in the hands of the Union 
 forces, abandoning eighteen guns and 286 prisoners in the 
 hands of the Federals. 
 
 Leaving Sherman to garrison Jackson, General Grant 
 ordered McPherson to march to Bolton on the direct road 
 to Vicksburg, to meet a threatened attack from General 
 Pemberton, who was in command at Vicksburg. Orders 
 were also issued to McClernand and Blair to concentrate 
 at the same point; Grant's object being to turn and defeat 
 Pemberton before Johnston and his army could join him. 
 General Johnston, after the battle of Jackson, had en- 
 trenched himself on the north about fifteen miles from the 
 city. General Grant, with an inferior force numerically 
 
 « 
 
76 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 knew that it was of the utmost moment to prevent this 
 union of the rebel forces. Having learned that Pemberton 
 had a force of 35,000 men at Edward's Station, Grant or- 
 dered Sherman to join him as soon as possible, first des- 
 troying all public property at Jackson, and at once made a 
 disposition of his forces. 
 
 The Confederates had chosen an admirable position foi 
 defence, their left resting on Champion's Hill, over which 
 the road to Edward's Ferry runs. This hill rises sixty or 
 seventy feet above the surrounding country ; its sides are 
 covered with a thick underbrush, and seamed with ravines, 
 while its summit is bare, and afforded an admirable position 
 for artillery. At 1 1 o'clock in the morning the batt4e 
 of Champion's Hill was begun and was stubbornly con- 
 
 THE PASBAQB OF THE BIG BLACK EIVEE.* 
 
 tested with varying results, when a brilliant and successful 
 flank movement of Logan's division, on Pemberton's left 
 threatening to cut off his line of retreat, carried dismay to 
 the hearts of the rebel forces, and by four in tht> afternoon 
 their rout was complete. This battle virtually d-^cided the 
 fate of Vicksburg. Pursuing the enemy at dav light the 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. JiJ 
 
 next morning, he was found strongly entrenched at Big 
 Black River. Animated by their success of the previous 
 day, the Union forces, without waiting for orders, rushed 
 across a bayou, here twenty or more feet wide, in the midst 
 of a murderous fire, which swept down many of their 
 number. So sudden had been the attack of the assaulting 
 party that the astonished rebels did not wait to defend their 
 position, but broke and fled precipitately, an entire brig- 
 ade falling into the hands of the Federals. The Confed- 
 erate army, now little better than a mob, fled to Vicksburg, 
 where their unexpected arrival and demoralized condition 
 carried dismay and terror to its inhabitants. 
 
 The loss to the Fede als had been nearly three thousand 
 in the two engagements ", the Confederate loss over nine 
 thousand in killed, wounded, and prisoners, besides thirty, 
 eight cannon and large quantities of commissary stores. 
 
 Early the next morning the Union army was moving 
 on Vicksburg fifteen miles distant, and the investment of 
 the place began. Scarcely three weeks had passed since 
 the campaign was opened ; for thirteen days the men had 
 had only six days' rations, and such supplies as the country 
 aflforded. In eighteen days Grant had marched 200 miles, 
 had fought five battles, in which he had taken 6,500 
 prisoners; killed and wounded 6,000 more; taken twenty- 
 seven cannon and sixty-one pieces of field artillery. He 
 had compelled the evacuation of Grand Gulf, had seized 
 the capital of the State of Mississippi, and destroyed its net- 
 work of railroads for thirty miles in all directions. His 
 losses were 698 killed, 3,407 wounded, and 230 missing. 
 
 As the crowning result of all this, he had invested the 
 city and its garrison that had so long defied the advance ol 
 the Union armies; all this had been accomplished against 
 the advice of his Generals, and the orders of his superiors. 
 
CHAPTER. VIII. 
 
 THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG. 
 
 By the morning of the 19th, the investment of Vicksbtirg 
 was complete ; Sherman occupying the right of the line, 
 McPherson the center, and McClei land the left. ' General 
 Grant at once ordered an assault upon the Confederate 
 works, which two days afterward was renewed, both at- 
 tempts being unsuccessful. In hif official reports- he states 
 his reasons for the assault as follows : 
 
 "There were many reasons to determine me to adopt this course. I 
 believed an assault from the position gained by this time could be made 
 successfully. It was known that Johnston was at Canton, with the 
 force taken by him from Jackson, reinforced by other troops from the 
 east, and that more were daily reaching him. With the force I had, 
 a short time must have enabled him to attack me in the rear, and pos- 
 sibly succeed in raising the siege. Possession of Vicksburg at that 
 time would have enabled me to turn upon Johnston, and drive him 
 from the State, and possess myself of all the railroads and practical 
 military highways, thus effectually securing to ourselves all territory 
 west of the Tombigbee, and this before the season was too far ad- 
 vanced for campaigning in this latitude. I would have saved govern- 
 ment sending large reinforcements, much needed elsewhere; and, fin- 
 ally the troops themselves were impatient to possess Vicksburg, and 
 would not have worked in the trenches with the same zeal (believing 
 it unnecessary) that they did after their failure to carry the enemy's 
 works." 
 
 The artillery fire was terrific, and played havoc with 
 the enemy's works. The gallant soldiers again and again 
 attempted to scale the heights, but nothing mortal could 
 
 (78) 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 79 
 
 withstand the leaden hail from the enemy's entrenchments, 
 and before night the troops were withdrawn. 
 
 " The assault," says General Grant, "was gallant in the extreme 
 on the part of all the troops, but the enemy's position was too strong, 
 both naturally and artificially, to be taken in that way. At every 
 point assaulted, and at all of them at the same time, the enemy was 
 able to show all the force his works could cover. The assault failed, 
 I regret to say, with much loss on our side in killed and wounded; 
 bnt without weakening the confidence of the troops in their ability 
 ultimately to succeed." 
 
 Says Sherman: "These several assaults, made simultaneously, 
 demonstrated the strength of the natural and artiiicial defenses of 
 Vicksburg, that they are garrisoned by a strong force, and that we 
 must resort to regular approaches." 
 
 Finding that Vicksburg could not be taken by storm, 
 General Grant began a regular siege, and pressed it with 
 ever increasing effort. He received invaluable aid from the 
 fleet of Admiral Porter, who kept up an incessant bom- 
 bardment of the unfortunate town. Space forbids a de- 
 scription of the operations of this siege. From its com- 
 mencement to its close it was one continued roar of battle, 
 through which, notwithstanding the constant exposure to 
 the fire of the foe, forts were erected, and trenches dug. 
 For forty-six days the work continued unceasingly. 
 
 While thus engaged General Grant was exposed to an 
 attack from Johnston in his rear. To General Sherman 
 was assigned the task to look after Johnston. The amount 
 of labor performed was prodigious; opposite the rebel 
 works, works of equal magnitude were erected, twelve 
 miles of trenches dug, eighty-nine batteries erected. By 
 the last of June two hundred and twenty guns were in 
 position. The defense was conducted with as much deter- 
 mination as the assault was pressed. 
 
So GENERAL U. S. GRANT' S 
 
 On May 25 General Grant wrote General Banks who 
 was then operating below Fort Hudson : 
 
 "I feel that mj force is abundantly strong to hold the enemy 
 where he is, or to whip him if he should come out. The place is so 
 strongly fortified, however, that it cannot be taken without either a 
 gpeat sacrifice of life or by a regular siege. I have determined to 
 adopt the latter course, and save my men. The great danger now to 
 be apprehended is, that the enemy may collect a force outside, and 
 attempt to rescue the garrison." 
 
 On the 31st he again wrote: 
 
 "It is now certain that Johnston has already collected a force 
 from twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand strong, at Jackson and 
 Canton, and is using every efiort to increase it to forty thousand. 
 With this, he will undoubtedly attack Haines' Bluflf, and compel me 
 to abandon the investment of the city, if not reinforced before he can 
 get here." 
 
 General Grant had been reinforced by Lauman's divi- 
 sion and four regiments from Memphis, two divisions of 
 the Sixteenth Army Corps, Major-General C. C. Wash- 
 burn commanding, Herron's division from the Depart- 
 ment of the Missouri, two divisions from the Ninth Corps, 
 under command of Major-General Parke. Sherman's 
 corps held the extreme riglit, McPherson the center, and 
 General Ord, now in corhmand of General McClernand's 
 corps, McClernand having been relieved, on McPherson's 
 left, while Herron held the extreme left. General Blair 
 helfj Haines' Bluff and the country between the Yazoo 
 ard the Big Black River. He was also ordered to watch 
 the movements of Johnston and hold all fords on the Big 
 Black. 
 
 Every disposition was made by Grant to meet either a 
 sortie from the invested town or from an attack in the 
 rear. The latter part of June the enemy's ammunition 
 had become exhausted, as also his commissary supplies; 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 8l 
 
 not only the garrison but the entire population were threat- 
 ened with famine, the troops were reduced to eating mule 
 meat; yet they still hoped that Johnston would come to 
 their relief. Owing to the constant bombardment of 
 the town the inhabitants were compelled to seek safety 
 in caves dug in the steep banks where streets passed 
 through. 
 
 General Grant about this time formed an expedition to 
 resist an advance of Johnston, he having been apprised of 
 
 CAVKS NEAR VICKSBURG. 
 
 his threatened advance with a very large force. General 
 Sherman was placed in command. In his notes to Gen. 
 eral Sherman, accompanying the order for this advance 
 movement, General Grant spoke of several letters written 
 by the imprisoned garrison to their wives and friends. 
 These letters had been found on a captured rebel courier. 
 He says: " They seem to put a great deal of faith in the 
 Lord and Joe Johnston, hutyou must wAip Johnston at 
 least^/ee« miles from here." He also issued the follow- 
 ing order to General Parke, it shows the same decided de- 
 
83 GENERAL U. S. 
 
 termination to ■whip \h& rebel chief, should he make the 
 attempt to raise the sieges 
 
 June 22, 1863. 
 General Parke : — Sherman goes out from here with five brig- 
 ades, and Osterhaus' Division subject to his orders besides. In addi- 
 tion to this, another division, 5,000 strong, is notified to be in readines.' 
 to move on notice. In addition to this, I can spare still another divi- 
 sion, 6,000 strong, if they should be required. We want to whip 
 Johnston at least fifteen miles oS, if possible. 
 
 U. S. Grant, Major-General. 
 
 The result of this movement was, that General John' 
 ston finding Grant in force and ready to give battle, gave 
 up all hopes of rescuing the doomed city, and retreated to 
 Jackson. 
 
 On the 25th of June the sappers and miners had 
 pushed their vv^ork to completion and the mines w^ere ready 
 to be sprung, the utmost secrecy having been observed, the 
 ■work being performed after dark. Everything being in 
 readiness for the explosion a mine vsrhich had been dug 
 under an important part of the enemy's works was fired. 
 In this mine two thousand two hundred pounds of powder 
 were placed. Its explosion was to be the signal for a 
 simultaneous attack from every gun on land and In the 
 fleet— through the gorge cut by the explosion several 
 thousand men were to rush to gain an advance position. 
 
 In a dispatch of the same date a correspondent gives a 
 brief sketch of the explosion: 
 
 This morning the work was completed, an immense quantity of 
 gunpowder was stored in the cavity prepared to receive it, and the 
 fuse train was laid. At noon the different regiments of the Seven- 
 teenth Corps, selected to malce the assault upon the breach when it 
 should have been effected, were marshaled in long lines upon the 
 near slopes of the hills immediately confronting the doomed rebel 
 fortifications, where, disposed for the attack, they impatiently awaited 
 the denouement. The rebels seemed to discover that some movement 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 83 
 
 Mra» on foot, for from the moment our troops came into position until 
 the explosion took place their sharpshooters kept up an incessant fire 
 from the whole line of their works. 
 
 At length all was in readiness ; the fuse train was fired, and it 
 went fizzing and popping through the zigzag line of trenches, until 
 for a moment it vanished. Its disappearance was quickly succeeded 
 by the explosion, and the mine was sprung. So terrible a spectacle 
 is seldom witnessed. Dust, dirt, smoke, gabions, stockades, tim^", 
 gun-carriages, logs — in fact, everything connected with the fort — 
 rose hundreds of feet into the air, as if vomited forth from a volcano. 
 Some who were close spectators even say that they saw the bodies 
 of the poor wretches who a moment before had lined the ramparts of 
 the work. 
 
 The Union lines were still pressed forward and on the 
 3d of July were within a few hundred feet of the rebel 
 defenses. It was understood in both armies that the time 
 had come for the final assault, and that July 4 was the day 
 selected. General Pemberton was well aware that he 
 could not repel the assault, and that he would be unable to 
 cut his way out; further resistance was hopeless, and would 
 cause unwarranted sacrifice of life. 
 
 On the morning of the 3d, Pemberton sent a flag of 
 truce borne by General Bowen and Colonel Montgomery 
 to General Grant proposing an armistice with the object of 
 arranging terms of capitulation, stating that it was his wish 
 to save further eflFusion. of blood. General Grant replied : 
 
 Headquarters Department of Tennessee, ) 
 In the Field, near Vicksburg, July 3, 1863. J 
 
 Lieutenant-General J. C. Pemberton, 
 
 Commanding Confederate Forces, etc.!- 
 General: Your note of this date, just received, proposes an arm- 
 istice of several hours, for the purpose of arranging terms of capitu- 
 lation through commissioners to be appointed, etc. The effusion of 
 blood Vou propose stopping by this course, can be ended at any time 
 you may choose, by an unconditional surrender of the city and garrison. 
 Men who have shown so much endurance and courage as those now 
 
84 GENERAL U. S, GRANT's 
 
 in Vicksburg, will always challenge the respect of an adversary, anJ 
 I can assure you wilf be treated with all the respect due them aa 
 prisoners of war. 1 do not favor the proposition of appointing com- 
 missioners to arrange terms of capitulation, because I have no other 
 terms tlian those indicated above. 
 
 I am. General, very respectfully your obedient servant, 
 
 U. S. Grant, Major-General. 
 
 General Bowen requested that General Grant meet 
 General Pemberton in a personal interview. General 
 Grant readily agreed to do this, and at 3 o'clock in the 
 afternoon a conference was held, resulting in no definite 
 decision. A further correspondence between the command- 
 ers resulted in General Grant agreeing to certain modifica- 
 tions of his first letter, and General Pemberton immediately 
 forwarded his acceptance of the terms proposed. At 10 
 o'clock on the morning of July 4, 1863, Vicksburg sur- 
 rendered. By the act of capitulation the defenders, num- 
 bering over thirty thousand men, became prisoners of war; 
 213 pieces of artillery, 35,000 stand of arms, and an im- 
 mense amount of ordnance and other matter fell into the 
 hands of the victors. On the afternoon 6f the same day 
 General Grant's army marched into the city. Headley in 
 his valuable work, " Grant and his Campaigns," closes his 
 article on the surrender of Vicksburg with the following 
 comments: 
 
 " In a review qf this great campaign, Grant's actions shine so pre- 
 eminently, that an estimate' of the biographer, in the way of a sum- 
 mury, is totally unnecessary. He was active, versatile, tenacious of 
 purpose, Napoleonic in his judgment and use of men, with moral cour- 
 age to assign or remove them according to their merits. And, com- 
 bined with all these high qualities, he had exhibited remarkable skill 
 in manoeuvring large armies in the iield ; in learning instant lessons 
 from repulses ; in conducting an arduous siege; in brushing away a 
 succoring army — always preserving that equal mind which it is more 
 difficult to keep in the extreme of prosperity than in that of adversity. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. S"; 
 
 L'frdisturbed by his great troubles, he was not puffed up by the great 
 success, but was ready for new labors, and, if God should send thern, 
 *inal successes. 
 
 " It is no injustice to others to say that his chief supporters were 
 Sherman, McPherson an-i Logan. Sherm.'.n, like Grant, has achieved 
 ~"ch universal reputation, that we need not pause to eulogize 1 ;m. 
 McPherson here exhibited to the public those qualities which Grant 
 had long known him to possess, and which were to shine with increas- 
 ing luster until his lamentable fall in the Georgia campaign. Log.in's 
 dashing valor was eminently conspicuous. Having declared that the 
 Western men would hew their way to the Gulf, he was a bright 
 example of the truth of his prediction ; ever at his post, and always 
 distinguished for that fearless impetuosity which the world now con- 
 siders his characteristic." 
 
 Grant had now become the " ideal " General of the 
 Union. His name was a household word, and his portrait 
 adorned every home, high or low, throughout the land. 
 
 When the news of this glorious victory officially reached 
 President Lincoln, he wrote an autograph letter to Grant, 
 as follows : 
 
 Executive Mansion, Washington, July 13, 1863. 
 
 To Major-General Grant: 
 
 My Dear General : — I do not remember that you and I ever 
 met personally. 1 write this now as a grateful acknowledgement for 
 tJie almost inestimable service you have done the country. I wish to say 
 a word furtl-.er. When you first reached the vicinity of Vicksburg, I 
 thought you should do what you finally did — march the troops acros-! 
 the neck, run the batteries with tKe transports, and thus go below , 
 and I never had any faith, except a general hope that you knew bet- 
 ter than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedition and the like could succee i 
 When you got below and took Port Gibson, Grand Gulf and vicinity , 
 I thought you should go down the river and join General Banks ; and 
 when you turned northward east of the Big Black, I feared it was a 
 mistake. I now wish to make a personal acknowledgement that you, 
 were right and I was -airong Yours very truly, 
 
 • A. LiscoLji, 
 
86 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 The brilliant success of Vicksburg did not induce Grant 
 to rest his army, but only spurred him on to renewed efforts 
 to disperse all organized troops in his district. General 
 Sherman, with a strong force, was sent to drive Johnston 
 out of Jackson, he having fallen back within the defenses 
 of that city. Sherman prepared at once for the invest- 
 ment of the place. 
 Johnston, fearing the 
 fate of Vicksburg, 
 after slight skirmish- 
 ing, evacuated the 
 town. While this 
 was taking place 
 Grant sent Herron 
 with his division to 
 Yazoo City, where 
 there was a consider- 
 able rebel force, re- 
 sulting in its capture 
 with several hundred 
 prisoners, artillery 
 and public stores. On 
 the 8th of July Port 
 Hudson surrendered 
 to General Banks. 
 By its capitulation 
 the Mississippi River was absolutely in control of the 
 Union from its source to the Gulf, and never again passed into 
 the hands of the Confederacy. The Mississippi Valley 
 campaign was now' virtually closed. President Lincoln 
 honored the victor by nominating him to the vacant Major- 
 Generalship in the ft.egular Army of. the United States,, 
 his commission dating from July 4, 1863. 
 
 UNION MONUMENT AT VICKSBURG. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PREPARATIONS AT CHATTANOOGA. 
 
 Immediately succeeding the close of the Vicksburg cam- 
 paign General Grant gave his time to the reorganization 
 and administration of his department. Visiting from point 
 to point, he personally inspected the condition and needs of 
 each locality, settling all perplexing questions that naturally 
 arose, owing to the absence of civil authority, regulating 
 the military and civic jurisdiction over the conquered terri- 
 tory, all of which were settled with great good judgment, 
 and met with the hearty 
 concurrence of the gov- 
 ernment at Washington. 
 Various expeditions 
 were sent out in every 
 direction to "spy out the 
 nakedness of the land." 
 An important one under 
 General Ransom cap* 
 tured Natchez; among 
 the "spoils" were five 
 thousand head of cattle 
 designed for the Confed- 
 erates. General Steele 
 was dispatched to Helena to render important aid to 
 General Schofield, commanding Department «f the Mis- 
 souri. Ord and Herron joined General Banks to take part 
 
 (87) 
 
 NATHANIEL P. BiHKS. 
 
83 GfiNfiRAL tr. s. grant's 
 
 in new movements projected in the Department of the 
 Gulf. Testimonials and banquets were tendered to, and 
 accepted by General Grant, from the cities of Memphis 
 r.nd New Orleans. 
 
 At the latter city, while returning from a review of the 
 Thirteenth Army Corps, his horse became frightened by 
 tiie letting off of steam by a railroad locomotive. Dashing 
 madly against a carriage that was coming in an opposite di- 
 rection, horse and rider were thrown upon the street. The 
 result was a most serious accident. His hip being tempor- 
 arily paralyzed, rendered him quite helpless, nor was he able 
 to walk without crutches, or mount his horse, without assist, 
 a nee until after he had reached Chattanooga, near the close 
 of October. Many seriously thought that his services 
 would be lost to the country. 
 
 Rosecrans, as stated in the previous chapter, had, "by a 
 scratch," won the battle of Murfreesboro, January 2, 
 driving the Confederate General Bragg, into Southern 
 Tennessee. On June 24, 1863, having had a long rest, 
 and recruited his army, he again moved upon the enemy, 
 and, by a series of flank movements, succeeded in crowding 
 him into Georgia. The Union general following closely 
 look post on the 9th of September, at Chattanooga, on the 
 "fo bank of the Tennessee. 
 
 Chattanooga at this time was probably the most import- 
 ant strategic position in the Rebel States. Itcommands the 
 southern entrance into Tennessee, and lies at the mouth of 
 Chattanooga Valley, which is formed by Lookout Mountain 
 and Missionary Ridge, through which Chattanooga Creek 
 flows into the Tennessee. It is also the junction of the rail- 
 ways leading from Memphis to Charleston, from Rich- 
 mond to NasHville, and south to Atlanta. 
 
 The Confederates had been strongly reinforced bv John- 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. So 
 
 Stonfrom Mississippi, and Longstreet from Virginia, Bragg 
 having at tliis time an army of sixty, thousand men; while 
 Rosecrans' efiective force was only forty-five thousand, he 
 having had to garrison the places he had left in his rear. 
 These were divided into three corps, commanded by 
 Thomas, McCook, and Crittenden; the latter general held 
 Chattanooga while the other corps were in the mountains, 
 twenty miles distant. 
 
 Owing to the threatened attitude of Bragg, Rosecrans 
 brought his army together at Cliickamauga Creek, about 
 
 VIEW OP LOOKOUT MOUlTrAIIT AND VALLEY PEOM CHATTANOOGA. 
 
 nine miles from Chattanooga. On the 19th of September 
 General Bragg attacked the Union forces, and after two 
 days' desperate fighting pierced the center, and scattered 
 the right wing in utter rout from the field. General Rose- 
 crans, with the shattered corps of McCook and Cfittenden, 
 left the field, retiring to Chattanooga. General Thomas 
 commanding the Union left, with desperate firmness, hardly 
 equalled in the annals of war, resisted every attempt of the 
 enemy to dislodge him or to get between him and Chatts- 
 
90 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 nooga. Bragg, finding that his attacks were useless, de. 
 sisted from the attempt; when, at nightfall, under cover of 
 the darkness, Thomas withdrew to Chattanooga. 
 
 The Union losses in this hard-fought defense amounted 
 in killed, wounded, and missing to nearly nineteen thou- 
 sand, while the Confederates, being the attacking party, was 
 even greater. Owing to the timely arrival of General 
 Hooker with two corps from the Army of the Potomac, 
 the army of Rosecrans was saved from a state of siege 
 and all possibility of annihilation. 
 
 On the 1 6th of October General Grant received a tele- 
 graphic dispatch from Halleck instructing him to proceed 
 at once to Louisville, Kentucky, with his staff, etc., for im- 
 mediate operations in the field. At Indianapolis he was 
 met by Secretary of War Stanton, who placed in hjs hands 
 the following order of the War Department: 
 
 General Orders No. 337. 
 War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, 
 Washington,' October 16, 1863. 
 By direction of the President of the United States, the Departments 
 of the Ohio, of the Cumberland, and of the Tennessee, will constitute 
 the Military Division of the Mississippi. Major-General U. S. Grant," 
 United States Army, is placed in command of the Military Division 
 of the Mississippi, with his headquarters in *he field. 
 
 Major-General W. S. Rosecrans, United States volunteers, is re- 
 lieved from the command of the Department and Army of the Cum- 
 berland. Major-General G. H. Thomas is hereby assigned to that 
 command. 
 
 By order of the Secretary of War, 
 
 E. D. TowNSEND, A. A. G. 
 
 By this order General Grant was intrusted with the most 
 extensive territory ever controlled by one general com- 
 mander in the field in America. It comprised three depart- 
 ments, before known as the Cumberland, the Ohio, and the 
 Tennessee, embracing nine States and portions of States. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 91 
 
 It extended from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi, and 
 contained over two hundred thousand soldiers. The re- 
 pulse of Rosecrans at Chattanooga had caused intense 
 anxiety and interest throughout the North. It was felt 
 that the crisis demanded energetic action, and that the hero 
 of Vicksburg could alone extricate the Union forces from 
 their perilous pesition. 
 
 General Sherman, who was at Memphis when he 
 heard that Grant had been ordered North, at once wrote to 
 him as follows: "Accept the command of the great Army 
 of the Center; don't hesitate. By your presence at Nash- 
 ville you will unite all discordant elements, and impress' 
 the enemy in propor- 
 tion; all success and 
 honor to you ! " 
 
 Notwithstanding 
 Grant's crippled con- 
 dition, he at once set 
 to work to concen- 
 trate his forces at 
 Chattanooga. T o 
 General Thomas at 
 Chattanooga he tele- 
 graphed at 1 1 o'clock 
 on the night of Oc- 
 tober 1 9, from Louis- 
 ville : « Hold Chatta- 
 nooga at all hazards; I will be there as soon as possible." 
 Back flashed over the wires" from the brave and noble 
 Thomas: "I will hold the town till we starve." 
 
 Early the next morning he proceeded to Nashville^ 
 from which point he issued several orders. To Burnside, 
 ^rhowasin gommand of the Department of the Ohio, and 
 
 GEORGE H. THOMAS. 
 
92 GENERAL U. S. GRANTS 
 
 in a critical position at KnoXville, Tenn., he telegraphed: 
 "Have you tools for fortifying? Important points in East 
 Tennessee should be put in condition to be held by the 
 smallest number of men as soon as possible. * * * * 
 I will be in Stephenson to-morrow night, and Chattanooga 
 the next night." 
 
 To Admiral Porter he telegraphed: "General Sher- 
 man's advance was at Eastport on the 15th. The sooner a 
 gunboat can be got to him, the better. Boats must now 
 be on the way from St. Louis with supplies to go up the 
 
 Tennessee to Sherman." 
 To Thomas, who was 
 compelled to cart his 
 supplies by wagon road 
 from Nashville, sixty 
 miles over the moun- 
 tain, he wires: "Sliould 
 not large working 
 parties be put upon the 
 road to Bridgeport and 
 Chattanooga at once?" 
 Nearing Bridgeport he 
 telegraphs back to Nash- 
 ville : "Send to the front, 
 as speedily as possible, 
 vegetables for the army. Beans and hominy are espe- 
 cially required." All this time the army under Thomas was 
 on half rations ; three thousand men were in the hospital, 
 ten thousand mules and horses had died around the town 
 while their ammunition had been so reduced that they could 
 not have fought another battle. The whole army seemed 
 disheartened. Arrived at Bridgeport, Grant and his staff 
 mounted horses and proceeded in a pouring rain over roads 
 
 COMMODORE PORTER. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES, 93 
 
 torn tip by the mountain torrents, and strewn with debris 
 of army wagons, trains and dead animals. 
 
 On the niglit of October 23, cold, weary and hungry he 
 reached Chattanooga and proceeded at once to General 
 Thqmas' tent. The following morning Grant and Thomas 
 rode out along the front, examining critically every position 
 held by the enemy. Before nightfall he had matured plans 
 and issued orders for a movement to open a road between 
 Chattanooga and Bridgeport. The southern shore of the 
 Tennessee being then held by the enemy, prevented the use 
 of this road by the Union army. Once in their possession, 
 supplies could be received by steamers, or ordinary teams 
 from Bridgeport. General Grant-selected General Hooker, 
 who had earned the soubriquet of " Fighting Joe Hooker," 
 at the East, for this undertaking. The details of this 
 movement were as follows : General Hooker with the Elev- 
 enth and Twelfth Corps was to cross the river at Bridge- 
 port twenty miles below, and advance up Lookout Valley to 
 Wauhatchie, and threaten on Bragg's flank. General W. F. 
 Smith, with 4,000 men w^as to seize the"range of hills north 
 of Lookout Valley ,near Brown'sFerry. A force under Gen- 
 eral Palmer was to cross in front of the city, and march down 
 the river to apoint opposite Whitesides,toHooker's support. 
 
 On the night of October 26, i ,400 picked men from 
 Hazen's brigade, floated down in fifty-six pontoon boats, 
 each containing about thirty men; hugging the northern 
 bank, they passed the rebel batteries and pickets without 
 being discovered, and landed on the south side of the river 
 near Brown's Ferry. After a slight skirmi.sh they drove 
 the Confederate pickets, and took possession of a ridge 
 which is here 300 feet high, and before daylight had estab- 
 lished their position, thrown up entrenchments and planted 
 their batteries; by 10 o'clock a very excellent pontooi: 
 bridge was completed. 
 
94 
 
 GENERAL V. S. GRANT** 
 
 While this important movement was in progress, the 
 column, under Hooker, after considerable fighting, forced 
 its way up Lookout Valley, and formed a junction with 
 Hazen, thereby placing the Valley once more in the hands 
 of the Union army. General Bragg, realizing the impor- 
 tance of the Union position, sent Longstreet with his 
 whole corps to make a night attack upon this vital point. A 
 fierce conflict ensued, resulting in the repulse of the enemy. 
 Thus, in five days after Grant's arrival, he had opened 
 connection with his base of supplies at Nashville; food, 
 
 clothing, blankets, and 
 shoes were supplied to 
 the half-starved troops, 
 and all danger of pros- 
 pective starvation re- 
 moved. The condition 
 of the army was now 
 changed ; he had found 
 the troops cheerless, 
 feeble from lack of food, 
 and disheartened by re- 
 cent defeat. Now they 
 felt the inspiriting ef- 
 fects of a master mind, 
 they were hopeful, courageous, and well-fed. 
 
 Just previous to Grant's taking command. General 
 Bragg, in his report to Richmond, says: "These disposi- 
 tions, faithfully sustained, insured the speedy evacuation of 
 Chattanooga for want of food and forage. Possessed of 
 the shortest route to his depot, and the one ^y which rein- 
 forcements must reach him, we held him at our mercy, and 
 his destruction was only a question of time." 
 
 About this time President Davis visited the rebel army, 
 
 JIFFEESON DAVIS. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 95 
 
 to ascertain the true conditisH of affairs, and it is stated 
 that the following scene occurred. As Davis looked down 
 upon the Union army almost beneath his feet in the valley 
 below, from the lofty eminence of Lookout Mountain : " I 
 have them now," said he," in just the trap I set for them." 
 To this remark. General Pemberton, who was sitting on 
 horseback beside him, remarked, " Mr. Davis, you are 
 Commander-in-Chief, and you are here; you think the 
 enemy are in a trap, and can be captured by vigorous as- 
 sault; I have been 
 blamed for not having 
 ordered a general at- 
 tack on the enemy 
 when they were draw- 
 ing around me their 
 lines of circumvalla- 
 tion at Vicksburg. 
 Do you now order an 
 attack upon these 
 troops down there 
 below us, and I will 
 bet you my life that 
 
 not one G — d 
 
 m«n of the attacking 
 
 column will ever come back across that valley, except as 
 
 a prisoner." 
 
 "When Rosecrans was removed the Rebel press sneered 
 »t the appointment of Grant ; they said : "The Federals have 
 taken away one general (Rosecrans) and put two fools 
 (Grant and Thomas) in his place." Some one called Presi- 
 dent Lincoln's attention to this attempt at wit by the Rebel 
 paper, who said that he was "reminded of the story" of 
 the Irishman, who, when buying a cooking stove, being 
 
 JOSEPa BOOEX^ 
 
96 GENERAL V. S. GRANt'S 
 
 told that "this one will save half j'our fuel," atisvvei'e'i 
 "Faith then, I'll take two stoves and save the whole " 
 He said: "If one fool like Grant can win such victories 
 and accomplish what he has, I don't object to two; for they 
 will certainly wipe out the rest of the Rebellion." 
 
 After Grant's successful movement in relieving his army, 
 The Richmond Enquirer, in an editorial, became 
 alarmed, and severely criticised the movements and apathy 
 of Bragg* It said: "The enemy was out-fought at Chick- 
 amauga; (thanks to the army I) but the present position of 
 affairs looks as though we had been out-generaled at Chat- 
 tanooga." An Atlanta newspaper of November 9, 1863, 
 fully realizing the importance of crushing the Union force 
 at Chattanooga, said : 
 
 "The Yankee Army of the Cumberland holds the door to lower 
 Eai>t Tennessee, and this door we must leiive open. * * * If weconlinue 
 to gaze listlessly from the bold knobs of Missionary Ridge upon the 
 comfortable barracks of the Federals below, then may we tremble for 
 the next campaign ; for, as sure as there is any surety in the future, the 
 spring of 1864 must see us far from the borders of, Georgia, or near to 
 the verge of destruction. Nail it to your door posts, men of the 
 South, and refuse to be deluded into any other belief. Food and rai- 
 ment are our needs. We must have them. KerUucky and Middle 
 Tennessee can only supply them. Better give up the sea-coast, better give 
 up the Southivest, aye, better to give up Richmond ■without a struggle, 
 and -win these, than lose the golden field, whose grain and wool are our 
 sole hope. The enemy has just one army too many in the field for us. 
 We must crush this overplus; we must gain one signal Stonewall 
 Jackson campaign. Destiny points to the very place. Be Rosecrans 
 the victim. Defeat him, pulverize him, run him to the Ohio River, 
 and then close the war with the next summer. And how ? Nothing 
 easier. The bee which has really stung our flank so long, once dis- 
 posed of, our triumphant legions have a clear road before them. Fed 
 sumptuously through the winter, well shod and clad, they ha ve only to 
 meet a dispirited foe, retake the valley of the Mississippi, secure the 
 election of a peace Democrat to the Presidency in the fall, and arruage 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. oy 
 
 the terms of treaty and independence. These results can be acconj' 
 plished nowhere else than in this department. The Northwest is ou. 
 real adversary." 
 
 Grant novir made every preparation for an aggressive 
 movement. Stores of all kinds were hurried forward, and 
 daily drills and parades took place in front of the works— 
 within plain view of the enemy's pickets and sentinels. 
 Everything had settled down into a quiet routine. Yet in 
 the midst of this quiet the Union Commander was matur- 
 ing schemes for the annihilation of the rebel forces in his 
 front,and the relief of East Tennessee. The vast complica- 
 tions involved in these plans, and their subsequent successful 
 accomplishment, show the master mind of Grant. His 
 watchful eye was everywhere. Sherman toiling with his 
 army four hundred miles overland from Memphis, was 
 daily watched. On October 24 Grant telegraphs him : 
 "Drop everything east of Bear Creek and move with your 
 entire force toward Stephenson, until you receive further 
 orders. The enemy are evidently moving a large force 
 toward Cleveland, and may break through our lines and 
 move on Nashville, in which event your troops are the only 
 forces at command that could beat them there." ■■ Again on 
 November 7; "The enemy have moved a great part of 
 their force from this front toward Burnside. I have to 
 make an immediate move from here toward their lines of 
 communication, to bring them back if possible. I am 
 anxious to see your old corps here at the earliest moment." 
 At Fayette Sherman receives another dispatch : "Come 
 on to Stephenson and Bridgeport with your four divisions. 
 I want your command to aid in a movement to force the 
 enemy back from their present position, and to make Burn- 
 side secure in his." 
 
 The sufferings of the noble Union men of Eastern Ten- 
 
 1 
 
gS GENERAL. U. S. 
 
 nessee deeply moved the commanding general. The per« 
 secutions from the rebel element were of every conceivable 
 form. "They v^rere thrown into filthy prisons; they had 
 been hung or shot; tied to logs and whipped to death; 
 their houses plundered and burned over their heads; hus- 
 bands murdered before their wives and -children ; or, es- 
 caping this, they had fled to caves to die by starvation, or 
 *to be fed by the hand of charity." Everything that the 
 "barbarism of slavery" could devise to force the people 
 into support of the Rebellion was done. They had from the 
 first protested against secession and proved loyal to the 
 Union through all their sufferings. General Grant deter- 
 mined to put a stop to this style of warfare, and issued the 
 following order, which he saw was executed to the letter 
 whenever opportunity offered. 
 
 Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, ) 
 IN the Field, Chattanooga, Tenn., November 5, 1863. ) 
 
 [General Orders JVo. 4.] 
 
 The habit of raiding parties of rebel cavalry visiting tovyns, villages 
 and farms where there are no Federal forces, and pillaging Union fam- 
 ilies, having become prevalent, department commanders virill take im. 
 mediate steps to stop the evil, or make the loss by such raids fall upon 
 secessionists and secession sympathizers in the neighborhood where 
 such acts are committed. For every act of violence' to the person of 
 an unarmed Union citizen, a secessionist will be arrested and held as 
 hostage for the delivery of the offender. For every dollar's worth of 
 property taken from such citizens, or destroyed by raiders, an assess- 
 ment will be made upon secessionists of the neighborhood, and col- 
 lected by the nearest military forces, under the supervision of the 
 commander thereof, and the amount thus collected paid over to the 
 sufferers. When such assessments cannot be collected in money, 
 property useful to the government may be taken at a fair valuation, 
 and the amount paid in money by a disbursing officer of the govern- 
 ment, who will take such property upon his returns. Wealthy seces- 
 sion citizens will be assessed in money and provisions for the support 
 of Union refugees who have been and may be driven from their homes 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 95 
 
 and into our lines by the acts of thoss with whom secession citizens 
 are in sympathy. All collections an-i payments under this order will 
 be through disbursing officers of the government, whose account* 
 must show all money and property received under it, and how dis- 
 posed of. By order of 
 
 Major-General U. S. Grant. 
 T. S. Bowers, .,4..4. G. 
 
 The commanding Genrral fully realized the exigence, 
 and needed no urging. Every nerve of energy was strained 
 to its utmost tension. To reinforce Burnside was impos- 
 sible, even if they could have been spared, for there was no 
 means of supplying them with food. From all portions of 
 the East and Southeast rebel forces were being hurried for- 
 ward to Longstreet; few believed that he would be able 
 to withstand the assaults that would be made upon him. 
 Grant never wavered in his confidence in the soldierly 
 qualities of Burnsid^, and believed that he would maintain 
 his position until relief should come. 
 
 General Badeau in his " Military History of General 
 Grant," in speaking of the measures adopted for Burnside's 
 relief, says : 
 
 ' "The continent shook with the tramp of advancing armies. 
 Bridges were built in Eastern cities for these soldiers to march over. 
 Engines were brought from Western towns to transport their supplies. 
 The greatest rivers of the Republic, the Tennessee and the Cumber- 
 land, the Mississippi and the Ohio, were crowded with steamers 
 bringing clothes and shoes to those who were wearing out their gar- 
 ments in mighty marches, and ammunition and food to replace what 
 had already been expended in the campaigns for Chattanooga. 
 
 "Over half the territory in rebellion, through these great moun- 
 tain ranges and by the side of these rushing streams, along the deso- 
 lated cornfields and amid the startled recesses of the primeval forests, 
 the bustle and the stir of war were rife. Two hundred thousand sol- 
 diers were concentrating from the East and the West, either in 
 motion for this one battle-field, or guarding its approaches, or bring- 
 ing up supplies, or waiting anxiously for those who were, with them, 
 to fight the battle of Chattanooga. And over all these preparations, 
 nod all these armies, the spirit of one man was dominant." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 BATTLES OF MISSIONARY RIDGE AND LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. 
 
 On the 13th of November the head of General Sherman's 
 Corps arrived at Bridgeport, its commander immediately vis- 
 iting Grant at Chattanooga. The addition of this "fighting 
 corps" to the Union forces^removed all anxiety from the 
 mind of Grant; and he was in condition to deliver a stun- 
 ing blow to the enemy, who had made the fatal mistake of 
 detaching the veteran corps of Longstreet with its able 
 commander to attack Burnside, and take Knoxville. Noth- 
 ing could have proved more satisfaclofy to Grant, and it 
 
 was impossible for him 
 to wholly conceal, his 
 joy. Burnside had been 
 warned as early as No- 
 vember 5, by Grant, as 
 follows: "I will en- 
 deavor, from here, to 
 bring the enemy back 
 from your right flank as 
 soon as possible. Should 
 you discover him leav- 
 ' ^^Si y°^ should annoy 
 him all you can with 
 your cavalry, and in 
 fact, with all the troops you can bring to bear. Sher- 
 man's advance will be at Bridgeport about Monday next. 
 
 (100) 
 
 . -^i^i;^^ 
 
 O'^ 
 
 AMBEOaU E. BUEN3IDB. 
 
tIFE AND SERVICES. tOt 
 
 Whether Thomas makes any demonstration before his 
 arrival, will depend upon advices of the enemy's 
 movements." 
 
 On the 7th he issued the following order to General 
 Thomas: "The news is of such a nature that it becomes 
 an imperative duty for your force to draw the attention of 
 the enemy from Burnside to your own front. I deem the 
 best movement to attack the enemy, to be an attack on the 
 northern end of Missionary Ridge, with all the force you 
 can bring to bear against it; and, when that is carried, to 
 threaten and even attack, if possible, the enemy's line of 
 communication between Dalton and Cleveland. Rations 
 should be ready to issue a sufficiency to last four days the 
 moment Missionary Ridge is in our possession ; rations to be 
 carried in haversacks. Where there are not horses to 
 move the artillery, mules must be taken from teams, or 
 horses from ambulances; or, if necessary, officers dis- 
 mounted, and their horses taken. Immediate preparations 
 should be made to carry these directions into execution. 
 The movement should not be made a moment later than 
 to-morrow morning." 
 
 On the same day he said to Burnside: "I have ordered 
 an immediate move from here to Missionary Ridge, and to 
 threaten or attack the railroad between Cleveland and 
 Dalton. This must have the effect to draw the enemy 
 back from your western front." Thomas was in such con- 
 dition at this time that he could not make this forward 
 movement, and so informed Grant. Having no horses for 
 his artillery, under the circumstances, and a sober second 
 thought, suggested by that "calm prudence which is one of 
 his best characteristics," be concluded to await the arrival of 
 Sherman's force; and while thus waiting he had to content 
 himself with exhorting Burnside to keep firm, and with 
 
103 GENERAL. U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 preparing the means for supplying his army with supplies 
 «nd material, so that it would be able to take the offensive 
 when the time came for so doing. 
 
 The anxiety of the government at Washington for the 
 safety of Burnside is shown in the dispatches that follow. 
 On the 14th Halleck telegraphed: "Advices received 
 from East Tennessee indicate that Burnside intends to 
 abandon the defense of Little Tennessee River, and fall 
 back before Longstreet toward Cumberland Gap and the 
 upper valley. Longstreet is said to be near the Little Ten- 
 nessee, with from twenty to forty thousand men; Burnside 
 has about thirty thousand in all, and can hold his position; 
 he ought not to retreat. I fear further delay may result in 
 Burnside's abandonment of East Tennessee. This would be 
 a terrible misfortune, and must be averfed if possible." 
 
 To this Grant replied, reassuringly: "Burnside cer- 
 tainly can detain Longstreet in the Tennessee Valley until 
 We can make such moves here as will entirely free him 
 from present dangers. I have asked him if he could hold 
 the Knoxville and Clinton line for one week; if so, we can 
 make moves here that will save all danger in East Tennes- 
 see. . . . Sherman is now at Bridgeport. He will 
 commence moving to-morrow or next day, throwing one 
 brigade from Whiteside into Trenton, thus threatening the 
 enemy's left flank. The remainder of his force will pass 
 over Kelly's Ferry, evading view from Lookout, and 
 march up to the mouth of Chickamauga. Pontoons are 
 made, and making, to throw across at that point, over 
 which it is intended that Sherman's force and one division 
 of Thomas' shall pass. This force will attack Missionary 
 Ridge, with the left flank of Thomas supporting from 
 here. In the meantime Hooker will attack Lookout, and 
 carry it, if possible. If Burnside can hold the line from 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. IO3 
 
 Knoxville to Clinton, as I have asked him, for six days, I 
 beHeve Bragg will be started back for the south side ol 
 Oostanaula, and Longstreet cut off." 
 
 On the 1 7th he telegraphs : "I have not heard from you 
 since the 14th. What progress is Longstreet making, and 
 what are your chances for defending yourself ? Sherman's 
 forces have commenced their movement from Bridgeport, 
 threatening the enemy. This alone may turn Longstreet 
 back, and if it does not, the attack will be prosecuted until 
 we reach the roads over which all the supplies must pass, 
 while you hold East Tennessee." 
 
 Later on the same day: "Your dispatch received. 
 You are doing exactly what appears to me to be right. I 
 want the enemy's progress retarded at every point all it can 
 be, only giving up each place when it becomes evident that 
 it cannot longer be held without endangering your force to 
 capture. I think our movements here must cause Long- 
 street's recall within a day or two, if he is not successful 
 before that time. Sherman moved this morning from 
 Bridgeport, with one division. The remainder of his com- 
 mand moves in the morning. There will be no halt until 
 a severe battle is fought, or the railroads cut supplying the 
 enemy." 
 
 On the 1 8th he telegraphs Halleck: "Dispatches from 
 General Burnside received at 10 p. m. yesterday. Troops 
 had got back from Knoxville. Sherman's advance reached 
 Lookout Mountain to-day. Movements will progress, 
 threatening enemy's left flank, until forces can be got up 
 and thrown across the river to attack their right flank and 
 Missionary Ridge. A battle or a falling back of the enemy 
 is inevitable by Saturday, at the farthest. Burnside speaks 
 hopefully." 
 
 On this day he also gives written orders to Thomas 
 
I04 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 and Sherman. Those to Thomas were as follows: "AH 
 preparations should be made for attacking the enemy's posi- 
 tion on Missionary^ Ridge by Saturday morning, at day- 
 light. . . . The general plan is for Sherman, with the force 
 brought with him, strengthened by a division from your 
 command, to effect a crossing of the Tennessee River just 
 below the mouth of the Chickamauga; his crossing to be 
 protected by artillery from the heights of the north bank 
 of the river (to be located by your chief of artillery), and 
 to secure the heights (Missionary Ridge) from the north- 
 ern extremity to about the railroad tunnel, before the enemy 
 can concentrate against him. You will cooperate with 
 Sherman. The troops in the Chattanooga Valley should 
 all be concentrated on your left flank, leaving only the 
 necessary force to defend fortifications on the right and 
 center, and a movable column of one division in readiness 
 to move wherever ordered. This division should show 
 itself as threateningly as possible, on the most practicable line 
 for making an attack up the valley. Your effort, then, will 
 be to form a junction with Sherman, making your advance 
 well toward the northern end of Missionary Ridge, and 
 moving as near simultaneously with him as possible. The 
 junction once formed, and the Ridge carried, connection 
 will be at once established between the two armies by 
 roads on the south bank of the river. Further movements 
 will then depend on those of the enemy. 
 
 "Lookout Valley, I think, will be easily held by 
 Geary's Division, and what troops you may still have there 
 of the old Army of the Cumberland. Howard's Corps can 
 then be held in readiness to act, either with you at Chatta- 
 nooga, or with Sherman. It should be marched, on Friday 
 night, to a position on the north side of the river, not 
 lower down than the first pontoon bridge (at Chatta. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 105 
 
 nooga), and then held in readiness for such orders as may 
 become necessary. All these troops will be provided writh 
 two days' cooked rations, in haversacks, and one hundred 
 rounds of ammunition on the person of each infantry 
 soldier.'' 
 
 To Sherman a copy of these instructions was furnished 
 for his guidance, and he was told : "It is particularly desir- 
 able that a force should be got through the railroad between 
 Cleveland and Dalton, and Longstreet thus cut off from 
 communication with the South; but being confronted by a 
 large force here, strongly located, it is not easy to tell how 
 this is to be effected until the result of our first effort is 
 known." 
 
 The preliminary movements and furiously contested 
 battles around Chattanooga occupied several days and re- 
 sulted in an overwhelming victory for the Union forces. 
 The details of this important contest cannot better be told 
 than in the following pithy dispatch from General Meigs, 
 Quartermaster General of the United States Army, who 
 was present during the entire action: 
 
 Headquarters Chattanooga, Nov. 26, 1863. 
 Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War: 
 
 Sir: — On the 23d inst., at half-past 11 A. M., General Grant 
 ordered a demonstration against Missionary Ridge, to develop the 
 force holding it. The troops marched out, formed in order, and 
 advanced in line of battle, as if on parade. 
 
 The Rebels watched the formation and movement from their 
 picket lines and rifle pits, and from the summits of Missionary Ridge, 
 five hundred feet above us, and thought it was a review and drill, so 
 openly and deliberately, so regular, was it all done. 
 
 The line advanced, preceded by skirmishers, and at 2 o'clock 
 p. M. reached our picket lines, and opened a rattling volley upon the 
 Rebel pickets, who replied and ran into their advanced line of rifle- 
 pits. After them went out our skirmishers and into them, along the 
 
Io6 GENERAL, U. S, 
 
 center of the line of 25,000 troops which General Thomas had so 
 quicltly displayed, until we opened fire. Prisoners assert that they 
 thought the whole movement was a review and general drill, and 
 that it was too late to send to their camps for re-inforcements, and 
 that they were overwhelmed by force of numbers. It was a surprise 
 in open daylight. 
 
 At 3 P. M. the important advanced position of Orchard Knob and 
 the lines right and left were in our possession, and arrangements 
 were ordered for holding them during the night. 
 
 The next day at daylight General Sherman had S>ooo men across 
 the Tennessee, and established on its south bank, and commenced 
 the construction of a pontoon bridge about six miles above Chatta- 
 nooga. The Rebel steamer " Dunbar " was repaired at the right 
 moment, and rendered effective aid in this crossing, carrying over 
 6,000 men. 
 
 By nightfall General Sherman had seized the extremity of Mis- 
 sionary Ridge nearest the river, and was entrenching himself. Gen- 
 eral Howard, with a brigade, opened communication with him from 
 Chattanooga on the south side of the river. Skirmishing, and can- 
 nonading continued all day on the left and center. General Hooker 
 scaled the slopes of Lookout Mountain, and from the valley of Look- 
 out Creek drove the Rebels around the point. He captured some 
 2,000 prisoners, and established himself high up the mountain side, 
 in full view of Chattanooga. This raised the blockade, and now 
 steamers were ordered from Bridgeport to Chattanooga. They had 
 run only to Kelly's Ferry, whence ten miles of hauling over moun- 
 tain roads and twice across the Tennessee on pontoon bridges, 
 brought us our supplies. 
 
 All night the point of Missionary Ridge on the extreme left, and 
 the side of Lookout Mountain on the extreme rightj^blazed with the 
 camp fires of loyal troops. 
 
 The^day had been one of dense mists and rains, and much of 
 General Hooker's battle was fought above the clouds, which con- 
 cealed him from our view, but from which his musketry was heard. 
 
 At nightfall the sky cleared, and the full moon — "the traitor's 
 doom" — shone upon the beautiful scene, until i a. m., when twink- 
 ling sparks upon the mountain side showed that picket skirmishing 
 was going on. Then it ceased. A brigade sent from Chattanooga 
 crossed the Chattanooga Creek, and opened communication with 
 Hooker. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. IO9 
 
 General Grant's headquarters during the afternoon ot the 23d 
 and the day of the 24th were in Wood's redoubt, except when, in the 
 course of the day, he rode along the advanced line, visiting the head- 
 quarters of the several commanders in Chattanooga Valley. 
 
 At daylight on the 2Sth the Stars and Stripes were descried on 
 the peak of Lookout. The Rebels had evacuated the mountain. 
 
 Hooker moved to descend the mountain, striking Missionary 
 Ridge at the RossviUe Gap, to sweep both sides and its summit. 
 
 The Rebel troops were seen, as soon as it was light enough, 
 streaming regiments and brigades along the narrow summit of Mis- 
 sionary Ridge, either concentrating on the right to overwhelm 
 Sherman, or marching for the railroad to raise the siege. 
 
 They had evacuated the valley of Chattanooga. Would they 
 abandon that of Chickamauga? 
 
 The twenty -founders andfour-and-a-quarter inch rifles of Wood's 
 redoubt opened on Missionary Ridge. Orchard Knob sent its com- 
 pliments to the Ridge, which, with rifled Parrotts, answered, and the 
 cannonade, thus commenced, -continued all day. Shot and shell 
 screamed from Orchard Knob to Missionary Ridge, and from Mis- 
 sionary Ridge to Orchard Knob, and from Wood's redoubt, over the 
 heads of Generals Grant and Thomas and their staffs, who were 
 with us in this favorable position, from whence the whole battle could 
 be seen as in an amphitheatre. The headquarters were under fire all 
 day long. 
 
 Cannonading and musketry were heard from General Sherman, 
 and General Howard marched the Eleventh Corps to join him. 
 
 General Thomas sent out skirmishers, who drove in the Rebel 
 pickets and chased them into their entrenchments, and at the foot of 
 Missionary Ridge Sherman made an assault against Bragg's right, 
 entrenched on a high knob next to that on which Sherman himself 
 lay fortified. The assault was gallantly made. 
 
 Sherman reached the edge of the crest, and held his ground for 
 (it seemed to me) an hour, but was bloodily repulsed by reserves. 
 
 A general advance was ordered, and a strong line of skirmishers 
 followed by a deployed line of battle some two miles in length. At 
 the signal of leaden shots from headquarters on Orcliard Knob, the 
 line moved rapidly and orderly forward. The Rebel pickets dis- 
 charged their muskets and ran into their rifle-pits. Our skirmishers 
 followed on their heels. 
 
 The line of battle was not far behind, and we saw the gray Rebel* 
 
no GENERAL U. S. 
 
 swarm out of the ledge line of rifle-pits and over the base of the hll! 
 in numbers which surprised us. A few turned and fired their pieces; 
 but the greater number collected into the many roads which cross 
 obliquely up its steep face, and went on to the top. 
 
 Some regiments pressed on and swarmed up the steep sides of 
 the Ridge, and here and there a color was advanced beyond the lines. 
 The attempt appeared most dangerous; but the advance was sup- 
 ported, and the whole line was ordered to storm the beights, upon 
 which not less than forty pieces of artillery, and no one knew how 
 many muskets, stood ready to slaughter the assailants. With cheers 
 answering to cheers, the men swarmed upward. They gathered to 
 lie points least difficult of ascent, and the line was broken. Color 
 ■ f ter color was planted on the summit, while musket and cannon 
 vomited their thunder upon them. 
 
 A well-directed shot from Orchard Knob exploded a Rebel caisson 
 on the summit,and the gun was seen being speedily taken to the right, 
 its driver lashing his horses. A party of our soldiers intercepted 
 tliem, and the gun was captured, with cheers. 
 
 A fierce musketry fight broke out to the left, where, between 
 Thomas and Sherman, a mile or two of the Ridge was still occupied 
 by the Rebels. 
 
 Bragg left the house in which he had held his headquarters, and 
 rode to the rear as our troops crowded the hill on either side of him. 
 
 General Grant proceeded to the summit, and then only did we 
 know its height. 
 
 Some of the captured artillery was put into position. Artillerists 
 were sent for to work the guns, and caissons were searched for 
 ammunition. 
 
 The Rebel log breastworks were torn to pieces and carried to the 
 other side of the Ridge, and used in forming barricades across. 
 
 A strong line of infantry was formed in the rear of Baird's line, 
 and engaged in a musketry contest with the Rebels to the left, and a 
 secure lodgment was soon effected. 
 
 The other assault to the right of our center gained the summit, 
 and the Rebels threw down their arms and fled. 
 
 Hooker, coming into favorable position, swept the right of the 
 Ridge, and captured many prisoners. 
 
 Bragg's remaining troops left early in the night, and the battle of 
 Chattanooga, after days of manoeuvring and flghting, was won. The 
 strength of the Rebellion in the center is broken. Burnside is 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. Ill 
 
 relieved from danger in East Tennessee. Kentucky and Tennessee 
 are rescued. Georgia and the Southeast are threatened in the rear, 
 and another victory is added to the chapter of " Unconditional Sun eii- 
 der Grant." 
 
 To-night the estimate of captures is several thousand prisoners 
 and thirty pieces of artillery. 
 
 Our loss for so great a victory is not severe. 
 
 Bragg Is firing the railroad as he retreats toward Dal:on. 
 Sherman is in hot pursuit. 
 
 To-day I viewed the battle-field, which extends for six miles along 
 Missionary Ridge and for aieveral miles on Lookout Mountain. 
 
 Probably not so well-directed, so well-ordered a battle, has taken 
 place during the war. But one assault was repulsed ; but that assault, 
 by calling to that point the Rebel reserves, prevented them repulsing 
 any of the others. 
 
 A few days since Bragg sent to General Grant a fiag of truce 
 advising him that it would be prudent to remove any non-combatants 
 who might be still in Chattanooga. No reply has been returned ; 
 but the combatants having removed from the vicinity, it is probable 
 that non-combatants can remain without imprudence. 
 
 M. C. Meigs, Quartermaster-General. 
 
 In securing this great victory the Union forces had lost 
 757 killed, 4,529 wounded and 330 missing. The loss of 
 the Confederates has never been ascertained, but reached 
 probably beyond fifteen thousand. General Grant cap- 
 tured 6,143 prisoners, 40 pieces of artillery^69 artillery 
 carriages, and caissons, and 7,000 stand of small arms. 
 
 Not satisfied with the first fruits of this victory Grant 
 ordered the retreating enemy to be hotly pursued, which 
 was successfully accomplished, they being forced back 
 upon Ringgold. Further pursuit was abandoned, owing to 
 the necessity of relieving Bumside at Knoxville. 
 
 Grant had by his masterly movement in turning the 
 enemy back upon Dalton and Ringgold thrown Sherman 
 and his corps between Longstreet and Bragg, and he at 
 once dispatched General Granger and other forces under 
 
!I3 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 Shein^n to the relief of Burnside who had fallen back 
 within the entrenchments at Knoxville, in order to draw 
 Longstreet as far away from Bragg as possible and thereby 
 preventing him from reinforcing that unfortunate yet 
 brave genei-al. 
 
 I^earning that Bragg had been defeated at Chattanooga, 
 and realizing that Grant would at once reinforce Burnside 
 and raise the siege, Longstreet determined to carry the 
 Union works by storm, and selected November 29, 1863, for 
 the assault. Though made with great gallantry the as- 
 sault proved a failure, 
 and long before he 
 could recover from the 
 effects of this be found 
 that the several Union 
 columns sent for the 
 relief of the besieged 
 city were gathering 
 around him in such a 
 manner that if he did 
 not withdraw from his 
 position, he would be 
 completely surround- 
 ed. On the night of 
 December 4 he raised 
 the siege of the place and retreated eastward toward 
 Virginia. 
 
 With the raising of the siege of Knoxville this re- 
 markable campaign ended, and the war in the Southwest 
 was substantially closed. 
 
 On the same day the President issued the following 
 proclamation for a national thanksgiving: 
 
 JAMES LONGSTREET. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I13 
 
 Executive Mansion, ) 
 Washington, D. C, December 7, 1863. f 
 
 Reliable inforrhation being received that the insurgent force is 
 retreating from East Tennessee, under circumstances rendering it 
 probable that the Union forces cannot hereafter be dislodged from 
 that important position ; and esteeming this to be of high national 
 consequence, I recommend that all loyal people do, on receipt of 
 this information, assemble at their places of worship, and render 
 special homage and gratitude to Almighty God for this grest ad- 
 vancement of the national cause. A. Lincoln. 
 
 The following day he sent the following dispatch to 
 Major-General Grant: 
 
 Washington, Dec. 8. 
 Major-General Grant: 
 
 Understanding that your lodgment at Chattanooga and Knoxville 
 is now secure, I "wisk to tender you and all under your command my 
 more than thanks — my frofoundest gratitude for the skill, courage 
 and perseverance -with "whick you and they, over so great difficulties, 
 have effected that important object. God bless you all ! 
 
 A. Lincoln. 
 
 The campaign ended, General Grant issued the follow- 
 ing congratulatory orders to the army : 
 
 Headquarters Military Division of the ] 
 
 Mississippi, in the Field. I 
 
 Chattanooga, Tennessee, December 10, 1863. I 
 
 \General Orders No.<)\ 
 
 The General Commanding takes this opportunity of returning 
 his sincere thanks and congratulations to the brave armies of the 
 Cumberland, the Ohio, the Tennessee, and their comrades from the 
 Potomac, for the recent splendid and decisive successes achieved over 
 the enemy. Jn a short time you have recovered from him the control of 
 the Tennessee River from Bridgefcrrt to Knoxville. Tou dislodged 
 him from his great strong Jiold ufon Lookout Mountain, drove him 
 from Chattanooga Valley, ■wrested from his determined grasp the 
 possession of Missionary Ridge, repelled ivith heavy loss to him his re- 
 peated assaults upon Knoxville, forcing him to raise the siege there. 
 
114 GENERAL U. S. GRANt'S 
 
 driving him at all points, utterly routed and discomfited^ beyond the 
 limits of the State. By your noble heroism and determined courage, 
 you have most eifectually defeated the plans of the enemy for regain- 
 ing possession of the States of Kentucky and Tennessee. You have 
 secvired positions from which no rebellious power can drive or dis- 
 lodge you. For all this the General commanding thanks you col- 
 lectively and individually. The loyal people of the United States 
 thank and bless you. Their hopes and prayers for your success 
 against this unholy rebellion are with you daily. Their faith in you 
 will not be in rain. Their hopes will not be blasted. Their prayers 
 to Almighty God will be answered. You will yet go to other fields 
 of strife ; and with the invincible bravery and unflinching loyalty to 
 justice and right which have characterized you in the past, you will 
 prove that no enemy can withstand you, and. that no defences, how- 
 ever formidable, can check your onward march. 
 
 By order of Maj.-Gen. U. S Grant. 
 
 T. S. Bowers, A, A.-G. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 PUBLIC HONORS GRADE OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 REVIVED. 
 
 General Grant's successful Vicksburg campaign opened 
 the Mississippi, severing the Confederacy ; thereby cutting 
 off the great supplies of cattle from Texas for the support 
 of their armies. The Chattanooga-Knoxville extraordi- 
 nary campaign had virtually closed the war for the time in 
 
 the Southwest, and shut 
 the rebels out from the 
 rich granaries of Ten- 
 nessee and Kentucky. 
 With the single excep- 
 tion of Virginia, their 
 forces had been driven 
 from their strongholds, 
 ^\ and so scattered that 
 I they could present no 
 effectual barrier to the 
 onward movement of 
 the victorious Union 
 forces. The repeated 
 defeat of the Confeder- 
 ates operating against 
 General Grant, had carried dismay to the people through- 
 out the South, and they began to lose hope of the issue; 
 the cause of the rebellion fell rapidly in the opinion of 
 
 ins) 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL U. S. GRANT. 
 
Il6 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 political speculators, both at home and abroad ; while at 
 the North the faith of the wavering was confirmed, and 
 the patriots were reassured. 
 
 General Grant was not quite forty-three years of age; 
 his personal appearance^at this time is thus described by a 
 correspondent : 
 
 "The appearance of General Grant is far from what an idealist 
 would picture of a great hero. He is a man of medium height, and 
 but little above the minimum standard of officers of the army. The 
 appearance of his countenance during repose is far from commanding ; 
 but on the field there seems to be something in the determined glance 
 of his eye, the contracted brow, and the firm-set teeth, that would 
 imply that his wishes " must and shall be carried out." Otherwise 
 there is but little in his countenance that could be called striking. 
 "His brow is straight and square, but cannot be characterized as lofty, 
 although it is far from ignoble. His head is covered by a fair quan- 
 tity of light brownish hair. His e^es are blue, sharp, and expressivej^ 
 yet at times, calm and mild. His nose is aquiline, its bold lines delicately 
 chiseled. His mouth and chin are well formed, but are concealed 
 under a heavy reddish beard and moustache, which is kept cut some- 
 what shorter than it deserves. 
 
 " His manner is mild, even in times of the greatest excitement, and 
 the humblest drummer-boy can as easily reach the General with his 
 complaints, as could his corps, or departmental commanders. 
 
 " His style of dress has often been alluded to in the course of this 
 narrative. He assumes no gaudy plumes nor trappings, and takes 
 but little consideration as to his personal appearance. This apparent 
 carelessness is a conclusive evidence that his mind is employed with 
 more important matters." 
 
 The first announcement of General Grant's victorious 
 campaign in Georgia and Tennessee was made on the day 
 of the first assembling of Congress for 1863-4. ^''' Wash- 
 burne, Member of the House from Galena, Illinois, immedi- 
 ately gave notice of the introduction of two bills, one, « To 
 revive the grade of Lieutenant-General of the Arm " and 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I17 
 
 the other, " To provide that a medal be struck for General 
 Grant and the officers of the army." When the latter 
 resolution was brought up, it was passed by both Houses 
 of Congress without opposition, receiving the signature of 
 the President, and became the first law of the session of 
 1863-4. "^'^^ following is a copy of the official document; 
 
 General Orders No. 398. 
 
 JOINT RESOLUTION of thanks to Major- General Ulysses S. Grant and the officers 
 and soldiers loho have Jong ht under kis command during this rebellion: and 
 providing that the President of the United States shall cause a medul to be 
 struck^ to be presented to Major- General Grant in the name of the people of 
 the United States of America^ 
 
 Be it resolved, by the Senate and House of Refresetitatives of the 
 United States of America, in Congress assembled. That the thanks of 
 Congress be, and they hereby are, presented to Major-General Ulys- 
 ses S. Grant, and through him to the officers and soldiers who have 
 fought under his command during this rebellion, for their gallantry 
 and good conduct in the battles in which they have been engaged ; 
 and that the President of the United States be requested to cause a 
 gold medal to be struck, with suitable emblems, devices, and inscrip- 
 tions, to be presented to Major-General Grant. 
 
 Sec. 2. And be it further resolved. That, when the said medal 
 shall have been struck, the President shall cause a copy of this joint 
 resolution to be engrossed on parchment, and shall transmit the same, 
 together with the said medal, to Major-General Grant, to be presented 
 to him in the name of the people of the United States of America. 
 
 Sec. 3. A nd be it further resolved. That a sufficient sum of money 
 to carry this resolution into effect is hereby appropriated out of any 
 money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. 
 
 Schuyler Colfax, 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
 
 H. Hamlin, 
 Vice-President of the United States, and President of the Senate. 
 
 Approved, December 17, 1863: Abraham Lincoln, 
 
 The medal, as selected by the committee having the 
 matter in charge, was designed by Leutze, and is thus de-. 
 scribed by the N, T Evening Post: 
 
Il8 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 " The obverse of the medal was to consist of a pi-ofile likeness of 
 the hero, surrounded by a wreath of laurels ; his name and t^ie year 
 of his victories inscribed upon it, and the whole surrounded by a 
 galaxy of stars. The design for the reverse was original, appropriate, 
 and beautiful. It was the figure of Fame seated in a graceful attitude 
 on the American eagle, which, with outspread wings, seems preparing 
 for flight. In her right hand she held the symbolical trump, and in 
 her left, a scroll, on which were inscribed the names of the gallant 
 chief's various battles, viz. : Corinth, Vicksburg, Mississippi River, and 
 Chattanooga. On her head was a helmet, ornamented in Indian fash- 
 ion, with feathers radiating from it. In front of the eagle, its breast 
 resting against it, was the emblematical shield of the United States. 
 Just underneath this group, their stems crossing each other, were 
 single sprigs of the pine and the palm, typical of the North and South. 
 Above the figure of Fame, in a. curved line, the motto, 'Proclaim 
 Liberty throughout the Land.' The edge was surrounded, like the 
 obverse, with a circle of stars of a style peculiar to the Byzantine 
 period, and rarely seen except in the illuminated MSS. of that age. 
 These stars were more in number than the existing States — of course, 
 including those of the South — ^thereby suggesting further additions in 
 he future to the Union.'' 
 
 The Legislatures of New York, Ohio and other States 
 passed resolutions of thanks to General Grant and his 
 army, while other honors were paid him by societies, elect- 
 ing him honorary life member, etc. 
 
 While these honors were being showered on General 
 Grant by his admiring countrymen, he was busily occupied 
 in gathering up his strength to pursue the war with 
 unabated vigor. About Christmas he visited Knoxville to 
 inspect the condition of the troops there, and found the 
 men in great need of clothing; many were without shoes, 
 others had but a single blanket. The winter was the 
 most inclement that had been known for thirty years. 
 The roads encumbered with snow and ice, were almost 
 impassable. The resources of the country had become 
 exhausted, owing to the gathering of such large armies. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. II5 
 
 To add to these innumerable cares, he found that the rebel 
 cavalry were constantly attacking his outposts. The diffi. 
 culties of the route to Knoxville rendered it almost impos- 
 sible to remedy the sufferings of his men; but all that 
 could be done was done. 
 
 From Knoxville he visited Nashville, crossing the 
 country by the Cumberland Gap on horseback, passing 
 through Barbersville, London and Lexington. Wherever 
 he went, crowds thronged to greet him. Various efforts 
 were made to induce him to make speeches, but never with 
 success. At Lexington, General Leslie Coombs, said to 
 the crowd: " General Grant has told me in confidence that 
 he never made a speech, knows nothing about speech- 
 making, and has no disposition to learn." 
 
 Elaborate plans had been matured by Grant for the 
 prosecution of the war and the crushing of the ReTsellion 
 in the Southwest, as soon as the weather would admit of 
 active operations. A concerted movement of all our 
 armies under one policy, and so far as possible, under one 
 direction. 
 
 The policy of General Grant, is shown in one of his 
 communications to the War Department. He said : 
 
 " I look upon the next line for me to secure to be that from 
 Chattanooga to Mobile, Montgomery and Atlanta being the import- 
 ant intermediate points. To do this, large supplies must be secured 
 on the Tennessee River, so as to be independent of the railroad from 
 here (Nashville) to the Tennessee, for a considerable length of time. 
 Mobile would be a second base. The destruction which Sherman 
 will do to the roads around Meridian will be of material importance to 
 us in preventing the enemy from drawing supplies from Mississippi, 
 and in clearing that section of all large bodies of rebel troops. . . . 
 I do not look upon any points, except Mobile in the South, and the 
 Tennessee River in the North, as presenting practicable starting- 
 points from which to operate against Atlanta and Montgomery." 
 
120 GENERAL U. S. GRANt'S 
 
 Space prevents a description of the several movements 
 of troops in the Southwest. General Grant directed the 
 complicated movements of three armies extending from 
 the Alleghanies to the Mississippi. General Thomas was 
 at Chattanooga threatening Hardee, who had relieved 
 Bragg soon after the battle of Chattanooga, Longstreet 
 was being closely watched by Schofield, who had suc- 
 ceeded Burnside at Knoxville, and Sherman was at Vicks- 
 burg preparing for his magnificent raid into Mississippi — 
 all received their instructions from General Grant. 
 
 Moving from Vicksburg with McPherson's Seventeenth 
 Army Corps, in light marching order, General Sherman 
 drove the rebels out of the State, destroyed the great railway 
 center of Meridian, with the tracks to Quitman, to Lau- 
 derdale Springs and to Cuba Station; returning to Vicks- 
 burg on the 25th of February, having supported his army 
 upon the rebel stores which he captured, and brought 
 b:ick with his triumphant column 400 prisoners, 5,000 
 negroes, 1,000 white refugees, and 3,000 animals — all this 
 being accomplished in about, one month, during which 
 time his army had marclied nearly 400 miles, losing but 
 1 70 in killed, wounded and missing. 
 
 On January 24 General Grant was suddenly called to 
 St. Louis, to the sick bedside of his eldest son. Arriving 
 unheralded and unannounced, the first intimation the citi- 
 zens of the city had that the hero of the Western army 
 was among them was on seeing on the hotel register the 
 name of " U. S. Grant, Chattanooga." The intelligence 
 of his arrival spread rapidly, and crowds gathered around 
 the hotel to see him. He was at once invited to a public 
 dinner. His reply to this invitation was characteristic: 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 121 
 
 St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 27, 1864. 
 CoLONKL John O'Fallan, Hon. John How, 
 And Citizens of St. Louis, — 
 Gentlemen : — Your liighly complimentary invitation " to meet 
 old acquaintances and mal^e new ones," at a dinner to be given by 
 citizens of St. Louis, is just received. 
 
 I will state that I have only visited St. Louis on this occasion to 
 see a sick child. Finding, however, that he has passed the crisis of 
 his disease, and is pronounced out of danger by his physicians, I 
 accept the invitation. My stay in this city will be short- probably 
 not beyond the ist proximo. On to-morrow I shall be engaged. Any 
 other day of my stay here, and any place selected by the citizens of 
 St. Louis, it will be agreeable for me to meet them. 
 I have the honor to be, very respectfully. 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 U. S. Grant, Major-General U. S. A. 
 
 The banquet was sumptuous and elegant in all respects, 
 ewer 200 guests being present in the spacious hall at the 
 Lindell Hotel. When the toast was given, " Our distin- 
 guished guest, Major-General Grant," the band struck up 
 " Hail to the Chief ! " General Grant rose and said, "Gen- 
 tlemen, in response it will be impossible to do more than 
 thank you." During the evening he was serenaded, and 
 the hotel was surrounded by thousands anxious to catch a 
 sight of him, and clamorous for a speech. Stepping out 
 upon the balcony, he was received with cheer upon cheer. 
 Removing his hat amid profound silence, he said : "Gentle- 
 men, I thank you for this honor. I cannot make a speech. 
 It is something I have never done and never intend to do; 
 and I beg you will excuse me." This did not pacify the 
 crowd, and their demands for a speech were only the 
 greater. , 
 
 Several gentlemen standing near urged him to address 
 the people. One, more enthusiastic than the rest, said, 
 « General, tell them you can fight for them, but you 
 
122 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 cannot talk to them; do tell them that." Calmly turning 
 to the speaker, he said : " Some one else must say that if 
 it is to be said." The immense multitude continuing their 
 shouting, the General leaned over the balcony and said, 
 slowly, deliberately, and firmly: "Gentlemen, making 
 speeches is not my business. I never did it in my life and 
 never will. I thank you, however, for your attendance 
 here." He then bowed and retired. 
 
 The bill which had been introduced into Congress the 
 first days of the session, "to revive the grade of Lieutenant 
 General " was passed almost unanimously on the 26th of 
 February, 1864. On March 2d the President nominated 
 General Grant as Lieutenant-General, and on the following 
 day the Senate confirmed the nomination. But two men 
 had ever held this position. In 1 798, the country being 
 apprehensive of a war with France, President Adams 
 appointed George Washington " Lieutenant Genral of the 
 armies of the United States." In 1855 General Winfield 
 Scott had the office conferred on him by brevet. 
 
 The same day of his confirmation as Lieutenant-Gen- 
 eral he was ordered to Washington, and started on the 
 following morning, March 4. Before leaving for the East, 
 General Grant wrote the following letter to General Sher- 
 man, who was then at Memphis. This letter, with Sher- 
 man's answer, which follows, exhibits both these great 
 commanders in a most attractive light: 
 
 Dear Sherman, — The bill reviving the grade of Lieutenant- 
 General has become a law, and my name has been sent to the Senate 
 foi; the place. I now receive orders to report to Washington imme- 
 diately in person, which indicates a confirmation, or a likelihood of 
 confirmation. I start in the morning to comply with the order. 
 
 Whilst I have been eminently successful in this war, ia at least 
 gaining the confidence of the public, no one feels more than I hoyr 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I23 
 
 much of this success is due to the energy, ekiW, and the harmonious 
 putting forth of that energy and skill, of those whom it has been my 
 good fortune to have occupying subordinate positions under me. 
 
 There are many officers to whom these remarks are applicable to 
 a greater or less degree, proportionate to their ability as soldiers; but 
 what I want is to express my thanks to you and McPherson, as the 
 men to whom, above all others, I feel indebted for whatever I have 
 had of success. 
 
 How far your advice and assistance nave been of help to me, you 
 know. How far your execution of whatever has been given you to 
 do entitles you to the reward 1 am receiving, you cannot know as 
 well as I. 
 
 I feel all the gratitude this letter would express, giving it the 
 most flattering construction. The word jfou I use in the plural, 
 intending it for McPherson also. I would write to him, and will 
 some day ; but, starting in the morning, I do not know that 1 shall 
 find time just now. Your friend, 
 
 U. S. Grant. 
 
 The following is General Sherman's reply : 
 
 Dear General, — I have your more than kind and characteris- 
 tic letter of the 4th instant. I will send a copy to General McPherson 
 at once. 
 
 You do yourself injustice, and us too much honor, in assigning 
 to us too large a share of the merits which have led to your high 
 advancement. I know you approve the friendship I have ever prof- 
 fered to you, and will permit me to continue, as heretofore, to 
 manifest it on all proper occasions. 
 
 You are now Washington's legitimate successor, and occupy a 
 position of almost dangerous elevation ; but if you can continue, as 
 heretofore, to be yourself, — simple, honest and unpretending,— you 
 will enjoy through life the respect and love of friends, and the 
 homage of millions of human beings, who will award you a large 
 share in securing to them and their descendants a government of 
 law and stability. 
 
 I repeat, you do General McPherson and myself too much honor. 
 At Belmont you manifested your traits ; neither of us being near. 
 At Donelson, also, you illustrated your whole character. I was not 
 near, and General McPherson was in too subordinate a capacity to 
 influence you. 
 
134 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 Until you had won Donelsoft, I confess I was almost cowed by 
 the terrible array of anarchical elements that presented themselves 
 at every point; but that admitted a ray of light I have followed 
 since. I believe you are as brave, patriotic, and just as the great 
 prototype, Washington; as unselfish, kind-hearted, and honest as a 
 man should be : but the chief characteristic is the simple faith in 
 success you have always manifested, which I can liken to nothing 
 else than the faith a Christian has in the Saviour. 
 
 This faith gave you the victory at Shiloh and at Vicksburg. 
 Also, when you have completed your best preparations, you go into 
 battle without hesitation, as at Chattanooga — no doubts, no reserves; 
 and I tell you, it was this made us act with confidence. I knew, ' 
 wherever I was, that you thought of me, and if 1 got in a tight 
 place, you would help me out, if alive. 
 
 My only point of doubt was, in your knowledge of grand strategy 
 and of books of science and history ; but, I confess, your common- 
 sense seems to have supplied all these. 
 
 Now, as to the future. Don't stay in Washington. Come West; 
 take to yourself the whole Mississippi Valley. Let us make it dead 
 sure, — and I tell you, the Atlantic slopes and Pacific shores will 
 follow its destiny, as sure as the limbs of a tree live or die with the 
 main trunk. We have done much, but still much remains. Time, 
 and time's influences are with us. We could almost afibrd to sit 
 still, and let these influences work. 
 
 Here lies the seat of the coming empire ; and from the West, 
 when ouj- task is done, we will make short work of Charleston and 
 Richmond, and the impoverished coast of the Atlantic. 
 
 Your sincere friend, 
 
 W. T. Sherman. 
 
 On the afternoon of March 8 he reached Washing- 
 ton, and quietly and unrecognized, repaired to Willard's 
 Hotel. While seated at the dining table with his young 
 son by his side, before he had half finished his dinner, a 
 gentleman lately from New Orleans recognized him, and, 
 rising, informed the guests that General Ulysses S. Grant 
 was in the room. Simultaneously, and as by an instinctive 
 impulse, all arose, and a storm of cheers rang through the 
 
tIFE AND SERVICES. 135 
 
 hall, many pressed around him to take him by the hand, 
 and it was some time before he could finish his dinner. In 
 the evening he attended the President's levee, entering the 
 reception room unannounced, but was soon recognized and 
 greeted with great cordiality by Mr. Lincoln. The noted 
 visitor then became the observed of all observers. 
 
 On the afternoon of the following day he was presented 
 by Mr. Lincoln with his commission, the ceremony taking 
 place in the presence of the Cabinet, General Halleck, the 
 retiring General-in Chief, the members of Grant's stafij 
 that officer's son, the President's private secretary, and 
 Representative Owen Lovejoy. When General Grant 
 entered the room he was cordially received by Mr. Lincoln 
 and presented to the Cabinet. The President then ad- 
 dressed him as follows : 
 
 General Grant : The nation's appreciation of what you have 
 done , and its reliance upon you for what still remains to be accom- 
 plished in the existing great struggle, are now presented with this 
 commission, constituting you Lieutenant-General in the army of the 
 United States. With this high honor devolves upon you, also, a cor- 
 responding responsibility. As the country herein trusts you, so, 
 under God, it will sustain you. I scarcely need to add, that with 
 what I here speak for the nation, goes my own hearty personal con- 
 currence. ' 
 
 To which General Grant replied as follows: 
 
 Mr. President: I accept the commission, with gratitude for 
 the high honor conferred. With the aid of the noble armies that 
 have fought on so many fields for our common country, it will be my 
 earnest endeavor not to disappoint your expectations. I feel the full 
 weight of the responsibilities now devolving on me, and I know that 
 if they are met, it will be due to those armies, and, above all, to the 
 favor of that Providence which leads both nations and men. 
 
 A short time was spent in pleasant social conversation, 
 
126 GBNBRAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 and this simple and interesting interview ended. The 
 next day, March lo, General Grant visited the Army of 
 tlie Potomac, then lying north of the Rapidan, in company 
 with General Meade, its commander. On his return to 
 Washington he immediately made preparations for his 
 departure for the West, leaving on the following day. 
 
 On the 1 2th a special order of the President assigned 
 the new Lieutenant- General to the command of the armies 
 of the United States, the headquarters of the army being 
 in Washington, and " with Lieutenant-General Grant in 
 the field." 
 
 The Lieutenant-General found opposed to him at the 
 time he assumed command of the armies of the United 
 States, General Lee in Virginia, who was the senior officer 
 of the Confederacy, strongly posted along the south 
 bank of the Rapidan, covering Richmond. Lee was the 
 idol of the Confederacy, cool and brave, clear-headed and 
 quick in the dispositions of a battlefield, an excellent gen- 
 eral, and a worthy antagonist for Grant. 
 
 General Johnston, whom Grant had several times met 
 and defeated, was in command of the second great army 
 at Dalton, Ga. This army covered Atlanta, a great rail- 
 road center, and an immense military depot for the 
 Confederate army. Next to Richmond, of the most vital 
 importance to the rebels. General Forrest was operating 
 with a large force of cavalry in Northeastern Mississippi; 
 while portions of Western Virginia, the eastern angle of 
 Tennessee, and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, were 
 in the enemy's hands. West of the Mississippi, with few 
 exceptions, was also in rebel possession and held by a force 
 of not less than eighty thousand men. This large force 
 had become somewhat disintegrated by inaction and want 
 of opposition by our armies. It will readily b« seen that 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES, 12;; 
 
 the objective points of the new campaign were Atlanta 
 and Richmond. 
 
 To oppose and destroy the army of Lee, and to cap- 
 ture Richmond, was the duty assigned to the Army of the 
 Potomac, under that able General, George G. Meade, who 
 so brilliantly .won the battle of Gettysburg. Lieutenant- 
 General Grant was to accompany him. 
 
 Upon Grant's promotion, Major-General William 
 Tecumseh Sherman had been assigned to the command of 
 the Military Division of the Mississippi, with headquarters 
 at Chattanooga. He was to operate against Johnston and 
 drive him back and take Atlanta. His campaign was to 
 be an aggressive one, to follow Johnston wherever he went 
 and prevent his joining or reinforcing the army of Lee. 
 
 General Banks commanded the Department of the 
 Gulf, and was to make an advance up the Red River as 
 far as Shreveport. If his expedition was successful he 
 was to turn over his command to General Steele. By 
 withdrawing a portion of the garrisons at different points 
 on the Mississippi he could collect an army of nearly thirty 
 thousand men, and was to co-operate with Admiral Farra- 
 gut in an attack on Mobile. 
 
 General Butler was to make an advance up the south 
 bank of the James with an army of thirty thousand men, 
 threatening Richmond. General Sigel was in command 
 of the forces in West Virginia and the Shenandoah. He 
 was to advance southward in two columns, to co-operate 
 with the Army of the Potomac. Pending these movements 
 all other organizations were actively employed in garrison 
 duty in a hostile territory, protecting land and water commu- 
 nications, and in providing supplies for the army in the field. 
 
 A new era was to be inaugurated hereafter; instead of 
 independent action of our armies east and west, the enemy 
 
12$ GENfiKAL U. S. 
 
 was to be engaged at all important points at orice and con- 
 tinuously, thereby preventing the shifting of troops from 
 one point to another. They were to be beaten if possible, 
 but if that could not be done, then they must be worn out 
 by constant shocks and attrition — in the latter case force of 
 numbers alone would in the end produce the coveted result. 
 The sequel proved the wisdom of General Grant's plans and 
 purposes as the director and supervisor of all the campaigns. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE BATTI.ES OF THE 'flyLDERNESS. 
 
 On the 23d of March General Grant, accompanied by 
 Mrs. Grant and his eldest son, General Rawlins and three 
 other members of his staff, arrived in Washington. The 
 eyes of the whole nation were upon him. For the first 
 time the army of the United States was so unified that it 
 could be handled to the best advantage. General Grant 
 was given unlimited scope. He had left his trusted Gen- 
 erals Sherman, Thomas, McPherson, and others of lesser 
 note, in the West, and was about to take command in per- 
 son of the veteran Army of the Potomac. He at once 
 placed the dashing and fearless Sheridan, hitherto in obscu- 
 rity, in command of the cavalry service. 
 
 The Army of the Potomac was at once reorganized ; 
 the Corps were consolidated and reduced to three — the 
 Second, Fifth and Sixth. The Second, commanded by 
 Major-General Winfield Scott Hancock, with Generals 
 Gibbon, Barlow, Birney and Barr in command of divisions, 
 and Generals Webb, Owen, Ward, Hayes and Mott of 
 brigades. The Fifth Corps, commanded by the brilliant 
 and skillful Major-General G. K.Warren; his division 
 commanders were Generals Wadsworth, Crawford, Rob- 
 inson and Griffin, and brigades under Ayres, Cutter, Bax- 
 ter, Barnes and Rice — all veterans. The Sixth Corps was 
 under command of Major General John Sedgwick, one of 
 
 (129) 
 
130 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 the most popular officers of the army. He had more than 
 once been offered command of the Army of the Potomac, 
 but his modesty caused him to decline it. His corps had 
 won a position second to none in the army, and fully de- 
 served the epithet which it received as the "Bloody Sixth." 
 He was ably assisted by Generals Wright, Getty and 
 Prince as division commanders, with Generals Torbert, 
 Shaler, Wheaton, Neill, Eustis and Russell, and Colonels 
 Upton, Burnham and Grant, in command of brigades. 
 Brigadier-General Henry J. Hunt was Chief of Artillery, 
 General James C. Duane commanded a brigade of engi- 
 neer troops and pontoon trains. The quartermaster's de- 
 partment and immense pack of supply wagons was directed 
 by Brigadier-General Rufus Ingalls. The whole, under 
 the command of Major General George G. Meade, 
 
 The latter part of 
 April the Ninth Corps, 
 commanded by General 
 A. E. Burnside, joined 
 the Army of the Poto- 
 mac at Culpepper. This 
 ^ corps was composed in 
 ^ part of colored troops, 
 who were now for the 
 first time sent to the 
 front. Reinforcements 
 had been pouring in 
 during the month of 
 April. Everything was 
 now in readiness for the 
 army to move, and the order w^as given to advance. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 3d of May, 1S64, the tents 
 of the army were struck, and at night the troops began 
 
 GEORGE G. MEADE. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 121 
 
 crossing the Rapidan at Germania and Ely's Fords. Be- 
 fore the close of the following day, over one hundred thou- 
 sand men had crossed the river and were marching toward 
 the Wilderness. This is a wild, desolate tract of country, 
 situated in Spottsylvania County, about five miles broad 
 and ten miles long. It is an immense jungle, covered 
 with a thick, almost impenetrable underbrush, cut up 
 with ravines, preventing the movement of artillery and 
 cavalry. 
 
 General Lee, ever watchful, had purposely allowed the 
 Union forces to advance without giving battle, having de- 
 termined to attack Grant in the Wilderness, where he and 
 his men were perfectly familiar, hoping to be able to de- 
 stroy his army in the opening of the campaign. Hidden 
 in the forests, Lee could mass his troops and hurl them on 
 any point of the Union line which he chose to attack. 
 
 About noon May 5, Warren, whoTield the advance of 
 Grant's army, was furiously attacked by the enemy, fight- 
 ing with the most determined bravery. The Union forces, 
 largely outnumbered at this point, slowly fell back, con- 
 testing every foot of ground. Receiving reinforcements, 
 they rallied and drove the rebels back with great slaughter. 
 Before night, the enemy having been repulsed at all points. 
 General Grant ordered an immediate advance along the 
 entire line, but darkness intervened before the final arrange- 
 ments were completed. The losses during this bloody con- 
 flict had been terrible, and the hospitals were crowded. Or- 
 ders were sent out for a renewal of the battle at daylight. 
 "Attack along the whole line at 5 in the morning." 
 Lee had made similar preparations, and at a quarter before 
 5 in the morning of Priday, made a furious onset on 
 Sedgwick, who held the extreme right. Undismayed by 
 this attack. Giant's entire line advanced precisely at the 
 
132 
 
 GENERAL. U. S. GRANT S 
 
 time he had ordered, and steadily drove the enemy in con- 
 fusion nearly two miles. The contest was desperate, the 
 rebels fighting with reckless heroism, yet unable to resist 
 the valor of our soldiers. 
 
 The attack on Sedgwick had proven only a feint, the 
 real attack being made by Longstreet on Hancock, who 
 held our left. All efforts to dislodge him proved ineffect- 
 ual. Again and again were these columns flung upon our 
 lines with terrific power, occasionally pressing back our 
 men some distance. In seeking to stem the tide, the be- 
 loved General Wadsworth, of New York, was shot in the 
 
 heart. Amid fearful car- 
 nage our men again ral- 
 lied, forcing the enemy 
 back with heavy loss, 
 taking up their former 
 position. Night closed 
 upon the bloody scene; 
 neither party had gained 
 a decided triumph; the 
 Confederate leader had 
 found a foe who had 
 come out to fight, and 
 one that would take no 
 step backward. The 
 Union commander was 
 At his headquarters, calm and determined. To a member of 
 his staflf he had remarked : " I notice that these Southerners 
 fight desperately at first; yet, -when -we hang on for a day 
 or twoy we whip them awfully" 
 
 On Saturday morning there was some slight skirmish- 
 ing, but neither party seemed willing to attack. It had 
 not been Grant's intention to fight in the Wilderness, It 
 
 
 ROBERT E. LEE. 
 
Life and services. 
 
 133 
 
 Was Lee who had chosen this as a battlefield, and in leaving 
 it he confessed that he had been defeated in his attempt to 
 prevent the advance of the army under General Grant. 
 
 In the two days' terrible slaughter in the Wilderness, 
 Grant had lost nearly 18,000 men. Among the National 
 killed were Generals VVadsworth and Hays; and Gene- 
 rals Getty, Gregg, Owen, Bartlett and Webb, wounded. 
 Lee had lost fully 12,000 men — Generals Jenkins and Jones 
 killed, and Generals Longstreet (severely), Stafford (mor- 
 tally), Pickett, Pegram and Hunter, wounded. 
 
 At noon it was reported to Grant that Lee was in full 
 retreat toward Spottsylvania Court House, thirteen miles 
 
 distant. Having sev- 
 eral hours the start, 
 and inside line of 
 march, he was able to 
 secure the high ground 
 that surrounds the 
 CourtHouse before the 
 Union forces could ar- 
 rive, though the pur- 
 suit was immediate 
 and by forced marches. 
 Arriving on Sunday, 
 the Confederates were 
 found strongly entrenched. The greater part of the day, 
 and that of the next, was spent in bringing up the Union 
 forces and assigning them to their proper places, and loca- 
 ting batteries. While employed on Monday in giving di- 
 rections to some of his artillerymen, the Union General 
 Sedgwick was shot dead by a rebel sharpshooter. His 
 loss was an irreparable one to the army, and caused sincere 
 mourning throughout the entire army, for he was beloved 
 
 Spottsylvania Court Honse. 
 
134 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 by his soldiers. Headley, in his History, speaks of his 
 death in these words: 
 
 "Words of eulogium, which would seem like flattery if spoken of 
 other men, are inadequate to express his virtues. A thorough soldier, 
 a skillful general, and one of the very best of men, he was at once 
 respected and beloved by all who knew him. Simple in heart and 
 manner ; modest as a youth ; very generous to all around him ; never 
 seeking his own aggrandizement to the detriment of others, but 
 rather preferring theirs to his own ; he was the modern example of 
 Chaucer's 'very parfit, gen til knight.' Forever green be the turf 
 above his quiet grave at Cornwall Hollow, watered by the tears of 
 friendship, and cherished by the pious care of patriot pilgrims." 
 
 In these movements for position, the Confederates had 
 been unceasing in their attacks upon the advance lines, and 
 disputed every inch of ground. 
 
 By the morning of the loth everything w^as in readi- 
 ness for battle, and an attack on the enemy's line to carry 
 his entrenchments was ordered, but failed. Assault upon 
 assault followed. Late in the afternoon a successful and 
 memorable charge was made by the Second Brigade of 
 the-Sixth Corps. Springing over the enemy's works, they 
 captured upward of a thoiisand prisoners and several can- 
 non, but were compelled to retire from their perilous posi- 
 tion, owing to non-support on their left 
 
 In no previous battle of the war had there been such 
 fearful carnage. Fully ten thousand men on each side had 
 fallen, with no decisive results. Thus ended the first day's 
 battle of Spottsylvania. At midnight Lee withdrew to his 
 inner line of defense. 
 
 On the 1 1 th the battle was renewed, and was but a 
 repetition of that of the preceding day. Assaults and coun- 
 ter-assaults were made with unsurpassed heroism, and met 
 by the most stubborn resistance. By a singular coincidence, 
 
„„^ ,, ..^liiliiiiiliiiifiiii 
 
 //I ! ,'i ■*: 7 
 
tiFfi AND SERVICES. 137 
 
 both Generals had determined to assault each other on the 
 same plan and at the same time. The result was a desper- 
 ate effort on either side to break the line of the other. 
 
 Grant's first communication with Washington since his 
 advance, was made in the morning of the nth. It was as 
 follows : 
 
 Headquarters in the Field, May 11, 1864 — 8 a. m. 
 
 We have now ended the sixth day of very heavy fighting. The 
 result, to this time, is much in our favor. 
 
 Our losses have been heavy, as well as those of the enemy. I 
 think the loss of the enemy must be greater. 
 
 We have taken over five thousand prisoners by battle, while he 
 has taken from us but few, except stragglers. 
 
 I PROPOSE TO FIGHT IT OUT ON THIS LINE IP IT TAKES ALL 
 
 SUMMER. U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General, 
 
 Commanding- the Armies of the United States. 
 
 Finding the enemy's left too strong to be turned, General 
 Grant determined to attack his right center. Generals Han- 
 cock, Barlow and Gibbon being selected to storm the ene- 
 my's works. Advancing in the early morning at a double- 
 quick, they rushed over the rebel works, engaging in 
 a hand-to-hand conflict. The fight was short and sharp, 
 and ended in the capture of twenty colors, thirty guns, and 
 three thousand prisoners — among them Generals Johnson 
 and Stewart. The position thus gained was hotly de- 
 fended during the day. Five times the rebels inade savage 
 assaults upon it only to be repulsed as many times, with 
 terrible slaughter. General Grant, at the close of the day, 
 sent the following dispatch to Washington : 
 
 Spottsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864. 
 The eighth day of the battle closes, leaving between three and four 
 thousand prisoners in our hands for the day's work, including two 
 general officers and over thirty pieces of artillery. 
 
138 GENERAL U. 
 
 The enemy is obstinate, and seems to have found the last ditch 
 We have lost no organization, not even a company, while we have 
 destroyed and captured one division, one brigade, and one regiment 
 entire of the enemy. U. S. Grant, Lieutenani-Genered. 
 
 Several days were now spent in endeavoring to find 
 some weak spot in the rebel line. The army was em- 
 ployed in constant movement from one portion of the line 
 to another. At every point the Confederates had skillfully 
 met movement by movement. Finding that all attempts 
 to carry the position was hopeless, Grant resolved to turn 
 it by a flank movement, and immediately commenced pre- 
 parations to do so. The enemy discovering his plans attacked 
 his right, and delayed the movement until the night of the 
 20th of May, when moving by the left, the army took up 
 its march for Richmond. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FROM SPOTTSYLVANIA TO PETERSBURG. 
 
 Notwithstanding the desperate defense of the enemy, 
 Grant was not disheartened or shaken ia his purpose; with 
 dogged perseverance he followed up one battle with 
 another. Though he failed to fight it out on "that line all 
 summer," the character of the man and the secret of his 
 power ^was revealed in those words, and we find him again 
 and again turning the Confederates from their entrench- 
 ments, and compelling them to secure another and still 
 another line of defense. 
 
 The magnitude of such an undertaking is hardly under- 
 stood. It is stated, by Abbott, that Grant's "vast army of 
 one hundred thousand men — infantry, artillery, cavalry and 
 baggage train — would fill in a continuous line of march, any 
 road to its utmost capacity for a distance of loo miles. In 
 this march the immense army crowded the whole region 
 over a breadth of ten to fifteen miles; all the public roads, 
 cross roads and wood paths were traversed. One mind 
 presided over these operations, as day after day, night after 
 night, through darkness, through forests, through morasses, 
 over streams and rivers, storming entrenchments, and fight- 
 ing their way against a determined foe of a hundred thou- 
 sand men, the Union troops pressed resistlessly on. 
 
 " General Lee was continually watching his opportunity 
 to strike General Grant by a flank attack on his long line 
 of march. But the foresight of General Grant, and the 
 
140 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 heroism of his officers and soldiers, averted every danger. 
 The foe made several attacks during the day, but in all he 
 was repulsed. Our troops were now within forty miles of 
 Richmond. In the race for the rebel metropolis, there 
 was no time to be lost." 
 
 On the 2 1 St Grant's advance reached the North Anna 
 River; here he found the rebels gathered in force and 
 
 strongly entrenched. 
 Hancock, who was 
 in the advance, im- 
 mediately opened 
 upon the foe with a 
 furious cannonade, fol- 
 lowing it up with a 
 charge, driving the 
 enemy from the en- 
 trenchments. The fol- 
 lowing day the whole 
 army crossed at dif- 
 ferent points with but 
 little fighting. 
 
 By the 25th the entire army was in a strong position, 
 stretching out about four miles on the south side of the 
 river, with its base of supplies at Port Royal, about thirty 
 miles below Fredericksburg. A reconnoissance sent out 
 showed that the Confederates were so strongly entrsnched, 
 that their works could not be carried without great loss of 
 life. Under cover of a strong demonstration against the foe 
 General Grant withdrew, recrossed the river and marched 
 down its northeastern bank to the Pamunkey, which is 
 formed by a union of the North and South Anna. 
 
 Early Friday morning General Grant took possession 
 of Hanover Ferry on the Pamunkey River, sixteen miles 
 
 
 
 =:S3»-^^'^\ >^ 
 
 WINFIELD S. HANCOCK. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I4I 
 
 from Richmond, making his base of supphes at the White 
 House, but a few miles distant. His military strategy in 
 this march from the Rapidan has ever excited the wonder 
 and admiration of military critics; all the efforts of the able 
 and experienced Lee, with an army nearly equal in num- 
 ber under his command — and as many more at Richmond- 
 to oppose this steady and unfaltering advance, were baffled. 
 
 On Sunday, the 29th, the entire army with all its bag- 
 gage train, had crossed the Pamunkey in safety. On 
 Wednesday morning, June i, the advance cavalry force 
 had reached Cold Harbor. General Sheridan was placed 
 in command there with orders to hold the place at all haz- 
 ards, and the promise of infantry re-inforcements before 
 nightfall. Foiled in every attack by day, the rebels renewed 
 it in the night, only to meet with disappointment; the 
 struggle had been desperate, our soldiers losing two thous- 
 and men. 
 
 Posting his troops in line General Grant presented an 
 unbroken front extending from Bethesda Church to Cold 
 Harbor, a distance of eight miles. Assaults were con- 
 tinually made at various parts of the line by the foe, none 
 of which met with any success; the National forces 
 retaining their position. 
 
 General Grant was now on the ground made mem- 
 orable during the « seven days " fight, under McClellan ; 
 he was in front of the formidable outer line of entrench- 
 ments erected for the defense of Richmond, behind which 
 were not only Lee's veteran soldiers, but the garrison of 
 Richmond had been called from the inner works to re- 
 inforce him. Without delay Grant determined to test the 
 strength of these works. An assault was ordered to be made 
 by the Sixth and Eighteenth Corps ; while General Burn- 
 side attacked the left, the first line of works was carried 
 
143 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 and held. The record of the day's fighting was like that 
 previously described; 
 charges made with 
 bravery and patriotism 
 that feared not death; 
 this was met by a 
 courage as fearless as 
 it was misplaced. In 
 every instance the as- 
 sault had failed. Thus 
 nearly a week passed 
 away; each day was 
 like the preceding 
 one, a day of frequent 
 skirmishing, of con- 
 stant practice of sharp- 
 shooters, and incessant cannonading. 
 
 All this time the Union General was maturing plans 
 for the most extraordinary movements of this or any other 
 campaign, the transfer by flank of his entire army from the 
 Chickahominy to the south side of the James. By ob- 
 taining twenty-four hours the start of the Confederates, 
 he hoped to be able to seize a position to the south of Rich- 
 mond, tapping the railroads concentrating at Petersburg, 
 and in the event of defeating Lee, to prevent his retreat to 
 the Carolinas, where he might be able to continue the con- 
 flict indefinitely. Abbott has graphically described this 
 " qhange of base " as follows : 
 
 GEORGE B. m'cLELLAN. 
 
 " On Sunday morning, June the 12th, the army, veiled from ob- 
 servation by its earthworks and by clouds of skirmishers, quietly com- 
 menced its march from its entrenchments. For miles these entrench, 
 ments were within reach of the enemy's guns, Unseen and unsus- 
 pected in the movements, this majestic host of a hundred and fifty 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 143 
 
 thousand men, — infantry, artillery, and cavalry, — with their almost 
 interminable line of wagons, pressed on toward their goal. All day 
 long of Sunday and of Monday, and until Tuesday afternoon, with 
 scarcely any rest, even at night, these iron men tramped on in si- 
 lence, till the extraordinary feat was accomplished. They crossed 
 the Chickahominy and the James, accomplishing a march of fifty- 
 five miles without the loss of a wagon or a gun. This extraordinary 
 movement was effected in the presence of an enemy a hundred 
 thousand strong, desperate in courage, ably officered, and whose ram- 
 parts were in many places within fifty yards of the entrenchments 
 from which General Grant marched his troops. Every possible 
 path was crowded with the immense host. Through swamps and 
 dust, and the blaze of noonday and the gloom of midnight, the 
 army, guided by the energies and protected by the sagacity of one 
 mind, pressed forward till the marvelous feat was accomplished." 
 
 It will be remembered that Grant had ordered Butler 
 to ascend the south bank of the James River to menace 
 Richmond from the South, and thus prevent the with- 
 drawal of the garrisons 
 in and around • Rich- 
 mond — the Confederate 
 forces were under com- 
 mand of Beauregard, 
 who had gone South to 
 meet Butler with an 
 overwhelming force. 
 Butler, learning of this, 
 and fully realizing that 
 he could not success- 
 fully meet such an army 
 in the open field, se- 
 cured a commanding benjamin f. butlkr. 
 position and entrenched his army; the enemy rearing 
 strong entrenchments in front of his lines, had held him 
 where he was and prevented any advance on his part. 
 
144 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 On Wednesday, the 15th, the advance of the Union 
 army crossed the James River and joined Butler at Ber- 
 muda Hundred; by the i6th the whole army w^as on the 
 South side. Previous to the arrival of the Army of the 
 Potomac, General Butler had made an ineffectual attempt 
 to capture Petersburg, tv(renty-two miles south of Rich- 
 mond — this city is the center of all the railways running 
 South from Richmond, and once in the possession of the 
 Union forces would compel the evacuation of the Confed- 
 erate capital. By the dilatory movements of the Union 
 
 officer intrusted with 
 the order to occupy 
 Petersburg, General 
 Lee and his veterans 
 had arrived in force, 
 and was able to re- 
 pulse the several 
 subsequent assaults 
 by the troops of 
 1 Meade, Burnside, 
 I Warren, Hancock, 
 and other command- 
 ers. The assaults 
 were made; unpar- 
 alleled in heroism by 
 the Northern soldiers — but General Grant became satisfied 
 that the formidable entrenchments manned by the veterans 
 of Lee could not be carried by assault, as they were cap- 
 able of resisting five-fold their numbers. Petersburg could 
 not be taken except by siege. 
 
 May 9 General Sheridan had been sent with Gen- 
 erals Merritt, Gregg and Custer, and a force of cavalry to 
 cut Lee's communications. Cutting loose from the army he 
 
 PHILIP H. SHERIDAN. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I45 
 
 swept around the right flank of the rebel army, striking the 
 Virginia Central Railroad at Beaver Dam Station, destroy- 
 ed ten miles of track, three trains of cars, a million and a 
 half of rations, liberated 400 Union prisoners talcen in the 
 Wilderness and then on the way to Libby prison. On the 
 nth he captured Ashland Station, on the Fredericksburg 
 road, destroying the railroad property and a large amount of 
 supplies. Being charged witli the duty of menacing Rich- 
 mond, he pushed on to Yellow Tavern, a few miles north 
 of Richmond, where he was confronted by that able rebel 
 cavalry leader. General Stuart. After a sharp engagement 
 he drove the Confederates toward Ashland with the loss 
 of their gallant commander. Dashing down the road to 
 Richmond he made a spirited charge upon the outer works 
 — which were bravely carried by Custer, who captured 
 over 100 prisoners. Finding the second line too strong 
 for his force, he crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow 
 Bridge, where he destroyed the railroad bridge, pushing 
 southward to Huxhall's Landing on the James — here he 
 rested three days — rejoining the army on May 35. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE SIEGE OF PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND. 
 
 Petersburg contained at this time a population of about 
 fifteen thousand. It is situated on the south bank of the 
 Appomattox River, twelve miles above its mouth, and 
 twenty-five miles south of Richmond. It was the inten- 
 tion of the Union commander to seize the railways leading 
 south from the city, investing it on the south and west. 
 The first railroad south of the James, which was easily 
 seized, was the one running from Petersburg to Norfolk. 
 The next one, some ten or twelve miles west of this, was 
 the Petersburg and Weldon, and still further west was the 
 Petersburg and Lynchburg road, running nearly west* 
 Both of these roads were of vital importance to the Con- 
 federacy, opening as they did all of the resources of the 
 South. 
 
 After General Grant had become convinced that it 
 would be impossible to carry the strong entrenchments of 
 the city, manned by the veterans of Lee's army, it became 
 necessary to close the avenues of supplies, in order that a 
 siege might be successfully prosecuted; and he at once 
 instructed the Sixth and Second Corps to advance toward 
 the Weldon road. The movement was made on the 2ist, 
 and advanced as far as the Jerusalem plank road, about 
 midway between the Norfolk and the Weldon roads. 
 Here they encountered the enemy in such force that they 
 
 (141,) 
 
f^r^'^-w^ 
 
 
 ft 
 
 
 *."■ jI-^. 
 
 'i: «:;i. 
 
 > ' i 
 
 i''|''(iiiii|ii'l'i''ri 
 ViJ''pi'iiil'ii 
 
 Ml li'ilj ' ' 
 
 II. %ift 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I49 
 
 Were compelled to retire. Lee, realizing the importance 
 of this road to him, had placed its defense in the hands of 
 that able and brilliant leader, A. P. Hill. On the 2 2d and 
 a3d the attempt was renewed, but with only slight advan- 
 tage gained. While this attempt was being made in 
 every part of the line each day had its battle. This w ms 
 the daily story of two weeks of constant manoeuvering, 
 the losses on each side being fully fifteen thousand men. 
 Every extension of the Union line westward was met by a 
 continuation of the defensive works of the enemy. 
 
 General Foster, with a division of the Tenth Corps, on 
 the night of the 20th occupied Deep Bottom, a place but 
 ten miles from Richmond, and on the north side of the 
 James. An entrenched camp was at once formed, and by 
 thus holding it the Federal commander was able at any 
 time to threaten Richmond. A pontoon bridge was at 
 once laid connecting it with General Butler, at Bermuda 
 Hundred. Lee had met this possible movement by con- 
 structing a pontoon bridge over the James at Drury's Bluff, 
 thus enabling him to protect the defenses of Richmond 
 with comparative ease. 
 
 The Union army now occupied a circuitous line around 
 Petersburg, on its eastern and southern side, about thirty 
 miles in extent. By extending his line, and by a constant 
 movement of his troops, Grant hoped to find a weak point 
 in the rebel line of defense. The energies of the entire 
 army were devoted to the erection of strong defensive 
 works, so that the position could be held with a compara- 
 tively small force, thus allowing a column to be spared for 
 offensive operations at the proper time. These works were 
 completed during the last dajs of July. 
 
 On the other hand, Lee, having the inner line of defenses, 
 
•so 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 which were almost impregnable, could mass vast numbers 
 at his leisure and throw them against any portion of the 
 Union line for its destruction, thus requiring the greatest 
 vigilance on the part of the Federals. During all this time 
 shells from heavy siege guns on the Union side, dropped 
 in all parts of the city every five and fifteen minutes during 
 the day and night, exploding with thundering roar, scat- 
 tering ruin and destruction around. On the 30th many 
 buildings were fired by these shells. Hour after hour the 
 doomed city burned, and yet no cessation from the Federal 
 bombardment. 
 
 While General Grant was tightening his hold on Peters- 
 burg, he sent out a strong cavalry column under Generals 
 Wilson and Kautz, eight thousand men in all, their object 
 \)eing to destroy the roads that could not at the time be 
 reached by his army. Marching rapidly southward, the 
 expedition struck the Weldon Road at Reams Station, 
 where they destroyed the depot and tore up several miles 
 of the road. Moving without delay, they struck the South- 
 side road at a point fifteen miles from Petersburg; thence 
 they went to Nottaway Station, destroying twenty-two 
 miles of the track. Near this place the enemy's cavalry 
 was encountered, under the command of General W. F. 
 Lee. Wilson drove the enemy from his front. Kautz at 
 this point was detached to destroy the railroad at Burke's 
 Station, the junction of the Danville and Southside roads. 
 This being successfully accomplished, he rejoined Wilson, 
 and the united forces destroyed the Danville road to Ro- 
 anoke Bridge, twenty-five miles in extent. 
 
 Finding the enemy strongly posted and assembling at 
 all points, Wilson started to return. At several points he 
 was forced to desperately fight his way through over- 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. ICI 
 
 whelming numbers; reaching our lines, his men and horses 
 were in a pitiable condition, in his efforts to escape he lost 
 his entire artillery and trains. Notwithst_anding these dis- 
 asters, he had been successful in severing the connection 
 with Richmond for several weeks. General Grant said 
 that the " damage done the enemy in this expedition more 
 than compensated for the losses we sustained." 
 
 Afler the defeat of General Sigel, in the Shenandoah 
 Valley, General David Hunter had been placed in com- 
 mand. He was ordered to co-operate with the Army of 
 the Potomac, and make a rapid advance southward, to cap- 
 ture Staunton and Gordonville, thence to Charlottesville 
 and Lynchburg, — destroy the canals and railroads as he 
 passed, and work his way back to his original base, or join 
 the Army of the Potomac. 
 
 Passing rapidly up the valley, the enemy were driven 
 from all points until North River was reached, where a 
 desperate battle of ten hours' duration was fought, and 
 the enemy routed v/ith the loss of fifteen hundred prison- 
 ers, three hundred stand of arms, three cannon, and death 
 of their commander, W. E. Jones, — the Union loss being 
 but fifty men. 
 
 On the 8th he occupied Staunton, where he was joined 
 by Averill and Crook. The combined forces pushed for- 
 ward to Lynchburg, passing through Lexington. On the 
 1 6th Lynchburg was invested. The reinforcement of the 
 city from Lee's army, and his ammunition giving out, 
 compelled Hunter to retire in haste. His retreat was by 
 the line of the railroad, through Liberty to the Kanawah 
 River. By this line of retreat he threw the entire Shen- 
 andoah Valley open to the advance of the Confederates, 
 with no force to oppose them. Such an opportunity wa» 
 
not lost by the Confederate General Lee, who at once 
 tlispatched General Ewell, with a carefully-selected corps 
 if 25,000 men, to make a raid into Maryland, and, if possi- 
 ! ic, capture Washington. The small Union force left 
 'chind by Hunter was not sufficiently strong to resist the 
 ^olid battalions that swept like a flood down the valley. 
 They quickly evacuated their positions, not even waiting 
 Lo destroy the valuable stores and material in their hands. 
 
 Finding little or no opposition, the rebels crossed the 
 Potomac at several points, sending out from the main col- 
 umn strong forces of fleet cavalry, whose sole object was 
 to plunder and destroy. The panic all through Marj'land 
 and Pennsylvania was terrible. Hagerstown was seized, 
 and $20,000 demanded from the inhabitants to save it 
 from the flames. Frederick was captured by the guerilla 
 Mosby, who pillaged stores, and extorted the sum of 
 $200,000 as a ransom for sparing the city. These maraud- 
 ing bands swept onwai-d. Striking the Baltimore & Ohio 
 Railroad, they destroyed it for several miles. 
 
 The Union troops had been hurried foi-ward from all 
 points, and were gathered ten thousand strong under Gen- 
 eral Wallace at Monocacy Junction, a few miles from 
 Frederick, Against this small band General Ewell threw 
 his column of 20,000 veterans. The battle that followed 
 was desperate, and hotly contested. The Union troops 
 were driven from the field, falling back upon the defenses 
 of Washington and Baltimore, having suffered severe loss. 
 Consternation and terror seized the inhabitants of these 
 cities. Detachments of the enemy were pushed forward 
 to the outer works surrounding Washington, while others 
 continued their work of destruction, plundering and levymg 
 contributions from the inhabitants. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 »53 
 
 General Augur, who was in command at Washington, 
 hastily summoned the marines, the home guards, invalid 
 soldiers, and even the employes of the government depart- 
 ment, to aid in the defense of the capital. Other forces 
 of rebels swept around to the north of Baltimore, even 
 penetrating to the Philadelphia & Wilmington Railroad, 
 tearing up the track and burning bridges. 
 
 Finding that there was rapidly gathering around them 
 a large body of troops, and conscious that their stay must 
 be short, and that they were ill prepared to fight a des- 
 perate battle, the Confederates commenced their retreat. 
 They had inflicted an immense amount of damage, and 
 filled their wagon trains with supplies that would for a few 
 additional days supply their army; but their main object 
 had miscarried, — the withdrawal of a large force from 
 Grant's army, and a possible raising of the siege of Peters- 
 burg and Richmond. 
 
 General Grant was not misled by this raid. He knew 
 full well that the raid would be only very transient, that the 
 North could easily collect a force sufficiently strong to 
 repel the invaders. Instead of abandoning his operations 
 in front of Petersburg to rush to the defense of the North- 
 ern cities, he quietly withdrew the Sixth Army Corps, 
 sending them on transports — one division to Baltimore 
 and two to Washington, to render these cities secure. The 
 i-aiders retreated on the line of their advance, resting in the 
 Shenandoah Valley. 
 
 So long as this force remained in the valley, just so 
 long would they be a menace to the inhabitants of the 
 States of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Fully realizing 
 this, the Union commander sent the brave Sheridan to 
 drive them from the Valley. After fighting several deS' 
 
'54 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 perate and heroic battles, he almost totally annihilated the 
 Confederate general, capturing all of his baggage, wagon 
 train and cannon at Cedar Creek and Fisher's Hill. With 
 the exception of two or three more skirmishes between cav- 
 alry, there was no more fighting in the Valley, and Sheri- 
 dan and his troops were withdrawn, and rejoined the army 
 before Petersburg. 
 
 Step by step General Grant was advancing nearer to 
 the foe. The Weldon Railroad so coveted by him was 
 still in the rebels' hands. Late in July plans had been 
 matured for another attempt to seize and hold it. Grant's 
 plan was to send secretly a strong force under the gallant 
 and intrepid Sheridan to make an attack on Richmond 
 from the north; when, should Lee withdraw a large force 
 from Petersburg for the defense of the capital. Grant 
 could then strike heavily upon any weak point in the rebel 
 line. On the other hand, should Lee fear to send a foixe 
 for the reinforcement of the entrenchments above Rich- 
 mond, Sheridan would be able to secure very important 
 positions there. 
 
 The Second Corps was detailed to accomplish this diffi- 
 cult undertaking in connection with Sheridan's cavalry 
 force. Crossing the James at Jones' Neck, they pushed 
 rapidly forward to Deep Bottom, within twelve miles of 
 Richmond, where a considerable encampment of rebels 
 were found; they immediately attacked and dispersed them, 
 capturing their cannon and their entrenchments. Lee be- 
 coming alarmed immediately dispatched twenty thousand 
 men and twenty pieces of artillery to repel the assailants. 
 Grant's object having been gained, a furious cannonade was 
 opened upon the rebel lines in front of Petersburg, in prep- 
 aration for a general charge. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. ICC 
 
 For a month or more the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania 
 Regiment, uader command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pleas- 
 ants, had been diligently at work in digging a mine to 
 blow up one of the most formidable forts of the rebels, 
 situated in front of General Burnside's lines. The work 
 was completed on the 23d of July, and charged with four 
 tons of gunpowder on the 25th. Beyond the rebel fort 
 was a crest called Cemetery Hill, which, once in the pos- 
 session of the Union forces, would command the city and 
 adjacent rebel lines, and compel Lee to retreat. 
 
 On the night of the 29th, General Meade issued' 
 instructions for the disposition of the forces and their duty. 
 The eighth and succeeding paragraphs of this order refers 
 to the explosion of this mine, and is as follows : 
 
 " 8. At half-past three (3:30) in the morning of the 30th, Major- 
 General Burnside will spring his mine, and his assaulting columns 
 will immediately move rapidly upon the breach, seize the crest in the 
 rear, and effect a lodgment there. He will be followed by Major- 
 General Ord, who will support him on the right, directing his move- 
 ment to the crest indicated, and by Major-General Warren, who will 
 support him on the left. ! 
 
 " Upon thS explosion of the mine, the artillery of all kinds in 
 battery will open upon those points of the enemy's works whose fire 
 covers the ground over which our columns must move, care being 
 taken to avoid impeding the progress of our troops. Special instruc- 
 tions respecting the direction of fire will be issued through the chief 
 of artillery. 
 
 "9. Corps commanders will report to the commanding general 
 when their preparations are complete, and will advise him of every 
 step in the progress of the operation, and of everything important 
 that occurs. 
 
 " 10. Promptitude, rapidity of execution, and cordial co-operation, 
 are essential to success ; and the commanding General is confident 
 that this indication of his expectations will insure the hearty efforts 
 of the commanders and troops." 
 
156 GENERAL U. S. GRANX's 
 
 At the appointed hour the fuse was lighted, but no ex- 
 plosion followed. Upon investigation it was found that 
 the fuse had gone out at a point where it had been spliced. 
 Lieutenant Douty and Sergeant Henry Reese volunteered 
 to enter the mine. Relighting the fuse, the mine exploded 
 at forty-two minutes past four — just one hour and twelve 
 minutes after the time appointed. 
 
 The explosion was a triumphant success — a crater two 
 hundred feet long, sixty wide and thirty deep had been 
 formed, opening the enemy's line for an assault, and had so 
 paralyzed them that their artillery was silent. An unneces- 
 sary delay of some minutes followed, when the charging 
 column rushed into the gap and there halted and at once 
 commenced to entrench. This delay was fatal. The Con- 
 federates, having recovered from their surprise, o-pened fire 
 upon the crater from every gun that commanded it. The 
 important point to be taken was the crest of Cemetery 
 Hill, four hundred yards beyond. At seven, two hours 
 after his first advance. General Ledlie, who commanded 
 the assaulting column, still halted in the crater, where he 
 had been joined by Generals Wilcox and Potter. Making 
 no attempt to move forward, he prevented the latter from 
 doing so. The three divisions soon became so inter- 
 mixed that general confusion prevailed. An attempt by 
 Potter to take the crest was easily repulsed, as he was 
 unsupported. The crater now became a slaughter pen. 
 The day, which opened so auspiciously for the Union 
 force, had been lost. To longer remain was certain death, 
 to advance was impossible, while it was equally as certain 
 death to attempt a retreat. In this "miserable affair," as 
 Grant termed it, we lost, in killed, wounded and missing, 
 four thousand men, the enemy losing but a thousand 
 
tiFfi AND Services. 157 
 
 In the subsequent examination of this affair by the 
 Committee on the Conduct of the War, they assigned the 
 following as reasons why the attack should have been suc- 
 cessful : 
 
 I. The evident surprise of the enem}' at the time of the explosion 
 of the mine, and for some time after. 
 
 3. The comparatively small force in the enemy's works. 
 
 3. The ineffective fire of the enemy's artillery and musketry, 
 there being scarcely any for about thirty minutes after the explosion, 
 and our artillery being just the reverse as to time and power. 
 
 4. The fact that some of our troops were able to get two hundred 
 yards beyond the crater, toward the crest, but could not remain there 
 or proceed further for want of supports, or because they were not 
 properly formed or led. 
 
 The Committee gave the following as the causes of the 
 failure : 
 
 1. The injudicious formation of the troops in going forward, the 
 movement being mainly by flank instead of extended front. General 
 Meade's order indicated that columns of assault should be employed 
 to take Cemetery Hill, and that proper passages should be prepared 
 for those columns. It is the opinion of tbe court that there were no 
 proper columns of assault. The troops should have been formed in 
 the open ground in front of the point of attack, parallel to the line of 
 the enemy's works. The evidence shows that one or more columns 
 might have passed over at and to the left of the crater, without any 
 previous preparation of the ground. 
 
 2. The halting of the troops in the crater instead of going forward 
 to the crest, when there was no fire of any consequence from the 
 enemy. 
 
 3. No proper employment of engineer officers and working par- 
 ties, and of material and tools for their Use, In the Ninth Corps. 
 
 4. That some parts of the assaulting columns were not properly 
 led. 
 
 5. The want of a competent common head at the scene of the 
 assault, to direct affairs as occurrences should deftiand. 
 
 Had not failure ensued from the above causes, and the crest been 
 
^58 
 
 gained, the success might have been jeopardied by the faiVare to hav« 
 prepared in season proper and adequate debouches through the Ninth 
 Corps' lines for troops, and especially for field artillery, as ordered by 
 Major-General Meade. 
 
 While the repulse was a great disappointment to the 
 army, yet it did not occasion the least shade of despondency 
 in the army or throughout the North. During the follow- 
 ing summer and autumn months the siege was pressed 
 forward. Not a day of idleness was allowed in the trenches. 
 The restless activity and indomitable perseverance of Grant 
 kept them constantly employed in attempts to cut the ene- 
 my's line of communication and diversions upon the north 
 side of the James to threaten Richmond. 
 
 On the 1 2th of August a strong expedition was sent out 
 from Deep Bottom, and with reckless courage stormed the 
 Confederate entrenchments and obtained a strong position 
 within six miles of Richmond. This attack was intended 
 as a feint, to cover a movement of the Union forces in an- 
 other attempt to obtain possession of the Weldon Railroad. 
 
 On the morning of the i8th General Gregg, with his 
 cavalry division, succeeded in striking the railroad six miles 
 south of Petersburg, and succeeded in tearing up the road, 
 pushing his advance within three miles of the city, where 
 he entrenched his forces. The cavalry were strongly 
 reinforced by Warren and his corps, and though Lee made 
 desperate and furious attacks day after day to regain the 
 road, he was repulsed with great slaughter, and the 
 Union forces refused to relinquish their hold. 
 
 The loss of the road would prove a terrible calamity to 
 Lee, not only cutting off his most important line of supplies 
 and recruits, but it foreboded the destruction of his entire 
 army. Concentrating an immense force, gathered from all 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. ICjp 
 
 points of his encampment, Lee massed them in heavy col- 
 umns, concealed by the forest, and on the morning of the 
 2oth rushed upon the Union lines,leaping over breastworks, 
 engaging in a hand to hand fight with the desperation of a 
 " lost cause." The carnage was fearful, the Federals fight- 
 ing as desperately against overpowering numbers. Though 
 their losses were nearly five thousand they held their posi- 
 tion, which was now made perfectly secure, and they had 
 permanently cut off from the Confederates their line of 
 supplies. 
 
 Subsequent operations were pushed to the left from 
 time to time, not without constant and desperate struggle, 
 yet always resulting in the gradual advancement of the 
 Union lines, and on the 5th of February they had reached 
 Hatcher's Run, which was brought into our lines only after a 
 severe struggle. At this point the Boydton plank road 
 crosses; after the capture of the Weldon Road this had be- 
 come very valuable and necessary to the enemy in the 
 transportation of supplies from the Weldon Road at a point 
 several miles below the Union lines. The Confederate 
 defences at Hatcher's Run also covered the Southside Rail- 
 road two miles further west. Thus days and weeks of 
 constant and uninterrupted warfare passed in the several 
 departments of the army without any very decisive results, 
 though in each movement Lee was losing and Grant was 
 gaining. 
 
 On the 4th of September the joyful tidings that Sher- 
 man had captured Atlanta was announced to the army 
 before Petersburg. A salute of a hundred shotted guns 
 was discharged upon the doomed city, which was defiantly 
 answered by fire from every Rebel gun. On the 25th of 
 December Sherman had achieved his triumphant march to 
 
l6o GENERAL, U. S. GRANT's 
 
 the sea, which is more particularly noticed in the following 
 chapter. 
 
 Grant and his army around the Rebel capital was now 
 in winter quarters. His operations were principally of a 
 defensive character. His lines were strengthened, his army 
 recruited, men were furloughed, and the festivities of the 
 camp revived. Sitting in his little wooden hut at City 
 Point, the Union commander was perfecting plans and 
 making preparations for the spring campaign, which was 
 destined to be the death blow to the Confederacy. Already 
 the gloom of despondency had settled upon the South, and 
 the early overthrow of the "Slaveholders' Rebellion" was 
 foreseen. The hero of Vicksburg and Chattanooga had 
 now a firm hand upon the throat of the Rebellion, and not- 
 withstanding its death throes and writhings, he would not 
 relinquish his hold until the monster was strangled. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SHERMAN S MARCH TO THE SEA. 
 
 General Grant's plan of operations at the time of hie 
 assuming command of the armies of the United States em- 
 braced the co-operation, as has been previously stated, of all 
 of the Union forces. The principal co-operating force, 
 and the second army in point of numbers, was the force 
 gathered at Chattanooga, under Major-General W. T. 
 Sherman. This force numbered nearly one hundred thou- 
 sand men, with two 
 hundred and fifty-four 
 guns. Opposed to him 
 was a large army, ful- 
 ly sixty thousand men, 
 under General Joseph 
 E.Johnston, encamped 
 in and about Dalton, 
 Georgia. 
 
 - General Sherman 
 commenced h i s ad- 
 vance movement on 
 May 6th, and by the 
 loth of July, after a 
 most brilliant series of william tecumseh sherman. 
 mancEUvers and fierce fighting at Buzzard's Roost, Snake 
 Gap, Resaca, CassviUe, Dallas, Kenesaw, Pine Hill, and 
 
 (i6i) 
 
l6a GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 Lost Mountain, he had forced his antagonist to fall back 
 beyond the Chattahoochie, and within eight miles of At- 
 lanta. Here Johnston was relieved and General J. B. Hood 
 assumed the command, inaugurating his taking command 
 by a desperate attack on Sherman on the afternoon of the 
 20th. The blow was gallantly received and returned with 
 equal force, and the assailants were driven back within 
 their entrenchments with heavy loss. 
 
 On the 2 2d another attack, led by General Hardee, 
 was made upon the Army of the Tennessee, with McPher- 
 son at its head — a furious battle ensued, in which McPher- 
 son was killed ; for a time the attack of the Confederates 
 threatened the entire wing of the army. Sherman, fully 
 comprehending the importance of checking the advance of 
 tne rebels, reinforced this wing and ordered Logan, who 
 had assumed command of McPherson's Division, to charge 
 the enemy at any cost, which was gallantly accomplished, 
 the Confederates giving way and retiring to their entrench- 
 ments. 
 
 Sherman, the following day, commenced a flank move- 
 ment to his right, capturing the Montgomery and Macon 
 Railroad, compelling Hood, a few days after, to retire from 
 Atlanta. The city being at once occupied by General 
 Slocum, of the Twentieth Corps, Sherman now gave his 
 army a short rest, and set himself to work refitting it, and 
 preparing for his " march to the sea." 
 
 While Sherman was thus occupied. General Hood had 
 broken up his encampment at Florence and Tuscumbia, 
 and abandoned the South which Sherman was now about to 
 invade, by marching northward, he hoped to be able to cut 
 Sherman's lines of communication and compel him to re- 
 turn to Chattanooga. Sherman, amazed at Hood's folly 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 163 
 
 in leaving the South defenceless, wasted no time in follow- 
 ing him or defending the positions in his rear, but assigned 
 to Thomas the protection of Tennessee and to take Hood 
 in hand. The Fourth Corps under Stanley, and the 
 Twenty-third under Schofield, were detached from his 
 army and given to Thomas. Before cutting loose fi-om his 
 base of supplies. General Sherman considered it a military 
 necessity to dismantle and destroy the City of Atlanta — 
 having first removed all citizens from the city, and sent 
 them into the Confederate lines. 
 
 On the 14th of November he began his sublime march 
 southward — a march which has no parallel in history. 
 With his magnificent army he swept across the entire State 
 of Georgia, in a path sixty miles in width and over three 
 hundred in length, destroying everything which could give 
 aid or comfort to the enemy. In this " grand gallop 
 through Georgia " he 
 found no enemy to op. 
 pose him. A force of 
 sixty thousand men were 
 gathered under his ban- 
 ners ; before his advance 
 tho hurriedly-gathered 
 forces of Johnston rap- 
 idly disappeared. The 
 wail of agony of the 
 Confederacy was fierce 
 and bitter. Passing 
 around Savannah, he 
 stormed and captured 
 Fort McAllister, while 
 Beauregard and Hardee were glad to escape from the city. 
 
 W. J. BABSEE. 
 
164 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 Twenty-four days had been occupied in the march, with the 
 loss of but five hundred and sixty-seven men — in killed 
 and wounded. Thirteen hundred and thirty-eight of the 
 Confederate Army had been made prisoners, twenty thou- 
 sand bales of cotton burned, beside twenty-five thousand 
 captured at Savannah. Thirteen thousand head of beef 
 cattle, nearly ten million polinds of corn, and ten million 
 and a half pounds of fodder were taken from the country; 
 five thousand horses and four thousand mules impressed 
 for the cavalry and trains; three hundred and twenty 
 • miles of railroad were destroyed — every tie being burnt 
 and i-ails twisted by the heat; also every depot, engine- 
 house, repair tank, water tank, and turn-table. Only by 
 this seemingly harsh method could the Confederate Army 
 of Virginia be eiFectually severed from that in the West. 
 The Union General felt that the hour for temporizing had 
 passed, and that only by such direful blows could the Re- 
 bellion be brought to an end. While this waste and 
 destruction was going on the discipline of the army was 
 well maintained. 
 
 From the time Sherman left Atlanta until its arrival 
 before Savannah, not a word of intelligence respecting his 
 advance was received by our Government, except through 
 rebel sources. On the 25th day of December, President 
 Lincoln received the following telegram from General 
 Sherman: 
 
 " I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the City of Savannah, 
 with a hundred and fiftj heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and 
 also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton." 
 
 To this President Lincoln immediately replied: 
 
 " My Dear General Sherman, — Many, many thanks for your 
 Christmas gift, — the capture of Savannah. When you were about to 
 leave Atlanta for the Atlantic, I was aiixiouSji£ not fearful; but feel- 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 
 
 155 
 
 ing that you ^rere the better judge, and remembering that ' nothing 
 rislced, nothing gained,' I did not interfere. Now, this undertaking 
 being a success, the honor is all yours ; for I believe that none of us 
 ■went further t.ian to acquiesce. And taking the work of General 
 Thomas into the count, as it should be taken, it is indeed a great 
 success. 
 
 " Not only does it afford the obvious and immediate military advan- 
 tages, but in showing to the world that your army could be divided, 
 putting the stronger part to an important new service, and yet leaving 
 enough to vanquish the old opposing forces of the whole, — Hood's 
 army, — it brings those who sat in darkness to see a great light. 
 
 " But what next.' I suppose it will be safe, if I leave General 
 Grant and yourself to decide. Please make my grateful acknowl- 
 edgements to your whole army, — officers and men. 
 
 " Yours very truly, 
 
 " A. Lincoln." 
 During Sherman's march to the sea, Hood in his 
 march North moved rapidly into Tennessee, crossing the 
 Tennessee River at Florence. At this time Thomas' effec- 
 tive force under Schofield was only about thirty thousand 
 
 men. At different 
 points holding impor- 
 tant posts, he had also 
 twenty or more thou- 
 sand men, while 
 Hood, who had just 
 been reinforced by 
 General Taylor's 
 army from Mobile, 
 now had about fifty- 
 five thousand. 
 
 On November 17, 
 General Hood ad- 
 vanced in two col- 
 umns toward Nashville. Thomas had resolved to keep as 
 
l66 GENERAL U. g. 
 
 strong a force as possible in front of the rebel advance, fall- 
 ing slowly back upon Nashville, — carefully avoiding a 
 battle until he felt sufficiently strengthened to vsrarrant a 
 success in a conflict. Hood now advanced rapidly, and it 
 became necessary for Thomas to fight a battle at Franklin, 
 in order to get his trains across the Big Harpeth River, 
 and into Nashville. The battle of Franklin was gallantly 
 fought by Schofield, on the 30th of November, who had 
 but eighteen thousand men to confront the entire force of 
 Hood. The rebels charging with the greatest impetuosity 
 in columns four deep, notwithstanding they were met by 
 a fearful fire of artillery and musketry, were able to hurl 
 back the advance Union line in utter confusion upon the 
 main line,— pressing on, the victors, after a most desperate 
 struggle, forced their way within the second line, planting 
 their flag upon the National entrenchments. All seemed 
 lost, when General Opdyke's brigade, with General Con- 
 rads in support, charged upon the victorious Confederates. 
 Swiftly, steadily and irresistibly they bore back the rebel 
 line, driving them with fearful slaughter, recapturing the 
 works and guns, and restoring the Union line, — from 
 which they were not again driven, although Hood again 
 and again hurled his columns against it, only desisting at 
 nearly midnight. Sorely disappointed and chagrined, he 
 gave up the contest, having lost heavily, among which 
 were thirteen general officers and over six thousand men. 
 The Federals lost twenty-three hundred, Schofield having 
 nccomplished his purpose, and secured the trains, he fell 
 back during the night. Of this battle General Grant says 
 as follows : 
 
 "This was the first serious opposition the enemy met with, and 1 
 am satisfied, was the fatal blow to all his expectations. During the 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 169 
 
 night General Schofield fell back toward Nashville ; this left the field 
 to the enemy,— not lost by battle, but voluntarily abandoned, so that 
 General Thomas' whole force might be brought together." 
 
 Hood pressed forward to Nashville, and by December 
 had drawn his lines around the city. Skirmishes were 
 now of daily occurrence, principally by the cavalry force 
 of the contending armies. By the 14th Thomas was 
 ready to take the offensive, and gave orders accordingly. 
 During the following two days he fought a continuous 
 battle, breaking through the rebel lines, defeating and 
 routing him, — capturing four thousand, four hundred and 
 sixty-two prisoners, nearly all of his artillery, and drove 
 him southward, a disorganized mass of stragglers rather 
 than an army, its spirit broken beyond hope of recovery. 
 Hood had entered Tennessee with a well-organized army 
 of fifty-five thousand men, full of enthusiasm, confident of 
 victory. He left it with half that number, intent only 
 in saving themselves from becoming prisoners of war. 
 Thomas pursued the rebel forces as rapidly as he could 
 rebuild bridges destroyed by the retreating foe. On the 
 30th of December he announced the campaign ended, 
 and distributed his troops in winter cantonments. 
 
 General Grant, who at one time was greatly concerned 
 at the bold advance of Hood and the seemingly dilatory 
 movements of Thomas, has presented his views and the 
 great pleasure which he felt at the result, in these words : 
 
 " Before the battle of Nashville, I grew very impatient over, as 
 it appeai-ed to me, the unnecessary delay. This impatience was 
 increased upon learning that the enemy had sent a force of cavalry 
 across the Cumberland into Kentucky. I feared Hood would cross 
 his whole army, and give us great trouble there. After urging upon 
 Genera) Thomas the necessity of immediately assuming the offen- 
 sive, I started West to superintend matters there in person. Reach. 
 
l65 • GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 ing Washington City, I received General Thomas' dispatch announc- 
 ing his attack upon the enemy, and the result, as far as the battle had 
 progressed. I was delighted. All my fears and apprehensions were 
 dispelled. I am not yet satisfied but that General Thomas, imme- 
 aiately upon the appearance of Hood before Nashville, and before he 
 had time to fortify, should have moved out with his whole force and 
 given him battle, instead of waiting to remount his cavalry, which 
 delayed him until the inclemency of the weather made it impractica- 
 ble to attack earlier than he did. But his final defeat of Hood was so 
 complete, that it will be accepted as a vindication of that distinguished 
 oflScer's judgment." 
 
 Thomas had been more than vindicated, and it had con- 
 firmed him in the good opinion of his superiors and the 
 army at large, as a cool, determined and far-seeing gen- 
 eral. For this achievement he was appointed Major-Gen- 
 eral in the regular army, to date from the 15th day of 
 December, the date of his victory at Nashville. 
 
 Thus closed the year 1864. At every point the armies 
 of the Union had been victorious, " everywhere the rebel- 
 lion was reeling and staggering beneath the blows which 
 were dealt it," 
 
LIFP 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE FINAL VICTORY. 
 
 The fourth year of the war was now entered upon. 
 The final overthrow of the Rebellion was near at hand. 
 It was evident, not only to the North and foreign powers, 
 but the South, also, that their affairs were hopeless, and 
 that a prolongation of the conflict could only prolong the 
 reign of misery and death. Throughout the entire North 
 there was a desire for peace, and a willingness to concede 
 almost any terms consistent with national honor and terri- 
 torial integrity. 
 
 President Lincoln, during the latter part of the winter 
 of 1864-5, visited ^^^ army in front of Petersburg, and for 
 tlie first time witnessed war in all of its horrors. His hu- 
 inane nature was deeply stirred by the revolting spectacle. 
 Headley, in his "Sherman and His Campaign," in speak- 
 ing of this visit, says: 
 
 " He walked over ground covered with bodies of the slain, more 
 
 numerous than he could count or cared to count, He saw living men 
 
 with broken heads and mangled forms, and heard the hopeless groans 
 
 and piteous wails of the dying whom no human hand could save. He 
 
 witnessed the bloody work of the surgeons, — those carpenters and 
 
 joiners of human frames, — and saw amputated legs and arms piled 
 
 up in heaps, to be carted away like the oflal of a slaughter-house ; and 
 
 he turned from the horrid sight, exclaiming, 'This is war, horrid 
 
 ■war the tratle of barbarians.' Appealing to his principal officers, he 
 
 inquired, ' Gentlemen, is there no way by which we can put a stop 
 
 to this fighting ? ' " 
 
 (169) 
 
lyo 
 
 GENERAL U. S. Gh\.-t5T'^ | 
 
 The Rebel Government had madl/" resolved to over- 
 throw free institutions, and they refused "-o listen to any 
 terms whatever which would tend to a reconstruction of 
 the Union divested of slavery and State rights doctrines. 
 To the Nationals, nothing was left but to strike, with all 
 their strength, tlie final blows. The stirring events which 
 followed, and the magnificent combinations which were 
 brought to a triumphant conclusion, if told in detail, would 
 
 STATE HOUSE, MONTGOMERY. 
 
 require another volume. Suffice it to say, that in March, 
 1865, General Canby was advancing from New Orleans 
 against Mobile, to co-operate with Admiral Farragut ; after 
 a hard-fought and desperately contested battle at Blakely, 
 the city surrendered on the morning of April 13. 
 
 General J. H. Wilson, with a cavalry expedition of fif- 
 teen thousand men, was sent out from Thomas' command 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I^^l 
 
 in Middle Tennessee, to co-operate with General Canby, 
 in the reduction of Mobile. Sweeping over the region 
 watered by the Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers, 
 they captured Selma after a hard fight with Forest's Cav- 
 alry and Taylor's Infantry, capturing many prisoners and 
 guns, and destroying all public property, stores and cotton ; 
 moving rapidly to Montgomery, he entered it unopposed 
 on the morning of April 1 2. The Rebel Commander 
 Adams, not waiting for his arrival, had set fire to ninety -five 
 thousand bales of cotton before he fled. The "original " 
 capital of the Confederacy was now in the hands of the 
 Federals, and the "Stars and Stripes" were unfurled in tri- 
 umph over the State House where, four years previous, the 
 first Confederate flag was given to the breeze, upon its 
 adoption as the ensign of the Confederacy by the " Provis- 
 ional Government," at Montgomery, March 4, 1 86 1 . Stop- 
 ping two days only at Montgomery, his columns swept 
 eastward across the State into Georgia, capturing Colum- 
 bus, and West Point, reaching Macon on the 20th. Here 
 he was informed of the surrender of Lee to Grant, and at 
 once suspended hostile operations in accordance with an 
 arrangement between Sherman and Johnston, which is 
 mentioned later on. During the raid Wilson captured five 
 fortified cities, two hundred and eighty-eight pieces of artil- 
 lery, six thousand eight hundred and twenty prisoners, and 
 destroyed a vast amount of property. He lost seven hun- 
 dred and twenty-five men, ninety-nine of whom were 
 killed. 
 
 General Stoneman was sent from East Tennessee with 
 a cavalry force into North Carolina, to destroy railroads 
 and military resources, and release the starving Union sol- 
 
173 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 diers at Salisbury, North CaroHna, ap^ of wliich was gal- 
 lantly accomplished. "•'' 
 
 General Hancock had been sent to Winchester to guard 
 against a Rebel raid north, through the Shenandoah Val- 
 ley, or to make an advance south, as might be expedient. 
 General Sheridan had attacked and badly used up General 
 Early, at Waynesborough, capturing one thousand, six 
 hundred prisoners, eleven guns, seventeen stand of colors, 
 and two hundred loaded wagons. 
 
 General Terry captured Fort Fisher at the entrance of 
 Cape Fear River, January 15, 1865, opening the port of 
 Wilmington to the Union forces, and compelling its aban- 
 donment by the Rebels. Fort Fisher had previously gal- 
 lantly resisted a combined naval and army attack under 
 General Butler and Admiral Porter. This capture did not 
 attract much attention in the North at the time, owing 
 partly to the fact that there were other more moment- 
 ous operations of the army that engrossed public attention. 
 Alexander H. Stephens, in speaking of its importance to 
 the South, in his history, says : " The closing of the port 
 of Wilmington (the result of that capture) was the. com- 
 plete shutting out of the Confederate States from all inter- 
 course by sea with foreign countries. The respiratory 
 functions of external trade, so essential to the vitality of all 
 communities, had been performed for the whole Confed- 
 eracy, mainly, for three years, through the small aperture 
 of the little port, choked to wheezing, as it was, by a cor- 
 don of armed ships drawn around its neck." 
 
 General Sherman commenced his northward march 
 from Savannah with an army of sixty thousand men, mov- 
 ing in four parallel columns, several miles apart, the troops 
 mainly subsisting on the country through which they 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 1 73 
 
 passed. All public property that could aid the Rebellion 
 was destroyed. All railroads, depots, mills, foundries, fac- 
 tories, arsenals, and machine-shops, were laid in ruins. The 
 triumphant Union forces pressed forward — sweeping away 
 all opposition — Charleston was evacuated ; Columbia, the 
 capital of South Carolina, captured and burned. On April 
 13th, Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, was 
 occupied. 
 
 At Goldsboro', North Carolina, General Johnston had 
 collected in great strength, hoping to overwhelm General 
 Sherman. General Schofield, with a large force, was sent 
 by way of Newberne to advance to the aid of and join 
 Sherman; this was accomplished, though not without a 
 stubborn resistance from the Confederates — the forces of 
 Sherman and Schofield meeting at Goldsboro on March 
 23d and 24th. Feeling that his army was secure. General 
 Sherman made a brief visit to City Point, where he met 
 General Grant, President Lincoln, and other officers. He 
 returned to Goldsboro on the 30th. Mr. Coffin, who was 
 an eye-witness, has thus described this interesting confer- 
 ence: 
 
 " I was sitting in tlie office of General Grant's adjutant-general, on 
 the morning of the 28th of March, and saw President Lincoln, with 
 Generals Grant, Sherman, Meade, and Sheridan, coming up the walk. 
 Look at the men whose names are to have a conspicuous place in the 
 annals of America: Lincoln, — tall, roimd-shoulderetji loose- jointed, 
 large-featured, deep-eyed, with a smile upon his face ; he is dressed in 
 black, and wears a fashionable silk hat. Grant is at Lincoln's right, 
 shorter, stouter, more compact; weai-s a military hat, with a stiff 
 broad brim ; has his hands in his pantaloons pocket, and is puffing 
 away at a cigar, while listening to Sherman. Sherman, — tall, with 
 high, commanding forehead ; is almost as loosely built as Lincoln; 
 has sandy whiskers, closely cropped, and sharp, twinkling eyes, long 
 arms and legs, shabby coat, slouch hat, his pants tucked into his 
 
174 GEXERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 boots. He is talking hurriedly, gesticulating now to Lincoln, now to 
 Grant, his eyes wandering everywhere. Meade, — also tall, with thin, 
 sharp features, a gray beard, and spectacles ; is a little stooping in his 
 gait. Sheridan, — the shortest of all, quick and energetic in all his 
 movements, with a face bronzed by sun and wind; courteous, 
 aftable, a thorough soldier. The plan of the lieutenant-general was 
 then made known to his subordinates, and all departed, during the 
 day, to carry into execution the respective parts assigned them." 
 
 Lee was at this time in a perilous position ; there was 
 now no hope for the preservation of his army from starva- 
 tion or capture — all line of supplies had been destroyed by 
 the ever-moving and resistless columns of Grant. But one 
 ray of light penetrated the gloom that surrounded him. If 
 he could break through the Union lines and form a junction 
 v/ith Johnston in North Carolina, he might be able to re- 
 vive, or at least prolong the life of the Confederacy. He 
 was well aware that the attempt was a perilous one — but it 
 seemed to him the least of two evils, and he chose it. 
 
 Grant, ever watchful, at once detected this intended 
 movement of Lee, and on the 24th of March issued orders 
 for a general movement on the 29th. On the 25th Gen- 
 eral Lee made a bold attack on Fort Steadman, a strong 
 point situated in front of the Ninth Corps, distant not more 
 than one hundred yards from the Rebel entrenchments. 
 
 Two divisions of the enemy made a bold rush upon 
 the fort; the surprise was complete, and in a few moments, 
 in the hands of the Rebels, twenty thousand men stood 
 ready to support this attack — but from some unexplained 
 reason, this supporting column did not advance immedi- 
 ately. The Union forces soon rallieo-, every available 
 piece of artillery was opened upon the fort, and the result 
 was the capture of two thousand, seven hundred prisoners. 
 Lee had withdrawn the attacking force from the left of his 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 1^5 
 
 line. Grant ordered an immediate advance of tlie Second 
 and Sixth Corps on Lee's weakened front; the attack was 
 gallantly made, and the strongly entrenched picket was 
 carried and permanently held, notwithstanding the des- 
 perate efforts of the enemy to retake it. The dash of 
 Lee upon Fort Steadman did not change General Grant's 
 plans for an advance on the 39th. 
 
 On Friday, the last day of March, the Fifth and Sec- 
 ond Corps crossed Hatcher's Run ; both faced north and 
 advanced on the enemy's right. Sheridan, with a large 
 force, had passed around Lee's right and was at Dinwiddle 
 Court House— -several miles to the lefl of the infantry, 
 where he bivouacked on the night of the 29th. General 
 Grant sent him the following dispatch : 
 
 " I now feel like ending the matter, if it is possible to do so, be- 
 fore going back. I do not want you, therefore, to cut loose, and go 
 after the enemy's roads at present. In the morning push around the 
 enemy if you can, and get on to his right rear. The movements of 
 the enemy's cavalry may, of course, modify your action. We will 
 act all together as one army here until it is seen what can be done 
 with the enemy. The signal-officer at Cobb's Hill reported at ha!f 
 past eleven, A. m., that a cavalry column had passed that point from 
 Richmond toward Petersburg, taking forty minutes to pass. 
 
 U. S. Grant, Lteuienant-GenercU, 
 
 Major-General p. H. Sheridan. 
 
 The 30th the rain fell in such torrents as to make an 
 advance movement impossible. On the 31st Sheridan was 
 at Five Forks, on the Southside Railroad. This was the 
 key to the whole Rebel line. Here tlie enemy .appeared 
 in strong force. Dismounting his cavalry, Sheridan repulsed 
 their advance with great slaughter. During the night he 
 was reinforced by the Second Corps, and at daylight the 
 battle was renewed. The troops moved into battle mag- 
 
176 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 nificently ; the enemy were pressed steadily back to then 
 works, when the infantry charging in flank and rear 
 rushed over the entrenchments with a force that was irre- 
 sistible. The Rebels fled toward the west, but were 
 charged and pursued with unsparing vigor until long after 
 the shades of night had settled upon the scene. In the 
 severe battle of Five Forks the Rebels had lost six thou- 
 sand prisoners, and all their artillery. 
 
 On the following day, Grant ordered an advance along 
 the entire Union line. With fearful power he hurled his 
 army against the Rebel entrenchments — the battle, raging 
 
 CAPITOL AT KICHMOND. 
 
 with great determination on the one side, and stubborn re- 
 sistance on the other. On the 3d, Lee's line was broken at 
 all points, and the following morning Richmond and Pe- 
 tersburg were hastily evacuated, and the Union forces took 
 possession. The warehouses of the Confederate capital 
 were fired by the retreating army, and the better part pf 
 the city was destroyed. 
 
tIFE AND SERVICES. J^y 
 
 The strife lasted but a few days longer. General Lee 
 retreated as fast as possible up the north bank of the Ap- 
 pomattox, and Grant followed on the south side. Lee was 
 pressing forward to reach Burkesville, confident that by so 
 doing he could make a successful retreat and a prolonged 
 campaign. Grant hotly pursued him, and by the 4th had 
 gained a commanding position half way between Burkes- 
 ville and Amelia Court House — thus effectually preventing 
 a retreat in that direction. The Confederate Army was 
 now at Grant's mercy — it could not escape. 
 
 General Lee now turned to escape by way of Lynch- 
 burg, and reach the mountains beyond. At Sailor's Creek 
 a severe battle was fought between Ewell and Sheridan, 
 supported by the Sixth Corps, resulting in the overwhelm- 
 ing defeat and capture of the former, with six thousand 
 men. 
 
 On the 7th, General Grant, anxious to save further 
 effusion of blood, addressed the following dispatch to Lee: 
 
 "April 7, 1865. 
 
 "General: — ^The result of the last week must convince you of 
 the hopelessness of fiu-ther resistance on the part of the Army of 
 Northern Virginia In this struggle. I feel that it is so, and I 
 regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any 
 further efiusion of blood by asking of you the surrender of that 
 portion of the Confederate-States army known' as the * Army of 
 Northern Virginia.' 
 
 "U. S. Grant, Lieuienant-General. 
 
 "Gen. R. E. Lee." 
 
 The next morning, before leaving his headquarters, he 
 received the following reply: 
 
 "April 7, 1865. 
 
 "General: — 1 have received your note of this date. Though 
 not entertaining the opinion you express on the hopelessness of 
 further'resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I 
 
178 
 
 reciprocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therft 
 fore, before considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offei 
 on condition of its surrender. 
 
 " R. E. Lee, General. 
 " Likut.-Gen. U. S. Grant." 
 
 General Grant at once forwarded the following reply : 
 
 « April 8, 1865. 
 
 " General: — Your note o£ last evening, in reply to mine of same 
 date, asking the condition on which I will accept the surrender of the 
 Army of Northern Virginia, is just received. In reply, I would say 
 that, feace being my great desire, there is but one condition I would 
 insist upon ; namely, that the men and officers surrendered shall be 
 disqualified for taking up arms again against the government of the 
 United States until properly exchanged. I will meet you, or will 
 designate officers to meet any officers you may name for the same 
 purpose, at any point agreeable to you, for the purpose of arranging 
 definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the army of 
 Northern Virginia will be received. 
 
 " U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General. 
 
 " Gkn. R. E. Lee.** 
 
 Sheridan had secured a strong position at Appomattox 
 Station, where he captured four heavily-laden trains for 
 Lee's army. He pushed on toward Appomattox Court- 
 house, striking Lee's advance, capturing twenty-five guns, 
 a hospital train, wagons, and many prisoners. He was 
 now directly across the line of Lee's retreat, and was 
 strongly supported by infantry. The Union lines were 
 prepared, and the order was about to be given, to charge 
 the Confederates, when a horseman was seen advancing 
 from the enemy's lines bearing a white flag, asking for a 
 truce until a surrender could be completed. 
 
 At two o'clock in the afternoon of Palm Sunday, April 
 9, 1865, the two generals met each other in the parlor of 
 Wilmer McLean's residence, at Appomattox Court House. 
 
tIFE AND SERVICES. fyg 
 
 The'two officers shook hands courteously, and engaged 
 in conversation. It was agreed that the Union commander 
 should put his proposition in the form of a letter, to which 
 
 MCLEAN'S HOUSE, WHEEE LEE SUREENDEEED. 
 
 General Lee would return a formal answer. Grant imme- 
 diately drew up the following memorandum: 
 
 " Appomattox Court House, Va., April 9, 1865. 
 " General : — In accordance with the substance of my letter to you 
 of the 8th inst., I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of 
 Northern Virginia on the following terms, to-wit: Rolls of all the 
 officers and men to be made in duplicate ; one copy to be given to an 
 officer to be designated by me, the other to be retained by such other 
 officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their 
 individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the 
 United States until properly exchanged ; and each company or regi- 
 mental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their com- 
 mands. The arms, artillery, and public property, to be packed, and 
 
l8o GENERAL U. S. GRANt'S 
 
 stacked, and turned over to the ofBcers appointed by me to receive 
 them. This vifill not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their 
 private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be 
 allowed to return to his home, not to be disturbed by United States 
 authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force 
 where they reside. 
 
 "V. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General.^' 
 
 To this memorandum General Lee responded as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 " Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, ) 
 
 April 9, 1865. . (■ 
 
 . "General: — I received your letter of this date, containing the 
 terms of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, as proposed 
 by you. As they are substantially the same as those expressed in 
 your letter of the 8th inst., they are accepted. I will proceed to 
 designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect. 
 
 "R. E. Lee, General 
 
 No pen pan describe the exultation of the men of both 
 armies. For miles the hills and forests rang with the loud 
 acclamations. Grant at once issued twenty thousand rations 
 to the starving Confederates, and as fast as paroled they 
 were furnished food and transportation to their homes by 
 the government they had sought to destroy. 
 
 Johnston was in a hopeless condition in North Carolina. 
 With Sherman and Schofield in his front and the victorious 
 army of Grant in his rear, he could be instantly crushed 
 beneath the Union forces. On April 14 he asked for a 
 cessation of hostilities, preparatory to surrender. General 
 Sherman accepted terms that were rejected by the Gov- 
 ernment, and Grant proceeded to Raleigh with full power 
 to act in the premises. Arriving on the 24th, he acquainted 
 Sherman with the views of the Government. Sherman at 
 once communicated with Johnston, and the second day after 
 Grant's arrival Johnston surrendered to Sherman on the 
 same terms which were accorded to General Lee by Gen- 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. l8l 
 
 eral Grant. On the 28th General Grant returned to his 
 headquarters at Washington. 
 
 General Kirby Smith, who commanded 
 the Rebel forces west of the Mississippi, 
 surrendered his entire force to Major-Gen- 
 eral Canby on May 26. Thus the last 
 Rebel band surrendered or dispersed to 
 their homes, and the war was terminated. 
 The number of Confederate prisoners sur- 
 rendered was 174,223; the number of pris- 
 oners in the hands of the Federal army was confederate Flag. 
 98,802. The whole Union force under command of Gen- 
 eral Grant was 1,000,516. 
 
 The Rebel President Davis at the time of the fall of 
 Richmond, fled, with other members of the government, 
 to Danville ; thence, accompanied by a small cavalry force, 
 he endeavered to escape to some Southern seaport, and 
 take ship for foreign lands. He was caught at Irwinsville 
 in Georgia, on the morning of May 10. 
 
 On the 22d and 23d of May, the Union armies were 
 reviewed at Washington by the President of the United 
 States and his Cabinet and the Lieutenant- General. The 
 splendid pageant was witnessed by the members of the 
 diplomatic corps, and by numbers of citizens from all parts 
 of the Union, who had assembled to unite in this ovation 
 to the volunteer soldiers of the Republic. 
 
 On the 2d of June General Grant took leave of all 
 of the armies which had been so long guided by his 
 genius. This address will be found in the Appendices to 
 this volume. 
 
 The Civil War had ended. The Commanding 
 General advised the reduction of the great armies, — a 
 
l82 GENERAL U. S. GKANX'S 
 
 work which was at once begun, and more fully noted in 
 the succeeding chapter. 
 
 We cannot better close this record of General Grant 
 than by quoting from the author of " Grant and his Cam- 
 paigns," who says : 
 
 " Of General Grant's talents and character it is unnecessary to 
 add a single word. Sagacious, brave, skillful. Ills strongest elemei.t 
 subsidizing all the rest, is that tenacity of purpose, that iron will 
 which was the characteristic of Wellington, and which won the 
 Waterloo of the Great Rebellion. 
 
 "Closely connected with this is his moral courage. He dares to 
 do right, without respect of persons or opinions. His reports are 
 full of clear criticisms of his generals. Courteous and kind, he 
 never regards private feelings where great public interests are at 
 stake. 
 
 "Joined to these qualities is a modesty which displays itself in an 
 unostentatious demeanor, and in great reticence at all times. 
 
 " He is an admirable judge of men. In this he is like the great 
 Emperor. Grant's generals have been judiciously chosen, each for 
 his specific work, — Sherman for Atlanta, Thomas lor Nashville, 
 Sheridan for the' Shenandoah and Five Forks, Meade for the Army 
 of the Potomac. And when they did well, no spice of envy ever 
 kept him from rejoicing in their success, and awarding them the 
 highest praise." 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE WORKS OF PEACE. 
 
 The most tragic event of the war occurred a few days 
 subsequent to the surrender of Lee, and on the night of 
 the very day that Johnston asked Sherman for an armis- 
 tice. This event caused the profoundest grief throughout 
 the whole country and the nations of the world, — the 
 cowardly assassination of President Lincoln. On the night 
 of April 14 he was shot by J. Wilkes Booth, while 
 attending a theatrical entertainment at Ford's Theatre, 
 Washington, — dying before morning. Secretary of State 
 Seward narrowly escaped being killed by a co-conspirator. 
 The shock w^as terrible, and the loss incomparable. 
 
 General Grant was at the time in Washington, and it 
 had been announced that he would attend the theatre in 
 company with the President; but he was unavoidably 
 detained, and was absent at the time. In the trial of the 
 conspirators it was shown in evidence that it was the 
 intention to have murdered Genei-al Grant at the same 
 time and place. 
 
 Gilbert, in his « History of the World," says of the 
 loss of President Lincoln: " A great statesman, one who 
 would have harmonized the nation, and restored the reign 
 of law at the South satisfactorily to both sections — gave 
 place to a politician singularly unsuited to the great task 
 in hand. The passions of the war had not had time to 
 
184 
 
 cool when that assassination occurred ; but it was evident 
 that the South sincerely deprecated the great crime." 
 Ridpath, in his "History," says: "So ended in darkness, 
 but not in shame, the career of Abraham Lincoln. He 
 was one of the most remarkable men of any age or country 
 — a man in whom the qualities of genius and common 
 sense were strangely mingled. He was prudent, far- 
 sighted and resolute; thoughtful, calm and just; patient, 
 tender-hearted and great. The manner of his death con- 
 secrated his memory. From city to city, in one vast fun- 
 eral procession, the mourning people followed his remains 
 to their last resting-place at Springfield. From all nations 
 rose the voice of sympathy and shame — sympathy for his 
 death, shame for the dark crime that caused it." 
 
 General Grant, now addressed himself with great 
 energy to the works of peace. By the 2 2d of August 
 he had succeeded in muste'ring out of the army 719,338, 
 and by November 15 there had been returned to their 
 homes 800,963 men. This was rapidly followed every 
 month, until 1,023,021 had been discharged. 
 
 Nothing in all the history of the Republic was more 
 creditable than the good behavior of the soldiers after dis- 
 bandment. More than a million men were released from 
 the discipline of military duty and remanded to the walks 
 of civil life. Though long accustomed to the camp 
 and field, "they resumed the duties of peace in a quiet, 
 orderly manner, absorbed into the general mass of the 
 population, without any of the horrors usually attending 
 in such cases in other lands. 
 
 The records of the War Department show that by 
 November 15, 1865, there had been sold horses and 
 mules to the value of $15,269,000, barracks and hospitals 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 185 
 
 $447,873; damaged clothing yielded $902,770. Military 
 railroads, 2,630 miles, 6,695 cars, 433 locomotives trans- 
 ferred to proper authorities, and railroad equipments were 
 sold, amounting to $10,910,812. , 
 
 The whole number of men enlisted at different times 
 during the war was 2,688,522. Of these, 56,000 were 
 killed in battle; 210,400 died of wounds and disease in tlie 
 military hospitals, and 80,000 died after discharge, from 
 disease contracted during service; making a total loss of 
 about 300,000 men. About 200,000 were crippled or per- 
 manently disabled. Of colored troops, 180,000 enlisted 
 and 30,000 died. More than $300,000,000 was paid in 
 bounties, and by States, towns and cities, for the support of 
 the families of the soldiers. 
 
 The records of the medical department of the army 
 give the number treated as 5,825,000, including field and 
 hospital both. Of these the fatal cases were 166,623. 
 The wounded were 273,175, of which 33,777 died. 
 
 A further investigation of the Records of the War 
 Department show that, during the struggle, 220,000 Con- 
 federate soldiers were captured, of whom 26,436 died of 
 wounds or disease during their captivity; while of 126,940 
 Union soldiers captured, 22,756 died while prisoners. 
 This shows that but 1 1 per cent, of the Confederate pris- 
 oners died in the hands of the government, while 1 7.6 per 
 cent. Union prisoners died in the hands of the Confederates. 
 Extensive and complete arrangements for the care of 
 the sick and wounded, had been made by the Government. 
 At the close of the war, there were no less than 204 gene, 
 ral hospitals, fully equipped, having a capacity of 136,894 
 beds; besides these, there were numerous temporary and 
 flying hospitals, in camps, or on vessels. 
 
iS6 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 The low rate of mortality in the Union army was due to 
 several causes, prominent among which was theemployment 
 of competent surgeons, a bountiful provision in all hospitals 
 to every necessity; and, perhaps, the most creditable fea- 
 ture of the entire period of conflict, was the beneficent pro- 
 vision made during th^ 
 war by the United 
 States Sanitary Com- 
 mission, and the Chris- 
 tian Commission, and 
 the untiring labors of 
 women everywhere. 
 The vSanitary Commis- 
 sion disbursed $14,600,- 
 000 in money and sup- 
 plies; and the Christian 
 Commission is believed 
 to have expended not 
 less than $6,000,000 in 
 the same way, the only henry w. bellows, d. d., founder 
 difference being that "• s- sanitary commission. 
 
 the latter Commission looked after the religious and liter- 
 ary wants of the soldiers as well as to their physical 
 requirements. 
 
 General Grant, during the summer and fall of 1S65, 
 made tours of pleasure and inspection through the North, 
 continuing them to the West and South. He was every- 
 where received with the greatest enthusiasm. Harvard Col- 
 lege made him a Doctor of Laws. To enumerate the 
 gifts and honors showered upon him would require a vol- 
 ume in itself. The adulation of his countrymen did not 
 change him from the quiet, unpretending, steady man who 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 187 
 
 had ever exhibited the same calm and unexcited exterior. 
 
 In July, Congress 
 created the grade of 
 "General of the Army 
 of the United States," 
 and General Grant was 
 nominated and immedi- 
 ately confirmed for the 
 position on the 25th of 
 July, 1866. 
 
 The South was un- 
 dergoing the convulsions 
 incident to the close of a 
 great civil war, an entire 
 re-organization of soci- 
 ety, and a change in the 
 relations of master and slave. The disbanded officers and 
 soldiers of the rebel armies had returned to the South, and 
 sought to resume their former influence on political 
 questions, a condition of affairs as stated by General 
 Sheridan to be "anomalous, singular and unsatisfactory." 
 To add to these complications and embarrassments, about 
 this time a serious disagreement arose between President 
 Johnson and Congress, touching the great question of re- 
 organizing the Southern States, the former holding th;it 
 the ordinances of secession were, in their very nature, nuil 
 and void, and therefore, the seceded States had never been 
 out of the Union; while the majority in Congress held 
 that the acts of secession were illegal and unconstitutional, 
 but, that these States had been, by these acts, actually de- 
 tached from the Union, and that special legislation, and 
 
 w 
 
 ^ 
 
 VINCENT COLYER, CHAIRMAN U. S. 
 CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 
 
l88 GENERAL. U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 special guarantees were necessary in order to restore tliem 
 to their former relations under the government. 
 
 President Jolinson began, early in the summer, meas- 
 ures of reconstruction in accordance with his own views, 
 while the National Congress pursued its own policy in 
 regard to the reconstruction of the South. The attitude 
 of the executive and legislative department became con- 
 stantly more unfriendly. Mr. Stanton, then Secretary of 
 War, did not coincide with the President in his views upon 
 the question of reconstruction in the Southern States, and 
 became peculiarly obnoxious to Johnson. President John- 
 son determined to remove Stanton from the office of Secre- 
 tary of War, and appoint General Grant as Secretary ad 
 interim. 
 
 General Grant remonstrated with the President against 
 the proceeding, but Johnson was not to be influenced, and 
 the next day sent Grant a letter directing him to act as Sec- 
 retary of War ad interim. It is not our purpose to write a 
 history of the differences between President Johnson and 
 Congress on the question of reconstruction in the rebel- 
 lious States, except so far as the action of General Grant is 
 concerned. 
 
 General Grant addressed a letter to Mr. Stanton as 
 soon as he received the jiotification that he was to super- 
 sede that gentleman, which expressed in strong terms his 
 high sense of the valuable services rendered by him to the 
 country, and to the army. 
 
 On the 17th of August President Johnson requested 
 General Grant to remove from command at New Orleans 
 General Sheridan, who had by a faithful carrying out of 
 the laws in the States of Louisiana and Texas, made him- 
 self offensive tp the rebel element. He at the same time 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 189 
 
 requested Grant to make any suggestions in regard to the 
 order. Grant unhesitatingly replied: 
 
 " I am pleased to avail myself of this Invitation to urge, earnestly 
 urge, urge in the name of a patriotic people who have sacriiiced 
 hundreds of thousands of loyal lives and thousands of millions of 
 treasure to preserve the integrity and union of this country, that this 
 order be not insisted on. It is unmistakably the expressed wish of 
 the country that General Sheridan should not be removed from hii 
 present command. 
 
 " Tltis is a republic, wJtere the tuill of the people is the lam of the land 
 I beg that their voice may be heard. 
 
 " General Sheridan has performed his civil duties faithfully ana 
 Intelligently. His removal will only be regarded as an effort to d<s^ 
 feat the laws of Congress." 
 
 For a time the order was suspended, but General Sher. 
 idan was afterward removed. On the 13th of January the 
 Senate passed the following resolution : 
 
 '^Resolved, That having considered the evidence and reasons 
 given by the President in his report of the 12th of December, 1867, 
 for the suspension, from the office of Secretary of War, of Edvi^in M. 
 Stanton, the Senate do not concur in such suspension." 
 
 As soon as General Grant was informed of this action 
 he refused to continue longer to act as Secretary of War 
 ad interim, and surrendered the keys of the office to the 
 Adjutant General, the custodian of the building, and re- 
 turned to his office at the headquarters of the army. In a 
 letter to the President defending his conduct, he uses the 
 following forcible language; 
 
 " The course you have understood I agreed to pursue was in vio- 
 lation of law, and that without orders from you ; while the course I 
 did pursue, and which I never doubted you fully understood, was in 
 accordance with law, and not in disobedience of any orders of my 
 superior. And now, Mr. President, when my honor as a soldier, and 
 integrity as a man, have been so violently assailed, pardon me for 
 
190 GENERAL U. S. 
 
 saying that I can but regard this whole matter, from beginning to 
 end, as an attempt to involve me in the resistance of law for which 
 you hesitated to assume tlie responsibility, in order thus to destroy 
 my character before the country. I am in a measure confirmed in 
 this conclusion by your recent orders directing me to disobey orders 
 from the Secretary of War, my superior, and your subordinate, with- 
 out having countermanded his authority. I conclude with the 
 assurance, Mr. President, that nothing less than a vindication of my 
 personal honor and character could have induced this correspond- 
 ence on my part. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 U. S. Grant, General." 
 
 President Johnson in his message to Congress, Decem- 
 ber 12, 1867, giving his reasons for suspending Mr. Stan- 
 ion, closes with these words: "Salutary reforms have 
 been introduced by the Secretary ad interim (General 
 Grant) and great reductions of expenses have been effected 
 under his administration of the War Department to the 
 saving of millions to the Treasury. Andrew Johnson.'^ 
 From this time forward General Grant confined himself 
 exclusively to his military duties as head of the armies of 
 the United States. The time for holding another Presi- 
 dential election was at hand. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 GRANT THE STATESMAN. 
 
 On May 21, 1868, at the meeting of the National 
 Republican Convention, lield at the Opera House, Chi- 
 cago, General Ulysses S. Grant received on the first ballot 
 and without a dissenting voice, the nomination for the 
 Presidency of the United States. General Logan, Chair- 
 man of the Illinois Delegation, since a candidate for the 
 Vice-Presidency, took the floor and said : " In the name of 
 the loyal citizens and soldiers and sailors of this great 
 Republic of the United States of America; in the name 
 of loyalty, liberty, humanity and justice; in the name of 
 the National Union Republican party, — I nominate as 
 candidate for the chief magistracy of this nation Ulysses 
 S. Grant." 
 
 Round after round of applause greeted his name. The 
 Secretary then began to call the roll of States and Terri- 
 tories, to receive the vote of their delegation. As the call 
 proceeded, State after State in turn gave its unanimous 
 TOte for General Grant, — the enthusiasm rising higher and 
 higher tmtil it seemed as though the roof must be lifted 
 up bjr the surging volume of sound, as Wisconsin, the last 
 State on the roll was reached, and cast her vote for Grant. 
 The President then said: "The roll is completed. Gen- 
 tlemen of the Convention, you have six hundred and fifty 
 votes, and you have given six hundred and fifty votes for 
 
 (191) 
 
192 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 Grant." The scene now was grand and overpowering. 
 The Convention and the vast audience rose to their feet, 
 and greeted the result with tumultuous cheering and every 
 demonstration of applause, without interruption, for several 
 minutes. 
 
 The same evening a large concourse of the citizens of 
 Washington serenaded General Grant at his house. He 
 was introduced in a few eloquent remarks by Senator 
 Boutwell, and made the following response : 
 
 Gentlemen : — Being entirely unaccustomed to public speaking, 
 and without the desire to cultivate that power [laughter], it is impos- 
 sible for me to find appropriate language to thank you for this demon- 
 stration. All that I can say is, tbat, to whatever position I may be 
 called by your will, I shall endeavor to discharge its duties with 
 fidelity and honesty of purpose. Of my rectitude in the performance 
 of public duties, you will have to judge for yourselves by my record 
 before you. 
 
 On the 29th of May the bfRcers of the Convention 
 visited Washington, and formally made known to General 
 Grant his nomination as President. General Grant replied 
 briefly, but with evident emotion, to the eloquent address 
 of General Hawley, and closed By saj-ing, " If elected 
 President, / shall have no ■policy of my own to enforce 
 against the "will of the feopleP He subsequently accepted 
 the nomination in a formal letter to General Hawley, 
 which is given in the Appendix. 
 
 The Democratic Convention nominated Horatio Se}"- 
 mour of New York, as their candidate. The canvass was 
 attended with great excitement. All the States took pait 
 in the election except Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi and 
 Texas, which had not been reconstructed at that time. 
 
 General Grant received 214 electoral votes, while his 
 competitor received only 80. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I93 
 
 Of the popular vote General Grant received 3,015,071 
 against 2,703,600 given to Seymour. At the same elec- 
 tion the choice for the Vice-Presidency fell on Schuyler 
 Colfax, of Indiana. The election also settled forever the 
 validity of the amendments to the Constitution adopted 
 subsequent to the' war, including universal suffrage. 
 
 Ulysses S. Grant, on the 4th of March, 1869, was 
 inaugurated the eighteenth President of the United States, 
 and on the following day sent to the Senate his nomina- 
 tions for cabinet officers. For Secretary of State, Elihu 
 B. 'Washburn, of Illinois; for Secretary of the Treasury, 
 Alexander T. Stewart, of New York ; for Secretary of 
 the Interior, Jacob D. Cox, of Ohio; for Secretary of the 
 Navy^'Adolph E. Borie, of Pennsylvania; for Secretary 
 of War, John M. Schofield, of Illinois ; for Postmaster- 
 General, John A. J. Cresswell, of Maryland; for Attor- 
 ney-General, E. R. Hoar, of Massachusetts. These nom- 
 inations were at once confirmed ; but it was soon discovered 
 that Mr. Stewart was ineligible, being engaged in com- 
 merce, and George S. Boutwell, of Massachusetts, was 
 appointed in his stead. 
 
 The last hope of the Southern Confederacy must have 
 been dispelled by the election to the Presidency of General 
 Grant, — the chief representative of the force which main- 
 tained the Union. He was at the head of the government 
 from March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1877. Those eight 
 years witnessed great prosperity, followed by most dis- 
 tressing depression in business. 
 
 The first event of note during General Grant's admin- 
 istration was the completion of the Pacific Railroad, May, 
 1869. The work of construction was in progress six 
 years. The Central Pacific extends from San Francisco 
 
194 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 to Ogden, in Utah, a distance of 882 miles, where it meets 
 the Union Pacific, which extends to Omalia, Nebraska, 
 a distance of 1,033 miles. Tliis remarkable enterprise 
 opened up a "short line" between the markets of China, 
 Japan and Australia with those of the United States and 
 Europe. 
 
 During the autumn of this year occurred the most 
 extraordinary financial excitement ever known in the 
 United States, or possibly in the world. A popular histo- 
 rian says of it: 
 
 " A company of unscrupulous speculators in New York City, 
 headed by Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, Jr., succeeded in producing 
 what is known as a ' corner ' in the gold market, and brought the 
 business interests of the metropolis to the verge of ruin. During 
 the Civil War the credit of the government had declined to such an 
 extent that at one time a dollar in gold was worth two hundred and 
 eighty-six cents in paper currency. But after the restoration of the 
 national authority the value of paper money appreciated, and in the 
 fall of 1869 the ratio of gold to the greenback dollar had fallen to 
 about one hundred and thirty to one hundred. There were at this 
 time, in the banks of New York, fifteen million dollars in gold coin 
 and in the sub-treasury of the United States a hundred millions 
 more. The plan of Gould and Fisk was to get control by purchase 
 of the greater part of the fifteen millions, to prevent the Secretary of 
 the Treasury from selling any part ofvthe hundred millions under his 
 authority, then, — having control of the market — to advance the price 
 of gold to a fabulous figure, sell out all which they held themselves, 
 and retire from the field of slaughtered fortunes with their accumu- 
 lated millions of spoil si Having carefully arranged all the prelimi- 
 naries, the conspirators, on the 13th of September, began their work 
 of purchasing gold, at the same time constantly advancing the price. 
 By the 22d of the month, they had succeeded in putting up the rate 
 to a hundred and forty. On the next day the price rose to a hundred 
 and forty-four. The members of the conspiracy now boldly avowed 
 their determination to advance the rate to two hundred, and it seemed 
 tb»t on the morrow they would put their threat into execution. On 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. I95 
 
 bie morning of the 24th, known as Black Friday, tlie bidding in tlie 
 gold room began with intense excitement. The brokers of Fisk and 
 Gould advanced the price to a hundred and fifty, a hundred and fifty- 
 five, and finally to a hundred and sixty, at which figure they were 
 obliged to purchase several millions by a company of merchants vthO 
 had banded themselves together with the determination to fight th< 
 gold-gamblers to the last. Just at this moment came a dispatch that 
 Secretary Boutwell had ordered a sale of four millions from the sub- 
 treasury! There was an Instantaneous panic. The price of gold 
 went down twenty per cent, in less than as many minutes! The 
 speculators were blown away in an uproar; but they managed, by 
 accumulated frauds and corruptions, to carry off ■with them more than 
 deven million dollars as the fruits of their nefarious game! Several 
 months elapsed before the business of the country recovered from 
 the effects of the shock." 
 
 In March, 1870, the work of reconstruction was com- 
 pleted by the readmission to Congress of all the Southern 
 States. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution 
 having been ratified by the States, was declared to be 
 adopted. It provided that "the right of the citizens of 
 the United States to vote shall not be denied, or abridged 
 by the United States, or any State, on account of race, 
 color, or previous condition of servitude." 
 
 In this year was completed the ninth census of the 
 United States. It was a work of great importance, and 
 the result presented was most encouraging, inasmuch as 
 many economists had prophesied that, owing to the dis- 
 turbance of general trade and destruction of property 
 during the Civil War, the result would show a decrease in 
 general increase. Notwithstanding the ravages of war 
 the last decade had been a period of remarkable growth 
 and progress. The population had increased over seven 
 millions. Agriculture and manufactures had gtown to an 
 enormous aggregate, and were successfully competing 
 with the markets of the world. 
 
196 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 In January, 1871, President Grant appointed a com- 
 mission to visit Santo Domingo, and report upon the advis- 
 ability of annexing that island to the United States. The 
 subject had received considerable attention, and had been 
 agitated for several years, and was earnestly advocated by 
 the President. This Commission, composed of Senator 
 Wade, of Ohio, Dr. Howe, of Massachusetts, and Prof. 
 White, of New York, after a brief visit to Santo Domingo, 
 returned and reported in favor of the annexation. But so 
 much opposition was manifested in Congress, led by 
 Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, that it was defeated. 
 
 On the 27th of February, 1871, a joint high commis- 
 sion assembled at Washington to settle the claim of the 
 United States against Great Britain, growing out of the 
 depredations of the Alabama and other Confederate pri- 
 vateers fitted out in England during the Civil War. This 
 Commission framed a treaty known as the Treaty of 
 Washington, by which it was agreed to refer all claims of 
 either nation to a board of arbitration to be appointed by 
 friendly nations. Such a court was formed, and met at 
 Geneva, Switzerland, on the 15th of December, 1871. 
 This tribunal was composed of five arbitrators : The Pres- 
 ident of the United States, Hei Britannic Majesty, the 
 King of Italy, the President of the Swiss Confederation, 
 and the Emperor of Brazil. The cause of the two nations 
 was ably presented by their respective advocates, and 
 impartially heard, and on the 14th of September. 1872, 
 decided in favor of the United States. The result was 
 that Great Britain was to pay into the Federal treasury, 
 as an indemnity for the wrong done, the sum of $ 1 5,000,000 
 in gold. This award was paid by Great Britain the fol- 
 lo\/in^ year. 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. Igy 
 
 Another important decision by arbitration in favoi of 
 the United States was made by the Emperor William I., 
 of Germany, on the 21st of October, 1872, he having 
 been selected by Great Britain and the United States as 
 arbitrator for the settlement of the Northwestern boundary 
 dispute. After hearing the cause of each, he decided the 
 boundary in question should be a line drawn through the 
 middle of the Canal de Haro, between Vancouver Island 
 and the Island of San Juan, instead of 'the middle of 
 Rosario Straits, as demanded by Great Britain. By this 
 decision the United States gained the Island of San Juan. 
 
 In the year 1871 occurred the most memorable confla- 
 gration of modern times — the Chicago Fire. It commenced 
 on the 4th of October and continued until the 6th. It 
 spread over nearly five square miles, and resulted in an 
 immense destruction of property. The entire business 
 portion of the city was destroyed, and a great portion of 
 the residence part. The number of lives lost could never 
 be ascertained, and was variously estimated at from 50 to 
 200. Not les^ tlian 100,000 people were rendered home- 
 less, and many who were in affluence were rendered pen- 
 niless. The loss of property was not less than $200,000,000. 
 The immediate wants of the people were nobly met by a 
 charity as wide as the civilized world and absolutely prodi- 
 gal in its generosity. In 1874, another fire of vast, if greatly 
 less proportions, visited Chicago. 
 
 In 1872 Boston, too, had its "burnt district." The fire 
 laid waste the buildings covering sixty acres, in the busi- 
 ness part of the city, and destroyed property valued at 
 $80,000,000. It may be added that both cities long since 
 rebuilt fully and upon a grand scale. 
 
 In the spring of 1872 the Modoc Indians, who had been 
 
t^ GENERAL V. 8. GRANT'S 
 
 removed from their lands in Oregon and placed on a nevi 
 reservation in California, left it and began depredations on 
 the frontier settlements, and kept up the war through the 
 winter, and then retreated to some nearly inaccessible fast- 
 nesses called the Lava Beds, Here they were surrounded, 
 but not subdued. On the nth of April several of the 
 Peace Commission met the Modocs, and General Canby 
 and Dr, Thomas were treacherously murdered. Mr. 
 Meacham, another member, was shot and stabbed, but 
 escaped with his life. The Modocs were at laSt compelled 
 to surrender, and their leader. Captain Jack, with three 
 others, were hanged in the following October. 
 
 In the year 1872 occurred another presidential election. 
 The first ticket in the field was headed by Horace Greeley, 
 who for thirty years had been a leading journalist and 
 ardent opponent of the Democratic party. He was nomi- 
 nated by the Liberal Convention. The Democratic Na- 
 tional Convention accepted him as the candidate of the 
 Democracy, in the hope that he would draw enough 
 Republican votes to elect him, and he did; but the Demo- 
 crats failed to fulfill their part of the contract. Many of 
 them staid away from the polls altogether. Some of them 
 united in supporting for the presidency that eminent Dem- 
 ocratic lawyer of New York, Charles O'Conor. General 
 Grant was re-elected by an overwhelming majority, and 
 with him Henry Wilson for Vice-President. Mr. Greeley 
 made a very remarkable campaign upon the policy of 
 reconciliation and good feeling between the sections. After 
 the popular election and before the meeting of the Electoral 
 Colleges of the several States, he died, and the nation was 
 once more-in mourning. No American was better known 
 or more profoundly respected as a pure patriot than the 
 
LIFK AND SERVICES. igg 
 
 founder of the New York Tribune, well called our second 
 Franklin. 
 
 In the following October occurred the panic of 1873, 
 which inaugurated a period of hard times, which continued 
 until after resumption in 1879, nearly six years. Notwith- 
 standing good crops, hard times continued year after year. 
 The general depression of business gave rise to a political 
 party which demanded a large increase in the volume of 
 currency, and deprecated any attempt to resume specie 
 payments. This Greenback party was especially hostile to 
 the national bank system. 
 
 Intense excitement throughout the country was occa- 
 sioned by the discovery of gold within the limits of the 
 reservation occupied by the Sioux Indians among the 
 Black Hills lying in the Territories of Wyoming and Da- 
 kota. A bill was passed by Congress taking away that 
 portion of their reservation lying within the Territory of 
 Dakota. The Sioux at once organized for war, and United 
 States troops were dispatched against them, led by the 
 intrepid and fearless General George A. Custer, who, push- 
 ing forward, regardless of danger, was met by an over- 
 whelming force of Sioux under Sitting Bull, and though 
 he inflicted terrible punishment upon them, be, with two 
 hundred and sixty-one men, nearly his entire force, were 
 killed June 25, 1876. Sitting Bull and his band at once 
 retired into the British Possessions, where they were safe 
 from pursuit of the United States forces. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1875, the Territory of Colorado 
 
 was authorized by Congress to form a State Constitution, 
 
 and the following year it was ratified by the people and 
 
 admitted as the « Centennial State " of the Union. 
 
 The year 1876, which completed the first century of 
 
aoo 
 
 American independence, was celebrated by a grand Expo- 
 sition at Philadelphia, at which were represented all the 
 countries of the world, civilized and uncivilized, the most 
 successful affair of its kind ever projected. 
 
 The year 1876 was also the year for another presi- 
 dential election. Two governors were the standard-bearers 
 of the two great parties, Rutherford B. Hayes, then Gov- 
 ernor of Ohio, and Samuel J. Tilden, then Governor of 
 New York. The former was nominated as a compromise 
 candidate after a convention of memorable excitement. 
 Many wanted General Grant nominated for a third term, 
 but his name was not presented in the Convention. 
 
 The campaign was so very close that each party claimed 
 the victory. Charges and counter-charges x>f fraud were 
 freely and fiercely made. The Republicans conceded that 
 Mr. Tilden had lacked only one electoral vote of a majority. 
 There was very serious danger of civil war. Both parties 
 seemed ripe for bloodshed, but finally the patriotism and 
 sagacity of a few men in Congress secured the passage of a 
 law creating an Electoral Commission. It was conceded 
 that Tilden' had 184 votes out of a total of 369. The votes 
 of South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana, especially tlie 
 latter, were stoutly claimed by both parties. This extra- 
 constitutional and national returning-board was to decide 
 the matter in dispute. The result was that Hayes received 
 the 185 votes, and was duly declared elected. 
 
 General Grant vacated the presidency only upon the 
 expiration of his time, March 4, 1877. He won the admi- 
 ration and love of his countrymen by his great military 
 achievements, wisdom and loyalty, retaining it during his 
 political and public career. He administered the govern- 
 ment with moderation, generosity, wisdom and success; he 
 
LIFE AND SERVICES. 201 
 
 solved with rare patriotism and intelligence the many com- 
 plicated and difficult questions that confronted him, and his 
 place in history will ever be among the foremost. 
 
 The foregoing were the principal events of General 
 Grant's administration of the Government during eight 
 years. During the time he undoubtedly made many mis- 
 takes, but they were errors of the heart rather than of the 
 mind. During the heated campaign of '73, notwithstand- 
 ing the vituperation heaped upon his head by his enemies 
 and the split in his own party, the people's faith in him 
 was undisturbed, he being re-elected by an overwhelming 
 popular majority, the greatest ever given to a presidential 
 candidate. This was regarded as a complete vindication 
 and refutal of the aspersions which had been cast upon his 
 character. In his second inaugural address he refers to 
 this subject in these words : 
 
 " From my candidacy for my present office in 1868, to tlie close of 
 the last presidential campaign, I have been the subject of abuse and 
 slander, scarcely ever equaled in political history, which to-day I feel 
 I can afford to disregard in view of your verdict, which I gratefully 
 accept as my vindication." 
 
 To one who has read what General Grant has done, 
 little need be said as to what manner of man he is. The 
 outline of his life shows his ability. Such achievements 
 are not the result of luck or accident. They are seldom 
 seen in history. He has not only shown great ability, but 
 wisdom, practical sagacity and independence in the whirl 
 of extraordinary and important events which have occurred 
 at Washington and in the South since the close of the war. 
 
 For some months previous to the expiration of General 
 Grant's second term of office, he felt the need of absolute 
 rest, and that he might be entirely relieved from all cares 
 
ioi dfiNERAL u. s. grant's 
 
 and annoyances that would necessarily reach him, even irf 
 retirement, he planned a tour of the world, to occupy at 
 least two years, hoping to find the relief sought for. The 
 history of this trip, with its unprecedented and unlooked- 
 for ovations and triumphal tour will be found of intense 
 interest to every American. 
 
 The following pages, descriptive of this journey, were 
 originally issued by the publishers of this volume, immedi- 
 ately after the General's return. Its insertion here will 
 not detract from the interest the reader has in this subject. 
 One of the most, if not the rhost, important eras in General 
 Grant's life was this absolutely unique tour. To trace this 
 journey step by step the reader is taken through the pal- 
 aces and courts of royalty, and within " sacred walls " where 
 no other American traveler ever penetrated. To witness 
 the pomp and parade of armies, exhibited for General 
 Grant's special pleasure, and to see all that is most beautiful 
 in nature and art, will be found to possess an interest and 
 fascination that cannot be resisted, and is as readable as a 
 romance. 
 
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 iiilil III iliiH J [JHiliiil I Jiiiii ■ it/liittiiii AaM!t^iiii?iila4m&ti^^ 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 OFF FOR EUROPE. 
 
 On May 17th, 1877, ex-President U. S. Grant, his wife, 
 and son Jesse, sailed from Philadelphia for Europe, via 
 American Line steamer Indiana. His departure was made 
 the occasion of a great parting demonstration, in which 
 ■11 classes of the community seemed to take a hearty and 
 enthusiastic share. The courtesies extended to him in 
 every city through which he had passed since his retire- 
 ment from the Presidency were alike creditable to those 
 who proffered, and to him who received them, and were 
 the outburst of a people who recognized his great military 
 and civil services. Before leaving the steamer that con- 
 veyed^ the General to the Indiana, a very interesting cere- 
 mony took place on board. In the ladies' cabin a private 
 table was spread for the distinguished guests, among whom 
 were General Grant, at the head of the table; General 
 Sherman, on his right; Mayor Stokley, of Philadelphia, 
 on his left; Honorable Hamilton Fish, Colonel Fred. 
 Grant, Honorable Zach. Chandler, Honorable Simon Cam- 
 eron, Honorable Don Cameron, and other prominent 
 military and civil officers. After luncheon. Mayor Stokley 
 arose and toasted the " honored guest of, the day " in a few 
 appropriate and eulogistic remarks. General Grant replied : 
 
 " Mr. Mayor and Gentlembn : I had not expected 
 to make a speech to-day, and therefore can do nothing 
 more than thank you, as I have had occasion to do so often 
 
 205 
 
2o6 OKNKllAI. V. a. GRANT'S 
 
 within the past week. I have been only eight days in 
 Philadelphia, and have been received with such unexpect- 
 ed kindness that it finds me with no words to thank you. 
 What With driving in the park, and dinners afterward, 
 and keeping it up until afler midnight, and now to find 
 myself still receiving your kind hospitality, I am afraid 
 you have not left me stomach enough to cross the Atlan- 
 tic" 
 
 This was followed by short and highly complimentary 
 speeches from General Sherman, ex-Secretary Fish, ex- 
 Secretary Chandler, ex-Secretary Robeson, ex-Senator 
 Cameron, General Bailey, Governor Hartranfl, and others; 
 and so affected General Grant that he replied : 
 
 "My Deak Friends: I was not aware that we 
 would have so much speech-making here, or that it would 
 be necessary for me to say any more to you, but I feel that 
 the compliments you have so showered upon me were not 
 altogether deserved — that they should not all be paid to 
 me, either as a soldier or as a civil officer. As a General 
 your praises do not all belong to me — as the executive of 
 the nation they are not due to me. Tbere is no man who 
 can fill both or either of these positions without the help 
 of good men. I selected my lieutenants when I was in 
 both positions, and they were men, I believe, who could 
 have filled my place often better than I did. I never flat- 
 tered myself that I was entitled to the place you gave me. 
 My lieutenants could have acted perhaps better than I, had 
 the opportunity presented itself. Sherman could have 
 taken my place, as a soldier or in a civil office, and so could 
 Sheridan, and others I might name. I am sure if the coun- 
 try ever comes to this need again there will be men for the 
 work. There will be men born for every emergency. 
 Again I thank you, and again I bid you good-bye; and 
 ^nce agun I say Utat, if I had fail«d, Shcrmiw w SImtn 
 
TOUR AROUND THK WORLD. 
 
 307 
 
 dan, or some of my other lieutenants, would have succeed- 
 ed." 
 
 Shortly after this the General was transferred to the 
 Indiana, last good-byes were said, and the steamer pro- 
 ceeded on her way to England, arriving at Queenstown 
 May 37, without mishap, the General and party having 
 passed a delightful voyage, almost entirely free from the 
 disagreeable eflFects of "seasickness", that renders an 
 ■* ocean trip " so unpleasant. He was met by a delegation 
 of prominent city officials, and tendered the hospitalities 
 of Queenstown, with the assurance that every village and 
 ■ hamlet of Ireland had resounded with the praises of his 
 name, and would welcome him with all the warmth and 
 candor of the Irish people. He replied that he could 
 not then avail himself of their hospitality, but would 
 fetum to Ireland within a short time. 
 
 Reaching Liverpool at half past two p. it., all the ship- 
 {ung in the Liverpool docks exhibited a profuse display of 
 banting, the flags of all nations waving along the seven 
 miles of water front. An immense crowd was gathered 
 on the docks to welcome the ex-President, and he landed 
 amid cheers such as must have reminded him of the dayi 
 directly after the war, when he was received by New York 
 and other American cities. The Mayor of Liverpool read 
 him an address of welcome, saluting him as an illustrious 
 statesman and soldier, and when the ex-President modestly 
 and in a few brief words acknowledged the honor done 
 him, and expressed the very great pleasure he had from 
 his reception, new cheers burst forth and a great crowd 
 followed his carriage to the hotel. 
 
 The judgment of strangers resembles somewhat the 
 Judgment of posterity. As he is regarded in European 
 conntries, so, doubtless, he will stand in history, when the 
 ^ttcmess and the littlenesg of partissQ s^f iant psued 
 
2oS GXNERAL V. S. GSANT'S 
 
 away, and his real services to his country and his real char> 
 acter are better understood. But in spite of partisan bitter- 
 ness and personal opposition, such as a man of his positive 
 character, placed in the most difficult position in the world, 
 and kept there during eight long years, could not fail to 
 arouse, nothing is more certain than that General Grant 
 has to-day a larger share of the gratitude and the affection 
 of the American people than any other of our public men 
 No matter how widely men may have differed from him, 
 no matter how they may have opposed him, if they are 
 really Americans, and if they are manly and patriotic men, 
 in their hearts they wish well to the man who led our 
 armies to victory; whose firm will saved the Union, and 
 who — no matter what they may think his errors during 
 his Presidency — entered political life against his will, and 
 at the demand of the people gave up the great and per- 
 manent position the nation had given him, to serve it in a 
 new and to him untried and unwelcome field; and who, 
 during sixteen long and weary years, stood at his post erf 
 duty unrelieved and without rest. 
 
 It is a fact not generally remembered, that Grant's gre«rt 
 lieutenants in the war — Sherman, Sheridan and Farragnt 
 — all enjoyed the "vacation in Europe" which they had 
 so well earned. To General Grant, their honored chief, 
 alone, was rest denied. The country required of him, and 
 him alone, that he should derange all his plans in life, 
 that he should put off the period of rest which he coveted 
 and which he had earned, that he should even surrender 
 the place at the head of the armies, to which he was ap- 
 pointed amid the plaudits of the people, in order contin- 
 uously to serve them. Few men of such arduous and 
 conspicuous services have had so long and difficult a toui 
 of duty imposed upon them. Republic* are said to be un- 
 grateful, but our own is not so entirely cold and devoid of 
 gratitude that men do not feel a keen sense of gratiticatioa 
 
TOUR AROUND THK WORLD. 20g 
 
 when they see their faithful and tired servant taking hijs 
 ease at last, and receiving in foreign lands the honors and 
 the respect to which his remarkable career so eminenlly 
 entitle him. 
 
 To the statesmen and soldiers whom he will meet, even 
 more than to the general mass, he will be an object of 
 great curiosity. Except Field Marshal Von Moltke, no 
 general of our days has commanded and wielded such 
 masses of men ; no general whom he will meet can boast 
 of a more brilliantly conceived or a more daringly exe- 
 cuted campaign than that of Vicksburg; no one of them 
 has had the control of so vast a field of war as he, and 
 surely none has seen hotter fire than Grant withstood in 
 the desperate days of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and 
 Cold Harbor. In every country in Europe which he may 
 visit, he will find distinguished military chiefs who have 
 studied his campaigns, who know how to appreciate the 
 dogged courage of Shiloh, the brilliant audacity of Vicks- 
 burg, the genius which recovered an imperilled position 
 before Chattanooga, the indomitable perseverance of the 
 Virginia campaigns, and the broad and comprehensive view 
 which enabled him to plan the operations of armies 
 stretched across half a continent. 
 
 Nor will distinguished civilians be less eager to hear his 
 voice and to scrutinize his features, for they will remem- 
 ber that he acted a foremost part in many of the most 
 notable events of the century; they will see in him the 
 supporter and right hand of Lincoln in the emancipation 
 of the slaves, the restorer of peace, the general who re- 
 turned a million of soldiers to peaceful industries, the ruler 
 of the American republic during eight years of extraordi- 
 nary political turbulence. 
 
 All the journals of the city next day appeared with 
 highly complimentary editorials, assuring General Grant 
 of m generous hospiUlity. The Uaily IVrws said that 
 
2i0 GENERAL. U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 " General Grant was unquestionably the greatest Boldiei 
 living." The General and Mrs. Grant had a perfect round 
 of festivities at Liverpool. Hurried visits were made to 
 all points of interest, visiting and examining the docks of 
 the city, enlisting great interest from General Grant in the 
 magnificent dock system, and, contrasted with the system 
 of piers in the United States, he admitted the superiority 
 of these supurb and substantial structures over those of 
 the East and North rivers. 
 
 The party returned to the city, and were driven to the 
 town hall to lunch with the Mayor and other civic digni- 
 taries. This building is one of the most interesting in the 
 city, and the figure of Britannia, looking abroad from the 
 summit of the great dome, reminds the visitor of the now 
 celebrated Hermann monument in Germany. The ex- 
 President was escorted to the reception saloon, and subse- 
 quently examined the portraits of former mayors and 
 wealthy merchants, who have long since passed away; 
 the famous Chantry statues of Canning and Roscoe, and 
 the elegant tapestry with which the various saloons are 
 fitted up. 
 
 Lunch was prepared. Covers were laid for fifty, the 
 table being beautifully decorated with choice flowers and 
 ornaments in confection, suggestive of very elaborate pre- 
 paration. Among those present, were the Mayor, the 
 Mayoress, members of the city council, one member of 
 parliament, the City Solicitor and several prominent mer- 
 chants. Mrs. Grant sat on the left of the Mayor, and our 
 ex-President on his right. The repast was served immedi- 
 ately the guests assembled, and was a most enjoyable affair. 
 
 At the conclusion of lunch, the Mayor arose and pro- 
 posed the health of the Queen, in accordance with the 
 tradition which places English majesty first on all state 
 and festive occasions. This was drank standing. The 
 host next proposed the health of " General and ex-Preti* 
 
TOUR AROUND THK WORLD m 
 
 dent Grant, the distinguished soldier «nd statesman pres- 
 ent," remarking that it would be unnecessary for him to 
 repeat the earnestness of their welcome, their desire to 
 draw closer the bonds of friendship between the two great- 
 est commercial nations in the world, and especially to honor 
 the hero of a hundred battles, whose courage and skill 
 challenged their admiration. 
 
 Grant responded with unusual gayety of manner, 
 acknowledging the pleasure with which he received their 
 constant manifestations of good will, believing that ulti- 
 mately the bonds of union must be strengthened between 
 the two countries. He excused himself from an extended 
 reply. During the luncheon, the streets leading to the town 
 hall were packed with spectators. 
 
 General Grant afterward visited the exchange and news- 
 rooms, where he was received with great enthusiasm. 
 Leaving Liverpool for Manchester, May 30, immense 
 crowds gathered along the route, and the stations were 
 beautifully decorated, the American flag being everywhere 
 prominent Arriving at Manchester at eleven o'clock, he 
 was received by the Mayor and Aldermen and a tremen- 
 dous crowd of citizens, who manifested their enthusiasm by 
 continued cheering. The Mayor's speech was quite lengthy, 
 and referred feelingly to a similar occasion, when, in 1863, 
 the ship Griswold brought a cargo of provisions to the 
 suffering operatives of the city, who had been thrown out 
 of employment, owing to the failure of the cotton crop 
 from the South. This address was followed by a laudatory 
 and congratulatory address by Sir John Heron, recalling the 
 kind expressions which the Queen's birthday had evoked 
 in America. He hoped for a constant increase of the exist- 
 ing good feeling, and trusted that the visit of the ex-Presi- 
 dent would ultimately lead to free commercial intercourse 
 between England and the United States. 
 
 The General, who had listened to the addreues with 
 
213 GBNERAL U. S. GRANT** 
 
 that quiet composure of manner peculiar to him — «s 
 unmoved, though the target of thousands of eyes, as though 
 alone — rising, acknowledged the presentation. " It is 
 scarcely possible for me," he said, " to give utterance to the 
 feelings evoked by my recepition upon your soil from the 
 moment of my arrival in Liverpool, where I have passed 
 a couple of days, until the present moment. After the 
 scene whicfi"! have witnessed in your streets, the elements 
 ot greatness, as manifested in your public and industrial 
 buildings, I may be allowed to say, that no person could be 
 the recipient of the honor and attention you have bestowed 
 upon me, without the profoundest feelings. Such have 
 been incited in me, and I find myself inadequate to their 
 proper expression. It was my original purpose on my 
 arrival in Liverpool to hasten to London, and from thence 
 proceed to visit the various points of interest in the coun- 
 try. Among these I have regarded Manchester as the 
 most important. As I have been aware for years of the 
 great amount of your manufactures, many of which find 
 their ultimate destination in my own country, so I am aware 
 that the sentiments of the ereat mass of the people of Man- 
 chester went out in sympathy to that country, during the 
 mighty struggle, in which it fell to my lot to take some 
 humble part. The expressions of the people of Manchester 
 at the time of the great trial, incited within the breasts 
 of my countrymen a feeling of friendship toward them, 
 distinct from that felt toward all England; and in that 
 spirit I accept, on the part of my country, tiie compliments 
 paid me as its representative, and thank you." 
 
 After General Grant had concluded his address of 
 thanks, luncheon was served in the large banquet hall. 
 Toasts to the Queen and the Prince of Wales were pro- 
 posed and drank with all the honors. The Mayor of Man- 
 chester responded to each in loyal speeches. The health of 
 President Hayes was then proposed, wad waa receiTed with 
 
l^iJK A.HOUND THB WORLD. -^^^ 
 
 enthusiasm. Mr. Newton Crane, United States consul to 
 Manchester, responded amid applause. After these form- 
 alities, the Mayor of Manchester proposed the health of 
 General Grant, amid the plaudits of the assemblage. 
 
 General Grant replied, with a humorous twinkle in his 
 eye, that Englishmen had got more speeches and of greater 
 length out of him than his own countrymen; but they 
 were poorer, because they were longer than he was accus- 
 tomed to make. He warmly returned thanks for the 
 reception he had received at the hands of the people of 
 Manchester, and concluded his remarks by proposing the 
 health of the Mayoress and the ladies. The Mayor replied 
 in suitable terms. 
 
 Mr. Jacob Bright, M. P., being called upon for a 
 speech, said: "No guest so distinguished has ever before 
 visited Manchester. General Grant is a brave soldier,, and 
 he has pursued a generous, pacific policy toward the ene- 
 mies he had conquered. He should be honored and beloved, 
 and deserves the hearty reception he will receive through- 
 out the realm." After the banquet, the General was intro- 
 duced to the assemblage, and a general hand-shaking fol- 
 lowed. In the evening he visted the Theatre Royal, and 
 spent a short time at the Prince's Theatre. His reception 
 at both places was very enthusiastic. 
 
 The journey from Manchester to London was marked 
 by hearty greetings and welcomes at the several stations, 
 and imposing demonstrations were made at Leicester and 
 Bedford, as the handsomely decorated cars reached those 
 places. To some of the addresses that were made to him. 
 General Grant replied with an ease and sincerity which, 
 no doubt, made our British cousins wonder how he came 
 by his title of the "silent president." The secret lies, prob- 
 ably, in the fact that the General detests forms and shanu 
 and political intrigue, and he had good reasons for his taci- 
 turnity when he found himself surrounded by poUticiani 
 
214 OSNBRAL V. S. OKANT'S 
 
 whom his judgment told him it was dangerous to trust 
 His welcome in England was a genuine outpouring of a 
 nation's rsspect and admiration, and as such General Grant 
 receiyed it, and responded to it with an unembarrassed aad 
 earnest •inowi^ 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 6fiCNBRAL GRANT IN LONDON. 
 
 Oeneral Grant arrived at the terminus of the Midland 
 Rwlway (St, Pancras Station), London, June i, where he 
 was met by Minister Pierrepont, in behalf of the United 
 States, and Lord Vernon. Huge crowds thronged the 
 entrance to the station, and cheered loudly, but there 
 were no speeches. General Grant and party at once 
 entered Minister Pierrepont's carriage, and were driven 
 rapidly down Tottenham Court Road into Oxford street, 
 thence to the residence of the American Minister. During 
 the afternoon he was introduced to the Prince of Wales, it 
 being his first visit of importance since reaching the city. 
 
 The following day General Grant, Prince of Wales, 
 Duke of Cambridge, Lord Dudley, Lord Eicho, the Duke 
 of Hamilton, the German Ambassador, Count Munster, 
 and a number of Peers, left London by rail to witness 
 the races at Epsom. Returning to London, General 
 Grant was entertained at a grand banquet at Apsley House, 
 given in his honor by the Duke of Wellington. It was 
 « splendid and hearty reception. The guests were Mrs. 
 and General Grant, Count and Countess Gleichen, Lord 
 and Lady Abercromby, Lord and Lady Churchill, Mar- 
 quises Tweeddale, Sligo and Ailesbury, Earl Roden, Vi» 
 count Torrington, Lords George Paget, Calthorpe, Hough- 
 iton, Strathnaim, the Marchioness of Hertford, Countess 
 «rf Hardwicke, Countess of Bradford, Lady Wellesley, 
 IjT^j Emily Feel and Lady Skelmendale, Miu Wellcaliy, 
 
 215 
 
■'Jl6 OKNBRAI. V. B. GRANT'S 
 
 and a number of others well known to the London world 
 of high social life. 
 
 The banquet was served up in the famous Waterloo 
 Chamber, where the old Iron Duke loved to meet the war 
 l^enerals of 1815 on ^^^^ '^'^ of June every year, and cele-i 
 > irate the anniversary of the great battle which forever 
 closed the fortunes of Napoleon Bonaparte. Here, over- 
 looking Hyde Park and within view of his own statute at 
 the entrance to the park at Hyde Park corner, the old 
 Duke presided over the annual banquet, reviewing the 
 events of the momentous times when the supremacy of 
 Great Britain was hanging in the balance, with strong 
 probabilities of the scale turning against her. The Water- 
 loo Chamber has been closed a good deal since the death 
 of Arthur Wellesley, for the present Duke and Duchesi 
 have spent most of their time when in England at the 
 lovely estate in Winchelsea, which was presented to the 
 eminent soldier by the Crown after the close of the great 
 European wars. 
 
 The present owner of the estates and titles of Welling- 
 ton is a quiet, unassuming gentleman, who loves the fine 
 arts, is a writer of ability, fishes in his lake at Winchelsea, 
 and, during the season in London, patronizes the clubs. He 
 is Lord of the Manor of Surrey, appoints the justices 
 of the peace and attends to the poor. He is a member of 
 the House of Lords, of course, but he has rarely done more 
 than record his vote on such extraordinary occasions as 
 the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, and mat- 
 ters affecting the autonomy in his party. The Duchess is 
 considered one of the handsomest ladies in Europe, and has 
 always been a great favorite with Queen Victoria. As a 
 lady in waiting^ she attends Her Majesty on all state occa- 
 sions. Hence the tastes and desires of the Duke and 
 Duchess have lead them to neglect Apsley House to soom 
 •xtent 
 
TOUE AROUND THB WOKLD. 
 
 217 
 
 This Waterloo Chamber still contains some of the fine 
 old paintings which were hung upon the walls by the first 
 Duke. For instance, there is the celebrated painting, " Sign- 
 ing the treaty of Westphalia," where the commander-in- 
 chief is the central figure of a galaxy of generals, such as 
 has seldom been gathered together since. A magnificent 
 life-size portrait of Napoleon, Landseer's « Van Amburgh 
 and the Lions," Correggio's "Christ on the Mount of 
 Olives," on a panel, and full length portraits of foreign 
 sovereigns and notabilities, by Velasquez, Wilkie and 
 Teniers, are in the saloons adjoining. The Duke was look- 
 ing out of the main window overlooking the park at the 
 time the house was mobbed by the reformers whom he 
 opposed. 
 
 It was a dramatic incident, that the conqueror of Lee 
 should meet in this revered chamber the descendant of the 
 conqueror of Napoleon the Great. General Grant was 
 given precedence in the honors of the evening, escorting 
 the Duchess of Wellington to supper, and afterward escort- 
 ing her to the reception, at which were present the Duke 
 and Duchess of Cleveland, the Duke and Duchess of Suth- 
 erland, the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, and many 
 of those already mentioned above. 
 
 There were no speeches of note at the supper, which 
 was a quiet though brilliant affair. The grand gaseliers 
 lit up the magnificent hall and the lovely damasks and 
 laces, and revealed the wealth of gold and silver and the 
 flowers and confections of the table. 
 
 General Grant attended divine service on the 3d In 
 Westminster Abbey. An eloquent sermon was preached 
 by Dean Stanley, from Genesis xxvii. 38. In the course 
 of his sermon he alluded to ex-President Grant, saying, 
 "that in the midst of the congregation there was one of 
 the chiefest citizens of the United States, who had just laid 
 down his sceptre of the American commonwealth, who, 
 
2l8 OENERAI. U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 by his military prowess and generous treatment of his com- 
 rades and adversaries, had restored unity to his country. 
 We welcome him as a sign and pledge that the two great 
 kindred nations are one in heart, and are equally at home 
 under this fraternal roof. Both regard with reverential 
 affection this ancient cradle of their common life." 
 
 Although the Duke of Wellington was the first to 
 exhibit to a circle of admirers the great lion of the season, 
 yet it was only possible for him to make a restricted use of 
 his triumph in favor of the type of humanity that can be 
 invited to a ducal mansion. The real introduction of the 
 ex-President to the world of Londoners was made on the 
 5th, by the American Minister, in a reception so brilliant 
 that all occasions of the sort which have hitherto shon* 
 in the annals of our legations abroad will become a prey 
 to "dumb forgetfulness." In each one of the engage- 
 ments scored for a month ahead, the ex-President met 
 some one set of English society — men of this or that 
 party or shade of opinion, men of science or of letters, 
 army men or navy men — but at the legation, and presented 
 by the American Minister, he had an opportunity to make 
 the acquaintance of English society, without regard to the 
 lines which divide it into so many coteries, and saw at its 
 best that average quantity of the London world which 
 he could never get at one view save on some such neutral 
 ground as our Minister's parlors. The reception at Min- 
 ister Pierrepont's was immensely successful. The lega- 
 tion in Cavendish Square was interiorly decorated with 
 the grandest profusion of flowers, with the grand old 
 American flag over all. Since the announcement was 
 made that the Minister would receive the ex-President, 
 Mrs. Pierrepont had been overwhelmed with requests for 
 invitations, and out of her good nature acceded, until the 
 number of cards out guaranteed perhaps a greater throng 
 than would ordinarily be comfortable. But, after lUl, what 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 2T9 
 
 k a reception without a crush? Despite the immense 
 crowd, especially of on-lookers, in Cavendish Square 
 there was not the slightest confusion. Carriages rolled 
 up, occupants moved out and up into the mansion, with 
 that absence of surrounding noise and shouting that char- 
 acterizes your true reception where the ton is bon and the 
 servants well drilled. 
 
 On entering, the guests were shown into the cloak 
 rooms, on the ground floor, where wraps were left and a 
 last glance in the mirrors taken. Who, even a pliiloso- 
 pher, disdains that last reflective glance? 
 
 On ascending the drawing-room floor, the guests were 
 announced in the small ante-room where stood Mrs. 
 Pierrepont, General Grant, Colonel Badeau, Mrs. Grant, 
 and Mr. Pierrepont, in the order given. 
 
 General Grant was attired in plain evening dress, which 
 was conspicuous in its plainness amid the stars, garters 
 and ribbons worn by many of lesser note; even the Jap- 
 anese Minister was more gorgeous. As for the Chinese 
 Embassy, no tea chest ever equalled their curious splendor. 
 
 Mrs. Grant wore a toilet of claret-coloied stamped vel- 
 vet, and cream satin, high-necked, and with long sleeves. 
 
 Mrs. Pierrepont was clad in an elaborate costume of 
 «carlet and black. 
 
 Among the English notables present, were the Lord 
 Chancellor, the Dukes of Leeds and Bedford, the Marquises 
 of Salisbury and Hertford, the Earls of Derby, Belmore, 
 Longford, Dunravan, Ducie, Caithness and Shaftesbury, 
 Lord Airey, General Probyn, Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, 
 with peers and peeresses innumerable. 
 
 Every American resident responded to the Minister's 
 invitation. The Morgans and the Peabodys, Mr. James 
 McHenry, Chevalier WikoflF, Mr. G. W. Smalley, Chief 
 Justice Shea, Mr. Moncure D. Conway, Mr. Newton Crane, 
 Qonsul at Manchester, Mrs. Fairchild, Mrs. Julia Ward 
 
220 OENBRAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 Howe and her daughter Maud, Mr. and Mrs. Ives, Mrs. 
 Hicks and Miss Nannie Schomberg, were among the most 
 prominent. 
 
 The immense majority of the dresses of the ladies 
 were in excellent taste, and none were censurable. The 
 American belles carried away the palm for style and beauty, 
 as they usually do on such occasions. 
 
 At half-past twelve Mrs. Pierrepont and General Grant 
 came down stairs, and, standing in the lower hall, bade 
 farewell to the parting guests, while Mrs. Grant, Mr. 
 Pierrepont and Colonel Badeau took up position in a separ- 
 ate room, the amiable Secretary of Legation, Mr. William 
 J. Hoppin, hovering over one and all. The children of 
 both nations left the legation with a feeling that the tie be- 
 tween them had been strengthened in the generous hospi- 
 tality of the American representative and the cordial 
 response of England's best and greatest. 
 
 On the 6th, General Grant dined with the Earl Car- 
 narvon, and in the evening attended the royal concert at 
 Buckingham Palace; on the yth, dined with Lord Hough- 
 ton; on the 8th, with the Marquis of Hertford, where he 
 met about fifty of the members of the house of lords, and 
 in the evening a grand reception tendered by General 
 Badeau, in Beaufort Gardens. Here his reception was 
 brilliant, and only eclipsed by that of Minister Pierrepont 
 When General Grant arrived, a distinguished company had 
 already assembled in the drawing-room, by whom he was 
 most warmly greeted. Among the first to welcome him 
 was Mr. Gladstone, who appeared to take great interest in 
 American affairs. 
 
 As General Grant moved about the saloon, he encoun- 
 tered Lord Northbrooke, Lord Fitzwilliam, Lord O'Hagan, 
 Sir Charles Dilke, Sir James Colville, Viscount Reid- 
 haven. Sir Patrick and Lady Grant, who claim some kind 
 of kinship with our illustrious countryman; thv Lord 
 
/ TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 22 1 
 
 Bishop of Bristol and Gloucester, Jacob and Mrs. Bright, 
 Mr. Kiaglake, Tom Hughes, who has become almost a 
 hero to Americans; Mr. Macmillan, the publisher of the 
 celebrated magazine bearing his name; Mr. Walter, pro- 
 prietor of the Tifnes; Mr. Bothwick, of the Morning 
 Post, and Baron Reuter. 
 
 On the 9th, General Grant attended a reception at the 
 Hertford mansion, having lunched with Lord Granville 
 previously. On the nth, he was at his daughter's, Mrs. 
 Sartoris, remaining until the 15th, when occurred the 
 grand reception by the corporation of London, at which 
 time he was made an honorary citizen, and presented with 
 the freedom of the city. 
 
 The presentation of the freedom of the city of London 
 is always an event of importance. It is no common honor. 
 The greatest heroes and the proudest monarchs have been 
 reckoned among the " freemen." George III., who always 
 expressed a supreme contempt for ordinary matters and 
 mortals, had to acknowledge that the city of London could 
 bestow a franchise more valuable than all the knighthoods 
 and baubles of the crown. Since his day hundreds of men, 
 whose works will ever be regarded as the gems of history 
 
 statesmen, scientists, lawyers, merchants, princes — have 
 
 been recorded in the grand old book which is prized by 
 the corporation of London more than all the privileges and 
 immunities granted by the government. George Peabody, 
 the noble and benevolent American merchant, whose name 
 is ever uttered by the poor of the English metropolis with 
 affectionate reverence, was made a freeman. General Gari- 
 baldi, the liberator of Italy and the father of Italian unity, 
 received the same privilege. The Shah of Persia, the Sal- 
 tan of Turkey, the Czar of Russia, Prince Leopold of 
 Belgium, Napoleon III., General Blucher and M. Thiers 
 were also presented with the rights, privileges and immu 
 
223 GENBRAL V. 8. ORAIfT'H 
 
 nitiea of the dwellers within " ye Bishopsgate " and Temple 
 Bar. 
 
 It has often been asked. What is the freedom of the 
 city of London? It is simply this — a small slip of parch- 
 ment, inscribed with the name and titles of the person to 
 whom it is to be presented, guarantees to the holder and 
 his children after him forever the right to live and trade 
 within the city prescribed by St. Clements in the west, 
 Bishopsgate in the east, Pentonville on the north, and the 
 shores of the Thames on the south, without having to pay 
 a tax on the goods as they are brought through the gates. 
 It exempts them from naval and military service, and tolls 
 and duties throughout the United Kingdom. It insures to 
 his children the care of the Chamberlain, who, in case they 
 are left orphans, lakes charge of their property and admin- 
 isters it in their interest until they arrive at years of matu- 
 rity. The parchment bears the seal and signature of the 
 Lord Mayor and Chamberlain, and is generally ornamented 
 with ribbon, and illuminated. It is always enclosed in a 
 long, thin gold box, and is intended, of course, as an heir- 
 loom. 
 
 When the corporation have decided to confer the parch- 
 ment upon any distinguished individual, he is notified in the 
 old-fashioned style by the City Chamberlain, whose missive 
 begins, " You are hereby commanded to appear in the 
 common hall," etc., naming the date when the city fathers 
 will be present. He is met in the common hall by the 
 Mayor and Councillors. The City Chamberlain informs him 
 that the city has decided to confer upon him the privileges 
 of a free citizen, and makes an address, usually applauda- 
 tory of the special services or merits of the individual. The 
 recipient signs his name in the Clerk's book, and this offi- 
 cial and the City Chamberlain then sign their names beneath, 
 guarantors or " compurgators," becoming, according to the 
 
tOUlt AaoUKD TUB WOULD. 2 2i 
 
 rule, responsible for his acts as a citizen. The recipient 
 then steps forward, the oath is administered by the Cham- 
 berlain, who demands that he shall be in all and every 
 respect true and loyal to the interests of the city ; he shakes 
 hands with the Mayor, Chamberlain, Clerk and Councillors, 
 and the gold box is committed to his care. 
 
 The reception was a complete success. It was a hi* 
 torical event in the history of two great nations. The 
 event excited unusual ^interest, even in cynical London. 
 The day was sunny and clear, being what many of the 
 spectators called «« Queen's weather." 
 
 General Grant arrived most unostentatiously in the 
 private carriage of the American Minister, accompanied 
 by his wife, Jesse (his son), Mr. and Mrs. Pierrepont and 
 General Badeau. Ten thousand spectators crowded to the 
 edge of the barricades and greeted him with that hearty 
 cheering peculiar to the English when they desire to wel 
 come a stranger of distinction. 
 
 Just as much en'chusiasm was manifested as on the occu 
 sion of the visits of the Sr.ah, todr years before, and when 
 Garibaldi took the Emperor of the French by surprise and 
 accepted an ovation such as will never be fbrgottep by 
 those who witnessed it at the Mansion House. 
 
 As Grant alighted, he was met by a deputation ol 
 London Aldermen, arrayed in their gorgeous crimson 
 robes and with the gold chains of office glittering in the 
 sunlight. As he passed on into the corridor, a company of 
 the City Guards and Yeomen presented arms and the 
 crowd again gave a long cheer. It was a brilliant scene. 
 
 The distinguished party were then escorted into the 
 library. Here the scene became bewildering in its antique 
 splendor. The stately hall, with its stately alcoves lined 
 with books, and its many colored windows which blushed in 
 the golden sunlight, the ladies attired in their variegated 
 ipring toilets, the Aldermen in scarlet and the CoundlnMMi 
 
224 OBNKKAI. U. S. GRANT'* 
 
 in their mazarine robes, all presented an ensemble at onoo 
 charming and inspiring. The band played " Hail Colum' 
 bia " aa the party entered. 
 
 General Grant walked in a dignified and self-possessed 
 manner toward the Mayor's chair, and took a seat to the 
 left of the dais, amid the most cordial cheering. The 
 City Chamberlain arose, and read the formal address on 
 behalf of the Mayor, tendering to the General the right 
 hand of fellowship, and referring at length to the fact that 
 he was the first President of the American Republic who 
 had been elevated to the dignity of citizenship of the city 
 of London. 
 
 Alluding to th< kindness extended by America to the 
 Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur, he said the corpor- 
 ation received General Grant, desiring to compliment the 
 General and the country in his person by conferring on him 
 the honorary freedom of their ancient city, a freedom exist- 
 ing eight centuries before his ancestors landed on Ply- 
 mouth Rock — nay, even before the time of the Norman 
 Conqueror. London, in conferring the honor, recognized 
 the distinguished mark he has left on American history, 
 his magnanimity, his triumphs and his consideration for hir 
 vanquished adversaries. It also recognized the conciliatofy 
 policy of his administration. 
 
 They, the corporation, fervently hoped he would enjoy 
 his visit to England; that he might live long, and be 
 spared to witness the two great branches of the Anglo- 
 Saxon family go on in their career of increasing amity and 
 mutual respect, in an honest rivalry for the advancement 
 of the peace, the liberty and the morality of mankind. 
 
 In conclusion, the speaker said : "Nothing now remains, 
 General, but that I should present to you an illuminated 
 copy of the resolution of this honorable court, for the 
 reception of which an appropriate casket is preparing, and, 
 finally, to offer you, in the name of this honorable court^ 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 235 
 
 the right hand of fellowship u a citizen of London." 
 The Chamberlain then shook General Grant's right hand 
 amid loud cheering. 
 
 Grant arose, and very briefly and appropriately thanked 
 the court for the distinguished honor, and then signed his 
 name to the roll of honor, with the Clerk and Chamberlain 
 as compurgators. 
 
 The gold casket, containing the freedom of the city, is 
 in the cinque cento style, oblong, the corners mounted by 
 American eagles, and beautifully decorated. On the 
 reverse side is a view of the entrance to the Guildhall, and 
 an appropriate inscription. At the ends are two figures, 
 also in gold, finely modeled and chased, representing the 
 city of London and the United States, and bearing their 
 respective shields, the latter executed in rich enamel. At 
 the comers are double columns laurel wreathed with com 
 and cotton, and on the cover a cornucopia, emblematic of 
 the fertility and prosperity of the United States. The 
 rose, shamrock and thistle are also introduced. The cover 
 is surmounted by the arms of the city of London. The 
 casket is supported by American eagles, modeled and 
 chased in gold, the whole standing on a velvet plinth deco- 
 rated with stars and stripes. 
 
 The company then proceeded to the banqueting hall, 
 where seats had been provided for one thousand guests. 
 The Lord Mayor presided. At his right sat General and 
 Mrs. Grant, Minister and Mrs. Pierrepont, General 
 Badeau and Jesse Grant. 
 
 Among the distinguished guests present, were Sir Staf- 
 ford Northcote, Lord and Lady Tenderden, Mr. Stans- 
 field, Mr. A. E. Foster, several peers prominent in the 
 house of lords, a number of the members of the house of 
 commons, consuls, merchants, and other citizens of Lon- 
 don. 
 
 Tbe room was decorated with miniature English and 
 
k.26 OSNBRAL V. 1. GRANT't 
 
 American flags, and the tables presented an intereatmg 
 and artistic appearance. 
 
 After the dejeuner, the toastmaster, dressed in a gor- 
 geous silk sash formed of stars and stripes, arose, and the 
 bugle sounded. The first toast was ««The Queen," the sec- 
 ond was " The Health of General Grant," which wa* 
 received by the guests standing, and amid great cheering. 
 
 The Lord Mayor then said : "I, as chief magistrate 
 of the city of London, and on the part of the corporation, 
 offer you as hearty a welcome as the sincerity of language 
 can convey. Your presence here, as the late President of 
 the United States, is especially gratifying to all classes of^ 
 the community, and we feel that, although this is your first 
 visit to England, it is not a stranger we greet, but a tried 
 and honored friend. Twice occupying, as you did, the 
 exalted position of President of the United States, and, 
 therefore, one of the foremost representatives of that coun- 
 try, we confer honor upon ourselves by honoring you. Let 
 me express both the hope and the belief that, when yon 
 take your departure, you will feel that many true friends 
 of yours {personally, and also of your countrymen, have 
 been left behind. I have the distinguished honor to pro- 
 pose to your health. May you long live to enjoy the best 
 of health and unqualified happiness." 
 
 General Grant's reply was made with deep emotion, and 
 was simply to return his thanks for the unexpected honoi 
 paid him, and his desire to say much more for their brilliant 
 reception than he could express. 
 
 ♦♦ The United States " was coupled with the name of 
 Mr. Pierrepont, who responded in a happy speech, com- 
 plimenting Grant and England. The final toast was "■ The 
 city of London," and responded to by the Lord Mayor. 
 The company then dispersed with " three cheers for Gen- 
 eral Grant and the United States." 
 
 After leaving the Guildhall, the company proceeded 
 
TOUB AROUND THE WORLD. 22'; 
 
 to the Mansion House, at the corner of what was once 
 the famous Bucklesbury and Poultry. Here they took 
 coffee with the Mayor. 
 
 Then the Mayor's state carriage was ordered, and they 
 drove over to Sydenham to the crystal palace, arriving at 
 the main entrance at half past four o'clock p. m. They 
 were received with the most boisterous enthusiasm. There 
 were at least thirty thousand persons present. A tour ot 
 the vast building was rapidly made, the party dining in the 
 west wing. General Grant avoided all demonstrations 
 made by the crowd. When darkness set in, Grant was 
 escorted to the place of honor in the Queen's corridor of the 
 palace, where he remained for some time smoking and 
 chatting with his friends and their ladies. 
 
 A grand display of fireworks took place during the 
 evening. The principal pyrotechnic display pieces were 
 the portrait of Grant and the capitol at Washington, which 
 were received with prolonged cheers. 
 
 At about eleven o'clock the demonstration finished, 
 and the party returned to town in their carriages. Gen- 
 eral Grant, on parting with the Mayor, expressed his ex- 
 treme gratification and pleasure. 
 
 On the i6th, General and Mrs. Grant dined with the 
 Marquis of Lome and the Princess Louise, at Kensington 
 castle; on the i8th, at breakfast with Mr. George W. 
 Smalley, correspondent New York Tribune. Everything 
 was recherche, and the company of the choicest. Among 
 the guests were Professor Huxley, the scientist; Matthew 
 Arnold, Sir Charles Dilke, Sir Frederick Pollock, Robert 
 Browning, A. W. Kinglake, Anthony Trollope, Tom 
 Hughes, Meredith Townsend, Frank Hill, Right Honorable 
 James Stanfield, and many others. 
 
 ,In the evening General Grant was the guest of the 
 Reform club. Earl Granville presiding. The party num- 
 bered forty, and represented the liberal ideas which the club 
 
228 GENERAL U. S, 
 
 sets itself the task of embodying. The dinner itself was 
 among the finest ever given in London, the cuisine of this 
 association of liberal gentlemen being celebrated all over 
 the world, and free from all danger of its cAe;'" ever being 
 called on to fight for his reputation in the courts, as the 
 Napoleon of the soup tureen who composes banquets for 
 a rival club was obliged to do of late. The table was a 
 picture in itself, not to speak of the good things between 
 the top and bottom of the menu. 
 
 Earl Granville, as soon as the cloth was removed, pro- 
 posed the health of Her Majesty the Queen. To this the 
 Right Honorable William E. Forster responded in a 
 singularly eloquent speech. In the course of his remarks 
 he referred to the great services of General Grant in the 
 cause of human freedom. He dwelt with particular em- 
 phasis upon the importance to civilization of the cultivation 
 of amicable relations between the two great countries, Eng- 
 land and the United States. With great felicity he pictured 
 the results of such a state of friendliness, and elicited con- 
 tinued cheering. Passing on to a more practical branch of 
 his subject, he amplified upon the opportunities for ad- 
 vancement to the human race, which a hearty concord 
 between the two nations would give. He saw in it the ac- 
 celeration of discoveries in every branch of science, the 
 material progress of the masses and the setting up of loftier 
 standards of private taste and public virtue. 
 
 Earl Granville proposed the health of " the Illustrious 
 Statesman and Warrior, General Ulysses S. Grant," al- 
 luding in the course of his pithy speech to the beneficent 
 results accruing to both nations from the settlement of the 
 Alabama Claims. " England and America," he said, "nay, 
 riviljzation throughout the universe, recognize in General 
 Grant one of those extraordinary instruments of Divine 
 Providence bestowed in its beneficence to the human race.'' 
 
 Upon rising to reply, General Grant was greeted with 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 229 
 
 a perfect storm of applause. "I am overwhelmed," he 
 ■aid, "with the kindness shown by Englishmen to me 
 and expressed to America. I regret that I am unable ade- 
 quately to express, even with the temptation to do go of 
 the omnipresent enterprise of the New York Herald 
 [cheers] — ^to express my thanks for the manifold fraternal 
 courtesies I have received. Words would fail, especially 
 within the limitations of a public speech, to express my 
 feelingfs in this regard. I hope, when an opportunity is 
 offered me of calmer and more deliberate moments, to put 
 on record my grateful recognition of the fraternal senti- 
 ments of the English people, and the desire of America to 
 render an adequate response." " The speech of Earl Gran- 
 ville," he continued, " has inspired thoughts in my bosom 
 which it is impossible for me adequately to present. Never 
 have I lamented so much as now my poverty in phrases to 
 give due expression to my affection for the mother country." 
 
 General Grant spoke under the pressure of unusual 
 feeling, and continued with unusual eloquence to express 
 the hope that his words, so far as they had any value, would 
 be heard in both countries and lead to the union of the 
 English speaking people and the fraternity of the human 
 race. During the delivery of his speech the applause and 
 cheering was almost continuous while he was on his feet, 
 The dinner was the greatest demonstration yet made in the 
 ex-President's honor. 
 
 The interest taken by the American public in the move 
 ments of General Grant not only concern* itself with the 
 honors showered upon the great soldier, but also partakes 
 of cifriosity to observe what effect all this will have upon 
 the man. He has always been individually an object of 
 speculation. 
 
 During the war, people studied his cigar stumps, and 
 we all remember what Lincoln, judging by results, thought 
 •f bis brand of whisky. His silence was symbolical, and 
 
e^er partisans, and often the nation, grasped at hk cented^ 
 tious utterances — if not as the rallying cries of new ideas, 
 at least as old ones put into fighting form. From operating 
 on millions of men he has become a being to be operated 
 on. Princes, dukes, earls, marquises, viscounts, have him 
 within short range, and fire dinners and receptions at him. 
 Princesses, duchesses, marchionesses, open all their batter- 
 ies and smiles and soft speech upon him. The heavy shot 
 of statesmen, scientists and philanthropists bang into his 
 brain. British brass bands blaze away at him, British 
 crowds let fly volleys of cheers at him, and away ahead are 
 seen the ammunition trains of the nobility, gentry and com- 
 mon people, coming up with more dinners, receptions, civic 
 honors, brass bands and cheers. Almost enough to maka 
 u« pity hmu How will he come owt of the ordeal? 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 GRANT IN ENGLAND. 
 
 The following letter, written by Gen. Grant to Georg« 
 W. Child*, of Philadelphia, will be o£ general interest: 
 •'London, Eng., June i6, 1877. 
 
 "My Dear Mr. Childs : — After an unusually stormy 
 passage for any season of the year, and continuous sea- 
 sickness generally among the passengers after the second 
 day out, we reached Liverpool Monday afternoon, the 28th 
 of May. Jesse and I proved to be among the few good 
 sailors. Neither of us felt > moment's uneasiness during 
 the voyage. 
 
 "I had proposed to leave Liverpool immediately on arri- 
 val, and proceed to London, where I knew our Minister had 
 made arrangements for a formal reception, and had accepted 
 for me a few invitations of courtesy ; but what was my sur- 
 prise to find nearly all the shipping in port at Liverpool 
 decorated with flags of all nations, and from the mainma.it 
 of each the flag of the Union was most conspicuous. 
 
 "The docks were lined with as many of the population 
 as could find standing room, and the streets, to the hotel 
 where it was understood my party would stop, were packed. 
 The demonstration was, to all appearances, as heaxtf and 
 as enthusiastic as at Philadelphia on our departure. 
 
 "The Mayor was present with his state carriage, to con- 
 vey us to the hotel, and after that to his beautiful country 
 residence, some six miles out, where we were entertained 
 >* <i;nner with a small oartv of 2entlemen« «nd remained 
 
232 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 over night. The following day a large party was given at 
 the official residence of the Mayor, in the city, at which 
 there were some one hundred and fifty of the distinguished 
 citizens and officers of the corporation present. Pressing 
 invitations were sent from most of the cities of the kingdom 
 to have me visit them. I accepted for a day at Manchester, 
 and stopped a few moments at Leicester, and at one other 
 place. The same hearty welcome was shown at each place, 
 as you have no doubt seen. 
 
 "The press of the country has been exceedingly kind 
 and courteous. So far I have not been permitted to travel 
 in a regular train, much less in a common car. The Mid- 
 land j'oad, which penetrates a great portion of the island, 
 including Wales and Scotland, have extended to me the 
 courtesy of their road, ^nd a Pullman car to take me 
 wherever I wish to go during the whole of my stay in 
 England. We arrived in London on Monday evening, the 
 30th of May, when I found our Minister had accepted 
 engagements for me up to the 27th of June, having but a 
 few spare days in the interval. 
 
 "On Saturday last we dined with the Duke of Welling- 
 ton, and last night the formal reception at Judge Pierre- 
 pont's was held. It was a great success, most brilliant in 
 the numbers, rank and attire of the audience, and was 
 graced by the presence of every American in the city who 
 had called on the minister or left a card for me. I doubt 
 whether London has ever seen a private house so elabo- 
 rately or tastefully decorated as was our American minis- 
 ter's last night. I am deeply indebted to him for the pains 
 he has taken to make my stay pleasant, and the attentions 
 extended to our country. I appreciate the fact, and am 
 proud of it, that the attentions I am receiving are intended 
 more for our country than for me personally. I love to see 
 our country honored and respected abroad, and I am proud 
 to b^eve that it is by most all nations, and by some even 
 
roVK AROUND THE WORLD. ^ 233 
 
 loved. It has always been my desire to see all jealousy 
 between England and the United States abated, and every 
 sore healed. Together they are more powerful for the 
 spread of commerce and civilization than all others com- 
 bined, and can do more to remove causes of wars by cre- 
 ating moral interests that would be so much endangered 
 by war. 
 
 "I have written very hastily, and a goud deal at length, 
 but I trust this will not bore you. Had I written for publi- 
 cation, I should have taken more pains. 
 
 ««U. S. Grant." 
 
 On the 19th, General and Mrs. Grant, Minister and 
 Mrs. Pierrepont, and Consul-General Badeau, dined at 
 Marlborough House with the Prince of Wales. The din- 
 ner was a full dress affair. Earls Beaconsfield, Derby and 
 Granville, and the leading members of the government, 
 were present. The ex-President occupied the seat of honor 
 at the table. The dinner proved one of the most enjoyable 
 since the General's arrival. 
 
 On the 20th, a deputation waited on ex-President Grant 
 at General Badeau's house, to present an address and ex- 
 press gratitude for his aid in procuring from the government 
 of the United States recognition of the claims of Mrs. 
 Carroll, whose husband was killed in a naval engagement 
 during the American war. The deputation was presented 
 by Mr. Mullaly. Dr. Brady, M. P., said he had been 
 greatly gratified, as had all Irishmen to whom he had 
 spoken, at the reception of General Grant in this country. 
 
 The General said it was very gratifying to him to 
 know that a case, no doubt worthy and deserving, had been 
 righted, and that this act of justice had been performed un- 
 der his government. As to himself, he was simply the 
 executive, and could claim no credit in the matter further 
 t hyn for having approved what was done. The government 
 
234 . OHNHRAL. U. S. 
 
 of the United States was much like that of England, and 
 was divided into three branches, each distinct and independ- 
 ent. Of course, his own branch had its share in urging 
 the claims of this case, but without legislative action nothing 
 could have been done. 
 
 On the 2 1st, ex-President Grant dined at the residence 
 of Minister Pierrepont. The Prince of Wales was pres- 
 ent, attended by Major General Sir Dighton Probyn, con- 
 troller of his household. General Grant sat on the right 
 of the prince, and Mrs. Pierrepont on the left. Mrs. Grant 
 sat opposite the Prince, having the Duke of Richmond on 
 her right and Mr. Pierrepont on her left. Mesdames Grant 
 and Pierrepont were the only ladies present. The other 
 guests were the Turkish, Austrian, German, French, Italia* 
 and Russian ambassadors; the Dukes of Argyle, Welling- 
 ton and Westminster; the Marquises of Salisbury, Hertford 
 and Lansdowne; the Earls of Beaconsfield, Derby and 
 Carnarvon; Earls Granville and Manvers; Lords Caime, 
 Manners and Houghton, also Sir Stafford Northcote; Mr. 
 Cross, Home Secretary; Mr. Gawthome Hardy, Mr. Hop- 
 pan, Mr. Beckwith and Jesse Grant. 
 
 On the 32d, a special performance at the London Royal 
 Italian Opera was given in honor of General Grant. The 
 house was filled. General and Mrs. Grant and General 
 Badeau arrived at half-past eight. The curtain immediately 
 rose, disclosing Mile. Albani and the full chorus of the 
 company, behind whom was a group of American flags. 
 Mile. Albani sang the « Star Spangled Banner," with the 
 full chorus and orchestra. General Grantj for the first time 
 since his arrival in England, was dressed in the full uniform 
 of a major general. The entire audience rose on the Gener- 
 al's entrance, and remained standing during the singing, as 
 did also the General and wife. After the song was fin- 
 iahed, he was loudly applauded and bowed in response. 
 
tOU» AROUND THft WORL0. 235 
 
 General Grant was obliged to leave early to go to the 
 Queen's ball at Buckingham Palace. The General's box 
 was decorated with flowers. 
 
 On the 34th, General Grant was present at a banquet 
 given by the corporation of Trinity House. The Prince 
 of Wales presided. Prince Leopold, Prince Christian, the 
 Prince of Leinington, the Prince of Saxe- Weimar, the 
 Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Hertford, the Earl of 
 Derby, the Earl of Carnarvon, Sir Stafford Northcote, 
 Mr. Cross, and Chief Justice Sir Alexander Cockburn, 
 were among the distinguished company present. 
 
 The Prince of Wales, referring to General Grant, in 
 the course of his speech, said : " On the present occasion 
 it is a matter of peculiar gratification to us as Englishmen 
 to receive as our guest General Grant. I cmi assure him 
 for myself, and for all loyal subjects of the Queen, that it 
 has given us the greatest pleasure to see him as a guest in 
 this country." 
 
 Earl Carnarvon proposed the health of the visitors, and 
 coupled with it General Grant's name. 
 
 He said " Strangers of all classes, men of letters, arts, 
 science, state, and all that has been most worthy and great, 
 have, as it were, come to this center of old civilization. I 
 venture, without disparagement to any of those illustrious 
 guests, to say that never has there been one to whom we 
 willingly accord a freer, fuller, heartier welcome than we 
 do to General Grant on this occasion — not merely because 
 we believe he has performed the part of a distinguished 
 general, nor because he has twice filled the highest office 
 which the citizens of his great country can fill, but because 
 we look upon him as representing that good will and affec- 
 tion which ought to subsist between us and the United 
 States. It has been my duty to be connected with the 
 great Dominion of Canada, stretching several thousand 
 milea along the frontier of the United States, and during 
 
236 OENBRAl, U. B. GRANT'B 
 
 the last three or four years I can tnithfiilly say that noth- 
 ing impressed me more than the interchange of friendly 
 and good offices which took place between the two coun- 
 tries under the auspices of President Grant." 
 
 General Grant replied that he felt more impressed than 
 he had possibly ever felt before on any occasion. He came 
 here under the impression that this was Trinity House, and 
 that trinity consisted of the army, navy, and peace. He 
 thought it was a place of quietude, where there would be 
 no talk or toasts. He had been, therefore, naturally sur- 
 prised at hearing both. He had heard some remarks from 
 His Royal Highness which compelled him to say a word in 
 resjxjnse. He begged to thank His Highness for these 
 remarks. There had been other things said during the 
 evening highly gratifying to him. Not the least gratify- 
 ing was to hear that there were occasionally in this country 
 paoty fights as well as in America. He had seen before 
 now a war between three departments of the state, the 
 executive, the judicial, and the legislative. He had not 
 seen the political parties of England go so far as that. He 
 would imitate their chaplain, who had set a good example 
 of oratory ^— that was shortness — and say no more than 
 simply thank His Royal Highness and the company on 
 behalf of the visitors. 
 
 This reception at Windsor Castle, on the 36th, may be 
 regarded as the culmination of the remarkable social atten- 
 tions which were bestowed on General Grant in such pro- 
 fuse abundance during his visit to England. No such 
 honor',, nor anything approaching them, have ever before 
 been paid to an American citizen. While their distinguished 
 recipient modestly regards them as a compliment to 
 his country rather than to himself, it is pretty safe to say 
 that there is no other American citizen through whom such 
 honors to our Republic would have been possible. The 
 English people feel| as all mankind in all ages have felt, 
 

 r ?:'<*'" 't ri 
 
 
 bv.J 
 
 ,'i "T i 
 
 II 
 
 
 III I ll "f 
 
 
 W 
 
 as./'-/' ^ " : 
 
 Kii'i 
 
 
 .^^.^5.jr^^i^.,,l#illi 
 
VOVS AKOVND TBI WORLD. 339 
 
 the magic of great military names. It ia General Grant'i 
 resplendent and successful career as a soldier, rather than the 
 fact that he has been twice elected the chief magistrate of » 
 great country, that has broken down so many social barri- 
 ers in his favor. His quiet and undemonstrative personal 
 manners have contributed to his favorable reception. He 
 is such a contrast to the offensive bumptiousness too often 
 exhibited by Americans, that Englishmen are ready to 
 concede a great deal more than he would ever think of 
 claiming for himself. While his splendid reception is no 
 doubt a compliment to the American people, it is also a great 
 personal compliment to the only man who could have 
 evoked such a series of demonstrations. 
 
 General Grant and wife left London by the five p. m. 
 train from Paddington, and arrived at Windsor at thirty- 
 five minutes past five. The Mayor, several members of the 
 corporation, and a number of spectators, were assembled 
 on the platform to witness the arrival. The General and 
 Mrs. Grant, who were accompanied by Minister Pierre- 
 pont, were conveyed in one of Her Majesty's carriages to 
 the castle, where they were received by the Queen at the 
 bottom of the staircase at the Queen's entrance, and con- 
 ducted through the state corridor to the white drawing 
 room. After a short interview, General Grant and wife 
 were conducted to apartments over the Waterloo Gallery, 
 overlooking the Home Park. In the evening a grand 
 dinner party was given in General Grant's honor. 
 
 Dinner was served in Oak Room, according to custom, 
 which reserves St George's Hall for state banquets. The 
 party was small, because etiquette requires that the Queen 
 shall converse with every guest. 
 
 The introductions were made as follows: Minister 
 Pierrepont, advancing, introduced General Grant; then 
 Lord Derby stepped forward with Mrs. Grant. The Queen 
 •book hands with them, whil« the ladies in waitiog »iiopl| 
 
240 OKNKRAL V. S. GRANT'S 
 
 bowed. Thu formality at an end, the gentlemen led tha 
 waj to the Oak Room. The Queen sat at the head of the 
 table. On her right were respectively Prince Leopold, 
 I'rincess Christian and General Grant; on her left Prince 
 Christian, Princess Beatrice and Minister Pierrepont, Then 
 came the Duchess of Wellington, Lord Elphinstone utd 
 Mrs. Pierrepont; Lord Derby and Mrs. Grant; the Duch- 
 ess of Roxburgh and Lord Biddulph; the Countess of 
 Derby and Jesse Grant. 
 
 During the dinner, the band of the Grenadier Guards, 
 under Dan Godfrey, played in the quadrangle. The en- 
 joyment of the party was unconstrained, the Queen taking 
 a prominent part in the lively conversation, during which 
 all kinds of topics were discussed, American and English, 
 political and social. The Princess Beatrice is a brilliant 
 conversationalist, and she was particularly interesting on 
 many American social topics, which she thoroughly under- 
 stood. 
 
 Most of the ladies were all dressed in black with white 
 trimmings, owing to the deaths recently of the Queen of 
 Holland and the Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt. The Queen 
 was attired in a similar style, but her toilet comprised a 
 very magnificent array of diamonds. 
 
 After dinner, the Queen's party proceeded to the corridor, 
 for the purpose of enabling the visitors to examine it more 
 closely. Here they met another party from the Octagon, 
 and a lively conversation ensued, during which Her Majesty 
 talked with every person present. 
 
 At about ten o'clock Her Majesty shook hands with her 
 lady guests, bowed to the gentlemen, and retired, followed 
 by other members of the royal family present. 
 
 The guests then entered one of the magnificent draW'* 
 iag-Fooms along the east front, where they were enter* 
 tained by the Queex's private band. 
 
 Refreshments having been served, General Grant aai 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 341 
 
 Minister Pierrepont played whist with the Duchesses <rf 
 Wellington and Roxburgh, during which, of course, the 
 gentlemen were beaten. Mr. Pierrepont played badly; so 
 did the ex-President. 
 
 At half-past eleven o'clock, the Americans retired to the 
 rooms, which were in a different part of the palace. 
 
 The following morning. General and Mrs. Grant were 
 driven in the great park, in a carriage usually used by the 
 Queen, at half-past ten. He, with Americans, accompanied 
 by Mr. Ward Hunt, first Lord of the Admiralty, and Colonel 
 Gardiner, went to the station and took the train for Bish- 
 op's road (Paddingtoh). 
 
 A state concert was given at Buckingham Palace at 
 nightw General Grant and Mrs. Grant, the Emperor and 
 Empress of Brazil, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the 
 Duke and Duchess of Teck, Prince Christian and the 
 Princess. Helena, the Princess Louise and the Marquis of 
 Lome and the Duke of Cambridge were present 
 
 On the 28th, Liverpool again honors General Grant 
 with a grand banquet. Upwards of two hundred gentle- 
 men, including representatives of all public bodies in the 
 town, attended the banquet, which was held in the large 
 ballroom of the town hall, and was a very grand affair. 
 General Grant, who was in the uniform of a major general, 
 was received with the greatest enthusiasm. He sat on 
 the right of the Mayor. Next to General Grant sat Lieu- 
 tenant General Sir Henry de Bathe, commander of the 
 forces in the northern district. • 
 
 The Mayor, proposing General Grant's health, spoke 
 of the sterling qualities he possessed as a soldier, which had 
 enabled him to restore peace and prosperity to his country. 
 
 General Grant, responding, said the reception he encoun- 
 tered in Great Britain was far beyond his expectation, and 
 was such as any living person might well be proud of. He 
 believed, however, that it was indicative of the fiiendly 
 
2^2 6EKKRAL V. *. GRANT'S 
 
 relations which existed between two peoples, who were of 
 one kindred blood and civilization. He hoped that friend- 
 •hip would continue to be cultivated and long endure. 
 Referring to some remarks relative to the British army, he 
 said there were as many soldiers now at Aldershott as in 
 the regular army of the United States, which had a frontier 
 of thousands of miles; but if necessary the United States 
 could raise volunteers, and he and Mr. Fairchild were 
 examples of what those volunteers were. 
 
 On the 30th, General Grant attended a dinner given by 
 a personal friend belonging to the American press, at 
 Grosvenor Hotel. The company numbered forty, consist- 
 ing chiefly of distinguished journalists of the London press, 
 and authors. There were no speeches, the dinner being 
 rtrictly a social and private one. 
 
 On the 3d of July, a deputation of forty men, each 
 representing a dififerent trade, and representing altogether 
 •bout one million English workingmen, waited upon Gen- 
 eral Grant at Consul General Badeau's house, and presented 
 him an address, welcoming him to England, and assuring 
 him of their good wishes and deep regard for the welfare 
 and progress of America, where British workmen had al- 
 ways found a welcome. Impromptu speeches were ther 
 made by various members of the deputfttlun, all of whicli 
 were extremely cordial. 
 
 General Grant replied as follows: "In the name of 
 my country, I thank you for the address you have pre- 
 sented to me. I feel it a great compliment paid my gov- 
 ernment and one to me personally. Since my arrival on 
 British soil I have received great attentions, which were 
 intended, I feel sure, in the same way, for my country. I 
 have had ovations, free hand-shakings, presentations from 
 difieren^ classes, from the government, from the controlling 
 authorities of cities, and have been received in the cities by 
 tbe populace, but there ha« been no reception which I am 
 
TOU« AROUND TH« WOKU>. 
 
 243 
 
 prouder of than this to-day. I recognize the fact that what, 
 ever there is of greatness in the United States, as indeed in any 
 other country, is due to labor. The laborer is the author 
 of all greatness and wealth. Without labor there would 
 be no government, or no leading class, or nothing to pre- 
 serve. With us, labor is regarded as highly respectable. 
 When it is not so regarded, it is because man dishonors 
 labor. We recognize that labor dishonors no man; and, no 
 matter what a man's occupation is, he is eligible to fill. any 
 post in the gift of the people; his occupation is not consid- 
 ered in selecting, whether as a law maker or as an executor 
 of the law. Now, gentlemen, in conclui.ion, all I can do 
 ia to renew my thanks for the address, awd repeat what I 
 have said before, that I have received nothing from any 
 class since my arrival which has given me more pleasure." 
 
 After the speech there was an informal exchange of 
 courtesies, and the deputation then withdrew. 
 
 In the evening, a banquet was given by the United 
 Service Club. The Duke of Cambridge presided, having 
 on his right General Grant and Lord Hampton, and on his 
 left Minister Pierrepont and Lord Strathnairn. Admiral 
 Sir Charles Eden was the vice-president, having on his 
 right Sir George Sartorios, and General Sir William 
 Codington on his left. There was a very full attendance 
 of guests. 
 
 The Duke of Cambridge proposed the health of Gen- 
 eral Grant. The General, in reply, alluded to the visit of 
 the Prince of Wales to the United States. He said he 
 knew from all his friends, as well as of his own personal 
 knowledge, that His Royal Highness was received, as the 
 son of England's Queen, with the sincerest respect. He 
 thanked the company for their hospitality, which was one 
 of the greatest honors he Had received. 
 
 On the 4th, a reception was given at. the American 
 Legation, which was a social event of a very high order, and 
 
244 OKNBRAI. U. S. OKANT'S 
 
 ▼ery enjoyable throughout. It lasted from four until seven 
 o'clock. Nearly all the Americans in London, estimated 
 at over one thousand^ called during that time. A large 
 silk American flag hung over the entrance, and the interior 
 was beautifully decorated with flowers. Mr. and Mn. 
 Pierrepont, General and Mrs. Grant, received all the guests. 
 The reception closed with the singing of the " Star Span- 
 gled Banner " by Miss Abel, an American. 
 
 On the 5th, General and Mrs. Grant, their son, and 
 General Badeau, left London for the continent They were 
 accompanied to the station by a number of friends, and the 
 parting was most enthusiastic. With the exception of 
 brief stops at Tunbridge and Ashford, there was nothing 
 worthy of note. 
 
 A large crowd had collected at the Folkestone station 
 when the train arrived, and as General Grant alighted he 
 was loudly cheered. The Mayor's carriage was in waiting, 
 and the party were driven to the town hall. Here the 
 Mayor received them in his robes of office, surrounded by 
 the members of the town council and a large number of 
 citizens. As the clerk to the corporation read the address, 
 the whole assemblage remained standing. The addreu 
 recited the idea of honoring the General for his deeds in 
 the battle-field, and concluded by expressing the wish that 
 he might have a third term as President of the United 
 States, and advancing the opinion that he would. In his 
 reply the ex-President ignored this. He thanked them, as 
 he said he did all their countrymen, for their kindness and 
 courtesy. He believed it would be to the mutual interests 
 of the two great English-speaking nations to maintain the 
 friendly relations which now existed. England and 
 America must lead in commerce and civilization. He also 
 expressed his gratification at the settlement of the Alabama 
 claims, which had been referred to. But be carefuUj 
 iToided any allusion to politics. 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 245 
 
 The reception over, the party started at once for the pier, 
 where the steamer Vittoria was waiting to convey them to 
 Ostend, Belgium. The American flag was seen^ flying 
 among the shipping in the harbor, in honor of the town's 
 guest A great crowd had gathered again at the pier, and 
 cheered loudly as the Vittoria left and passed out into the 
 straits, the General bowing repeatedly from the bridge 
 of the steamer. General Grant's stay in England had been 
 made pleasant by honors which were extremely gratifying 
 to Americans. His excellent taste in ignoring the toady- 
 ism of the Englishman at Folkestone, shows how quickly 
 the General could resent such a piece of impertinence, and 
 that he thought, correctly, that foreigners have no busiaeia 
 with our politiOi 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 ON THB CONTINENT. 
 
 General Grant arrived at Brussels, Belgium, at six o'clock 
 on the evening of July 6, and proceeded to the Bellevue Hotel, 
 No ofScial feception was given him, as it was understood 
 that he was traveling incognito. Within an hour of his 
 arrival, an aide-de-camp of King Leopold visited the Gen- 
 eral, conveying from his royal master an invitation to din- 
 ner, and placing at his disposal his aides and the carriage of 
 state. In the evening General Grant dined with ex-Minis- 
 ter Sanford. Several Belgian functionaries were in attend- 
 ance at the board. 
 
 On the Sth, General Grant dined with the King and 
 royal family ; all the high officials of state and foreign min- 
 isters were present. King Leopold took Mrs. Grant to 
 dinner, and the ex-President had the honor of escorting the 
 Queen. On Sunday the King paid the General a visit, a 
 step which is considered by the Belgians as being a great 
 honor, as it is entirely out of the usual course. The Gen- 
 eral and Mrs. Grant visited the King and Queen in the after- 
 noon. On Monday morning all the foreign ministers in 
 Brussels called on the General, previous to his departure. 
 The King's aide-de-camp and members of the American 
 legation accompanied the party to the railway station. 
 During General Grant's stay he was treated with the great- 
 est distinction. 
 
 On the 9th, General Grant arrived at Cologne, and wae 
 raceired at the railway station by the American Consul, 
 
 346 
 
tOVK AKOVHC THB WOKLD. 2^y 
 
 President of Police, and the civil and military governors of 
 the city, the Emperor having commanded that every atten- 
 tion should be paid to their honored guest. At Cologne 
 the General visited several churches and the cathedral, and 
 made an excursion over the suspension bridge to Deutz, 
 returning by the bridge of boats. In the evening he was 
 serenaded at the Hotel du Nord, by a military band. 
 
 On the loth, he left Cologne, and proceeded up the 
 river Rhine, stopping at Bingen, Coblentz and Weisbaden, 
 reaching Frankfort on the 12th, where a grand reception 
 was given him at the Palmer-garten; the burgomaster 
 presided, and one hundred and twenty guests were present. 
 This included all the prominent officials of the town, offi- 
 cers of the garrison, and leading citizens. The banquet 
 hall was beautifully illuminated and decorated. After the 
 toasts to the Emperor and President Hayes had been drunk 
 and duly responded to, Henry Seligman, the banker, pro- 
 posed the health of General Grant. Mr. Seligman, in giving 
 the toast, made a few-appropriate remarks, in the course of 
 which he said that the General was universally honored anil 
 esteemed. General Grant, in reply, thanked the city of 
 Frankfort for the confidence it placed in the Union during 
 the late civil war. He concluded by drinking to the wel- 
 fare and prosperity of the city. At the conclusion of this 
 short speech, the General was given a magnificent ovation. 
 The guests rose to their feet and cheered lustily, and the 
 crowd outside, numbering six thousand people, caught up 
 the cheer, and were enthusiastic in their demonstrations of 
 
 welcome. 
 
 After the conclusion of the banquet, a grand ball was 
 given, at which the elite of the city was present. Jessf 
 Grant opened the ball with an American lady. 
 
 On the following day, General Grant visited Hamburg, 
 and held a reception, the chief burgomaster presenting the 
 guests. A grand concert was given in the grounds of the 
 
248 OBNSRAL V. a. ORANT'S 
 
 zoological garden afterward, which was attended by many 
 
 thousands of people. 
 
 On the 16th, General Grant spent several days in the 
 immediate vicinity of Lucerne and Interlaken, Switzerland, 
 whence he made excursions to the mountains in the vicin- 
 ity. On the 34th, we find him at Berne, Switzerland, 
 where he was received by the President of the Swiss Con- 
 federation. On the 37th, he was at Geneva, where he laid 
 the comer stone of a new American Protestant church in 
 that city. Large crowds were present, and hundreds of 
 American flags were displayed from the windows of citi- 
 zens' houses. The authorities of the city, and also the 
 English and American clergymen of Geneva, were present. 
 Speeches complimentary to General Grant were made by 
 M. Carteret, President of Geneva, and by several of the 
 principal clergymen. General Grant said, in replying to 
 tJie toast given to America, that the greatest honor he had 
 received since landing in Europe was to be among Amer- 
 icans, and in a republic, and in a city where so great a serv- 
 ice had been rendered to the Americans by a Swiss citizen 
 in the settlement of a question which might have produced 
 war, but which left no rancor on either side. On the 30th, 
 the General left Geneva for the North Italian lakes, Ahence 
 to Rag atz, where he spent several days for rest and recuper- 
 ttion with his brother-in-law, M. J. Cramer, American 
 Minister to Denmark. 
 
 On the 5th of August, General Grant went to Pallanza, 
 on Lake Maggiore; thence to Lake Como, stopping at 
 Bellagio; thence to Varese. At each of these points he 
 was received with great enthusiasm, his stay being one 
 grand round of festivities, each city seeming to vie with the 
 other in the hospitalities offered. At Lake Maggiore, ad- 
 dresses were made by the Mayor and an officer who served 
 under General Garibaldi. General Grant, in his reply, re- 
 ferred to the exceeding hospitality he had received, praised 
 
TOUR AROUND THI WORLD. 249 
 
 the general conduct of the people so far as he had seen 
 them, expressed his delight at the grand and lovely scenes 
 that had met his eye at every turn since he had crossed the 
 Alps, and concluded by saying, " There is one Italian whose 
 hand I wish especially to shake, and that man is General 
 Garibaldi." This allusion was greeted with a perfect storm 
 of applause. 
 
 On the 1 8th, the General visited Copenhagen, where 
 he was received with distinguished honors, and at Antwerp 
 a like cordial reception was given. 
 
 On the a5th, he returned to England, having made a 
 hurried and fatiguing continental tour, where he rested, 
 previous to accepting the urgent and flattering invitation to 
 ▼isit Scotland. 
 
 The fact that General Grant' ia named Ulysses, and 
 that, in making " the grand tour," has suggested a classic 
 comparison to the good-natured jokers of the obvious. It 
 seems, too, as though the General had determined to keep 
 up the character of the wandering king of Ithaca ; for the 
 heavy English journals, after slowly lifting their eyebrows 
 to the point of astonishment that Ulysses the Silent could 
 speak at all, have found the word " wise " to apply to what 
 he did utter. Indeed, one of them believed that the term 
 ulent was ironical, and as proof quoted from " his remark- 
 able speech " that sentence about fighting it out on a certain 
 line if it took all summer. Perhaps if we use a society 
 phrase, and say that General Grant has been " happy " in his 
 recent after-dinner utterances, we shall come nearer the 
 mark. When there are certain unpleasant topics that might 
 be touched on, it is " happy " to avoid them at such times; 
 and when the speaker who ignores them plunges into plati- 
 tudes about •* common blood and kindred peoples," he may 
 be called felicitous when he is only politely adroit. In 
 England, for instance, the General kept clear of blockade 
 runners and Confederate scrip, and, when the Alabama waa 
 
250 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 forced before him, only touched on that piratical craft as a 
 Rort of blessing in disguise to both peoples. On the othei 
 hand, he was overwhelmingly unctuous in calling the En- 
 glish our blood relations, making the glasses dance on the 
 festive board with the thunderous applause he evoked from 
 noble lords and lofty commoners. 
 
 In Frankfort, however, he had a chance to say a 
 " happy" thing, and he said it. In Frankfort they bought 
 our bonds, when it was vital to the nation that our securi- 
 ties should find purchasers. To be sure, they made a good 
 thing of it, for they bought them cheap; but England and 
 poor generals had cheapened them. Hence it was a " hap- 
 py" thing for the soldier who brought our "boys" and our 
 bonds "out of the wilderness" — the former to Richmond, 
 and the latter to par and beyond — to tell the Frankforters 
 how well they had stood by the Union in its darkest days. 
 There was much good German blood spilled in the cause 
 of the Union, so that his hearers were aware that the Gen- 
 eral referred to heart-strings as well as purse-strings in his 
 compliment to them. So, also, at Geneva, his compliment 
 to the representative whose "casting vote" turned the 
 scales in the Geneva award was not forgotten; in fact, the 
 General seemed to be in a " happy " vein, complimenting 
 without stint. This change, or rather drawing out of Gen- 
 eral Grant^s thoughts, will surprise none more than his inti- 
 mate friends, who have known him only by worka, no< 
 words. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 RETURN TO GREAT BRITAIN. 
 
 The freedom of the dty of Edinburgh was presented to 
 General Grant on the 31st of August, He left London in 
 a Pullman car. On the way from London — four hundred 
 miles — the scenery was exceedingly attractive. All through 
 England and in the south of Scotland, the country is a 
 perfect garden, and only when you get among the chilly 
 hills, valleys and crags of northern Scotland, do you feel 
 that you are getting into the open country. What a pity 
 that there are no forests to cover these beautiful and historic 
 mountains, where in centuries gone by the horns of the 
 leaders summoned the clans to bloody workl 
 
 The reception given to General Grant as each station 
 was reached, was whole-souled and fully meant hospitality. 
 At Carlisle — ^the dinner stopping-place — at Galashiels, Mel- 
 rose, Harwick, and a number of smaller towns in Scotland, 
 there were expressions of joy and enthusiasm that reminded 
 one of the railroad receptions that General Grant gets at the 
 towns of Illinois and Ohio. It seemed as though they knew 
 him perfectly well — his face, his history, etc. — for they 
 recognized him everywhere, and demanded as much hand- 
 shaking as could be done in the limited time the train was 
 to stay. Then the cheers and hurrahs always sounded in 
 the distance above the whistle of the locomotive. Mrs. 
 Grant was quite cheerful and talkative. She looked very 
 much better than when she left Washington, though she 
 s«id she was always in good health there. Washington 
 
 351 
 
353 OBNERAL U. S. GRANT'B 
 
 hat « slightly malarial atmosphere, and the complexion of t 
 Washingtonian changes for the better after a trip to 
 Europe. She enjoyed her European trip. She said her 
 lines of association there had always fallen in pleasant 
 places, and that she had been greatly pleased with every 
 acquaintance she made in Europe. Mrs. Grant is a quiet, 
 rather reserved lady, but one who impresses her associates 
 by her kind nature, her broad views upon the subject under 
 discussion, be it commonplace or important, and her sensible 
 ideas of life. She sprang from one of the best families of 
 the Mississippi Valley, well known and highly respected 
 since a hundred years and more ago, and her early training 
 was not lost. All the ladies who met her and became her 
 acquaintances at the White House, loved her, from first to 
 last 
 
 The freedom of the city of Edinburgh was presented 
 to ex-President Grant by Lord Provost Sir James Falshaw, 
 in Free Assembly Hall, two thousand persons being pres- 
 ent. In reply to the Lord Provost's speech. General Grant 
 said: 
 
 " I am so filled with emotion that I scarcely know how 
 to thank you for the honor conferred upon me by making 
 me a burgess of this ancient city of Edinburgh. I feel 
 that it is a great compliment to me and to my country. 
 Had I the proper eloquence, I might dwell somewhat on 
 the history of the great men you have produced, on the 
 numerous citizens of this city and of Scotland who have 
 gone to America, and the record they have made. We are 
 proud of Scotchmen as citizens of America. They make 
 good citizens of our country, and they find it profitable to 
 themselves. I again thank you for the honor conferred 
 upon me." 
 
 On September 1st, General Grant and party visited Tay 
 Bridge. One of the most striking features of the view 
 obtained from the deck of the little steamer is that of tbo 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. J55 
 
 bridge itself, which, as seen from some little distance com- 
 bines massiveness with airiness of stracture, impressing one 
 even more than the almost fairy-like span of the Menai 
 tubular bridge, or the larger and equally reputed, though 
 perhaps less elegant, viaduct across the HoUandsche Diep. 
 
 A few minutes' sailing brought the party to Wormi 
 Pier, on the south side of the river, and immediately under 
 the first span of Mr. Bouch's grand structure. At this 
 place Admiral Maitland Dougal, Mr. Matthew McDougfcl, 
 United States Consul at Dundee, and ex- Provost Ewao, 
 Dundee, were in waiting to do honor to the General, not to 
 speak of a numerous concourse of the public, comprising 
 seemingly most of the workmen connected with the bridge, 
 as well as many persons from the neighboring villages. 
 After landing. General Grant, Mrs. Grant and some others 
 were conducted to one of the rooms in the contractor's 
 of&ces, where Mr. Grothe, the resident engineer, explained, 
 with the aid of models and diagrams, the manner in which 
 the large piers of the bridge were constructed, mentioning 
 first that the bridge was designed on what is known as the 
 lattice-girder principle, and then stating that the piers were 
 built on shore, floated out between two barges to the de- 
 sired position in the river, sunk to a suitable fotmdation, 
 and then brought up to high-water mark. By means of 
 another working model, the manner in which the girders 
 were transported from, the shore was illustrated, it being 
 shown that the tide was the motive power by which masses 
 of iron work weighing as much as two hundred tons were 
 moved. The method by which these girders were raised 
 from the river to the required height of eighty-eight feet 
 above high-water mark, through the agency of hydraulic 
 apparatus, was also explained. 
 
 Describing the work generally, Mr. Grothe said there 
 were in all eighty -five spans, thirteen of which, over the 
 navigable part of the river, were each two hundred and 
 
255 GENEK.AI, U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 forty-five feet in length, and carried nearly two hundred 
 tons weight, while the smaller ones on either side of the 
 channel were from sixty -seven to one hundred and forty- 
 five feet long. It was further stated that considerable 
 progress had been made with the works during the present 
 season, and especially during the last month, nine spans, 
 of an aggregate weight of more than nine hundred tons, 
 having been lifted and fixed in their places within the 
 latter period, a feat which has been accomplished by 
 almost incessant work. In concluding his remarks, Mr. 
 Grothe stated that in the winter the shortness of the day 
 had of course been found very much against the progress 
 of the work, and that to get over this difficulty there were 
 used powerful electric lights, the currents for which were 
 generated by magneto-electric machines driven by a four- 
 horse-power engine. It was added that the bridge was 
 nearly completed, all the spans up forming a continuous 
 line, and the fixing of timber and laying of rails on the 
 top at present actively carried on. 
 
 On the 7th of September General Grant was presented 
 with the freedom of the city of Wick, and, in accepting, ^ 
 said : " During the eight years of my Presidency it was 
 my only hope, which I am glad to say was realized, that 
 all differences between the two nations should be healed 
 in a manner honorable to both. In my desire for that 
 result it was my aim to do what was right, irrespective of 
 any other consideration whatever. During all the nego- 
 tiations I felt the importance of maintaining friendly rela- 
 tions between the great English-speaking peoples, which 
 I believe to be essential to the maintenance of peace and 
 principle throughout the world." 
 
 On the 8th, at Inverness, General Grant was presented 
 with the freedom of the city, and a great reception given 
 him. 
 
 Ex-President Grant received the freedom of the city of 
 
TOUR AROUND The WORlvD. 257 
 
 Glasgow on the 13th. Replying to the address of the I^rd 
 Pi'ovost, he said that he would ever remember the day, 
 and when back in America would refer with pride to his 
 visit to Glasgow. He was so much a citizen of Scotland 
 that it would be a serious question where he would vote. 
 He thanked the I,ord Provost for his kind words and the 
 audience for its welcome. The parchment was contained 
 in a gold casket. The ceremony was witnessed by a large 
 crowd, and the General was enthusiastically cheered. A 
 banquet in his honor was given in the evening, but was 
 of a private character. 
 
 The reception of General Grant in Scotland was hearty 
 and continuously enthusiastic. There was not a day since - 
 the General came to Scotland that he was not overwhelmed 
 with kindnesses. 
 
 The enthusiasm of the Scotch people and the great atten- 
 tion shown to General Grant have a double significance. 
 I'he people of Scotland sympathized with the North during 
 the civil war, and always rejoiced when Grant or his gen- 
 erals won a victory. They have been curious to see the great 
 man they have talked so much about, and take great pride in 
 the fact that he is of Scotch descent. Hence the magnificent 
 ovations at Edinburgh, Dundee, Melrose, Ayr, Glasgow, 
 the Trossachs, and all the places at which he stopped. 
 
 The finest and most enthusiastic reception was given at 
 Glasgow. An immense hall, accommodating several thou- 
 sand persons, was, all but places for four hundred specially- 
 invited guests, thrown open to the public. The cheering 
 was so general and continuous that the ceremonies could 
 only with difficulty be heard. At night the grand banquet 
 at corporation hall was a splendid affair, embracing in the 
 niemi the viands and wines that make the best dinner Scot 
 land could furnish. Even tropical delicacies were in profu- 
 sion, and the wines were exceptionally fine and in great vari 
 
258 GBNBRAI, U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 ety. Several toasts were given, and speeches followed up 
 to eleven o'clock. 
 
 At this banquet the lyord Provost announced that 
 there were no reporters present, and the editors there were 
 expected' to let the speeches pass without comment, in 
 order that everybody could feel perfectly free in speaking. 
 General Grant, on this account, probably, made the long- 
 est speech of his life, and the lyord Provost was finally, 
 at the end of the feast, persuaded to jdeld his position 
 against newspaper enterprise. 
 
 The speech of General Grant was brought about by a 
 speech of Mr. Anderson, M. P., of Glasgow, wherein he 
 charged, turning to General Grant, that the United States 
 had gained a victory over Great Britain in the creation of 
 the Geneva arbitration. However, he said, Great Britain 
 had agreed to the Washington treaty, and while disap- 
 pointed with the result at Geneva, had stood manfully by 
 it. In view of this, and the fact that the United States 
 had completed the distribution of the award, and had some 
 $8,000,000 left after all claims had been satisfied, he would 
 be pleased to see the government return that amount in 
 the interests of concord and thorough amity. This was 
 said in -a half earnest, half joking way, but was met with 
 " Hear, hear," all along the tables. 
 
 General Grant in reply said that he had a great deal 
 to do with the negotiations concerning the Washington 
 treaty and that he had always felt that our government had 
 yielded too much to Great Britain in the matter. He was 
 determined, however, from the first, that, if possible, the 
 experiment of peaceful arbitration should prevail. It was 
 his ambition to live to see all national disputes settled in 
 this way. " I am called a man of war," said he, " but I 
 never was a man of war. Though I entered the army at 
 an early age, I got out of it whenever I found a chance to 
 
TOUR AROUND THB WORLD. 259 
 
 do SO creditably. I was always a man of peace, and I shall 
 always continue of that mind. Though I may not live to 
 see the general settlement of national disputes by arbitra- 
 tion, it will not be very many years before that system of 
 settlement will be adopted, and the immense standing 
 armies thkt are depressing Europe by their great expense 
 will be disbanded, and the arts of war almost forgotten in 
 the general devotion of the people to the development of 
 peaceful industries. I want to see, and I believe I will. 
 Great Britain, the United States and Canada joined with 
 common purpose in the advance of civilization, an invin- 
 cible community of English-speaking nations that all the 
 world beside could not conquer. ' ' The General went on in 
 this vein for some time, and finally again touched the Ala- 
 bama claims question. He said : ' ' There was one point in 
 connection with that matter that I was glad we yielded— 
 that was the indirect damage claim. I was always opposed 
 to it, because I feared the future consequences of such a 
 demand. In any future arbitration we would have been 
 placed at a great disadvantage by its allowance. After 
 that was settled we made our other demands, you made 
 yours. It was a long time before the Joint High Commis- 
 sion came together, but each side yielded here a bit and 
 there a bit, until about as good a treaty as we could expect 
 to get was completed. Mr. Anderson says many of the 
 people of Great Britain believe we got the best of the 
 bargain. I can assure you that we did not come out of 
 the discussion as much benefited as we should have been. 
 Many of our people were quite incensed, and fought the 
 confirmation of the treaty, claiming that its terms were not 
 broad enough to cover the losses of local interests, but a 
 very large majority determined to stand by it in the inter- 
 ests of peace and manly dealing with friends. We yielded 
 most than we intended to yield, but had gone so far into 
 the business of doing what we advocated that nine-tenths 
 
a6o GENBRAI< U. S, GRANT'S 
 
 of our people had no desire to recede. We did not want 
 war, or even a new arbitration. We had been satisfied 
 with the former, and the latter meant delay. We wanted 
 the question settled peacefully, at once and forever. As to 
 the $8,000,000 surplus Mr. Anderson mentions, I will 
 explain that briefly. After the $15,500,000 awarded at 
 Geneva was paid by Great Britain, the matter of its dis- 
 tribution was presented to Congress. It became necessary 
 to distribute it under the terms of the treaty, and it was 
 found that if the insurance companies which had received 
 war premiums were admitted to participation in the sum 
 it would not be large enough to go around. So they and 
 other parties were excluded. Congress will legislate 
 further in the matter, and the money will be distributed to 
 rightful claimants, so that it will not be necessary to dis- 
 cuss the question of returning it to Great Britain." The 
 General explained the workings of the, system of dis- 
 tributing the money, details of fact that are familiar to all 
 Americans. We cannot reproduce his speech in full, be- 
 cause lead pencils and note books were prohibited. But the 
 above, with expressive remarks touching his magnificent 
 receptions in Scotland, and the renewed expressions of 
 good feeling between Great Britain and the United States, 
 is his speech in carefully prepared substance. At the 
 end of it, the entire party, of perhaps two hundred per- 
 sons, applauded to the echo, and in this applause Mr. 
 Anderson was one of the most ardent participants. 
 
 General Grant's, visit to Newcastle-on-Tyne, on the 
 2 1 St, was the occasion of a most enthusiastic and remark- 
 able demonstration. During the day the visitors visited 
 the Exchange and other places of interest in Newcastle. 
 There were numerous banners along the route, and large 
 crowds of spectators. In the Exchange General Grant 
 received an address from the Chamber of Commerce, and, 
 replying, thanked the large and enthusiastic audience for its 
 
*OtJR AROtJND fHB WORtD. 26 1 
 
 kind reception, whicli was highly gratifying to him and 
 the American people, who would accept it as a token of 
 friendship between the two nations — he could not say two 
 peoples, for they were really one, having a common des- 
 tiny, which would be brilliant in proportion to theii 
 friendship. He referred to the honorable settlement of 
 all differences between England and America, and said 
 they ought not only keep peace with each other, but with 
 all the world, and by their example stop the wars which 
 are now devastating Europe. The speech was loudly 
 cheered. General Grant and the corporation then pro- 
 ceeded down the Tyne in a steamer, which was saluted 
 with guns from almost every factory on the banks, every 
 available spot on which was crowded with people. General 
 Grant stood on the bridge of the steamer during the greater 
 part of the voyage, bowing in response to repeated cheers. 
 The steamer stopped at Jarrow and Tynemouth, at both of 
 which places the municipal authorities presented most 
 cordial addresses. The ceremony was witnessed by large 
 and enthusiastic crowds. General Grant made suitable 
 replies, of similar tenor to his Newcastle speech. At 
 Tynemouth he said he had that day seen one hundred and 
 fifty thousand people leave their homes and occupations 
 to manifest friendship to America. The ex-President 
 held a reception at Newcastle in the evening. 
 
 A great demonstration of the workmen of Northum- 
 berland and Durham was held on the town moor of New- 
 castle in honor of General Grant. Twenty-two trade 
 societies participated in a procession , which occupied twenty 
 minutes in passing a given point. The number of persons 
 present on the moor was estimated at from forty to fifty 
 thousand. The demonstration had no precedent since 
 the great political meetings at the time of the Reform 
 Agitation. Mr. Thomas Burt, member of Parliament foi 
 Morpeth, presented a eulogistic address to General Grant, 
 
262 GENERAt TJ. S. GRANT'S 
 
 who said lie thanked the workingmen for their very wel- 
 come address, and thought this reception was the most 
 honorable he could meet with. Alluding to what Mr. 
 Burt had said concerning the late civil war, General Grant 
 declared he had always been an advocate of peace, but 
 when war was declared he went to the war for the cause 
 which he believed to be right, and fought to the best of 
 his ability to secure peace and safety to the nation. In 
 regard to the relations between America and England, 
 the General said that friendship now existed between the 
 two countries, which he fully believed was increasing, 
 and which would, in common with industry and civiliza- 
 tion, increase in the future. 
 
 On the same day the Mayor and Town Council of 
 Gateshead presented the ex-President with a congratulatory 
 address. General Grant expressed pleasure at his enthu- 
 siastic reception in all the towns in the North of England, 
 and said he was glad the good feeling between England 
 and America was wanner to-day than it had ever been. 
 A banquet was given in honor of Gene3-al Grant in the 
 evening, by the Mayor of Newcastle. In response to a 
 toast to his health, the General said his reception in New- 
 castle exceeded anything he had expected, and had been 
 the warmest and best he had had or could have had. 
 
 General Grant was met at Sunderland railway station 
 by the Mayor and Messrs. Gourley and Burt, members of 
 Parliament. The day was observed as almost a general 
 holiday. Nearly ten thousand members of trade and 
 friendly societies marched in procession. General Grant 
 was present at the laying of the foundation stone of the 
 library and museum. Replying to an address of the 
 friendly and trade societies, General Grant said he would 
 simjjly renew what he had said relative to the way in 
 which labor was regarded in the United States, and the 
 way in which he personally regarded it. 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 263 
 
 At Leamington, "Warwick, a grand reception was given 
 General Grant, and participated in by the Mayor and 
 leading citizens. 
 
 On arriving at Sheffield, on the 26th, General Grant 
 //as received at the railway station by the Mayor and cor- 
 poration. A procession then formed to the Cutlers' Hall, 
 where congratulatory addresses were presented by the Cor- 
 porated Cutlers' Company and the Chamber of Commerce, 
 to which General Grant briefly replied, referred to the 
 American tariff, and reminded his hearers that the United 
 States had to raise money to pay off the great debt incurred 
 by the war. The revenue from imports was regarded solely 
 as the means of attaining that end. If the United States 
 were to abolish the revenue from imports, foreign bond- 
 holders would very soon cry out when their interest was 
 not forthcoming. He added : "We get along well enough 
 with the payment of our debt, and will compete with you 
 Ln your manufactures in the markets of the world. The 
 more of your merchants and mechanics that go to Amer- 
 ica, the better. .Nothing pleases us more than the immi- 
 gration of the industry and intelligence of this community. 
 We have room for all, and will try to treat you as you 
 have treated me to-day. ' ' The General was loudly cheered. 
 
 The following evening a grand banquet was given in 
 his honor by the Mayor and corporation of Sheffield. The 
 proceedings were most enthusiastic and cordiaL 
 
 General Grant arrived at Stratford-on-Avon on the 
 28th, and met with a brilliant reception. His visit was 
 made the occasion of a festival, in which the whole town 
 took part. The houses were decorated with flags, among 
 which the American colors were conspicuous. The stars 
 and stripes were displayed from the Town Hall and the 
 Mayor's residence The Mayor and members of the corpo- 
 ration received the General and Mrs. Grant, who were 
 
264 GENERAI, U. S. grant's 
 
 accompanied by General Badeau, at the railway station, 
 and escorted them to Shakespeare's birthplace. Thence 
 the party proceeded to the Museum, the church, Anne 
 liathaway's cottage, and other places of interest. 
 
 The distinguished visitors were subsequently enter- 
 tained at a public lunch in the Town Hall. A toast to the 
 health of General Grant was proposed and drank with 
 cheers, and he was presented with a very cordial address, 
 enclosed in a casket made from the wood of the mulberry 
 tree planted by Shakespeare. The General, replying to 
 the toast, spoke most heartily of the welcome given him. 
 He declared it would have been impossible for him to 
 leave England without visiting the birthplace and home 
 of Shakespeare. He pointed to the numerous American 
 vShakespearian societies as proof of the honor paid the 
 poet in the United States. 
 
 General Grant and wife spent several days visiting 
 their daughter, Mrs. Sartoris, at Southampton. 
 
 On the 6th of October the corporation of the city r&' 
 ceived him, presenting a complimentary address. At 
 Torquay, Mr. Alfred D. Jessup, of Philadelphia, gave a 
 brilliant reception, the leading residents and noblemen of 
 Torquay and vicinity being present. 
 
 On the 1 6th General Grant and party visited Birming- 
 ham. On their arrival they were received by the Mayor 
 and driven to the Town Hall, where the Town Council, a 
 deputation of workingmen, and the Peace Society, pre- 
 sented the General with addresses, which he briefly 
 acknowledged. He was the guest of Mr. Chamberlain, 
 M. P. The following evening General Grant was enter- 
 tained at a banquet, the Mayor presiding. After the health 
 of the Queen was drank, the Mayor proposed that of the 
 President of the United States, as a potentate all should 
 honor. This was received with due honor by the company. 
 
TOUR AROUND THB WORI<D. 265 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain, M. P., then proposed the health of ex- 
 President Grant in a happy speech, complimentary to the 
 distinguished guest and his countrymen. 
 
 General Grant, in response, referring to the last speak- 
 er's allusion to the prompt disbandment of the army after 
 the civil war, said : ' ' We Americans claim so much per- 
 sonal independence and general intelligence that I do not 
 believe it possible for one man to assume any more author- 
 ity than the constitution and laws give him." As to the 
 remarks that had been made as to the benefits which 
 would accrue to America by the establishment of free 
 trade, the General said he had a kind of recollection that 
 Kngland herself had a protective tariff until her manufac- 
 tures were established. American manufactures were 
 rapidly progressing, and America was thus becoming a 
 great free trade nation. [I^aughter.j The General then 
 warmly thanked the company for the reception they had 
 given him. 
 
 General Grant found the labor of accepting the hospi- 
 tality of his Knglish friends more arduous than the cares 
 of State. It had, in fact, become so great a tax upon his 
 health that from the first of October he had determined to 
 retire to private life, and that the first thing he would do 
 would be to avail himself of the courtesy extended by the 
 Secretary of the Navy, to visit the Mediterranean in one 
 of the vessels of the European squadron, and spend some 
 time in the waters of Italy. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 GRANT IN PARIS. 
 
 Ex-President Grant, accompanied by his wife and son, 
 left I<ondon for Paris on the morning of October 24, 1877. 
 On the arrival of the General and party at the railway 
 station in Charing Cross, to take the train for Folkestone, 
 he was greeted by a large crowd of Americans and Kng- 
 lishmen, who gave him a hearty cheer as he stepped out 
 of his carriage. A special train was in waiting to convey 
 the distinguished party. The large space in front of the 
 hotel and station, extending through to Trafalgar square, 
 was filled with vehicles and pedestrians. After consider- 
 able hand-shaking in the waiting-room, and lively greet- 
 ings on the platform. Sir Edward Watkin, the chairman 
 of the Southeastern Railway Company, being in attend- 
 ance, he and his guests boarded the train, which moved 
 off precisely at ten o'clock. After a pleasant run of about 
 two hours the train arrived at Folkestone, where General 
 Grant was met at the ivharf by the Mayor and members 
 of the Common Council ; and fully two thousand of the 
 inhabitants of this old Kentish town welcomed the ex- 
 President with loud cheers. The General at once went 
 on board the special yacht Victoria, accompanied by the 
 Herald correspondent. Sergeant Gazelee, and one or two 
 other officials, these being the only guests. As the trim- 
 looking yacht, with the American flag flying at its fore, 
 left the chalk cliffs of old England, the General stood 
 upon the bridge and waved his hat, responsive to the 
 cheers and adieus from the shore. 
 
 266 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 267 
 
 The sea was calm, with only a gentle swell, and a fitu 
 summer yachting breeze prevailed. The General pace(. 
 the deck, enjoying his cigar and studying the inteiestiiif; 
 Doints and scenery along the majestic cliffs on the south- 
 aastem coast, where William the Conqueror landed and 
 fought the battle of Hastings. On nearing the French 
 coast he beheld the aunny hills and shores of the memora- 
 ble site of Napoleon's Boulogne camp, where the Auster- 
 litz army so long prepared for the invasion of England. 
 
 The Victoria arrived at the Boulogne wharf at a quarter 
 to two o'clock. A large crowd of Frenchmen, who had 
 been advised of the arrival of the grand guerrier Ameri- 
 cain, was in attendance, and received the guests with a 
 hearty greeting. On entering the special train, the sub- 
 Prefect of the Department met and was introduced to the 
 General. In the name of the Marshal-President and of the 
 French people, he welcomed him to the shores of France. 
 
 The General expressed his warm acknowledgments, 
 saying he had long cherished the wish to visit France, 
 and he was delighted with the present opportunity. M. 
 Hoguet-Grandsire, the Senator representing the Depart- 
 ment of the Pas de Calais, also bade him welcome in a 
 brief address, full of sympathy and kindly feeling. 
 
 After a long delay, somewhat in contrast to the 
 promptness of the English railroads, the train started for 
 Paris. On the way the General studied closely thf 
 scenery of the lovely country along the route, noted the 
 principal industrial sections, and especially observed the 
 wonderful agricultural resources of the country. 
 
 General Grant spoke a great deal about his reception 
 in England ; that it had been unvarying in warmth, and, 
 as to the hospitality of the people there, nothing could be 
 more kind, considerate and gracious. Everywhere he 
 had experienced, both in official and private circles, 
 
268 GENERAI, U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 courtesy and respect. At Amiens General Grant quietly 
 partook of a dish of consomme. 
 
 As the train neared Paris the moon rose, and the Gen- 
 eral curiously studied the prominent features of the great 
 French capital. They reached the station at a quarter to 
 eight o'clock. Generals Noyes and Torbert entered the 
 car, accompanied by the Marquis d'Abzac, first Aide-de- 
 Camp of the Marshal- President, the official whose duty it 
 was to introduce ambassadors. 
 
 In the name of the President of the French Republic, 
 the Aide-de-Camp tendered General Grant a cordial wel- 
 come. In reply, the General thanked the Marshal, say- 
 ing he anticipated great pleasure and interest from his 
 visit to France. Generals Noyes and Torbert greeted 
 him warmly. The party had borne the journey splen- 
 didly, none of them showing the least fatigue. 
 
 Among the Americans awaiting the arrival of General 
 Grant at the station, in the company of the Minister, were 
 General Meredith Reed, from Greece ; ex-Minister Part- 
 ridge, Admiral Worden, the bankers Seligman, Winthrpp 
 and Munroe ; Dr. Johnson, Dr. Warren, and the repre- 
 sentatives of the leading New York journals. 
 
 A richly carpeted salon was prepared at the station for 
 the reception of the distinguished party. The ladies of 
 the party, conducted by General Torbert, passed through 
 this salon on their way to the carriages. A splendid bou- 
 quet was presented to Mrs. Grant by a French journalist 
 on the way. General Grant followed, leaning on the 
 arm of Minister Noyes. As soon as he appeared in the 
 crowded salon, several rounds of hearty cheers were given, 
 and a number of people were presented to him. 
 
 The party then entered carriages, in company with 
 General Noyes and the Marshal's Aide-de-Camp and intro- 
 ducer of ambassadors. They drove to the Hotel Bristol, 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 269 
 
 where a handsome suite of rooms had been engaged for 
 them. After a quiet dinner, General Grant smoked a 
 cigar and retired early. 
 
 The following morning opened dismally. Rain fell in 
 torrents, and there seemed no prospect of its cessation. 
 During the morning General Grant called upon his bank- 
 ers, Messrs. Drexel, Harjes & Co. Upon his return, a 
 multitude of visitors, including diplomatists, ambassadors 
 and Americans, began to arrive, and continued to come 
 until noon. The most eminent men of France were 
 among the callers. At two o'clock. General Grant, wife 
 and son, with Minister Noyes, drove to the Elysee, 
 through a pouring rain. President MacMahon, the Duch- 
 ess of Magenta, and the Duke Decazes, received the 
 General most cordially. The Duchess did everything in 
 her power to render the occasion agreeable. 
 
 General Grant wore plain evening dress, calling upon 
 the official head of the French people simply as any 
 American citizen, properly introduced, might. 
 
 President MacMahon said that he was truly glad to 
 welcome so eminent a soldier and citizen to France. 
 
 In brief, the ex-President of the United States replied 
 that the opportunity of expressing to the chief magistrate 
 of France the friendly sentiments entertained throughout 
 the length and breadth of America toward the French 
 people was equally pleasing to him. 
 
 The interview was entirely informal and exceedingly 
 cordial. President MacMahon extended and General 
 Grant accepted an invitation to dine at the Elysee on the 
 Thursday following. 
 
 At four o'clock the committee of resident Americans 
 called to invite General Grant and family to a grand ban- 
 quet to be given in his honor by the American residents 
 of Paris, upon any date the General might see fit to ap- 
 point. General Grant named November 6, thanking the 
 
270 GBNERAI, TT. S. GRANT'S 
 
 comtnittee for the honor conferred upon him by his own 
 countrymen in a foreign land. Much agreeable conversa- 
 tion followed. 
 
 In the evening General Grant, accompanied by a per- 
 sonal friend, took a long walk around the Tuilleries, 
 Palais Royal, Place de la Concord and the Boulevards, 
 for two hours, seeing Paris by gaslight. 
 
 The unanimity of the American residents in Paris, in 
 assisting to make his stay a pleasant one, was one of the 
 most pleasing incidents of the General's tour, and the cour- 
 teous reception accorded by President MacMahon was not 
 so much formality as it was an expression of the kindly 
 feelings that exist between the French nation and our own, 
 and will be regarded as an evidence that the century-old 
 ties that bind the two nations together are not weakened 
 by time or any alterations of the political conditions that 
 have arisen, or are likely to arise, in either country. 
 
 On the 27th, General Grant visited the Herald Bureau, 
 remaining an hour or more. He then went to the studio 
 of Mr. Healy, the American artist, and gave a sitting for 
 a portrait; afterwards strolled about Montmartre and 
 climbed the hill, which affords a fine view of Paris. In 
 the evening he was honored by visits^ from several distin- 
 guished people, including the Comte. de Paris, head of the 
 Orleans family, and the Duchess of Magenta, wife of the 
 Marshal-President. 
 
 If being much feted brings much pleasure. General 
 Grant must have been in a happy frame of mind. After the 
 stately round of London festivities, which were led off by 
 the magnificent reception at Minister Pierrepont's ; after 
 becoming a citizen of some twenty-five Scotch burghs ; 
 after going through Belgium, and dining with kings and 
 such ; after the return to England, which led to the eating 
 of dingers with some twenty-five fine old English corpora- 
 tions, the imperturbable ex-President took his way to 
 
TOUR AROUND THS WORI^D. 27 1 
 
 ■> 
 
 Paris. He wlio would fight anytUng out on a certain line 
 if it took him all the four seasons, is not the man you can 
 frighten with a string of long dinners. He has the confi- 
 dence in himself that says, I can eat my way through all 
 the marshals and marquises, from Finisterre to the Alps. 
 His Scotch campaign, no less than his English, proved 
 what broadsides of hospitality he can safely withstand. 
 
 On the 29th Minister Noyes gave a grand banquet and 
 reception to General Grant. The banquet was a superb 
 effort of culinary skill, which can work such gastronomic 
 wonders when given carte blanche, and where there is a 
 cellar of Monte Christo to draw upon. President MacMa- 
 hon had been invited, but declined on the ground of having 
 recently refused to be present at several diplomatic dinners. 
 He promised to be present at the reception in the evening. 
 Twenty-two guests were present at the table : General 
 and Mrs. Grant ; Minister and Mrs. Noyes ; Mme. Ber- 
 thaut; M. Caillaux, Minister of Finance; M. Brunet, 
 Minister of Public Instruction ; M. Voisin, Prefect of 
 Police ; General Berthaut, Minister of War ; M. Paris, 
 Minister of Public Works; General Marquis d'Abzac, 
 Aid-de-Camp to the President ; Due de Broglie, President 
 of the Council, Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice ; . 
 Miss Lincoln ; Jesse R. Grant ; M, Duval, Prefect of the 
 Seine; M. DeFourtou, Minister of the Interior; Viscount 
 de Meaux, Minister of Commerce ; Miss Stevens ; Duchess 
 Decazes ; M. MoUard, Introducer of Ambassadors ; Lieu- 
 tenant de la Panouse, Staff OfiBcer of the Marshal ; and 
 M.'Vignaux, Assistant Secretary of Legation. The fol- 
 lowing was the menu : 
 
 MENU. 
 
 POTAGES. 
 
 Tortue a I'Anglaise. 
 Consomme a la Sevigne, 
 
 HORS D'CEXJVRES. 
 
 Bouchees Agues SoreL 
 
272 GBNKE.AI. U. S. grant's 
 
 REI-EVB. 
 Tnrbot, sauce cretne, et crevettcMi 
 
 PUNCH. 
 
 Rose. 
 
 ROTIS. 
 
 Faisans truffes. 
 
 Cailles sur croustades. 
 
 ENTREMETS. 
 
 Pate de foie gras de Strasbourg. 
 
 Salade Parisienne. 
 
 Crepes a la Bordelaise. 
 
 Timbales d'ananas, Pompadour. 
 
 Gateaux noisettes. 
 
 DESSERT. 
 
 VINS. 
 
 Vieux Madere. 
 
 Chateau d'Yquem, creme 1864. 
 
 Chateau Lafitte, 1864. 
 
 Chateau Margaux, 1869. 
 
 Johannisberg, Metternich's, 1857. 
 
 Clos Vougeot, 1858. 
 
 Romanee Conti, 1865. 
 
 Champagne Dry Monopole, 187a 
 
 Amontillado. 
 
 Vieux Port, vintage 1858. 
 
 Cognac, 1844. 
 
 Kirschwasser. Anisette. Chartreuse. 
 
 Curacoa. 
 
 The banquet passed off without any special incident 
 worthy of note. That charming flow of polite and witty, 
 »r, at least, pleasantly pointed conversation which charac- 
 terizes French dinners, kept time to the melody of the 
 repast itself. There was no English reserve to thaw — the 
 French and the American entendent without difiiculty, 
 and hence they make the best of neighbors around the 
 snowy damask. 
 
 At about nine o'clock the general reception began. A 
 heavy rain had been falling all the afternoon and evening 
 It, of course, had no deterrent effect on the invited. It was 
 not long before the salons were filled with guests. The 
 guests were received by General Grant, Mrs. Grant and 
 
TOUR AROUND THS WORl,D. 273 
 
 their son, General and Mrs. Noyes, Consul-General Tor- 
 bert and Secretary Vignaux making the introductions, 
 Mrs. Grant was dressed in a costume of heavy white satin, 
 Mrs. Noyes appeared in a similar dress, General Grant 
 and Minister Noyes wore plain evening dress, and General 
 Torbert appearing in the full uniform of a major-general. 
 
 The rooms, as the guests arrived, became perfect gar- 
 dens of lovely colors. Brilliant uniforms, diplomatic 
 orders and decorations, mingling with the sheen of silks 
 and satins, made up a wonderful picture. Marshal Mac- 
 Mahon arrived early. He wore a plain evening dress, with 
 the ribbon of the I,egion, and a breast covered with orders. 
 The Marshal stood for nearly an hour beside General 
 Grant, joining in the conversation and receiving congratu- 
 lations. As the two renowned soldiers stood side by side, 
 one could not help contrasting them. Marshal Mac- 
 Mahon's ruddy, honest, Celtic face, white moustache and 
 white hair, recalled the poet's figure of "arose in snow ;" 
 Grant, calm, massive and reserved, wore the same imper- 
 turbable face so well known at home. MacMahon seemed 
 all nerve and restlessness ; Grant looked all patience and 
 repose. The contrast in person was indeed remarkable. 
 Although each had come to the Presidency of a powerful 
 republic over the same red road, the passion of arms com- 
 manding two great nations had led each to choose its fore- 
 most soldier as executive head. One had laid down his 
 power at the feet of the people who conferred it. The 
 other, a few months later, after a long and severe struggle 
 with the hot and ungovernable radicals, was forced to give 
 way to one more in sympathy with the dominant party. 
 Meantime two great warlike careers touched in friendship 
 in the parlors of Minister Noyes. 
 
 The reception drew together the largest assembly of tlie 
 American colony known in years, and they compared 
 
274 GENERAI< U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 favorably with the many European nations represented 
 there. 
 
 The refreshment tables were exquisitely arranged and 
 well patronized, which is just how such a host as General 
 Noyes would desire to have his sumptuous hospitality 
 appreciated. 
 
 On the 31st, General Grant visited the Palais d' Indus- 
 trie, and the works where the statue of " I^iberty " for 
 New York harbor is being constructed. The sculptor, M. 
 Bartholdi, presented him with a miniature model of the 
 statue. In the evening the General attended the opera, 
 where he was enthusiastically received by the audience, 
 and treated with great ceremosy by the oflScials. 
 
 On November i. Marshal MacMahon gave a dinner at 
 the Elysee, in honor of General Grant. Cabinet and 
 Marshal's military household and prominent French and 
 American residents were present. The banquet was a very 
 brilliant and animated affair. After dinner, General Grant 
 and President MacMahon had a long conversation in the 
 smoking-room. The Marshal invited General Grant to 
 breakfast with him, as a friend, and also to witness some 
 of the sittings of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, 
 which the General accepted, and was much pleased with 
 his cordial reception. 
 
 If Paris is the place where good Americans go after 
 death, it is, all the same, a good place for great Americans 
 to go during life. The magnificent banquet tendered No- 
 vember 6, in the gay capital, to General Grant, by the resi- 
 dent Americans, is a proof of the latter. The three hundred 
 and fifty Americans who greeted our great soldier so hand- 
 somely, one and all, thought so. As for the General, him- 
 self, he has had so many courtesies from occasional kings 
 ana nobles, that he must have felt a thrill of pleasure pass 
 through him, as he fouud himself face to face with a cpm- 
 
TOUR AROUND THB WORLD. 275 
 
 pany in which every man was a sovereign. As for the 
 ladies, God bless them ! they are queens ever5rwhere. 
 Among those beside the General at the banquet were men 
 who carried the names, dear to all patriotic Americans, 
 of Rochambeau and I<afayette. Thus did old France 
 look kindly through the eyes of her descendants upon the 
 children of the Republic of the West, which her blood 
 and treasure did so much to found. 
 
 The banqueting hall was splendidly decorated and 
 illuminated. The Franco- American Union contributed a 
 portrait of General Grant, which, adorned with flags, was 
 hung over the principal table. A band stationed in the 
 gallery played at intervals, and vocal music was given by 
 a chorus furnished by the director of the Italian opera. 
 
 General Grant, Minister Noyes and General Torbert 
 were in full military uniform. 
 
 Mr. Noyes, as chairman, proposed the following 
 toasts : — 
 
 "The President of the United States," which was 
 responded to by music only. 
 
 " The President of the French Republic," to which a 
 similar response was made. 
 
 These were followed by the toast of the evening, "Our 
 Guest, General Grant," which was proposed by the Chair- 
 man in the following speech : — 
 
 "Ladies and Gentlemen: It has generally hap- 
 pened, according to the world's history, that when a great 
 public crisis has occurred, such as a revolution for inde- 
 pendence or a struggle for national existence, some man 
 has been found specially fitted for and equal to the emer- 
 gency. He appears suddenly from unexpected quarters, 
 and is not always selected from the arena of politics or 
 from among the most prominent of his countrymen. He 
 assumes at the proper time leadership and control, simply 
 
276 GENERAX U. S. grant's 
 
 because he waij born for it and seems to have waited foi 
 the opportunity and the necessity. 
 
 ' ' When the war of secession was inaugurated in Amer- 
 ica, in 1 86 1, a quiet and silent man, who had received a 
 military education, was pursuing an avocation in civil life 
 in a small town in Illinois. As soon as the first hostile 
 guns opened upon Fort Sumter he offered his services to 
 his country, and was appointed colonel of a regiment of 
 volunteers. It was then believed that the war would be of 
 short duration and limited in extent, but the North had 
 underrated the spirit, and perhaps the courage and endur- 
 ance, of the rebellious section. Early reverses and doubt- 
 ful contests that were either defeats or drawn battles soon 
 made it apparent that all the energies and resources of 
 the government would be taxed to the uttermost. The 
 theatre of war rapidly extended until it stretched westward 
 a thousand miles from the sea, across great rivers and 
 mountain ranges. Immense armies were assembled in the 
 South, composed of brave and chivalric soldiers and com- 
 manded by able and accomplished leaders. There were 
 serious political troubles and divided sympathies among 
 the people of the North, but both sides nerved themselves 
 for the bloody and terrible struggle, which lasted four 
 years and resulted in the success of the national forces. 
 
 ' ' Meantime our Illinois Colonel had risen in rank 
 until there was no grade suflScient for his recognition and 
 reward, and two new ones were successively created. 
 This silent man had shaken the continent with the thun- 
 der of his artillery and the tramp of his victorious columns. 
 At the close of the war he was General-in-Chief, com- 
 manding all the armies of the Republic, which carried 
 upon their muster rolls 1,100,000 men. The Union was 
 preserved and its flag everywhere respected. After the 
 close of the war he was twice called by a grateful nation 
 to the highest office in the gift of forty -five million people. 
 
TOUR AROUND THB WORI,D. 277 
 
 "He administered the government with moderationj 
 generosity, wisdom and success. The civil power was 
 confronted by many complicated and difficult questions. 
 He solved them with rare patriotism and intelligence, and 
 his place in history as a civil magistrate will be among the 
 foremost. After sixteen years of such labor as few men 
 could endure, after such success in war and peace as few 
 men ever attain, he seeks recreation in many lands, and 
 an opportunity to compare the institutions of his own coun- 
 try with the civilization and forms of government of the 
 Old World. It is our happy privilege to-night to welcome 
 the great soldier and statesman to this, the Queen City of 
 the world, and to wish for him and his family health and 
 happiness. Without detaining you longer, I propose the 
 health of the distinguished guest of the evening, General 
 Grant, ex-President of the United States." 
 
 The delivery of General Noyes' speech was frequently 
 interrupted by enthusiastic applause. 
 
 General Grant, on rising to reply, was received with 
 prolonged cheering. He said : 
 
 " lyADiss AND Genti<emen: After your flattering 
 reception, and the compliments of Governor Noyes, I am 
 embarrassed to thank you as I should wish. During the 
 five and a half months I have been in Europe, my recep- 
 tion has beeii very gratifying, not only to me, but also, 
 above all, to my country and countrymen, who were hon- 
 ored by it. I thank the American colony of Paris. I 
 hope its members will enjoy their visit here as I am doing 
 and hope to do for some weeks yet. I hope when you re- 
 turn home you will find you realized the benefits predicted 
 by our Minister." 
 ' Loud and enthusiastic applause followed the General's 
 
 speech. 
 
 M. de I^afayette replied to the toast of ' ' France. ' ' He 
 said France duly appreciated the great leader and great 
 
278 GENBRAt V. S. grant's 
 
 citizen who honored her by his visit. M. de I^afayette re 
 marked that General Grant quitted power solely to bow 
 before the laws of his country. He thanked him for visit- 
 ing France, because he was a great example for her, and 
 because France gained from close inspection. In con- 
 clusion, he alluded to the Revolutionary war, and expressed 
 an ardent wish that the French and American republics 
 should never be separated, but form an indissoluble union 
 for the welfare, liberty and independence of peoples. 
 
 The Marquis of Rochambeau also spoke in eulogy of 
 General Grant. 
 
 The toast, "The Army and Navy," was responded to 
 by the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by the 
 Italian chorus. 
 
 Mr. Noyes finally proposed ' ' The Toadies, ' ' and General 
 Torbert offered "The Health of the United States Min- 
 ister." Mr. Noyes replied briefly, and the company then 
 adjourned to the drawing-room. 
 
 After nearly a month's stay in Paris, having been dined 
 and /eied by nearly all the prominent and distinguished 
 civilians and officials in this gay city, the great sensational 
 event was fhe/eie, consisting of a dinner and ball, given in 
 honor of ex-President Grant by Mrs. Mackay, wife of 
 "Bonanza" Mackay, on November 21, at her splendid 
 mansion in the Rue Tilsit. The affair overshadowed in 
 importance, as far as the American colony and fashionable 
 society are concerned, anything that had preceded it in 
 brilliant extravagance of display. Even the reporters were 
 at a loss for hyperboles of descriptive style that could do 
 justice to the pomp, splendor and sparkle of the occasion. 
 
 The house where the affair took place cost one mil- 
 lion five hundred thousand francs, and the furniture five 
 hundred thousand francs. It looks out upon the Place 
 d'Etoile, and is a splendid residence. The garden 
 was brilliantly illuminated and decorated with national 
 
TOUR AROUND THS WORI,D. 279 
 
 flags, and with emblems set in thousands of gas jets. 
 The orchestra, consisting of thirty-six musicians, was 
 stationed on a pavilion built out from the house in front 
 of the Rue Tilsit. A dozen footmen, in liveries of crim- 
 son and gold, lined the entrance and stairway. 
 
 The carriages occupied the causeway in front. The 
 vestibule, staircase and passage-ways were profusely deco- 
 rated with flags and beautiful flowers. The rooms were 
 magnificent. Everything that money could supply and 
 elegant taste select was there to add to the beauty and 
 impressiveness of the scene. 
 
 There were covers for twenty-four, and the guests were 
 General Grant and family, and the members of the Ameri- 
 can lyCgation and Consulate and their families. There 
 were no unofiBcial Americans present at the dinner. The 
 menu was inscribed on small silver tablettes, as in the case 
 of the famous dinner to Senator Sharon at San Francisco. 
 
 After the dinner a grand reception and ball took place, 
 at which three hundred guests were present. Among the 
 guests were the Marquis de Lafayette, MM. de Rocham- 
 beau and de Bois-Thierry, the Due de Rivoli, the Due 
 and Duchesse de Bojano, the Due and Mile. Ribon de 
 Trohen, Comtes de Beon, Serrurrier, de Montferraut, de 
 Divonns and Excelmans, the Baronne Delort de Gleon, 
 Barons Houbeyran and de Reinach, and Vicomtes de 
 Villestrux and Marchand, the Due Decazes, Senator I<a- 
 boulaye, MM. Henri Martin and I^eon Say, Mme. Guizot, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Seligman and M. Cemuschi. 
 
 The American colony was largely represented, and th* 
 number of beautiful women was very remarkable. The 
 ladies' costumes displayed extraordinary taste, elegance 
 and richness. The dancing commenced early and con- 
 tinued till four o'clock in the morning. 
 
 During the latter part of November General Grant 
 was feted and dined by Mrs. General Sickles, at her resi- 
 
i»0 (iENi^RAi tt. g. GfeANt's 
 
 deiice in the Rue Presbourg, which was a brilliant affair ; 
 by the Marquis de Talleyrand-Perigord ; by the Comte de 
 Paris ; Kmile Girardin, editor of La France ; M. Gam- 
 hetta ; Mr. Healy, the American artist ; M. L,augel, a 
 l^rominent Orleanist ; and at the house of Mr. Harjes, 
 the banker, was toasted for the last time in Paris. The 
 oentlemen in the party were all Americans, and the affair 
 was one of the most elegant which has taken place in 
 Paris this season. 
 
 As a guest of many distinguished persons in the gay 
 capital, and a man honored in all cities, he had enjoj^ed 
 an uncommonly brilliant round of festivities, and had 
 been the subject of wide and various criticism, and had 
 stood the fire of festivities and criticism alike with that 
 imperturbable tranq^uillity wbicli is an inseparable element 
 td his identity. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THROUGH FRANCE.— ITALY. 
 
 G«ntt.j«»V Grant and party reached lyyons on the 2d of 
 December, and were received by the Prefect, the President 
 of the Municipal Council, American residents and several 
 of the leaching' silk merchants of Lyons. After a tour of 
 ' inspection of the quays and places of interest, he left for 
 Marseilles on the 3d, where he was received with great 
 enthusiasKs. On the 15th we find him at Genoa, he hav- 
 ing previowsly visited Villa Franca and Leghorn. After 
 visiting the town of Genoa, the General gave a reception 
 to the authorities on board the United States steamer 
 Vandalia, Commander Robeson. 
 
 ReacMog Naples, early on the evening of the 17th, on 
 the foUowtag day, in company with Mrs. Grant and son, 
 he made f he ascent of Mount Vesuvius, but, the day being 
 cold, the party did not reach the crater. Luncheon was 
 served at the " House of Refuge," near the Observatory, 
 and a pleasant hour spent in enjoying the remarkable view 
 of Capri and Ischia. The plain is studded with twenty 
 villages and lined with snow clad hills, and the snow 
 looked beauHfuUy clear and white in the gorgeous sunlight 
 of an Italian sky. They returned in the evening to the 
 Vandalia, after having spent a delightfully pleasant day. 
 
 On Wednesday the General and family, accompanied 
 by Consul Duncan, Commaader Robeson, Lieutenants 
 Strong, Rush and Miller, and Engineer Baird, visited the 
 
 381 
 
282 GBNBRAI, V. S. GRANT'S 
 
 ruins of Pompeii. The government had made arrange- 
 ments for a special excavation in honor of General Grant, 
 so that he might see how the work was done, and see 
 some of the curiosities recovered just as they were 
 placed when the city was suddenly destroyed. The day 
 was a little cold, but clear, and in every way favorable 
 for the work. The director of the excavations received 
 General Grant and party, and conducted them to the 
 principal points of interest. Two hours were spent wan- 
 dering among the ruins of this ancient and memorable 
 city, and at every step something of interest was seen. 
 The workingmen then proceeded to dig out the chamber 
 of a buried house, and discovered some fragments of a 
 table made of wood and bronze. The workmanship was 
 very curious and elaborate, and was examined with great 
 interest by the whole party. The next object of interest 
 discovered was a loaf of bread, wrapped neatly in cloth 
 and perfectly distinguishable. Many other curious and 
 interesting articles were found and inspected by the party 
 of visitors, and all expressed themselves as highly grati- 
 fied with their visit to the ruins of the ancient city. They 
 returned in the evening. 
 
 On Thursday ex-President Grant returned the official 
 visits of the civil and military authorities of the city. As 
 he left the Vandalia the yards were manned and a salute 
 fired, the salute being returned by the Italian Admiral. 
 General Grant then landed, and was met by the General 
 commanding the district, who had a regiment of Bersag- 
 lieri drawn up in front of the Royal Palace, and reviewed 
 by General Grant. Accompanied by the Italian officials, 
 he then visited the naval and military schools and the 
 palace, after which he attended a reception at the house 
 of Consul Duncan. 
 
 During these visits General Grant was accompanied 
 by bis son. Commander Robeson, lyieutenants Rush and 
 
Tour around the world. 283 
 
 Miller, and a splendid retinue of Italian officials. The 
 whole tone of the reception accorded him was cordial and 
 stately. The General expressed himself with the great- 
 est admiration of the Italian troops. 
 
 Christmas we find General Grant and party on board 
 the Vandalia, at Palermo. The General remained on 
 board until noon to receive the visit of the Prefect, who came 
 in state, and was honored with a salute of fifteen guns. 
 His Honor remained only a few minutes, during which he 
 tendered the General all the hospitalities and courtesies of 
 the town, but General Grant declined them, with thanks. 
 
 After the departure of the city authorities the General 
 and Captain Robeson went on shore, and sauntered about 
 for two or three hours looking on the holiday groups, who 
 made the day a merry one in their Sicilian fashion. A 
 Christmas dinner was furnished from the ship's larder. 
 The hosts were Chief Engineer J. Trilley, Surgeon George 
 Cooke, I^ieutenant-Commander A. G. Caldwell, I^ieu- 
 tenant E. T. Strong, Past-Assistant Engineers G. W. 
 Baird and D. M. Fulmer, Lieutenant Jacob W. Miller, 
 Paymaster J. P. I,oomis, I^ieutenant Richard Rush, Cap- 
 tain I,. E. Fagan, commanding the marines, Lieutenant 
 H. O. Handy, Lieutenant W. A. Hadden and Master 
 J. W. Daunehower. These comprised the names of the 
 ward-room officers of the Vandalia — a gallant, manly, 
 chivalrous company they were. The guests of the even- 
 ing were General Grant and wife. Commander H. B. 
 Robeson and Jesse R. Grant. This was the company 
 The menu will give an idea of what a ship's kitcheo can ^ 
 
 iat a Christmas dinner : 
 
 MENU. 
 
 Potage. 
 
 Tomate puree. 
 
 Bouchees, a la reine. 
 
 Cabellon a la Hollandaise. 
 
 Puree de pommes. 
 
 Dindonneau aux huitres. 
 
 Haricots verts. 
 
284 GENERAI, U. S. grant's 
 
 Filets aiMc champignon*. 
 
 Petits pois. 
 
 Punch a la Romaiue. 
 
 Salade. 
 
 Plum pudding. 
 
 Mince pies. 
 
 Dessert. 
 
 It was nearly six when the soup made its appearance, 
 and it was half-past eight before the waiters brought in 
 the coffee. There was no hurry — no long pauses. The 
 chat went round the table, the General doing his share 
 of talk. It was a genial, home-like feast. Thus, Christ- 
 mas, 1877, closed merry and pleasant. 
 
 The next morning there were calls to make — official 
 calls ; this is one of the duties of the General's trip. The 
 incogilito of General Grant is one that- no one will respect. 
 He declines all honors and attentions, so far as he can do 
 so without rudeness, and is especially indifferent to the 
 parade and etiquette by which his journey is surrounded. 
 It is amusing, knowing General Grant's feelings on the 
 subject, to read the articles in English and American 
 papers about his craving for precedence, and his fear lest 
 he may not have the proper seat at the table and the high- 
 est number of guns for a salute. He had declined every 
 attention of an official character thus far, except those 
 whose non-acceptance would have been misconstrued. 
 When he arrived at a port his habit was to go ashore with 
 his wife and son, see what was to be seen, and drift about 
 from palace to picture gallery, like any other wandering, 
 studious American " doing Europe." Sometimes the offi- 
 cials were too prompt for him, but generally, unless they 
 called by appointment, they found the General absent. 
 
 In this country a large class of our citizens have been 
 misled by the false reports of the press and enemies of ex- 
 President Grant, and believe that the General traveled 
 like a prince, with a large retinue ; that he was enabled to do 
 so because the men who fattened on the corruptions of his 
 
TOtTR AROUND THB WORljD. 285 
 
 administration gave him a share of their plunder. The 
 truth is, General Grant traveled as a private citizen. He 
 had one servant and a courier. His courier arranged for 
 his hotel accommodations, and the one who did office for 
 the General took pains to get as good bargains for his 
 master as possible. So far as General Grant beii;g a rich 
 man, it is known by his friends that, when he left this 
 country, the duration of his trip would depend entirely 
 upon his income, and this income depends altogether upon 
 the proceeds of his investment of the money presented to 
 him at the close of the war. The Presidency yielded him 
 nothing in the way of capital, and he has not now a dollar 
 that came to him as an official. By this is meant, that the 
 money paid to General Grant as a soldier and as a Presi- 
 dent was spent by him in supporting the dignity of his 
 office. Everybody knows how much money was given 
 him at the close of the war ; as this was all well invested 
 and has grown, one may estimate the fortune of the Gen- 
 eral, and about how long that fortune would enable him 
 to travel like a prince over Europe. 
 
 At Palermo General Grant and family remained several 
 days , enj oying the delightful climate and picturesque attrac- 
 tions. This Sicily is the land of many civilizations. Here 
 the Greek, the Carthagenian, the Roman and the Saracen, 
 have made their mark. This is the land' of the poetry of 
 Homer, the genius of Archimedes, the philosophy and piety 
 of Paul. These hills and bays and valleys have seen mighty 
 armies striving for the mastery of the world. Certainly if 
 example or precept, or the opportunity for great deeds, 
 could ennoble a nation, Sicily should be the land of heroes. 
 But its heroism has fallen into rags, and the descendants of 
 the men who destroyed the Athenian fleet in Syracuse, and 
 who confronted the power of Carthage at Agrigentum, 
 now spend their time sleeping in the sun, swarming around 
 chapel doors to beg, and hiding in the hills to waylay trav- 
 
s86 gbne;rai< u. s. grant's 
 
 elers and lob them or keep them for a ransom. Brigand- 
 age has for generations been the dominant industry in the 
 Sicilies, but it is due to tie present Italian government to 
 say that they are doing all in their power to suppress it. 
 
 On the 28th, General Grant and party arrived at La 
 Valetta, Malta. At this place the General was visited 
 by the Duke of Edinburgh, who was at Malta in com- 
 mand of the Sultan, an English ironclad. His Royal 
 Highness was received at the gangway by Captain Robe- 
 son. He was dressed in his uniform as Captain, wearing 
 on his breast the star of the Garter. 
 
 General Grant advanced and greeted the Duke, and 
 presented the gentlemen with him, and they retired to the 
 cabin. They remained in conversation for the best part of 
 an hour, talking about Malta, its antiquities, its history, 
 England, education and the Eastern question. The Duke 
 spoke of the visit of his brother-in-law, the Grand Duke 
 Alexis, to America, and of the gratification of the family 
 at the reception tendered him in America. His Royal 
 Highness is a pattern of a sailor, and has all the ease and 
 off-hand grace of the family. On taking his leave, he 
 invited the General and family to visit him at his palace of 
 San Antonio and take luncheon, which was accepted. 
 
 The palace of San Antonio is about four miles from 
 town ; it is surrdundrd by orange groves and walls, and is 
 noted as the only large garden on the island. The drive 
 was through an interesting country, and greatly enjoyed 
 "by the visitors. At the palace, the Duke and Duchess 
 received the General and Mrs. Grant and their son in the 
 most gracious manner. After luncheon His Royal High- 
 ness escorted them through the orange groves. At noon 
 General Grant visited the Governor- General of Malta. 
 
 On leaving, the General was saluted with twenty-one 
 guns. A regiment was drawn up in front of the palace as 
 a guard of honor. The Governor, a famous old English 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 287 
 
 Gene-al, Van Straubeuzee, wore the Order of the Grand 
 Cross of the Bath. He received the General and party at 
 the door of the palace, surrounded by his council and a 
 group of Maltese noblemen. After presentation to Lady 
 Van Straubeuzee the same ceremonies were repeated. In 
 the evening there was a state dinner to the General and 
 'party at the palace, including, among the guests, Com- 
 mander Robeson and Lieutenant-Commander Caldwell, 
 of the Vandalia, as well as the Captain and executive 
 officers of the Gettysburg, At the dinner General Grant's 
 health was proposed, which was responded to in the 
 heartiest manner. 
 
 There were many temptations to remain in Malta. 
 Hospitalities were showered upon General Grant. All 
 the great ones vied with one another in making his visik 
 a pleasant one. Yet on the last day of the year the Gen- 
 eral bid good-bye and sailed for the land of tiie Lotus. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 IN EGYPT AND THE LOTUS LAND. 
 
 The voyage from Malta to Egypt was exceedingly un- 
 pleasant. A severe storm prevailed most of the time, ren- 
 dering life anything but comfortable} Unlike the majority 
 of military heroes, General Grant seems to take kindly to 
 the waves, and to be as much at home on them as if he 
 had been educated at Annapolis instead of West Point. 
 
 No storm, however severe, could deprive him of his 
 cigar, or, to use a sea phrase, keep him below. In this 
 respect he is very unlike Napoleon, who detested the sea, 
 and whom the smell of tar invariably sickened. The 
 English humorists never tired of twitting him on the fact, 
 and the patriotic prints and cartoohs at the time he was 
 plaiming his celebrated invasion depict the conqueror of 
 the continent in some exceedingly ludicrous positions. 
 
 The General and party stopped at Alexandria because 
 they wanted a safe anchorage, though they had intended 
 going direct to Cairo. He remained there three days. 
 The Vandalia bad hardly anchored when the Governor of 
 the district, the Admiral and the General, Pachas and Beys, 
 Consul-General Farman, Judges Barringer and Morgan, 
 and resident missionaries, came on board, and were received 
 \jy General Grant. The Governor, in the name of the 
 KhetHve, welcomed General Grant to Egypt, and offered 
 him a palace in Cairo and a special steamer up the Nile. 
 It IS Oriental etiquette to return calls as soon as possible, 
 and accordingly in the afternoon the General, accompanied 
 
 288 
 
HEAD-DKES3 OF EGYPTIAN FELLAHESlf. 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORI.D. 291 
 
 by his son, Commander Robeson, Chief Engineer Trilley, 
 and I^ieutenant Handy of the navy, landed in the official 
 barge. As this was an official visit, the Vandalia manned 
 the yards and fired twenty-one guns. These salutes were 
 responded to by the Egyptian vessels. A guard of honor 
 received the General at the palace, and the reception was 
 after the manner of the Orientals. 
 
 We enter a spacious chamber and are seated on a cush- 
 ioned seat or divan, according to rank. The Pacha offers 
 the company cigarettes. Then compliments are ex- 
 changed, the Pacha saying how proud Egypt is to see the 
 illustrious stranger, and the General answering that he 
 anticipates great pleasure in visiting Egypt. The Pacha 
 gives a signal, and servants enter bearing little porcelain 
 cups about as large as an egg, in filigree cases. This is 
 the beverage — coffee— or, as was the case with this spe- 
 cial Pacha, a hot drink spiced with cinnamon. Then the 
 conversation continues with judicious pauses, the Orientals 
 being slow in speech and our General not apt to diffuse 
 his opinions. In about five minutes we arise and file 
 down stairs in slow, solemn fashion, servants and guards 
 saluting, and the visit is over. 
 
 General and Mrs. Grant dined with Vice-Consul Sal- 
 vage, and in the evening attended a ball given in their 
 honor. This was an exceedingly brilliant entertainment, 
 and interesting in one respect especially, because it was 
 here that the General met Henry M. Stanley, just fresh 
 from the African wilderness. Stanley sat on the right of 
 the General, and they had a long conversation upon Afri- 
 can matters and the practical results of the work done by 
 the intrepid explorer. The Consul-General proposed the 
 health of General Grant, and Judge Barringer proposed 
 that of Mrs. Grant, who was prevented by fatigui from 
 attending. Then a toast was proposed in honor of Stan- 
 ley, who made a grateful response, saying that it was one 
 
292 GENERAL XT. S. GRANT'S 
 
 of the proudest moments of his life to find himself seated 
 by the guest of the evening. The entertainment at Mr. . 
 Salvage's at an end, the visitors returned on board the 
 Vandalia. Sunday was spent quietly in a stroll about the 
 town. Here the General and party left the Vandalia to 
 visit Cairo and the Nile. Going by rail, they reached 
 Cairo after a run of four hours. Here he was met by 
 General Stone, the representative of the Khedive, and 
 also General I<oring, both Americans, and late of the 
 Confederate States army. General Grant and General 
 Stone were together at West^ Point, and were old friends. 
 Their meeting was quite enthusiastic. The General asks 
 General I/Dring to ride with him, while General Stone 
 accompanies Mrs. Grant, and so they drive off to the 
 Palace of Kassr-el-Doussa — the palace placed at General 
 Grant's disposal by the Khedive. Commander Robeson 
 and I/ieutenant Rush accept the General's invitation to 
 reside in the palace while they are in Cairo, and the 
 remainder of the party find homes in the hotel. 
 
 The General dined quietly with his family, and next 
 day called on the Khedive. The hour fixed for the recep- 
 tion was eleven, and a few minutes before that hour the 
 state carriages called at the palace. The General wore 
 plain evening dress, and was accompanied by the following 
 officers : Commander H. B. Robeson, commanding the 
 Vandalia ; Joseph Trilley, chief engineer ; George H. 
 Cooke, surgeon ; lyieutenant E. T. Strong, lyieutenant J. 
 W. Miller, Paymaster J. P. Loomis ; G. W. Baird, 
 engineer ; H. L. Hoskinson, ensigft ; B. F. W^alling and 
 E. S. Hotchkin, midshipmen ; E. R. Freeman, engineer. 
 Jesse R. Grant and Consul-General Farman accompanied 
 the General. They reached the palace shortly after eleven. 
 There was a guard of honor, and the officers of the house- 
 hold were ranged on the stairs. The General entered, and 
 was met by His Highness the Khedive at the foot of the 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD,. 293 
 
 Stairs. The General, his son, and Mr. Farman, went into 
 an inner room, where the ceremonies of the formal pre- 
 sentation took place. The oflScers then entered, and were 
 received by His Highness, who expressed his gratification 
 at seeing so many representatives of the navy. This re- 
 ception lasted about half an hour. They then returned to 
 the palace, and had scarcely entered when the carriage of 
 the Khedive was announced. The General received the 
 Khedive, who was accompanied by his Secretary for For- 
 eign Afiairs, and welcomed him in the grand saloon. The 
 ofiScers of the Vandalia were present, and their striking 
 uniforms, the picturesque costumes of the Khedive and 
 his attendants, and the splendid, stately decorations of the 
 room in which they assembled, made the group imposing. 
 At the close of the interview, General Grant escorted the 
 Khedive to his carriage. Official calls were then made 
 upon the two sons of the Khedive, who at once returned 
 the calls, and so ended official duties. 
 
 Judge Batcheller and Consul- General Farman each 
 gave a grand dinner and ball in honor of the General, 
 which were attended by the notables of all nations residing 
 at Cairo. 
 
 The thoughtful Khedive gave our distinguished traveler 
 a steamer specially adapted to the intricate and difficult navi- 
 gation of the Nile, also guides, inteijjreters, and professors 
 learned in the mysterious language of the monuments and 
 ruins which tell of a civilization that was old a thousand 
 years before the dawn of the Western Roman empire. The 
 party consisted of General and Mrs. Grant, their son, Sami 
 Bey, Emile Brugsch, Consul-General Farman, Chief Sur- 
 geon Cooke, Lieutenant Hadden, Ensign F. A Wilner, 
 and a correspondent of the New York Herald— \&x\ in all. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th of January, General Grant 
 and party reached Siout, the capital of Upper Egypt, and 
 containing twenty five thousand inhabitants, where we 
 
294 GBNERAI, U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 have a Vice-Consul, the city being at some distance from 
 the river. After having received a call from Vice-Consul 
 Wasif-el-Hayat, a Syrian, they all drove to the town. It 
 was over parched fields, through a country parched with 
 the drought, but in more favorable years blooming like a 
 garden. All the town seemed to know of their coming, 
 for wherever they went great crowds swarmed around, and 
 they had to force their donkeys through masses of Arabs 
 and Egyptians, of all ages and conditions. The stores are 
 little holes of rooms, in front of which the trader sits and 
 calls upon you to buy. As these avenues are less than ' 
 six feet, one can imagine the trouble had in making prog- 
 ress. The town has some fine mosques and houses, but 
 in the main is like all the towns of Upper Egypt, a collec- 
 tion of mud hovels. A grand reception was given by the 
 Vice-Consul. The dinner was regal in its profusion and 
 splendor, and consisted of fully twenty courses, all well 
 served. When it was concluded, the son of the host arose, 
 and, in remarkably clear and correct English, proposed 
 the General's health. We give a fragment of this speech : 
 ' ' I/Ong have we heard and wondered, ' ' said the speaker, 
 "at the strange progress which America has made during 
 this past century by which she has taken the first position 
 among the most widely civilized nations. She has so 
 quickly improved in scjences, morals and arts that the world 
 stands amazed at this extraordinary progress, which sur- 
 passes the swiftness of lightning. ' It is to the hard work of 
 her great and wise men that all this advance is imputed , those 
 who have shown to the world what wise, courageous, pat- 
 riotic men can do. Let all the world look to America and 
 follow her example — that nation which has taken as the 
 basis of her laws and the object of her undertakings to 
 maintain freedom and equality among her own people, and 
 secure them for others, avoiding all ambitious scheme." 
 which would draw her into bloody and disastrous wars, 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 291; 
 
 and trying by all means to maintain peace internally and 
 externally. The only two great wars upon which she has 
 engaged were entered upon for pure and just purposes. — 
 the first for releasing herself from the English yoke and 
 erecting her independence, and the other for stopping slav- 
 ery and strengthening the union of the States; and well 
 w^e know that it was mainly, under God, due to the talent, 
 courage and wisdom of his excellency, General Grant, that 
 the latter of the two enterprises was brought to a success- 
 ful issue." The speech closed by a tribute to the Gen- 
 eral and the Khedive. General Grant said in response 
 that nothing in his whole trip had so impressed him as this 
 unexpected, this generous welcome in the heart of Egypt. 
 He had anticipated great pleasure in his visit to Egypt, and 
 the anticipation had been more than realized. He thanked 
 his host, and especially the young man who had spoken of 
 .him with so high praise, for their reception. The dinner 
 dissolved into coffee, conversation and cigars. 
 
 On the 2 1st, at the town of Girgel, the General and 
 party take to the donkeys and make a trip under the broil- 
 ing hot sun, to the ruined city of Abydos. This was the 
 oldest city in Egypt. It went back to Menes, the first of 
 the Egyptian Kings, who reigned, according to Egyptian 
 history, four thousand five hundred years before Christ. 
 The ruins are on a grand scale. Abydos is a temple 
 which the Khedive is rescuing from the sand. Here, 
 according to tradition, was buried the god Osiris. To 
 the ancient Egyptian, the burial place of that god was 
 as sacred as Mecca to the Moslems, or the Holy Sep- 
 ulchre was to the Mediaeval Christians. The govern- 
 ment is trying to reclaim this temple, and has been 
 digging in all directions. One excavation over fifty feet 
 deep was visited. Remnants of an old house or tomb could 
 be seen. Millions of fragments of broken pottery around. 
 The strata, that age after age had heaped upon the buried 
 
296 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 city, were plainly visible. The city was really a t'lty of 
 tombs. In the ancient days the devout Egyptian craved 
 burial near the tomb of Osiris, and so for centuries their re- 
 mains were brought to Abydos from all parts of Egypt. 
 Lunch was taken with Salib, an Arabian, who had for 
 twenty years been working at the excavations, working 
 with so much diligence that he had become entirely blind, 
 and it is now his only comfort to wander through the ruins, 
 direct the workmen, and trace with his finger many a loved 
 inscription that his zeal has brought to light. Saltb lives 
 near the ruin, on a pension allowed by the Khedive. After 
 an hour's rest, having ridden fifteen miles on donkeys and 
 walked two or three in the sand, the visitors returned to 
 the shelter and repose of the cabin of the Vandalia. 
 
 We next find our visitors at Thebes, once a city that 
 covered both banks of the Nile, was known to Homer as the 
 city of the hundred gates. It had a population of three- 
 hundred thousand inhabitants, and sent out twenty thousand 
 armed chariots. It was famed for its riches and its splendor 
 until it was besieged. Here was the temple of Memnon and 
 its colossal statues, and tlie palace temple of the great Ram- 
 eses, the only ruin in Egypt known to be the home of a 
 King; the columns of the Luxor, and the stupendous ruins 
 of Kanark, and the tombs of the kings. Visiting the town 
 of Luxor, a collection of houses built upon the ruins of the 
 old temple, erected over three thousand years ago ; there is 
 a fine obelisk here, the companion to the one now standing 
 in the Place Concordia, Paris; also a statue of Rameses, of 
 colossal size, now broken and partly buried in the sand. 
 Next morning the party crossed the river, and prepared 
 for a ride to visit Memnon statues; arrived at their destina- 
 tion, they found all that is left of Memnonism are the two 
 colossal statues. A good part of the base is buried in the 
 earth, but they loom up over the plain, and can be seen miles 
 and miles away. Some idea of their size can be formed, 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD, 
 
 297 
 
 when it is known that the statue measures eighteen feet 
 three inches across the shoulders, sixteen feet six inches 
 from the top of the slioulder to the elbow, and the portions 
 of the body in due proportion. After examining tliese 
 statues and resting a half hour, they visited the temple of 
 Medesnet Habro, one of the great temples of Thebes, 
 and the palace temple of the great Rameses; who lived 
 thirteen hundred years before Christ, and is supposed by 
 some to be the Pharaoh that brought the plagues upon 
 Egypt. The walls of the palace are covered with inscrip- 
 tions. After carefully exploring these interesting ruins, and 
 luncheon being served in one of the old King's apartments, 
 our party returned by the route of the early morning. 
 Next morning, after a ride of forty minutes from Luxor, our 
 party were at the ruined temple of Kanark, built in the 
 days of Abraham. It is hard to realize that in the infinite 
 and awful past, in the days w^hen the Lord came down to 
 the earth and communed with men and gave His command- 
 ments, these columns and statues, these plinths and entabla- 
 tures, these mighty, bending w^alls, upon which chaos has 
 put its seal, were the shrines of a nation's faith and sover- 
 eignty ; yet this is all told in stone. 
 
 Kanark, which was not only a temple, but one in the 
 series of temples which constituted Thebes, is about half a 
 rriile from the river, a mile or two from the temple of 
 Luxor. The front wall or propylon is 370 feet broad, 50 
 feet deep, and the standing tower 140 feet high. Leading 
 up to this main entrance is an avenue, lined with statues and 
 sphinxes, 200 feet long. When you enter this gate, you 
 enter an open court-yard 275 feet by 329. There is a cor- 
 rider or cloister on either side; in the middle a double 
 line of columns, of which only one remains. We now 
 come to another wall or propylon, as large as the entrance, 
 and enter the great hall — the most magnificent ruin in 
 Egypt. The steps of the door are 40 feet by 10. The 
 
ig8 GENERAL V. S. grant's 
 
 room is a 170 feet by 329, and the roof was supported by 
 134 columns. These columns are all or nearly all standing, 
 but the roof has gone. Twelve are 62 feet high without 
 the plinth, and 1 1 feet 6 inches in diameter. One hundred 
 and twenty-two are 42 feet 5 inches in height, and 28 feet 
 in circumference. They wei'e all brilliantly colored, and 
 some of them retain their colors still; and you can well 
 imagine what must have been the blaze of light and color, 
 when the kings and priests passed through in solemn pro- 
 cession. We pass through another gate into an open court. 
 Here is an obelisk in granite 75 feet high, and the fragments 
 of another, its companion. The inscriptions on them are 
 as clear as though they had been cut yesterday, so gentle 
 is this climate in its dealings with time. They celebrate 
 the victories and virtues of the kings who reigned 1700 
 years before Christ, and promise the kings in the name of 
 the immortal gods that their glory shall live for ages. 
 We pass into another chamber very much in ruins, and 
 see another obelisk, 92 feet high and 8 feet square — the 
 largest in the world. This monument commemorates the 
 virtues of the king's daughter — womanly and queenly vir- 
 tues, which met their reward, let us hope, thirty-five cen- 
 turies ago. One may form some idea of what the Egyp- 
 tians could do in the way of mechanics and engineering, 
 when it is known that this obelisk is a single block of 
 granite, that it was brought from the quarry, miles and 
 miles away, erected and inscribed, in seven months. The 
 next room was the sanctury, the holy of holies, and is now 
 a mass of rubbish requiring nimble feet to climb. We 
 scramble over stones and sand, until we come to what was 
 the room where King Amenophis III., who lived sixteen 
 centuries before Christ, was represented as giving offerings 
 to fifty-six of his royal predecessors. The hall is a ruin, 
 and some French Vandals carried off the tablet — one of 
 the most valuable in Egypt — to Paris. Altogether the 
 

TOTJK AROUND THE WORLD. 3OI 
 
 building alone was i io8 feet long, and about 300 feet wide, 
 the circuit around the outside, according to a Roman histo- 
 rian who saw it in its glory, being about a mile and a half. 
 
 This was the/temple, but the temple was only a part. 
 There were three avenues leading from it to the other tem- 
 ples ; these avenues were lined with statues, large and 
 small, generally of the Sphinx. Some distance from the 
 temple is a pool of water, known as 'the Sacred Lake. 
 When an Egyptian died and was embalmed, his body was 
 brought to the lake, where, if the deceased had lived 
 worthily, the body was sprinkled with water from the lake 
 by the priests, and was carried across to the other shore, 
 and removed from there to the catacombs. 
 
 Wherever we find walls we have inscriptions. The in- 
 scriptions are in hieroglyphic language — a language as 
 clear to scholars now as the Latin or Sanscrit. They tell of 
 battles and the glory of the King Rame^es, who is supposed 
 to be the Sesostris of the Greeks. We see him leading his 
 men to attack a fortified place. Again we see him leading 
 foot soldiers and putting an enemy to the sword. We see him 
 leading his captives as an offering to the gods, and offering 
 not only prisoners, but booty of great value. The group 
 of prisoners are rudely done, but you see the type of the 
 race clearly outlined. We trace these types, and thus learn 
 of the warlike achievements of this monarch whose fame 
 is carved all over Egypt, and about whose name there is 
 an interesting debate. Again and again these war themes 
 are repeated, one king after another reciting his conquests 
 and his virtues, wars and treaties of peace. It seemed in 
 the building of these temples that the intention was to 
 make the walls monumental records of the achievements 
 of various reigns. When the walls were covered, or a king 
 wished to be especially gracious to the priests, or, as is more 
 probable, desired to employ his soldiers, he would build a 
 new wing or addition to the temple already existing, striv- 
 
302 GBNERAI, U. S. grant's 
 
 ing, if possible, to make his own addition more magnificent 
 than those of his predecessors. In this way came the great 
 temple of Kamak. As a, consequence, these stupendous, 
 inconceivable ruins were not the work of one prince or one 
 generation, but of many ; and as there was always some- 
 thing to add, and always a new ambition coming into play, 
 ■\ve find these temples, tombs, pyramids and obelisks, all 
 piled one upon another, all inspired by the one sentiment, 
 and all telling the same story. Here are the records, and 
 here are the ruins. If the records read like a tale of en- 
 chantment, these ruins look the work of gods. The world 
 does not show, except where we have evidences of the con- 
 vulsions of nature, a ruin as vast as that of Kamak. I<et 
 the reader imagine a city covering two banks of the Hud- 
 son, running as far as the Battery to Yonkers and back, 
 seven miles, all densely built, and you have an idea of the 
 extent of Thebes. But this will only give you an idea of 
 size. The buildings were not Broadways and Fifth Ave- 
 nues, but temples and colossal monuments and tombs^ the 
 greatness of which, and the skill and the patience neces- 
 sary to build them, exciting our wonder to-day. Thebes 
 in its day must have been a wonder of the world — even of 
 the ancient world, which knew Nineveh and Babylon. 
 To-day all that remains are a few villages of mud huts, a 
 few houses in stone, flying consular flags, a plain here and 
 there strewed with ruins, and under the sand ruins even 
 more stupendous than those we now see. 
 
 At Keneh the General and his party landed and in- 
 spected the town, making several purchases. The Pacha 
 of the province, learning that so illustrious a visitor was in 
 his domain, sent couriers at once to invite the General to his 
 palace, which was accepted. This palace was a low brick 
 building, like a barracks. The visitors were shown into the 
 reception chamber, and ranged on the divan. There was a 
 long waiting, when the Governor appeared, a stout, pleas- 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 303 
 
 ant looking, gray mustached soldier, in his full uniform 
 of a general. He received the General with courtesy, and 
 there was the usual exchange of compliments ; then came 
 the coffee and the pipes, and the adieu. The Governor 
 iccompanied General Grant in his return walk, calling 
 upon the German Consul, who had waylaid him, and 
 begged that he would honor his house. This oificer lived 
 in style approaching splendor, and when his visitors were 
 served with coffee and pipes they noticed that the pipe- 
 stems were amber garnished with diamonds, and the 
 coffee-cups were of the finest porcelain in cases of silver 
 and gold. These ceremonies over, the General and party 
 returned to the boat, through a gust of sand. 
 
 At Assouan, a town of four thousand inhabitants, five 
 hundred and eighty miles south of Cairo and seven hun- 
 dred and thirty miles from the Mediterranean, General 
 Grant and party intended to eiid their journey. Assouan 
 is the frontier station of Old Egypt, on the boundary of 
 Nubia, and supposed to lay directly under the equator. In 
 the ancient days the town was a quarry, and here were 
 found the stones which became obelisks, temples and 
 tombs. When Islam was marching to conquer the world, 
 the Saracens made a town here and an outpost, and for years 
 it was the battlefield in the constant strifes and schisms be- 
 tween Nubian and Egyptian. At Assouan the aspect of 
 the tour changes ; we see the Nubian type, the predomi- 
 ance of the negro. The people seem happy enougt.. They 
 are sparing of clothes, live on sugar cane, and lie in the 
 sun — a happy, laughing, idle, dirty, good-humored race 
 Next day General Grant visited Philae, situated on an 
 island at the foot of the first cataract of the Nile. It was by 
 far the most interesting and picturesque ruin that our party 
 had seen . The island is green, and the date palms of luxu- 
 riant growth, and, unlike other portions of Egypt, we miss 
 the sand, and can step trippingly over stones and turf. The 
 
304 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANt's 
 
 river here spreads in various channels, and runs over rocks. 
 One channel is used for vessels ascending the river; the 
 other for vessels descending the stream. The river is nar- 
 rovsr, the banks are steep, and the stream rolls and dashes 
 like a sea, the waves roaring and lashing the banks. The 
 danger is from the rocks and being dashed against its 
 banks. 
 
 In the morning the boat's prow is turned, and the Gen- 
 eral is moving back toward the Vandalia. On his return 
 trip the General stopped over night at Keneh, saw his old 
 friend the Governor, stopped an hour at Siout, and on the 
 3d of February reached Memphis. Here are the tombs of 
 the sacred bull. 
 
 It was believed in the Egyptian mythology that the 
 god Osiris came to earth and allowed himself to be put to 
 death in order that the souls of the people might be saved. 
 After his death there was a resurrection, and the immortal 
 part of him passed into a bull, called Apis. 
 
 The ride to the tombs of Memphis was a pleasant one. 
 The ruins of Memphis are two or three tombs and the 
 serapeunj or mausoleum of the sacred bulls. One of the 
 tombs being open, the visitors examined it, the walls 
 having the same profuse decoration as had been noted at 
 other points, entering a long, arched passage, with par- 
 allel passages, candles having been placed at various points. 
 On each side of this passage were the tombs. Each tomb 
 was in its alcove ; the bull was placed in a huge sarcophagus, 
 the surface finely polished and covered with inscriptions. 
 These coffins were stupendous. The tombs have all been 
 violated by the early conquerors, to find gold and silver. 
 In most cases the cover has been shoved aside. The 
 inside was so large that eight or ten men could enter. 
 
 After finishing this study of the tombs, the party of visit- 
 ors rode back to their boat, and in the morning steamed 
 down to Cairo, 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 305 
 
 General Grant had seen the Nile much more rapidly 
 than is the custom. 
 
 The General sent for the captain, and thanked him, and 
 made him a handsome present, and gave presents to all on 
 the boat, including the crew. 
 
 At 12 o'clock the boat passed the bridge and moored 
 at the wharf. The General and party returned to the pal- 
 ace of Kaser-el-Nousa, where he remained three days, and 
 then resumed his journey. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 rURKEY AND THE HOLY LAND. 
 
 General Grant and party arrived at Jaffa on the morning 
 of Sunday, February lo, having spent just one month on 
 the Nile and vicinity. Upon landing, the visitors at once 
 went to Vice-Consul Hardegg, and there found welcome 
 and entertainment. There was a little archway of 
 flowers and branches over the road, surmounted by the in- 
 scription, "Welcome, General Grant," and all the town 
 was out to do him honor. After visiting all the places of 
 interest. General and Mrs. Grant, with four of the officers 
 of the Vandalia, prepared to visit the Holy City. Having 
 obtained three clumsy open wagons, each drawn by three 
 horses, they drove out of the town into the plain of Sharon. 
 It was too early in the season to see Palestine in its glory, 
 but the plain was rich and fertile. The party reached 
 Ramleh at about sundown, and remained over night, resum- 
 ing their journey at six in the morning. Passing from the 
 plain of Sharon into the country of Joshua and Sampson, the 
 road becomes rough and stony, and the carts go bumping, 
 thumping over the worst road in the world. The fertility of 
 Palestine lies in the plain below. Around and ahead, the 
 beauty of Palestine, the beauty of Nature in her deso- 
 lation ; no houses, no farms, no trace of civilization but the 
 telegraph poles. The first biblical view is the ruins of 
 Gezer, once a royal city of Canaan. Passing through the 
 Kirjath Jearim, the valley of Ajalon and the scene of the 
 great battle between David and Goliath, the valley is deep 
 
 306 
 
TOUR. AROUND THE WORLD. 3O7 
 
 and the brook still runs a swift course. This was the last, 
 ravine this side of the heights of Jerusalem, and one of the 
 strongest natural defenses of the city. At this point Gen- 
 eral Grant was met by a troop of cavalry, representatives 
 from all of the Consulates, delegations from the Americans, 
 Jews, Armenians and Greeks, resident in Jerusalem — in all 
 quite a small army — and, instead of quietly entering the city 
 as he had expected, he was commanded to enter as a con- 
 queror, in a triumphal manner. 
 
 Arrived at the city, General Grant was at once called 
 upon by the Pacha and the Consuls. The Bishops and the 
 Patriarchs all came and blessed the General and his house. 
 The Pacha sent his band of fifty pieces in the evening to 
 serenade the ex-President. The Pacha also gave a state 
 dinner, which was largely attended. Early the following 
 morning General Grant stole away, before the reception 
 ceremonies, and walked over the street Via Dolorosa, con- 
 secrated to Christianity as the street over which Jesus 
 carried His cross. The General lived while in Jerusalem 
 <rithin five minutes' walk of Calvary, and within sight from 
 his chamber. The first place of interest on this street is 
 the Coptic monastery. Here Christ sank under the weight 
 of the cross. At the ruins of the Hospice of the Knights 
 of St. John; here is where Jesus addressed the women 
 who followed him. A few steps further and we are at the 
 house and tomb of Veronica, who wiped the blood from 
 Jesus' holy brows, and left His image on her napkin. De- 
 scending a slippery path, and at the corner is the house 
 against which Christ leaned, overcome by agony. You 
 see a dent in the stone. This dent was made by the hand 
 of our Lord, as He stretched it out to support His burden. 
 It is smooth and dark with the kisses of millions of believ- 
 ing lips. 
 
 The next house is that of Dives, the rich man. At this 
 corner Simon of Cyrene took the cross and carried it a 
 
3oS GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 part of the way. In front of the house of Dives is a stone, 
 and over it a hovel. The hovel was the house of the 
 beggar; the stone is where he sat in quest of alms, and 
 under this archway Jesus stood and pronounced the para- 
 ble which is found in the sixteenth chapter of Luke. 
 Here the road makes another bend, and we pass a broken 
 column, that must at one time have been a stately 
 ornament. The column broke where Jesus sank upon 
 it, and the fissure is clear and deep. We keep on until we 
 come to a church, a bright, new church, with an arch over- 
 hanging the street. This is the church of Ecce Homo. It 
 was here or hereabouts that the road to the cross began. 
 There is a barracks on the site of Pilate's judgment hall. 
 We go into the church. Behind tTie altar is an arch, and , 
 under this arch Pilate stood when he delivered over Jesus to 
 the Jews and washed his hands of. innocent blood. Here, 
 in an enclosure, was the whipping, the crowning with 
 thorns, the decoration with the purple robes, and here also 
 Jesus took up the cross, which He carried to Calvary. 
 
 We can readily see, as we retrace our way up the Via 
 Dolorosa, that it must have been a rough and weary road 
 to one rent and torn and bleeding and crushed under the 
 cruel burden of the cross. Even to the wayfarer, in full 
 possession of his faculties, it is a tedious task to climb the 
 hill of Calvary. 
 
 After finishing the Via Dolorosa, the visitors kept on 
 outside of the gates and over the valley of Jehoshaphat. 
 Crossing the brook Kedron, the very brook hallowed by 
 our Lord's holy and sorrowful footsteps, and ascending the 
 hill a short distance, they come to a walled garden. Here 
 Jesus knelt and prayed, and made holy forever the Garden 
 of Gethsemane. The good monk gathered some flowers 
 for Mrs. Grant, and for the others twigs and leaves from 
 the « Tree of Agony." 
 
 The party climbed the Mount of Olives to the summit, 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 309 
 
 and entered the chapel, said to be the site of the Ascension, 
 now a Moslem mosque. From its minerets one can look 
 far beyond to the land of Moab, the valley of the Jordan 
 and the Dead Sea. Here a French princess has erected a 
 tomb, and around the walls of which is the Lord's Prayer 
 in thirty-two languages. 
 
 Resuming the walk over a hill, they came to the vil- 
 lage of Bethany, where Jesus lived when He preached in 
 Jerusalem. Here was Lazarus, His friend, whom He raised 
 from the tomb. Here lived Mary and Martha, whom 
 Jesus loved. Riding under the overhanging ruins of the 
 dwelling in which Jesus found home, shelter, friendship, 
 love, they walk around Bethany, which is only a collec- 
 tion of ruins and hovels. 
 
 Passing over the graveyard where Lazarus was buried, 
 they continue along the road that leads to Jerusalem again, 
 by the road sloping at the base of the mountain. It was 
 over this road that Jesus rode when He entered Jerusalem 
 on an ass. At the head of the hill, Jesus wept over the city 
 and prophesied its destruction. • 
 
 Entering the city by the Damascus gate, it was but a 
 few minutes before General Grant and party reached their 
 hotel. The walk had been a long and weary one, yet full 
 of interest, every moment awakening a memory of the 
 noblest moment of life, and every step taken had been over 
 hallowed ground. 
 
 Leaving Jerusalem, they visited Damascus, where their 
 stay was made enjoyable by the attention of the Turkish 
 officials. 
 
 On March loth General Grant and party arrived at 
 Athens, and were escorted by three Greek ironclads, a large 
 crowd witnessing the landing. On the gth they were pre- 
 sented to the King and Queen of Greece, and a grand ban- 
 quet given in their honor on the loth. The ruins of the 
 ancient temples and the Parthenon were brilliantly illu- 
 
3IO GENERAL, U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 minated. On the 13th General Grant entertained the King 
 of Greece at luncheon on board the United States Steamer 
 Vandalia, and also lunched with the King on the 14th at 
 the American Legation. The General's reception had been 
 enthusiastic and hospitable. 
 
 General Grant reached Naples on Monday evening, and 
 proceeded at once to Rome. Here he was visited by 
 Cardinal McCloskey, Lieutenant- General Count Sounaz, 
 King Humbert's Aid-de-Camp, and all the dignitaries of 
 the government, diplomatic agents, and prominent citizens. 
 On the 25th, Minister Marsh gave a grand banquet and 
 soiree in honor of General Grant. The foreign ministers, 
 members of the cabinet, and most of the American resi- 
 dents were present. Several days were spent in visiting 
 places of interest. -» 
 
 On May 5th, General Grant arrived at Tarn., where he 
 met with a hearty and enthusiastic reception, and on the 
 7th returned to the gay French capital. On Thursday the 
 Ex-President paid visits to President McMahon, the Princff 
 of Wale», Due 'd Aosta, the Due Saxe-Coburg, the Prefect 
 of the Seine, and the Prefect of Police. On Friday he 
 called upon the English, Turkish, Swedish and Japanese 
 Ministers; in the afternoon he drove to the Bois de Boulogne 
 and witnessed a game of polo, in which he took a lively in- 
 terest. On Saturday the General and Mrs. Grant and their 
 son visited the Exposition. He was received by Chief 
 Commissioner McCormick and staff, and by the Commis- 
 sioners from the various States of the Union, Minister 
 Noyes, Consul-General Torbert and wife, and the leading 
 ladies and gentlemen of the American colony in Paris. 
 
 The American marines were drawn up in military 
 array, and gave the party a military salute on their arrival 
 at the American section. , > 
 
 The General and his party then examined the whole 
 American department in detail. They spent a good deal 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 3I 1 
 
 of time among Tiffany's exhibit, where Bonanza Mackay's 
 gorgeous service of silver plate, which cost one hundred 
 and fifty thousand dollars, is exhibited. 
 
 Then they proceeded to the machinery department, 
 where the General was placed upon a square American plat- 
 form — that of the Howe scale. General Grant, in fact, was 
 weighed, and for the first time in his life "found wanting," 
 having lost seventeen pounds by his Egyptian trip. 
 
 Mr. Cunliffe Owen did the honors, in the Prince of 
 Wales' pavilion, to the General and his party. 
 
 A handsome collation was served in the Alimentation 
 group. No. 17, of the American department, after which 
 the party proceeded to visit the other sections. 
 
 The following week, General Grant was the object of 
 further attention, and enjoyed the amenities of Paris life to 
 the full, receiving a visit from President McMahon and his 
 wife. Prince Hassan of Egypt, Prince Albert and Prince 
 Frederick of Austria, Prince and Princess of Denmark. 
 The Comte de Paris sent his boxes at the Italian for 
 Thursday, and at the grand opera on Friday. He dined 
 with Mr. Ridgeway on Saturday. 
 
 One of the pleasant things of the week was General 
 Grant's'visit to the polo grounds in the Bois de Boulogne. 
 The Prince of Wales also went the same day. They wit- 
 nessed a very interesting game. General Grant was ac. 
 companied by his family and ex-Minister Beale. They 
 remained an hour. 
 
 The General said he thought the game might be intro- 
 duced with great eiFect into the cavalry regiments and at 
 West Point, as a good school of horsemanship for young 
 soldiers. 
 
 The third week of General Grant's stay in Paris was 
 equally as pleasant, and every attention "shown him. Mr. 
 Morton, the banker, gave a " stag " dinner on Monday, and 
 the same night Mr. Waddington, the minister of foreign 
 
312 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 affairs, gave the grandest ball of the season. Five thousand 
 invitations were issued, and there was a perfect crush, but 
 the costumes of the ladies were something even for a man 
 to rave about. 
 
 On Tuesday the American artist, Healy, gave a ball. 
 On Wednesday there was a reception and ball at the Min- 
 istry of Agriculture. On Friday Mrs. Hooper's private 
 theatricals attracted a distinguished party. On Saturday 
 there was a soiree dansante at Mrs. Wagner's, and on Sun- 
 day Prince OrlofF, the Russian minister, gave a grand 
 dinner to General Grant, which proved to be one of the 
 most enjoyable entertainments given in his honor. These 
 fisstivities were kept up, with little abatement, until the 
 middle of June, when General Grant turned his eyes 
 toward the northern lands of Europe, and paid his. respects 
 to his friends in Paris, and bowed himself out of that daz- 
 zling sphere of dissipation, to recuperate in a series of mild 
 Dutch festivities — mild compared to the mad whirl of fes- 
 tive Paris. 
 
 General Grant arrived at the Hague in safety, and was 
 met by Minister Birney, and, with Mrs, Grant, took up his 
 residence, by special invitation, in the latter gentleman's 
 house. 
 
 Immediately upon the ex-President's arrival — almost 
 before he had time to repose himself after his journey — in- 
 vitations began to pour in upon him, and the routine of 
 dinners, receptions, balls and visits began anew. On 
 Monday evening Minister Birney entertained his distin- 
 quished guest at a splendid dinner, which proved to be one 
 of the great events of the season. Preparations on a large 
 scale had been made for this occasion, which was a grati- 
 fying success in every respect. 
 
 All the members of the diplomatic corps in the city were 
 present at this dinner, which was rendered still more brill- 
 iant by the presence of the wives and lady friends- of the 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 313 
 
 diplomats. After the dinner, which went off joyously, a 
 splendid reception was given, in which the court circle, with 
 its picturesque retinue of noble ladies and gentlemen, most 
 of the members of Parliament, and other distinguished 
 guests, participated. General Grant was, of course, the 
 centre of attraction, and was treated with marked ^deference 
 and honors. His manly, soldier-like bearing was admired 
 on all sides, and every one was desirous of making his ac- 
 quaintance. The reception continued until the small hours 
 of morning, ajid was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning 
 to end. 
 
 On Tuesday evening a similar dinner was given in honor 
 of the General at the residence of the Minister of For- 
 eign Affairs, Baron de Heckeven de Kell. This was also 
 followed by a reception no less brilliant than its predecessor. 
 
 On the same day General Grant accepted an invitation to 
 visit His Royal Highness Prince Frederic, uncle of the 
 King. He chose the forenoon for the purpose of paying 
 his respects to the Prince, who entertained him generously 
 at a private dejeuner. After this friendly repast, the Prince 
 ordered his carriage and had his guest dViven through the 
 spacious and beautiful grounds of the estate. A call was 
 also made on Prince Alexander, son of the King. 
 
 Each day was destined to bring its separate enjoyment. 
 Wednesday was set apart for a parade of a portion of the 
 troops of Holland, and the General was invited to review 
 these sturdy Dutch soldiers, whose martial bearing im- 
 pressed him very favorably. A large number of distin- 
 guished ladies and gentlemen were present at the review, 
 and the scene was exceedingly picturesque and attractive. 
 The troops looked their best, and marched with fine pre- 
 cision and dignity. 
 
 The General limited his stay at The Hague, although he 
 expressed a hope that he might return there before his de- 
 parture. He then took the train for Rotterdam, where he 
 
314 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 arrived in a short time. He was receiifed by the Burgo- 
 master of that city, and was escorted around and shown va- 
 rious objects of interest by this dignitary. The Burgomas- 
 ter gave a dinner in his honor, to which a great many of 
 the principal citizens were invited. The affair was very 
 social and cordial. 
 
 On Thursday the General made his way into the fa- 
 mous city of Amsterdam, where he was greeted by throngs 
 of people, who welcomed him in a truly enthusiastic man- 
 ner. Several prominent citizens escorted hijn about, and 
 extended to him an invitation for dinner on Saturday eve- 
 ning. His residence in Amsterdam, although necessarily 
 short, was as pleasant as could have been desired. 
 
 General Grant's flying tour on Dutch territory was 
 marked by attentions as gracious and as flattering as any he 
 had yet received. In the steady, plodding cities of Hol- 
 land, the phlegmatic citizens had been excited to enthusi- 
 asm by the presence of the ex-President, and signiflfed their 
 admiration of his character and achievements by crowd' 
 jng the streets which he passed. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 GRANT IN GERMANY, NORWAY, SWEDEN, RUSSIA 
 AND AUSTRIA. 
 On Wednesday, June 26, General Grant and party 
 arrived at Berlin, Minister Taylor having met them at 
 Stendahl, sixty miles below Berlin. 
 
 On the evening of his coming, he strolled along the 
 Unter den Linden, and his Berlin visit may be summed up 
 in this sentence, that he walked the greater part of each day, 
 and there was not a quarter of Berlin that he did not explore 
 on foot with an energy as sightseer which no amount 
 of exertion seemed to diminish. The General had an 
 early interview with the members of the Congress of 
 great diplomats assembled in Berlin to settle the Eastern 
 question. 
 
 At an interview with Prince GortschakofF, the General, 
 in company with Mr. Taylor, calling at the Prince's request 
 (as the gout prevented the Prince calling on the General), 
 GortschakofF said that Russia would be glad to see and 
 welcome the General, and he seemed delighted with the 
 visit. Of the members of the Congress, Lord Beaconsfield, 
 Lord Salisbury, M. Waddington and Count Corti were 
 known to the General. Mehemet Ali he had met in 
 Turkey. Visits were exchanged with these gentlemen and 
 with the other members of the Congress. 
 
 Among the first calls left on the General was that of 
 Prince Bismarck, and as it did not find him at home it was 
 left again. As the Geheral was anxious to see the Prince, 
 
 .?i5 
 
3l6 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 for whose character and services he had so high an admira* 
 tion, he returned these calls at once, and sent His Highness 
 a message saying that he would make his visit at any time 
 that would suit the Prince, whom he knew to be a busy 
 and an ill man. 
 
 The afternoon at four was the hour named for the visit, 
 and, as the General lives within a few moments' walk of the 
 Bismarck Palace, at five minutes to four he slowly saun- 
 tered through the Frederick Place. The Frederick Place 
 is a small square, with roads and flowers and some famous 
 old trees, laid out in memory of the great Frederick. It is 
 decorated with statues of his leading generals. Everything 
 runs to war in Germany, and the prevailing religion is 
 swordsmanship. In this park are bronze statues of Ziethen, 
 Seidlitz, Winterfeldt, Keith, Schwerin, and the Prince of 
 Dessau. Passing out of the park, on the right,ns the palace 
 and home of the famous Prince Bismarck. An iron railing 
 separates it from the street, and from the roof the flag of the 
 German empire floats in the breeze. 
 
 The General saunters into the courtyard, and the sen- 
 tinels eye him a moment curiously, and then present arms. 
 His visit had been expected, but certainly an ex-President 
 of the United States would come in a carriage and six, and 
 not quietly on foot. Throwing away a half-smoked cigar as 
 he raises his hat in honor of the salute, he advances to the 
 door, but before he has time to ring, two servants throw 
 them open, and he passes into an open marble hall. Of all 
 princes now living, this is, perhaps, the most renowned — 
 this of Bismarck- Schinhausen — who comes with a swing- 
 ing, bending gait through the opened and opening doors, 
 with both hands extended, to meet the General. You note 
 that time has borne heavily on the Prince these past few 
 years. The iron-grey hair and mustache are nearly white; 
 there is weariness in the gait, a tired look in the face. But 
 all the lines are there that are associated with Bismaick; for 
 
STATUE OF FREDERICK THE GREAT, IN BERLIN. 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 3 It) 
 
 if ever manhood, courage, intellect are written on a man's 
 face by his Creator, they are written on this face of the 
 German Chancellor. There is the lofty station, which 
 seems to belong to the Bismarck stamp of men, the bold 
 outlines of the brain, under which empires have found their 
 fate, the frank, intrepid, penetrating eye, and in that firmly 
 knit mouth the courage of the Saxon race. The Prince 
 Wore an officer's uniform, and, on taking the General's 
 hand, said, " Glad to welcome General Grant to Germany." 
 
 The General answered that there was no incident in his 
 German visit that more interested him than this opportu- 
 nity of meeting the Prince. Bismarck expressed surprise 
 at seeing the General so young a man, but on a ^compari- 
 son of ages it was found that Bismarck was only seven 
 years the General's senior. 
 
 " That," said the Prince, " shows the value of a military 
 life; for here you have the frame of a young man, while I 
 feel like an old man." 
 
 The General, smiling, announced that he was at that 
 period of life when he could have no higher compliment 
 than being called a young man. By this time the Prince 
 had escorted the General to a chair. 
 
 It was his library or stuSy, and an open window looked 
 out upon a beautiful park, upon which the warm June sun 
 was shining. This is the private park of the Radziwjll 
 Palace, which is now Bismarck's Berlin home. The library 
 is a large, spacious room, the walls a gray marble, and the 
 furniture plain. In one corner is a large and high writing- 
 desk, where the Chancellor works, and on the varnished 
 floors a few rugs are thrown. The Prince speaks English 
 with precision, but slowly, as though lacking in practice, 
 now and then taking refuge in a French word, but showing 
 a thorough command of the language. 
 
 After inquiring after the health of General Sheridan, 
 who was a fellow-campaigner in France, and became a 
 
320 dE^fERAL u. s. gkant's 
 
 great friend of Bismarck's, they discussed the Eastern ques. 
 tion, military armament and strength, and the late atrocious 
 attempt to assassinate the Emperor, giving the two great 
 men an opportunity to discuss this phase of socialism. In 
 speaking of this attempt o;n the life ^f the Emperor, the 
 Prince paid this glowing tribute to the Emperor: 
 
 " It is so strange, so strange and so sad. Here is an old 
 man — one of the kindest old gentlemen in the world — and 
 yet they must try and shoot him ! There never was a more 
 simple, more genuine, more — what shall I say? — more 
 humane character than the Emperor's. He is totally un- 
 like men born in his station, or many of them, at least. You 
 know that men who come into the world in his rank, born_ 
 princes, are apt to think themselves of another race and 
 another world. They are apt to take small account of the 
 wishes and feelings of others. All their education tends to 
 deaden the human side. But this Emperor is so much of a 
 man in all things! He never did any one a wrong in his 
 life. He never wounded any one's feelings ; never imposed 
 a hardship ! He is the most genial and winning of men — ■ 
 thinking always, anxious always for the comfort and well- 
 fare of his people, of those aroijind him. You cannot con- 
 ceive a finer type of the noble, courteous, charitable old 
 gentleman, with every high quality of a prince, as well as 
 every virtue of a man. I should have supposed that the 
 Emperor could have walked alone all over the Empire 
 without harm, and yet they must try and shoot him." 
 
 The Prince asked the General when he might have the 
 pleasure of seeing Mrs. Grant. The General answered 
 that she would receive him at any convenient hour. 
 
 "Then," said the Prince, "I will come to-morrow 
 before the Congress meets." 
 
 Both gentlemen arose, and the General renewed the ex- 
 pression of his pleasure at having seen a man who was 
 so well known and so highly esteemed in America. 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD, ^2\ 
 
 " General," answered the Prince, " the pleasure and the 
 honor are mine. Germany and America have always been 
 in so friendly a relation that nothing delights us more than 
 to meet Americans, and especially an American who has 
 done so much for his country, and whose name is so much 
 honored in Germany as your own." 
 
 The Prince and the General walked side by side to the 
 door, and after shaking hands the General passed into the 
 square. The guard presented arms, and the General lit 
 a fresh cigar and slowly strolled home. 
 
 " I am glad I have seen Bismarck," he remarked. " He 
 is a man whose manner and bearing fully justify the opin- 
 ions one forms of him. What he says about the Emperor 
 was beautifully said, and should be known to all the Ger- 
 mans and those who esteem Germany." 
 
 Notable, also, among incidents of the Berlin stay, was a 
 quiet, informal reception given to the General by Mr. Tay- 
 lor, American Minister. Mr. Taylor was not aware of the 
 General's coming until a day or two before his arrival, and 
 the news found him an ill man. Then he had had no per- 
 sonal acquaintance with the General, and if his home 
 political sympathies ran in one direction more than anotlier 
 it was not in the direction of the General. Mr. Taylor 
 regretted that the state of mourning in which the attempt 
 on the Emperor's life had thrown Berlin, and the presence 
 of the Congress, prevented his entertaining the General in 
 a more ostentatious manner. But he made all the arrange- 
 ments with the Court, and gave the General an evening 
 party, which all the Americans in Berlin attended. The 
 evening was enjoyable and interesting. The next day there 
 was a small dinner party at the Embassy, and, in addition, 
 there was a great deal of going around and seeing Berlin 
 in a quiet way, which form of foreign life the General en- 
 joys beyond any other. 
 
323 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 The Crown Prince sent word to General Grant asking 
 him to name an hour when he would review some troops 
 in all arms. T.he General answered that any hour most 
 convenient for the troops would be pleasant to him. So it 
 was arranged at half-past seven in the morning. The 
 General asked Mr. Coleman, of the Legation, to be one of 
 his company. It had rained all night, a heavy, pitching, 
 blowing rain, and when the morning came the prayers 
 which Mr. Coleman had been offering up all night for 
 better weather were found to have availed not. The 
 General himself had a severe cold and a chill, which had 
 been hanging over him for two days, and when he arose 
 he could scarcely speak. There was a suggestion that the 
 review be postponed. But the troops were under way, and 
 the General would not hear of the suggestion. The place 
 selected was the Tempelhof, a large open field outside of 
 Berlin. When General Grant drove on the ground in a 
 palace carriage he was met by the General commanding 
 the Berlin troops and a large staff. A horse from the royal 
 stables was in waiting, but the General was suffering so 
 much that he would not mount. The rain kept its wild 
 way, and the wind swept it in gusts across the open field, 
 so much so that in a few moments, even with the protection 
 of a carriage, the occupants were all thoroughly drenched. 
 
 The manoeuvres went on all the same. There was a 
 sham fight with infantry, all the incidents of a real battle 
 ^- moving on the flank, in skirmish line, firing and re- 
 treating, firing and advancing. Then came the order to 
 fix bayonets and charge at double quick, the soldiers shout- 
 ing and cheering as they advanced with that ringing cheer 
 which, somehow, no one hears but in Saxon lands, and 
 which stirs the blood like a t«ampet. General Grant was 
 attended by Major Igel, an intelligent officer. The General 
 complimented the movements of the troops highly. 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 323 
 
 After the manoeuvres and the sham fight, there was a 
 qjarch past, the General reviewing the line with bared 
 head, to which the pitiless rain showed no mercy. 
 
 " These are fine soldiers," he said, and thanked the com- 
 mander for his courtesy. 
 
 Then came artillery practice, the guns firing and sweep- 
 ing over the field in a whirling, mad pace. This was fol- 
 lowed by an artillery march past, which the General 
 reviewed on foot, the rain still beating down. 
 
 Then came cavalry. This was the most interesting 
 phase of the display, especially one movement, where the 
 battalion broke into disorder and rallied again. 
 
 " This," said the Major, " we do to accustom our men to 
 the contingency of disorder on the field, and enable every 
 man to know how to take care of himself." 
 
 The movement was effective and beautiful, and showed, 
 said the General, the highest state of discipline. It was 
 followed by a charge and a march past, the General, on foot, 
 reviewing, and the rain whirling like a gust. 
 
 After this they all drove to a military hospital and 
 inspected it. Then to the quarters of a cavalry regiment, 
 under the command of the Prince of HohenzoUern. The 
 General was received by the oflScers, and went carefully 
 through the quarters. After inspection there was a quiet 
 mess-room lunch and a good deal of military talk, which 
 showed that the General had not forgotten his trader 
 
 The General, at the close of the lunch, asked permis- 
 sion to propose the prosperity of the regiment and the 
 health of the Colonel. It was a regiment of which any 
 army would be proud, and he hoped a day of trial would 
 never come; but, if it did, he was sure it would do its part 
 to maintain the ancient success of the Prussian army. He 
 also desired to express his thanks to the Crown Prince for 
 the pains that had been taken to show him this sample of 
 his magnificent army. 
 
324 
 
 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 The Prince answered in German, which Major Igel 
 translated, that he was much complimented by the G^- 
 eral's toast, and that the annals of his regiment would 
 always record the pride they felt in having had at their 
 mess and as their guest so illustrious a leader. This closed 
 the military services of the day. 
 
 About midday a coupe stopped at the door of Minister 
 Taylor's residence, and Prince Bismarck descended and 
 touched his hat to the crowd. He wore a full military uni- 
 form, a gilded helmet covering his brows, and was con- 
 ducted to the apartments of the General, who presented the 
 Prince to his wife and Mrs. Taylor, the wife of the Minis- 
 ter. The Prince expressed again his satisfaction at seeing 
 General Grant and his wife in Germany, and hoped Mrs. 
 Grant would carry home the best impressions of the coun- 
 try. It had been raining, and the skies were heavy with 
 clouds, and the General himself, suffering from a cold, had 
 been sitting in a carriage for two hours, the rain beating 
 in his f;ice, watching horsemen, artillery and infantry march 
 and countevmarcii over the Tempelhof grounds. Altogether 
 it had been a trying day, and everybody felt cheerless and 
 damp. But Mrs. Grant has a nature that would see as 
 much sunshine in Alaska as in Italy, on whose temper rain 
 or snow never makes an impression, and she told His High- 
 ness how delighted she was with Germany, with Potsdam 
 and the Crown Prince, and more especially the Crown 
 Princess, whose motherly, womanly ways had won quite a 
 place in her womanly, motherly heart. They had had 
 pleasant talks about children and households and wedding 
 anniversaries, and domestic manners in Germany, and had 
 no doubt exchanged a world of that sweet and sacred in- 
 formation which ladies like to bestow^ on one another in the 
 confidence of friendly conversation. Moreover, she was 
 pleased to see Prince Bismarck, and expressed that pleasure, 
 and there was a half hour of the pleasantest talk, not about 
 
ToUR Around the world. 335 
 
 politics or wars or statesmanship, but on very human 
 themes. 
 
 The gentler side of the Prince came into play, and one 
 who was present formed the opinion that there was a very 
 sunny side to the man of blood and iron. As two o'clock 
 drew near, the Prince arose and said : " I must go to my 
 Congress, for, you see, although the business does not con- 
 cern us greatly, it is business that must be attended to." 
 The General escorted the Prince, and as he descended the 
 crowd had become dense, for Bismarck rarely appears in 
 public, and all Berlin honors him as foremost among Ger- 
 man men. 
 
 On July II, the General dined with the Prince. The 
 invitation card was in German, not French — a large, plain 
 card, as follows: 
 
 FUERSTVON BISMARCK 
 beehrt sich General U. S. GRANT zum Diner am Montag, 
 den I, Juli, um 6 Unr, ganz ergebenst einzuladen. 
 iJ. A. rr. g 
 
 The menu was in French. 
 
 MENU. 
 
 LuNDi, le ler juillet. 
 
 Potage Mulligatawny. 
 
 Pates a la financiere. 
 
 Turbot d'Ostende a I'Anglaise. 
 
 Quartier de boeuf a la Holsteinaise. 
 
 Canetons aux olives. 
 
 Ris de veau a la Milanaise. 
 
 Punch romain., 
 
 Poulardes de Bruxelles. 
 
 Salade. Compotes. 
 
 Fonds d'artichauts a la HoUandaise. 
 
 Pain de Praises a la Chantilly. 
 
 Glaces. 
 
 Dessert. 
 
 The General, with his military habits of promptness, 
 
 entered the palace at six precisely, accompanied by his wife. 
 
326 GENERAL U. S. GRANt'S 
 
 Mr. Bayard Taylor, the Minister, and Mrs. Taylor, and H. 
 Sidney Everett, the Secretary of Legation. The Prince 
 and Princess Bismarck, and the Countess Marie GrafinVon 
 Bismarck, accompanied by the Prince's two sons, met the 
 General at the door of the salon and presented him to the 
 various guests. There was a hearty greeting for the Min- 
 ister and his party, and the Princess and Mrs. Grant were 
 soon on the waves of an anirtiated conversation. The 
 company numbered about thirty, and a few moments after 
 the General's arrival dinner w^as announced. The Prince 
 led the way, escorting Mrs. Grant, who sat on his right, 
 with Mrs. Taylor on his left, the General and the Princess 
 vis-a-vis, with Mr. Von Schlozer, the German Minister at 
 Washington, between. The remainder of the company 
 were members of the Cabinet and high persons in Berlin. 
 
 About half-past seven, or later, the dinner was over, 
 and the company adjourned to another room. 
 
 General Grant had several interviews with Bismarck, 
 and the interchange of opinion and criticism took a wide 
 range, and seemed to strengthen the high opinion each had 
 for the other. The contrast between the two faces was a 
 study ; no two faces, of this generation, at least, have been 
 more widely drawn. In expression Bismarck has what 
 might be an intense face, a moving, restless eye, that might 
 flame in an instant. His conversation is irregular, rapid, 
 audacious, with gleams of humor, saying the oddest and 
 frankest things, and enjoying anything that amuses him so 
 much that, frequently, he will not, cannot finish the sen- 
 tence, for laughing. Grant, whose enjoyment of humor is 
 keen, never passes beyond a smile. In conversation he 
 talks his theme directly out with care, avoiding no detail, 
 correcting himself if he slips in any, exceedingly accurate 
 in statement, and who always talks well, because he never 
 talks about what he does not know. 
 
 One notes in comparing the two faces how much more 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 327 
 
 youth there is in that of Grant than of Bismarck. Grant's 
 face was tired enough two years ago, when fresh from that 
 witches' dame of an Electoral Commission — it had that 
 weary look which you see in Bismarck's, but it has gone, 
 and of the two men one would certainly deem Grant the 
 junior by twenty years. 
 
 Mr. Taylor, the American Minister, was evidently 
 impressed with the historical value of the meeting of Grant 
 and Bismarck. He remembered a German custom that 
 you can never cement a friendship without a glass of old- 
 fashioned schnapps. There was a bottle of a famous 
 schnapps cordial, among other bottles — no matter how old 
 it was — and the Minister said, " General, no patriotic Ger- 
 man will believe that there can ever be lasting friendship 
 between Germany and the United States unless yourself 
 and the Prince pledge eternal amity between all Germans 
 and Americans over a glass of this schnapps." The Prince 
 laughed, and thanked the Minister for the suggestion. 
 The schnapps was poured out, the General and Prince 
 touched glasses, and the vows were exchanged in hearty 
 fashion. 
 
 General Grant arrived at Gothenburg on the 1 2th of July. 
 He was met by a crowd of over five thousand people, 
 who cheered loudly for him of whom they had heard so 
 much. The Swedes, who have emigi-ated in such large 
 numbers to the United States, have spread his fame among 
 their countrymen at home. The ships in the harbor were 
 all decorated in his honor. He passed the day in Gothen- 
 burg, and then continued his journey to Christiana. All 
 the villages along the route were decorated, and his com- 
 ing was made the occasion of a gala day. 
 
 He landed at Christiana on the 13th, and was received 
 with great ceremony. Ten thousand people flocked to 
 greet him. King Oscar II. came to Christiana from Stock' 
 
22S GENERAL U. S. GRANTS 
 
 holm to meet the General, and gave him a dinner and a 
 reception. 
 
 The General set out sightseeing, and was conducted to 
 the old castle of Aggershuus, with its citadel and church 
 on the brow of a point jutting out into the fiord, over whose 
 winding shore-line and smooth waters, broken by wooded 
 islands, it gives a fine view. 
 
 The reception of the ex-President throughout Scandi- 
 navia was enthusiastic and remarkable, everywhere the 
 citizens turning out en masse to welcome and honor him. 
 At Stockholm, on the 24th, he was tendered a grand state 
 banquet and dinner at the Embassy, and was serenaded, 
 and a large crowd assembled and cheered him as he 
 embarked for Russia. 
 
 General Grant arrived at St. Petersburg July 30. On 
 arriving in the Russian capital, he was met by Minister 
 Stoughton, whose wonderful coronal of snowy locks never 
 shone more magnificently over his rosy cheeks. 
 
 The Emperor's Aid-de-Camp, Prince GortschakofF, an^ 
 other high ofnciais uf '"'li imperial court, called immedi- 
 ately, welcoming the ex-President in the name of the Czar. 
 
 On the following day General Grant had an audience 
 with the Emperor Alexander, which was of a pleasant 
 nature. 
 
 The imperial yacht conveyed the General to Peterhof. 
 the Verseilles of St. Petersburg. It is fifteen miles from 
 the capital, but it has one advantage over the old French 
 royal extra-mural residence in that, from the imperial palace, 
 one has almost urivaled views over Cronstadt and the Gulf 
 of Finland, and of the capital itself. The fountains were 
 played in honor of the visit. 
 
 He afterward visited the great Russian man-of-war, 
 Peter the Great. The band played American airs, and a 
 royal salute of twenty-one guns was fired. The imperial 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 329 
 
 yacht then steamed slowly among the Russian fleet lying 
 off Cronstadt, the ships running out American colors, and 
 the sailors cheering. 
 
 Subsequently the General had an interview with the 
 Czar at St. Petersburg. The Emperor manifested great 
 cordiality. The General was presented by Prince Gort- 
 schakoff. His Majesty talked of his health and the Gen- 
 eral's travels. He seemed greatly interested in our national 
 wards, the Indians, and made several inquiries as to their 
 mode of warfare. 
 
 At the close of the interview, the Emperor accompanied 
 General Grant to the door, saying: — 
 
 " Since the foundation of your government, the rela- 
 tions between Russia and America have been of the friend- 
 liest character; and as long as I live ndthing shall be spared 
 to continue that friendship." 
 
 The General answered that, although the two govern- 
 ments were directly opposite in character, the great major- 
 ity of the American people vfere in sympathy with Russia- 
 and would, he hoped, so continue. 
 
 At the station, General Grant met the Grand Duke 
 Alexis, who was very cordial, recalling with pleasure his 
 visits to America. 
 
 A visit was also made to the great Chancellor, Prince 
 Gortschakoff, with whom the General spent some hours,- 
 smoking and discussing American and European affairs. 
 
 The Czarowitch also received General Grant at special 
 audience. 
 
 The French Ambassador gave a dinner to the Genei-al, 
 and there was a special review of the fire brigade in his 
 honor. The attentions of the. Emperor and the authorities 
 were so marked that he prolonged his stay several days. 
 
 On the 9th instant he was in Moscow, the ancient capital 
 of Russia. He dined with Prince Dogoroff on the loth, 
 
33® GfiNEftAL U. S. GRANT^S 
 
 was at Warsaw the 13th. At all of these cities he was 
 received with the same marked cordiality, and his visit 
 recalled with feelings of pleasure. 
 
 On the i8th our ex-President arrived at Vienna. At 
 the railroad station he was met by Minister Kasson, the 
 secretaries and members of the American Legation, and a 
 large number of the American residents. He was loudl}' 
 cheered as he stepped out of the railway carriage. 
 
 On the 19th the General was visited at the Legation of 
 the United States by Count Andrassy, the First Minister 
 of the Council, and several colleagues. In the evening he 
 dined with the Countess and Mrs. Grant at Post's. On 
 the 20th he had an audience of His Imperial Majesty Fran- 
 cis Joseph, at the lovely palace of Schoenbrunn, spending 
 the remainder of the day driving about the imperial 
 grounds and forests, and visiting points of interest in that 
 romantic and historic neighborhood. 
 
 On the 2 1st General and Mrs. Grant were entertained 
 by the imperial family, and dined with the Emperor in the 
 evening. During the morning Baron Steinberg accom- 
 panied the Emperor's American guests to the Arsenal. 
 
 On the 22d Minister Kasson gave a diplomatic dinner 
 in honor of our ex-President, at which nearly all the for- 
 eign Ambassadors were present. The members of the 
 Austro-Hungarian Cabinet attended the reception in the 
 evening, and added to the attractiveness and brilliancy of 
 the occasion. The General expressed himself greatly 
 pleased with Vienna, and thought it a charming city. He 
 was gratified also at the marked attentions of the Emperor's 
 household, and the earnest endeavor sjiown to honor him 
 as a citizen of the United States. 
 
 On September 23 General Grant was at Zurich, and 
 dined with the American Consul, S. H. Byers, at the Hotel 
 Bauer. Among the distinguished gueets were Burgomas- 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 33I 
 
 ter Roemer, of Zurich; Feer-Herzog, a National Council- 
 lor; the German poet, Kinkel; General Vogelli, of the 
 Swiss army; Mr. Nicholas Fish, the American Charge 
 d'Affaires at Berne, and many prominent Swiss citizens. 
 
 When the cloth was removed, Consul Byers, after a few 
 appropriate remarks, asked his guests to drink the health 
 of his renow^ned countryman, "who, having led half a mil- 
 lion of men to victory, and having governed a great nation 
 for eight years, needs no praise from me." General Grant's 
 health was then drank with all the honors. The Burgo- 
 master expressed, in a brief and happy speech, the interest 
 w^ith which the Swiss people followed General Grant's 
 career as a soldier and as President of the great Republic, 
 and said that the honor done and the pleasure given to the 
 citizens of Zurich by ex-President Grant's visit was very 
 great. 
 
 In response, General Grant expressed a deep sense of 
 pleasure and honor at meeting such distinguished Swiss 
 gentlemen. He thanked the citizens of Zurich, through 
 their Mayor, for their cordial reception, which he regarded 
 as a symbol of the good feeling existing between the two 
 countries. The General concluded by proposing the health 
 of the President of the Fede'ral Council and nation, and 
 the prosperity of the city of Zurich. 
 
 Feer-Herzog replied in an eloquent allusion to the 
 amity existing between the two countries, and ended by 
 proposing the health of President Hayes. Mr. Nicholas 
 Fish responded, testifying to " the memory cherished by 
 all true United States citizens of the Switzers who fought 
 and died during the American war — giving their lives and 
 services from the pure, unselfish sympathy of their hearts 
 and their inborn love of freedom. The acts of those heroes 
 are to Americans the guarantee of Switzerland's sympathy 
 in the hour of need and of despair." 
 
 Other speeches were made, and the dinner was, alto- 
 
333 GENERAL U, S. GRANT S 
 
 gether, a thoroughly enjoyable occasion. In every respect 
 General Grant's reception in the land of Williani Tell has 
 been as hearty as in any place in Europe. The General 
 left for Paris the following morning. ^ 
 
 N. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 GENERAL, GRANT IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 
 
 General Grant arrived at the French capital on Septem- 
 ber 25, from Belfort. He was met at the station by 
 Minister Noyes, ex-Governor Faircliild, ex-Governor Mc- 
 Cormick, and other American officials. The General was 
 in excellent health and spirits, and had experienced so little 
 fatigue during his journey that, after dining en faint lie, he 
 strolled along the boulevards for more than two hours. 
 
 A grand dinner w^as given to the ex-President October 
 3 by Mr. Edward F. Noyes, the United States Minister, at 
 the Legation. Among the invited guests were the follow- 
 ing distinguished Americans: General and Mrs. Grant, 
 John Welsh, Minister to England; John A. Kasson, Min- 
 ister to Austria; J. Meredith Read, Charge d'AfFaires to 
 Greece; General Hazen, United States Army; General 
 Lucius Fairchild, Consul-General at Paris; ex-Governor 
 McCormick, Commissioner-General to the Paris Exposi- 
 tion; ex- Governor Smith, of New Hampshire, and Miss 
 Waite, daughter of the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
 Court of the United States. 
 
 General Grant, having abandoned his contemplated 
 trip to India for the present, concluded to remain in Paris 
 and vicinity for the winter, and planned a month's tour 
 through Spain, Portugal and Algiers. 
 
 The ex-President and party arrived in Vittoria, hav- 
 ing entered Spain from France by the Bayonne route. 
 The little town of Irun, which is just over the frontier, 
 
 333 
 
334 GENERAL U. S. GRAXT'S 
 
 afforded the first glimpse of Spanish life and character. 
 Its neat railway station was draped with flags and bunting, 
 and on the platform was a group of officers of the royal 
 guard, standing apart from those privileged citizens who 
 had been admitted within the barriers. Beyond, clearly 
 seen through the gates and station windows, struggling for 
 a glimpse of the distinguished visitor, were the villagers 
 and the country people, who, denied admission to the yard, 
 were none the less active in their demonstrations of curi- 
 osity. 
 
 As the train drew up at the platform, General Grant 
 alighted from his carriage. The ranking officer of the del- 
 egation, a general on the staff of Alifonzo XII., advanced, 
 and, saluting the visitor, welcomed him, in the King's name, 
 to the Iberian Peninsula. He stated that he was directed 
 by His Majesty to place at the General's disposal the special 
 railway carriage of the King, and to beg an acceptance of 
 the same. General Grant expressed his thanks in a few 
 words, and accepted the proffered courtesy. The train 
 moved out of the little village toward the war-begrimed 
 city of San Sebastian — the last stronghold of the Carlists. 
 
 At San Sebastian, General Grant was received by 
 EJmilio Castelar, ex-President of the Spanish Republic. 
 To the well known statesman and journalist. General Grant 
 was exceedingly cordial. He concluded his remarks by 
 saying: "Believe me, sir, the name of Castelar is espe- 
 cially honored in America." Here, as at Irun, were gath- 
 ered many people to see General Grant, and he was 
 presented to the town officials and the distinguished citi- 
 zens. The contracted harbor reflected the green of the 
 tree-covered hills that encircle it so nearly, and beyond the 
 cone-like isle at its mouth was the sheen of the noonday sun 
 on the Bay of Biscay. 
 
 Leaving this place, the road leads southward toward 
 Tolosa ^nd Vergara, At both of these stations a squad of 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 335 
 
 soldiers was stationed. The usual military guard had been 
 doubled in honor of the American General. After wind- 
 ing about the hills beyond the station of Tolosa, the train 
 suddenly leaves the defiles behind and smoothly skirts the 
 side of a great hill, giving the occupants of the carriages a 
 grand view to the southward. Near at hand are seen the 
 peaks of the Pyrenees — only the extreme w^estern spur of 
 the range, to be sure, but very formidable looking barriers 
 to railway engineering. Altogether, the journey is a 
 charming, Swiss-like ride, creeping, as the traveler does, 
 through what were once dangerous mountain paths, and 
 where, even yet, the railway coaches are alternately in the 
 wildest forests of scraggy pine and the long-leaved chestnut. 
 
 Passing the summit, the descent southward is soon 
 marked by a radical change in the aspect of the country. 
 Villages are met more frequently, until, winding toward 
 the west through the Welsh-looking hills, the train dashes 
 into Vittoria. Here the General was received on alighting 
 by the civil and military authorities attached to the King's 
 military and civil staff. He repaired at once to his hotel. 
 The annual manoeuvres of the Spanish army were being 
 held here, and the King and his entire staff were in Vittoria. 
 At night the General strolled out through the tangled 
 streets of the old part of the town. He inspected the 
 bazaars in the Plaza Nueva, and the pretty streets in the 
 new portion of the city. The Alameda was crowded 
 with people, and the General seemed to enjoy the life al 
 fresco almost as much as the citizens of the capital of Alava. 
 
 The following morning General Grant was received by 
 King Alfonzo at the Ayuntamiento^ or residence of the 
 Alcade, quite a palace in its exterior and interior adorn- 
 ments. The King, who speaks English fluently, said that 
 he had long had a curiosity to meet the General, whose 
 civil and military career was so familiar to him. He said 
 |here was no man living wbon[i Spain would more gladly 
 
33^ GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 honor. The interview was long and cordial, and much 
 good feeling was shown on both sides. 
 
 At eleven o'clock, General Grant, King Alfonzo and s 
 splendid retinue of generals, left the King's official resi- 
 dence to witness the manceuvres that were to take place on 
 the historic field of Vittoria, where the French, under 
 Joseph Bonaparte and Jourdan, were finally crushed in 
 Spain by the allies, under Wellington (June 21, 181 3). 
 
 King Alfonzo and General Grant rode at the head of 
 the column side by side, His Majesty pointing out the objects 
 of interest to the right and the left, and, when the vicinity 
 of the famous field was reached, halting for a few minutes 
 to indicate to his guest the. locations of the different armies 
 on that famous June morning. As they proceeded thence, 
 General Concha'Was called to the side of the King and 
 introduced to General Grant. Several other distinguished 
 officers were then presented. The weather was very fine, 
 and the scene was one of great interest to the American 
 visitor. General Grant spent all day on horseback, wit- 
 nessing the manceuvres. 
 
 The King and his guest, returned to the city late in the 
 afternoon. At night he dined with the K-ing, and the next 
 day General Grant reviewed the troops, and at night 
 he left for Madrid. Altogether, both at the palace 
 and on the field, General Grant's reception was royal in 
 pomp and attention, and will be likely to impress the 
 reader with the opinion that in no country has the reception 
 of our great soldier been more free, manly and royal than 
 in Spain. Met at the frontier by representatives of His 
 Majesty, escorted to the presence of the monarch, shown a 
 review on the battlefield of Vittoria, and treated in all ways 
 as the especial guest of the sovereign, the ex-President cer- 
 tainly received in this case every mark of consideration and 
 honor that a king could bestow upon a visitor. General 
 Grant, it is true, has expressed in Europe the sense of his 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 131 
 
 satiety with the military shows of life, and they might have 
 hit his individual taste more accurately in some other way; 
 yet a review on a famous battlefield is a piece of historic 
 pageantry aside from ordinary reviews ; and an honor in 
 . which history itself is called upon to pay tribute to a visitor 
 is not to be had every day. 
 
 The General was especially favored in the conditions un- 
 der which he has visited the various nations of Europe, 
 meeting all its great statesmen on friendly terms. Bea- 
 consfield, Bismarck, Gortschakoflf, Gambetta and others 
 have chatted with him familiarly, and he has heard much 
 from them about the socialists and their crazy theories. In 
 Berlin he heard from Bismarck's lips his hot indignation 
 over the recent wounding of the Emperor, and now in 
 Spain he actually v^ritnesses an attempt on the life of a king. 
 With all the horror of the crime and contempt of the crimi- 
 nals which must have entered his mind, he has, doubtless, 
 pondered over the state of society in Europe which makes 
 these atrocious attempts seem epidemic. He must have 
 recognized a social disease, to diagnose which the statesmen 
 he met did not bring unbiassed minds. It would be curi- 
 ous to know his impressions on the subject of misgovern- 
 ment in Europe. 
 
 The excitement occasioned by the attempt on King 
 Alfonso's life was intense. The criminal fired from the 
 sidewalk in front of house No. 93 Calle Mayor, not far 
 from the arched entrance to the Plaza Mayor. He aimed 
 too low, however,.and the ball passed through the hand of 
 a soldier standing guard on the opposite side of the street. 
 Tlie King saw the flash, and, with an involuntary move- 
 ment of his hand, checked his horse momentarily. He 
 then rode tranquilly onward toward the palace. Several 
 women who were standing near the man who fired pointed 
 him out with loud cries, and he was at once secured. He 
 did not make the slightest attempt to escape. Terrible in- 
 
338 GE^ffiRAt. tf. S. GRANT'S 
 
 dignation was manifested among the people forming the 
 crowd that almost immediately gathered from the bazaars 
 and the markets in the Plaza Mayor — that doleful old en- 
 closed square, where the autos da fe and the fiestas reales 
 took place during and even since the days of the Inquisi- 
 tion, but now given over to the venders of dates, pome- 
 granates and base metal jewelry. Attempts were made to 
 wreak summary vengeance upon the assassin when he was 
 on his way to the Gobierno Civil. Thence he was soon 
 removed to the Captain-Gener'alcy. 
 
 The prisoner displayed great coolness during his com- 
 mitment. He insolently drew a cigar from his pocket, 
 which, after having struck a match, he coolly lit and began 
 to smoke. He is a very thin man, of medium height, wears 
 a light mustache, and has his hair closely cropped. He 
 admitted the crime, and triumphantly declared himself a 
 socialist and internationalist; but, when interrogated as to 
 who his accomplices were, denied that he had acted in con- 
 cert with any one. He said that he came alone from Tara- 
 gona purposely to kill a king. ' This was his first serious 
 disappointment in life. 
 
 General Grant was standing, when the shot was fired, at 
 a window of the Hotel de Paris (situated at the junction of 
 the Carrera San Geronimo and the Calle de Alcala), over- 
 looking the Puerta del Sol. This hotel is a long distance 
 from the scene of the attack, but looks across the great cen- 
 tral plaza of Madrid, directly down the Calle Mayor. Gen- 
 eral Grant, who was following with hie ^yes the progi'ess 
 of the royal cavalcade which had just passed across the 
 Puerta del Sol before him, said that he clearly saw the flash 
 of the assassin's pistol. The General had already "booked" 
 for Lisbon by the night train leaving at seven o'clock, and 
 therefore could not in person present his congratulations to 
 King Alfonso; but to Scnor Silvera, the Minister of State, 
 who called soon after and accompanied him to the railway 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD, ijg 
 
 Station, General Grant expressed his sympathies, and re- 
 grets that he was unable to postpone his journey in order 
 that he might personally call upon His Majesty. He 
 begged Senor Silvera to convey to the King his sincere 
 congratulations on his escape from the assassin's bullet. 
 There was a great gathering of diplomats, nobles and men 
 of all parties at the palace to offer congratulations on Friday 
 night and Saturday morning. Marshal Serrano (Duke de 
 la Torre) was one of the first callers. Minister James 
 Russell Lowell and Mr. Ried, Secretary of Legation, called 
 at the palace Saturday, and expressed their gratification at 
 the King's escape. The King made light of the whole 
 affair, but the popular indignation was intense. 
 
 General Grant dined with King Luis at Lisbon, 
 November i . All the members of the ministry were present, 
 including the Marquis of Avilae Bolama, Minister of State 
 and of Foreign Affairs; Conseilhero J. de Mello e Gauvea, 
 Finance Minister; Conseilhero J. de Sande Magalhaes 
 Mexia Salema, Minister of Justice; Conseilhero A. F. de 
 Sousa Pinto, Minister of War; the Count De Castro, and 
 other members of the judiciary and military departments 
 of the kingdom. The palace was gayly trimmed with 
 flags, and the day was a festival throughout the city. 
 
 King Luis' reception of the ex-President of the United 
 States was very cordial. His Majesty offered the General 
 the highest decoration of knighthood known to the king- 
 dom. General Grant thanked the King, but said he was 
 compelled to decline the honors, as the laws of the United 
 States made it impossible for an officer to' wear decorations, 
 and, although he was not now in office, he preferred to 
 respect the law. He thanked His Majesty heartily for the 
 honor intended. King Luis then offered him a copy of his 
 translation of " Hamlet " into Portuguese, which General 
 Grant accepted with many thanks, 
 
 Amoug the pleasantest experiences of his European 
 
54° GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 tour General Grant will certainly rank his cordial reception 
 by King Luis at Lisbon, Overshadowed as Portugal is 
 politically by the greater power on the Iberian Peninsula, 
 it has a sturdy life of its own, which, until thrones are abol- 
 ished, it promises to retain. . The house of Braganza, which, 
 'hrough the stress of circumstances, sent its scions to thig 
 side of the Atlantic, builded better than it knew. In Brazil 
 it foiuid a scope for its usefulness that it could not have 
 hoped for in the narrower limits of the parent kingdom. 
 The coming of General Grant was, doubtless, quite an im- 
 portant event in the' somewhat dull routine of court life at 
 Lisbon, and everything appears to have been done to make 
 it pleasant and memorable for the- guest. General Grant's 
 polite but firm refusal to accept the highest order of knight- 
 hood in the kingdom may have come with a certain shock 
 to the monarch, for kings are seldom refused in such matters. 
 
 The ex-President arrived at Seville on the 8th, and was 
 received with great honor by the civil and military author- 
 ities of the city. The populace showed every mark of 
 respect to the distinguished American, and the bearing oi 
 the officials was most cordial. On Friday he breakfasted 
 with the Duke de Montpensier, father of the late Queen 
 Mercedes. 
 
 On Tuesday he reached Cadiz. He was received at 
 the landing place by the Mayor of the city and the civil 
 and military officials. A guard of honor was in attendance, 
 and a large crowd cheered the ex-President as he passed 
 out. The reception was most enthusiastic on the part of 
 the people, and very cordial on that of the authorities. 
 
 On the lyth General Grant and party left Cadiz for 
 Gibraltar. The sea was ¥ery calm, and the delightful 
 voyage was greatly enjoyed by all. The first welcome sight 
 to the visitors was the American flag flying from one of 
 our men-of-war. There was some trouble in distinguish- 
 ing the vessel until a near approach, when old friends 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 34^ 
 
 were recognized in the persons of Captain Robeson and 
 shipmates of the Vandalia. 
 
 The General directed his vessel to steam around the 
 Vandalia, and cordial gi'eetihgs were exchanged between 
 the two ships. As they headed into port, the Vandalia 
 mounted her yards, and Captain Robeson came in his 
 barge to take the General on shore. The American 
 Consul, Mr. Sprague, and two officers of Lord Napier's 
 staff, met the General and welcomed him to Gibraltar in 
 the name of the General commanding. Amid a high sea, 
 which threw its spray over most of the party, they pulled 
 ashore. On landing, a guard of honor presented arms, and 
 • the General drove at once to the house of Mr. Sprague, on 
 the hill. 
 
 Mr. Sprague has lived many years at Gibraltar, and 
 is the oldest consular officer in the service of ths United 
 States. General Grant w^as the third ex-President he has 
 entertained at his house. Lord Napier, of Magdala, the 
 tommander at Gibraltar, had telegraphed to Cadiz, ask' 
 ing the General to dinner on tne evening of his arrival. 
 At seven o'clock, the General and Mrs. Grant, accompa- 
 nied by the Consul, went to the palace of the Governo'v 
 called The Convent, and were received in the most hospi- 
 table manner by Lord Napier. His Lordship had expressed 
 a great desire to meet General Grant, and relations of cour- 
 tesy had passed between them before — Lord Napier, who 
 commanded the expeditionary force in Abyssinia, havin^ 
 sent General Grant King Theodore's bible. The visit to 
 Gibraltar may be summed up in a series of dinners — first, 
 at the Governor's palace; second, with the mess of the Royal 
 Artillery; again, at the Consul's. Then there were one or 
 two private and informal dinners at Lord Napier's; and, in 
 fact, most of General Grant's time at Gibraltar was spent 
 in the company of this distinguished commander — a stroll 
 around the batteries, a ride over the hills, a gallop along the 
 
343 GENERAL U. S. GRANT S 
 
 beach, a review of troops, and taking part in a sham battle. 
 Lord Napier was anxious to show General Grant his troops, 
 and although, as those who know the General can tes- 
 tify, he has a special aversion to military display, he spent 
 an afternoon in witnessing a march past of the British gar- 
 rison, and afterward a sham battle. It was a beautiful 
 day for the manoeuvres. General Grant rode to the field, 
 accompanied by Lord Napier, Gen. ConoUy, and others of 
 the staiF. Mrs. Grant, accompanied by the Consul and the 
 ladies of the Consul's family,, followed, and took up her 
 station by the reviewing post. The English bands all 
 played American airs out of compliment to the General, 
 and the review was given in his honor. Lord Napier was 
 exceedingly pleased with the troops, and said to General 
 Grant he supposed they were on their best behavior, as he 
 had never seen them do so well. The General examined 
 them very closely, and said that he did not see how their 
 discipline could be improved. " I have seen," said the 
 General, "most of the troops of Europe; they all seemed 
 good; I liked the Germans very much, and the Spaniards 
 only wanted good officers, so far as I could see, to bring 
 them up to the highest standard ; but these have something 
 about them — I suppose it is their Saxon blood — which 
 none of the rest possess ; they have the swing of conquest." 
 
 The General would have liked to have remained at Gib- 
 raltar longer, but there is nothing in the town beyond the 
 garrison. We suppose his real attraction to the place was 
 the pleasure he found in Lord Napier's society, and again 
 coming in contact with English ways and customs, after 
 having been so long with the stranger. 
 
 General Grant spent several days at Pau, where he was 
 engaged in hunting, and making short journeys into the 
 Pyrenees. He returned to Paris on the nth of December, 
 having accepted the offer of President Hayes to go to India 
 on the United States corvette Richmoud. The Presidei^t'^ 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 343 
 
 offer was made in the most flattering terms. After visiting 
 Ireland, liis plan was to embark at Marseilles and proceed 
 direct to India via the Suez Canal. In no country had the 
 great American soldier been more royally received, or 
 favored with more noteworthy associations, than in Spain 
 and Portugal. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 GENERAL GRANT IN IRELAND. 
 
 Xf anything was a moral certainty, it was that when 
 General Grant visited Ireland he would meet with a popu- 
 lar reception of the most enthusiastic description. That 
 he was a great and successful soldier was a high claim upon 
 a people with such admiration of the chivalrous; that he 
 had led to victory so many thousands of Irishmen and sons 
 of Irishmen in the war for the Union, brought him still 
 closer to them, for there is scarcely a household in all Ire- 
 land that has not some family link with the Irish beyond 
 the Atlantic. To him Fame justly ascribes the salvatiot 
 of that government and that flag under which the famine- 
 stricken, the oppressed and the evicted of Ireland had found 
 homes, prosperity and freedom. During the war for the 
 Union the people of Ireland prayed, like Lincoln at Get- 
 tysburg, that this " government of the people, for the peo- 
 ple and by the people, should not perish from the earth." 
 They could not fit out ships to fight the Alabamas that En- 
 gland was letting go, but they sent out many a sturdy son to 
 do battle for the Union. To an immense proportion of the 
 Irish people General Grant typifies the republican form of 
 government which they hope for. By the officials of the 
 British government General Grant was, of course, received 
 as a foremost citizen of a friendly power; but it was in its 
 popular feature that his visit was the most interesting. 
 
 General Grant and family, accompanied by Minister 
 Noyes, arrived in Dublin, by boat, on the morning of 
 
 344 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 345 
 
 J^anuary 3, 1879. The ex-President was met by repre- 
 sentatives of the corporation. He was driven to the Shel- 
 bourne Hotel, and at once prepared to visit the City Hall 
 to meet the Lord Mayor. The city was full of strangers, 
 and much enthusiasm was manifested when the General 
 and his party left their hotel to drive to the Mansion House. 
 On arriving at the Mayor's official residence, they were 
 cheered by a large crowd that had gathered to greet the 
 illustrious ex-President. The Lord Mayor, in presenting 
 the freedom of the city, referred to the cordiality always 
 existing between America and Ireland, and hoped that in 
 America General Grant would do everything he could to 
 help a people who sympathize with every American move- 
 ment. The parchment, on which was engrossed the free- 
 dom of the city, was inclosed in an ancient, carved bog-oak 
 casket. 
 
 General Grant appeared to be highly impressed by the 
 generous language of the Lord Mayor. He replied : " I 
 feel very proud of being made a citizen of the principal cit^ 
 of Ireland, and no honor that I have received has given me 
 greater satisfaction. I am by birth the citizen of a country 
 where there are more Irishmen, native born or by descent, 
 than in all Ireland. When in office I had the honor — and 
 it was a great one, indeed — of representing more Irishmen 
 and descendants of Irishmen than does Her Majesty the 
 Queen of England. I am not an eloquent speaker, and can 
 simply thank you for the great courtesy you lia-\'e shown 
 me." Three cheers were given for General Grant at the 
 close of his remarks, and then three more were added fo. 
 the people of the United States. 
 
 Mr. Isaac Butt, the well known home-rule member 
 of" Parliament, speaking as the first honorary freeman of 
 this city, congratulated General Grant on ' having consoli- 
 dated into peace and harmony the turbulent political and 
 sectional elements over which he triumphed as a soldier. 
 
34^ GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 His speech throughout was highly complimentary of the 
 ex-President. 
 
 In the evening a grand banquet was given in honor of 
 the ex-President, over two hundred guests being present. 
 
 The Lord Mayor presided. General Noyes returned 
 thanks for a toast to President Hayes' health. When Gen- 
 eral Grant's name was proposed, the company arose and 
 gave the Irish welcome. , 
 
 The ex-President made in response the longest speech 
 of his life, speaking in a clear voice, and being listened to 
 with rapt attention. He referred to himself and fellow citi- 
 zens of Dublin, and intimated, amid much laughter and 
 cheering, that he might return to Dublin one day and run 
 against Barrington for Mayor, and Butt for Parliament. 
 He warned those gentlemen that he was generally a troub- 
 lesome candidate. 
 
 Then passing to serious matters, the General said : — 
 « We have heard some words spoken about our country — 
 my country, before I was naturalized in another. We 
 have a very great country, a prosperous country, with room 
 for a great many people. We have been suffering for 
 some years from very great oppression. The world has 
 felt it. There is no question about the fact that, when you 
 have forty-five millions of consumers such as we are, and ■ 
 when they are made to feel poverty, then the whole world 
 must feel it. 
 
 " You have had here great prosperity because of our 
 great extravagance and our great misfortunes. We had a 
 war which drew into it almost every man who could bear 
 arms, and my friend who spoke so eloquently to you a 
 few moments ago lost a leg in it. You did not observe 
 that, perhaps, as he has a wooden one in place of it. 
 
 "When that great conflict was going on, we were spend- 
 ing one thousand million dollars a year more than we were 
 producing, and Europe got every dollar of it. It made for 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 3^ ^ 
 
 you a false prosperity. You were getting our bonds and 
 our promises to pay. You were cashing them yourselves. 
 That made great prosperity, and made producers beyond 
 the real necessities of the world at peace. But we finally 
 got through that great conflict, and with an inflated cur- 
 rency which was far below the specie you use here. It 
 made our people still more extravagant. Our speculations 
 ■were going on, and we still continued to spend three or 
 four hundred millions of money per year more than we 
 were producing, 
 
 "We paid it hack to you for your labor and manufac- 
 tures, and it made you apparently and really prosperous. 
 We, on the other hand, were getting really poor, but being 
 honest, however, we came to the day of solid, honest pay- 
 ment. We came down to the necessity of selling more 
 than we bought. Now we have turned the corner. We 
 have had our days of depression; yours is just coming on. 
 I hope it is nearly over. Our prosperity is commencing, 
 and as we become prosperous you will, too, because we 
 become increased consumers of your products as well as 
 our own. I think it safe to say that the United States, 
 with a few years' more such prosperity, will consume as 
 much more as they did. Two distinguished men have 
 alluded to this subject — one was the President of the 
 United States, and he said that the prosperity of the United 
 States would be felt to the bounds of the civilized world. 
 The other was Lord Beaconsfield, the most far-seeing man, 
 the one who seems to me to see as far into the future as 
 any man I know, and he says the same as President 
 Hayes." 
 
 General Grant's speech created a profound sensation, 
 and was loudly cheered during its delivery. 
 
 The following morning ex-President Grant, Mr. Noyes 
 and Mr. Badeau visited the Royal Irish Academy, in Kil- 
 dare Street, in company with Lord Mayor Barrington. 
 
348 GENERAL U. S. GRANt'S 
 
 Here, after some time spent in inspecting tine treasures of 
 ancient Irish art in gold, silver and bronze, Saint Patrick's 
 bell and sacred cross, and O'Donnell's casque, the party 
 went to the building that was the old Parliament house. It 
 is now the bank of Ireland, and the walls which formerly 
 echoed with the eloquence of Grattan, Curran and Plunk- 
 ett, now resound with the chaffering of the money 
 changers. Trinity College was then visited. The party 
 was received by the Provost and Fellows and escorted 
 through the library, chapel and halls of this venerable and 
 majestic pile. 
 
 General Grant drove to the vice-regal lodge of the 
 Duke of Marlborough, Phoenix Park, early in the after- 
 noon, where he had dejeuner with the Viceroy. He 
 afterward visited the Zoological Gardens, then returned to 
 his hotel, where he rested a couple of hours. 
 
 It may be interesting to notice the contrast between the 
 generous welcome extended to General Grant by the peo- 
 ple of Dublin, and the uncalled-for and spiteful slight aimed 
 at him by a clique of the Cork City Council, as showing 
 to what lengths sectional 'and religious agitation are some- 
 times carried. The United States Consul at Cork addressed 
 a letter to the Council, announcing that Grant would 
 probably arrive in Cork within a few days. Mr. Tracy, a 
 nationalist, proposed at the Council meeting that the letter 
 should simply be marked " read," and that no action should 
 betaken. Mr. Harris, a conservative, said: " It will be 
 to the interest of our fellow-countrymen in the United 
 ■■ States if a proper reception is accorded to General Grant, 
 who represents the governing party in that country. There 
 can be no personal antipathy to the gentleman himself; 
 neither was there anything in the government of the ex- 
 President objectionable to the Irish people nor unpleasant 
 to the Irish in America. Probably General Grant would 
 again be at the he^d of the United States, in which event 
 
TOUR AROUND TttE WORLD. 349 
 
 it would be to the interest of our fellow-countrymen in 
 America if proper recognition was given to General Grant 
 on his arrival at Cork." 
 
 Mr. Barry, an extreme nationalist, said the ex-Presidcnt 
 had insulted the Irish joeople in America. He got up the 
 " No Popery " cry there. 
 
 Mr. Tracy said it would be unbecoming for tbe Catholic 
 constituency of Cork to welcome such a man. It would 
 be ungenerous- to refuse him hospitality if he' deserved it, 
 but he saw nothing in General Grant's carfeer that called 
 for sympathy from the Irish nation. He never thought of 
 the Irish race as he thought of others, and he went out of 
 his way to insult their religion. 
 
 Mr. Dwyer, an advanced nationalist, would not couple 
 General Grant's name with America. The Irish who 
 sought a refuge and a home in the United States had re- 
 ceived kindness and attention from the American people. 
 President Grant had never given them the same recogni- 
 tion as the other inhabitants. It would be an impropriety 
 to pay any mark of respect personally to General Grant. 
 
 Messrs. McSw^eeny and Creedon, nationalists, spoke to 
 the same effect, and with a great shout of " Aye," there 
 being no dissenting voices, Cork refused to receive General 
 Grant. 
 
 The New York Herald, commenting on this action of 
 the City Council of Cork, said: 
 
 " The Town Council of Cork has done more to ad- 
 vertise itself in connection with General Grant than the 
 municipal authority of any other city in Europe. Tlie 
 respectful hospitalities of which the American ex-Presi- 
 dent has been the object since he left his native shorei 
 nearly tw^o years ago have been so constant, so uniform 
 so unbroken, that the recital of them was beginning to 
 pall upon public attention. Monotony at last grows 
 tiresome, even if it be a monotony of highly seasoned com- 
 
350 GENERAL U. S. GRANT'S 
 
 pliments. A break of continuity in the long round oi 
 festive receptions given to General Grant heightens their 
 effect by a little dash of contrast. It is like one of those 
 rough lines which poets sometimes introduce into their 
 compositions to recall attention to the harmony which 
 pervades the general structure of their verse." 
 
 " The Town Council of Cork has made a discovery - 
 which had escaped the rest of Catholic Europe and of 
 Catholic Ireland. It proclaims, as a justification of its dis- 
 courtesy, that President Grant went out of his way to 
 insult its religion. The deeds of General Grant have not 
 been done in a corner, and it seems odd enough that it was 
 reserved for the Town Council of Cork to detect and pro- 
 claim a fact which has escaped the knowledge of Europe and 
 America. Our traveling ex-President has been as warmly 
 received in Catholic Italy and Spain as in Protestant 
 England and Germany; he has been as much honored by 
 the Catholic President MacMahon, as by the Protestant, 
 Queen Victoria; and even Catholic Dublin has not fallen 
 behind the sister cities of the United Kingdom. The 
 Town Council of Cork would seem to be better Catholics 
 than the Pope himself. 
 
 " General Grant had decided, before learning of the 
 singular action at Cork, that it would not suit his conven- 
 ience to pay a visit to that city. He thinks that its author- 
 ities have convicted themselves of a strange inattention to 
 American history. It is, indeed, well enough known that 
 General Grant is not a Catholic; but it is equally well 
 known that he is superior to all narrow and illiberal pre- 
 judices against members of that communion. His two 
 most intimate friends in the army are General Sherman and 
 Lieutenant-General Sheridan, both Catholics. He did all in 
 his power to advance the interests of these distinguished 
 soldiers befoix he became President, and after his accession 
 he promoted them to the two highest positions in the 
 
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Missing Page 
 
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TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 355 
 
 American army. His zealous friendship was not founded 
 on their religion, but their personal qualities; but their 
 Catholic connection never abated in the least his generous 
 care of their interests. In civil affairs his freedom from 
 religious bigotry has been equally genuine, though less con- 
 spicuous. He appointed Mr. Thomas Murphy Collector 
 of the Port of New York, one of the most important and 
 responsible positions in the civil service, and both in office 
 and out of office Mr. Murphy was treated by him as an 
 intimate personal friend and favorite. 
 
 " We suppose the Cork orators must have heard of 
 President Grant's Des Moines speech, in which he declared 
 himself in favor of anti-sectarian free schools. But maity 
 American Catholics are supporters of our common school 
 system. The ablest and most distinguished Catholic now in 
 public life in this country, Senator Kernan, has always been 
 a steady friend of our common schools. He was for many 
 years the most efficient member of the School Board of 
 Utica, the city of his residence. The Town Council of 
 Cork has acted on a misconception, and its members have 
 reason to be heartily ashamed of their ignorance, as well 
 as of their illiberality and discourtesy." 
 
 This action of the city of Cork produced a profound 
 sensation throughout Ireland, the people looking at it as a 
 violation of the rites of hospitality. General Grant smiled 
 when told of the action of the Cork Councilmen, and said 
 he was sorry the Cork people knew so little of American 
 history. 
 
 The respectable liberals and conservatives of the city 
 and county of Cork were indignant at the action of the 
 clique in the Council who insulted ex-President Grant. An 
 ex-Mayor of the city said: " The obstructionists who op- 
 posed a cead mille failthe to General Grant are not worth 
 a decent man rubbing up against. It is a pity that the 
 General has determined to return to Paris instead of visit- 
 
356 ©HNERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 ing Cork, where he would have received such an ovation 
 from the self-respecting populace as would prove that the 
 Irish heart beats in sympathy with America." 
 
 General Grant quietly left Dublin on Monday morning,. 
 January 6, Lord Mayor Barrington taking leave of him 
 at the railway station. The morning was cold, and, as the 
 train progressed northward, ice, snow, cold winds and 
 finally rain were encountered. At Dundalk, Omagh, Stra- 
 bane and other stations, large crowds were assembled and 
 the people cheered the ex-President, putting their hands 
 into the cars and shaking hands with him whenever pos- 
 sible. The expressions of ill-feeling toward General Grant 
 in Cork had aroueed the Protestant sentiments of the Irish 
 people of Ulster in his favor. 
 
 At two o'clock the train reached Derry. A heavy rain 
 had covered the ground with ice, rendering the view of the 
 city and surroundings most charming, as seen through the 
 mists and gossamer of falling snow. At the station an im- 
 mense crowd, apparently the whole town and neighbpr- 
 hood, had assembled. The multitude was held in check by 
 the police. The Mayor welcomed General Grant cordially, 
 and he left the station amid great cheering, mingled with 
 groans from the nationalist members of the crowd, who 
 called out, " Why did n't ye receive O'Connor Power ?" 
 The great majority of the crowd cheered madly, and fol- 
 lowed General Grant's carriage to the hotel. The ships in 
 the harbor were decorated with flags and streamers, and 
 the town was en fete. A remarkably cold, driving rain 
 set in at three o'clock, ^st as General Grant and his party 
 drove in state to the ancient town hall. The crowd was so 
 dense near the hall that progress through it was made with 
 great diificulty. At the entrance of the building the 
 Mayor and Council, in their robes of office, received the 
 ex-President. Amid many expressions of enthusiasm from 
 the people of Londonderry, an address was read extolling 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 357 
 
 the military and civil career of General Grant, which was 
 pronounced second in honor only to that of Washington. 
 
 General Grant signed the roll, thus making himself an 
 Ulster Irishman. He then made a brief address. He said 
 that no incident of his trip was more pleasant than accept- 
 ing citizenship at the hands of the representatives of this 
 ancient and honored city, with whose history the people of 
 America were so familiar. He regretted that his stay in 
 Ireland would be so brief. He had originally intended 
 embarking from Queenstown direct for the United States, 
 in which case he would have remamed a much longer time 
 on the snug little island ; but, having resolved to visit India, 
 he was compelled to make his stay short. He could not, 
 however, he said in conclusion, return home without seeing 
 Ireland and a people in whose welfare the people of the 
 United States took so deep an interest. The ex-President 
 returned to his hotel, making a short visit at the house of 
 Consul Livermore en route. 
 
 A banquet was tendered to the General, at which he 
 was present. The leading citizens of the province of 
 Ulster attended, and the dinner was remarkably good. 
 The reception of the ex-President was enthusiastic and cor- 
 dial in the extreme. General Grant, in response to a toast, 
 made a brief speech, saying that he should have felt that 
 his tour in Europe was incomplete had he not seen the 
 ancient and illustrious city of Londonderry, whose history 
 was so well known throughout America. Indeed, the 
 people of Derry, and all about there, had had a remarkable 
 influence upon the development of American character. 
 He cordially welcomed to the United States all the Irish- 
 men who chose to make their homes there, and this was 
 a welcome shared by the American people. Minister 
 Noyes made a speech of the same general tenor, and at 
 eleven o'clock the company separated. 
 
 The following morning General Grant strolled about^ 
 
35^ 
 
 GENERAL V. S. GRANT'S 
 
 looking at the historic walls, visiting Walker's Pillar, Roar- 
 ing Meg, and the other curiosities of the town. The Gen- 
 eral's treatment by the people of Londonderry during his 
 stay was unusually cordial. 
 
 General Grant's tour in Ulster was, in some respects, the 
 most remarkable of his European experiences. People 
 resented the action of the city of Cork as a slander upon 
 Irish hospitality. 
 
 General Grant left Derry on the yth, accompanied by 
 Sir Hervey Bruce, Lieutenant of the county, Mr. Taylor, ' 
 M. P. for Coleraine, and other local magnates. A cold 
 rain and mists, coming from the Northern Ocean, obscured 
 the wonderful view of the Northern Irish coast. The 
 General studied the country closely, remarking on the 
 sparseness of the population, and saying he could see no 
 evidence of the presence of seven millions of people in 
 Ireland. 
 
 At every station there were crowds assembled, and, 
 when the cars stopped, the people rushed forward to 
 shake hands with the General. Some were old soldiers 
 who had been in the American ai^my. One remarked that 
 Grant had captured him at Paducah. Another asked Gen- 
 eral Grant to give him a shilling in remembrance of old 
 times. The people were all kindly, cheering for Grant and 
 America. At Colerain'e there was an immense crowd. 
 General Grant, accompanied by the Member of Par- 
 liament, Mr. Taylor, left the cars, entered the w^aiting-room 
 at the depot, and received an address. In reply, General 
 Grant repeated the hope and belief, expressed in his Dublin 
 speech, that the period of depression was ended, and that 
 American prosperity was aiding Irish prosperity. At 
 Ballymoney there was another crowd. As the train neared 
 Belfast, a heavy rain began to fall. 
 
 The train reached Belfast station at half-past two 
 w'clock. The reception accorded General Grant was im- 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 359 
 
 posing and extraordinary. The linen and other mills had 
 stopped work, and the workmen stood out in the rain in 
 thousands. The platform of the station was covered with 
 scarlet carpet. The Mayor and Members of the City 
 Council welcomed the General, who descended from the 
 car amid tremendous cheers. Crowds ran after the car- 
 riages containing the city authorities and their illustrious 
 guest, and afterward surrounded the hotel where the Gen- 
 eral, was entertained. Belfast was en fete. The public 
 buildings were draped with American and English colors, 
 and in a few instances with orange flags. Luncheon was 
 served at four o'clock, and the crowd^ with undaunted valor, 
 remained outside amid a heavy snow storm, and cheered at 
 intervals. The feature of the luncheon was the presence 
 of the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese, who was 
 given the post of honor. The luncheon party numbered 
 one hundred and seventy — the Mayor said he could have 
 had five thousand. 
 
 The Belfast speakers made .cordial allusions to many 
 people in America, and were anxioiis to'' have Grant de- 
 clare himself in favor of free trade, but the General in his 
 reply made no allusions to the subject, to the disappoint- 
 ment of many of those present. Minister Noyes made a 
 hit in his speech w^hen he said that General Grant showed 
 his appreciation of Belfast men by appointing A. T. Stew- 
 art, of Belfast, Secretary of the Treasury, and offering 
 George H. Stuart, a Belfast boy, the portfolio of Secretary 
 of the Navy. 
 
 After the luncheon was over, General Grant remained 
 quietly in his apartments, receiving many calls, some from 
 old soldiers who served under him during the war. 
 
 At ten o'clock on the morning of January 9, General 
 Grant and his party, accompanied by Mayor Brown, vis- 
 ited several of the large mills and industrial establishments 
 of the city. Before he left the hotel he was waited on by 
 
360 GENERAL U. S. 
 
 t number of the leading citizens and several clergymen. 
 Bishop Ryan, the Catholic Bishop of Buffalo, and Mr. 
 Cronm, editor of the Catholic Union, were among the 
 callers, and had a pleasant interview. The General theii 
 drove to the warehouses of several merchants in the linen 
 trade, to the factories and shipyards. At the immense ship- 
 yard where the White Star steamers were built, the work- 
 men, numbering two thousand, gathered around Grant's 
 carriage and cheered as they ran alongside. The public 
 buildings and many of the shops were decorated. The 
 weather was clear and cold. 
 
 At three o'clock in the afternoon the General left for 
 Dublin. Immense crowds had gathered at the hotel and 
 at the railway station. The Mayor, with Sir John Pres- 
 ton and the American Consul, James M. Donnan, accom- 
 panied the General to the depot. As the train moved off 
 the crowd gave tremendous cheers, the Mayor taking the 
 initiative. One Irishman in an advanced stage of enthusi- 
 asm called out: "Three cheers for Oliver Cromwell 
 Grarjtl" To this there was only a faint response. 
 
 At Portadown, Dundalk, Drogheda and other stations, 
 there were immense crowds, the populations apparently 
 turning out en masse. Grant was loudly cheered, and 
 thousands surrounded the car with the hope of being able 
 to shake the General by the hand, all wishing him a safe 
 journey. One little girl created considerable merriment 
 by asking the General to give her love to her aunt in^ 
 America. All the Belfast journals, in more or less, acri-,. 
 monious terms, denounced the action of the Council of Cork. 
 At Dundalk, the brother of Robert Nugent, who was 
 Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixty-ninth New York Regi-, 
 ment in 1861, and afterward commander of a brigade in the 
 Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, said he was glad to 
 welcome his brother's old commander. 
 
 The Belfast limited mail train, conveying General 
 
TOUR AROUND THE WORLD. 36 1 
 
 Grant, arrived at Dublin fourteen minutes behind time on 
 the 8th. Lord Mayor Harrington and a coiisiderable num- 
 ber of persons were on the platform at the railway station, 
 and cordially welcomed the General. As soon as all the 
 party had descended, the Lord Mayor invited the General 
 into his carriage and drove him to Westward Row, where 
 the Irish mail train was ready to depart, having been de- 
 tained eight minutes for the ex-President. 
 
 There was a most cordial farewell and a great shaking 
 of hands. The Mayor and his friends begged General Grant 
 to return soon and make a longer stay. Soon Kingston was 
 reached, and in a few minutes the party were in the special ■ 
 cabin which had been provided for them on board the mail 
 steamer. Special attention was paid to the General by the 
 ofncers of the vessel. General Grant left the Irish shores at 
 twenty minutes past seven o'clock. 
 
 When the steamer was about to start, the Inspector of 
 Detectives inquired minutely concerning each member of 
 the General's party then on board, apparently to satisfy him- 
 self that they were exactly the same gentlemen who landca 
 here five days before, and that none who came were disguised 
 Fenian eniissaries masquerading as American generals, and 
 who had remained behind while allowing some of their ac- 
 complices to get away under the same disguise. 
 
 In his reception at Belfast was shown, down to the very ; 
 moment of his departure, an exuberant enthusiasm of 
 welcome, that is, perhaps, justly understood as owing some 
 part of its warmth to a desire to protest against the Cork- 
 onian blunder. His welcome at Dublin by the Lord Mayor ' 
 was another pleasant tribute of good will; while the un- ' 
 easiness of the police inspector, eager to know whether 
 this descent of a foreign soldier on Irish soil was not, after 
 all, some Fenian project in disguise, was characteristic, 
 laughable, and perhaps the best a policeman could do in the , 
 way of a compliment. General Grant's visit to Ireland was 
 
362 GENERAL U. S. GRANT's 
 
 ended ; and it may be fairly said of it that a public man, 
 from a far distant country, without official character, known 
 to the world for his military glory and for services that 
 saved a great republic from anarchy, was never more geni- 
 ally, warmly, earnestly and enthusia.stically made to feel 
 that heroism, and, above all, heroism in the cause of lib- 
 erty, has no country, but is equally at home in any part of 
 the world, where there is a people with a soul to appreciate 
 great services and the aspiration to be free. An event like 
 General Grant's welcome in Ireland does not happen in the 
 lives of many men. Our own welcome to Lafayette on 
 his revisiting this country might be compared to it, but 
 that we were under the obligation of a people in whose 
 own cause that soldier fought; and the Irish welcome to 
 General Grant was, therefore, even more generous, for there 
 was not even the obligation of gratitude in it. As for the 
 little fly spot put on this fine picture by the Corkoni- 
 ans, why, it may be admitted that even an Irish city 
 can produce some pitiful fellows, who want to become 
 distinguished for their very meanness, if they have no 
 worthier qualities. Some sharp-sighted "democrats have 
 seen in this visit to Ireland a strategic move on the Irish 
 vote, should the General ever enter public life again. It 
 is one of the misfortunes that dog public men in a country 
 like ours, that every act of their lives has to be judged 
 from the standpoint of those who contemplate it in the light 
 of the ignoble hunt for votes. Some ground is given by 
 what opponents of General Grant say to the opinion that 
 they have stirred up this Corkonian trouble to head off this 
 hunt. If this be true, they must have been inspired under 
 the influence of Grant's lucky star, for they have done him 
 a service for which he could not have counted upon them, 
 except under the general principle that a great part of every 
 distinguished man's good fortune is due to blunders of his 
 adversaries.